Movie: Austin Powers In Goldmember

Rating: PG-13

Now Playing

Carol's grade: C-

CAROL's Take:
In the press kit for "Austin Powers In Goldmember," Mike Myers is quoted as saying, "Broad comedy is as legitimate and valid a delivery system for expansive, spiritual ideas as any other art form." Well. He's right, of course. But, don't look for "expansive, spiritual ideas" in this infantile third installment of the successful movie franchise.

The first "Austin Powers" movie, "International Man Of Mystery" (1997), was made for $17 million, and grossed over $58 million domestically. Its brand-name has become so powerful that it's safe to guess that "Goldmember"
will gross more than that in its opening weekend.

This guaranteed blockbuster features the talents of Mike Myers as creator, co-writer, co-producer, and starring as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and Goldmember. That list demonstrates why the movie can only flirt with the talents of Verne J. Troyer (as Mini Me), BeyoncÈ Knowles (as Foxxy Cleopatra), Michael Caine (as Austin's pop, Nigel), and completely squanders the rest of the cast.

"Goldmember" does treat audiences to a meaningless, but delightful host of cameo appearances sprinkled into the action. The opening sequence, in particular, is a laugh riot, littered with stunt casting and industry jokes that
make the audience feel like Hollywood insiders themselves.

That said, the humor at the core of  "Goldmember" is too juvenile to be called sophomoric. Long gone are the wry cultural observations made in earlier Powers movies that spoofed the '70s, and lampooned old James Bond movies.

The thrust of the jokesä uh, the butt of the jokesä mmm, the focus of all of the humor in this piece of entertainment is of the "boy" variety, homing in on various parts of the male anatomy below the waist. One can't help but wonder how this crude exposition managed a PG-13 rating.

"Austin Powers In Goldmember" is well-produced, and, within its own tiny genre, quite clever, too. It is going to be a huge hit - with its teen target audience, of course, but also with an older group that can brush off the shame of
very cheap laughs, and find some pleasure there.

By Lori Ehde
Luverne's Fred Manfred Jr. is living on borrowed time.

His 10-year-old transplanted kidney is failing, and he's back on the national waiting list for another donation, his third, if heÕs fortunate enough to get one.

To increase his odds, Manfred's doctors have encouraged him to seek help from living, non-related donors - a new trend in organ transplants.

"It's a hard thing to do - to ask for such a thing," Manfred said. "It's asking a lot."

As awkward as it may be to ask, it's an option that can't be overlooked for Manfred, who's had chronic kidney disease for more than 20 years.

Requesting donations from the community not only increases his odds for a match, it drastically increases the likelihood of a successful transplant.

For example, Manfred's first transplant in 1981 arrived on the surgical table two days after being harvested from a 40-year-old accident victim.

That kidney lasted only one month.

In 1992, Manfred's second kidney arrived, two hours after the donor, another accident victim, died. That kidney lasted almost 10 years.

In a live kidney donation, as opposed to one harvested from a cadaver, the kidney is transplanted directly from the donor to the patient.

"The time it spends out of the body is crucial" Manfred said.

Live donations
proven more successful
In the year 2000, five-year survival rates for living donors were 78.4 percent compared with 64.7 percent for cadaveric donors.

In 2001, the number of living donors increased by 13.4 percent on top of a 16.5 percent increase the previous year, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

By contrast, donations from dead people increased just 1.6 percent during that same time period.

In addition, transplant professionals across the country are working to implement anonymous donor protocols to further increase the pool of available kidneys.

WhatÕs making the process less daunting for would-be donors is that modern medicine has made it possible for people to donate kidneys with very little risk to their own health.

The procedure is now done laproscopically, making the surgery less invasive, allowing donors to get back on their feet in a matter of days, as opposed to several weeks.

Manfred joins about 260,000 people in the United States who are receiving dialysis for kidney failure.

Those on the waiting list for a transplant wait, on average three years, and many die before they get a chance at a transplant.

Waiting game
Manfred knows the waiting game all too well. He waited 11 years for his current kidney, and now that one's failing, too.

He started dialysis in April 2001, and spends four to five hours a day, three days a week in Sioux Falls connected to machines.

The process removes toxins from his system, something his kidney is no longer doing.

"Everything you eat becomes a toxin," Manfred explained, "because you have no way to clean anything out. Even the healthiest foods slowly become impurities."

