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From the sidelines

"Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it."That’s always been one of my favorite passages, and I’ve used it more than once — just as anyone in our office knows.Unfortunately, those were words I used to embarrass someone else, not myself.That all changed Saturday night when I brought my son down to Redbird Field to take in some of the Buffalo Days festivities.With the Luverne Baseball Association hosting an Alumni Game and skills competitions for kids, I thought it would be a good idea to make the trek across town to see what was going on.Thinking I could snap a feature photo for today’s paper and give my boy an opportunity to have some fun at the same time seemed to be a good idea in theory. In reality, it turned into an eye-opening experience for a rapidly-aging man.As a former baseball player, and covering area games on a frequent basis, I’ve found myself wondering on many occasions what it would be like to step into the batter’s box again. The way things panned out, I received the opportunity on Saturday. Somewhere between the drive from our house to the ball yard, the notion of taking some hacks at the plate crept into my mind again. Yapping at anyone who would listen, I finally found the person (Don Dinger, of the LBA) who could help me live the dream.Dinger, no doubt, grew tired of me bending his ear about making an appearance at the plate. And somewhere in between my frequent visits to the adult beverage stand he was running (who says you can’t drum up some courage from a can of beer?), my wish was granted.Then the public address announcer at the park released the batting order for a new inning. I can’t recall the exact order (I did say that I made more than one appearance at the beverage stand), but I was due up third after Dr. Crabtree and Dinger.While running down a foul ball, I missed the opportunity to watch Crabtree and Dinger take their hacks. I didn’t care. I was up next and stepped into the batter’s box with the vision of delivering a sharp line drive somewhere into the outfield.Maybe this would be a good time to establish an excuse.Since I did chase down (it was a fast walk at best) a foul ball prior to stepping into the batter’s box to face Devin Goembel, I didn’t get the chance to loosen up a swing that once produced two home runs in a five-day span in American Legion ball in the late 1970s.Those homers, by the way, were the only two I hit in a three-year career, but I’m sure anybody who witnessed my plate appearance would believe it.Seeing my first live pitch in more than two decades, I took what I thought was an energetic cut at what had to be a half-hearted fastball offered up by Goembel. The end result — a weak ground ball that stopped rolling before it reached the first baseman.Although my coveted at bat was a failure at best, I did learn a couple of things from the experience. No 1: The LHS alumni are a gracious bunch of young men who didn’t seem to mind three old men horning in on their game. No. 2: I’ll keep my visions of past glory where they belong, tucked away in my imagination.OmissionSpeaking of growing old, I’m beginning to think my mind is regressing after the oversight I’m guilty of committing in last week’s From the Sidelines column.At least two times in the column I mentioned how important a contribution five freshmen have made to the successful tennis season the LHS boys are experiencing.When I listed their names, I forgot to include Jamie Vickery. Vickery has been a fixture in the line-up throughout the season as a doubles player.Sorry about the oversight, Jamie.

Cards drop tennis opener Tuesday

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Cardinals didn’t catch much of a break when it came to drawing an opponent for the quarterfinal round of the Minnesota State Class A Team Tennis Tournament Tuesday at the Northwest Athletic Club in Burnsville.In fact, it’s hard to believe the Cardinals could have drawn a tougher assignment.Making their first appearance at the state classic as a team, LHS drew the unenviable task of taking on defending state champion St. Paul Academy & Summit School in the first round.The Spartans of SPA-SS provided an obstacle too big for Luverne to overcome as they rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Cardinals.The win sent the Spartans to the semifinals, where they took on The Blake School. The 14-5 Cardinals squared off against Virginia in a consolation match played at the Nicollet Tennis Club in Minneapolis Wednesday (June 8) morning.Luverne was unable to win a set during Tuesday’s match against the Spartans.After falling 6-0 to Andrew Lindsay and Andre Adams in first set at No. 1 doubles, Luverne’s Brandon Deragisch and Nick Heronimus did play better in the second set. The LHS team, however, fell by a 6-4 tally in the end.SPA-SS’s Zach Moar and Matt Nuffort topped Weston Sawtelle and Erik Stegemann by 6-1 and 6-2 tallies at second doubles. Breg Narayan and Evan McMillian notched 6-0 and 6-2 victories over Matt Kreuch and Jamie Vickery at No. 3.Luverne’s Dusty Antoine and David Nelson won four games during straight set losses in singles.SPA-SS’s Matt McCormick saddled Antoine with a pair of 6-2 losses at No. 1. Will DeBruyn recorded 6-1 and 6-3 victories over Nelson at second singles.Spartan John Wight topped Derek Boeve by 6-2 and 6-0 tallies at third singles. Pierce Norton notched 6-1 and 6-0 wins against Zach Sanderson at No. 4.

