Member Tim Knoll (right) and his guest, Al Connell, of Morris, emerged as the champions of the Member-Guest Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club over the weekend. Knoll and Connell rallied from a three-stroke deficit on Sunday to earn a berth in a playoff, which they won to take top honors in the net better ball event.

By John Rittenhouse
An outstanding comeback on Sunday followed by a successful playoff hole led a team to its first Member-Guest Tournament championship at the Luverne Country Club over the weekend.

Member Tim Knoll and his guest, Al Connell, Morris, saved their best golf for the last two rounds of play during the 36-hole, net better ball tournament.

Knoll and Connell recorded an 11-under-par net 61 during 18 holes of play Sunday to move up from a tie for fifth place after Saturday's rounds into a tie for first place with member Jeremy Sudenga and his brother, Jason, who now lives in Sioux Falls.

When Connell registered a net birdie on the first playoff hole, and Jason Sudenga's seven-foot, downhill putt for birdie slid off the mark on the LCC's No. 1 green, the championship trophy belonged to a pair of first-time champions during the 21st version of the event.

No team shot a score lower than a net 64 during both days of the tournament, but Knoll and Connell needed a 61 to earn a shot at the championship Sunday.

When Saturday's opening 18 holes of play were complete, it was the Sudenga team and member Darwin Elbers and guest Keith Boeve (Maple Grove) leading the pack with a net 64s.

Member Dan Serie and guest Chad Wallace (Omaha, Neb.) were one-shot off the pace with a net 65, while member Don Klosterbuer and guest Craig Boysen (Montevideo) finished the day in fourth place with a net 66.

Connell and Knoll, member Bob Frakes and guest Joe Vanderburg (North Arlington, Texas), member Jeff Rollinger and guest Cory Norman (Sioux Falls), member George McDonald and guest Gary Hestness (Audubon), member Pat Strassburg and guest Andy Noll (Fairmont) and member Roger Tollefson and guest Tom Brakke (Deephaven) all finished four shots behind the leaders with net 67s Saturday.

The Sudengas played well enough Sunday to match the net 64 score they recorded on Saturday, but it wasn't good enough to best the hard-charging team of Knoll and Connell.

Both teams ended up with net 128s at the end of regulation play, which set the stage for a playoff.

Jason Sudenga, a scratch golfer, received no handicap strokes for the par-4 first hole, while each of the other three players in the competition had the benefit of receiving a one-stroke handicaps.

Both Connell and Jason Sudenga were safely on the green in two shots. Connell completed the hole with two putts, which gave him a net birdie. Sudenga had a chance to prolong the playoff with his downhill attempt for birdie, but his putt ended up being a narrow miss.

Serie and Wallace showed some improvement Sunday, which led them to a third-place finish. They followed their net 65 Saturday with a net 64 Sunday, leaving them one shot away from joining the playoff with a net 129.

Elbers and Boeve shot a net 66 Sunday after sharing the lead with a net 64 Saturday. They placed fourth overall with a net 130.

Tollefson and Brake and member Steve Smedsrud and guest Troy Veld (Adrian) ended up tied for fifth place with net 132s.

Although their team title hopes slipped away during the playoff, the Sudengas played well enough as individuals to draw more attention to their games.

Jeremy Sudenga walked away with the low-net title with a 133 tally. Wallace was four shots off the pace with a net 137, and member Nate Skattum was third with a net 139.

Jason Sudenga finished two strokes off the pace in the low gross competition.

Serie (72-74) and Norman (73-73) shared top honors in the gross competition with two-over-par 146 tallies. Jason Sudenga was third with a four-over-par 148.

The Derby, a nine-hole competition which follows the first 18 holes of net better ball play Saturday, was again a portion of the Member-Guest Tourney.

Ten members and 10 guests who recorded the lowest gross scores formed the field for nine holes of alternate-shot play, which features one team being eliminated at each hole.

The two teams remaining after eight holes of play consisted of member Tim Connell and Noll, and Jeremy Sudenga and Bill Wallace, the guest of Tom Serie, from Montgomery, Ala.

When the team of Connell and Noll recorded a par on the par-4, ninth hole, it was good enough to eliminate Sudenga and Wallace.

The Dave Lammert Memorial Tournament kicked off the annual Member-Guest weekend on Friday.

The 18-hole handicap tournament serves as a fund-raiser for the Luverne Dollars for Scholars Chapter.

Paula Lammert ended up winning the 2002 version of the event by shooting a net 66.

Sue Skattum placed second with a net 67, while Melissa Sterrett and Mark Iveland (Lincoln, Neb.) share fourth place with net 68s.

Frakes finished in fifth place with a net 69.

