Super 8 to reopen Sunday
The Super 8 Motel, which had been closed since a March 18 fire, will reopen this Sunday.

The fire began in the ceiling of the Magnolia Steak House, which is connected to the motel.

According to Salina Lee, motel manager, smoke caused most of the damage, along with some minor water damage.

Repair work consisted primarily of cleaning, new paint and some new carpeting.

Will fireworks be for sale in Rock County?
About 60 years ago, thanks in part to Rock County native Cedric Adams, the sale of fireworks in Minnesota became illegal.

If a bill that recently passed the Minnesota House becomes law, the prohibition would end.

The bill that passed 81 to 52 would repeal the 1941 law and allow the sale and use of personal fireworks in the state.

The new law would allow the sale of fireworks for personal use from May 1 to July 15 and from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2.

The fireworks could be used from July 1 to 7 and from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2.

The bill requires buyers to be 18 years old and that they will supervise and be responsible for the use of their fireworks.

Injuries reported to hospitals in the seven-county metro area have more than doubled since 1998.

Nationally the use of fireworks has risen dramatically from total sales of 29 million pounds in 1976 to more than 152 million pounds in 2000.

Rep. Mulder is one of eight sponsors of the bill.

Not all fireworks would be for sale. The federal government, under the Federal Hazardous Substance Act, prohibited the sale of most dangerous types of fireworks to consumers. They include reloadable mortar shells, cherry bombs, aerial bombs, M-80 salutes, larger firecrackers containing more than two grains of powder and mail order kits designed to build those fireworks.

The Senate did not look at the bill with the same enthusiasm as the House.

Late last week, the Senate decided to take up the issue with a conference committee rather than submit it to a floor vote in the Senate, which is less supportive of fireworks legalization.

Do not call, please
An attempt to eliminate or at least drastically reduce the telemarketing calls you receive is making its way through the Minnesota Legislature.

A bill, recently approved 126 to 8 by the House, would create a "do not call" list, which telemarketers would be required to buy.

The list would be maintained by the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Telemarketers would be fined if they contact someone on the list.

There would be no charge to have your name put on the list.

More than 20 other states have similar laws.

Non-profit groups and, of course, politicians are exempt from the law.

Road load restrictions end
Rock County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation have both ended spring load restrictions.

The restrictions came off at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 15.

Restrictions for northern Minnesota will remain in place until May 22.

How much do cigarettes really cost?
Recently I have heard some of my smoking friends complain about the high cost of their smokes. I hear they are up to more than $3.

But is that enough?

According to a recent government survey, each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation $7 in medical care and lost productivity.

The study, which was conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, puts the nationÕs cost for smoking at an average of $3,391 per smoker per year.

That amounts to $157.7 billion. The previous estimate was $96 billion.

Americans purchase approximately 22 billion packs of cigarettes a year.

This is the first study to determine the cost per pack.

The cost breakdown is $3.45 for medical-related cost and $3.73 job productivity lost because of premature death from smoking, for a total of $7.18.

The CDC analyzed expenses, both personal and for the health care industry, and used national medical surveys to calculate the cost to the nation.

Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at
tolly@star-herald.com

Miracle cures, magic potions all snake oil to me

Whenever I run across health information, I put it in my mental filing cabinet for future reference. That's not to say that I always follow what I learn, but it's there if I need it.

And I'm certainly not suffering for a lack of information. In the past year or two, in fact, it seems like my meager mental capacity can't handle the glut of health information.

Someone or some organization publishes a new study almost hourly that reveals new wisdom about our bodies and how they could work better.

For example, I happen to know that coffee drinkers have one of the lowest suicide rates of any beverage consumers. Will I drink more coffee? I don't know. Apparently, it can also be addicting and cause headaches.

Maybe I will take an aspirin a day because it is supposed to be good for the heart. But I had better make that a low-dose aspirin because that protects against colon cancer more than the regular dose.

While I'm at it, I should consume more fish oils and wash them down with a beer. The beer's ingredients, not the alcohol content, are good for teeth and prevent colon cancer. The fish oil is supposed to be heart healthy, but I'd better make sure my immune system is normal because otherwise it could be dangerous.

ThereÕs almost always a piece of junk mail in our box that gives information on a newly discovered remedy for an assortment of problems. I'm just hoping no one sees that kind of mail or they'd be left with the impression that someone in our home has eczema, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, varicose veins, estrogen imbalance and gout.