Adrian eighth-grader packs bags for Blaine

By John RittenhouseA Luverne High School freshman earned a trip to the state track meet in Blaine based on her performance during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday. June 2.Lexi Heitkamp, who qualified for the state meet in the 1,600-meter run last spring, will make a repeat appearance at the event after winning the section title in the 800-meter run.Individuals who place first or second, the championship relay teams and any individuals or relay teams who meet the state-qualifying standards that are in place for the section meet earn the right to compete at the state classic.Heitkamp is the lone LHS girl to advance.Heitkamp turned in a time of 2:21.31 to win the 800. Her time is an improvement over a school-record effort she turned in earlier this year.The LHS athlete is scheduled to run at 2:20 p.m., Saturday, at the National Sports Center in Blaine.With Heitkamp leading the way, Luverne scored 20 team points and tied for 11th place in the section field.Victoria Arends and Katie Schneiderman also produced team points for LHS.Arends placed third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 49.5. Schniederman finished sixth in the 3,200-meter run in 12:30.81.Luverne placed eighth in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 4:17.18. Arends, Amy Herman, Nicole Willers and Heitkamp formed the team.Here is a look at the team standings and the other results turned in by LHS athletes at the section meet.Team standings: Pipestone 84, Windom 65, Lac qui Parle Valley-Dawson-Boyd 60, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 55, Jackson County Central 50, BOLD 40, Adrian 26, Murray County Central 23, Canby-Minneota 22, Luverne 20, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton-Lake Benton 20, Southwest United 20, Renville County West 19, Southwest Christian 18, Yellow Medicine East 16, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central 15, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton 14, Redwood Valley 13, Benson-Kerhhoven-Murdock-Sunberg 12, Comfrey-Springfield 10, Montevideo 7, Fulda 5, Ortonville 5, Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 5, Lincoln HI 4, Wabasso 4.Individual resultsNinth place: 3,200 relay (Arends, Kayla Raddle, Kelsey Dooyema, Heitkamp), 10:27.17.10th place: Erin Hoiland, 100, 13.96; Dooyema, 1,600, 6:06.04.11th place: Hoiland, long jump, 15-4.12th place: Natalie Willers, shot, 32-2 1/2; 800 relay (Hoiland, Abby Elbers, Brittany Mulder and Nc.Willers), 1:54.2.13th place: 400 relay (Hoiland, Morgan Bosshart, Mulder and Nc.Willers), 53.99.14th place: Maggie Kuhlman, 100 hurdles, 17.97.15th place: Raddle, 3,200, 13:30.3.19th place: Schniederman, pole vault, 7-0.