Between dialysis days on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, he gains four to five pounds of body fluid. He limits his daily intake of fluid because two cups of fluid translates to one pound of body weight.

While dialysis cleans out the system, it's a taxing process both physically and emotionally, said Manfred, who has become familiar with the eight to 10 other dialysis patients in the unit with the same schedule.

"One of the emotional events of dialysis patients is to show up at your unit and see an empty chair," he said.

The majority of kidney patients die of heart failure, so they're encouraged to exercise for endurance. "That's why I ride my bike everywhere," he said.

Being on the national waiting list for an organ is stressful in itself.

"Often when the phone rings, I think maybe this is it," he said. "There is anxiety in waiting. Then, there's a lot of anxiety when you get that call, because you have to be able to drop what youÕre doing and go immediately."

That's part of the reason a living donor appeals so much to Manfred. "It takes so much of the anxiety out of it," he said. "You can find the better match, because you have all this time to test the donor."

For information about donating a kidney to Manfred, or to the South Dakota Renal Transplant Center, call 888-909-1112.

Also, visit the National Kidney Foundation Web site at www.kidney.org. Click on "Organ and Tissue Donors and Recipients," and then on "Living Donors."

Movie: Cinema Paradiso

Rating: R

Now Playing (In Italian with subtitles)

Carol's grade:   A-

Carol's Take:

Originally released in the U.S. in 1988, "Cinema Paradiso" was awarded the OscarÆ for best foreign
language film. The passage of time has not dimmed the beauty of this lyrical Italian picture.

The action surrounds Salvatore, a successful movie director who's about to return to his hometown,
after 30 years, for a funeral. (The character is played as a adult by Jacques Perrin, as a child by
Salvatore Cascio, and as a teen by Marco Leonardi).

It is in flashback that we meet the tiny boy. The papa he can' remember has gone missing in World
War II. He lives in poverty with his mother and sister in a small Sicilian village not yet invaded by 20th
Century trappings.

Toto, as the lad is called, loves movies. He spends every possible minute in the local movie house
where guests set up the chairs, and the local priest cuts out the kissing from every film that's shown.

Toto befriends Alfredo (the wonderful Phillipe Noiret) - the childless, middle-aged projectionist. A
deep bond develops between the two. The movie portrays the relationship between them as Toto
grows up, finds first love and eventually leaves for bigger and better things.
 
The first act of "Cinema Paradiso," when Toto is a small boy, is marvelous. So is young Cascio. Only
the hardest of hearts could remain untouched by the joyous and tragic events that unfold.

The second act, when Toto comes of age, is equally great, but different. The love that resides within
by these characters is brought to full strength with a dose of gravity.

This new director's cut restores about 50 minutes of original material, most of it in the third act. Things
move a little more slowly here, but no lag can dampen the exuberance, humor and joy and that make
up this great film.

Movie lovers need to see "Cinema Paradiso"  - because it's about movies and because it's about love.

The rapturous closing sequence, alone, is worth the price of admission ten times over.

By Lori Ehde
Two runaways from Pinnacle Programs Inc., Magnolia, are back in custody after fleeing the county in a stolen car.

The boys, ages 13 and 17, are from the Omaha, Neb., area and were completing treatment programs at the non-secure juvenile facility.

The boys reportedly left the facility in the early morning hours of Friday, July 12.

They attempted to steal Brad and Susan Skattum's car, which had been parked in their rural yard.

But after running the 1996 Dodge Intrepid into a well on the Skattum property, the boys abandoned the vehicle and headed toward Luverne.

Once there, they found Sue Kern's 1994 Ford Taurus parked in the driveway on Southwest Park Street with keys in the ignition.

When law enforcement in Jefferson, S.D., detained the boys on a moving violation, records showed the vehicle belonged to Kern, and the information was relayed to Rock County.

That was at 2:10 a.m. Monday, July 15. When local law enforcement called Kern to see if her vehicle had been stolen, she, at that time, thought it was still parked in the driveway.

One of the boys is in custody in Sioux City, Iowa, and one has been returned to Pinnacle Programs.

Felony charges are pending against both boys for the attempted theft of the Skattum car and for theft of Kern's car.

The Skattum vehicle sustained roughly $3,000 in damage, and costs were also incurred by damage to the well.

