I am certain most of the readers of the Hills Crescent were aware that two weeks ago Ken Burns, director and producer of "The Civil War" and "History of Baseball" for viewing on PBS, was in Luverne.They were shooting film for Burns’ next major project, "The War" — World War II as it affected Luverne, Minn., Mobile, Ala., Sacremento, Calif. and Waterbury, Conn.I was informed last week that Florentine Films, Ken Burns' Company, is looking for pictures from Rock County that reflect life on the home front during World War Two. They, Florentine Films, have enough coverage from the veterans’ side but not enough from the civilian/home front side.If you have photos of that nature and are willing to share them with Florentine Films, you would be contributing to Rock County and its role in World War Two. Copies of originals are fine, originals of course are welcome! Be assured that any pictures sent will eventually be returned.You have two ways to get the pictures to Florentine Film: oYou can get them to Betty Mann, Rock County Historian in Luverne oor you can mail them to the following address:FLORENTINE FILMSATTN: Meghan Horvath 875 Sixth Ave. Suite 1911New York, New York, 10001-3507The actual presentation of "The War" is scheduled for 2007. Thanks for helping!Col. (Ret) Jim Fleming

STATE OF MINNESOTA IN DISTRICT COURTCOUNTY OF ROCK FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTSOUTHWEST MINNESOTA FARMERS COOP,f/k/a LUVERNE FARMERS ELEVATOR, INC.,f/k/a FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE ELEVATORCOMPANY OF LUVERNE Plaintiff,AND SUMMONSLeROY D. TWEET AND DONNA TWEET;COCHRANE FERTILIZER, INC; J.R. SIMPLOTCOMPANY; HAWKEYE LAND COMPANY; LAND O’LAKES, INC.; AND ALL OTHER PERSONS AND ENTITIESUNKNOWN AND THEIR UNKNOWN HEIRSCLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, FILE NO.INTEREST, OR LIEN IN THE REAL ESTATEDESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, Defendants.THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to serve on Plaintiff’s attorney a Response to the complaint which is on file in the office of the Court Administrator of the above named Court within twenty (20) days after service of this Summon upon you, exclusive of the day of service. If you fail to do so, judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint which involves, affects or brings in question real property situated in the County of Rock, State of Minnesota legally described as follows, to-wit: Kenneth PropertyAll that part of the former station grounds of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company in the Village of Kenneth, Minnesota, located in the North Half of the Southeast Quarter (N1/2 of SE1/4) of Section Two (2), Township One Hundred Three (103) North, of Range Forty-four (44) West, of the 5th P.M., Rock County, Minnesota, described as follows: Commencing at a point on the East line of Section 2, which is 175 feet South of the South line of First Street in the Village of Kenneth, as the point of beginning; thence westerly 350 feet along a line 175 feet South and parallel with the South line of First Street; thence Northerly along a line parallel with the East line of Section 2, to a point on the south line of First Street which is 350 feet West of the East line of Section 2; thence Easterly along the South line of First Street 350 feet to the East line of Section 2; thence Southerly along the East line of Section 2 to the point of beginning, and subject to highway easements.ANDAll that part of the former station grounds of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company in the City of Kenneth, located in the North Half of the Southeast Quarter (N1/2 of SE1/4) of Section Two (2), in Township One Hundred Three (103) North, of Range Forty-four (44) West, of the 5th P.M., described as follows:Commencing at a point on the East line of Section 2, which is 300 feet South of the South line of First Street in the City of Kenneth, as the point of beginning; thence Westerly 568 feet along a line 300 feet South and parallel with the South line of First Street; thence at right angles and Northerly 125 feet (to a point 175 feet south of the South line of First Street); thence Easterly along a line 175 feet South of and parallel with the South line of First Street to the Section line; thence Southerly along the Section line to the point of beginning, and subject to highway easements.Luverne PropertyA parcel of land located in the Northeast Quarter (NE1/4) of Section Eleven (11), Township One Hundred Two (102) North, Range Forty-five (45) West of the 5th P.M., located in the City of Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota, described as follows:Beginning at the intersection of the west line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company’s Right-of-way, now abandoned, and the south line of Dodge Street; thence Easterly along the south line of Dodge Street a distance of 150 feet; thence Southerly at right angles a distance of 50 feet; thence Easterly at right angles a distance of 50 feet to a point on the east line of said right-of-way; thence Southerly along the east line of said