Bush advances for H-BC-E-E

By John RittenhouseWhat has been a standout track career for Tyler Bush was extended for one more week during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday.Bush, a senior member of the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton team, earned his fourth consecutive trip to the Minnesota State High School Class A Championships during the section meet.Bush turned in a time of 1:57.97 during the 800-meter run, placing second in the event to Southwest Christian’s Brent Van Schepen (1:57.08).With the top two finishers in individual events, the championship relay team and any individual or relay team meeting the state-qualifying standards in place for the section meet earning trips to state, Bush met the criteria in the 800. He is the only H-BC-E-E athlete who will compete at the National Sports Center in Blaine."This is the fourth consecutive year Tyler has qualified for state in the 800," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "He placed eighth in state as a freshman, fifth in state as a sophomore and fourth in state as a junior. He’s hoping to improve on those finishes this year."Bush’s effort in the 800 helped the Patriots score 22 points and place 12th as a team in the section standings.The 1,600-meter relay team consisting of Kale Wiertzema, Bush, Cody Scholten and Darrin Weikamp placed fourth in 3:34.84.H-BC-E-E received sixth-place finishes from Wiertzema (53.04 in the 400-meter dash), Scholten (6-0 in the high jump) and the 400-meter relay team. Bush, Wiertzema, Scholten and Casey Van Midden Dorp ran the 400 relay in 49.99.The Patriot girls placed 18th as a team with 14 points during the meet.H-BC-E-E’s top effort came from the 1,600-meter relay, which placed third in 4:13.95. Mya Mann, Amanda Tilstra, Cassi Tilstra and Jocelyn Bucher formed the team.Cassi Tilstra finished fifth with a time of 59.97 in 400-meter dash.The 3,200-meter relay of Amanda and Cassi Tilstra, Mann and Ashley Bucher placed sixth with a time of 10:21.43. The 400-meter relay team of Amanda Connors, Rosie Lewis, Mann and Kelly Mulder capped the scoring by placing eighth in 53.47.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s results from the Section 3A meet.H-BC-E-E boys14th place: Cody Schilling, triple jump, 37-4 1/2; 800 relay (Jon Klaassen, Schilling, Roger DeBoer and Van Midden Dorp), 1:41.17.15th place: 3,200 relay (Tyler Paulsen, Brent Kramer, Dustin Verhey and Cody Penning), 9:30.96.16th place: Van Midden Dorp, 100, 12.79.H-BC-E-E girls13th place: Lewis, discus, 94-0.14th place: Lewis, shot, 31-0 1/4.16th place: Amanda DeBoer, 1,600, 6:21.56; 800 relay (Connors, Mulder, Lewis and J.Bucher), 1:56.

