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From the pulpit

It stressed me on a recent Tuesday evening when the president of our Southwest Minnesota Habitat for Humanity chapter called me to recruit volunteers in Luverne to work on the Habitat project in Luverne on Saturday morning. We do not have a volunteer coordinator yet for this project and do need one (Is anyone reading this hearing the call?). It would be nice to have more time to do this recruiting before it is needed. I shared the stress with our church outreach director, George H. Bonnema, and together we recruited the helpers. The stress comes from wanting to be a good Habitat board member representing Rock County and wanting the Luverne project to go well and be successful.One of my recent "Smart Question Coaching" sessions dealing with spirituality related to the area of service. Here’s how it went. I’ll give you the full text with a comment."We must constantly ask ourselves if what we are doing is going to make us and those around us happy. Because happiness is the ultimate goal. It is the goal of all goals." (quote from Deepak Chopra")I’m not sure that happiness is the ultimate goal. Something in that quote does not ring true to my soul. It may have to do with how you interpret happiness. In seeking to be a child and servant of God I may have to be and do that which does not lead to happiness. I would have to say that for Jesus the ultimate goal was to do the will of God.John 6:38, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of God who sent me."There is fulfillment and satisfaction in doing the will of God but whether it could always be described as happy I’m not sure. The cross does not appear to me to be a happy experience. Taking up my cross for Jesus may not always be happy either, though it will be satisfying and fulfilling as I live out the purpose of God for my life.Question your life: What are some ways you can be more in service?Coach’s Tip: What does service mean to you? Do you do it with joy or out of a sense of duty? Can you do it from love rather than from an attitude that it’s what you should do or what others expect you to do? Give and be in service unconditionally and feel the joy that can occur.The stress of the above situation for me came from the expectations of another and the desire to please or meet that expectation. Stress and anxiety almost always result when we are trying to please another or earn someone’s favor. This is why Christian salvation is so wonderful. It is by grace or unmerited favor. It is the gift of God and we do not have to earn it or live up to certain expectations to obtain it. All one needs to do is believe and receive it.Inspiration: Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness. (quote from Count Leo Tolstoy) Jesus said, "Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?"

On second thought

If these old walls could talk, what memories would they share?Despite earnest invitations, Tim and Connie Connell haven’t been inside our house since they moved out and we moved in in 1996.And that’s probably just as well. After more than 20 years of Connell occupancy, it doesn’t look much like the Connell home anymore.Their daughter had a feminine room with an ornate daybed and lace curtains on the balcony door.That room is now occupied by a boy and the décor is NASCAR posters and denim valances.We gave up a little history (a porcelain sink and original cabinets for example, and a closed-off maid’s stairwell) in favor of a bigger kitchen, which we gutted and updated.The Connell TV room is now our office, and their formal sitting room is now our TV room.The biggest change is the yard, which is now five miles northeast of town where we moved the house to make room for Grace Lutheran’s parking lot.It’s safe to say that the Connell home over the past 10 years has become the Ehde home, complete with our own family memories.But if the walls could talk, they’d remind both families that they housed the Sherman family long before the Connells or the Ehdes lived there.Russell Sherman (son of Dr. C.L. Sherman) and his wife, Blanch, also raised their family in the house, which was in the Sherman name for more than 40 years.It was built in 1890 at 503 N. Estey (now Grace Lutheran’s parking lot) by James Harroun, who sold it to the Shermans in 1936.The Sherman family rented the home to Tim Connell when he returned to Luverne after law school in 1976 and eventually sold it to him and Connie in 1978.Jim Sherman recently contacted me about his childhood home, which he hadn’t revisited for 30 years.First, he shipped the original decorative kerosene chandeliers in two heavy UPS boxes. The brass fixtures need polishing and the ornate accessories require expert assembly, but they’re "home." His second correspondence was to request a visit. He and his delightful wife, Merlene, stopped in while traveling through the area earlier this month.I was self-conscious about my housekeeping, but he clearly wasn’t seeing the house as I presented it. As he strolled through the house, his memory took him back more than a half century to his childhood.He didn’t see the NASCAR posters on the walls of his former room. He saw only himself as a boy, sneaking out onto the balcony after bedtime.He didn’t see the computer on the desk in the office. In that spot, he saw his mother’s dining room table with a covered glass bowl in which he once stashed unwanted peas at dinnertime. His mother later hosted tea for her church circle women, one of whom opened the lid to release the rotting stench of his misbehavior. He couldn’t talk fast enough to share the stories as they came back to him.He remembered rolling cigarettes with neighborhood boys in a three-story tree house in the yard. A neighbor, seeing the smoke, summoned the fire department.His nostalgic trek through the rooms even led him inside the hall closet to see if his growth chart was still marked there in pencil. (It had been painted over.)My parents still live in the house I grew up in by Kenneth, so I have the luxury of returning to my roots whenever I go home for Sunday dinner.But the Shermans’ visit made me wonder what memories my children are collecting within the walls of the Ehde home.Will they remember festive birthday parties and decorating Christmas trees? Or will they recall routine events, like bedtime stories or after-supper bike rides down the gravel road?I hope their little minds will blot out episodes I’d like them to forget, such as poor parenting moments or burying beloved pets.Yes, the Shermans are solid reminders for all of us that every day is a new opportunity to create happy memories within the walls of our own homes.