right-of-way a distance of 250 feet; thence Westerly parallel to Dodge Street a distance of 200 feet to a point on the west line of said right-of-way; thence Northerly along the west line of said right-of-way a distance of 300 feet to the point of beginning, subject to easements, if any.EXCEPTING THEREFROM:The West twenty-five feet (25 ft.) of the above described property.The object of this proceeding is to Quiet Title to the real estate described above by excluding the Defendants from any interest in said real estate.Dated: June 6, 2005By: /s/ Benjamin Vander Kooi, Jr.Attorney for PlaintiffBENJAMIN VANDER KOOI, JR.VANDER KOOI LAW OFFICES, P.A.127 East Main, P.O. Box 746Luverne, Minnesota 56156(507) 283-9546Attorney I.D. No. 112124(6-9, 6-16, 6-23)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALENOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage: DATE OF MORTGAGE: July 10, 2000ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $38,286.45MORTGAGOR: Calvin C. Morrison and Mary Ann MorrisonMORTGAGEE: Minnwest Bank, Luverne, a Minnesota banking corporationDATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Filed for record July 18, 2000 as Document No.148176 with the Rock County Recorder’s OfficeLEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:A tract of land in Rock County Minnesota in the Southwest Quarter (SW 1/4) of Section Nineteen (19) in Township One Hundred Four (104) North of Range Forty Four (44) West of the 5th P.M., which is described as follows, to wit:Beginning at the Southwest Corner of said SW 1/4, going in an Easterly direction 690 feet along the South line of said section to the point of beginning, thence in a Northerly direction 689 feet parallel to the West section Line, thence in a Westerly direction 300 feet parallel with the South section line; thence in a Northerly direction 410 feet parallel to the West section line, thence in an Easterly direction 464 feet parallel with the North section line; thence in a Southerly direction 410 feet parallel with the East section line; thence in a Westerly direction 124 feet parallel with the South section line; thence in a Southerly direction 689 feet parallel with the East section line; thence in a westerly direction 40 feet along the South section line to the point of beginning. AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $39,701.23THAT prior to the commencing of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by statute;THAT no action or proceeding at law is now pending to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;PURSUANT to the power of sale in the mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of Rock County as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: June 30, 2005 at 10:00 A.M.PLACE OF SALE: The west front steps of the Rock County Law Enforcement Center, located at 213 East Luverne Street, Luverne, Minnesota, to pay the debt secured by said Mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorney fees allowed by law subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the Mortgagors, their personal representatives or assigns. THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.Dated: May 13, 2005 Minnwest Bank Luverne/s/ Jeffrey L. HaubrichBy: Jeffrey L. HaubrichAttorney in fact for MortgageeAttorneys for MortgageeKlosterbuer and Haubrich, LLPP.O. Box 538Luverne, MN 56156-0538Telephone: 507-283-9111IMPORTANT NOTICEThis notice is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. (5-19, 5-26, 6-2, 6-9, 6-16, 6-23)

Vietnam vets celebrate 30th anniversaryThe Sioux Falls VA Medical Center is inviting Vietnam veterans, their families and area residents to attend a welcome home celebration on July 2nd, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.According to Ron Hansen, Rock County Veterans Service Officer, the program honoring the vets will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center.James Sursely, Vietnam Vet and National DAV Commander, will be the keynote speaker.The Air National Guard traveling band will be on hand to perform, and lunch will be provided for Vietnam vets and their immediate family members.Where is my refund?If you are one of those still wondering where your federal tax refund is, you can check with the IRS Web site.In 2004, more that 14 million people used the "Where’s My Refund" Web site to check on the status of their money.For Minnesotans, the IRS processed 1.7 million refunds by June 1. In 2004, 1.88 million refunds were processed for Minnesota residents.So far in 2005, the average refund is $2,113.To get your refund status, you will need the following information:
Your social security number
Your filing status
