The moniker of The Greatest Generation was given to the men and women who fought World War II. The credit is deserved, but I think that putting one generation of servicemen over another is not a fair comparison. After World War II, the victory parades and welcome home celebrations were beyond anything we would ever see again. The victory was huge, and it took a whole nation to win it. In the end we were an exhausted people. When the next war came, the size and scope of the conflict and our reason for being there was not appreciated in the same way. The threat seemed to be against South Korea only, but the real threat was communism itself and the ability for it to spread across the world. Had the communist machine taken hold in all of Asia, Europe would have been next. This was the reason we went to Vietnam, too. Our government saw the danger of communism spreading and wanted to fight it in every corner of the world.The problem in the United States was that World War II had set boundaries and we all knew where the battle lines were. Korea and Vietnam became unpopular wars, and in the end the Korean War veterans were forgotten and the Vietnam Veterans were hated. No victory parades for the Korean War veterans and no coming home parties for either group.Vietnam veterans became well known for having massive problems readjusting to their return home. The problems were there, but certainly not on the scale that some wanted people to believe. I wonder if the problems were more because of the war they fought or the treatment they received back here? The Vietnam War was the first modern guerilla war that we fought, and the confusion over whom we were fighting hurt the soldiers and Marines and made the controversy in the States worse. Could you imagine massive peace protests and high-level politicians running down the efforts of the military and their country during World War II?It took until the Persian Gulf War in the early ’90s for the United States military to get any credit for their service. Many others that fought in smaller conflicts were allowed to pass as though they never existed. After the quick victory in Kuwait the country once again forgot that we even had a military. Over the course of more than five decades the members of our military services went from heroes to ghosts, villains, and non-effects.I don’t feel that any group of veterans should be placed above the others. All of our service members answered their nation’s call to duty and worked to defend our freedom and the freedoms of millions of people worldwide. The men who fought in Vietnam would have performed the same as the World War II guys did in their situation. All of the men and women that have served throughout the years deserve the same credit as all others. I think that they are all the Greatest of Their Generations.To be continued:Curtis HendelAdrian

"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth." (Diogenes Laertius)Yeah, we’d like to think so, but how is that going right now in Luverne? Not so well, I’d say. To reiterate what many have already said, Luverne’s education budget has given up almost $650,000 in the last few years. $650,000! As a Luverne student with three and one-half years left in school, that scares me (not to mention my two younger brothers who still have many more years left of school). By the time I’m a senior, will there be anything left of the quality school we’ve always bragged about?With the budget cuts, many teachers’ positions were cut, and many others were forced to take on extra work WITHOUT EXTRA PAY.Many are already aware of some of the programs that have been cut, including all-day-every-day kindergarten, the Future Images (gifted) program, and sixth grade guitars, just to name a few. Also they are looking at cutting some of the college preparation and speech classes that are currently offered. For students, activity fees are skyrocketing. For example, there are two different overall fees students have to pay for two different types of activities. Sports and fine arts. On top of that, there is a fee for each individual activity one might want to be in. For example, to be in choir and band this year I had to pay $35 for the encompassing fine arts fee, $35 for the choir fee, and $50 for the band fee. That is $120 for two activities, a substantial increase over the last few years. Quite recently, the temperature in the school was decreased by four degrees to lower fuel costs.As Malcolm Forbes said, "It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem." That’s all I have to say to those of you who think MORE cuts and fee raises are the answer. I encourage everyone to understand this issue completely before voting, because the outcome will determine the future of our school and the lives of our students. Vote "yes" on the referendum.Matt Stensland-BosLuverne

I’m voting a "yes" vote on the Nov. 8 school referendum. Why? Because I’m proud of our schools! Because we’ve had an excellent school system well managed, and we must consider our future children’s needs as well as those currently in school. Our family has always prized education — our three have teaching degrees, and without a doubt we can give a lot of credit to our Luverne schools for a great foundation.I’m aware of the increase in property tax; escalating operating costs, on and on the negative news continues. But on the positive side, to be in a community with highly rated schools is something worth bragging about, whether it’s sports, speech, drama, music, whatever!Rosa Tofteland JohnsonLuverne

