By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek boys’ basketball team saved its best for last during Tuesday’s game against Edgerton in Hills.

The Patriots were sluggish in the first three quarters, and it led to deficits at each quarter break.

Just when it looked like H-BC might be upset by the Flying Dutchmen, the Patriots put together a 17-2 run late in the fourth quarter to pull out a 52-46 victory.

The win was H-BC’s eighth straight, leaving it with a 15-4 record for the season.

The victory upped the Patriots’ Red Rock Conference record to 13-0 heading into an important game against Southwest Christian in Edgerton tomorrow. The Patriots host Sioux Falls Christian Monday.

If not for the 17-2 run against Edgerton, H-BC might have fallen for the first time in league play. The rally started with 4:00 left in the fourth period and ended when Edgerton buried a three-point shot in the final seconds of the game.

"We went on a 17-2 run in the last four minutes to win the game," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema. "We really didn’t play very well until then."

Tyler Bush helped the Patriots turn things around when he converted a three-point play early in the 17-2 run.

Bush, who had three steals in the game, scored nine of his 13 points in the decisive fourth quarter.

Tyson Metzger and Trey Van Wyhe, who scored 19 and 15 points respectively, scored six points each in the fourth quarter.

Edgerton controlled play in the first three quarters of the game as it sported 14-4, 28-16 and 36-28 leads at the first three quarter breaks.

H-BC outscored the Flying Dutchmen 24-10 in the fourth quarter.

Metzger, Leuthold, Van Wyhe and Bush took down seven rebounds each. Wiertzema registered eight assists and three steals.

Box score
Bush 4 0 5-6 13, Wysong 0 0 0-0 0, Roozenboom 0 0 2-2 2, Wiertzema 0 0 2-4 2, Metzger 4 1 8-10 19, Leuthold 0 0 1-2 1, Van Wyhe 6 0 3-4 15.

Team statistics
H-BC: 15 of 41 field goals (37 percent), 21 of 28 free throws (75 percent), 30 rebounds, 11 turnovers.
Edgerton: 17 of 51 field goals (33 percent), eight of 14 free throws (57 percent), 29 rebounds, seven turnovers.

By Jolene Farley
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved by a 4-1 vote Thursday a new power line designed to carry wind energy from the Buffalo Ridge to the metro area.

The PUC decision is expected to dramatically pick up the pace of wind development in Minnesota, specifically in Rock County.

Mark Willers, president of the local wind power investment group Minwind I, testified at PUC hearings that construction of the line was vital for wind industry growth in southwest Minnesota.

"We testified before the PUC hearing, that this is what we needed," said Minwind II President Tom Arends, Luverne.

Arends said that the Minwind groups wouldn’t have the option to expand in Rock County unless another line was built to transmit the wind energy generated.

The power line, projected to be in service by 2006 and proposed by Xcel Energy, was approved with the requirement that 825 megawatts of wind power be built in the same time frame as the line.

A second condition imposed by the PUC requires Xcel Energy to purchase up to 60 megawatts of the total from wind developments owned locally by farmers, communities and small businesses in southwest Minnesota.

Nobles County Commissioner David Benson, chair of the Rural Minnesota Energy Task Force, and George Crocker, North American Water Office, were both instrumental in persuading the PUC to adopt the second condition.

Crocker declared it an important step in the right direction for farmers that want to participate in the economic opportunity of wind power.

"This will be welcome news to the 250 farmers who met in Adrian to talk about owning their own wind turbines, and to the scores of Minnesota communities struggling to diversify rural economies," Benson said.

The result of the PUC decision is that about 365 megawatts of additional wind power, or about 250 to 400 modern utility-sized wind turbines, will be built within the next four years.

These turbines are capable of providing the annual energy needs for more than 150,000 Minnesota homes.

Xcel Energy currently has 460 megawatts of wind power installed or under contract.

The Minwind groups, both Limited Liability Corporations, each spent $1.6 million to build four turbines three miles southeast of Beaver Creek or seven miles southwest of Luverne.

The groups are unique because they are the first in the state to own turbines. Most are owned by power companies, which then lease the land from individuals.

"It’s a very exciting time for us," Arends said. "We just would like to see Rock County benefit from all of the wind energy, and we’re going to work toward that goal."

By John Rittenhouse
A Hills-Beaver Creek High School junior joined a select group of the school’s past athletes during Thursday’s girls’ basketball game against Edgerton Public in Hills.

Erin Boeve, a 6-1 forward, became the second girl in school history to reach the 1,000-point barrier during a 49-32 win over the Flying Dutchmen.

A three-year starter who also received some spot playing time as an eighth-grader, Boeve needed 14 points in Thursday’s game to reach the milestone.

H-BC’s leading scorer and rebounder didn’t waste any time etching her name into school lore. She capped a 14-point first quarter with a 16-foot jump shot late in the period to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

Prior to Thursday, the lone H-BC female to score 1,000 points in her career was Leanne Goehle, the sister of current H-BC coach, Tom Goehle.

