For every dish there is a season, just not the same one

As someone who tries not to get upset at too many things out of my control, cinnamon could be what finally sends me over the edge. It's everywhere I don't want it to be.

I don't necessarily hate it - it tastes great with a little sugar on toast, and it's necessary for a decent apple pie. However, I can't understand why it's been considered some kind of miracle ingredient and has been dumped into so many of our foods.

I can think of four things I used to enjoy that are now laden with cinnamon and off my shopping list forever.

First, I'm still bitter about the change in the recipe for Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal. It must have been about nine years ago when I sat down to eat a delicious, hearty snack of it and was met with a mouth full of cinnamon.

At first I hoped that the company made two versions of Cracklin' Oat Bran; regular and cinnamon, but they were all the same. Instead of that earthy, oat flavor, the cereal now tastes like generic cinnamon balls.

Next on the list of cinnamon sins is a little more embarrassing and happened about three years ago.

After my personal observations of the cinnamon conspiracy, I met my greatest ally in my husband.

I always thought it was nice that he enjoyed coffee as much as I did and found it slightly charming that he drank CafŽ Vienna in the evenings. He even carried it with him in case a craving came when he was away from home.

We shared many cups of the tasty drink, until we noticed a new box had a label that said "New improved taste." I guess "new" is universally understood to mean "more cinnamon."

He was more upset at this than almost any time I've witnessed him in anger.

He called General Foods to talk to whichever International Coffee person was behind the recipe change. He asked why the sweet, creamy taste was being turned into nothing more than cinnamon tea.
He also offered to buy any leftover cases of the original recipe. That wouldn't work, according the company representative, but he gave them his name and address just in case. Since that call, we've both been a little afraid that his name is on a list of fanatics under investigation. Or worse yet, that his voice will appear on one of those comedy CDs that uses audio from customer service calls.

All this trouble because of cinnamon, and it's not over yet.

After the Cracklin' Oat Bran debacle, I found a good enough backup cereal to get me by. My standard became Honey Bunches of Oats. It had a not-too-sweet sampling of grains that I truly enjoyed... that is, until I was hit by the cinnamon conspiracy again.

For about five years now, the "bunches" of oats have been sprinkled with cinnamon, which only serves to cover up the oat-y flavor I love.

And the problem goes beyond cereal. I can't even find a store-bought bran muffin that isnÕt loaded with cinnamon. I havenÕt run across a muffin with that pure taste of bran that used to be easy to find.

I'm trying to move on. I don't want to sound like an 80-year-old who says, "In my day they knew how to bake without everything tasting the same."

My husband is doing his best too. He's given General Mills and Hills Brothers versions of CafŽ Vienna a try. We also found a homemade recipe that is supposed to be identical to the General Foods one so weÕre going to experiment with that.

For all you cinnamon fans, you should know that I do realize its merit. It's just not the king of my spice cabinet. And just in case anyone feels like making me a decent bran muffin, you know where to find me.

Send Sara an e-mail

Jacob "Jake" Joseph Scheidt, 89, Adrian, died Sunday, May 12, 2002, at Arnold Memorial Nursing Home in Adrian.

Services were Wednesday, May 15, at St. Adrian Catholic Church in Adrian. Burial was in the parish cemetery.

Jacob Scheidt was born to Anton "Tony" and Frances (Kellen) Scheidt on Oct. 13, 1912, in rural Adrian. He attended St. Adrian Catholic School in Adrian for seven years and received a "pitch fork" for his graduation present.

He married Lauretta Honermann on Nov. 24, 1936, at St. Adrian Catholic Church. After their marriage the couple farmed north of Adrian for 40 years. In 1974 they retired and moved to Adrian. He lived in the Adrian community all of his life.

Mr. Scheidt was a member of St. Adrian Catholic Church where he had served as an usher and a member of the St. Joseph Society. He loved farming, carpentry and baseball.

