The Buffalo Ridge Regional Railroad Authority Tuesday voted to improve two bridges that will allow Minnesota Southern Railway to safely continue to transport through Nobles and Rock counties.The Railroad Authority vote came within the Rock County Commissioners meeting Tuesday after the Nobles and Rock County boards met over ITV.The cost of Rock County's portion of the Railroad Authority is $7,500 for bridge repairs.Railroad engineer Brent Polanchek said, "We want to improve the physical part of our operation and continue to give customers better service."Polanchek leases the railroad and hasn't made money at the job yet. He and his wife have invested $450,000 of their own money because they love the railroad industry and want to improve the local line. At the start of the meeting, Nobles County commissioners wanted to put conditions on the improvement money, requiring users like the ethanol plant and Minnesota Special Liquids to become members of a shippers’ board.Polanchek said he wants to gain more customers, not scare them away by asking them to join a board. Commissioner Ken Hoime, who is chairman of the Railway Authority, said, "If the Rail Authority doesn't put this money into the bridges, I don't know what will happen to the rail."Polanchek was stalled during the permitting process to replace the bridges, but this option of repairing them doesn't change or affect differently any waterway so a permit isn't required.Now, the work can be done this spring. Polanchek pointed out that although the railroad isn't making money, it's still important for economic development. He estimated that between part-time jobs and fuel or equipment purchases, the railroad has put $100,000 a year into the local economy.Also, even though the railroad isn't heavily used now, an increase in trucking prices or another new industry along the line may make it more heavily used in the future.In other county business Tuesday, commissioners:oReviewed National Incident Management System training requirements that have to be completed by Sept. 30. It is a disaster preparedness planning and training program that all states, cities and counties must complete. oAcknowledged that the state road weight restrictions are now in place for the spring.oApproved a mapping program to be added to the county Web site. It will allow people to see maps indicating houses’ locations as they are viewing property tax records. That program implementation will cost $7,000.oApproved of changing the one, full-time position of office manager at the Land Management Office to a two-person, part-time position at the request of current office manager Denise Severtson.

By Lexi MooreSheriff Mike Winkels presented the City of Hills with a law enforcement contract during their Monday night meeting.The contract begins in January of 2007 and runs through December of 2010.The terms of the contract as discussed last fall are as follows:
The town’s fee for law enforcement service will remain frozen through 2009.
Hills will not pay any additional money for service in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, the city will see a 5 percent increase in the cost of service.Keith Elbers made a motion to approve the contract, which was seconded by Pete Hoff and approved by the council without discussion.Sheriff Winkels presented the council with the 2005 City of Hills Police Report.The report tabulates all calls and complaints received from Hills during 2005. This includes ambulance runs, fire calls, driving violations and thefts.The city logged 123 calls during the year, down from 142 in 2004.Highlights of the report include 25 ambulance runs, 17 public assists and 13 paper services."Public assists" is a catch-all category which Winkels described as responding to a call when a resident is locked out of his or her home, for example, or they can’t get out of a chair or an animal is trapped."Paper services" are calls regarding civil disputes including evictions and bad checks that require officers to deliver paperwork to residences.Winkels addressed a concern about speeding on County Road 6 between Beaver Creek and Hills.He reported that he tries to be in the area when school is dismissed in an effort to curb the speeding.In the morning there is little the department can offer. "My guys start at 8 (a.m.) and it is hard to get them down here at that time, plus most of the traffic has finished by then."Winkles continued, "I drive through around 4 (a.m.), but that is too early. The big rush usually starts around 6."According to the police report, law enforcement officers wrote six speeding tickets and one stop sign citation in the Hills city limits in 2005.Street repairsHills will ask for a bid from the Rock County Highway Department to sealcoat 25,863 square yards of streets on the west side of town.The Highway Department checked with Steen and Beaver Creek as well, to see if those communities wanted to be included in the bid.If the bid comes back