Hills Fire Department members are (back row, from left) Stan Van Wyhe (left), Jeff Bass, Jared Rozeboom, Derek Bundesen, Dana Dahlquist, Jim Jellema, Assistant Fire Chief Doug Chapman, Mark Raymon, (middle row) Brian Kraayenhof, Steve Fagerness, Pete Hoff, Larry Leuthold, Mark Top, (front row) Fire Chief Allan Top, Larry Haak, Ron Behr, Tim DeHaan, Mark DeBoer and Tom Bush. Not pictured are Ron Arp, Arlen Leenderts, Stacen Burgers, Tim Durst, Jack Paulsen and Steve Wiertzema.

(Below) Beaver Creek Fire Department members are (front row, from left) Assistant Fire Chief Rick Rauk (left), Roger Van Roekel, Ron Rauk, Chris Harnack, Fire Chief Rick Tatge, (middle row) Daryl Fuerstenburg, Shannon Tatge, Ryan Rauk, Dave Anderson, (back row) Chad Rauk, Jim Sammons, Jason Rauk, Rex Tollefson, Arnie Brondsema. Not pictured are Lloyd DeBoer and Jim Vanderburg.

Photos by Jolene Farley

Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth defenders Darin DeBoer (88) and Curt Schilling (11) punish a Sioux Vally-Round Lake-Brewster runner during Friday's football game in Hills. In a clash featuring two teams ranked in the top 10 of the Minnesota nine-man football poll, the No. 7 upset No. 2 SV-RL-B 21-20.

William Colwell, 85, Magnolia, died Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001, at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne.

Services were Wednesday, Oct. 10, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Andrew Beerman officiated. Burial was in St. Catherine Catholic Cemetery, Luverne.

William Charles Colwell was born to William W. and Grace (Nelson) Colwell on the family farm near Ellsworth. As a child they moved to a farm near Kanaranzi where he was raised and attended the Mossy Meadow country school. In 1932 they moved to a farm near Magnolia where he helped on the farm. Following his education he helped on the family farm which he later took over from his father. He farmed until his retirement in spring 1981. He moved to Luverne where he lived the past 20 years. On Aug. 29, 2001, he entered Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center.

Mr. Colwell was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne where he was a member of Knights of Columbus. He enjoyed farming and visiting with friends and family. He also enjoyed bowling.
Survivors include one sister and brother-in-law, Jeanette and Dan Heimer, Merriam, Kan.; 19 nieces and nephews; and several great-nieces and nephews.

Mr. Colwell was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Leslie and Lowell Colwell, and two sisters, Ruth Strassburg and Rose Mary Aanenson.

Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Dries G. Bosch, 80, Valley Springs, S.D., died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.

Services were Monday, Oct. 8, at Valley Springs Reformed Church in Valley Springs. Burial was in Pleasant View Cemetery, Valley Springs.

Dries G. Bosch was born to Gerrit and Jennie (Ten Haken) Bosch on Jan. 10, 1921, on a farm near Steen. In March 1921 he moved with his parents to a farm near Luverne where he grew up. He entered the U.S. Army on Aug. 15, 1942, and served overseas in the European Theatre. He was involved in the invasion of Normandy. He was discharged on Nov. 21, 1945.

He married Jennie Elzinga on Dec. 18, 1945, in her home. The couple farmed near Valley Springs for two years. They later farmed north of Beaver Creek until 1979. They then moved to Valley Springs. He worked at the stockyards for five yards before retiring.

Mr. Bosch was a member of Valley Springs Reformed Church where he served as a deacon for three years and as an elder for 36 years. He also served on the Beaver Creek Elevator Board for 24 years. He was a member of the American Legion in Valley Springs where he served as chaplain for many years.

Survivors include his wife, Jennie Bosch, Valley Springs; two sons and daughters-in-law, Dale and Karen Bosch, Beaver Creek, and Merlyn and Kathi Bosch, Valley Springs; one daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Denny Van Den Berg, Sioux Center, Iowa; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; three brothers, William (Bertha) Bosch, Steen, Gerald and (Vivian) Bosch, Valley Springs, and Arthur and (Dottie) Bosch, Pella, Iowa; one sister, Grace Wassenaar, Hills; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mr. Bosch was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Marvin Bosch.

George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls, S.D., was in charge of arrangements.

Dianne Greenfield, 60, Hills, died Saturday, Oct. 13 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls. Services will be Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills, with Rev. Lowell Berg officiating. Burial will follow in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fulda. Visitation will be Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 2 to 8:30 p.m. with family present from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Roste Funeral Home, Hills.

By John Rittenhouse
Adrian moved one step closer toward a Little Sioux Conference football championship by downing Murray County Central 20-13 in Adrian Friday.

