By Sara Quam
The Luverne City Council Tuesday introduced an ordinance that, if passed, will make it illegal to park on city streets between 1 and 6 a.m. from November to April.

The law change proposal was prompted by previous discussion about the city's problems in snow removal.

The city has to plow around parked vehicles after snowfall and then must make additional trips to cover area first missed.

Also, snow emergency notification has been limited since the city can no longer interrupt cable television to tell residents to move their cars.

Ticketing is difficult for law enforcement because a policy isn't clear enough on when to ticket cars on the streets.

The council introduced the ordinance to bring it up for discussion and to gather feedback.

One resident said after the meeting that sheÕs concerned about the ordinance because she doesn't have a driveway.

The council will likely take action on the ordinance in September.

FYI
The city used 22,000 feet of toilet paper to seal filled surface cracks at the airport and another 30,000 feet within the city. The paper may have been noticed by residents, and although it looks messy, it breaks down naturally in time.

Judge Timothy Connell swears in 33 new citizens from 13 different countries Wednesday morning in the first ceremony that anyone is aware of in Luverne. The new citizens live in southwest Minnesota. Below, Dawei Hong talks with Robert "Tim" Tangeman, Luverne, who attended the ceremony along with many other interested citizens and government officials. Hong is a native of China and has lived in the United States since 1989. He taught computer science at Southwest State University and is on his way to another job as a professor in New Jersey.

Those receiving citizenship were from Belarus, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Hungary, Laos, Mexico, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Raul Marquez spoke to the crowd in the Luverne Elementary School's commons area. Marquez is a native of Mexico who became a citizen in 1997 and works as an interpreter in the court system. He will move to Arkansas to become a director of interpreter certification there.

Marquez said, "I went through what you are going through today in 1997. I cannot explain or tell you enough what a privilege it was for me to become a citizen." He said it is "beautiful" to be able to fly to visit family and not worry about having the right papers so he can get back into the country. He emphasized that voting is a serious privilege and that jury duty is something to take seriously. "In Mexico I didn't truly believe in voting because of all the corruption. I hope you realize you are very important in this country. I don't want you to forget your old country, but this is your new country and this is a new flag you have to respect."

The VFW Post 2757 and auxiliary and American Legion Post 123 and auxiliary were on board for presentation of colors, to give each applicant an American flag and certificate and to serve lunch. Danielle Deragisch and Colby and Lorna Anderson added music to the ceremony.

Photos by Sara Quam

Brian Holck, Ruthton, sets fire to the strip of Blue Mounds prairie along County Road 8 north of Luverne Thursday, Aug. 23. The burn is one step in a long process of restoring that portion of the state park to its original native prairie. It was burned this spring and then sprayed with Roundup and 2, 4-D.

According to Parks Prairie Specialist David Breyfogle, that piece of the park had been planted with prairie grass seed nearly 20 years ago, but the seed came from Nebraska. Breyfogle said the grass was genetically different than native grasses on the Blue Mounds, so Minnesota's growing season prohibited reproduction. The grasses were often still flowering during the first frost.

After Thursday's burn, whatever grows this summer will be sprayed again. This fall, the ground will be tilled and planted with prairie grass seed harvested from the Blue Mounds State Park. Over the next few years, the new growth will be mowed until the prairie grasses are well established. "Probably three years from now it will start looking like a prairie again," Breyfogle said. An area north of the cliff line is in its second year of the same process.

Photo by Lori Ehde

BMX bikers were in Luverne Sunday for one of their last meets as Luverne is closing the tracks because of liability issues. Cody Scholten, Steen, and other bikers, outfitted in protective gear, take the dirt mounds during the meet.

Photo by Chantel Connell

BMX bikers were in Luverne Sunday for one of their last meets as Luverne is closing the tracks because of liability issues. Some of the participants were: (front from left) Matt Seivert, Shane Smith, (middle) Dave Brady, Ryan Schuur, Shane Klein, Dave Cody, Branden Pottebaum, Alex Jungers, Matt Wanderschied, Cody Scholten, Matt Anderson, (back row) Benjamin Jungers, Sawyer Smith, Taylor Vande Velde, Jesse Connell, Josh Connell, Cody Swanson, Matthew Sterrett, Cody Schneider and Dalton Klein.

