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Local holiday shopping options

By Lexi MooreTomorrow will be the biggest day for retail businesses in America. After-Thanksgiving sales and promotions drive this post-holiday shop-a-thon.Choices for holiday shopping in the Crescent reading area are abundant and offer a wide variety.Local businesses, whether retail or service, depend on the local patrons to stay in business. This time of year, it is important to remember options locally available without going too far from home.Makin’ Waves, located just off Main Street in Hills, has a variety of jewelry and purses available for less than $10. Gift certificates can also be purchased and used for massages, manicures, pedicures, tanning and hair services. Hair products are available and make great gifts for women and teenage girls.To satisfy the stomachs of those on your list, Tedd Larson, owner of Hills Locker, offers "all the old and all the regular." This includes smoked ham or turkey, beef sticks, jerky and fresh Oregon oysters.Sundem Oil offers a variety of Christmas cards, candy and tons of creative gifts.Holly Mulder with Country Flowers and Gifts outside of Steen offers gifts of fresh or silk flowers, candles and arrangements for the holiday season.Milmore Consolidated, a printing and customization business in Hills, offers a variety of gifts including personalized holiday cards, calendars, magnets and coasters. The business uses photos provided by customers or taken by the company to personalize gifts.Owner David Moore encourages residents to place orders early to ensure holiday delivery.A subscription to the Hills Crescent makes a great year-round gift. Subscriptions can be purchased for residents in the area or those living out-of-state. A yearly subscription will remind them of your kindness every week.Gift certificates encourage loved ones to patronize businesses in the area and are a great gift for pickier people on a Christmas list.The following stores offer gift certificates for the holidays:üAround the Clock Fitness and Tanning LLC offers tanning or fitness certificates for members and nonmembers.üBeaver Creek Lumber offers gift certificates that can be used toward the purchase of services or lumber.üDonatello’s Deli and Café certificates are available in any amount and can be used on food or merchandise.üLocal service stations, Rauk’s, Sundem Oil and the Lester Pump N’ Pak have gas gift cards available.

Hills Storage Center to open in December

By Lexi MooreHills residents and cousins Ross Metzger and Kelly Leuthold said they feel they’ve answered a community need by building the Hills Storage Center at the corner of Water Avenue and Third Street in Hills.Construction on the 6,500-square-foot building began in August when dirt work was started. Work on the site continued through October and November and is expected to finish in December.Metzger and Leuthold purchased the 144-by-158 lot from New Vision Coop in the spring of 2005. Originally, they had intended to build a shop and storage facility to house vehicles from their trucking companies.Not long after the purchase was complete, the partners began getting suggestions on how to use the lot. They changed their plans and decided to begin designs on a public storage space."We wanted to find the best way to utilize this bare lot while still providing a service to our community," Leuthold said when asked why they changed their plans.The building will have 20 12-by-25 spaces and five 10-by-10 storage spaces for rent. Renters can sign either short or long-term agreements.Metzger assures there won’t be limitations on the type of items stored in the building."We don’t have any limits on what can be stored. If it fits in the space, you can store it at the Hills Storage Center."Renters will be responsible for providing their own locks but the lot will be secured. Owners intend to install security lights on the property, which will be available to renters 24 hours a day.Leuthold’s wife, Tammie, will be responsible for handling customers’ reservations. Kelly said several parties have already contacted Tammie about reserving a space."People can call Tammie or Ross anytime to reserve a space, but we recommend doing so soon, because spaces are limited and will be reserved on a first come basis."The building takes up about half of the property the partners purchased, leaving them open for possible expansions in the future."We don’t know yet what we are going to do with the rest of the space," Metzger said. "We can always expand if the need is there."The Hills Storage Center building will be open for tours when the owners host an open house in the near future. They encourage interested parties to contact Tammie at 962-3111 or Ross at 962-3107 for pricing and information on the facility.

