Auditions set for "Don’t Hug Me"Green Earth Players have set the dates for their next auditions.The play "Don’t Hug Me" is being billed by the group as a cross between "Fargo" and "The Music Man."The group is looking for a relatively small cast that includes three men and two women. Some singing is required.Auditions for the play will be held at the Green Earth Players building, one block east of Ace Hardware.Times for the auditions will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug 21, and again at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22. If you would like to try for your moment on stage, give Shawn a call at 507-227-8215.The play will be performed at the Palace Theatre on October 21-23 and again on October 28-30.Sioux Valley wins Minnesota governor’s awardThe Minnesota Safety Council has awarded a Governor’s Safety Award to Sioux Valley Energy for excellence in workplace safety and health.Carol Bufton, president of the Minnesota Safety Council, said, " Employers like Sioux Valley Energy understand that a commitment of safety benefits both their employees and their bottom line."Don Marker, general manager of Sioux Valley Energy, credited giving Sioux Valley employees the training and equipment necessary to do the job safely, effectively and efficiently for their safety success.Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards have spotlighted Minnesota employers with above-average safety records. Participants submit injury information for comparison with State and national data, as well as the entrant’s past performance.‘New sheriff in town’ looking for volunteer convictsNo, I’m not talking about Sheriff Winkels.The Muscular Dystrophy Association is looking to arrest some local "Luverne Convicts" on Thursday August 18.The volunteer convicts will be locked up and serve time in a mock jail at the Magnolia Steakhouse in an effort to raise money for the local Muscular Dystrophy Association.The MDA lock-up will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will be sentenced to "raise "bail" by calling friends and encouraging them to make contributions to advance MDA’s programs.This year MDA hopes to have more than 25 Luverne business leaders serving their sentence behind bars for the MDA cause.The money raised will go toward providing serves to over 500 families in the tri-state area.MDA also provides physical and occupational therapy, assistance in the purchase and repair of orthopedic equipment and MDA summer camp.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Each year during the Bremer family vacation, my niece Savanna and I embark on a fantasy adventure in the kayaks. Last year we were Lewis and Clark and we paddled around on Lake Geneva until we discovered the source of the Mississippi River and the state of South Dakota. The 2005 adventure was a little more daring. We were Glenda and Savanna Armstrong, little-known twin sisters of Neil Armstrong (space explorer) and cousins to Lance Armstrong (bicycle racer). It so happens that the Armstrong sisters were out exploring space when, suddenly and without warning, their spaceship crashed into a giant ocean on the moon. Fortunately, the kayaks were not destroyed in the crash. Unfortunately, they were doomed to live in the kayaks forever because underneath the surface of ocean were fierce space aliens (the weeds) that ate human beings. The Armstrong girls paddled by several large landmasses, but they were inaccessible because of the giant elder space aliens (the trees) along the shoreline. On occasion the Armstrong space explorers observed what appeared to be human beings walking upon the landmass. As it turns out, they were indeed human beings at one time, but the giant elder space aliens had sucked their brains out. Now they were the "living dead" doomed to wander aimlessly on the landmass forever. As Glenda and Savanna Armstrong paddled about on the ocean of the moon, they came upon a collection of unusually attractive space aliens (the lily pads). The girls were happy to learn that this was an alien population striving to better themselves ... so they didn’t have to be afraid. Continuing on their journey of survival, the Armstrongs paddled up to their crashed spacecraft (the water trampoline) that was floating in the ocean. They boarded the wreckage in search of components that could be used to build a rocket that could fly them safely home to earth. In a near-fatal accident, Glenda Armstrong sprained her thumb trying to board the unstable craft. Savanna Armstrong, however, was more agile than her uncoordinated twin sister and escaped unscathed from the mission. Suddenly a "living dead" appeared on the shore of the landmass and announced that it was suppertime. Reluctantly, the Armstrong girls returned to the Bremer girls and they beached the kayaks on shore. The water trampoline returned, the trees didn’t suck anyone’s brains out, and the lily pads weren’t striving to be anything but lily pads. But, as they ate supper that night with the other Bremers and played on the beach with fellow vacationers, they had serious concerns about the continued threat of the "living dead." Safely out of the clutches of the living dead, the Bremer girls are back in town; and I’m back at work cataloging fabulous new fiction. On the shelf this week is "Long Time Gone," by J.A. Jance. After more than 20 years of distinguished service with the Seattle Police Department, Jonas Beaumont is now working for the Washington Special Homicide Investigation Team. An eyewitness to a 50-year-old murder has just come forward, and