Your refund amountAre you ready for the circus?The Luverne Chamber of Commerce is once again teaming up with the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus to bring the Big Top to Luverne.Culpepper and Merriweather will perform two shows on Wednesday, June 29, at the Rock County Fairgrounds.The shows will run from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and again from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.But that’s not all. From 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. you can watch the raising of the Big Top, then stay for the free morning show and tour.You will even get to learn circus facts from the performers, history of the show and different species of animals in the circus family.Advance tickets can be purchased at the Luverne Chamber office or at Glen’s Food Center.For more information on the circus, contact the Chamber at 283-4061.I’m from the DNR and I’m here to helpUnfortunately, a lot of people view the Department of Natural Resources as the agency that is really good at "just saying no."They probably do say "no" a lot, but they also have a lot of advice and assistance that can be very beneficial on various projects you want to tackle on your property.Whether a landowner is interested in establishing native grasses, restoring a wetland, planting trees and shrubs, controlling exotic species such as buckthorn, or improving water quality, a DNR private land specialist can be a valuable ally for any landowner interested in enhancing or adding wildlife habitat to their property.According to Jodi Provost, a private land specialist with the DNR, most private landowners think that if they get the DNR’s help, their land won’t be private anymore. Not so.According to Provost, over 75 percent of the land in Minnesota is privately owned and in northeast Minnesota 87 percent of the sharp-tailed grouse habitat is on private land.If you have land that you would like to improve for natural habitat, you can find out more about how the DNR can help by going to their Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us or contact Emily Hutchins at 507-445-5841.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Vietnam vets celebrate 30th anniversaryThe Sioux Falls VA Medical Center is inviting Vietnam veterans, their families and area residents to attend a welcome home celebration on July 2nd, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.According to Ron Hansen, Rock County Veterans Service Officer, the program honoring the vets will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center.James Sursely, Vietnam Vet and National DAV Commander, will be the keynote speaker.The Air National Guard traveling band will be on hand to perform, and lunch will be provided for Vietnam vets and their immediate family members.Where is my refund?If you are one of those still wondering where your federal tax refund is, you can check with the IRS Web site.In 2004, more that 14 million people used the "Where’s My Refund" Web site to check on the status of their money.For Minnesotans, the IRS processed 1.7 million refunds by June 1. In 2004, 1.88 million refunds were processed for Minnesota residents.So far in 2005, the average refund is $2,113.To get your refund status, you will need the following information:
Your social security number
Your filing status
Your refund amountAre you ready for the circus?The Luverne Chamber of Commerce is once again teaming up with the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus to bring the Big Top to Luverne.Culpepper and Merriweather will perform two shows on Wednesday, June 29, at the Rock County Fairgrounds.The shows will run from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and again from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.But that’s not all. From 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. you can watch the raising of the Big Top, then stay for the free morning show and tour.You will even get to learn circus facts from the performers, history of the show and different species of animals in the circus family.Advance tickets can be purchased at the Luverne Chamber office or at Glen’s Food Center.For more information on the circus, contact the Chamber at 283-4061.I’m from the DNR and I’m here to helpUnfortunately, a lot of people view the Department of Natural Resources as the agency that is really good at "just saying no."They probably do say "no" a lot, but they also have a lot of advice and assistance that can be very beneficial on various projects you want to tackle on your property.Whether a landowner is interested in establishing native grasses, restoring a wetland, planting trees and shrubs, controlling exotic species such as buckthorn, or improving water quality, a DNR private land specialist can be a valuable ally for any landowner interested in enhancing or adding wildlife habitat to their property.According to Jodi Provost, a private land specialist with the DNR, most private landowners think that if they get the DNR’s help, their land won’t be private anymore. Not so.According to Provost, over 75 percent of the land in Minnesota is privately owned and in northeast Minnesota 87 percent of the sharp-tailed grouse habitat is on private land.If you have land that you would like to improve for natural habitat, you can find out more about how the DNR can help by going to their Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us or contact Emily Hutchins at 507-445-5841.