Eldon Ehlers 66, Luverne, died Friday, July 19 at home. Visitation will be Monday, July 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne. Services will be Tuesday, July 23 at 1 p.m. at the American Reformed Church, Luverne. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery.

Milda (Mrs. Horton) Staeffler, 75, Gladbrook, Ia, died Monday, July 15, 2002 at the Marshalltown Medical and Surgical Center, Marshalltown.

Born Milda Nath on November 13, 1926, in Rock County, MN, she was one of six children born to Marcus and Emma (Schneekloth) Nath. She married Horton Staeffler on July 28th, 1957, in Rock Rapids, Ia. They then moved to Orange, CA for the next 34 years. In 1994, they moved to Gladbrook, IA.

Survivors include her husband, Horton, 3 daughters, Sharon Lee (Thomas) Burke, San Diego, CA., Cynthia Lu (Larry) Blaine of Gladbrook, and Barbara Jean (Bill) Basabilbaso of Newport News, VA., six grandchildren, Garth Werner, Randy Lovin, Christopher Basabibaso, Nicholas Basabilbaso, Duane Blaine and Laurel Blaine, son-in-law Phillip (Joyce) Werner and children Kristen, Joey and Scott, one sister, Norma (Ben) Meyers, Luverne, and three brothers, Carl (Betty), Bill (June) and Orlen (Mary Jo) Nath, Luverne.

She is preceded in death by her daughter, Laurel Ann Werner, her parents, and brother, Harvey.

Hazel Tomlinson, 96, Luverne, died Saturday, June 22 at Mary Jane Brown Home. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 25 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne. Services will be Wednesday, June 26 at 10:30 a.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home with Rev. Dell Sanderson officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery.

Luverne's Adam Kurtz leaps in the air in an attempt to avoid being tagged out at home plate during Friday's Area A American Legion Baseball Playoff game played in Edgerton. Kurtz was ruled out at the plate, but Luverne won the game.

By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne American Legion baseball team earned a berth in the Area A Playoff championship game by posting two wins to open the event.

The Cardinals rolled to a 12-run win in Edgerton Friday before besting Slayton by 10 runs at Redbird Field Tuesday.

Luverne, 10-13 overall, played Pipestone for the title in Pipestone last night. A win would give the Cards the No. 1 seed for the District Tournament. A loss would place Luverne in district-qualifying game at Redbird Field Friday night.

Luverne 11, Slayton 1
Jesse Kuhlman tossed a five-inning, no-hitter during Tuesday's home tilt against Slayton.

Kuhlman fanned nine batters in the contest. The lone run he surrendered came in the top of the fourth, when Slayton used three walks and a sacrifice fly to avoid being shutout.

Luverne had a 10-0 lead by the time Slayton scored.

Tony Sandbulte singled and scored in the bottom of the first on a passed ball.

Jake Studer, who drove in five runs with two triples in the game, hit a three-bagger with the bases-loaded in the second inning to make it a 4-0 game.

Studer tripled home two runs, Sandbulte and Adam Reisch slapped RBI singles and Aaron Schmidt chipped in a sacrifice fly during a six-run third inning to make the different 10-0.

After Slayton scored in the top of the fourth, Luverne received an RBI single from Eric Edstrom in the bottom of the frame before Kuhlman blanked the visitors in the fifth to end the game by the 10-run rule.

Box score AB R H BI
Frey 3 2 0 0
Studer 3 2 2 5
Sandbulte 4 1 2 2
Edstrom 4 0 1 1
Pick 3 1 1 0
Schmidt 2 0 0 1
Kurtz 3 2 2 0
Reisch 4 2 2 1
Goebel 2 1 0 0

Luverne 14,
Edgerton 2
The Cardinals opened the playoffs by coasting to a 12-run victory in Edgerton Friday.

Joey Pick drove in three runs at the plate and teammates Adam Kurtz, Schmidt and Reisch all had two RBI during the lopsided win.

Luverne scored three runs in the top of the first inning and never lost the lead the rest of the night.

Schmidt singled home a run and two more counters scored on an error in the first.

Edgerton made it a 3-1 game in the second inning, but the Cards received an RBI single from Pick and Reisch received an RBI for a fielder's choice in the third to make the difference 5-1.

After Edgerton closed the gap to 5-2 in the fourth inning, Luverne scored nine runs in the sixth and seventh frames to put the game away.

Kurtz singled home a pair of runs and Reisch and Schmidt slapped RBI singles to highlight a five-run fifth inning.

Pick singled home two runs, Studer singled home another and one run scored on an error when Luverne capped the scoring with a four-run seventh inning.