From the sidelines

I went 3-for-3 in a negative way last weekend.After what had been an extremely busy spring season at the sports desk, I was anxiously awaiting (for the better part of two months) the first official weekend of summer because of three outdoor commitments.Unfortunately for many others and myself, Mother Nature spoiled our best-laid plans.My disappointment began on Friday, after what was forecast to be a beautiful day for the Luverne Chamber of Commerce Golf Scrambler.I was genuinely excited when Tollefson Publishing General Manager Rick Peterson informed me back in May that we would enter the event as a two-player team.We did, after all, finish third in what I call the bottom feeder’s flight (also known as the third flight) during the tournament in 2005, and we were determined to prove that showing wasn’t a fluke.My expectations were high as I drove out to the Luverne Country Club late Friday morning. Before long, reality set in.I must have forgotten that I’m a marginal golfer at best, and it showed as I rolled my drives off the tee box and shanked my fairway woods into the trees during the first nine holes of play.I had my heart set on redeeming myself during the second round, but I never received the chance.After striking our tee shots on the LCC’s fifth hole (our 11th hole of the tournament), my ever-alert partner and the other members of our foursome (Amy Vande Voort and Calvin Morrison) decided it would be a good time to head for the cart shed as a storm was blowing in from the west.As it turned out, retreating to the cart shed was the best thing that happened to me all day. A drop of rain never touched my shirt before we reached our shelter, and I received a brief sense of satisfaction as I watched drenched players drive frantically into the shed when the skies opened and rained out the rest of the event.The second part of my much-anticipated weekend evolved around watching my son’s 12-and-under baseball team play at a tournament in Pipestone on Saturday and Sunday.It was the weekend of the Pipestone Watertower Festival, and I couldn’t think of a better way to forget about Friday’s debacle than watching the local boys play a sport I know more about than golf.Friday’s nightmare slipped my mind when our boys routed Toronto, S.D., in Saturday’s tournament opener, but it returned to my train of thought when fellow parent Tim Christensen received a phone call from his daughter, Stephanie, during the second game Saturday afternoon.Stephanie informed Tim that Lincoln County was under a Severe Thunderstorm warning as we watched the beginning of the second game under sunny skies.Then, for the second straight day, the rain clouds started to build to the north and east. All I could do is shake my head in disgust when a tournament official drove up to our diamond on a three-wheeler and sent us to find shelter from the hail and wind that was expected to arrive in five minutes.After an hour delay, play resumed Saturday afternoon. And, not unlike the fate Peterson and I experienced when the nine-hole scores were tabulated 24 hours earlier at the LCC, our boys came up on the short end of the stick.All I could think about on the drive home Saturday was that it had to be better on Sunday.Once again, I was wrong.The baseball boys did fine, winning games against Brookings and Annandale to place second in their division.It was my experience that was less than satisfying.After telling myself at 6 a.m. to bring my jacket for the 8 a.m. game Sunday morning, I forgot it and my customary lawn chair back in Luverne. With temperatures hovering in the upper 50s, I shivered through three innings of play before retiring to the car to watch the rest of the game through the fence.We returned to Pipestone (with my lawn chair in our possession) for a 3 p.m. game in the afternoon and were greeted by a sunny sky and comfortable temperatures in the low 70s.The conditions remained nice for about three innings, when the rain moved in and sent me scrambling for shelter for the third consecutive day.It didn’t rain hard enough to call the game off, but that didn’t matter to me at that point.What was supposed to be one of my best weekends of summer was nearly a complete washout.When it came to raining on my parade, it was Mother Nature that went a perfect 3-for-3.