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council could put funding for a Fire Hall expansion on a special election ballot sometime this year.There isn’t a cost estimate yet, because an architectural firm hasn’t made plans. However, longtime local contractor Virgil Christensen has drawn preliminary plans for the expansion. He built the original in the 1960s.Fire Department Chief Don Deutsch said, "Our goal is to have everything under one roof."A new truck coming in just three weeks has to be temporarily stored in the city’s electric department building because the Fire Hall is too low for it to fit.The preliminary plans call for an addition to the west that would double the length of the building and bring it up to code.While handicap accessibility may not seem necessary for firefighters who have to pass physical tests in order to serve, it is necessary to be handicap accessible as a public building. The Fire Department hosts public education activities and annual visits from school children, who may have disabilities or be in wheelchairs.The addition of more bays will bring all the equipment inside one building and make everything easier to access for emergencies. The drive-through bays will mean fire department members won’t have to back out in every case.The addition of four bays leaves one open for the future growth of the department.The 37 firefighters are also a part of rope rescue teams and deal with hazardous materials, and space is needed for that equipment.The building can expand on existing property without having to purchase more land to the west. However, parking may be an issue in the future.The Luverne City Council will decide at a future meeting whether to get detailed cost estimates from an architect. Then the council will decide whether to put borrowing money for an expansion on a ballot.

By Sara QuamCounty Commissioners have more information to help them decide what to do with the Law Enforcement Center — whether to rebuild or remodel.Building a new facility by the Rock County Highway Department on Blue Mound Avenue would cost about $2,122,252.Remodeling and adding on to the existing Law Enforcement Center would cost about $2,465,669.Both plans have allowances for new furniture and fixtures, contingencies and inflation costs because the work won’t be done in 2005.Bryan Paulsen, architect, presented the two plans to the Rock County Board Tuesday.One of the biggest issues for commissioners is finding a new occupant for the existing LEC if they do rebuild.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "There’s going to be a lot of discussion for the board and a lot to work through."Commissioners may decide in as soon as a month and are meeting more to look over plans and to get public input. If they make that decision, work could start in the spring of 2006.The County Board passed a capital improvement plan recently, giving it the authority to bond for more than $1 million to spend on any LEC project.Other than the two options of rebuilding or remodeling, commissioners may also decide to do nothing.RebuildingThe county owns land between the current Highway Department and Human Services buildings that could provide the site for a new LEC. The preliminary plans give a new LEC 9,280 square feet.The space would include interview rooms, a secure entrance and exit, more office space and additional storage. It also has space for a community meeting room and holding cells for prisoners.It has more windows and a single floor plan, so work space would be brighter and more efficient there.Paulsen said the construction can be done mostly in wood. Some parts, for security, will be other materials, but wood saves money in most cases.The surface of a new building would be stucco and brick. The roof would be pitched, so all mechanical systems would be inside.The design allows for easy future expansion, if that is ever needed.Paulsen said the positives about building new versus remodeling are: obuilding new is the less expensive optionothere is room for expansion in the futureothe horizontal design is more efficientoBlue Mound Avenue provides good access othere is a community meeting roomogreater square footageRemodelingPaulsen said the positives about remodeling versus new are:othe existing facility is next to the courthouseousing it saves a historic buildingorelocating servers and dispatch equipment won’t be necessaryothere may not be another appropriate use for the building if it is not the LECThe surface would be a pre-cast, textured concrete made to match the Sioux quartzite of the old LEC. The rooflines would be separate and the original structure will be preserved as much as possible.The plans for remodeling and expanding the existing LEC give it almost 11,000 square feet, but much of that is not usable space.Paulsen said, "Your net to gross square footage is really whacked and you’re still compromising your goals because things are not on the same level."He said those efficiency issues are always problems when renovating instead of building new.An addition to the LEC gives it a secure garage entrance and holding cells, two major needs in the department now.A consideration in remodeling the existing facility is how operations will continue during the work.

