July
July 2: Matthew and Jill Wagner, Luverne, a boy.
July 3: Shane and Pamela McNath, Sioux Falls, S.D., a boy.
July 5: Martin and Josie LeBrun, Adrian, a girl.
July 8: David and Christine Veldhuizen, Luverne, a boy; Kevin and Allie Rozeboom, Luverne, a girl.
July 9: Ryan and Nicholle Christ, Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl.
July 11: James and Melissa Powers, Mankato, a boy; James and Laura Buss, Sioux Falls, twin girls.
July 12: Tom and Kris Denevan, Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl.
July 15: Bryan and Linda Hulstein, Pipestone, a girl; Chris and Jodi Harnack, Beaver Creek, a boy.
July 17: Chris and Jennifer (Ahrendt) Boelter, Kasson, twins, a boy and a girl.
July 19: Dale and Heather Steensma, Luverne, a boy.
July 20: Luncho Waliye, Luverne, a girl.
July 22: Gary and Tammy Harskamp, Rock Raids, Iowa, a boy.
July 23: Korey and Dawn Meester, Ellsworth, a girl.
July 26: Robert and Angella VanGorp, George, Iowa, a boy.
July 27: Boyd and Danielle Vis, Beaver Creek, a girl.
July 28: Dennis and Patricia Wiggins, Luverne, twins, a boy and a girl.
July 30: Chad and Tara Sundem, Tempe, Ariz., a boy.
July 31: J.B. and Lori (De Jongh) Slight, Boone, Iowa, a boy.

August
Aug. 6: LeRoy and Laura Ask, Lennox, S.D., a girl.
Aug. 11: Christine Holter and David Smedsrud, Luverne, a girl; David and Ann Thier, Rushmore, a boy.
Aug. 12: Ross and Nicole Fey, Luverne, a boy.
Aug. 14: Terry and Jennifer Blom, Honolulu, Hawaii, a girl; David and Sarah Beimers, St. Paul, a girl.
Aug. 17: Matt and Emily Metzger, Hills, a boy; Alan and Michelle Krocza, Luverne, a girl; Shawn and Jill Swenson, Luverne, a girl.
Aug. 21: Ivan and Jamie DeJong, Leota, a girl.
Aug. 22: Mark and Kristi (Moeller) Hultberg, Elk River, a boy.
Aug. 23: Harlan and Heather Kurrasch, Fort Benning, Ga., and Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl.
Aug. 25: Mike and Carrie Zebedee, Jackson, a girl.
Aug. 28: Stacy and Stacy Boyle, Adrian, a boy,
Aug. 26: Randy and Jody Delfs, Hardwick, a boy.

September
Sept. 4: Denny and Shari Doerr, Luverne, a boy.
Sept. 7: Robert and Brownyn Wenzel, Luverne, a boy; Justin and Amber Decker, Steen, a boy.
Sept. 8: Steve and April Wessels, Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl.
Sept. 10: Patrick and Elizabeth Nath, Luverne, a boy.
Sept. 13: Dean and Jennifer Luettel, Adrian, a boy; Shermayne Hardick and Justin Ehlers, Luverne, a girl; Don and Michelle Reiffenberger, Sioux Fals, S.D., a girl.
Sept. 19: Wayne and Stacy Fuerstenberg, Steen, a girl.
Sept. 21: William Jay and Shala Ross, Canistota, S.D., a girl.
Sept. 23: Jamie LeBeua, Luverne, a girl.
Sept. 28: Michael and Phoebe Flom, Luverne, a girl.
Sept. 29: Brett and Tammi Miller, Luverne, a girl.
Sept. 30: Steve and Sheri Helland, St. Anthony, a boy.

October
Oct. 1: Craig and Julie Nekali, Luverne, a boy.
Oct. 5: Joshua and Anna Stoltenberg, Luverne, a girl; Steven and Keri Hansen, Hardwick, a girl.
Oct. 7: Eric and Patty Lindner, Worthington, a boy; Marceia Brown and Michael Broesder, Rock Rapids, Iowa, a girl.
Oct. 10: Jason and Karla Thorson, Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl.
Oct. 12: James and Kari Kueter, Hills, a boy.
Oct. 16: Paul and Tracey Reyne, Rushmore, a boy.
Oct. 17: Todd and Barbara Meinerts, Luverne, a girl.
Oct. 22: Dan and Lisa Niemeyer, Hardwick, a girl.
Oct. 23: Jeremy and Janel Reu, Sioux Falls, S.D., a girl; Benji and Leah Kellenberger, Rock Rapids, Iowa, a girl.
Oct. 25: Timothy Vortherms and Sara Brady, Adrian, a boy.
Oct. 28: Shawn and Kelly Kluever, Worthington, a boy.
Oct. 29: Alan and Shela Van Dam, Chandler, a boy.
Oct. 30: Mark and Shannon Madtson, Adrian, a girl.
Oct. 31: Daryl and Amy Fuerstenberg, Beaver Creek, a girl.