Studer fanned six batters and allowed two runs during a five-inning stint as the starting pitcher. He picked up the win. Tom Frey pitched two innings of scoreless relief.

Box score AB R H BI
Frey 6 0 0 0
Studer 4 2 4 1
Sandbulte 6 2 0 0
Edstrom 3 3 1 0
Kurtz 3 2 1 2
DeWispelaere 0 0 0 0
Schmidt 4 1 3 2
Goembel 0 1 0 0
Pick 4 2 2 3
Reisch 4 1 1 2
Goebel 3 0 0 0

Men In Black II, Stuck In Shadow Of Original

Men In Black II
Rated PG-13
Kent's Grade: B-
Carol's Grade: C+

The Plot:
The covert government agency Men In Black (MIB) protects earth from alien threats. Agent Jay (Will
Smith) has just fired another partner, erasing his memory with a neurolizer. Jay is leashed with Frank
The Pug (voiced by Tim Blaney) as a replacement, but Agent Eff is more trouble than help.

While investigating a routine alien crime, Jay and Eff stumble upon a world-threatening plot. Assigned
the task of saving earth, Jay soon learns there is only one person, the legendary Agent Kay (Tommy
Lee Jones), who has the necessary knowledge to accomplish the task. The problem is that he was
neurolyzed five years ago, and now works as an overly efficient, small-town postmaster.

After retrieving Kay and de-neurolyzing him, the two agents set out to stop the evil Serleena (Lara
Flynn Boyle) from enslaving earth.

Kent's Take:
"Men In Black II (MiBII)" brings back the best parts of 1997's "Men In Black," and adds a few more
favorites this time around. Unfortunately, it also drags along with it some retread and predictability.

What made the original "MIB" work so well was the perfect blend of characters, the chemistry
between them, and great performances by Jones and Smith. Couple that with wonderful aliens,
bubbling with personality, who are nestled in everyday life and you have a world full of adventure and
entertainment.

"MiBII" reprises the lovable characters with all the gadgetry we expect, plus it introduces us to more
hidden aliens. Jay continues to lecture his neurolyzed victims with hilarious diatribes, even though he
has matured into a senior MIB agent. Jay's new partner, Frank The Pug, steals the movie with great
lines and an overwhelming presence.

Where "MiBII" falls short is in the writing. The chemistry that overflowed between Jay and Kay in
"MIB" is lacking here. Screenwriter Barry Fanaro does a great job writing new moments of magic
with Frank The Pug and the Worm Guys, and even with Jeebs, the pawnshop owner.

The weak areas are when elements from the first film are incorporated into this story. With huge
aliens grabbing and swallowing subways, alien ships and MIB, these Maalox moments are overdone,
predictable, and unnecessary. Headquarters has almost nothing new to explore. We gain no new
insight into Jay or Kay, and the MIB have very little meaningful contact with aliens, barring their
encounter with Jeebs.

I can picture it now. Moviegoers will be met outside the theater by MIB agents with neurolyzers
making everyone forget "MiBII." Using all the elements that made "MIB" a hilarious hit, this new
story just couldn't pull these elements together. While this rocket-paced, laugh-riot will win audiences,
the simple reality is - "MiBII" is not as good as the original.

CAROL's Take:
It's 96 degrees out. Heaven knows what the heat index is. The tar on the streets is bubbling up in the
beating sun. Is there no relief from our relentless St. Louis summer?

Yes, there is - in an air-conditioned cinemaplex near you. There, with popcorn and drink in hand, you
can slide into your chair, and cool off in the dark, watching the amusing "Men In Black II."

This movie doesn't burden itself with trying to touch your heart, and it certainly makes no pretense
about engaging your intellect. Therefore, it's freed up to be delightfully ridiculous - succeeding enough
of the time to qualify as pure entertainment.

While "MiBII" promises a wee bit more than it can deliver, it keeps things pretty simple. Unlike a
movie that incorporates actual narrative, it's unnecessary to have seen the first installment to know
what's going on in this sequel.

"MiBII" just asks that the audience not expect too much. Then, it delivers a special effects bonanza
and mindless romp that is fanciful, funny and fun.

© 2002 Webster-Kirkwood Times, Inc.
Movie reviews by Carol Hemphill and Kent Tentschert
reelworld@timesnewspapers.com

By Sara Strong
What seemed like a bleak future is looking brighter for the Southwest Regional Development Commission.

SRDC members gathered in Luverne Thursday, July 11, for their annual meeting to discuss finances along with general SRDC business.

Its nine member counties, including Rock County, last month allowed the SRDC to stay open by approving of a plan to levy extra dollars. That levy will help the organization recover from the failure of Prairie Expo.