It all reminds me of the episode of "The Little House on the Prairie" when a traveling salesman boasted that his elixirs were cure-alls for whatever ailed the fine people of Walnut Grove. By the end of the show, many characters were worse off than before the magic potions, and Doctor Baker had to save the day with traditional remedies. It was a close call for Harriet Olson.

Herbal remedies and food information are surely helpful in some circumstances. But all the conflicting information makes me a little inflamed, or slightly irritated....I think aloe would be just the thing to fix that.

Send Sara an e-mail

Linda Lee Howe, 52, Manly, Iowa, died Wednesday, April 10, 2002, in her home after fighting an 11-year battle against cancer.

Services were Friday, April 12, at Bethel United Methodist Church in Manly. The Rev. Robert Cumings officiated. Burial was in Tracy Memorial Cemetery, Tracy.

Linda Strand was born to Bud and Shirley Strand on April 27, 1949, in Redwood Falls. Following graduation from Tracy High School she attended Moorhead State College, Moorhead, graduating in 1971.

She married Jerry Howe on Aug. 7, 1971, in Tracy. She taught school in Ruthton, Olivia and Tracy. They moved to Estherville, Iowa, where she was a substitute teacher. In 1985 they moved to Manly where she had been a teacher in the North Central Community Schools.

Mrs. Howe was an active member of United Methodist Church in Manly. She originated the Mini-Choir and served as the choir director. She also played in the Joyful Ringers bell choir and sang in choir. She was a member, president and treasurer of EntrŽ Nous Circle and a member of United Methodist Women. She was an active member of the National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association and North Central Education Association (currently serving as the local secretary and treasurer). She had great love for her Title I and Reading Recovery students. She enjoyed reading, sewing, cross stitching and collecting children's books.

Survivors include her husband, Jerry Howe, Manly; one daughter, Sarah Howe Ruley and her husband, Jeff, North Mankato; her mother, Shirley Strand, Tracy; four brothers, Dwayne (Rita) Strand and children, Ryan, Anna and Leah, Granite Falls, Randy (Lisa) Strand and children, Brittni, Reid and Dru, Adrian, Terry (Carol) Strand and children, Jay and Donald, Tracy, and Bradley Strand and special friend, Julie, Marshall; three sisters, Vickie (Steve) Larson and daughter, Sadi, Kelli (Brian) Gerry and children, Jennifer, Matthew and Nathan, all of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Barbara (Richard) Visker and children, Jason, Michael and Meghan, Pipestone; her mother-in-law, Dorothy Howe, Tracy; and a host of friends.

Mrs. Howe was preceded in death by her grandparents, her father, her father-in-law, Clarence Howe, and other friends and relatives.

Her family requests memorial contributions be made to Hospice of North Iowa, North Central Education Association Scholarship Fund or the Bethel United Methodist Scholarship Fund.

Bride Colonial Chapel, Manly, was in charge of arrangements.

Arnold Hansen, 83, Luverne, died Monday, April 22 at the Luverne Community Hospital. Services will be Thursday, April 25 at 1:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, Hardwick. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home.

Melvin Kinsey, 73, Sioux Falls, formerly of Beaver Creek and Adrian, died Wednesday, April 17 at Bethany Home, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be Saturday, April 20 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne. Services will be Sunday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Beaver Creek, with Rev. Connie Stone officiating. Burial will be in Beaver Creek Cemetery.

Alice Smit, 85, Luverne, died Thursday, April 18 at Arnold Memorial Health Care Center, Adrian. Visitation will be Friday, April 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne. Services will be Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, Luverne. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery.

Edward John Reisdorfer, 78, Worthington, died Saturday, April 13, 2002, at Crossroads Care Center in Worthington.

Services were Tuesday, April 16, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Worthington. The Rev. Larry Brixius officiated. Burial is in St. MaryÕs Catholic Cemetery.

Edward Reisdorfer was born to Frank and Marie (Pieper) Reisdorfer on July 18, 1923, in Lismore. He moved with his family to Ellsworth and graduated from St. Mary's Catholic School in Ellsworth in 1940. He worked for various lumberyards in the Tri-State area.

He married Lorraine Heikes on May 21, 1949, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellsworth. They lived in Huron, S.D., Primghar and Waterloo, Iowa, before moving to Worthington in 1962. He worked for Fullerton Lumber Company until he retired in 1984.

Mr. Reisdorfer was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Worthington and also an RSVP volunteer. He enjoyed woodworking and building bird houses.