November
Nov. 3: Timothy and LeAnn Olson, Jackson, a boy; Tom and Kristin Loosbrock, Neenah, Wis., a girl.
Nov. 9: William and Michelle Jansma, Ellsworth, a boy; Brad and Marla Top, Valley Springs, S.D., a boy.
Nov. 10: Daniel and Jeannie Vis, Edgerton, a boy.
Nov. 11: Brad and April Cowell, Rapid City, S.D., a boy.
Nov. 15: Mark and Lynette Knips, Magnolia, a girl; Dean and Linda Meyer, Larchwood, Iowa, a boy.
Nov. 17: Joseph and Christine Hornstein, Adrian, a boy.
Nov. 22: Darwin and Kelli Siebenahler, Windsor Heights, Iowa, a boy.
Nov. 24: Gregg and Carmen Dougherty, Valley Springs, S.D., a girl.
Nov. 26: LeRoy and Jaclyn Barton, Hardwick, a girl.
Nov. 27: Roberto Cazares and Rebecca Gutierrez, Luverne, a girl.
Nov. 28: Dennis Staples and Amy Baker, Pipestone, a boy.
Nov. 29: Kimberly and Dorene Chapa, Ellsworth, a girl.
Nov. 30: John and Tonya Oberg, Woodbury, a girl.

December
Dec. 2: Kent and Beth Senf, Bloomington, Ill., a girl.
Dec. 3: Kurt and Melissa Bly, Hills, a girl.
Dec. 5: Billy and Shawna Majerus, Luverne, a girl.
Dec. 8: Paul and Lynette Schultz, Brooklyn Park, a girl.
Dec. 10: Crystal Tiesler and Branden Domeyer, Ellsworth, a girl; Mike and Karen Winter, Luverne, a boy.
Dec. 17: Brenda Magnus and Khalil Almudor, Luverne, boy.

Luverne senior Andrew Norton helped the boys' track squad win the team championship of the annual Cardinal Relays Tuesday. Norton won the long and high jump titles, and ran a leg with Luverne's winning 1,600-meter relay team during the meet.

By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne boys' track team entertained its home fans Tuesday by winning the team competition of the Cardinal Relays.

The hosts compiled 156 points to best runner-up Brandon Valley, S.D., which finished nine points off the pace with 147 counters.

It was the first time LHS won the team title at the Cardinal Relays since 1999.

"It's always exciting to win your home meet," said Cardinal coach Craig Nelson. "We had a nice team effort. We got a lot of one-two scoring punches from our boys in a lot of events, and that’s what you need to get a good team score."

Winning seven events doesn't hurt a team's cause, either.

Andrew Norton won the high jump (6-1) and triple jump (40-11) titles for the Cardinals and ran a leg for the champion 1,600-meter relay team that was timed at 3:37.88. Travis Johnson, Tyler Elbers and Tom Sandager round out the 1,600-meter squad.

Norton also placed second in the long jump with a distance of 19-6 3/4.

Sandager and Scott Goebel ran their way to victories in the 400-meter dash and 1,600-meter run with respective 53.32 and 5:00.9 times.

Cardinal Craig Bosch, who was second with a toss of 146-1 in the discus, took top honors in the shot put with a throw of 47 feet.

Luverne also won the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:36.9. Johnson, Elbers, Chris Morgan and Sandager formed the team.

Elbers (10-6 in the pole vault), Morgan (43.19 in the 300-meter hurdles) and Johnson (23.79 in the 200-meter dash) racked up second-place performances for LHS.

Here is a look at the team standings and the rest of Luverne's top-eight finishers during the Cardinal relays.

Team standings: LHS 156, BV 147, Worthington 118, Southwest Christian 101, Windom 56, Fulda 46, Jackson County Central 42, Adrian 17, Edgerton five, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central two.

Individual results
Third place: Tim Rust, pole vault, 10-6; Cody Gehrke, 100, 12.13.