The Kern vehicle, which had minor damage, has since been returned, but Kern's checkbook and drivers' license are missing.

By Lori Ehde
The Luverne teen-ager charged with stabbing a girl in January was sentenced in Rock County District Court last week.

Sarah Elizabeth Smook pled guilty in April to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

She admitted stabbing a fellow student, Danielle Cook, after a dispute between two girls and their friends escalated to violence.

Cook has since recovered from the stab wound incurred by a seven-inch steak knife.

Smook was charged Jan. 4 with the felony crime and was expelled Jan. 9 for the remainder of the school year.

She attended classes at Minnesota West Community and Technical College through the Post Secondary Option at Luverne High School.

Smook, 17, appeared for sentencing in Luverne Monday, July 15, with her parents Dennis and Arlene Smook.

She was ordered to serve 30 days on electronic home monitoring and to abide by probation conditions until her 19th birthday.

She must also pay $540 in fines and $180.70 in restitution and write a letter of apology to Cook and to have no contact with her.

Further, she was ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol and abide by counseling recommendations of the probation officer.

As a result of the crime, Luverne School District administration has vowed to keep closer tabs on harassing activity among student in order to defuse conflicts before they escalate to violence.

Smook was a juvenile when charged, but because her offense is a felony, the reports - including her identity - become public under Minnesota law.

By Lori Ehde
Dan Kern, former owner of the Hardwick Green Lantern Bar, was ordered to pay back the $7,676.80 he stole from the American Legion pull tabs and has to find another line of work.

Kern, "Cue Ball," was sentenced earlier this month for felony theft during a hearing in Rock County District Court.

Kern, 37, was found guilty this summer of skimming funds from the pull tab box operated by the Hardwick American Legion.

According to the sentence order filed by Judge David Christensen July 17, Kern is on probation for five years.

He'll make payments of $300 to repay the stolen funds, and will pay further restitution to the Hardwick American Legion of $175.20.

According to the sentence order, he'll pay a fine of $1,038 by completing community service work. One-half of that fine will go toward paying for gambling dependency treatment and aftercare.

During probation, he is banned from working in businesses relating to the use or sale of alcohol.

He was also ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol and to stay away from bars and gambling establishments.

The Hardwick Green Lantern Bar is now under management of Kern's sister, Carrie Van Dyke, who also runs the adjacent Green Lantern Restaurant.

According to the complaint filed March 14 in Rock County District Court, local law enforcement executed a search warrant of the Green Lantern with the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The agents and local officers found on Dec. 3, 2001, gambling and bar proceeds co-mingled.

When questioned, Kern said the games had been played, but instead of depositing money into the Hardwick American Legion gambling account, he had used the money to repay personal debt.

Kern acknowledged involvement in personal gambling, and said he used proceeds from pull tab games to pay down personal debt resulting from gambling.

Effect on local
charitable gambling
As a broader result of Kern's pull tab theft, there will be less charitable money circulating in Rock County.

Because the Hardwick American Legion knew about KernÕs money problems and was allowing him time to pay back the pull tab deficit, the Minnesota Gambling Board suspended the Legion's gambling privileges.

That suspension is in effect for six months in the Kenneth Bar, and the Legion's gambling license is revoked for two years in the Hardwick Green Lantern Bar.

Pull tab receipts allowed the Hardwick American Legion to pay out more than $1,000 per month in local charitable donations.

Further, the Legion paid the two bars rent for operating the pull tab business, negotiation based on activity generated.

The Green Lantern received roughly $400 per month rent for the Legion pull tabs, but Kenneth received $800 per month.

During the six-month suspension imposed on American Legion, Kenneth will lose $4,800 in rent revenue, despite the fact that it had no part in the pull tab theft that prompted the penalty.

"It is our responsibility to see that games get played, and that money makes it to the bank within four days after they're played," said Gary Danger, compliance officer with the Minnesota Gambling Board.

"I think they (the American Legion members) were trying to give the bar owner the benefit of the doubt, but the Legion is held accountable to the board if they're not getting their money to the bank."

The LegionÕs charitable gambling license was suspended effective May 6.

By Sara Strong
Luverne utility customers wanting to use wind energy have that option starting in August.