too high, the council has the option to decline the bid.City maintenance worker Wayne Ward checked with a sealcoating company who quoted the cost would be from 75 to 80 cents per square yard. That would cost the city about $19,400 to complete the project on the west side of town.It has been four years since the city last seal coated the streets in question. The budget has $10,000 for seal coating and $400 for patching.In other street business, the council evaluated what they considered to be a generous bid from Verhey Concrete to repave the sidewalk on the east side of Main Avenue in Hills.The bid came in at $51 per foot, plus the cost of fill gravel. With fill gravel, the cost would approach $52 per foot.The city is responsible for paying for 96 feet of sidewalk in front of the Legion Building. That total would be roughly $4,896. The seven business owners on the east side of the street would pay for the remaining footage.The council decided to notify business owners of the bid by mail. Owners would have about a week to voice any concerns they have with the project. If no concerns are heard, the City will continue with the project.Business owners have the option to pay their portion upfront or have the amount assessed to their 2007 taxes.The assessment will include an interest rate, set by the council late next fall.The council hopes to have the project finished in time for Friendship Days in June.Community Club asks city for parade fundsLisa Durst, on behalf of the Community Club, appeared at the meeting on Monday night to ask the council to help sponsor the Friendship Days parade.The parade committee contacted the Adrian Marching Band and the SuFuDu Drum Line about appearing in the parade. Both groups require fees to cover their costs in transporting members and equipment to town for the day.Durst asked the council if they would be willing to give the club the $1,400 needed to secure the bands’ participation."We just want to put on a good parade," she said, "to show what a thriving community we are."Council members reminded Durst that they had already given a $3,140 donation toward inflatable games for kids, and they asked that she contact the councils in Steen and Beaver Creek as well."The reunion is for their schools, too. It might be a good idea to at least ask them to help support the event," councilman Keith Elbers suggested.Durst left to make some inquiries to the other councils. When she returned, she reported that Steen gave $100 and Beaver Creek would like her to attend their meeting next Tuesday.Mayor Jim Jellema asked that she contact him after the meeting. At that point, the council would decide how much the city might donate toward the parade.

A Luverne connection on Oscar nightDavid Okarski and his wife, Diane Corwin, watched the Academy Awards closely Sunday night, and for good reason. A film about the life of Diane’s father was one of the nominees.David, a 1968 LHS grad, is the son of the late Joe and Ruth Okarski, Luverne, and he and his wife are currently residents of Portland, Oregon.The film about Diane’s father, in the documentary short category, is titled, "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin."According to David, Diane’s father was a writer, director and producer whose poetic work "On a Note of Triumph," broadcast on V-E Day, is synonymous with the pinnacle of the art of radio during its golden age.Better yet, the film won, with Noma Films Production, Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson receiving Oscars for the work.According to a Web site dedicated to Corwin’s life, "Norman Corwin celebrated his 95th birthday on May 3, 2005, and today lives in Los Angeles, keeping busy as always. He is still writing for radio and teaches a journalism class at USC. He writes articles for various publications and is active in several organizations in and around the Los Angeles area.If you would like to know more about the life and career of Norman Corwin, go to www.normancorwin.com. Free trees are available — with a contributionIt’s that time of year again when the National Arbor Day Foundation would like you to join in exchange for some trees.This year, 10 free white pine trees will be given to each person who joins the National Arbor Day Foundation during March 2006.The fast-growing trees can be used for a privacy screen, windbreak or even a sheared hedge.The trees will be shipped to your home at the right time for planting, between March 1st and May 31st.The six-to-twelve-inch trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced free of charge.If you’re interested, send $10 by March 31st to Ten Free White Pines, National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, Nebraska 68410. Or you can go online at www.arborday.org. Weight restrictions are now in effectEffective Wednesday, March 8th, spring weight restrictions became effective.According to Rock County Engineer, Mark Sehr, the starting dates and ending dates are determined by how the strength of the roadways is affected by the weather.The roadways’ strengths are monitored as the weather conditions change.When the restrictions come off will be determined by what kind of a spring we have.When the county engineer let’s us know they’re coming off, we’ll let you know.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