Survivors include his wife, Lorraine Reisdorfer, Worthington; two sons, James Russell (Ann) Reisdorfer, Oregon, Wis., and Gregory (Barb) Reisdorfer, Tacoma, Wash.; one daughter Julynn (Steven) Surprenant, Oregon, Wis.; one daughter-in-law, Sandi Heidemann, Sioux Falls, S.D.; eight grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Evelyn Magee, Fairfield, Calif., and Marge McCabe, Lancaster, Ohio.

Mr. Reisdorfer was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Paul Reisdorfer, one grandson, Kerol, two brothers, Earl Reisdorfer and an infant brother, Ronald Reisdorfer.

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

Donald T. Mulligan, 73, Golden, Colo., formerly of Windom, died Saturday, April 6, 2002, in Golden. He was the son of Esther Mulligan and the brother of Richard, Billy, Jackie Mulligan and Rosie Moerke, all of Luverne.

Services were Tuesday, April 16, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Andrew Beerman officiated. Burial was in St. Catherine Cemetery, Luverne.

Donald Mulligan was born to Charles Francis and Esther (Snyder) Mulligan on March 9, 1929, in Windom. He grew up and attended school in Windom. He served in the U.S. Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Reserves.

He married Ida Bevington on Feb. 17, 1956, in Denver, Colo. After marriage they lived in cities throughout the United States, including Washington, D.C., in California, Indiana and New Mexico. He served in Korea and Vietnam before retiring in Golden.

Mr. Mulligan was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Golden and the VFW.

Survivors include his wife, Ida Mulligan; one son, Jeff (Danielle) Mulligan, Lakewood, Colo.; five daughters, Sandy (Khaled) Sharmit, Highlands Ranch, Colo., Barbara Lombardi, Lakewood, Penny Sanderson, Denver, Donna (Robert) Reed, Golden, and Kelle Mulligan, Wheat Ridge, Colo.; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his mother, Esther Mulligan, Luverne; seven brothers, Bob (Mary Jean) Mulligan, Heartland, Wis., Billy (Mary Lou) Mulligan, Luverne, Jimmy (Dorothy) Mulligan, Warminster, Penn., Jackie (Delores) Mulligan, Richard Mulligan, all of Luverne, Gene Mulligan, Maple Grove, and Mike Mulligan, Delano; and two sisters, Carol Van Orden, Portland, Ore., and Rosie (Dale) Moerke, Luverne.

All-Veteran Memorial Funeral Home, Golden, was in charge of arrangements.

By John Rittenhouse
When Ron Behr rolled his first 300-pin game at Luverne Lanes Nov. 25, 1992, the perfect performance was followed by a thunderous celebration by the appreciative members of the Wednesday Night Pinbusters League who witnessed the event.

Behr remembers that occasion well.

It was the night before Thanksgiving Day, and it ended with the Hills man producing the establishment's first 300 game since the 1960s.

Behr is a member of the Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service Grain Elevator team that competes in the Saturday Night Mixed League at the Luverne Lanes. He relived his perfect performance of 10 years ago on March 30, 2002.

Only this time his achievement went virtually unnoticed by those in the building.

"The unusual thing about it was we thought he rolled a 290," said Luverne Lanes owner John Serie. "When he threw his first ball of the game, it got stuck in his hand. His momentum carried him over the foul line, but the ball never touched the lane."

In front of teammates Nelva Behr, Lloyd DeBoer and Bev Wassenaar, Behr proceeded to roll 12 straight strikes after his unfortunate start. However, since he did cross the foul line during that first attempt of the game, he played the game like he recorded a spare in the first frame.

"I was using my new ball for the first two games, and my finger had swelled up before the third game. When I threw it (his first ball of the third game), I couldn't get rid of it. I figured it was a foul because my momentum carried me over the line. After that I used a different ball, and struck out," Behr said.

Behr's assumption that he had a spare in the first frame turned out to be wrong.

Under American Bowling Congress (ABC) rules, since the ball didn't leave his hand and touch the lane, it's officially considered to be a dead ball. Although he intended to release the ball, it's considered a non-throw because the ball did not touch the floor.

In the end, the game Behr thought wasn't perfect really was.

It will go down as the sixth 300-game in the history of Luverne Lanes, and the first since Larry Mulvihill rolled his on Oct. 28, 1998.

Prior to Behr's 1992 gem, the local bowling alley didnÕt have a perfect game recorded in two decades. In the 1960s, Charlie Zoellner rolled a pair of 300s (one was sanctioned). Ron Mulvihill also had a non-sanctioned 300 game in the 1960s.

All signs point to Behr's effort on March 30 turning into a league-sanctioned 300 game that will be recognized by the ABC.

The ABC then will award Behr with a ring for his 300 game and a watch for bowling a game 100 pins higher than his 183 league average.