My niece Kelly got engaged. (I am not going to cry.) So we went to a Bridal Expo in Sioux Falls to get some preliminary ideas and information. Faye (mother of the bride-to-be) and I had a fabulous time sampling the wedding cake and other dessert items. They had booths for wedding dresses, tux rental, floral expressions, catering, photographic opportunities, jewelry, limousines, and even an L.A. Weight Loss booth for those who wish to drop a few pounds before the big day. Kelly and her friends Dawn and Heidi (the bridesmaids to be) perused the booths in record time. They were ready to leave when Faye and I were only halfway through the exhibits. It takes time to register for all the free stuff and sample the chocolate fountains. Here’s a little pointer for future brides-to-be: If you take off your glasses or your coat, you can usually go back three or four times before they realize you’ve eaten three chocolate-covered strawberries and a brownie. When the girls finally coerced Faye and me into leaving, we decided to go to the bridal salon to view Kelly’s favorite bride’s dress. (I am not going to cry.) We entered the building and a clerk assigned Kelly to a dressing room. Faye and I waited in the viewing area where the big mirrors are and tried not to cry. Kelly came in shortly after, wearing "the dress." The last time Kelly and I visited a bridal salon together, she tried on flower girl dresses for my wedding. She was four years old then. How did she grow up so fast!? (Yes, I am going to cry.) All of this is leading up to my great idea. I was disappointed that the vendors at the wedding expo had not addressed the inevitable "tearful expressions (weeping)." So, on the way home, I suggested that we provide a supply of decorative bridal tissues for those guests who keep saying, "I am not going to cry," when, in fact, they are going to cry. I envision a lovely display of pastel tissues imprinted with the wedding date and the names of the bride and groom in a tasteful silver script. Perhaps the tissue itself would have a floral theme in a hue that would coordinate with the bridesmaids’ dresses or the beverage napkins. There is definitely money to be made in bridal tissues. If you’re getting married or have a child who grew up when you weren’t looking and is getting married, stop in the library and check out our collection of wedding books and magazines. Jessica can also give you some pointers. And Barb’s married three daughters so she has it down to a fine art. Don’t come to me — I’ll just start to cry.We have lots of new fiction on the shelf this week. You might want to try Gone, by Lisa Gardner. When someone you love vanishes without a trace, how far would you go to get them back? For Pierce Quincy, it’s the beginning of his worst nightmare: a car abandoned on a desolate stretch of Oregon highway, engine running, purse on the driver’s seat. And his estranged wife, Rainie Conner, gone, leaving no clue to her fate. One man knows what happened that night. His terms are clear: he wants money, power, and celebrity. If he doesn’t get what he wants, Rainie will be gone for good. As the clock winds down on a terrifying deadline, Pierce plunges headlong into the most desperate hunt of his life, into the shattering search for a killer, a lethal truth, and for the love of his life, who may forever be gone. Also new on the shelf is The Justice Riders, by Chuck Norris. From the gold and silver mines of California and Nevada to the wide open plains of Texas, the American West was a wild frontier in the 1870s where dangerous outlaws pursued devilish dreams of fortune. But there were other men of simple faith, unsung Civil War heroes who adventured west to bring justice to places that had none. Those they called "The Justice Riders."

By Sara QuamMost people don’t celebrate birthdays past a certain age, but the South Dakota Symphony is honoring Mozart by performing his music at the Palace Theatre two days after his 250th birthday. They’re even serving cake.The Palace is hosting the event at 2 p.m. Sunday. There is no reserved seating, but advance tickets ($5 for students, $10 for adults) may be purchased at the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie Cultural Center, Luverne Style Shop or the Luverne High School band room. Tickets will be sold the day of the event at the Palace Theatre.The chamber orchestra will have about 30 musicians, which is fewer than the full orchestra. The chamber orchestra is described as a more intimate presentation ideal for smaller concert locations.The orchestra will be conducted by Delta David Gier, who is in his second season as South Dakota Symphony music director.He said taking the orchestra on the road is a pleasure."We meet new people, and we get such an appreciation from audiences who don’t get to hear classical music all the time," Gier said.Sunday will be the third time the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has been to Luverne in as many years.Second to Sioux Falls, Luverne actually has the highest number of S.D. Symphony subscribers. Gier said the unique draw to this concert is the three soloists featured."It’s not every day that you can hear soloists at this level," he said. "It’s fun for the audience because they get to see the virtuosic display from the soloists. For the rest of the orchestra, it’s a joy for them to feature a soloist from the orchestra."The principal players of the violin, clarinet and bassoon will stand out in the solo performances.They are Doosook Kim (violin), Christopher Hill (clarinet) and John Tomkins (bassoon).The bassoon makes an unusual instrument to showcase."It’s probably the best solo piece written for the bassoon. It wasn’t invented to be a solo instrument — it’s the bass of the woodwinds. But it has a reedy, mellow sound that, because it’s a woodwind, can have great flourishes."Gier said attending a live orchestra is an experience in itself.He said, "Classical music, as opposed to popular music, was never intended to be heard any way but live."He encourages people to bring their children to the event.Gier spent one morning last week with Luverne choir and band students. He said he observed "fabulous work" in the school and said more young people should be exposed to quality music and music education."I told the students that classical music has 400 years of history. What they’re playing has a foundation and they are extending that tradition," Gier said.Gier came to the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra from the New York Philharmonic, which has ties to the Symphony because it sends a soloist to perform every season. Through that connection, he applied for the director job. He was a Fulbright Scholar and was enthusiastically received for his work with orchestras of Eastern Europe. For the past seven seasons, he served as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic and, more recently, for The Metropolitan Opera.The Luverne concert is sponsored in part by Sioux Valley Health Systems and the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council.