Guest column

Here we are approaching Thanksgiving 2005, and I am at a loss as to what should be said this Thanksgiving.Should I write a remembrance from the old days? I don't think so.It occurs to me that far too many events in recent times have impacted in a negative way on our lives, some natural disasters like Katrina, and other similar natural disasters. However, I believe the biggest changes that came about were made by the current administration, and as we speak, they do continue to affect us all.I recall when President George Bush Senior commented that what this country needed was a kinder and gentler place, and I understood. Some fifteen years later, his son speaks of "Compassionate Conservatism," and I am still trying to determine what that means. Why the dilemma? Does compassionate conservatism mean it is OK for the United States to torture the "Bad Guys" from Bin Laden and his ilk? If that is what the Vice President wants and gets approval to do, I would ask him what he thinks the "Bad Guys" will do with American prisoners, military or civilian?We are all aware of the Vice President's military background – five student deferments during the Vietnam War. Perhaps President Clinton went to school on Cheney's successful avoidance of military service.It would seem that as we approach Thanksgiving 2005, we should be thankful for the fact that the current administration, which led us into war with false statements and no plan for the insurgency attacks that followed, has just three years remaining to get us safely and honorably out of this conflict. We simply must HONOR those incredible young men and women who have carried the combat burden for the past three plus years and fought in Iraq — now and when they return home! As you have undoubtedly detected, I was opposed to the invasion from the beginning. The evidence presented was simply too thin and flimsy. General Powell since has said the same thing. Most of you know that I served the Army part- and full-time for 35 years, and I did so proudly and say so proudly now.Thankful this Thanksgiving?Yes, but also angry at this Holiday time. I guess I had to vent my spleen a bit before I get to what is important. It is ironic that in the past 40 years we have had two presidents who misled us into war. President L.B. Johnson, Democrat, used the alleged attack in the Gulf of Tonkin on U.S. Navy ships to make the major commitment in VietNam!In 2004/2003 President George Bush, a Republican, convinced us of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that simply did not exist. One a Democrat and the other a Republican, and both from Texas! We are a resilient and forgiving people, and when we sit down this Thanksgiving 2005, give our thanks and know that better times are ahead. We must NOT forget what our young soldiers, Marines and other services are doing for us!Final noteMy father was in the process of working on this article when he passed away suddenly on Nov. 19. My father was a proud American who believed that this country was a great one because it allowed for people to stand up and disagree with the actions of its leaders.I want to thank the Hills Crescent and all of you for being so appreciative of my father’s articles the last few years. Writing them gave him such joy – even when he was complaining or maybe especially when he was complaining!Kim Fleming