Fourth place: Justin Van Wyhe, long jump, 18-6; 400 relay (Van Wyhe, Rust, Gehrke and Morgan), 47.89; Goebel, 800, 2:12.22; Elbers, 200, 23.95.

Fifth place: Mark Brockberg, pole vault, 9-6; 3,200 relay (Nick Otten, Ruston Aaker, Kyle Bitterman and Jamison Tooley), 9:43.

Sixth place: Aaker, pole vault, 9-0.

Seventh place: Van Wyhe, triple jump, 36-2 3/4.

Eighth place: Tony Willers, shot, 39-2.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth track athletes traveled to South Dakota to open the outdoor portion of their 2002 schedule Thursday.

Competing in eight-team fields at the Beresford Booster Club Track Meet, both the H-BC-E boys' and girls' squads placed fifth at the event.

The meet was staged in cool temperatures, but Patriot coach Tom Goehle didn't seem disappointed by the conditions or the efforts of his athletes.

"It was a good meet. The kids ran and competed well," he said. "This will give us some times we can measure against with our upcoming meets."

The Patriot boys came away with four meet titles.

Chris Reid, who placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.6, won the 200-meter dash in 24.1 and took top honors in the long jump with a distance of 21-0 1/4.

Brad Haak won one individual event and ran a leg with H-BC-E's winning 3,200-meter relay team, which was timed at 8:59.62.

Tyler Bush, Lee Jackson and Greg Van Batavia teamed up in the 3,200 with Haak, who won the 800-meter run in 2:06.68.

Two second-place performances were the top efforts produced by the Patriot girls at the meet.
Erin Boeve covered 15-4 1/2 to place second in the long jump.

Amanda Connors, Melinda Feucht, LaDonna Sandstede and Cassi Tilstra finished second in the 400-meter relay with a time of 56.62.

Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E's top-six performances during the meet.

H-BC-E boys
Third place: Haak, high jump, 5-5; 400 relay (Reid, Bush, Van Batavia and Haak), 48.09.

Fourth place: 1,600 relay (Bush, Jackson, Van Batavia and Adam Sieff), 3:59.63.

Fifth place: Bush, high jump, 5-3; Jackson, 400, 58.04.

Sixth place: Kale Wiertzema, 1,600, 5:29.55; John Sandbulte, 3,200, 12:51.62.

H-BC-E girls
Third place: Boeve, 100, 13.49; 3,200 relay (Bev Wurpts, Mya Mann, Brittney Rozeboom and Tilstra), 10:48.46.

Fourth place: Rozeboom, triple jump, 28-5; medley relay (Sandstede, Feucht, Mann and Tilstra), 5:00.
Fifth place: Wurpts, 3,200, 14:02; Kelly Mulder, long jump, 13-8.

Sixth place: Sandstede, long jump, 12-11; Mulder and Tilstra cleared 4-2 to tie for sixth place in the high jump.

By John Rittenhouse
A combination of returning talent and some incoming recruits give the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth boys' golf program a positive glow as the season approaches.

The Patriots will begin the year with a 20-player roster consisting of one senior, eight juniors, four sophomores, one freshman, two eighth-graders and four seventh-graders.

The roster is highlighted by four players with post-season experience from 2001 and some new golfers who could help the team out this spring.

"There is an unknown factor with this team," said Patriot third-year coach Tim Lange. "We got some new blood on the team, and it looks like they might be able to help us. They seem to be an eager bunch of kids that have a good, competitive nature about them. We've been doing a lot of putting inside this year in practice, and they are being competitive at it. That is something I like to see."

H-BC-E is coming off a 3-6 season in 2001 that included a fourth-place finish in the Sub-Section 10 Tournament.

The Patriots did lose seniors Dean Moss and Tom Beaner from the 2001 squad.

Moss, who advanced to the section meet as a junior, turned in H-BC-E's second lowest score during the Sub-Section 10 meet last spring. Beaner also was a member of that team, recording the squadÕs sixth lowest tally.

Moss and Beaner will be missed, but members of the 2002 team will have an opportunity to improve their games like no other players before them have had.

"We'll be using the driving range at the new Beaver Creek course as soon as it opens (in early April)," Lange said. "That really should help our kids out. I don't know if these guys have had much of a chance to work on their games on a driving range before. It's something kids need to fine-tune their swings and develop a swing pattern through repetition."