Survivors include his wife, Lauretta Scheidt, Adrian; four sons, Joe (Elaine) Scheidt, Rod (Mary) Scheidt all of Adrian, Gene Scheidt and Steve and Deb Scheidt, all of Worthington; three daughters, Rose (Mike) Lenz, Pomeroy, Iowa, Katie (Klare) Schroeder, Rapid City, S.D., and Peg Scheidt, Carroll, Iowa; 18 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Dominic (Zelda) Scheidt, Luverne, and Norbert (Shirl ey) Scheidt, Adrian; and one sister, Ann Marie (Mensen) Heitkamp.

Mr. Scheidt was preceded in death by his parents, one grandson, Craig Scheidt, and many relatives and friends.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Adrian, was in charge of arrangements.

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Memorial services for Linda (Umland) Holte will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 1701 Russell Boulevard, Davis, Calif.

Linda Holte, 54, Davis, formerly of Magnolia, died Thursday, May 9, 2002, after a lengthy battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.

Linda Umland was born to William and Aagot Umland, rural Magnolia, on May 24, 1947, She graduated from Magnolia High School. She majored in English education at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

She married Carlton Holte in 1969 upon graduating from St. Olaf. They lived two years in Decorah, Iowa, then moved to Davis in 1971.

She taught in the Davis School District from 1971 until her illness forced her retirement. In addition to teaching English, drama/speech and the senior writing seminar, she directed numerous plays and musicals, coordinated Steinbeck Country field trips and served as a class adviser. She was also involved professionally as a mentor teacher for the District, a review–team member for school accreditations, a reader/consultant for several state test-development projects and writing programs, and an active member of the Area 3 Writing Project and the California Association of Teachers of English.

Mrs. Holte was a member of Lutheran Church of Incarnation in Davis. Her active involvement with her church included serving as a council and committee member, a Catechetics teacher and congregation president. She was a long-time member of Children’s Home Society and belonged to the same bridge group for 30 years.

Survivors include her husband, Carlton Holte, Davis; two children, Erik Holte, San Jose, Calif., and Maren Holte, Concord, Calif.; two sisters, Carol Burtness, Solvang, Calif., and Pamela Rohr, Santa Ynez, Calif., and their families; and numerous relatives and godchildren.

An English Education Scholarship fund is being established in Linda’s memory at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

Services for Everett Wharton will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 17, in First Baptist Church, Luverne. The Rev. Ron Moffitt will officiate. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

Everett M. Wharton, 84, Luverne, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Luverne Hospice Cottage.

Everett Wharton was born to Clarence and Ruby (Snodgrass) Wharton on Aug. 24, 1917, in Miller, S.D. He attended country school near Miller.

He married Sara May Norton on March 9, 1940, in Luverne. After their marriage the couple farmed northwest of Luverne. In 1963 they moved southwest of Luverne. He started his own water business. He worked for Culligan. After his heart attack in 1997 he retired and they moved to Centennial Apartments in Luverne.

Mr. Wharton was an active member of First Baptist Church in Luverne where he had been a Sunday School teacher, deacon, trustee and usher.

Survivors include his wife, May Wharton, Luverne; one son, Robert Wharton, Kansas City, Mo.; one daughter, Virginia (John) Allen, Newman, Ga.; two brothers, Eugene Wharton, Papa, Mich., and Ervin (Lorna) Wharton, Glenwood; one sister, Eva Moerke, Hardwick; and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Wharton was preceded in death by his parents.

A tree will be planted in memory of Everett Wharton by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Luverne Hospice Cottage.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, is in charge of arrangements.

Marion Vander Woude, 77, Sioux Falls, S.D., formerly of Hills, died Saturday, May 11, 2002, at Sioux Valley Hospice Foundation Cottage in Sioux Falls.

Services were Thursday, May 16, at First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls.

Marion Lucille Fossum was born to Carl and Gladys (Juve) Fossum on March 5, 1925, in Baltic, S.D. She grew up and was educated there. Upon graduation she worked at Bell Telephone Co. in Sioux Falls.

She married Bert Vander Woude on Feb. 23, 1947, in Sioux Falls. The couple moved to a farm between Valley Springs, S.D., and Hills where they lived until 1995 when they moved to Sioux Falls.

Mrs. Vander Woude was a member of First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls.

