Hills-Beaver Creek Dist. 671Minutes5-27-03The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board met for its semimonthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the library in Hills. Board members present were DeBoer, Larson, Leuthold, Boeve, Baker, Esselink, and Harnack. Also in attendance was Superintendent Deragisch. Chairman Harnack called the meeting to order. Visitors to the meeting were staff member Teri Richards, and Pat Saum. Pat Saum presented the Community Strategic Technology Plan. Patriot Pride: oAn update on the trip to Costa Rica was given by Teri Richards. The group will leave Monday, June 2 and return June 10. Twenty students and three adults will be going. oThe graduation ceremony was successful with 100% of the seniors graduating. oThe band performed very well at the Memorial Day ceremonies. oCassie Tilstra, Amanda Tilstra, and Chris Reid broke track records.The high school administration report was given by Superintendent Deragisch. The minutes of the last meeting stand approved as sent out.Motion by Boeve, second by Larson to accept the Sunkota bid of $503,000.00 for the locker room project. A roll call vote was taken. DeBoer Yes Larson YesHarnack YesEsselink NoBoeve YesBaker NoLeuthold YesMotion carried.Motion by Esselink, second by DeBoer, and carried to approve the tree removal bid by Phillip Duffy in the amount of $1350.00.Motion by DeBoer, second by Boeve, and carried to approve the 2003-2004 certified staff assignments.Motion by Esselink, second by Boeve and carried to approve the 2003-2005 teacher contract. Larson and Baker abstained from voting. Legislative update was given by Esselink. Rock County Collaborative report was given by Superintendent Deragisch. Signatures were gotten for US Bank and Rock County Family Services.Dates to Remember: June 9 School Board meeting June 30 School Board meetingAgenda items for next meeting were discussed.Meeting adjourned at 10:25 p.m. Ann Boeve, Clerk(6-12)

William "Bill" DeBoer, 93, Luverne, died Tuesday, June 3, 2003, at Luverne Community Hospital in Luverne. Services were Friday, June 6, at Luverne Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. The Rev. George Koopmans officiated. Burial was in Luverne Memorial Gardens, rural Luverne. Bill DeBoer was born to Jurrien and Florence (Huizenga) DeBoer on July 22, 1909, on the family farm near Hull, Iowa. He attended school in Perkins, Iowa. He later moved to California where he worked in the dairy industry. He married Helen Hisken on Dec. 27, 1946, in Luverne Christian Reformed Church. The couple farmed northwest of Luverne after their marriage. He retired from farming in 1967 and worked for Dr. Milo Kontz as a veterinarian assistant. The couple moved to Luverne in 1970. He continued working as a veterinarian assistant, later working for Dr. Dave Iverson. He retired in 1979. Mr. DeBoer was a charter member of Luverne Christian Reformed Church, where he had served as an elder for many years, and Luverne Senior Citizens. He received the Outstanding Luverne Senior Citizen Award in 1985. He enjoyed crossword puzzles, and he created his own dictionary of puzzle answers. Survivors include his wife, Helen DeBoer, Luverne; two daughters, Linda (LeRoy) Olivier, Luverne, and Laura (Allen) Kuehl Brandon, S.D.; four grandchildren, Jared (Lisa) Olivier, Kim (Arlyn) Gehrke, Lt. Joshua Kuehl and Mathew Kuehl; two great-grandchildren, Brody Oliver and Parker Gehrke; one brother, Pete DeBoer, Beaver Creek; and three sisters, Effie DeBoer, Luverne, Barb VanTol, Ripon, Calif., and Florence DeBoer, Sioux City, Iowa. Mr. DeBoer was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Charles and John DeBoer, three infant brothers, Jerry, Jon and Cherck DeBoer, two sisters, Anna Anema and Ruth Hengeveld, and an infant sister, Effcke DeBoer. Dingmann Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

10 years ago (1993)"Hills Community Club presented a check in the amount of $1,000 to the Hills City Fire Department to be used toward the purchase of the new fire truck and rescue van."25 years ago (1978)"Keith Vanderburg, son of Mrs. Henrietta Vanderburg, Beaver Creek, graduated with high distinction from the Valparaiso School of Law at Valparaiso, Ind., on May 21st.He was sworn into the Indiana Bar at Indianapolis on June 1st. He has accepted a position with a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a 1971 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek High School."50 years ago (1953)"Districts 19, 34, 37, 39 and 61 will hold a meeting in Hills on Friday evening, June 12, at which time they will call upon the electors of those districts to decide whether or not they should become a part of the present consolidated district, now known as District 66." 75 years ago (1928)"Four veterans of the Civil War — W.C. Johnson, L.L. Bryan and J. B. Dunn of this city, and Goodman Anderson of Hills — were luncheon guests of the Luverne Kiwanis Club Monday noon, as a slight tribute by the Club in recognition of Memorial Day. Theo. Winchell, Beaver Creek, and Austin Maxwell, Kanaranzi, the only other known surviving veterans in Rock County, were also invited, but were unable to attend."100 years ago (1903)"The baseball uniforms did not arrive in time for the ice cream sociable Friday evening, but the evening was a gigantic success never-the-less. The advertised moonlight was there in all its splendor making a perfect evening and the amount of ice cream stowed away by the young and the old was truly marvelous. Games of all kinds from ‘Take the one, leave the udder’ to ‘Skip them along my darling’ were kept up from dusk until midnight. The sociable netted the ball club in the neighborhood of $20."