Having access to a driving range will make players like sophomore Tom Janssen better.

Janssen was the lone Patriot to advance out of the sub-section field after tying with Luverne's Kelsey Anderson for the fifth and final qualifying positions at the event.

Janssen went on to shoot a 90 at the section meet, which was seven strokes away from the 83 that was needed to advance to the state meet.

Juniors Blake Brommer and Kyle Sammons also could benefit from extra practice swings.

Brommer, a section qualifier in 2000, recorded the team's third best score at last yearÕs section meet. Sammons fired H-BC-E's fifth best score at the same event.

Ben Herman, an eighth-grader who shot H-BC-E's fourth best score at the sub-section meet last spring, rounds out the returning letter winners.

Lange feels junior Clint Roozenboom and sophomore Jordan Scott, who received some varsity exposure last spring, are other candidates to make the team this year.

Juniors Dustin Bonnema and Aaron Blank and sophomores Adam Lange and Jeremy Elbers could move up to the varsity level after competing in the program last year.

New players Jeremy Tiesler, the team's lone senior, juniors Mike Herding and Dusty Seachris and freshman Travis Broesder also will receive the opportunity to play on the varsity squad.

Junior Wayne Baker, eighth-grader Nick Deutsch and seventh-graders Tom Scholten, Yancy Parrow, Chris Ahrenholtz and Adam Finke are other hopefuls with a team that is aiming to improve in 2002.

"I think we can do better than we did last year," Lange said. "A lot of it will depend on how much time these kids will be able to spend on a course trying to improve their games. As far as wins, I always like to shoot for 50 percent of our matches, and we might do even better than that."

The way things looked as of this writing, there will be no Patriot girls' team to report on this year.

Lange said problems between some of the team members last year led to them not playing the sport this year.

The Patriot coach hopes to recruit some girls to play golf for H-BC-E as the spring progresses, but he has nothing to report on that front right now.

By Jolene Farley
This is the second installment on my trip to Bolivia, South America, with Mana a Mano. To see the first installment, log on to www.hillscrescent.com.

Saturday, March 16 - We arrive at Charamoco to dedicate the clinic. We are on time but some of the politicians are late so the ceremony is delayed almost an hour.

At the dedication there are many speeches by Mano a Mano representatives and government officials. There is also entertainment provided by local residents. A local band plays and a native dance, complete with beautiful costumes, is performed.

We are seated in the front row, and the patients who will use the clinic hang back during the dedication, some under a tree, others on benches or on the ground. They can hear the speeches but cannot see the ceremony.

This seems, somehow, wrong to us, and later one of our group mentions to Segundo that we wouldn't mind sitting in the back. He explains that if we don't accept their hospitality it could offend our hosts.

After the dedication, I interview a Charamoco resident, with the help of a translator.

Bolivian farmer Dio Genespaco tells of sub-standard medical care in the area before Mano a Mano. The government built a dispensary building but never kept it stocked with supplies or provided medical personnel to staff it.

"In 1973, they (the government) built a small dispensary, but it was physically built but never supportedÉ" he said. "From that time on we talked about getting a better medical facility.

"When we had accidents on our farm, we had no place to go to get cured. We lost many children due to lack of proper medical care.

"It's (the new clinic) going to improve more than anything else the lives of children. Before when children got sick they had nowhere else to go except Cochabamba, very far away.

"Many women died giving birth. Women suffered more than anything."

Genespaco considers the clinic a great advancement for his community. He said now that the clinic is finished, next is a drinking water system for the community.

"This clinic is going to be used by many people," he said, making a sweeping motion with his hands. "Now the clinic is finished, next is a drinking water system for the community."

After my interview, I walk around the clinic site with some of the other volunteers. Women and children run up and present flowers to us as we walk.

Sunday, March 17 - On a sightseeing tour, we "eat our way" through Cochabamba valley. We stop at roadside restaurants to sample local delicacies. We tour a Catholic cathedral, built in 1692, and visit an outdoor market established during the time of the Spaniards.

Monday, March 18 Ð We fly two hours by plane over the Andes to reach the town of San Agustin (about 60 kilometers from the Chile border, with an altitude of more than 14,000 feet above sea level). The mountain views from the plane are beautiful.

We fly over a huge lake with thousands of pink flamingos nesting on the surface. The birds scatter when we fly over.

As we approach the dirt airstrip at San Agustin, I see many people waiting to greet us. I later learned the airstrip was built for the Dec. 6 Mano a Mano clinic dedication, and it may be only the second time many residents saw an airplane.