At home in Hills

First, I would like to wish a happy turkey week to all Crescent readers. This week I am going to spin tales of turkeys past.This year will be my 28th Thanksgiving, and I am not responsible for any of the food. I simply get to show up and enjoy the family.As I child I never really liked Thanksgiving. You didn’t get much time off school, there aren’t any cool songs to sing, you don’t get a new dress for church, no presents, just a big meal with family.In addition, the big meal always and still does cause problems for me because I tend to be a fussy eater.Growing up, I would have a hot dog and Jell-O for Thanksgiving dinner. This fact would irritate everyone around me, especially my grandmothers who had slaved for days to make a picture-perfect feast.I have never really eaten birds of any kind. When I was very young, my grandpa had a pet chicken that pretty much lived in their house. I blame this pet on my aversion to eating things that once had feathers.So, as the feast begins, my relatives (who never seem to remember the aforementioned fact) begin questioning the bareness of my plate."Why don’t you have any turkey?""What is wrong with the stuffing?""Do you know how long it took to make that rice casserole?"As I grew and my grandmothers passed away, my mother took pity on me and would make a roast beef alongside the ham or turkey for holiday dinners, but I would always try a tiny piece of turkey – just to please my father.This made for less awkward trips to the holiday buffet counter, until I became an adult.My first Thanksgiving without my family was spent at the home of my future in-laws, and they were serving duck and turkey.As I left the safety of my college apartment to board a plane bound for Maryland, I knew I was in trouble. Here was a whole new batch of people to explain my strange eating habits to.They pretended to understand the problems I had with turkey and duck, but were blown away when I didn’t eat either the pumpkin or the apple pie for dessert.I can’t explain why I don’t appreciate a good pie; it is just not my thing.The second Thanksgiving without my family, David and I were newly married and decided to cook a feast for our family-less college friends.We had gotten a free turkey for spending tons of money at a local grocery store in Texas, and although I didn’t plan to eat the bird, I knew we had to serve one at our Thanksgiving feast.We heard an interesting recipe on a morning talk show. It entailed putting the bird, covered with olive oil, salt and a touch of pepper, into a paper sack. That sounded easy enough, and it meant I wasn’t going to have to touch the turkey.Thinking we were smart hosts, we moved the turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before our big meal.The next morning when we pulled the bird from the fridge to begin smothering it in oil, we found it to be just about as solid as it had been the day before.Moments later, we made the first of half a dozen calls to our mothers.The bird went into a cold bath of water in the sink. There it sat until we had to put in into the oven. Our guests were not going to want to eat at 10 p.m. when they were told dinner would be served at six.During one of the conversations with our mothers, we were warned that we would need to remove a bag of stuff from the turkey before we put it in the oven.I volunteered my husband for this job. I was not going to put my hand inside this carcass and fish around for a bag of organs. Because it was still quite frozen, removing this bag turned into a giant task.David could feel something he thought was plastic near the back of the cavity, but it would not come loose. After awhile I tried, too. My body was overcome with goose bumps and I think I screamed a bit, but no luck.We tried cutting it out with a knife, we tried going in from behind – nothing worked. Another call, this time to my mother.She told us not to worry about it, just get the turkey in the oven as soon as possible.After that conversation, we felt good again. We bagged the bird and slid the roasting pan into the oven.Then we happily played Thanksgiving for the next few hours. We set a beautiful table using the dishes we had gotten for our wedding, we cooked side dishes, we watched football and our guests arrived on time with more food.When the buzzer went off, I pulled that turkey out and opened the paper bag to see that the little red circle had not popped out. I didn’t care. We had cooked it for the designated time and perhaps the red popper broke while we were poking the inside with a knife. I announced the turkey was done and about to be carved.David grabbed one of our new wedding knives and made the first incision.That bird was still pink inside.I could have died. In fact, one guest fainted, falling into the turkey and the bowl of gravy.So the bird went back into the oven, this time without a bag and at a much higher temperature. By the time we had washed the gravy from my guest’s hair, the turkey was done and people were eating.I didn’t try any turkey that day, not even a bite.I pledged to my husband that we would never again cook a turkey. That would be the job of my aunts, mother, mother-in-law or my sister. I will never stick my hand inside a frozen bird – never. Story ideas or comments can be emailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

Hills local news

Bob and Twila Kirsch recently spent the weekend visiting Ron and Barb Koch in Bismarck, N.D. While they were there, they attended a lutefisk supper at Almont, N.D. Seated at their table with them was a lady from Hettinger, N.D., who told them that her mother was born in Hills. She stated that her mother’s name was Warne and that they had left the Hills area in the early 1900’s. Another interesting thing was that her husband’s great-grandmother and grandfather, who was a small boy at the time, survived the Indian massacre in Jackson. It really is a small world!Lonnie Albers of Hills ventured to Villard on Friday, Nov. 11, and returned Tuesday, Nov. 15, after spending the weekend deer hunting in the rain with his uncles and cousins from the area. They did get their deer, but the weather was cold and rainy. Carrie and Nathan Bakker and children, Abbie, Carson and Sydnie of Hills left Thursday, Nov. 10, and traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to attend Haylee Bakker’s (Nathan’s sister) state volleyball tournament. Haylee’s high school team placed second in the state tournament this year, while placing first the last four years. Haylee was also picked as one of the all-tournament team. Congratulations to Haylee!Pam (Solberg) Bauman of Columbus, Ohio, recently came to Hills and spent three days with her mother, Violet Solberg. While here, Pam also was able to visit with her brother, Ron Solberg. Pam visited with her sister-in-law in Minneapolis before coming to Hills and then after staying with Violet, she stopped on the way home to visit her son, Johnathon, in Sioux City, Iowa.Thank you to the men who conducted the American Legion Turkey Bingo on Nov. 12. It was a lot of fun and a great way to spend an evening. The Thanksgiving local news will be published in the Crescent that comes out on Thursday, Dec. 1. Anyone in the Hills, Steen, and Beaver Creek area who would like to have their Thanksgiving news printed, call Cheryl Pavel at 962-3344 by Monday, Nov. 28. Leave a message if I am not available and I will call you back. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and travel safely.