Other bikers, outfitted in protective gear, take the dirt mounds during the meet.

Photo by Chantel Connell

By John Rittenhouse
A possible win slipped away from the Hills Thunder when the local amateur baseball team played a road game in Pipestone Wednesday, June 20.

The Thunder played their way to a 3-0 lead through three and one-half innings of play against the A's.

Pipestone, however, trimmed the difference to one run by the end of the sixth inning and pulled out a 6-4 victory by scoring three times in the home half of the eighth inning.

Hills scored two runs in the first inning and one in the third to take a 3-0 advantage.

Jarud Lang was hit by a pitch before advancing to third base on Chris Putnam's double during the first inning.

After Lang scored on a passed ball, Matt Carroll singled home Putnam to give the Thunder a 2-0 cushion.

Eric Harnack singled in the third inning and scored when Chad Rauk singled to make it a three-run difference.

Pipestone scored twice in the fourth to make it a 3-2 game, but Wade Jellema tripled for the Thunder and scored on Matt Funke's single in the sixth to give Hills a two-run advantage.

Pipestone answered with one run in the bottom of the sixth to climb within one run (4-3) of Hills before erupting for three counters in the eighth.

Rauk, who was three-for-four at the plate, pitched for Hills. He recorded six strikeouts while walking four batters in the game.

By John Rittenhouse
Considering a recent accomplishment on the golf course, Hills' Ray Nelson appears to be aging gracefully.

One month after celebrating his 85th birthday, Nelson recorded his first hole-in-one while playing the Rock River Golf and Country Club (near Rock Rapids, Iowa) on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Nelson, who has been playing golf for the past 30 years, used a 5-wood to ace the par-3, sixth hole at the RRGCC.

"It landed short of the hole and rolled in," said Nelson, a member at the RRGCC.

Nelson and his playing partner that day, Bob Kirsch, were unsure if the ball found the hole.

After crossing the bridge over the Rock River that separates the tee box and the green on the sixth hole, the pair drove behind the green with his cart to see if the ball was there.

With no ball in sight, Kirsch walked onto the green to inspect the hole, where he found the ball laying in the bottom of the cup.

By John Rittenhouse
An expanding participation rate has Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth cross country coach Tom Goehle feeling good about the 2001 season.

Goehle, who has headed the program for the past four years, has 23 boys and girls running in the pre-season practice sessions.

Along with having a program-record number of athletes to work with, Goehle's roster is graced with talented kids who should make the 2001 season a good one for the Patriots.

"We have a great group," Goehle said. "When I look at the scope of our boys' and girls' teams, I see 23 kids who are blessed with a lot of ability. When the numbers start to increase in the program, it makes the practices more enjoyable with all the camaraderie that goes along with it. I'm looking forward to a fun season."

With all six runners back from last year's team that placed fifth at the Section 3A meet, it looks like the Patriot boys can have a lot of fun this fall.

H-BC-E didn't graduate any athletes from its team last year, and Goehle reports he has 16 boys to help form his different teams in 2001.

"We have a lot of ability here. They are the kind of kids who are hard-workers that will keep on working hard," he said.

Leading the H-BC-E boys' team will be senior Brad Haak, who has become one of southwest Minnesota's top runners over the last four seasons.

After qualifying for the Minnesota State Class A Cross Country Championships as an individual the last two seasons, Haak is looking to make a third consecutive appearance this fall.

A sideache hampered Haak when he placed 108th at state as a sophomore in 1999. After placing third in the Section 3A last season, Haak returned to Northfield and placed 65th overall.

"Brad made it to state the last two years, and he has his sights set on it again," Goehle said.

Haak and five other returning letter winners should make the Patriots a competitive team this season.

Seniors Nathan Fick and Matt Buck, sophomore Lee Jackson and freshmen Tyler Bush and Kale Wiertzema also ran at the section meet.

Bush and Jackson didn't finish behind Haak by very much in section competition, crossing the finish line 14th and 19th respectively.