Jerry and Shirley Johnson and Jeffry, returned home from Piggott, Ark., after spending a week with relatives and attending the Johnson-Underwood reunion. Their son, Jeffry, has been invited to membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society at Kilian College in Sioux Falls, S.D. The international society of a two year course bases its membership and eligibility on the number of hours completed in outstanding GPA. Membership is a special honor to a small group of outstanding students. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson returned home Saturday after spending almost two weeks in Tanzania, East Africa. They visited Kathryn’s schoolmate and her husband who have been missionaries there for 42 years. They also attended a girls’ school and hospital and went on a safari. They reported an interesting experience. Barb Kock, Bismarck, N.D., came Friday to visit in the Bob and Twila Kirsh home. On Saturday, Barb and Twila attended the wedding of Tina Hatch and Rusty Gorter in Harrisburg, S.D. She returned to her home Monday.Cliff and Vi VanWyhe attended the Luverne High School graduation and reception for Serena Franken Sunday afternoon at the home of Serena’s parents. Don and Edyth Briggs returned home last Monday from Cypress Hills Providential Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, where they attended the Grand Royal Mason’s sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On their way home they stopped at Great Falls, Mont., to view the five falls and also stopped at Devils Tower, Wyo.Stacy Carter of Arizona is spending some time with her grandmother, Mary Carter. She has a job in Sioux Falls and this fall will attend classes at Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls. Dick and Mary Heidenson went to Battle Lake to attend their grandson Matt’s high school graduation on May 23. His father, Steve Carter, had his 50th birthday on June 1 and they had a combined celebration for them. Saturday afternoon Betty Elbers went to Edgerton to visit her mother, Jessie Boeve, at Edgebrook Center. Jean Smith, Lititz, Pa., came Thursday to spend until Monday visiting her mother, Mary Carter.Don and Edyth Briggs spent from Friday to Sunday in St. Peter as representatives to the Lutheran Synod from Bethlehem Church. Riley Lentz, Windom, is spending a few days with his grandparents, Bob and Twila Lentz.Mark and Karen Sandager attended the wedding of their daughter, Tatiana, and David Kucera in Colorado Springs, Colo. Friday. Others attending were Pucky and Shirley Sandager, Brittany and Kelli, Vic and Fran Sandager, Paul and Vicki Nelson and Claire and Mary Crawford, Beaver Creek. Mark and Brenda Hadler, Zach, Katie and Colby and Amber Rieck, Edgerton, spent Sunday in the home of Joanne Goehle. Fern Becker, Alexandria, came Sunday to spend this week in the home of her sister, June and Marv Albers, while taking extra nursing courses in Sioux Falls.Gene and Carol Scheerhorn and some of their children and grandchildren joined them for camping over the weekend at Ihlen State Park. Brett and Jo Solberg, Lansing, Kan., are spending this week in the home of their grandparents, Ron and Jan Solberg. They are the children of Russell and Jeri Solberg. Heather Albers returned home Sunday after a week’s vacation with her aunt, Anita Elisar, in San Antonio, Texas. The trip was a graduation gift from Anita. Anita’s other two sisters were here for Heather’s graduation. They were from New Orleans, La., and South Carolina. Dena Umland attended a bridal shower on Saturday, June 7, for Renita Van Surksum, bride-to-be of Jerod Enninga, her grandson. The shower was hosted by his aunts.

