Celebrating Seniors ‘05The Blue Mound Banquet Center is the location for this year’s Celebrating Seniors.The event was started a few years ago to give senior citizens an opportunity to talk to a variety of organizations that have products and services specifically tailored to seniors.The $6 admission includes coffee, cookies, a noon meal and entertainment, along with 28 tables of agency and organization reps from the area.You may want to attend for yourself or check out what options are available for a senior friend or family member.The event is from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 18. Who at CWG and BTS got to kiss the pig?An additional twist to fund-raising efforts for "Relay for Life" was added by employees of Berkley Technology Services and Continental Western Group (formerly Tri-State Insurance).Seven managers at CGW and four managers at BTS were in the running for the privilege of kissing a pig.Each of the 11 managers had a piggy bank set up in their office with one of the supervisors’ names on it.Employees, family and friends had an opportunity to contribute to the piggy bank of their choice.At the end of the contest, the managers whose banks had the most money in them earned the privilege of kissing a pig. Managers were added into the contest for a one-day contest as well. Nadine Schoep, Gary Ptak, Eugene Richter and Linda Mollberg, as top money raisers, each kissed a pig.The kisses took place at noon Wednesday, and a pork feed for the employees followed with all proceeds going to Relay for Life. The total amount raised was $3,524.20.The managers from CWG participating included Curt Bloemendaal, Doug Radtke, DeeDee DeBoer, Jane Novotny, Pat Broesder, Nadine Schoep and Julie Burmeister.The BTS managers included Joni Gacke, Gary Ptak, Wayne Robinson and Eugene Richter.War from women’s perspectivesA women’s veterans panel will discuss the issue of women in the military on March 23 on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University.The discussion will be entitled "Our Experience in Wartime Military Service."The panel will consist of Norma Jean Johnson of Ivanhoe, a U.S. Army Corps nurse during WW II, Jeri Haug of Marshall, who served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and Pam Barrows of Luverne, who served with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam.Barrows currently serves as the administrator of the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.The event is part of Women’s History Month activities at SMSU and is sponsored by the SMSU History Club.For more information, contact the SMSU History Program at 507-537-7336.Tomorrow’s the deadline for Sioux Valley Energy ScholarshipIf you are a graduating senior and a customer of Sioux Valley Electric, tomorrow is the deadline for its scholarship program.The program was started in 1996 and awarded nearly $70,000.This year $11,000 will be awarded in $1,000 and $500 awards.Of that, $10,000 will come from Sioux Valley Energy’s Operation Round-Up program and $1,000 from Basin Electric Power Cooperative.Applications can be printed out from its Web site at www.siouxvalleyenergy.com.Typically 200-300 students apply for the scholarships.Judging is based on overall grade point average, SAT or ACT test scores, extracurricular activities, community and volunteer service and career goals. A 250- to 500-word essay is required.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com