Survivors include her husband, Bert Vander Woude, Sioux Falls; three sons, Junior (JoAnn) Vander Woude, Dr. Larry Vander Woude, Tom (Diana) Vander Woude, all of Sioux Falls; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls, was in charge of arrangements.
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ISD #2184 School Board meets April 25
APRIL 25, 2002
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.
A regular meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the MS/HS Library on Thursday, April 25, 2002, at 7:30 p.m.
The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Dan Kopp, Cary Radisewitz, Bill Stegemann, and Becky Walgrave. Steve Tofteland was absent. Also present: Superintendent Vincent Schaefer, Marlene Mann, Melody Tenhoff, James Harner, Peggy Goettsch, Mary Jacobson, Louise Thorson, Dianne Headrick, Jerry Jensen, Dave Svingen, Delaine Jensen, Brad VanSanten, Abby Stone, Breanna Studer, Jessica Klein, Tracy Halfmann, Ryan Conner, Adam DeBoer, Pam Christensen, Becky Runnoe, Matt Crosby, K101/KQAD Radio, and Lori Ehde, Rock County Star Herald.

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Don Bryan. Superintendent Schaefer announced there is an addendum to the agenda. Motion by Radisewitz, second by Stegemann to approve the agenda and addendum. Motion carried.

A presentation was given by Danielle Deragisch. She has been working as a Peer Helper teaching Spanish to several elementary classrooms.

Administrative reports were given.

Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to approve the consent agenda to include the School Board minutes of April 11 and April 16, and the Student Activity Report showing the balances as of March 31, 2002. Motion carried.

Motion by Walgrave, second by Stegemann, to approve the District bills in the amount of $854,672.11. Motion carried.

Motion by Walgrave, second by Radisewitz, to approve a one-half day without pay for Elaine Klingenberg, paraprofessional. Motion carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Stegemann, to accept the retirement of Carol Haycraft as full-time Elementary secretary effective April 30, 2002. Motion carried. Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to accept the resignation of Tina Egland effective at the end of the school year Motion carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Radisewitz, to accept the retirement of David Svingen, High School LD teacher, effective at the end of the school year. Motion carried. Motion by Stegemann, second by Deutsch, to approve the contract with Stacy Gillette, Middle School Principal, for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years. Her base salary is $68,500. Motion carried.

It was noted that items 8.3.1, 8.3.2, and 8.3.3 were removed from the agenda. Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to adopt the following:

RESOLUTION DISCONTINUING AND REDUCING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND POSITIONS
WHEREAS, the School Board of Independent School District No. 2184 adopted a resolution on January 24, 2002, directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs and positions and

WHEREAS, said recommendations have been received and considered by the school board,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the School Board of Independent School District No. 2184, as follows:

That the following programs and positions, or portions thereof, be discontinued:

1. Middle School Dean of Students
2. Early Childhood: Special Needs (.30 FTE)
Those who voted in favor of the above motion were: Bryan, Deutsch, Kopp, Radisewitz, Stegemann, and Walgrave. Those who voted against: None. Steve Tofteland was absent. Motion carried.
Motion by Stegemann, second by Kopp, to approve James Gilman with Conway, Deutsch & Schmiesing, PLLP, to conduct the annual audit of the 2001-2002 school year. Motion carried.

Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to approve the Family Community Support Treatment Agreement between Rock County and District 2184. Motion carried.

There were no committee reports. The upcoming meeting dates were reviewed.

Motion by Stegemann, second by Kopp, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.

Dated: April 25, 2002
Rebecca Walgrave
(5-16)

By Lori Ehde
Luverne High School senior Tyler Scheidt is enjoying his final days of civilian life before launching a military career at the prestigious West Point Academy July 1.

ItÕll change his life, but it's a commitment that Scheidt is looking forward to. "It's an honor to be chosen," he said.

West Point Academy was established in New YorkÕs Hudson Valley in 1802 to train military leaders for the Army. Its "long gray line" of graduates includes generals, presidents and leaders of industry, medicine and government.

Only the brightest and best of United States high school students gain entry to the academy.

Scheidt, son of Luverne's Tony and Pat Scheidt, said West Point factored into his post-high school plans when a brochure arrived in the mail.