At the meeting, members approved selling $1.6 million in bonds to allow for more money to pay off Expo construction costs and outstanding debt. The bond sales that came in at low interest rates will also boost SRDC reserves that were drained by Prairie Expo.

Because of the sales, the SRDC will have to levy less than originally estimated.

Board members want to move beyond Prairie Expo and highlight the positive aspects of SRDC.

SRDC Executive Director Jay Trusty said, "We will continue moving forward as a thriving part of communities in southwest Minnesota."

He has been with the SRDC since last summer. When he joined what was an unstable organization, he said people questioned why he accepted the job. "I told them and I still say that I believe the RDC is a positive part of the area."

Bob Fenske, Lyon County Board Chairman spoke at the meeting. He highlighted the number of jobs affected by the SRDC. Fenske said the revolving loan program helped create 344 jobs and helped retain 701.

"I think that's impressive and I think that all members should be proud of what it's done for southwest Minnesota," Fenske said.

The revolving loan fund now has $110,000 available, and $150,000 committed.

Fair health care
The SRDC's health insurance help plan has been in the works for two years.

Prairie Health Purchasing Alliance will help small businesses and non-profits buy insurance at group rates.

Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System and Avera McKennen are working together to equalize coverage in southwest Minnesota, where Sioux Valley dominates. They have set an Aug. 1 deadline to work on an arrangement.

The Prairie Health Purchasing Alliance, itself will be set up as a non-profit and may be able to help businesses by Jan. 1.

The SRDC itself won't be in the insurance business, but will help other businesses become a pool of purchasing power.

Eric Johnson (left) and Tom Reep of T&L Dirtworks, Lowry, are busy giving each and every Rock County road a name. They're pictured at the intersection of County Road 6 (also 60th Ave) and Pipestone County Road 1 (also 251st Street) near Jasper. The crew started in the northwest corner of Rock County Monday and expect to make their way southeast toward Kanaranzi in a couple of weeks. Individual home address signs will go up this fall. Photo by Lori Ehde

By Sara Strong
Rural Rock County residents will have a specific address this fall - making emergency services, parcel delivery and locating homes or businesses easier.

This week, contractors started putting up street signs in the northwest part of the county, and theyÕre working toward the southeast, township by township.

In about four weeks those should be finished, and individual address markers will be installed by mid-October.

Residents will then be notified what their specific addresses are. The U.S. Post Office will honor both old and new addresses for a full year so everyone has a chance to get their addresses changed.

The cost of installing the 540 street signs is estimated at $70,000. That cost, and most of the individual markers are covered by $100,000 in restitution recently awarded to Rock County in the Global Ventures bank fraud plea agreement.

The individual markers will be advertised for bids so the cost isn't set yet.

The signs follow what Nobles and Pipestone Counties have installed. About half of Minnesota counties have rural address signs in place.

The primary reason for naming rural roads is for emergencies.

With enhanced 911, computers can bring up the residents' names and addresses, along with directions to their homes.

Rock County's current 911 system doesn't correlate to each residence.

Dispatchers update the system as much as possible, but some phone companies don't alert law enforcement departments to address changes if they aren't numbered by street or avenue.

When individual addresses are assigned, dispatchers can use a mapping system to locate callers, even if they are unable to give their name or address.

By Sara Strong
Rock County livestock producers are seeing the first of the Level III feedlot inspections this week.

A county employee will accompany the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Board of Water and Soil Resources to the sites.

The MPCA won't be present for most inspections, except for the first few to get the process underway.

Because of those inspections, the Rock County Board Tuesday approved of the Land Management Office hiring a temporary employee to help the office through the process.

The 30- to 36-month term employee will be classified as an entry-level technician.

Last week's sentencing in the Global Ventures bank fraud case will bring an additional $50,000 to the county to help cover costs of the Level III inspection. The county has another $30,000 from a previous individual plea agreement.

The new position will start on the pay scale of $10.36 per hour. The staff person would go to site inspections with BWSR staff, conduct initial feedlot assistance response and data management, maintain mapping system data entry and assist in permit handling.

Existing staff will be able to handle the more detailed and technical issues involved in the process.

The LMO estimates the cost of a new employee to help through the Level III inventory is $75,000 to $80,000.

The LMO is hosting an informational meeting at 7:30 tonight (Thursday) in the Blue Mound Banquet Center, Luverne. At the meeting, producers will learn specifically what is involved in the Level III inventory process and will have time to ask questions.

There will also be a sign-up sheet for interested people to participate on the Rock County Feedlot Task Force.

The Task Force will discuss rule interpretations within the state feedlot statutes' gray areas and help disseminate public information.