By Sara QuamEllsworth’s nursing home was recognized as being the best in the state, and others in the Star Herald coverage area were also respectably ranked.The Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card is the first of its kind in the nation, and this is the first year Minnesota has used it.It was published by the Minnesota Department of Health.The report card uses a star method to rank data such as hours of direct care, staff turnover, proportion of single rooms and state inspection results. Parkview Manor in Ellsworth earned 37 of 40 stars.Parkview Manor Administrator Mike Werner calls the report card, "a good tool for rating," but said it’s not a tell-all."It is a snapshot in time and we want to toot our horn a little, but we realize we’re not that much better than all the other nursing homes in the area," Werner said.Tuff Memorial Home, Hills, received 33 out of 40 stars.Arnold Memorial Health Care Center, Adrian, received 30 out of 40 stars.The Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center, Luverne, received 28 out of 40 stars."What I think sets us apart is we’re a municipal home. We are owned by the city and we have a board of community members to answer to," Werner said.Werner has been with Parkview Manor as administrator for 19 years.The report card was the brainchild of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who introduced the idea during his 2004 State of the State address.The state hired a professional firm to interview residents on their quality of life, including comfort, privacy, dignity and security."People who live in the homes can tell us a great deal about how they feel about their comfort and quality of care," Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno said in a press release. "These survey results give consumers an insider’s perspective on life in the facilities. This kind of information provides a rich foundation for the objective data in the report card."Residents were even asked about things such as meaningful activities, food enjoyment and spiritual well-being.Residents of Parkview Manor, Mary Jane Brown and Tuff all rated those facilities with five stars, the highest possible. Arnold Memorial received four.All of the nursing homes mentioned received five stars for their state inspection results, which cover care-related citations.A full list of nursing home report cards in Minnesota is available at www.health.state.mn.us/nhreportcard.The Minnesota Department of Health is responsible for licensing and inspecting nursing homes and certifies them for participation in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. The department also investigates complaints against nursing homes.The Department of Human Services is responsible for developing and interpreting policy concerning nursing home services, quality of care and rates. DHS also administers the Medical Assistance program, which in 2005 paid $425 million in state funds for nursing home services.