A 1979 graduate, Leanne Goehle compiled 1,131 points in her stellar career.

Considering H-BC will play at least five more games this season, and she has an entire 2003-04 campaign left to play, it should only be a matter of time before Boeve becomes the most prolific scorer in H-BC girls’ basketball history.

If Boeve has many more 31-point efforts, like the one she turned in against Edgerton Thursday, H-BC’s all-time scoring mark could be in jeopardy.

Steve Esselink, a 1999 H-BC graduate who is a junior member of the University of Minnesota’s men’s basketball program, is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,650 points.

Chad Koel, a 1990 graduate, and 1964 graduate Terry Arends are second and third on the all-time scoring list with 1,414 and 1,395 points respectively.

Aric Leenderts (1,121) and Matt Metzger (1,082) both cracked H-BC’s 1,000-point club in 1996.

By Jolene Farley
Shareholders in Hills-Beaver Creek Farm Service voted Monday to merge with New Vision Co-op, Worthington.

"It passed. We had a wonderful turnout," said Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service Board President Allen Fick, Beaver Creek. "We had 80 percent of the votes returned, 95 percent of those in favor."

The merger will occur on March 1.

Three members of the Hills-Beaver Creek Farm Service board will be added as associate members on the New Vision Co-op board until December, according to New Vision Co-op manager Frank McDowell.

New Vision membership will vote at their annual meeting to add another district to their current four membership districts.

If the vote passes, one board member from the new district will be elected to the current ten-member board.

"I think that the Hills-Beaver Creek Board is to be commended," McDowell said. "They made kind of a visionary move going with a bigger company."

McDowell said making the jump over smaller neighboring co-ops took courage. The merger passing is a testament to the work the board and employees did informing the voters.

A merger with 94 percent voter approval has never happened in Minnesota before, according to McDowell.

The lagging farm economy and a general economic slowdown were instrumental in the board’s unanimous decision to put the matter up for a vote.

"I don’t know of any real big changes right upfront," said Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service Interim Manager Dave Broesder. "They can continue to do business at each location as they have in the past."

New Vision will honor contracts made with the current co-op for fertilizer and chemical purchases after the merger, according to Fick.

In May 1993 the Beaver Creek Cooperative Elevator merged with the Hills Cooperative Farm Service. The new company became the Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service.

By Jolene Farley
At a Jan. 20 in-service, Hills-Beaver Creek High School teachers discussed a transition to an eight-period day, for the 2003-04 school year. Students currently attend seven 48-minute periods.

Although the school board hasn’t approved a schedule change, teachers and administrators brainstormed to determine the best system for the district.

Under the current system, students can earn seven credits a semester. The goal of a schedule change is to offer students more flexibility in scheduling.

A change to block scheduling was considered in the past. Students would have attended four 85-minute periods or four 83-minute periods under that schedule, with classes lasting a quarter of the school year instead of a semester.

At the in-service, teachers discussed ideas for adding a class to the curriculum that would be good for learning and teaching.

The teachers decided to concentrate on students who are falling behind. Advanced students could possibly take courses via internet for a cost of $300 per student.

These students would have the opportunity to earn college credit through these courses.

In other board business:

Future teacher evaluations at Hills-Beaver Creek Schools will be performed using a new method, the Madeline Hunter approach, the School Board decided at a Jan. 27 meeting.

"It provides a better system for feedback through the observation process," said Superintendent Dave Deragisch. "Everyone knows exactly what we are expecting," he said.

Previously, teachers where evaluated using the Lead Teacher Minnesota Method.

The district will hire an outside firm to place a value on and update the district’s asset list, a new accounting requirement by the state.

For example, the old elementary school is still on the books as an asset even though it was torn down several years ago.

The auditor encouraged the board to get a handle on all student activity accounts, according to Deragisch. The board approved a rule that no H-BC class can have an open account on school ledgers after June 30 of the year they graduate. The class must choose a representative to manage their money or spend their money.

"My recommendation to the classes is going to be to spend their money," said Deragisch.

The Hills-Beaver Creek High School Mock Trial team, with Glenda Kuehl as adviser and Terry Vajgrt as coach attorney, is busy preparing for competition around the region. Team members are (front row, from left) Lee Jackson, Aaron Kraayenhof, Trey Van Wyhe, (back row) David Alink, Jessica Penning, Kyle Sammons, Jason Martens, Kari Roozenboom and Jessie Leenderts.

Photo by Jolene Farley

Hills-Beaver Creek eighth-graders sell ice cream as part of a mini business experiment during their lunch break. The students raised $75 after expenses.

By Jolene Farley
Twenty-four Hills-Beaver Creek eighth-graders created a mini ice cream business last week, learning entrepreneurial skills during the process.

They participated in the Best in the Midwest Ice Cream Simulation, sponsored by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a collegiate free enterprise organization from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion.

Participants were broken up into different divisions, similar to a genuine business. The president’s group supervised the finance group, the sales group, the manufacturing group and the advertising group.

They learned about the production process by actually making ice cream. Since students couldn’t produce all the ice cream needed for resale, Wells Blue Bunny donated ice cream.