Luverne claws its way into championship round Tuesday

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne baseball team battled its way through the loser’s bracket of the Section 3AA Tournament, giving the Cardinals a chance to play for a section title tonight in Granite Falls.Playing four elimination games in a span of seven days, the Cardinals defeated Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, Lac qui Parle Valley, Montevideo and Windom to remain alive in the double-elimination event.The 15-9 Cardinals will play Pipestone, the tournament’s lone undefeated team at 5 p.m. today in Granite Falls. An LHS victory in the opener would set up a championship game later this evening.Luverne 4, Windom 3The Cardinals recorded their fifth straight win in elimination play when they nipped the Eagles by one run in Marshall Tuesday.Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom half of the seventh inning, Luverne battled back to tie the game by scoring one unearned run and won it with another unearned counter in the eighth frame.Facing a one-run deficit in the seventh, Jared Pick and J.T. Bruynes started a one-out rally by drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch respectively. Zach Wysong then sent a bouncer to Windom’s shortstop, who booted the ball, allowing Pick to score the tying run.Brett Lundgren walked and Brad Herman reached base on an error to start the eighth inning. Dustin Richters attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Lundgren was forced out at third base.With Herman on second base and Richters occupying first, Richters was instructed to take an extra big lead off the bag. By doing so, he drew a throw to first from the pitcher. Windom’s first baseman couldn’t catch the ball, allowing it to roll down the right-field line. Herman scored from second base on the throwing error to end the game.Windom scored the game’s first run in the top of the fourth before Lundgren drew a bases-loaded walk and Herman slapped an RBI single to give the Cards a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.The Eagles regained the lead at 3-2 in the top of the fifth.Herman pitched four and one-third innings of two-hit, three-run (one was earned) ball without gaining a decision. Wysong picked up the win after tossing three and two-thirds innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.Box score AB R H BIPick 2 1 1 0Bruynes 2 0 0 0Wysong 3 1 1 0Boelman 2 1 0 0Nath 4 0 0 0Lundgren 1 0 0 0Herman 3 1 1 1Richters 4 0 1 0Tofteland 4 0 0 0Luverne 17,Montevideo 8The Cardinals completed their two-game sweep in Granite Falls Monday by rolling to a nine-run victory over the Thunder Hawks.Luverne scored 12 runs in the first three innings of the contest during a 17-run, 16-hit offensive eruption. Marc Boelman and Ben Nath led the offensive outburst by driving in four runs each. Wysong chipped in three RBIs.The Cards opened a commanding 12-0 lead by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, six in the second and four in the third.Boelman, who was a homer short of hitting for a cycle during the game, opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first.Nath belted a three-run homer, Wysong doubled home two runs and Bruynes contributed a sacrifice fly to the six-run rally in the second. Boelman tripled home two runs, Bruynes slapped an RBI single and Wysong recorded a sacrifice fly to make it 12-0 in the third.Montevideo put together a five-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to avoid losing the game by the 10-run rule, but the Cards answered with a four-run surge in the sixth featuring a run-scoring double by Nath and RBI singles from Lundgren, Richters and Pick to lead 16-5.Montevideo plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth before Luverne capped the scoring when Wysong doubles and scored on an error in the seventh.Bruynes pitched a complete game for the Cards. He surrendered eight hits and six walks during a four-strikeout performance.Box score AB R H BIPick 3 3 2 1Bruynes 4 2 2 2Wysong 4 2 2 3Boelman 3 2 3 4Nath 4 2 2 4Cote 5 0 0 0Lundgren 5 1 0 1Richters 4 3 3 1Tofteland 4 2 2 0Luverne 7, LQPV 1The Cardinals opened play Tuesday by besting the Eagles in a six-run contest played in Granite Falls.The teams battled to a scoreless draw through three innings of play, but Luverne assumed control of the contest by scoring six runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth to open a 7-0 advantage.Richters and Bruynes came up with key hits by delivering a two-run single and a two-run double during the six-run fourth. Nath added an RBI double and John Tofteland contributed a run-scoring single to the rally.Nath singled and scored on an error in the top of the fifth before LQPV plated its lone run of the game, an unearned counter, against Luverne pitcher Pick.Pick tossed a gem for LHS, limiting the Eagles to five hits and one walk while recording nine strikeouts.Box score AB R H BIPick 2 0 1 0Bruynes 3 0 1 2Wysong 3 1 2 0Boelman 4 0 0 0Nath 4 2 2 1Herman 4 1 1 0Lundgren 3 1 1 0Richters 4 1 1 2Tofteland 4 1 1 1Luverne 8, T-M-B 3The Cardinals won their second straight elimination game when they topped the Panthers by five runs in Milroy Wednesday, June 1.The game was tied at two after five innings of play, but the Cardinals scored six runs in the final two innings to win handily.Luverne’s Tofteland and Pick ignited a four-run rally in the top of the sixth with a single and double respectively.Wysong plated Tofteland with the go-ahead run with a single, and Taylor Graphenteen followed with a two-run single. Nath added an RBI single before the inning was complete, leaving the Cardinals with a 6-2 advantage.T-M-B plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 6-3 game before Luverne capped the scoring with a two-run seventh inning.Boelman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Graphenteen drew a bases-loaded walk to account for Luverne’s counters in the seventh.After T-M-B took a 2-0 lead in the first, Luverne knotted the score in the top of the second.Bruynes plated Luverne’s first run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Wysong tied the game with a RBI single.Nath pitched the first three and two-thirds innings. He yielded two runs without gaining a decision. Wysong picked up the win after pitching three and one-third innings of one-run relief.Box score AB R H BIPick 3 1 1 0Bruynes 5 1 1 1Wysong 5 1 3 2Boelman 3 0 1 1Graphenteen 4 1 2 3Nath 5 0 1 1Herman 2 1 0 0Cote 1 0 1 0Richters 4 0 2 0Tofteland 2 3 1 0