By Lori EhdeLuverne’s Honor Guard saw good response to its plea for help last week, but it’s still looking for a few more good men … and women.After putting out a plea for more members — particularly younger members — Luverne’s Honor Guard signed up 14 new recruits at its Wednesday, Jan. 18, meeting."We were very pleased with the response," said Jay Mann, who has been working with Warren Herreid to recruit new Honor Guard members."Of the new people who were there, most signed up, and that’s an indication that the individuals saw the need and responded."New recruits include:
Jim Anderson
Pat Baustian
Daryel Buss
Lowell Binford
Wendy DeLarosa Gacke
Terrie Gulden
Mel Hamann
Jerry Hoff
Randy Jensen
Scott Kessler
Rodger Ossenfort
Stan Sasker
Buck Underwood
Jerry WeimanBaustian, among the youngest of the new recruits, said he’s happy to join. "It’s the right thing to do to honor these vets who have served," he said. "It doesn’t matter how busy you are. It’s one of those things you take time off for."Despite the 14 new members, the search is far from over. "Another 10 would be great," Mann said. "Because of people’s jobs and some who are away for the winter, we want to have a large enough group so that we can share the responsibility and rotate people in as needed and as available."Baustian said local Army National Guard members who are about to deploy for Iraq will be asked to help with the Honor Guard when they get back."Duty, honor and country will mean more to each and every one of them after being over there," Baustian said.Honor Guard responsibilities include leading parades and other public events.The bigger part of their service is to be a part of the final rites of military members — firing a 21-gun salute, playing taps (the Honor Guard usually asks a high school band student to play taps) and properly and ceremoniously folding the flag to give to survivors.On a side note, Rock County Commissioners voted Tuesday to allow county employees to leave work for Honor Guard duties without having to use vacation hours.There are about 10 county employees who would be eligble to serve with the Honor Guard. At most they would miss one to two hours of work.The VFW and Legion Honor Guard previously sent out a letter to recruit more members. "As veterans, we served our country in the past and should continue to do our part to foster and perpetuate Americanism; and to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness," the letter read in part. "You’ll be pleased about how great you feel serving your fellow veterans who so honorably served our country."Luverne’s current Honor Guard is recruiting new members because its members are aging and many are finding it difficult to shoulder their rifles and navigate uneven cemetery grass to perform their duties.But that doesn’t mean current members are leaving, Herreid said. "We are still very much part of the process, and we’ll be helping with the training," he said.Luverne’s present Honor Guard members, some of whom have served more than 50 years, include:VFW Rock County Post 2757 members:
Ted Anderson
Jake Boomgaarden
Helmer Haakenson
Lawrence Overgaard
Warren Herreid
LeRoy Luitjens
Don Spease
Ray Gibson
Glen GustAmerican Legion Dell Hogan Post 123 members:
Louis Loger
Gaylord Keck
Robert Tomlinson
Eldon Gradert
Lloyd Bonnett
Jay Mann
Jack Maras
Larry BoelmanThose interested in signing up should do so soon, because an organizational and training meeting is planned in the coming week.Call Mann at 283-2238, or Warren Herreid at 283-9467.

By Sara QuamLuverne City Council members Tuesday voted in favor of paying a lobbyist to try to get a local option sales tax on the ballot.Council member Maynard Lafrenz voted against hiring the lobbyist, saying he doesn’t support a sales tax increase and doesn’t believe voters will either.The half cent sales tax would be applied to all goods already taxed. If the lobbyist is able to get legislative approval, and voters pass the tax, it could raise about $138,000 annually to go toward Palace Theatre renovations.The entire renovation, as planned now, will cost about $5.25 million.Lafrenz said, "A half-cent sales tax might drive shoppers away from downtown."Lafrenz said he had gotten a lot of feedback on the issue and he didn’t think enough people in the community would support the sales tax to warrant it being on the ballot.The lobbyist will be paid up to $15,000 to get legislative approval to put the issue on the ballot. Mayor Andy Steensma said, "Really, what we’re voting for is whether people can say they want it."Council member Bob Kaczrowski said the council should pursue it in order for real feedback to show on the ballot, not just word of mouth. Council member Esther Frakes, who has reservations about the project itself, said, "We need to move forward to explore this option, which will let the people speak. … As a public official I feel we owe it to the constituents to let them decide."Lafrenz said the city took over the Palace in order to be a pass-through agency for a grant, and he didn’t want to see it cost the public more and more money as time goes on. In other business Tuesday, the Council:
Voted to change the number of representatives on the Luverne Economic Development Authority from seven to five. It had been five for most of the board’s existence, but in recent years was changed to seven. Larry Wills and Nate Golla left the board, and the city will not refill those positions.
Amended the 2005 budget to reflect expenditures previously approved by the Council. They include a total of $111,270 in unbudgeted expenditures. City Administrator John Call said that when the entire general fund is looked at for the year, it still came out in the black, with the total revenues higher than expenditures. The extra expenses included in part city administrator recruitment and testing for $10,000; engineering costs associated with separation of the old hospital from the clinic and finding alternative uses of the old hospital for $18,500 and asbestos removal from the Main Street Dunkle building for $18,100.

By Sara QuamHigher education is coming to Luverne for the first time.Minnesota West Community and Technical College President Dr. Ron Wood said the system intends to start a "storefront" operation out of the former Luverne Community Hospital.The details aren’t quite worked out yet, but he made intentions clear to the Luverne City Council Tuesday.He said, "We’d like a partnership that won’t be a burden to the college or the city. We hope we can bring this opportunity to Luverne."The college will probably lease the space from the city.The college has budgeted $100,000 in 2006 for curriculum development, site renovation and a minimum of staff for the first year.Looking to the future, Wood said he saw old rooms suitable for dormitories, already wired for cable and Internet."I see this as a continuing part of economic development," Wood said. "We can tap a larger regional model and draw people east."He said the new campus could be seen as continuing education and training ground for business people and a way for non-traditional students to earn degrees."I’m not an engineer, but in my personal opinion, it’s a great building," Wood said of the hospital. "It’s really very exciting. This could be a great win-win for everyone."Luverne Economic Development Director Jill Wolf said, "It has been very exciting working with Dr. Wood and Minnesota West to bring higher educational opportunities to our community as well as find a viable use for the old hospital. We are still in the planning stages of this project, but the opportunities seem endless."There may be limited coursework available in January of 2007, but full classes, including some online and on interactive TV, will likely be available in September 2007.