Fick and Buck contributed to the team score that day by placing 49th and 66th respectively, while Wiertzema finished in 76th position.

With six proven runners coming back, and some more talent to choose from, the H-BC-E boys are expecting big things for themselves in 2001.

"I know our boys would like to move into one of those top two positions as a team at the section meet, which would move them on to state," Goehle said.

The remaining 10 boys on the roster (one senior, four freshmen, three eighth-graders and two seventh-graders) vary in experience.

Senior Paul Jess is running cross country for the first time, as are freshmen Corey Van Batavia and Jared Drenth, eighth-graders Devin DeBoer and John Sandbulte, and seventh-graders Nathan Mahone and Adam Finke.

Freshmen Derek Haak and Justin Hinks will enter the program for the fourth and second years respectively.

Eighth-grader Kerry Fink has run cross country for three years.

Unlike the boys, the H-BC-E girls did lose a pair of seniors to graduation.

Shanna Tilstra and Connie Lewis ran for the Patriots during the course of last season before graduating last spring, but neither they, nor any other H-BC-E girl, competed in the section meet.

Sending girls to the section meet might happen this season, but putting together a varsity team with seven athletes to choose from might be a problem.

"To start the season, we'll run a couple of girls in the junior high races, a couple in the junior varsity races and a couple in varsity races. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we'll be able to put together a full varsity squad," Goehle said.

The girls' roster, which features one letter winner from 2000, consists of two seniors, two freshmen, one eighth-grader and two seventh-graders.

Senior Bev Wurpts is the Patriot returning with a varsity letter winner from last season.

Becky Broesder, another senior, is running cross country for the first time, as are the other members of the 2001 team.

Cassi Tilstra, who is coming off two successful track seasons, is a freshman who should be able to make an impact for the cross country program.

Brittney Rozeboom is another freshman competing with the team.

Eighth-grader Stacy Bush and seventh-graders Amanda Tilstra and Kim Janssen cap the roster.

"Slowly but surely, our numbers are increasing on the girls' side. This will be a nice group of girls to work with," Goehle concluded.

The Patriots open the season in Mountain Lake Wednesday.

By Jolene Farley
A lengthy discussion at the Aug. 14 City Council meeting questioned the fate of the Hills Community Hall or American Legion Hall. The building, built in the late 1940s, is in need of extensive repairs.

The building is owned jointly by the city and Clinton Township. However, the city of Hills is in the process of acquiring full ownership, according to City Clerk Connie Wiertzema.

While working on the city budget for next year, council member Arlen Leenderts pointed out that the city would have a substantial amount of money invested in the old building if all needed improvements were made.

He said concerned citizens had approached him and asked why so much money was being spent on such an old building.

Leenderts suggested investigating the possibility of building new. "I think we should dig into it more, send out a survey," said Leenderts.

Mayor George Langford said abandoning the old building would not be supported. "We will hear an outcry from the community like you wouldn't believe," Langford said.

Council member Dana Dahlquist agreed. "The Legion has meant a lot to many people, mostly older."

The city has made about $6,910 in repairs to the building so far, according to Wiertzema.

The list includes replacing several large windows and doors with smaller windows and doors, replacing the cement on the south side of the building, and removing a window air conditioner and closing the hole in the wall from the unit.

Earlier this year, worried council members hired a structural engineer to evaluate the property after cracks appeared in the east wall of the structure.

Although the engineer reported the cracks are not an immediate safety hazard, he advised the council to monitor the wall for the next six months. Plans to finish the wall were put on hold.

Other needed repairs and their estimated costs are: updating wiring, for which the council budgeted $10,000 in next year's budget; a new sink at $500; tuck-pointing at $6,000 to $25,000; new gutters at $840; stripping the wood floors at $3,500 to $4,000.

More windows should be replaced, and the roof is being inspected because it began leaking in July, according to Wiertzema.

Langford asked Leenderts to investigate prices on new buildings. Leenderts and Wiertzema could then create a survey to be sent to Hills residents asking their opinion on the issue.

"One thing leads to another," said City Clerk Connie Wiertzema at last week's meeting, referring to needed repairs.