Our weather continues to have its ups and downs. This week we are experiencing cool weather with unexpected showers of rain. This is perfect growing weather but my garden isn’t doing very well as most of it is still in the sack I brought them home in. My mental garden is doing much better than the real thing. I do have my potatoes planted and some corn so with these showers of rain they should be up soon. I just hope it dries up long enough to get the other things in. Lately, when it is dry enough, the wind blows so hard you can barely stand up out of doors let alone plant tiny seeds! I have a feeling I am going to have a late garden.Things may be looking up, however, as the calendar says summer arrives on June 21. Hopefully, there will be better days for working out of doors before that.You probably all remember the old song, "Mr. Sandman Bring Me a Dream." And maybe that is what I am asking him to do. I would like to ask Mr. Weatherman to send nice weather so my dream of a good garden will come true or at least get started.Pastor Dan and Karen Ramaker spent last week on vacation. They spent some time at Branson, Mo., and also visited a few days with their son, Jeff, in Kansas City. Filling the pulpit in his absence was Cary Radisewitz from Luverne for both the morning and evening worship services. Kenny and Gwen Bodewitz, Valley Springs, S.D., were Wednesday evening callers in the home of his mother, Henrietta Huenink. Orrin and Bernice Aukes attended funeral services for James Vis Tuesday morning at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Worthington. He was the son of Doyle and Shirley Vis, Rushmore, and grandparents were Harry and Mary Vis.The Steen softball team played their first home game on Tuesday evening. They have played other games which were away games. I still have to get a copy of their schedule so we can keep up on how they are doing. Vacation Bible School began Monday in Steen Reformed Church. The theme this year is "Treasures of the Nile." It will be in session all week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church so drive carefully when coming into Steen. Mildred Paulson attended the Southwest Area Agency Region state insurance program coordinators meeting at Key Largo near Slayton on Thursday. Orrin and Bernice Aukes attended the Sioux Valley Energy’s annual meeting at the Community Center in Brookings, S.D., Tuesday evening. The meeting began with an evening meal. There were 1,800 in attendance.Melba Boeve’s daughter, Julie Springman, Rachael and Kaley, Melba’s granddaughters from Forest Lake, and Krysta Overlander, Circle Pines, are spending the week in the Melba Boeve home. The girls are attending Bible School in Steen.Isabel Bosch, youngest daughter of Tom and Amy Bosch, Sioux Falls, was an overnight guest in the home of her grandparents, Dries and Laura May Bosch, on Thursday. Friday they met Tom and his other daughter, Emma, at Beaver Creek Drivers Club House where they enjoyed dinner together. Isabel returned home with her father. Art and Henrietta Boeve, John and Jane Bosch and Ferd and Evelyn Tilstra left on Tuesday for West Long Lake Resort where they spent the rest of the week fishing. They returned home on Saturday and reported fishing was good. Dries and Laura Mae Bosch, Cornie and Darlene Bosch and Betty Boeve attended funeral services for their cousin, Joanne Le Laoex at St Catherine Church in Parker, S.D., on Friday.Looking at the calendar I discovered to my surprise that this week there is Friday, June 13. I don’t know how Friday the 13th got such a terrible reputation but I did find some tragedies that have happened on Friday the 13th with a brief explanation of how it got started. I quote:Among the most common of superstitions is that Friday the 13th is a day on which hard luck is apt to fall. It is not certain just what started the idea but a number of ancient beliefs have designated Friday as an unlucky day, and for centuries the number 13 has been considered an unfortunate number. It is no wonder that the combination of these two — Friday and the 13th — is thought to be an ominous day. To substantiate this belief, these tragedies are cited as examples of Friday the 13th bad luck. Friday the 13th of April 1906, a devastating earthquake struck Taiwan.Friday the 13th of September 1907, the steamship Lusitania began its ill-fated voyage. Friday the 13th of April 1923, a huge tidal wave hit the coast of Korea. On the other hand good things have also occurred on that fatal date.The first telephone line for business purposes was opened on Friday the 13th of April 1877. Electric lighting was first tried in London on Friday the 13th of October 1878.The first American unit pushed its way into Achney, Germany, on Friday the 13th of October, 1944.Since I am not superstitious we just have to have faith that everything will turn out right on Friday the 13th this year. We have to have faith and faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark. Good luck to everyone on this Friday the 13th!