Beau has been handpicked to lead the investigation. While undergoing hypnotherapy, a middle-aged nun unexpectedly recalls the grisly details of a cold-blooded killing she witnessed when she was five years old. Though fear has kept these memories repressed for half a century, they've now risen to the surface to cast a harsh light on a deadly plot that spans two generations. And Beau's caught in the glare, facing a ruthless band of co-conspirators willing to go to any lengths to keep their secrets hidden. Also new on the shelf is "Cinderella Hour," by Katherine Stone. Sixteen years ago, Snow Ashley Gable fled Chicago, running away from the kind of loss that comes with love, from a friendship that turned into betrayal. Now 31, Snow is bringing her successful late-night radio talk show, The Cinderella Hour, home to Chicago. For Snow, there are risks in returning — risks and fears: The father she never knew: The mother who acted out one dangerous fantasy after another: The high-school heiress who uncovered Snow's greatest secrets. And Luke Kilcannon, the troubled boy she loved

Luverne-Ashcreek RailroadThe following appeared in the Rock County Herald on November 9, 1934:Luverne-Ashcreek Rail Removal Is CompletedAll of Segment Torn Up Except Portion Between the Omaha Yards and Gravel Pit South of CityFoley Bros., of St. Paul, finished Friday evening the removal of most of the rails and ties on the Doon branch of the Omaha railroad between Luverne and Ashcreek. The portion of the track running from the Omaha yards to the gravel pit just south of the city was left intact, as was a 100-foot spur extending south from the pit, serving the purpose of a switching track. Through an arrangement made in connection with the recent Interstate Commerce commission order permitting abandonment of the Luverne-Ashcreek segment, the tracks were left in place between the city and the gravel pit to permit hauling gravel by rail from that place. Recent soundings indicate that the pit still has a vast potential supply of usable gravel. The job was under way for nearly a week, and gave employment during that period to forty men, about half of whom were local laborers, and the others being from the cities. Practically all removed rails were so worn as to be classified as scrap iron, and were shipped to the Omaha yards at St. James. The large supply of ties will be issued to families on relief lists in Rock county, through the county relief organization. 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.

What’s a family treasure to me is an antique that’s not worth much according to experts I saw this weekend. While the city of Luverne was bustling with All-School Reunion activities, I was in North Dakota for a family gathering and an encounter with the Antiques Roadshow.Six of my family members got tickets to the Roadshow, the national PBS appraisal and antique know-how show, which happened to be touring through Bismarck when we were there.Before I tell you what my family treasures are worth, I have to say that one of the highlights was being just inches from famous identical twin furniture appraisers Leigh and Leslie Keno.They were the definition of dandy.Unfortunately, none of my family’s items will make it on air … but I might. I think I got in on the background of a man’s $10,000 baseball card collection appraisal.The Bismarck stop gave the program enough for three episodes that will be aired in the new season of Antiques Roadshow, beginning in January 2006. Here’s the Quam rundown:oI brought my great-great-grandmother’s teapot, purchased in 1861. It is a petite blue-and-white Asian design. It was worth only $50.oI also brought a wood block print that was numbered and signed by the artist in 1924. That was worth up to $300.oMy cousin brought seven unused Post cereal toys from 1947 that were worth $10 to $20 each.oMy aunt brought a Jackie Koogan pencil box from the 1920s that was worth $35 to $45. Koogan was a child star, who grew up to be Uncle Fester on the Adams Family.oMy cousin also brought the Beatles’ "White" album with all posters of the band members in mint condition. That was worth $60.oMy sister brought an embroidered flag from a relative who was in the Spanish American War, worth $150.oThe same sister brought a postcard collection worth up to $2,000. Just an FYI: the colored postcards are where the money’s at. Black and whites have almost no value.oMy mom brought a quilt made in 1898 for a church fund-raiser. Church members embroidered their names and paid to have their squares on the quilt. The appraisers were interested in the story of the quilt because, in support of the small church’s fund-raiser, President McKinley purchased a square for 10 cents. A church member embroidered his square with an Eagle. The quilt is worth only about $800 at most because it is so regionalized by the names.oMy mom also brought a whimsy, a wooden crochet hook hand-carved by my same great-grandfather. The hook has an open, lacey pattern on the handle end and is worth up to $120.oMy dad brought a collection of Native American artifacts he’s either found on our land in North Dakota or a family member has been gifted. Two pairs of beaded moccasins are worth $150 each. An old bow is worth up to $100. A woven hinged basket is worth $150. A song board (piece of wood used like sheet music in ceremonies) is worth up to $5,000. The iron head of a weapon was also worth up to $5,000.Even though the famous Keno twins wore suits that were probably worth more than our antiques, some of the items are close to priceless to me.