They sold their product during lunch hour at the school, raising $75 after expenses.

When the ice cream began to melt, it was marked down, much like it would be in a real business.

The project was fun and educational, according to the students.

One lesson students said they learned was that too much advertising can annoy customers, a point well taken after some of the 50 advertising posters hung around the school were torn down.

People who become reporters usually like reading and writing and have a respect for the truth. We’re usually a little more practical than the fine literature writers, and what we write is true (or at least we try to make sure it is).

I like to remember that fine authors like Earnest Hemmingway and Mark Twain started out in newspapers.
Many people in this business have secret desires of writing in a different genre, but they like the steady deadlines and changing topics of newspapers. I, for one, stopped wanting to write things like novels or poetry some time ago, maybe because I’m not very creative and maybe because writing for a living leaves interest for other hobbies.

The interest I still cling to in extracurricular writing is a little racier — I’d like to be the person who comes up with catchy headlines for publications like "Weekly World News," which prints articles on Bat Boy and vampires in the American Southwest.

To get this out of my system, I could be more inflammatory in my own reporting, but somehow I don’t think it would go over well with most of our readers. I don’t think "Crook hands over cash" would be a good headline for a criminal case involving restitution. A couple years ago I could have written "Field of alfalfa divides small town" in my Fledgling Field zoning series.

The writers on Lifetime TV have it almost as nice as the tabloids. Their movies get titles like, "Give Me My Daughter Back," "To Face Her Past" and my personal favorite, "My Step-son, My Lover."

I know it’s not one person who crafts these titles, but if it was, I’d be in line to ask for the job.

Lifetime TV also has themes when advertising their movies. I don’t actually watch many of the network’s movies, but I pay attention during their commercials for upcoming movie events — like "Moment of Truth Weekend," "No Turning Back November," and "Final Justice Friday."

The Star Herald could also advertise themes for county news like "Freaky Farmer February" or "Romancing the Zone" for city of Luverne news. Don’t even tempt me with what I could write about feedlot inspections.

The movie titles usually prove to be more gripping than the plot lines, as are the headlines in tabloids. But like the small businessman who fantasizes of a hostile corporate take-over, some reporters dream of creative writing.

Time to order your Valentine Serenade
Singing volunteers will once again be serenading around town for the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center.

Whether it’s ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’ or ‘You Are My Sunshine’, your sweetie will love it.

Proceeds will go to the new assisted living building.

The serenade comes with either candy or a rose and is only delivered in Luverne.

If you want to surprise your parents, teachers, spouse, boss, employees or kids, call Nancy at 283-2375.

Efforts made to keep driver’s license stations open
The rural Minnesota driver’s license stations, which got a temporary reprieve a while back, may get another one.

Rep. Doug Magnus recently attached an amendment that will prevent the closure of any driver license examination stations until at least June 30, 2005.

Magnus said he introduced the bill "to prevent people from traveling 50 to 100 miles to take their driver test."

Magnus said his bill does not increase spending because it requires the Minnesota Department of Safety to make cuts elsewhere, and shift that funding to the exam stations.

The House, Senate and Governor will meet soon to compromise on a final balanced budget plan.

Magnus said he is confident his amendment will be included in the final bill.

Blood Bank is pleased with turnout
The Community Blood Bank, a joint venture between Sioux Valley and Avera McKennan Hospitals, announced 59 units of blood were collected in Luverne during their Jan. 29 blood drive.

According to Rita Nelson, Donor Recruitment Representative for the Blood Bank, that amount of blood will be able to help 177 seriously ill patients.

The Community Blood Bank is the sole provider to 25 different hospitals in the Tri-state region, including Luverne.

‘On Golden Pond’ auditions Sunday and Monday
While you’re at the Palace Theatre this weekend watching the 25 year history/talent show of the Green Earth Players, you may consider whether you should give acting a try.

If the answer is yes, ‘On Golden Pond’ may the vehicle for you.

GEP will hold auditions for ‘On Golden Pond’ at the Green Earth Players building, 1/2 block east of Glen’s on Lincoln Street.

Auditions will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, and 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10.

The performance will be April 4-6 and 11-13 at the Palace Theatre.

For more information, phone (507) 283-2765.

Need to organize your finances?
Every year when the New Year comes and goes, there are always resolutions left in its wake.

Quitting smoking and losing weight are usually at the top of the lists.

Getting finances in order is probably a close third, particularly after the excessive Christmas shopping you may have done.

According to Myvesta, a financial health center, 25 percent of people do not look at their credit card statement and 50 percent do not know what interest rate they are paying.

Four tips Myvesta suggests to help get your finances organized include:

Add up holiday bills, credit card bills and all other debts. List all your creditors and the interest rates you are paying on the debts.
Order a consoli-dated credit report, which contains information from all three major credit bureaus, and dispute any incorrect information you find.
Close unused lines of credit, but be careful not to close old accounts since they help your credit history.
Track your spending for at least a month to figure out where your money is going, then use that information to develop a plan to be debt free.

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