Peeking in the past

10 years ago (1995)"A bond election for the Hills-Beaver Creek school district’s $5.5 million building proposal will not take place in December as board members had initially hoped. …An apparent miscommunication in the amount of time it may take to hear from the state in their Review and Comment, combined with at least a week of extra meetings with architects and building committee members has pushed the process well into 1996." 25 years ago (1980)"The Hills-Beaver Creek girls came off their heartbreaking loss in the season opener to pick up victories over Edgerton and Round Lake this week and get their winning season underway.Against Edgerton, Jan Huber paced the offense with 19 points while Joni Schouwenburg and Sue Schneekloth paced the defense with 11 and 10 rebounds respectively."50 years ago (1955)"At a special meeting last Thursday night, the Village Council, with all members present, saw the preliminary report on the sewage and disposal system and heard a report on financing. "It was also approved unanimously by the council to proceed with the request of a petition signed by the majority of businessmen in Hills in having the survey taken and allowing the people of Hills to vote on the question of whether or not a sewage system should be constructed."75 years ago (1930)"Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Anderson and daughter, Elaine, of Luverne, were over to attend the Bethlehem L.A.S. supper and bazaar last Saturday evening. Mr. Anderson informed a Crescent reporter that Luverne now has a dandy golf course in the Armory at that place, and invites all his friends in Hills to come over and try their luck."100 years ago (1905)"The unsettled weather which set in a week ago, turned into a genuine snowstorm Tuesday afternoon, during which about six inches of snow fell, which has been mostly piled up in drifts by the high wind. If the snow should remain, it will cause considerable damage to corn that still remains in the field."

Col. Ret. James Fleming

Col.Ret. James B. Fleming, 77, Edina, formerly of Hills, died Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005. He graduated from Hills High School, Hills. He attended Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D., and received his Master’s from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He was a Retired Colonel from the National Guard and U.S. Army, having served for more than 34 years. He lived in Atlanta, Ga., Washington, D.C., and Charleston, S.C. He was a teacher and administrator in the Edina Schools for more than 20 years. Col. Fleming was an avid bridge player, classical music lover, storyteller and Civil War aficionado. He wrote many articles for the Hills Crescent over the years. He loved his country and family with all of his heart. Survivors include one son, Scott (Joann) Fleming; one daughter, Kim Fleming; two grandchildren, all from Edina, one brother, Paul Fleming, Edina; and one sister, Karen Anderson, Edina. Memorials are preferred to the Edina High School Band Program, 6754 Valley View Road, Edina, MN 55439.

Remember when?

10 years ago (1995)
The Hills-Beaver Creek school district is considering a $5.5 million bond election to reconstruct and renovate the district’s school buildings.
Lowell Binford is a member of a state property tax reform task force. According to Binford’s research, the 1994 breakdown for local funding (30 percent of the total) of the school district was: 50 percent from farms, 19 percent from businesses, 31 percent from taxes on homes.
The Luverne School Board is discussing a new prospective elementary school site. The group toured a site by Blue Mound Avenue that would require an extension of Veterans Drive.
Engineers found fault with the $16 million Luverne sewer project. A citizen advisory committee hired different engineers, who said the project could be done at a cost of from $3.5 million to $5 million.
Magnolia is planning to pair with Luverne after a referendum there was turned down by voters.oMyrna Nortan, an elementary music teacher, was named Luverne Teacher of the Year.50 years ago (1955)
A six-month old deer is the companion pet of three Van’t Hul children on their farm just west of Beaver Creek. Gerben, Bernard and Sharyl Beth Van’t Hul have had the deer since the tip of his left rear leg was severed by a mower and Mr. Burt Van’t Hul took the fawn to a veterinarian to have the foot repaired and treated. The fawn was bottle-fed by the family. It now roams the fields during the day and comes into the barn to sleep each night with a collie dog and three cats.
A bath house and a sand beach will be put in at the lower lake of the Mound Springs State Park this summer.75 years ago (1930)
A proposal to provide a plat book of Maplewood and other cemeteries of this county, showing the exact location of the graves of each Civil, Spanish-American and World War veteran, was proposed and approved by Dell-Hogan post at the regular meeting.
A petition has been filed with the common council requesting that that body investigate the feasibility of piping spring water from the flowing wells on the Mounds to Luverne for drinking purposes.
F.C. Nuffer’s hardware store at Hills was burglarized at an early hour Wednesday morning and a considerable quantity of hardware merchandise was carried away. This included a number of shotguns, a quantity of shells and a considerable assortment of cutlery and other articles, the total value of which is in excess of $250. It is understood that Sheriff H.R. Ohs secured some clear fingerprints. 100 years ago (1905)
P.N. Gillham has been awarded the contract for building a new steel bridge for the village of Hardwick near the corporation limits northeast of that place. It will have a 30-foot span.
No more noteworthy event in the history of Beaver Creek has, nor probably ever will occur, than that of Saturday evening when the beautiful new school building, erected the past season at a cost of $10,000, was formally dedicated.