I’ve always had a problem admitting I’m wrong.With that said, I must admit my reservations about letting my son, Nick, play with the Luverne Baseball Association’s 11-and-Under team this summer were way off base.The season officially came to an end with two tournament games in Brandon, S.D., July 24. Now that it’s over, my wife and I agree we made the right decision about letting our boy play ball.When we were approached by coach Don Dinger about putting our 11-year-old son’s name on the team roster, it wasn’t a decision we could make on the spot.Knowing that both of our jobs require weekend commitments, and pondering the fact that the traveling baseball teams play at weekend tournaments, this wasn’t a decision we could make in haste.But after Dinger assured us we would be covered if scheduling conflicts came up, we decided to give traveling baseball a try.We’re both very happy we did.What I didn’t realize heading into this endeavor was how much fun we would have as a family.I knew Nick would enjoy himself because he loves baseball. He had his glove, spikes and a new uniform, which was all he needed to be happy.What surprised me was how much fun my wife, Astrid, my daughter, Melanie, and I would have following the team.The best experience for me came during the Luverne Tournament in late May. As the hosts of more than 20 teams, parents were asked to work some of the many jobs of a successful tournament.For Astrid and me it meant spending two-plus hours at the concession stand.I can’t speak for her, but it may have been the most rewarding two hours of my life. I served a number of hot dogs, chicken breast sandwiches, sodas and candy, and I did it without dropping a single item on the ground.At the same time, I earned respect for every member of the food service industry. The concession stand was hopping in between games, leaving me with a better understanding of what it would be like to work at a restaurant during lunch and dinner rushes.At the risk of being reprimanded at home, I think Astrid’s best tournament experience came in Brookings in June.I describe her as being an avid shopper. When the games scheduled for the first day of the tournament were rained out, I didn’t have the luxury of skipping out of town without spending time at Wal-Mart.There also was a three-hour delay between games on the second day. We spent part of that time at — where else? — Wal-Mart.As everyone from the Luverne delegation came to know, young Melanie has an obsession with animals. Only one tournament passed without her presence. At the other four events, I’m sure every supporter of the team had at least one of her plastic or stuffed animals shoved in their faces for inspection.Melanie’s summer highlight came during the Pipestone tournament in late June.After seeing some horses in a pasture beyond a playing field at the complex, the 4-year-old and I decided to take a closer look at the animals. When we reached the fence, two curious horses came to see what we had to offer. After a 15-minute session of hand-feeding the animals some grass, our young daughter was prouder than a peacock.As for the season itself, I think our boys represented Luverne well and with class. The team displayed continued improvement throughout the summer, and it advanced to the championship games of the final two events.Now that the campaign is over, I’m experiencing something like an empty-nest feeling. And I’m not alone.As we were heading to our vehicles after the Brandon tournament, fellow parent Bert (Robert) Verhey offered a perplexing question."What are we going to do on the weekends now?" he asked.All I could do in response was shrug my shoulders.It’s true that our weekends will be less eventful now. But you can take some comfort in following, Bert. April 2006 is only nine months away. That’s when the 12-and-under team will start preparing for another season. It should be an equally satisfying experience.