The Village garden is growing. So are the weeds, but two young boys took care of them. Mary’s son, Andy, and Wade Sullivan spent the day cleaning up the garden. Deb then harvested onions. You know, the little green kind so good at the table. Radishes will be available soon for Martha found one marble sized. I learned this week, and I can’t remember where, if you stomp down or walk on the top of the radishes they will grow bigger underground and not have so much tops. Makes sense doesn’t it? We shall see for Colleen Martens is giving it a try. We had guests at Bible study this week, Shirley Olson from the apartments and Rachel and Lloyd Untiedt from The Oaks in Luverne. We are studying the book of Mark, one of the shortest books of the gospels. A coon has been sighted a number of occasions in the back field just waiting for the corn to grow I suppose. Arnold Thorin thought there might be young ones nearby. The birthday of the shopping cart was on the 10th. Of course, Mary and Deb could not let such an event go by without a celebration. In 1934, Sylvan Galman owned a grocery store in Oklahoma City, Okla. To make it easier for customers to buy more in one trip, he invented a cart the buyer could push around. To show us how the style has changed, Mary came barging in the dining room with a cart built like the automobile that a child can sit in and drive down the aisle with the basket on the back and mom pushing. It’s big, the size of a chair if laid in a reclining position. Mary had the basket loaded with groceries we could all shop from. Paper goods, cookies, toiletries, etc., we all had a pick with no cost to us. This week was also the 70th anniversary of the drive-in theater — Remember going to one? Mary does for she went in a Porsche. In honor of the event a movie was shown that afternoon in the dining room. The Community Club met here making final Friendship Day plans that will be in Hills next weekend. We’ll be having a booth in the park. Arnold Thorin and Erma have been making items to display. Signe has been saddened by the death of friends killed in a car accident. We wish for sunshine on our patio plants. A woodpecker, blue jay, sparrows, robins and a yellow finch have been seen outside our windows. Everywhere outside is so green and beautiful.I’ll keep you posted.

When it comes to churches, inflation has taken on a new meaning. According to Reuters news services, "The world’s first inflatable church opened its Gothic arches to worshipers to reveal a blow-up organ, a polyvinyl pulpit, an air-filled altar and fake stained glass windows." The balloon church was formally dedicated by the Church of England in May. Deflated, the $35,000, 47-foot-high structure can be carried from one churchless community to another on the back of a truck. It can be inflated in three hours and will seat about 60 church-goers at a time in polyvinyl chloride pews. We can only hope that inflatable churches will demonstrate definite advantages over traditional buildings, especially when it comes to affordable accessibility. For example, major church repairs, which usually cost thousands of dollars and are headaches for today’s tithers, should be reduced to simple purchases of plastic patches and waterproof glue. In the case of a repeat flood of biblical proportions, inflatable churches could double as ocean-going vessels and safe havens from the storms. Unlike Noah, modern day parishioners won’t have to spend long periods of time building arks according to exact specifications. That’s good news for most of us who wouldn’t recognize a cubit if we saw one. As their inflatable churches become cruise ships, church-goers may joke among themselves that they may not be able to walk on water, but they certainly are able to stay afloat. Of course, after 40 days and 40 nights of non-stop rain and very little else, the joke, repeated over and over again, may wear thin. During a flood of epic proportions, when church members have cast their churches, like bread, upon the waters, specially adapted hymns could include "I’ll Float Away" and "Shall We Gather on the River." The downside of having a floating church is that, when the flood waters subside, a church of one denomination could easily land up on the parking lot of another. Although the press release didn’t mention them, safety precautions might be advisable when inflatable churches become more popular. In parts of the world with unusually high winds, inflatable churches without secure anchoring systems might easily become airborne. That’s when congregations will again be singing the original lyrics to "I’ll Fly Away." Lighted candles in churches will become outdated traditions for weddings and other ceremonies, because plastic churches might easily melt. Based on similar fears, attaching pictures to walls with hammers and nails or any use of staplers and sharp scissors would also be banned. Frosted cakes, a mainstay at wedding receptions and church potluck suppers, will have to be sliced and served with plastic cutlery or else ripped apart into individual servings with bare hands. If inflatable churches catch on in our country, we might also see air-filled homes and businesses. Inflatable dome-like buildings, where baseball and football teams could play their games, will dot the countryside. The often-criticized Metrodome in Minneapolis may not be that terrible, after all. It was just ahead of its time.