The following thoughts are based on a passage of scripture from Jeremiah 29. I will list the verses of scripture which you can read if you are so interested. God’s people have suffered disaster and defeat. They are in exile from their homeland living in a foreign land. (v.1-4)Eugene H. Peterson says, "The essential meaning of exile is that we are where we don’t want to be. With that understanding we all experience exile from time to time. The cycle of life is filled with exilic events, when we are where we don’t want to be. Some examples: diagnosis of cancer of disease, death of a spouse or other loved one, unemployed, under-employed, single desiring to be married, married desiring to have children, aging and losing strength and abilities, dealing with a tragic event of one kind or another, loss of love or a relationship and so the list goes. Most of these exilic events are not your choice but are given to you. Jeremiah writes to people in exile and seeks to guide them in the midst of it. What he says helps me handle the exiles of my life and I hope these thoughts will help you also. First, make the best of your situation. (v.5-6) Jeremiah’s people were going to stay where they were for 70 years. Often we will not be able to change what has happened so we need to work with and out of the situation that which can be the best for us. Second, benefit or bless those around you. (v.7) Experience happiness and peace by seeking the welfare of others around you. Stop thinking about yourself and think about those around you. God also says that if we seek to bless others we also will in the end benefit ourselves. Third, listen for the teaching and wisdom of God for you in this experience or event. (v.8-9) Ask yourself what God wants you to learn or develop in your life from this exile. The Bible teaches that "in all things God works for the good of those who love God."Fourth, depend on and claim the promises of God. (v.10-11) Joshua 21 verse 45 teaches that none of God’s promises will fail. You can trust the promises God gives to you. There are promises for you of God’s love and care, that God will never leave, desert, or fail you, that God’s plan is to prosper and fulfill you and the list goes on and on. The issue is knowing the promises so you can claim and live them. Fifth, seek God through prayer. (v.12-14) Talk to God about your situation. Share with God your feelings, thoughts and needs. God wants to be our help and strength. God will hear your prayers and respond with wisdom, love and mercy enabling you to live with serenity. Peterson says, "Exile reveals what really matters and frees us to pursue what really matters, which is to seek (and know) the Lord with all our heart.

Thunder, lightning, and rain … spring was announced Tuesday morning! Yesterday I was out pruning my grape vines and the pruning cuts were "bleeding" a bit. I know this looks serious when people see it happening, but it does not harm the plant. Maple trees that are pruned this time of year do the same thing. As the frost leaves the ground, the sap moves from the roots back up into the cambium tissue, creating a given amount of internal pressure. The open cut allows the sap to drip out of the wound. This pressure remains until the leaf buds open, at which time the sap flow stops on its own. Think about it … where does maple syrup come from, and when do they harvest it? I’ll let you research that on your own. We can’t be out in the garden doing much yet, but we can be planning for what we want to happen in the garden when we get there. Every year there are a lot of new introductions for both flowering and vegetable plants. I have a hard time determining what is different or an improvement over varieties I have had success with in previous seasons, but you don’t know unless you try. So every year I’ll hit on a few new ones. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised — sometimes I’m not. That’s the adventure in gardening. It is interesting to me that the varieties labeled as "Proven Winners" are tested in the western United States, as if the rest of the country experiences the same summer weather. We have heat and humidity, and some nights, those conditions carry through to the next day without a reprieve for the plants. Under those conditions, they often prove not to be "winners"! So I attempt to learn as much as I possibly can about the "new" varieties before I elect to grow them for you. However, I really appreciate feedback from you on plants that you have great success with. Your satisfaction and success with gardening is our goal. More on this next week!