When one drives down the road and marvels at the abundant crops we have been blessed with, one can also wonder how this can be shared with the poor and hungry in our world. The thought, we have been blessed to be a blessing to others should be followed by action. This is done in different ways by many people so God continues to bless His people.Elmer L. HovlandLuverne

During every job interview I have had in life I have been asked, "What do you feel your worst quality is?" To this, I usually respond in one of two ways.The first option involved being honest and blurting out, "I am a part of the spell check generation." I continue to explain that I did not learn how to spell when I was in grade school. I learned how to find the spell check option on the typewriter or computer that I was using.The second option was much more sly and was designed to make me look better in the eyes of the interviewer. In this option, I explain my "time paranoia."To me this means I have an overanxious obsession with time. I always leave early, yet think I will be late. I never feel I will have enough time to get things finished so I try and get projects done as fast as I can. I go on to explain that the paranoia is so intense it usually annoys people around me.Most potential employers respond to this by saying, "Well, now … That is not necessarily a bad quality."Inevitably, I break down at that point and admit the fact that I have no idea what order letters need to be in to make words.Until my job began at the paper, this flaw in my brain has not really been too much of a problem. I have always had the time and ability to use spell check to help my written correspondence make sense. Unfortunately, in the newspaper business I am having a difficult time figuring out how to use the spell checker to my advantage — and it shows.On Wednesday morning I got to Tollefson Publishing in Luverne to put the Hills Crescent together on the computer. This is a pretty easy task — a lot like putting together a puzzle. Most of the stories have already been written, edited and proofread. I just put them in the right order.As I am putting the pieces together, I have to add headlines, captions, drop quotes (those neat quotes that pop out of the page when you look at a story) and headers (such as engagements, obituaries, At Home in Hills). It is in the typing of these items that my spelling skills are put to the challenge.It is not that I cannot spell classifieds, it is just that my fingers try to type so fast that my eyes think all of the letters are there and in the correct order when they are not.Time paranoia meets my spelling issues.In the printing business, errors can haunt you.Typically, after I think I have finished laying out the paper, I send it to press in Worthington and do not see it again for 19 hours.Thursday morning when I arrive at work, the first thing I do is pick up the paper to see how that week’s creation looks. Now if I have misspelled something or made an error with a photo or caption, I see it at this moment and realize that everyone who looks at the paper this week will see it as well.I envision people walking to their mailboxes, bringing the paper back to their breakfast table and making a game out of finding my errors. In addition, at this time, after the papers have been printed and delivered, there is nothing I can do about it.Last week I misspelled "drian" in a quote on the front page. I read the quote several times and never noticed. The letters were all there, it looked like drain. Unfortunately, people with a talent for spelling, like my husband, looked at the paper for no more than 15 seconds before finding the error.At this point I am sure my readers are wondering why I don’t spell check the paper before I send it to print. That is a good question, but I have good reason not to.Spell check does not like 95 percent of the names used in this area and stops on every instance of Hills, Steen, Beaver Creek that I type. Therefore, spell check becomes an arduous task that wastes a lot of my time.On those mornings, I usually feel bad for a few minutes until I remember an e-mail I once received. I have copied it below for my readers to enjoy."I cnat blveiee taht I can aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I am rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."So, according to smart people at Cambridge University, I do not even need to worry about my spelling, because my readers are smart enough to figure out what I am trying to say, regardless of how badly I butcher the English language. Amzanig, huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!Story ideas or comments can be emailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

10 years ago (1995)"The Hills City Council tabled the sale of the Municipal Liquor Store and approved a building permit for the construction of a funeral home in Hills at their meeting Tuesday night. …John Spiess, Miller Architect and Builders, presented the Council with plans for a funeral home. Rich Roste, Rock Rapids, Iowa, is tentatively planning to construct the funeral home." 25 years ago (1980)"Construction began Monday on the new water tower in Beaver Creek. …The new tower will contain some 50,000 gallons of water and is expected to improve both water quality and pressure.It will also allow Beaver Creek to flush city water mains, one of the best ways of improving water quality."50 years ago (1955)"The Spitzer Well Co. of Tracy, Minnesota, began work drilling Hills a new ten-inch well last Saturday morning. They had moved in Friday afternoon and set up their rig, ready to go Saturday morning.The first half day they got to a depth of some 15 to 20 feet and expect to get down to the 240 feet within a couple of weeks, if everything goes well. After completion of drilling, Mr. Spitzer indicated another two weeks would be used in developing the well, that is, pumping to clear up the water and test it out to see how much water it will produce." 75 years ago (1930)"Although he owns a real modern home with all conveniences in Luverne, and able to take life easy if he chooses, George Nuffer gets the working fever every so often and drives out to the old home farm that his son Elmer is managing, and helps here and there about the place." 100 years ago (1905)"The township Board of Supervisors meet this afternoon to accept the new steel bridge across Mud Creek. This is without a doubt one of the best steel bridges in Rock County. It has all steel backing and is worth inspecting by all who are interested in good and substantial bridges."