Freshman quarterback Levi Bullerman threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns and senior tailback Tyler Bullerman ran for 118 yards and one touchdown to help the Dragons up their record to 5-0 overall and in the LSC.

The Dragons can take another stride toward a league title with a win over Dawson-Boyd in Dawson tonight. The Blackjacks and Ortonville are Adrian's main obstacles in the hunt for a conference championship as both teams have 4-1 league records.

Adrian now will be paying a price for a bye week it had earlier in the season. After playing in Dawson tonight, the Dragons return home to host Elmore Academy Saturday before traveling to Ortonville Wednesday.

The Dragons earned the right to control their own league destiny and gained a little revenge at the same time by upending the Rebels Friday.

Winless MCC ended AdrianÕs 2000 campaign by knocking the Dragons out of the section semifinals.

The Rebels drew first blood in Friday's tilt with a touchdown 7:35 into the game, but the Dragons recorded the next 20 points before winning by seven.

"MCC is a tough ball team to stop," said Dragon coach Randy Strand. "They are big up front, and they kept pushing us back all night. We survived this game."

The Rebels gave Adrian an indication that the game would be a tough one when they stopped the Dragons on downs early in the first quarter before going on a 12-play, 48-yard drive that ended with Sean Kuechenmeister scoring on a five-yard run at the 4:25 mark of the opening period. Nick Bruning kicked the extra point to make it a 7-0 game.

Adrian responded to the challenge by scoring one touchdown in each of the first three quarters to take a 20-7 lead.

Levi Bullerman, who completed nine of 13 passes in the game, made two key connections when Adrian answered MCCÕs touchdown in the first quarter.

The Dragon signal-caller hooked up with Bryce Block for a 29-yard completion before tossing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dusty Henning to cap a five-play, 60-yard drive with 2:27 remaining in the stanza. A missed extra-point attempt kept the Rebels clinging to a 7-6 edge.

Adrian moved in front late in the first half when the offense put together a six-play, 44-yard drive. Levi Bullerman threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Lynn before hitting Henning with a successful conversion toss to give the Dragons a 14-7 advantage with 3:43 left to play in the first half.

The Dragons padded their lead by six points with an 80-yard touchdown march to start the second half. The three-play possession featured the talents of Tyler Bullerman as the veteran back dashed 69 yards for a touchdown during the third play of the possession.

A botched snap during the extra-point attempt left Adrian sporting a 13-point advantage with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter.

It looked like the game might end with Adrian winning 20-7 before the MCC defense made a big play late in the fourth quarter.

Rebel defender Matt Kautz picked off a pass on the Dragon 33 to set up a six-play drive that ended with Ryan Streff scoring on a two-yard run with 4:44 left to play. A missed extra-point attempt kept the score at 20-13.

The Adrian offense made sure MCC didn't have the opportunity to tie the game as the Dragons ran the remaining time off the clock with a 13-play possession.

Team statistics
Adrian: 186 rushing yards, 137 passing yards, 323 total yards, 10 first downs, three penalties for 30 yards, one turnover.

MCC: 215 rushing yards, 28 passing yards, 243 total yards, 14 first downs, two penalties for 15 yards, one turnover.

Individual statistics
Rushing: T.Bullerman 16-118, L.Bullerman 11-59, Nate Bullerman 4-9.

Passing: L.Bullerman 9-13 for 137 yards.

Receiving: Henning 4-41, Lynn 2-30, T.Bullerman 2-37, Block 1-29.

Defense: Henning 17 tackles, Joe Kruger 15 tackles, Block 11 tackles, Brandon Schettler 10 tackles and one sack, Pete Hohn one fumble recovery.

By Sara Quam
Carole Olson said her newly completed children's book makes her feel "a bit like a mom who has been watching her little girl take dance lessons. Mom sees all the progress and thinks her little sweetheart is another Pavlova, but she fears putting her out for review on the big stage, to find out otherwise."

Olson, formerly of Luverne, now Richfield, has put three years into the project that will reach many Rock County homes.

"Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader" is a children's book that is also for parents.

"The idea," Olson said, "is that we're trying to get parents and babies together."

The Rock County Collaborative and Friends of the Library financed the project that will eventually get to all children born in the county.

At the fair this week, the school's booth is giving away copies to Rock County children ages 0-5. The library's booth will sell them, and copies will be available at any time at the Rock County Community Library, Luverne.

Collaborative board member Karen Willers said, "The book says a lot about what we want to say about parents and babies, not just the mom, but dads, too."

Children who don't get the book at the fair for free can expect one through the school or other community groups later on. The Collaborative is planning to make home visits to newborns in the county and will make the book a part of its visit.