Vote "yes" next Tuesday, Nov. 8, for the school referendum! The investment in our schools is always a good idea for the long-term benefits of our children and our community. I would like to appeal to the voters of this district on the premise that it is to our financial benefit to pass the referendum. The saying "it takes money to make money" can be applied to our referendum question. If we approve the referendum, the State of Minnesota will pay an estimated 45 percent of the total amount. That means that each dollar we pay locally will be nearly matched by the State.A second reason that a "yes" vote makes good financial sense is that our community and surrounding area has greater appeal when we have a progressive school district that has a reputation for academic excellence. Those looking to bring businesses into the area and those looking to move to this part of the state will certainly look at the school system. When our tax base (total taxable value of properties) rises, it makes an individual owner’s tax liability a smaller portion of the total.Along with about 25 percent of the population in this community, I am a senior citizen. Some seniors think that they shouldn’t be asked to pay more for the school district’s expenses because they no longer have children in the schools. I say it’s the best gift that we can give the future generations of this community and do this for "the kids." It’s our time to support the school district and approve the funds needed to keep quality education. My "yes" vote, along with the "yes" votes from all of you fellow senior citizens, can be a wonderful legacy to following generations.Go to the high school next Tuesday, Nov. 8, and vote "yes."Esther Spease FrakesLuverne

I’ve been waiting. For the past several weeks, I have been searching for facts about the upcoming excess levy referendum vote. I’ve read newspapers, opened the letters sent by Luverne Public Schools, listened to the radio and searched the District’s Website. I’m not finding much about a decision that will affect property owners like me for the next 10 years. I’ve read that the levy is needed to offset the rising costs of transportation, health insurance and heat/cooling. Our test scores are above state averages and this referendum is in ADDITION to current excess levy. Some news accounts suggest budget cuts will occur if the levy is not approved and no programs that have been recently eliminated will be reinstated. This information is a great start but is far from letting voters make an informed decision. Each and every one of us is facing the same rising costs energy and health insurance costs. We all have to work within our budgets. Student tests scores generally measure aptitude in reading, writing and mathematics. Is achieving good scores a matter of how large a school budget is or how motivated a District’s staff is in demanding the best efforts from its students? If the excess levy referendum is important for the success of our school district, more facts and figures need to be presented to the public to make them motivated in making a definite decision. What has tests scores been like after a levy vote has not passed? What "out of the box" ideas — more long-range solutions — have been generated because a decision needed to be made that couldn’t be solved just by adding more money? Is more money THE only answer or just the easiest? There has been no attempt at setting up public meetings, written materials lack relevant data and the District’s more important information source "its Website" contains no referendum information whatsoever. My education through Luverne Public Schools has been instrumental in making me an independent thinker/problem solver. My work experience in public school communications has shown me that people need real facts to make decisions. Does basic education suffer due to budget cuts or does a District rise to the challenge of delivering the best basic education within a budget? The Luverne Public School Board has left too many unanswered questions about an important vote. Maybe they might have to wait, too. Mavis Fodness Hardwick

By Lexi MooreTuesday is Election Day in America, and residents in Steen, Beaver Creek and Hills will have relatively short ballots to fill out when they arrive at the polls.Voters in Rock County do not have national, state or county elections this time around. Instead, voters are being called upon to decide on school board members for Independent School District No. 671, Hills-Beaver Creek.Voters residing in the school district are eligible to vote at their designated polling place. Polling places for this election will be the Steen Community Hall, Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School and Hills-Beaver Creek High School.The polls will open at 5 p.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.The H-BC School Board has four school board seats up for election. Each seat is for a four-year term. Board members whose seats are up for re-election are Tim Baker, Roland Crawford, Alan Harnack and Lois Leuthold.Incumbents Leuthold and Baker will appear on the ballot along with challengers Chris Harnack, Stuart Leuthold and Harley Fransman.Board Chairman Harnack and Crawford are not seeking re-election.Ballots will have the names of five candidates, and voters will be asked to choose four.The H-BC School Board and Superintendent David Deragisch will meet at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday to canvass the election results, followed by their regular board meeting.The Crescent contacted the five candidates participating in the election and asked them to fill out a short survey. Their unedited responses appear in the above graphic.