Dragons enter driver's seat with win

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian baseball team will play for its third Section 3A Tournament title in the last four years today in Windom.After posting a seven-run win against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunberg Wednesday, June 1, in Montevideo, and nipping Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin by two runs in Windom Monday, the Dragons are the double-elimination tournament’s lone undefeated team.Adrian, 14-9 overall, will play in the championship round today in Windom. AHS will play ML-B-O or Springfield at 5 p.m. A win would give the Dragons a section title. A loss would set up a second game later that night.Adrian 5, ML-B-O 3The Dragons posted an extra-innings victory over the Wolverines to earn their berth in the championship round Monday in Windom.After facing a pair of one-run deficits during the first five innings of play, AHS rallied to tie the score at three in the sixth inning before producing the game-winning runs in the top of the ninth.John Archer and Cody Kontz drew walks to ignite Adrian’s ninth-inning surge. Two outs later, Brandon Diekman was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Glen Kruger, who capped a three-hit, three-RBI game by delivering a two-run single to give AHS a 5-3 cushion.Will Lutmer, who tossed all nine innings for the Dragons, blanked the Wolverines in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.ML-B-0 plated one unearned run in the bottom of the first inning before Adrian moved in front 2-1 in the top of the fifth. Joel Hoffman received an RBI for a fielder’s choice and Alex Suedkamp slapped an RBI single to give AHS a one-run lead.The Wolverines scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead at 3-2, but Levi Bullerman singled and scored on a single by Kruger in the sixth to knot the score at three.Lutmer fanned six batters, walked four and yielded six hits during this complete-game effort on the mound.Adrian 7, K-M-S 0The Dragons emerged as one of two tournament unbeaten teams when they blanked K-M-S in Montevideo June 1.David Hoffer threw a seven-inning shutout and Brent Tjepkes and Lutmer drove in two runs at the plate to lead AHS to a seven-run win over the Fighting Saints.Hoffer limited K-M-S to four hits during the game. He hit one batter and recorded one strikeout.Hoffer’s teammates gave him all the support he needed when they scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning.Kruger was hit by a pitch and Hoffer singled to start the rally. Lutmer singled home Kruger, and Tjepkes doubled to score Hoffer. Alex Suedkamp lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to send Lutmer home with the third run of the inning.Adrian scored two runs in the fifth and seventh innings to cap the scoring.Hoffer picked up a RBI for a fielder’s choice and Lutmer singled home a run in the fifth.Hoffer walked and scored on a passed ball in the seventh. Tjepkes received an RBI for a fielder’s choice to cap the scoring.