Star Herald editorial

Politics and scorched earth aside,alternative energy is just good businessRock County has again drawn attention for its renewable energy efforts through wind turbines and ethanol production.Leaders from the Twin Cities metro area came to see how they might harness the wind for their energy needs.On the heels of that visit, world-famous Arctic explorer Will Steger came Monday to learn more about grass-roots efforts that make overall impacts on the environment.Locally, we tend to view the attention as a source of pride and feel as if the attention is good for our economy and the investors of these projects.But there are broader implications.Global warming is no longer a hypothesis of a few scientists, nor is it something that only liberal politicians care about. Scientists agree that the climate is changing because of poor environmental practices, and American people of all political spectrums are taking note of global warming.Unfortunately, some people who should care and do something about it, choose not to. We are behind most other industrialized countries in setting earth-friendly policies and funding effective changes.Global warming doesn’t necessarily mean that our temperatures will get hotter each year or that we’ll immediately notice short winters. It can mean that more hurricanes will hit our coasts because of slight increases in ocean temperatures. It can mean that dryer soils will be more prone to wildfires. And in Minnesota, the gaming industry has already been warned of upcoming drops in duck and coldwater trout populations. Steger has seen the changes for himself, which is as powerful a testimonial as images from NASA that show shrinking icecaps.Steger heads a group called the Minnesota Natural Legacy Campaign which will help spread the word about what we in Rock County already know: What’s good for our economy is also helping to maintain a healthy environment, which is better for the entire world.

Remember when

10 years ago (1996)
The city of Luverne changed the speed limit on North East Park Street, Mead Court and East Fairway Drive to 20 miles per hour to curb speeding motorists who residents in those neighborhoods said posed a safety threat.
Loopy’s Dollar Store will open in the former Snyder Drug Store.25 years ago (1981)
Letters and telephone calls keep coming in to A.R. Wood Manufacturing from people in the community interested in seeing the company survive.There have been offers of volunteer help from people who have never been inside the plant, and letters of support from individuals and community organizations.
The Community Day Care Center is closing and many people are working to try to raise funds to keep it open. There are 20 children planning to use the facility full time. 50 years ago (1956)
Luverne hosted Jack Haggerty, whose entertainment is the ability to drive and read while his face is covered with bread dough, four inches of cotton and about 5 1/2 yards of six-inch wide bandage.
The ugly spectre of a water shortage that has been plaguing Rock County for the last year suddenly raised its head in Luverne. City-wide water restrictions are now in effect, following a ruling of the city council at a special meeting.75 years ago (1931)
The hordes of caterpillars that appeared to threaten the very existence of the Canadian thistle have all disappeared. They suddenly evolved themselves into artistically marked butterflies.That these worms were most welcome with most Rock County land owners and farmers is a foregone conclusion, for there is no question but what they were highly detrimental to thistle plants even though they did not wipe out the plants.
R.B. Hinkly, of this city, does not agree with the statement made in these columns last week to the effect that the late C.C. Drew built the first concrete sidewalk in Luverne. Mr. Hinkly claims that honor for himself. It was while attending the World’s Fair in 1893 in Chicago that Mr. Hinkly observed someone making concrete sidewalk blocks.100 years ago (1906)
According to reports received by County Supt. Ellen M. Wright, the indications are that there will be a very large attendance at the Teachers’ summer training school, which will
One of the most important questions to come before the county commissioners at their midsummer meet, which will begin Monday, July 9, will be the matter of extending to the people of the county at large the same privileges in the use of the Luverne library as are enjoyed by the citizens of Luverne — the right to borrow and use its books and otherwise make use of the library without cost. The library board has shown willingness to grant this privilege provided the county commissioners will pay the expense.

Luverne Schools dairy product bids set for July 14

REQUEST FOR BIDSLUVERNE PUBLIC SCHOOLSNotice is hereby given that bids will be received until 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 14, 2006, at the Office of the Superintendent, Luverne High School, Luverne, Minnesota, for the furnishing of the following products: A. Dairy ProductsDetailed specifications and information are available at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools. The School Board reserves the right to reject any and all quotes and bids and to waive any technicalities. Cary Radisewitz, Ed.D.Clerk(6-29, 7-6)