The book of love
Olson said the idea of the book came during a Friends of the Library board meeting, of all places.

The board was discussing a teacher in-service session in which Dr. Hilary Pert Stecklein, a pediatrician who heads Reading Rx, spoke. She emphasized the importance of early reading to baby's brains. She said reading to babies is a vital part of giving children a head start on reading and on learning. She also talked about how the mother's voice - heard for nine months - gets the biggest response from babies and has an ongoing effect.

Olson was inspired to get this information to Rock County residents but couldn't find an adequate publication, so she considered making a pamphlet. But pamphlets are not hard to come by for new parents, who are bombarded with "handy" bits of information from hospitals and other organizations.

Olson decided to make a legitimate book, something for families to keep and enjoy together.

Local faces and Olson's niece's artwork cover the pages. Olson said she gave the material a lot of consideration and ended up using nursery rhymes along with information for parents within the same book.

While making it, she thought about who would be reading it. "I wanted to promote reading as a good tool in a way that isnÕt preachy and isnÕt in a language thatÕs difficult to understand."

She wanted to make it accessible to parents who may have struggled with learning as students themselves. "And they are intimidated by the educational establishment. These young parents often donÕt exactly know what separated them from the kids who found school easy and fun. They only know they love their own new babies and would like life and learning to be easier for them. They are the parents who can break the old patterns."

Olson said many teachers and other professionals know how important reading is for children's development. She hopes that giving this book away will reach others who may not know its impact.

"I tried not to preach but rather to encourage. I avoided as much educational jargon as I possibly could," Olson said.

The concept of reading with children as young as newborns isn't just an intellectual concept. "You're not going to have a child quoting Shakespeare in preschool; thatÕs not the point," she said.

"We're trying to get them interested in books inside their little brains as early as possible. You aren't born knowing that symbols on a page mean anything," Olson said.

"This book is not supposed to be a treatise on how to develop geniuses, just an encouragement to get moms and dads to turn off the TV set, hold their kids and read with them."

She suggests that people outside of Rock County may enjoy the book as a baby gift, rather than a tossable "congratulations" card.

The book has gotten good reviews locally but also from Stecklein. She said, "It's a wonderful tool to help families read together. It gives the essential message about brain development and the difference early reading makes. it's so calm and authentic. You have photos of regular people spending time together - reading, going to the library together."

By Lori Ehde
Bulldozers returned to Lincoln Street Monday after several weeks of inactivity on that construction project.

Work started July 9 on rebuilding the county-state-aid road and was due to be finished by the end of September.

According to Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr, Rupp Construction, Slayton, is aware of the deadline but has opted to work on other projects in the area.

For every day the project extends into October, a $400 per day penalty will be imposed, Sehr said.

Penalties will be deducted from what the county pays Rupp when the work is completed.

The $300,000 project includes work on sewer and water lines, and sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Lincoln Street from Cedar Street east to Blue Mound Avenue is torn up. Traffic can get to Glen's Food Center parking lot from Lincoln, but everything east of the grocery store is impassable by vehicle.

In addition to Glen's, others affected by the closed street include the Fire Department, Post Office, County Attorney's Office, Luverne Senior Center and apartment buildings.

By Lori Ehde
In a project that has already seen its share of setbacks, Lincoln Street work in Luverne hit another bump last week.

After putting in the curb and gutter along both sides of the street, crews noticed an elevation error that would have caused problems in the direction of water drainage at Spring and Oakley streets.

This prompted removal of 250 feet of new curb and gutter on the south side of the street Friday.

"It was our mistake," said Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr. "There was an error in our elevation measurements."

Sehr said the error cost the county about $5,000, but it didn't affect the timeline of the project. He said concrete crews were scheduled to work on a different project while the 250 feet of curb and gutter was torn out.

Work started July 9 on rebuilding the county-state-aid road that was due to be finished by the end of September.

Rupp Construction, Slayton, opted to work on other projects in the area for several weeks this summer, and for every day work extends into October, a $400-per-day penalty is imposed, Sehr said.

Penalties will be deducted from what the county pays Rupp when the work is completed.

The $300,000 project includes work on sewer and water lines, and sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Lincoln Street from Cedar Street east to Blue Mound Avenue is torn up. Traffic can get to Glen's Food Center parking lot from Lincoln, but everything east of the grocery store is impassable by vehicle.

Others affected by the closed street include the Fire Department, Post Office, County Attorney's Office, Luverne Senior Center and apartment buildings.

Sehr said paving could start as early as next week.

"If the weather holds, we should wrap up the whole project by Oct. 26," he said. "It might be before then, but I'm not going to guess anymore on this project."

Sod work on the boulevards will be completed next spring.