LHS boys land 3A team crown

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys experienced an extremely successful day during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday.Along with winning the team championship at the meet for the first time since 2002, the six Cardinal boys earned the right to compete at the state meet in five events."We had a very good day," said Cardinal Coach Craig Nelson, who was named the Section 3A Boys Track Coach of the Year at meet’s end. "It was a very good effort by everybody."Luverne compiled 78 points to easily outscore Fulda, which placed second in team competition with 64 points. The Cardinals scored points in eight events during the meet.Athletes qualify for the state meet by placing first or second, winning a relay or meeting the state-qualifying standard during section competition. Luverne athletes won one relay, three individual titles and placed second in two events.Advancing to the state championships set for Friday and Saturday at the National Sports Center in Blaine are juniors Mike Kunstle, Jake Hendricks, Tom Ward and Jordan Siebenahler, sophomore Ben Uphoff and freshman Chris Ashby.Kunstle will compete in three events at state. He won the 100-meter dash in 11.45, placed second in the 200-meter dash in 23.39 and ran the anchor leg with the winning 800-meter relay, which set a new school and Section 3A record with a time of 1:31.89. Hendricks, Ward and Siebenahler round out the squad.There will be preliminary events for the 100- and 200-meter dash and the 800-meter relay Friday in Blaine. The finals will be Saturday with the 100 set for 11:23 a.m., the 200 at 2:20 p.m. and the 800 relay at 11:53 a.m.Along with running with the 800 relay, Hendricks won a section title with a time of 50.72 in the 400-meter dash. He will run in a preliminary race Friday in Blaine. The 400 finals are set for 1:35 p.m. on Saturday.Ashby and Uphoff qualified for state in the same event after placing first and second in the 300-meter hurdles. Ashby turned in a 41.51. Uphoff was timed at 42.02.There will be preliminary races in the 300-meter hurdles Friday. The finals are set for 2:07 p.m. on Saturday.Luverne made a bid to win the 3,200-meter relay before finishing second with a time of 8:36.5. Ward, Thomas Pinkal, Scott Goebel and Nick Otten formed the team.The Cardinals placed third in the 1,600-meter relay with a 3:31.64 effort. Ruston Aaker, Goebel, Otten and Hendricks ran the race.Aaker placed third with a time of 52.67 in the 400, and the 400-meter relay team of Ashby, Uphoff, Ryan Wynia and Siebenahler placed seventh in 46.03 to round out the team scoring.Here is a look at the team standings and the rest of Luverne results during the section meet.Team standings: Luverne 78, Fulda 64, Southwest Christian 54, Redwood Valley 49, Lac qui Parle Valley-Dawson-Boyd 46.50, Jackson County Central 44, Benson-Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunberg 42, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 40, MACCTAY 37, Montevideo 35, Pipestone 31, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton 22, Murray County Central 20, Wndom 20, Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 16, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central 14, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton-Lake Benton 13.5, Yellow Medicine East 11, Adrian 11, Ortonville 10, BOLD 10, Comfrey-Springfield 8, Renville County West 7, Wabasso 4.Individual resultsNinth place: Ryan Wynia and Jim Broomfield field for ninth place in the pole vault after clearing 10-6.12th place: Ashby, 110 hurdles, 17.21.13th place: Pinkal, 1,600, 5:03.27; Uphoff, 110 hurdles, 17.32.14th place: Tony Willers, discus, 112-7.15th place: Michael Nelson, pole vault, 10-0.16th place: Tim Miller, triple jump, 35-8.17th place: Miller, high jump, 5-6.

Goettsch retires from Luverne school district after 34 years

By Lori EhdeKindergarten teacher Peggy Goettsch told her students this year that she’s been going to school for 50 years.Her 34 years of teaching plus her own years as a student have added up to a half-century in the classroom.Goettsch, Hills, spent the better part of her career — teaching in Luverne. "I’m starting to get children of students I’ve had, so you know it’s getting time to retire," she said. "It’s fun to see how people have grown up."In one case, she said, both parents of one of her students were former students in the same classroom.Goettsch said she’s enjoyed her work, but she decided to take advantage of the Rule of 90, which means her age and her years of experience add up to 90."My brother died last year in a car accident and he was only 51," she said."I looked at that and said life is just too short. I decided when I reached the Rule of 90 I would try relaxing.Goettsch and her husband, Dean Goettsch, are from the Freeborn area where they were both teachers. Dean taught business education in the Freeborn district, and Peggy taught elementary school in Adams for a year and then in Alden for seven years.She said she’s always loved kids and grew up babisitting frequently, so in many ways teaching was a fulfillment of her childhood dream."We used to play school when we were little, and an old sewing machine was my teacher’s desk," Goettsch said. "Since I was four and six years older than my siblings, I got to be the teacher."When the Freeborn school started downsizing, Dean felt his position would be eliminated and he accepted a position at the Exchange State Bank in Hills. Peggy then sent her resume to schools near that community.When Luverne offered her a job, she took it. She started teaching when the Luverne elementary school was still in the center of town. Her room was in the northwest corner of the building, and there were no bathrooms and no running water near her classroom."The boys had to go upstairs to use the bathroom, and the girls had to go across the gym," she said. "I had a girl in a wheel chair and I had to carry her up the stairs."Ed Salzer was elementary principal at the time and Norm Miller was superintendent.Three days after she signed her contract in Luverne, the Hills school offered a position.Despite other career opportunities through the years, Goettsch said she’s enjoyed living in Hills and working in Luverne."I would have had to teach my own children if I worked in Hills," she said, adding that the arrangement has allowed her to meet more people."I’ll miss the friendships at school."She said one highlight of her career in Luverne was heading up the Junior First Grade program, which was for students who had completed kindergarten but weren’t yet ready for first grade. "It was a challenge," she said. "But it was exciting to see them catch on. All of a sudden they’d say, ‘I got it! Now I know what you’re talking about.’"Goettsch said it was rewarding for her to see her Junior First Grade students go on to make the A and B honor rolls in high school."Kindergarten was just overwhelming for them," she said. "It just gave them another year to mature."She taught the program for 12 years, but when all day every day kindergarten was implemented, the program wasn’t as needed as much, because teachers were able to work with students in the afternoon to catch up.Now, with kindergarten cut to half days again, Goettsch said Luverne is implementing a program similar to Junior First Grade, called "Transitional First Grade.""A half day just isn’t long enough to teach the curriculum," she said. "They need time to run and play in between."She said she’ll miss the relationships she’s had with their students. "I had one student on my last day hug me and give me a kiss on the cheek and say, ‘I love you Mrs. Goettsch.’ And you’d think after as much as I had to scold that little boy, he wouldn’t love me very much," she said."Every child is different, and every child has a different background, so you’ve got to be creative with your approach."The Goettsches have two grown children, Annette and Tony, who both live in Sioux Falls and both work at First National Bank.