10 years ago (1993)"As a last-ditch effort to get beans planted, farmers are launching seed from the air onto soil too soggy for tractor tires.For the first time in Rock County, helicopters are seeding beans in waterlogged fields where conventional farming equipment can’t reach."25 years ago (1978)"Thursday is a history-making day for live theatre in Rock County. The premier production of the Green Earth Players is set to run through Saturday.‘Ten Nights in a Barroom’ will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Luverne High School Little Theatre. Tickets are available at the door. The Green Earth Players is an area community theater organization designed to utilize local talent in all aspects of production."50 years ago (1953)"Juvenile drivers who have been using Luverne streets for reckless driving antics are going to be stopped short.Instead of friendly warnings, they will bump up against the loss of their right to drive any vehicle for at least 30 days. Such penalties will be the result if it is found that the juvenile driver is guilty of traffic offenses."75 years ago (1928)"Bids for the refinishing of the Courthouse and the rearrangement of county office rooms are to be considered at the next meeting of the County Board. Changes to be made include a change in the superintendent of school’s office to a room on the second floor of the court house, at present occupied by the county engineer, who in turn will be relocated in the southwest corner room of the basement, now utilized as a part of the janitor’s residence."100 years ago (1903)"Shipments of stock were made from the Luverne stockyards Saturday evening as had been announced in the Herald of last week. Twenty-one cars of hogs and cattle were sent out to Chicago, the special train leaving here at 8:30 o’clock. The cattle were in excellent condition and should bring good prices."

Something is terribly wrong with our society. This great universal truth came to me while I mowed the lawn this past weekend. Usually the loving husband mows because is a strong and powerful male. I am the picture of delicate femininity who cannot handle anything with a spark plug. The loving husband was gone over the weekend so lawn mowing fell into my fragile hands. Society requires that grass levels be kept at a minimum. We spend a great deal of energy (and money) on fertilizing, watering, and weed elimination to encourage the grass to grow. Then we spend an equal amount of energy and money cutting it down. Why is crab grass so bad? Its green, isn’t it? And I like dandelions. They’re attractive little punctuations of yellow amidst a boring sea of green. Human beings are always interfering with the natural flow of the universe. Another thing … In the old days a person just mowed the lawn and that was that. Now you must have a pattern in your mowing ... diagonals, spiraled circles, whatever. I tried to make a "B" for Bremer in the yard and it turned out nice. Unfortunately, the grass inside the "B" was still long and the actual "B" grass was short. So I had to mow inside the "B" which totally eliminated the "B". After that I just went with the diagonals. I get sidetracked when I mow, looking at the flowers and shrubs and the birds as I follow behind the mower. This leads to the disturbing "jagged diagonal." I could see people driving by and saying to themselves, "Oh-oh! It looks like the loving husband is gone and Glenda had to mow this weekend." Next time, I’ll do it right before dark so the lawn has time to recover by daylight. It might be a good idea to hire a lawn care person, thus freeing up your time for the most important activity of summer ... reading. … Here is a perfect summer book for lounging in the lawn chair: "The Reluctant Suitor," by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Lady Adriana Sutton has adored Colton Wyndham, to whom she has been promised since childhood. As a young girl, she was wounded by Colton's stubborn refusal to comply with his father's wishes. He was too proud and too stubborn to accept a future not of his own choosing. Rather than submit, he fled from his ancestral home for a life of adventure and danger as an officer in the British Army. The years have been kind to Lady Adriana. No longer the plain, thin tomboy Colton had spurned, she has blossomed into an uncommon beauty desired by nearly every eligible bachelor in the land. Yet the only man she desires is the decorated hero who has finally come home to claim his rightful title. Arrogant as ever, he remains averse to the idea of their betrothal in spite of his growing desire for her. To demonstrate his belief that love cannot be forced, Colton agrees to court Lady Adriana for 90 days, after which time he will be allowed to keep his precious freedom if he wishes. Forced into a courtship with this stunning, spirited woman, the heroic heart that was once closed to Adriana is moved by her charm and grace, and begins to yield. But a secret from Colton's past may doom their burgeoning love ... even as the treacherous schemes of a sinister rival threaten to steal the remarkable lady from his arms forever.