Customers will get a detailed brochure with their bills, but essentially, the city is required to provide green power, or renewable energy sources to its customers. The city already uses primarily hydro-electric power, but the state is requiring more options beginning this summer.

Called green power, Luverne customers can elect to spend an extra $2 a month per 100 kilowatt hours to get a portion of their electric use from wind-generated electricity.

The added fee will cover the city's own extra costs from wind power. The city is charged an additional $1.50 per 100 kilowatt hours (or 1 block) by Missouri River Energy. The extra cost is charged to Luverne because wind power costs more because of large capital expenses to start the towers. The city will also use part of the $2 fees to market the green power, as required by the state.

Other cities in Minnesota have "gone green" in the past, and customers supported the option, even though the cost is slightly higher per month. Some cities sold out their electric blocks in contracts and had to erect additional towers to meet demand so the fee wasn't a deterrent.

Customers can purchase any number of blocks in year-long contracts.

The council hoped that by setting the monthly fee at $2, it would encourage more customers to sign on for the wind energy than a higher fee might.

Water ban
The Luverne City Council Tuesday night discussed the possibility of drastically increasing the cost of water. Heavy users, mostly those sprinkling lawns, are causing stress on Luverne's water system.

The city has imposed a watering ban for lawns, but some residents have said they won't follow it.

Because of the dry conditions and heavy water use, next week one of the city's wells may have to be capped and another dug. The council said it is prepared to make water use a serious issue for Luverne.

The SheriffÕs Department can enforce the water ban, which is punishable as a misdemeanor offense.

During water bans, residents can hand water new sod, grass seed, shrubs, bushes and gardens. Entire lawns shouldnÕt be watered. Sprinklers are banned because they lose water as they spray.

The council reviewed patterns of water usage during the discussion. A unit of water is the equivalent of 750 gallons of water. About two-thirds of the cityÕs customers use less than 10 units a month.

June meter readings show some customers using as much as 80 or more units of water.

Councilman Jim Kirchhofer said, "Water is a natural resource that we all have to share."

Councilman David Hauge said selfishly aiming for a perfect, green lawn in a time of water shortage warrants some sort of council action.

The council discussed higher fees during watering bans or general increases for high usage, year round, even if a ban isn't in place.

The city asked for public input on the water policy.

By Sara Strong
A burglar used spray paint to keep his appearance from cameras before he managed to remove an ATM machine from First National Bank, Luverne.

At about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, the man walked into the vestibule of First National where the ATM is located for customers. He managed to loosen bolts and take the entire ATM with him.

The thief is pictured as the camera recorded him before he painted its lens.

Employees reporting for work Friday morning reported the theft.

An undisclosed amount of $20 bills was in the machine at the time it was taken. It was found empty of all cash in Maplewood Cemetery, rural Luverne.

Rock County Investigator Clyde Menning said the ATM is being processed for fingerprints or any other evidence that may be helpful to the case.

First National President Ryan DeBates said the ATM has been replaced and that "correct measures were done to make sure it doesn't happen again."

He said, "It's unfortunate, but it shouldn't disrupt things for our customers."

By Sara Strong
The Rock County Sheriff's Department stopped an apparent drug manufacturer Friday, July 19, near the state border by Valley Springs, S.D.

Local law enforcement worked with Minnehaha County in South Dakota to arrest Cory Kelderman, 29, rural Rock County.

His home contained numerous items used to manufacture methamphetamine, and in excess of six grams of a substance consistent with the drug. The substance is being analyzed to confirm that it is meth.
Kelderman will be charged with manufacturing meth, conspiracy to manufacture meth and possession - all of which are felonies.

If convicted, Kelderman could be jailed for 86 months.

Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure said, "I feel my staff is really doing a good job. And this is a good opportunity to remind people that if they see things that look strange to give us a call."

McClure said it took some time to get enough evidence to obtain a search warrant.

Assistant Rock County Attorney Terry Vajgrt said months of effort were put into getting the warrant. "Law enforcement receives information all the time and it's useful, but just last week we had good, recent evidence," he said.

The state border between Rock County and South Dakota appears to be a hotbed of drug activity.

Vajgrt said, "It seems that in the last year and one-half, law enforcement has had a good deal of success in arresting individuals in that area."

Low rural rental prices, low traffic areas and access to Sioux Falls may contribute to the location's high incidence of drug labs.