10 years ago (1996)
Development discussions for the city of Luverne have shifted to the west. If IBP expands its operation on the west edge of Luverne, it will need additional sewage treatment capacity.
Planners of the proposed Agri-Energy ethanol plant in Luverne met Friday to take stock of their progress thus far and to measure investor support. Following that meeting, they announced they have about one-third of the equity needed, and that the co-op board decided to
Merlin Johnson, manager of the Blue Mounds State Park has retired.25 years ago (1981)
Luverne Community Residential Facility, a home for mentally retarded adults, will feature an open house celebration Sunday afternoon.
Rock County’s mill levy went down. The county will be collecting more money than last year, but the state also will be putting in more.
Redistricting has left Rock County without a local judge. 50 years ago (1956)
Personal property taxes of $200 or more will be paid by 167 Rock County individuals and firms in 1956 according to the tax list of County Treasurer Paul Herreid.
Law violations rose 24 percent in Rock County last year over the number of violations here the year before, according to the annual report of County Attorney Mort Skewes, which is submitted to the attorney general.75 years ago (1931)
Luverne’s armory will undergo extensive improvements next spring, according to plans now being made. The plans call for a two-story addition with basement (for storage and office), plastering of the interior walls and ceiling, wainscoting all walls, decorating of the interior and general repairing.
R.C. Engan’s annual report as county attorney of Rock County for the year ending Dec. 31 lists a total of 99 cases handled in the criminal courts of Rock County. Thirteen cases in district court involved general violations of prohibition laws such as selling, manufacturing or transporting intoxicating liquor, and having unregistered stills in possession. 100 years ago (1906)
Sam Foight, the ice man, began the work of filling his ice houses this week, but as the weather has been more favorable to melting than to forming ice, he has not pushed the work. The ice cut shows a thickness of not more than 12 inches, which is the thinnest known in this section for many years.
One of the busiest places in the city these days is the Luverne Automobile factory in the production of their output for the coming auto season. The company will put out three models. The company has experienced some delay in getting brass engine parts.

DISTRICT COURTPROBATE DIVISIONFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKESTATE OF William J. Broek DECEDENTNOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS (ANCILLARY PROCEEDING)It is Ordered and Notice is given that on February 13, 2006, at 3:30 p.m. a hearing will be held in this Court at the Rock County Courthouse, 204 East Brown, Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of Decedent, dated 05/13/1993, and codicil (N/A) to the will dated (N/A) and separate writing (N/A) under Minn. Stat. 524.2-513 ("Will") and for the appointment of Becky Van Ommeren, whose address is 604 Delaware Avenue NW, Orange City, Iowa 51041 as ancillary Personal Representative of the Estate of the Decedent in a SUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the Personal Representative will be appointed with power to administer the assets of the Estate in Minnesota including the power to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, and sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the Estate.Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred./s/ Timothy K. Connell 1/23/06Timothy K. ConnellJudge Date/s/ Sandra L. Vrtacnik 1/23/06Sandra L. VrtacnikCourt Administrator DateAttorney For Personal RepresentativeDonald R. KlosterbuerKlosterbuer & Haubrich, LLP120 N. McKenzieBox 538Luverne, MN 56156-0538507 283-911156674 1-26, 2-2

NOTICE TO SUPPLIERSPetroleum Products Sealed proposals will be received until 11:00 A.M. on February 10, 2006, by Mark Sehr, Rock County Highway Engineer. The proposals are for the purchase of petroleum products beginning February 2006 through February 2007. The items included will be for unleaded premium gasoline, unleaded ethanol gasoline, soy bio-diesel and diesel fuel #1 and #2 as required by the County of Rock for gasoline and diesel vehicles. Fuel will be dispensed into individual vehicles at the successful bidder’s station. Proposals shall be submitted on forms furnished, upon request, by the Rock County Highway Department in sealed envelopes marked "Bids for Fuel." Proposals will be opened and read publicly at the Rock County Highway Building in Luverne, Minnesota, immediately following the hour set for receiving bids. The Rock County Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any defects or technicalities. The County Board of Commissioners will award or reject bids at the February 21st board meeting.Mark R. SehrRock County Highway Engineer1-26, 2-2