This has been quite a week at my house. I think everyone in this community has had water in their basements after the more than five inches of rain we received a week ago. The Sunday evening we received the rain we also had some hail and strong winds leaving almost everyone in this area with water in their basements. I was one of the lucky ones. I had some water but not so much but I could sweep it out with the broom and of course, the sump-pump. That took care of any other planned activities such as weeding gardens and flowerbeds and any and all outdoor chores. It could have been much worse as some homes had two feet of water in their basements.Even though I was fortunate not to receive a lot of water in my basement, it was a sad week for me as my little white fluffy dog just couldn’t take the heat and on that very warm Friday afternoon it was too much for him and he died. I really miss him very much. If anyone knows where I can obtain a small, white fluffy dog, please let me know or inform him or her of the fact that I am looking for one. Thank you!Dan and Amy Aukes, Larchwood, Iowa, spent Sunday afternoon at the home of his parents, Orrin and Bernice Aukes. Tuesday, Aug. 9, the Steen softball team will play Beaver Creek at Beaver Creek.The Steen senior citizens had their August meeting on Monday afternoon at the Steen Community Building. Joan Hoogeveen was the hostess. A former Steen resident, Harold Wissink, who has been making his home in Luverne for some time, has decided to become a resident of Parkview Manor in Ellsworth. We are happy to hear that he will be closer to our community and closer for those of us who would like to visit him. Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday they were making plans for the last day of school. Now they are all counting the days until school begins for the coming year. It seems like the farmers just finished planting this year’s crops, and they are doing very well. It probably won’t be long until Jack Frost will be here and the farmers will be in their fields harvesting their crops. There are times when I wish I could push the "On Hold" button so I could catch up a bit.I got to thinking one hardly has time to enjoy the summer weather and the many outdoor activities, so I decided to share a few thoughts about harvest and summer with you and hopefully will prolong summertime so that we can enjoy the fall weather as well.Along the WayWe think of August as a time for rest and relaxation, but a glance at years past shows that many noteworthy things have been accomplished during this "lazy" month. It was in August 1492 that Columbus set sail on his voyage of discovery which brought him to our shores. It was on Aug. 1, 1873, that the first cable streetcar was put into service on Clay Street hill in San Francisco. It was August 1903 that the first coast-to-coast automobile trip, which began in San Francisco in May, ended in New York City. It was in August 1945 that World War II ended in the Pacific. What worthwhile thing will you accomplish this August?August means harvest, as far back as ancient Gaul. The first day of August marked the beginning of the "Gule of August," one of the great pagan festivals of ancient Britain, celebrating the first fruits of the earth. And August has lived up to its promise-laden name of fruitfulness. It was in August 1492 that Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to reach India — only to discover America instead. And it was on Aug. 16, 1896, that gold was discovered in the Klondike. And only a few years earlier, on Aug. 15, 1859, "black gold" flowed through the first oil well drilled in America, brought in by Col. Edwin L. Drake in Titusville, Pa.