Every now and then we need to take a moment to reflect on our lives and appreciate the good things we have. Frankly, I never do this, but last Monday I was forced to. I was in a deep sleep, having the worst nightmare of my life — I was fired from my job. The loving husband divorced me AND he kept my pickup. I got a job at the Marshall library as a book-shelver and I had to move away from my friends and family. My mother had to drive me because I had no vehicle. I couldn’t afford an apartment so I had to live in a gross, dirty hotel room. My new boss, also gross, kept making unwanted advances toward me and finally, I had to buy a walker because my legs started to fail me. Everything that I hold dear was gone. I suffered greatly. The alarm clock went off at 7:25 a.m. I woke up, looked around, and realized, YES! I was still in my own bed in my own house. The pickup was still parked on my side of the garage. The loving husband had put on the coffee. I had to be to work at 9. I hopped out of bed and I could still walk. All day long I appreciated every detail of my life. Eventually you’ll take everything for granted again, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded once in a while. I have good news from the library (where I still work). The Plum Creek "Cook 'n' Book" Cookbook will be available soon. There are nearly 1,200 recipes from librarians, library patrons, Friends of the Library, and Library board members. You’ll recognize some names from right here in Luverne (where I still live). The cookbook will be $15 and you can pre-order your copy at anytime. The proceeds from the project will go toward purchasing large print books, books on cassette, and books on CD. Danielle Steel has a new book out this week, "The House." Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. He spared no expense and overlooked no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Nearly a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character. An elderly client has died and left her a gift: A generous inheritance with a message to use his money for something wonderful, something daring. And Sarah knows just what it is.A respected attorney and self-described workaholic, Sarah had always lived life by the book. With a steady, if sputtering, relationship and a tiny apartment that has suited her just fine, Sarah cannot explain the force that draws her to the mansion and its history — to the story of a woman who once lived in the house, then mysteriously left it, to a child who grew up there, and a drama that unfolded in war-torn France, and to a history she never knew she had. Taking the biggest risk of her life, Sarah enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker, who shares Sarah’s passion for bringing the exquisite old house back to life. As she and Jeff work to restore the home’s every detail, Sarah makes a powerful discovery.

The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on July 23, 1939:NEW FACTORY TO OPEN IN LUVERNE THIS FALLWorthington Co. Also to Expand Its ActivitiesWood Mfg. Co. to Open Plant for Making BroodersA new and important manufacturing industry for Luverne was assured this week in the announcement of E.C. Olson, of Worthington, that the Worthington Creamery & Produce company has leased the building it now occupies to the A.R. Wood Manufacturing Company, of Santa Cruz, Calif., for a period of years.The Wood company’s line is manufacturing Gas Radiant Heat Brooders, and the company will establish a branch factory here for its Midwest trade. The gas brooders are said to be superior to any other style brooder and command a wide market in the West. The company expects to start operations early in October.The Worthington Creamery & Produce company recently purchased the Ford building at the corner of Freeman Avenue and Warren Street and will move to that location as soon as the Blinkman-Herman company can secure possession of the building on East Main street now occupied by the Bierkamp Home Auto company, recently purchased of B.S. Hinkly.In moving into its new building the Worthington Creamery & Produce company will expand its business in a number of ways. The second floor will be utilized exclusively for hatching purposes, specializing in turkeys, and will be equipped with the latest incubators, brooders, etc. The ground floor will be used as a receiving station for cream, eggs and poultry, and will also contain a candling department. The basement will be used for dressing turkeys, which branch of the business will be given special attention. The basement will also be equipped with refrigerators for the poultry and egg departments. Extensive improvements and changes will be made in the building before the company occupies it.Operation of a creamery in connection with the plant is not contemplated, Mr. Olson stated, as he considers this field is well covered by the Luverne Co-Operative Creamery company.Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat came close to never existingA new animated feature film has created a whole flurry of new curiosity over the classic fictional character Curious George.Everybody loves the mischievous monkey, but few know the harrowing story about his creators and how close "Curious George" came to never being published.Media Specialist Kim Schmidt at Luverne Elementary School played the role of the Man in the Yellow Hat for Read Across America Day on March 2. (See page 1B).Donned completely in yellow, from his wide-rimmed hat to his yellow tie, shirt and pants, Schmidt shared a little background on the "Curious George" tales with the students.The authors of "Curious George," Hans and Margret Rey, were German Jews living in Paris in 1940 during the time Hitler and his armies were making their way through Europe.Knowing they must escape before the Nazis took power, Hans pieced together two bicycles out of spare parts, and he and Margret set off for the border.That was the morning of June 14, 1940, only hours before the Nazis seized control of the city.They brought very little with them – only warm coats, a bit to eat and five manuscripts, one of which was "Curious George," the tale of the inquisitive monkey who became one of the most endearing characters in children’ s literature. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil, and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.The authors’ story is told in dramatic detail in a book of its own, "The Journey That Saved Curious George."Schmidt said he also talked to students about the fictional background of Curious George, since none of the seven stories talks about it.The "Curious George" movie apparently addresses this mystery:While visiting Africa, a man (the voice of Will Ferrell) who wears a yellow hat accidentally adopts a clumsy and curious chimpanzee named George, bringing him back to America to live with him.As the movie illustrates, the Man in the Yellow Hat soon discovers that George, as adorable as he is most of the time, can be a real handful when left alone. (In one scene we see what happens when George is left unattended with a large bowl of spaghetti in an Italian restaurant.)I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it can’t be as good as experiencing Curious George, page by page, with a child on your lap — the way Mr. and Mrs. Rey intended it.