"I had no idea if I qualified," he said. "I just thought I'd try and see what happened."

'Best of the best'
West Point applicants don't follow the same admissions process most colleges require. Potential enrollees are screened through Congress, which nominates students for further consideration.

This year, 10,890 students applied to Congress, and 3,994 were nominated.

Scheidt said the congressional interview process was grueling. "I was really nervous. They wanted to know everything about me," he said.

His successful interviews, plus his class rank (No. 3 out of 106 in Luverne), earned him four military service nominations.

Scheidt received West Point nominations from Rep. Mark Kennedy and Sen. Mark Dayton. He also received nominations for the Air Force Academy from Kennedy and from Sen. Paul Wellstone.

"Tyler Scheidt represents 'the best of the best' of Minnesota's young people," Dayton said in a May 2 press release announcing Scheidt's nomination.

"He has demonstrated clearly that he has what it takes to be a future national leader and handle the academic and physical rigors of West Point."

Congressman Kennedy's office issued a similar release shortly after the nomination process April 8.

"I am confident he will excel as a cadet at the Academy," Kennedy said. "America's continued security relies on quality young men and women like Tyler, stepping forward to serve in defense of their country."

Of those who were nominated, 2,321 qualified for West Point physically and academically.

When it was all said and done, 993 men (including Scheidt) and 195 women gained admittance.

Academic and physical rigors of West Point
Freshmen "plebes" are told to prepare themselves for strict, ordered living.

Scheidt wonÕt need to go school shopping because West Point cadets live in uniform - eight varieties prescribed for use on specific occasions.

When not worn, the uniforms must all face the same direction in his closet, and the brims of his hats must reach just to the edge of the shelf.

It's good thing Scheidt is a man of few words, because "plebes" in most cases donÕt speak unless spoken to.

Between classes on campus they're to march face forward and not fraternize with fellow plebes on the way.

At lunch, they're to sit straight-backed on the edge of their chairs and their forks must enter their mouths at a straight 90-degree angle.

While many college freshmen look forward to the freedoms of living away from home, Scheidt said he's ready for West Point.

"I've always liked all the order and structure of the military," he said.

Scheidt will undergo basic military training while at the same time study toward an academic degree - he plans on civil or electrical engineering.

Rewards for hard work
West Point graduates emerge as commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army and serve at least five years on active duty as Army officers.

This means his leadership training will be put to use managing troops on specialized assignments around the world. "That's the coolest part," Scheidt said. "All the opportunities I'll have to go places."

As a cadet, Scheidt is considered a member of the U.S. Army and receives a full scholarship and an annual salary, from which heÕll pay for uniforms, textbooks, a personal computer and incidentals.

Scheidt will travel alone to New York when he starts at West Point July 1. "They keep telling us about the '90-second good-bye' when we get there, so we figured we'd get that out of the way at home," Scheidt said.

According to local school staff, Scheidt is the only Luverne High School student to be accepted at West Point.

Magnolia High School graduate Keith Oldre completed West Point in 1984, and Luverne High School grad Tim Winter completed the Naval Academy in 1985.

By Sara Strong
The Luverne Economic Development Authority may give a new business reason to come to Luverne.

An Edina company, Callnetics Appointment Technologies, is hoping to expand its business and made a presentation to the LEDA Tuesday.

Product inventor and company CEO, Brahm Mozayeny said, "We're anticipating that we could have a branch office in Luverne."

As with other new businesses that come to the city's attention through Community Venture Network, the city may offer Callnetics financial assistance.

The Luverne Community Economic Development Corporation, a private group, has already examined the financials of the company. The LEDA could help the Callnetics with additional tax dollars.

Callnetics
President of Callnetics, John Mosey, said the company needs about $1.5 million to continue its progress and break even in 2003.

It's already spent $3.2 million in service development, installing the systems and gaining customer contracts.

About $300,000 of the new equity will be gathered from private investors and the rest will come from banks, loan programs and possibly the city of Luverne. It hasnÕt made a proposal or asked for a certain amount from the city at this point.

Callnetics is a company that merges Internet and telephone technology to help real estate agents and potential buyers connect.

