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The following appeared in The Rock County Star on October 18, 1929.   Barbecue To Be Feature of Witch Day Gigantic Community Hallowe-en Party to be Held Here Oct. 31st Under Auspices of Commercial Club “Witch Day” will be featured in Luverne, on October 31st with entertain-ment and decorations appropriate to the Hallowe’en season and with a program climaxed by a tremendous Barbecue, at which all…

I mentioned in my last column I was off to Austin for the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (MGPHO).  The press is invited to this event to provided coverage and bring attention to pheasant hunting in Minnesota, and along the way the host city gets a lot of positive press coverage, much like Luverne benefited from hosting the event last year. I attended the event as a press person, but…

My husband’s parents lost their home in the Sept. 11 flood that sent Split Rock Creek outside its banks, over roads and bridges and straight through their farmyard in northwestern Rock County. My Sept. 19 column spoke of a DNR water rescue and told the story of generosity and gratitude in the face of tragedy. Today there’s an update to the saga of the flood-displaced couple whose 65-year marriage…

Question: Minnesota just recently enacted a hands free while driving law, but many states do not have such a law. How is this enforced when people from out of state are traveling on our interstate highways? I have not seen any signs go up stating that Minnesota is hands-free. Would violators just be issued a warning? Answer: The law will be enforced for all drivers on Minnesota roadways. …

They say that working with kids keeps you young. Now in my 17th year of teaching, I’d say that’s true.  As a teacher, I hear many of the new slang terms and even know what quite a few of them mean.  I’m aware of many famous people on YouTube and I have a front row seat to unfortunate trends in clothing and hairstyles.  I won’t comment on the return of male perms, but my profession did allow me to…

Our 2019 garden season is pretty much finished, and now as we contemplate cleaning up perennial flowerbeds and the landscape, we have to decide what to cut and what not to cut. I am not a fan of clear-cutting the perennial garden in the fall. Plants that hold their form add interest to the winter landscape. Additionally, those stems catch snow, which helps insulate the crown of the plant,…

The following appeared in The Rock County Star on October 4, 1929.   Frank Clague Is Luverne Visitor          Luverne was favored on Monday of this week with a visit from Congressman Frank Clague, the Representative of the Second District. The Congressman spent most of the day in the city, visiting friends and renewing political contacts. At luncheon, he was the guest of the Luncheon Club and…

     The inevitable frost is predicted for this week so that means if you want to savor the flavor of a few more tomatoes, you will want to pick as many as you have good intentions for. Fairly mature green tomatoes can be ripened off the vine by wrapping them individually in paper or putting several in a paper bag and storing them at room temperature. The enclosure captures the ethylene gas that…

As I finish up on 15 years of proofreading here at the Star Herald, I still love my job. One of the most amusing aspects of my job is to see the many ways that a missed or mistyped letter can potentially get us into trouble. The first week that I showed up for proofreading at the Star Herald in late September 2004, I came at my job with a great amount of confidence in my abilities. I just knew…

The following appeared in The Rock County Star on September 20, 1929.   Excursion to Land O’ Lakes   Arrangements Made for Special Train to Land O’ Lakes Plant in Cities Next Thursday            An opportunity to see the Land O’ Lakes Creamery plant in the twin cities at specially reduced rates will be afforded the people of this community Thursday, September 26th, according to an announce-ment…

It’s been a while since Grandma Mary and I watched the granddaughters for an overnight stint. The granddaughters’ mom and dad were headed to Minneapolis to celebrate their wedding anniversary and take in a Vikings game, so Mary and I were recruited for overnight childcare duties at their home in Hartford. The granddaughters, Brooke and Ellee, are ages 4 and 2 respectfully, so one might think we’…

Unlike some, my husband and I heard the tornado sirens loudly and clearly when they blasted a severe weather alarm around midnight on Sept. 11. We were asleep. Deeply, blissfully, soundly asleep. When suddenly, a low whining, blaring, horn-like sound filled our bedroom. It was the sound of someone playing a poorly tuned saxophone, or perhaps it was a beagle in pursuit of a rabbit. Perhaps a…

My husband’s parents, Arden and Mary Ellen, said good-bye this week to their little house on the banks of Split Rock Creek. The rolling green pastures, lush farm ground and thick grove of trees are deceptively tranquil considering the destructive force of the river in high-water years. For decades, a closely monitored sump pump kept flood damage at bay — until last week when an 8-inch deluge 30…

By now the fall high school sports seasons are all underway. Before each season begins, parents, coaches and student athletes gather for a required meeting to discuss a number of rules that need to be adhered to by parents and the athletes. Items that are covered are eligibility rules, player and parent conduct, and additional rules such as game day dress code for the players that coaches might…

What makes a person a true Minnesotan? Some may say it’s rooting for the Vikings or the Twins. Others might say it’s having a special taste for tator-tot hotdish, lefse or a Jucy Lucy. It could be owning or using a boat, a hockey stick or a snowmobile. Or is it a propensity to utter phrases like uff-da and you-betcha in regular conversation? Many would say it’s as simple as having a Minnesota…

Last week I reached one of those birthday milestones, something called Social Security age. Twenty years ago that was the age when darn near everyone walked off the job into retirement. Not so much nowadays. With $1,000-a-month health insurance premiums, not many of us can pull the plug on the nine to five. I have quickly learned the new target date for retirement is more likely to happen  around…