When Bantam B hockey coach Matt Franken was assessing the 2005-06 season in his mind last November, he now admits that he wasn’t setting his expectations too high.Franken, who had served as an assistant coach in the Bantam program for three years prior to taking the head coaching position this season, had reason to be reserved. He was taking over a team so short on numbers that it had to call up three potential PeeWee players in order to give the squad a 12-player roster.The situation was so grim that at one point Franken didn’t know if Luverne would field a Bantam squad this season.Based on the way the Luverne team has played, it’s a good thing the plug wasn’t pulled on the campaign before it even started.With a squad consisting of eight freshmen, one eighth-grader and three seventh-graders, the team surprised their coach by winning the District 4 regular season title with a 13-1 record.The team proved its performance in the regular season was no fluke when it won the District 4 Playoffs with three straight victories in Le Sueur three weeks ago.By winning the District 4 Playoffs, the team received an opportunity to make Luverne hockey history if it could win the Silver Region Tournament in Monticello over the weekend.When the Luverne team won three straight games to win the region crown, it became the hockey program’s first Bantam squad to qualify for the state classic that will be staged in Buffalo March 17-19.And after experiencing a successful 32-3 ride through the season, coach Franken has changed his tune when he sizes up his team."Going into the season, I didn’t expect a lot. We had to move up three kids from the Pee Wee level to have a team, and I didn’t know how we would do, because we had a wide range of ages on this team," the 1994 LHS graduate said."But, the way we’ve been playing the last month and a half, I think we have a good shot (at winning the state title). The big thing will be to win the first game, which puts you in a position to place first through fourth."Franken credits freshmen Phil Paquette, Zach Olson, Brent Dinger and Tim Connell for driving his team to succeed.Paquette, who leads the team in goals and assists, is an offensive spark plug. He scored seven goals and charted three assists at the region tournament.Olson and Dinger are defensemen with the ability to produce offensively. Olson had a big weekend in Monticello, scoring six goals and charting three assists.Connell, who played as a skater in prior seasons in the program, performed the ultimate sacrifice when he selflessly gave up his chance to score goals to play the goalie position for the first time."The goalie we had before quit, and Tim has stepped in as a first-year goalie and has done a great job for us. He (Connell) played as a catcher in baseball, and we thought playing as a goalie might be a good fit for him. As it has turned out, he actually looks like a goalie now," Franken said.Paquette, Olson, Dinger and Connell deserve a lot of credit for their success, but the contributions made by their teammates cannot be overlooked.Andrew Hemme, Connor Fitzer, Collin Rofshus, Justin Krueger, Nick Meyer, Matt Christensen, Derek Van Santen and Dakota Steensma have played important roles in making the Bantams a true team."These kids get along very well together and they work really hard. You can tell they trust each other, and that helps a lot," Franken said.Big hoops nightIf you have not taken in a Luverne boys’ basketball game this year, there’s no better opportunity than tonight.The top four seeds of South Section 3AA will play their semifinal-round games in the Cardinal Gym, with LHS taking on Redwood Valley at 6 p.m., and Windom challenging Martin County West in the second game.Take my advice and get there early. More than 900 fans attended Luverne’s game against JCC Saturday, and indications are the crowd could swell to 2,000 bodies for tonight’s double-header.Go Cards!