H-BC Board votes to ask former member to fill vacancy

By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek School Board members met Monday to discuss what action they will take to fill the vacant board seat.Board Member Matt Larson announced his resignation at the March 25 meeting. His final meeting was on May 23.Gary Esselink, on behalf of the personnel committee, presented the board with four options for handling the vacant seat.üThe board can appoint a former board member.üThe board can appoint an individual from the community.üThe board can solicit names from the community. üThe board can select a person based on discussion in an open meeting.Before deciding, the board discussed the fact that 2005 is a school board election year, so an appointed person would serve through December. At that time the seat would be open to the candidate chosen in open election.Board members were hesitant to appoint someone who hasn’t served on the board before because they wouldn’t have enough time to learn the process before either running for election or being replaced."This is a short-lived position, and we wouldn’t want to give an unfair advantage to someone running in the fall," said board chairman Alan Harnack.Following a brief discussion the board agreed that former board member Roland Crawford would be best suited for the appointment because he was the last individual to leave the board.Lois Leuthold made a motion to nominate Roland Crawford to finish out the remainder of Matt Larson’s term on the H-BC School Board. The motion was seconded by Lloyd DeBoer and approved by the board.Although the board approved the nomination, it won’t be official unless Crawford accepts the position.The board also voted to approve a resolution establishing dates for filing affidavits of candidacy for the fall election.There are four four-year terms up for re-election this fall. They are currently occupied by board members Tim Baker, Matt Larson (recently vacated), Harnack and Leuthold.The resolution outlined the election process.üThe period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of school board member begins on July 5, 2005, and closes on July 19 at 4 p.m.üAffidavits for candidacy are available from the school district clerk in Hills for a $2 filing fee.üA candidate for office must be an eligible voter, 21 or more years of age, have been a resident of the school district from which the candidate seeks election for 30 days before the general election and have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the same general election.üNotice of the filing dates will be posted and advertised in accordance with the law.üThe general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005. At that election, four members will be elected to the school board for terms of four years each.The motion to pass the resolution was made by Esselink and seconded by Ann Boeve.In other school news:üThe board authorized $30,000 for Superintendent David Deragisch to purchase a used bus.Deragisch confirmed with the H-BC auditor that the money was available due to the board’s fiscal responsibility over the past year.He will begin shopping for a used bus and hopes to make the purchase during the summer months. He will contact the H-BC transportation committee with details before making the purchase.Currently H-BC has six buses; the additional bus would put less pressure on the school district when buses are in need of repair.üDeragisch presented the board with a letter of resignation on behalf of high school special education teacher Jennifer Madsen.Madsen took a position at a school near Vermillion, S.D., which is closer to her home and family."I enjoyed teaching at Hills-Beaver Creek and will miss the students, staff and the administration. Thank you again for your support and guidance over the past year."Although Deragisch admits that this is a hard loss, he is confident the school district will be able to handle the situation.üH-BC School Board members passed three policies during their Monday meeting.The new version of Policy 210 was adopted. The new version of the policy would not allow board members’ earnings from the school district to exceed $8,000 in one fiscal year. Board members receiving more than that amount would have a conflict of interest in serving on the board and would need to either step down from their position or stop working for the school.The original version of the policy limits earnings to $5,000. üThe new version of Policy 211 was amended to include the words "juvenile justice" under the Criminal Charges or Conduct section of the policy.The addition of these words gives the school authority to release educational and personnel data to juvenile justice and law enforcement authorities.üThe final policy adopted was Policy 213. This policy mandates that school districts appoint board members to the following standing committees: finance, policy, building and grounds and negotiations.