We all ride in the back of a pickup to the clinic, which appears clean and well operated.

Outside the clinic, school children stand at attention, waiting for us. They welcome us and sing the Bolivian national anthem.

A small band (very talented) plays a few traditional Bolivian folksongs. We tour the school. The school utilizes six donated computers that are powered by a generator, allowing students to use them for limited time every day.

San Agustin is an impressive community. In a place where the majority of peopleÕs time is likely spent just trying to survive, this town shows a very strong sense of community.

The mayor seems active in the community, which trickles down to the residents. Many other Bolivian cities struggle with corrupt politicians and an inability to complete social projects but things seem to get done at San Agustin.

After our tour of the community, we are again served a meal Ñ of course! They try to serve our pilots a sample of the local beer. In my mind, flying an airplane and drinking beer doesnÕt mix, so I ask them not to drink.

When we are ready to leave San Agustin, the pilots inform us we cannot all fly out at once. In higher altitudes it is more difficult to get planes off the ground, and the runway at San Agustin is so soft it doesn't allow the needed ground speed. By reducing the weight on the plane, the ground speed can be increased.

The plan is four passengers will be dropped off at the nearest airport about 15 minutes away; then they will return to pick us up.

Those of us left behind stay by the airstrip. We begin to wonder when an hour has passed and the planes are not back.

We soon have another worry when a large herd of llamas begins to wander toward the airstrip. Although we hope they donÕt plan to stay, it soon becomes obvious they are in no hurry to move on.

The last of the llamas are herded off the runway just as the planes are ready to land.

The pilots were delayed because they were unable to land at the nearest airstrip (rain made the runway wet and soft), so they had to fly on to Uyani.

Tuesday, March 19 Ð We leave at 8:15 a.m. for a contract signing with a community. Although it is pouring rain, the drive is still beautiful.

Many politicians are present to make speeches and sign the agreement with Mano a Mano. After signing, we walk outside to the cleared construction site. The mayor breaks ground with a pick, and a cornerstone is buried in the ground.

A meal, including lamb, potatoes and baked bananas, is served in celebration. There are no eating utensils, so we eat with our hands.

Wednesday, March 20 Ð Today is a day of rest for usÉ We walk around Cochabamba, visit some shops, and tour a mansion built by a tycoon who made his fortune in the tin mines.

Thursday, March 21 Ð Some of our group members visit the men's and women's prisons in Cochabamba. Since a limited number of people are allowed in the facility at one time, I opt to stay at the hotel.
We have planned an evening celebration for our hosts and Mano a Mano Bolivia volunteers at the restaurant of their choice. After we eat, they teach us Bolivian dice games.

Friday, March 22 Ð Our group is scheduled to fly to La Paz for two days but we opt to stay in Cochabamba. We are afraid of altitude sickness.

Saturday, March 23 Ð We shop for gifts to take home to friends and relatives and enjoy the sunshine.

Sunday, March 24 Ð We fly from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz where we catch our flight to Miami. Each piece of luggage is opened and searched at the Santa Cruz airport.

My trip was a wonderful experience, and I would certainly do it again. Visiting Bolivia emphasized how fortunate I am to be a citizen of the United States. Many of the things Americans take for granted simply are not available to the people of Bolivia.

By Jolene Farley
I was unsure what I'd encounter when I set off on a 13-day trip to Bolivia, South America, with Mano a Mano on March 13.

The idea of a trip to Bolivia began to formulate when I interviewed Segundo and Joan (Swanson) Velasquez about Mano a Mano for the Feb. 14 issue of the Crescent.

Mano a Mano, headed by the Velasquezs, was trying to address healthcare needs in Bolivia, where many never saw a doctor or nurse in their lives.

Non-profit Mano a Mano, incorporated in 1994, began small by carrying surplus medical supplies down to Bolivia.

In 1996, Mano a Mano branched into building clinics. Then in 2000, a $2 million anonymous grant allowed Mano a Mano to plan the construction of many more clinics.

It may have been a mere courtesy, but the couple told me if I ever wanted to travel to Bolivia and see Mano a Mano in action to let them know.

I was very interested in the process of bringing medical care to people in need. I quickly signed up for the next trip, giving myself one month to make arrangements for my absence.

My agenda on the trip was to observe how Mano a Mano operates in Bolivia (for myself) and take pictures (as a volunteer) for Mano a Mano to use in future marketing materials.