By John RittenhouseThe 2005 season came to an end for the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth runners during the Section 3A Cross Country Championships Thursday in Adrian.The Patriots didn’t meet the criteria to advance to state competition by placing as one of the top two teams or finishing in the top 10 as individual runners during the boys’ and girls’ varsity races.Still, the meet was a good one for young H-BC-E teams.The H-BC-E boys, a team consisting of one senior, one junior and five freshmen, placed sixth in a 16-team field with 174 points.H-BC-E girls, a squad consisting of one junior, one sophomore, one freshman, one eighth-grader and two seventh-graders, finished ninth in a 17-team field with 230 points.Halden Van Wyhe led the Patriot boys by placing 18th in 18:22.Tyler Paulsen finished 26th in 18:39, Dustin Verhey 31st in 18:49, Brent Kramer 49th in 19:37 and John Sandbulte 59th in 19:51 to pad H-BC-E’s team tally.Cody Penning and Tom Scholten placed 63rd and 72nd with respective 20:08 and 20:32 times without impacting the scoring.Mya Mann placed 39th in 17:22 to lead the Patriot girls at the meet.Rayna Sandoval finished 42nd in 17:31, Jill Weitgenant 54th in 18:16, Courtney Hoogendoorn 55th in 18:17 and Heather Esselink 66th in 18:36 to round out the scoring for H-BC-E.Jayme Plimpton ran a 19:19 and placed 81st without contributing to the team tally.Girls’ standings: Adrian 29, Luverne 73, ML-B-O 116, Windom 137, RWV 144, Martin County West 200, Springfield-Cedar Mountain 200, Pipestone 250, H-BC-E 251, Murray County Central 272, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 291, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central 321, Southwest United 324, Jackson County Central 330, Buffalo Lake-Hector-BOLD 359, Renville County West 388, Lakeview 513.Boys’ standings: Adrian 60, RWV 76, Southwest Christian 122, Luverne 126, RCW 155, H-BC-E 174, MCW 230, MCC 230, JCC 235, S-CM 240, Windom 254, SWU 257, ML-B-O 356, W-WG-RRC 364, Pipestone 368, BL-H-BOLD 372.

By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth’s bid to reach the Section 2 Nine-Man Football championship game was thwarted by a talented Edgerton squad Saturday in Edgerton.Taking on the state’s third-ranked team and the No. 1 seed for the section tournament, the Patriots needed to play well early to give themselves a chance to spring an upset on the Flying Dutchmen.Edgerton proved to be uncooperative in that respect.The Flying Dutchmen racked up 514 total yards and scored 34 first-half points on the way to a convincing 56-16 victory over the Patriots.Edgerton, 9-0 overall, hosts Westbrook-Walnut Grove Saturday for the section title game. H-BC-E’s 3-7 season comes to an end.The Flying Dutchmen turned a couple of big plays into a 12-0 lead in the game’s first quarter.After forcing H-BC-E to punt early in the contest, Edgerton moved the ball to H-BC-E’s 40-yard line before facing a fourth-and-12 situation. Instead of punting, Edgerton elected to go for a first down. It proved to be a wise choice as quarterback Max Zwart hooked up with Brett Elgersma for a 40-yard touchdown pass at the 8:01 mark of the opening period."We had the kid covered," said H-BC-E coach Dan Ellingson. "He just came up with the ball, broke a tackle and scored."Edgerton doubled its lead after recovering a fumble in H-BC-E late in the first quarter. Zwart found the end zone at the end of a 14-yard run with 36 seconds remaining in the stanza, leaving the hosts with a 12-0 cushion.The Patriots made a bid to get back into the game when they advanced the ball into Edgerton territory in the second period. The drive didn’t produce any points as a potential touchdown pass was dropped in the end zone.Edgerton proceeded to put the game away by scoring 22 points in a span of 3:30 late in the second period to gain a 34-0 halftime advantage.Elgersma opened the scoring run with a two-yard plunge at the 4:58 mark of the second quarter.Edgerton got the ball back moments later by recovering an on-side kick, which set up a 68-yard touchdown run by Kevin Vander Schaaf.The Patriots lost their second fumble of the game a few plays later, and Edgerton took advantage of the situation when Vander Schaaf scored on a 38-yard run with 1:28 remaining in the first half."Those three quick scores late in the first half really hurt us," Ellingson said. "It was just too big of a deficit to overcome."Edgerton turned its first possession of the second half into a 42-0 lead when Elgersema scored on a two-yard run.H-BC-E countered with a drive that ended with Jarid Hoogendoorn scoring on a two-yard plunge at the 4:02 mark of the third period. Adam Finke tossed a successful conversion pass to Weston DeBerg after the touchdown, making it a 42-8 game.H-BC-E’s Ryan Kix blocked a punt late in the third period, setting up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Finke to Cody Rozeboom on the first play of the fourth quarter. Finke ran in the two-point conversion to trim Edgerton’s lead to 26 points (42-16).Edgerton capped the scoring with a 34-yard touchdown run by Trey Manitz at the 4:35 mark of the fourth quarter and a 41-yard scamper by Pat Kleinjan with 1:33 left to play."We just gave up too many big plays," Ellingson concluded.Team statisticsH-BC-E: 153 rushing yards, 85 passing yards, 238 total yards, 11 first downs, five penalties for 30 yards, two turnovers.Edgerton: 474 rushing yards, 40 passing yards, 514 total yards, 14 first downs, six penalties for 40 yards, one turnover.Individual statisticsRushing: Jon Klaassen 18-94, Hoogendoorn 8-33, Finke 9-6, Casey Van Middendorp 3-7, DeBerg 2-9, Kale Leuthold 2-4.Passing: Finke 6-19 for 85 yards.Receiving: Rozeboom 3-64, DeBerg 2-13, Klaassen 1-8.Defense: Rozeboom one interception, Tom Leuthold 14 tackles, Jason Hup eight tackles, Mitchell Leuthold five tackles, Kerry Fink seven tackles, John Sandbulte four tackles, Jason Martens four tackles.