Christensen Family Farms Inc. Site C-18 permit hearing set for July 10

Public NoticeClose Proximity Property Owners and Local Officials of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionNotice is hereby given that The Rock County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 10, 2006, at the Rock County Family Services Building located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 8:00 p.m. to act on the following conditional use permit application:Conditional Use: Operation of an existing feedlot over 1,000 animal units. In accordance with Minnesota Rule 7020.2000, subp. 4, notice is hereby given that Christensen Family Farms has made application to the Rock County Feedlot Officer and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) permit for an existing site with no new construction.MPCA rules and permit guidelines require new NPDES permit applications to reflect the physical capacity of the existing facilities and not the actual number of animals housed in the existing facilities.Property Owners: Christensen Family Farms, Inc. Legal description: SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 11, in Springwater Township, T103N, R46W, Rock County, Minnesota.Facility Name: Christensen Farms Site C-18The existing site consists of total confinement barns as follows:(1) 71’x410’x2’ building with 541 head of swine and 19 head capacity increase = 560 head of swine over 300 lbs.(1) 61’x377’x10’ deep pitted building with 1031 head of swine and 109 head capacity increase = 1140 head of swine over 300 lbs.(1) 61’x395’x10’ deep pitted building with 1078 head of swine and 222 head capacity increase = 1300 head of swine over 300 lbs. The existing facility houses 2650 swine over 300 lbs., including litters with the sow (1060 animal units). The physical capacity of the facility is 1200 animal units. The described property is zoned as A-2, General Agriculture. All persons interested may appear and be heard at said time and place or submit views in writing or by representative. Dated: June 29, 2006By Order of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionEric Hartman, Zoning Administrator311 W Gabrielson RoadLuverne, MN 56156507-283-8862(6-29, 7-6)

Christensen Family Farms Inc. Site C-12 permit hearing set for July 10

Public NoticeClose Proximity Property Owners and Local Officials of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionNotice is hereby given that The Rock County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 10, 2006, at the Rock County Family Services Building located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 8:10 p.m. to act on the following conditional use permit application:Conditional Use: Operation of an existing feedlot over 1,000 animal units. In accordance with Minnesota Rule 7020.2000, subp. 4, notice is hereby given that Christensen Family Farms has made application to the Rock County Feedlot Officer and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) permit for an existing site with no new construction.MPCA rules and permit guidelines require new NPDES permit applications to reflect the physical capacity of the existing facilities and not the actual number of animals housed in the existing facilities.Property Owners: Christensen Family Farms, Inc. Legal description: NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 16, in Springwater Township, T103N, R46W, Rock County, Minnesota.Facility Name: Christensen Farms Site C-12The existing site consists of total confinement barns as follows:(1) 71’x410’ building with 541 head of swine and 19 head capacity increase = 560 head of swine over 300 lbs.(1) 78’x325’ building with 1031 head of swine and 109 head capacity increase = 1140 head of swine over 300 lbs.(1) 60’x335’ building with 1078 head of swine and 222 head capacity increase = 1300 head of swine over 300 lbs.The existing facility houses 2650 swine over 300 lbs. including litters with the sow (1060 animal units). The physical capacity of the facility is 1200 animal units. The site has (1) 100’ diameter x 8’ deep concrete manure storage and (1) 300’x800’x11’ liquid storage area. The described property is zoned as A-2, General Agriculture. All persons interested may appear and be heard at said time and place or submit views in writing or by representative. Dated: June 29, 2006By Order of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionEric Hartman, Zoning Administrator311 W Gabrielson RoadLuverne, MN 56156507-283-8862(6-29, 7-6)

Bacon Maker Farms feedlot hearing set for July 10

Public NoticeClose Proximity Property Owners and Local Officials of the Rock County Planning and Zoning Commission.Notice is hereby given that the Rock County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 10th, 2006, at the Rock County Family Services Building located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 7:45 P.M. to act on the following conditional use permit application:Close Proximity Property Owners and Local Officials of the Rock County Planning and Zoning Commission. Conditional use: For the expansion of an existing feedlot over 1,000 animal units. Property Owner: Bacon Maker FarmsLegal Description: SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 34 in Martin Township, T101N, R46N, Rock County, Minnesota.The existing feedlot consists of: three open lots, 190’x120’, 230’x150’, 190’x140’, that will have a totally contained vegetative treatment runoff system and house 950 head of finishing cattle. A 30’x240’ total confinement building with a poured concrete pit to house 800 head of finishing pigs, a 20’x40’ total confinement building and a 24’x44’ total confinement building with a 30’x16’ poured concrete pit to house 400 head of nursery pigs. Existing animal unit capacity is 1270. The proposed expansion consists of a 180’x300’ open lot with a totally contained vegetative treatment runoff system to house 300 head of finishing cattle. The total animal unit capacity of the site will be 1520. The described property is zoned as A-2, General Agriculture. All persons interested may appear and be heard at said time and place, or submit views in writing or by representative. Dated: June 29, 2006By Order of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionEric Hartman, Zoning Administrator311 W Gabrielson RoadLuverne, MN 56156507-283-8862(6-29, 7-6)