My trip turned out to be an awesome, unforgettable experience. Our Bolivian hosts were wonderful and gracious, and the countryside was beautiful.

Throughout my trip I journalized some of my experiences. Following is a summary of those journal entries along with other memorable events worth sharing.

Wednesday, March 13 - I arrived in the Twin Cities last night and was given a tentative rundown by Joan and Segundo on what I will be seeing on my trip.

I am carrying an extra bag of medical supplies to Bolivia for Mano a Mano because I am under the airlineÕs two-bag limit with my personal luggage (I was kind of proud of this). Segundo and Joan tell me what specific pictures they want me to take while I am in Bolivia.

I fly out of the Twin Cities early Wednesday, March 13, with another volunteer, Sandra Peterson.
We fly to Atlanta, Ga., on Delta Airlines, meet the rest of our group in Miami, Fla., board a flight to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and then catch another short flight to our final destination Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The city of Cochabamba is aptly dubbed by tour books the "City of Eternal Spring." The weather is wonderful!

Thursday, March 14 Ð Around 2 a.m., we arrive at our hotel in Cochabamba. After some debate, our living arrangements (who sleeps where) are decided for the next few days.

We leave in seven hours for Charamoco to help outfit Mano a ManoÕs recently completed clinic.

The route to Charamoco is a steep, bumpy, narrow stone road. The countryside is green, mountainous and beautiful. Thankfully, we are able to ride fairly comfortably in two donated four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Soon after we arrive at Charamoco a dump truck pulls in filled with medical supplies that need to be unloaded, cleaned and put away in the appropriate area of the clinic.

Even though the community agreed to supply water and electrical hookups before the clinic was dedicated, water lines had not yet been dug in at Charamoco. A crew is stringing electrical wires to the building as we drive up.

Bolivia has an ongoing problem with corruption in government, according to Segundo. Resources often never make it to the people for whom they are intended.

Segundo's brother, Dr. Jose Velasquez, fearlessly tells local people they haven't upheld their part of the agreement.

Apparently Jose's words were effective; soon workmen arrive to dig the water lines.

Very quickly, Mano a Mano volunteers and community members prepare the Charamoco clinic for the dedication planned on Saturday, March 16.

Friday, March 15 Ð The Alto Buena Vista clinic is our destination today.

En route to Alto Bueno Vista we pay a surprise visit to the Chaqui Mayu-Villa Isreal clinic, which opened last fall.

Segundo and Jose are pleased that the clinic is clean and well-kept. Patient numbers have steadily increased at the clinic.

This visit provided my first opportunity to photograph actual Mano a Mano patients. In one of the exam rooms, a nurse was treating a little boy's leg wound.

Since opening, the clinic has become the economic epicenter of the community. Three buses are parked at a new bus stop near the clinic. Street shops have sprung up in previously open areas near the clinic.

We walk from the clinic to a small village. A doctor is administering vaccinations to residents on a street corner.

We drive on to Alto Buena Vista, our original destination. Alto Buena Vista, which is growing steadily, seems to spring out of the side of a mountain.

Residents are mostly street merchants, according to Segundo. They sell a variety of goods on almost every street corner in Cochabamba.

The race is on in Alto Buena Vista between electrical power for the community and the clinic opening. Workmen are running the electrical lines and are due to finish the day of the clinic dedication.

There is less work for us at Alto Buena Vista. Women from the community have completed much of the cleaning before our arrival.

The dump truck arrives loaded with medical supplies. We unload the truck and begin to clean the supplies and put them away. Many women from the community help with this process.

I make a special friend while taking pictures of local women. My subject follows me everywhere like a shadow. When I sit to eat she immediately sits next to me.

When we were ready to leave for Cochabamba, she hugs me and tells me (through a translator) that she will have all her babies at the clinic.

After we complete our work, we walk around in the community. With the help of a fluent Spanish speaker in our group, we are able to communicate with three Brazilian nuns who run a community day-care center.

They care for 70 children who otherwise would spend their days on a street corner with their street vendor parents.

On the way back to our hotel, we are told the Mano a Mano Bolivia volunteers have planned a party for us later in the evening with food and dancing ...

... My Bolivian trip story continues in next week's Crescent.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth boys' track team nearly landed its first team title of the 2002 season at the Central Lyon Relays in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Tuesday.

The Patriots turned in a strong performance that featured them winning six meet titles and scoring 65.5 points.