Mosey said that with patents pending on the technology, "No one's even close."

The Callnetics system is accessible to people looking for homes if they click on an icon on a real estate company's Web site to check for listings.

If the potential home buyers click on that icon, they are connected to Callnetics. They then give times available for showings, contact information and personal information.

Callnetics gets that information to the Realtor and the appointment times can be confirmed almost instantly.

Follow-up phone calls are also a part of the service and Luverne's employees would be a part of that.

Mosey said the system takes away the anonymity of people browsing Web sites for homes. The information is only taken as a user gives it, but Mosey said the data is valuable to the Realtors who use it to find homes for buyers.

Some people have included information about being pre-qualified for loans, number of bedrooms or bathrooms needed or location preferences.

Getting noticed
Callnetics has just signed large contracts to appear on real estate Web sites and Mosey has meetings scheduled this week at the National Association of Realtors conference.

He hopes to repeat what's happened in Canada. There, Callnetics' link is a part of the national real estate broker listings.

Mosey expects that starting on that broad base will encourage individual companies to sign on. Montreal and Toronto have made commitments to Callnetics for services within their Realtor associations.

Fees to Realtors are collected based on a small fee for each listing that Callnetics manages.

In the Edina area where it operates now, Callnetics made 34 appointments by 8:30 one Saturday morning.

Mozayeny said that's notable because most offices arenÕt open before 9 a.m. Saturdays and they were able to confirm appointments that may have been missed without Callnetics' services.

Holidays and weekends are open for business as well. The Callnetics employees can contact real estate agents by phone, e-mail or fax to set up appointments that customers might otherwise miss.

The call center that could be in Luverne would employ about 18 to 20 people within three years, but would need three people to start.

After the technology and employee base becomes more experienced, Mozayeny expects that confirming medical and dental appointments could be a part of the company's services.

For more information on the company visit www.Callnetics.com.

By Lori Ehde
President George W. Bush signed into law this week a bill that will dictate major farming decisions for the next six years.

The 2002 Farm Bill, like many of its predecessors, has a combination of good and bad attributes, according to Rock County Farm Service Agency Director Roger Carlson.

On the positive side, the new bill gives farmers more options, but the benefits will go to those who take the time to study them.

"It's going to be hard for them to make so many decisions, because theyÕll have to analyze the information," Carlson said.

This makes the process more complicated, but the end result, he said, will be a farm bill tailored to optimize individual operations.

For example, the new bill allows farmers to use current crop information as a basis for their application, or they can use an average of the past four years, depending on which best suits them.

"It will mean more payments in the hands of farmers, and that's a positive thing," Carlson said.

"Everybody's going to be getting more, mostly because crop prices have been so depressed in the past four years."

Rep. Mark Kennedy attended the Farm Bill Signing Ceremony at the White House. "I was happy to witness President Bush signing such an important bill," Kennedy said. "This is a good day for Minnesota farmers."

Kennedy said the "Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002" strengthens the safety net for farmers and invests in programs so farmers can ultimately get payments out of the marketplace and not from the government.

"This is not a perfect bill," Kennedy said. "But it is a bill that strikes a difficult balance between commodity support and conservation."

Carlson said he and his staff in Luverne are busy figuring individual crop base information for the past four years for producers to use in their decisions.

Another notable change in the new bill is the loan rate structure. Carlson said loan rates for corn and most other crops will increase, but it will decrease for soybeans.

The important thing, Carlson said, is that farmers start their homework now.

"If they make the best decision on their basis prior to signup, it will help them in the long run," he said. "Because it is a six-year farm bill."

Arriving at the best decision in the FSA Office at signup time, he said will require some research by the farmers ahead of time.

He said heÕs happy to assist farmers, but he encourages them to also lean on the Rock County Extension Office and to read up on the 2002 Farm Bill.

He highly recommends the Web site www.agweb.com. "I was advised by our state office to get our information from that Web site," he said.

He said he's still researching the details himself, and will get information, such as the dates for the sign-up period, to local farmers as it comes to him.

The phone number for the Rock County FSA is 283-8685 ext. 2, and the phone number for the Rock County Extension Office is the same number, ext. 4.