ISD #2184 School Board meets June 8

JUNE 8, 2006MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.A regular meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Thursday, June 8, 2006, at 7:30 p.m.The following members were present: Vicki Baartman, Colleen Deutsch, Laura Herman, Dan Kopp, Bill Stegemann, and Becky Walgrave. Absent: Cary Radisewitz. Also present: Gary Fisher, Marlene Mann, Donna Judson, Matt Crosby – K101/KQAD Radio, and Lori Ehde – Rock County Star Herald.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Bill Stegemann.Motion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Administrative reports were given.Motion by Kopp, second by Baartman, to approve the School Board minutes of May 25, 2006. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Herman, to pass the Seasonal Lay-off Resolution as follows:"Inasmuch as it is not necessary for certain employees to work during the summer, since their work is seasonal, BE IT RESOLVED, that seasonal lay-offs be granted to the following employees (paraprofessionals, bus drivers, food service personnel, ECFE/School Readiness personnel, and Secretaries/Media Assistants) from June 2, 2006, to August 29, 2006, on which later date said employees are to return to work."Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to adopt the following resolution:The local Board of Education of Luverne Public Schools has authorized Gary Fisher, at a monthly meeting on June 8, 2006, to act as the LEA (local education agency) Representative in filing an application for funds provided under Public Law 103-382 for the school year 2006-2007. The LEA Representative will ensure that the school district maintains compliance with the appropriate Federal statutes, regulations, and State procedures currently in effect and will act as the responsible authority in all matters relating to the administration of this application. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Herman, second by Baartman, to approve the 2006-2007 Resolution for Membership in the Minnesota State High School League. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to approve the proposed school board meeting schedule as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Herman, second by Kopp, to continue membership in the Minnesota Rural Education Association for the 2006-2007 school year. Total due will be $2,400.00. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Kopp, second by Deutsch, to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING DATES FOR FILING AFFIDAVITS OF CANDIDACY BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of Independent School District No. 2184, State of Minnesota, as follows:1. The period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of school board member of Independent School District No. 2184 shall begin on July 5, 2006, and shall close on July 18, 2006. An affidavit of candidacy must be filed in the office of the school district clerk and the $2 filing fee paid prior to 5:00 o’clock p.m. on July 18, 2006.2. The clerk is hereby authorized and directed to cause notice of said filing dates to be published in the official newspaper of the district, at least two (2) weeks prior to the first day to file affidavits of candidacy.3. The clerk is hereby authorized and directed to cause notice of said filing dates to be posted at the administrative offices of the school district at least ten (10) days prior to the first day to file affidavits of candidacy. 4. The notice of said filing dates shall be in substantially the following form:NOTICE OF FILING DATES FOR ELECTION TO THE SCHOOL BOARDINDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184LUVERNE PUBLIC SCHOOLSSTATE OF MINNESOTANOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of school board member of Independent School District No. 2184 shall begin on July 5, 2006, and shall close at 5:00 o’clock p.m. on July 18, 2006.The general election shall be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. At that election, four (4) members will be elected to the School Board for terms of four (4) years each.Affidavits of Candidacy are available from the school district clerk, 709 North Kniss, Luverne, MN. The filing fee for this office is $2. A candidate for this office must be an eligible voter, must be 21 years of age or more on assuming office, must have been a resident of the school district from which the candidate seeks election for thirty (30) days before the general election, and must have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the same primary or next ensuing general election.The affidavits of candidacy must be filed in the office of the school district clerk and the filing fee paid prior to 5:00 o’clock p.m. on July 18, 2006. Dated: June 8, 2006 BY ORDER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD Cary Radisewitz/s/School District ClerkMotion unanimously carriedMotion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to approve a maternity leave request from Lori Oechsle, second grade teacher, for eight weeks beginning approximately October 2, 2006. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Baartman, second by Walgrave, to accept the resignation of Jason Phelps as Prom adviser. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Herman, second by Deutsch, to approve the hiring of Lindsey Bonnett as Prom adviser. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Walgrave, to accept the resignation of James Sanden as Mock Trial adviser. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Baartman, to approve the hiring of Melany Geske and Alex Miller as Co-Mock Trial advisers. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Deutsch, second by Herman, to accept the resignation of Dustin Groen, paraprofessional, effective June 2, 2006. Motion unanimously carried. The upcoming meeting dates were reviewed. Motion by Deutsch, second by Baartman, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: June 8, 2006Cary Radisewitz, Clerk(6-29)

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