Tyler Bush advances to state track meet

By John RittenhouseWhat has been a standout track career for Tyler Bush was extended for one more week during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday.Bush, a senior member of the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton team, earned his fourth consecutive trip to the Minnesota State High School Class A Championships during the section meet.Bush turned in a time of 1:57.97 during the 800-meter run, placing second in the event to Southwest Christian’s Brent Van Schepen (1:57.08).With the top two finishers in individual events, the championship relay team and any individual or relay team meeting the state-qualifying standards in place for the section meet earning trips to state, Bush met the criteria in the 800. He is the only H-BC-E-E athlete who will compete at the National Sports Center in Blaine."This is the fourth consecutive year Tyler has qualified for state in the 800," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "He placed eighth in state as a freshman, fifth in state as a sophomore and fourth in state as a junior. He’s hoping to improve on those finishes this year."Bush’s effort in the 800 helped the Patriots score 22 points and place 12th as a team in the section standings.The 1,600-meter relay team consisting of Kale Wiertzema, Bush, Cody Scholten and Darrin Weikamp placed fourth in 3:34.84.H-BC-E-E received sixth-place finishes from Wiertzema (53.04 in the 400-meter dash), Scholten (6-0 in the high jump) and the 400-meter relay team. Bush, Wiertzema, Scholten and Casey Van Midden Dorp ran the 400 relay in 49.99.The Patriot girls placed 18th as a team with 14 points during the meet.H-BC-E-E’s top effort came from the 1,600-meter relay, which placed third in 4:13.95. Mya Mann, Amanda Tilstra, Cassi Tilstra and Jocelyn Bucher formed the team.Cassi Tilstra finished fifth with a time of 59.97 in 400-meter dash.The 3,200-meter relay of Amanda and Cassi Tilstra, Mann and Ashley Bucher placed sixth with a time of 10:21.43. The 400-meter relay team of Amanda Connors, Rosie Lewis, Mann and Kelly Mulder capped the scoring by placing eighth in 53.47.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s results from the Section 3A meet.H-BC-E-E boys14th place: Cody Schilling, triple jump, 37-4 1/2; 800 relay (Jon Klaassen, Schilling, Roger DeBoer and Van Midden Dorp), 1:41.17.15th place: 3,200 relay (Tyler Paulsen, Brent Kramer, Dustin Verhey and Cody Penning), 9:30.96.16th place: Van Midden Dorp, 100, 12.79.H-BC-E-E girls13th place: Lewis, discus, 94-0.14th place: Lewis, shot, 31-0 1/4.16th place: Amanda DeBoer, 1,600, 6:21.56; 800 relay (Connors, Mulder, Lewis and J.Bucher), 1:56.

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