Some of my smarter readers may have figured out that as part of my job at the Crescent, I get to attend every H-BC School Board meeting.Prior to working for the newspaper, I had never been to a school board meeting. I didn’t have any idea what to expect when I showed up at my first meeting in November of 2004 (just about a year ago).Fortunately for me, the board members were all very nice and hospitable and did not seem to mind my presence – plus they usually provide some of my juicier news stories.For instance, during my first meeting last year the board informed district residents about a referendum that would appear on voting ballots the next week.So every other week, I get my notebook and a very trustworthy pen and journey up to the high school for a formal meeting with some of the town’s elected officials. Next week when I arrive, they will be finishing an election that will decide the fate of four individuals’ Monday nights for the next four years.Since I am at every meeting, I know that over the course of the last year, there have only been outside visitors at three meetings — and just to help illustrate my point, two of the visitors were H-BC teachers.Therefore, I think it would be safe for me to assume that most of the voting public doesn’t know what happens during a school board meeting. I am writing today to tell voters that what happens in the library for about an hour every other week is important.Board members decide on many issues in a school district, and in small towns those decisions affect everyone.In addition to putting a successful referendum on the ballot last year, they approved a new science curriculum, lobbied the state for better education finance, passed a balanced budget, approved a number of policy changes and worked with H-BC staff on salaries and improvements for students.The four candidates selected in this election will join a strong team of leaders in our community. Their responsibilities will be great.I have been involved in many "off the record" conversations about the possibility of building a new high school building sometime in the future.It is very likely that the candidates voters elect will be involved in deciding when and what kind of building will be built.Americans should always cherish their right to vote. It is what gives us a voice in our governments and communities. No election should be judged too small or too big to participate.I would venture to guess that some voters will avoid the polls on Tuesday night because there aren’t any national or state elections. In my opinion, those voters are part of a vast wasteland in our democratic system.One vote is always important, but when it is one vote of less than 500 potential voters, it is extremely important.In a small community, every vote truly does matter and when voting on community issues, the elections should have more meaning to the residents, not less.The five brave and empowered candidates deserve our time on Tuesday night. They are willing to commit themselves to our community and to our youth, and we should be willing to be an informed public committed to voting.Over the past couple of weeks, the candidates took time to answer several questions about their lives and their desire to be a part of the H-BC School Board. I encourage residents of the district to read their answers and become informed voters. Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.