Unfortunately for H-BC-E, Akron-Westfield compiled 80 points to win the Class B team title.

"All in all, our boys ran fantastic. We got a lot of first- and second-place finishes," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle.

Chris Reid and Brad Haak won two individual events each to set the pace for H-BC-E.

Reid, who was second in the 200-meter dash in 24.32, won the 100 in 11.37 and took top honors in the long jump with a distance of 20-8.

Haak, who cleared 5-8 to place second in the high jump, won the 800- and 3,200-meter runs with respective 2:01.53 and 10:52.06 times.

Patriot Tyler Bush also captured a meet title in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:48.16. Bush placed second to Haak in the 800 in 2:06.4.

H-BC-E also won the boys' 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:40.99. Bush, Lee Walraven, Reid and Haak formed the team.

Patriot Greg Van Batavia turned in a notable effort by finishing second in the 1,600 in 5:08.02.
The H-BC-E girls placed fifth in a six-team field with 44 points.

The Patriots won three events, including a record-setting performance by Cassi Tilstra. Tilstra won the 3,000-meter run with a new school standard time of 13:05.1.

Bev Wurpts won the 1,500-meter run in 5:37.76 and ran a leg with H-BC-E's winning distance medley relay team, which was timed at 4:48.21. Kelly Mulder, Danielle Fransman and Brittney Rozeboom are the other members of the team.

H-BC-E placed second in the 400-meter and sprint medley relays with respective 54.84 and 2:02.9 efforts. Melinda Feucht, Tilstra, LaDonna Sandstede and Erin Boeve formed both teams.

Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E's top-six performances from the Central Lyon Relays.

H-BC-E boys
Third place: Lee Jackson, 3,200, 11:42.26; 3,200 relay (Kale Wiertzema, Adam Sieff, Devin DeBoer and Drew Spykerboer), 10:24.01.

Fourth place: medley relay (Tyson Metzger, Sieff, Jackson and Van Batavia), 4:08.8.

Fifth place: Bush, high jump, 5-4; Wiertzema, 400, 1:00.3; 400 relay (Metzger, Van Batavia, Jackson and Walraven), 49.7.

H-BC-E girls
Third place: Rozeboom, 1,500, 5:56.24.

Fourth place: Boeve, 100, 13.34; Kari Roozenboom, 400-meter hurdles, 1:30.1.

Fifth place: Roozenboom, 100 hurdles, 19.55; 800 relay (Feucht, Mulder, Fransman and Rozeboom), 2:04.8.

By Jolene Farley
At Monday's Hills-Beaver Creek School Board meeting, Superintendent Dave Deragisch reported the school's intercom system is updated, after four years of operating with a defunct communication system.

"The staff is very excited," he said. "They haven't had a way to communicate without yelling or walking from their classrooms for a long time."

Cunningham Communications, Pipestone, installed the new system.

"For health and safety reasons we need an intercom in our school," said Deragisch at the Jan. 14 School Board meeting.

"If we had an emergency it would be nice to contact all the rooms at one time," said Chairman Alan Harnack at the same meeting.

Daily announcements are made over the newly installed speakerphones.

The old wall-mount speakers remain in the classrooms, but the new system may be too powerful to hook up to the older, outdated speakers, so the school will continue to test the speakerphone option.

Deragisch and board member Ann Boeve said they were pleased with the service provided by Cunningham.

"We are definitely going to have service with this guy," said Boeve. "If we have a problem he will be down here."

The district could be reimbursed for the cost of the system through a health and safety program but likely would not receive reimbursement until the 2003-04 school year.

In other board business:
Little Patriots Academy reported it has 36 children signed up for classes in the fall. Elementary Principal Jil Vaughn recommended to the board an afternoon session be added.

Vaughn is writing a grant to start an after-school care program in the district for children in kindergarten through sixth grades. If the district receives funding, the program would tentatively run from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"It's a very successful program in other towns," said Deragisch.

Deragisch warned that if more students didnÕt sign up for baseball, the sport could be dropped next year.

"It's really looking like the numbers could be in trouble next year," said Deragisch.

The board instructed Deragisch to come up with an exact count of interested students, including Ellsworth students and open enrollment students.

They discussed offering a seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade team if the district couldn't offer a full high school team.

By Jolene Farley
The mayor and Bill Poyton, a Mano a Mano USA volunteer, bury the cornerstone for the new clinic to be built on the cleared site. Story inside.