Auditor: Luverne district 'positioned for survival'

By Lori EhdeLuverne School Board members heard a favorable report from district auditor Jim Gelbman at their Thursday, Nov. 10, meeting.Luverne School District operates on an $11.6 million budget, and he said the school’s actual budget remarkably came within only a few percentage points of budget projections. "That’s very close," said Gelbman, representing Conway, Deuth and Schmiesing, PLLP, "especially considering there are so many things you don’t know about until the very end."A sharp rise in fuel costs for transportation and heat, for example, hurt many districts, Gelbman said, and special education reimbursements aren’t computed until the end of the budget year.In a Star Herald interview Tuesday, Gelbman answered questions about Luverne School District’s financial wellbeing.He said the Luverne district has established itself as a conservative spender compared with spending habits of other districts in the state and particularly those its same size."Luverne compares very favorably," he said. "We’re in the ballpark or are spending less. You’re spending appropriately. You’re not out of whack in any area."He said this should be comforting news to district residents who have just voted in favor of an operating referendum."There are a lot of referendums out there, and in many areas, they’ve waited too long," Gelbman said. "The referendums are there to keep them out of deficit spending, rather than to keep programs running. It’s like plugging holes."He said that’s not the case in Luverne.While its board and administration have faced difficult budget cuts in the past several years along with other districts, he said Luverne is fiscally strong.He said 10 years ago districts across the state went through a rash of consolidations. Now districts, especially the little ones, are leaning on referendums to get by, and it’s only a matter of time before more consolidation is necessary.Referendums are postponing that process, unless the state legislature changes its education funding formula."Every district in the state of Minnesota is buying time," Gelbman said. "As time goes by, with the way costs are increasing and revenues are growing at a small rate and enrollment is declining … there was at one time talk of only one school per county, and that time is coming sooner than we think."In the end, the strongest districts will survive."You’re looking at establishing Luverne as a surviving district," he said. "If I’m a parent shopping for a place to live, I’m going to choose a school that will best prepare my kids for the future. By keeping your programs in place, that’s where people will send their kids. You want to be the one to offer the best programs you can, compared to your neighbors."He said the referendum will give Luverne leverage in that battle to survive. "It allows us to keep programs in tact that much longer, without having to make significant cuts," he said."Luverne is set up for long-term survival."

Luverne native addresses Hardwick Veterans Day event

By Lori EhdeLuverne native Arvin Olson was the guest speaker at Friday’s Veterans Day banquet in Hardwick."All over the nation today, Americans are gathering together to remember and pay tribute to our veterans," he said in the Hardwick American Legion Hall."Today is a chance to thank those who have selflessly answered the call to duty and to remember those who have served. Any morning we wake up on free land, it’s because of men and women like these."Olson, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, is a 1974 Luverne High School graduate and the son of Betty Olson, Luverne, and the late Alvin Olson.In his address, he recognized the importance of family support."They may not carry a rucksack on their backs, but they have carried the weight of worrying about their soldier, probably the most cumbersome burden anyone can bear," Olson said."They carry that burden until their soldier returns. … Tragically, some never do."Olson said Veterans Day is a time to thank and honor Americans who have served in the military, especially during times of war."They are ordinary people who have been placed in extraordinary circumstances," he said. "Soldiers and veterans are people who know the true meaning of courage."Olson has more than 30 years of military service and currently is assistant deputy chief of staff of the 88th Regional Readiness Command, U.S. Army Reserve, at Fort Snelling. He has been awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Medal with Bronze Star, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass and "M" device, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Training Ribbon with numeral 9 and the Army Air Assault Badge.Olson and his wife, Carole, have five children and live in New Prague.

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