By Sara QuamContrary to plans, Greg La Fond didn’t start a new job in Sturtevant, Wis., this week.He was scheduled to begin duties as city administrator there Monday but backed out of it at the last minute, citing family issues.The Journal Times covers news for Sturtevant and quoted Village President Steven Jansen in an article. Jansen said, "After soul-searching and further consideration, he decided to withdraw. Family comes first. I’m disappointed. I thought out of all the candidates we had, Greg was the head of the pack."La Fond is the former Luverne city administrator who was terminated without cause in May.The city of Luverne is still working on plans for a replacement, which a search committee hopes to find by September.The committee members are Mayor Andy Steensma, Council member Esther Frakes, David Smith, Steve Perkins, Connie Connell and Barbara Berghorst.Existing staff is being asked to fill in where La Fond left off, and department managers will receive temporary raises for their extra work without an administrator.The city hasn’t settled with La Fond on a specific severance package yet and isn’t paying unemployment for him.

By Lori EhdeThe bright lights and long lenses of the Ken Burns documentary film crews were in town again last week, interviewing veterans and families and filming landmarks in Luverne and Rock County.The New York production company, Florentine Films, is working on a documentary film series about the American experience during World War II.The movie will focus on the war-time experiences of four American cities: Sacramento, Calif.; Waterbury, Conn.; Mobile, Ala., and Luverne.Unlike other war documentaries, this one illustrates what was happening at home while the soldiers were away.To do that, producers have solicited help from the respective town residents.Anyone with photographs or home movies of Luverne or Rock County during the World War II era (1935-1945) was asked to share their collections with the producers of the film.A Saturday gathering in Luverne yielded some fruitful results, according to Rock County Historical Society President Betty Mann."People were steady coming in all day from 10 a.m. until about 3:45," Mann said. "It was mostly scrapbooks and pictures."Research started two years agoBut this wasn’t their first stop in Luverne for research. Producers have leaned heavily on Mann and other local historians in the past two years for Luverne information."They wanted to know my recollections of the time period during the Second World War," she said. "But I was too young at the time to have remembered enough."But what Mann doesn’t know first-hand she works hard to find out or uncover for the film"I’m really excited about it. We’re accumulating all these pictures and all this information," she said. "It’s just exciting to know it’s happening to us."Of particular interest has been the Star Herald negative archive. Tollefson Publishing recently donated the collection to the Historical Society, and among the thousands of 4-by-5 black-and-white negatives have been some treasures.More than 100 of these negatives have been printed for use in the film.Tom Hanks will be voice of Star Herald writer Al McIntoshIn the process of poring over Star Herald bound copies, researchers came across personal columns written by former Star Herald editor and publisher Al McIntosh.Script writer for the film, Geoffrey Ward, said it was as if McIntosh was writing for the movie."He’s an absolutely astonishing writer … He’s such a good storyteller, and he writes with such emotion," Ward said Saturday from the front porch of the former McIntosh home.Ward said one column, for example, described the grim duty of the local telegraph man in delivering news of loss from overseas."He wrote about that and the awfulness of it," Ward said. "Everyone could tell something bad had happened by the way he walked down the street and they knew someone was getting bad news."He said that small-town familiarity is what sets Luverne apart from other cities featured in the film."In a larger city, they wouldn’t know the guy who delivers telegraphs from anyone else, but there’s something about a small town where we do know everyone and things affect people more visually," Ward said.Producers said Saturday that actor Tom Hanks heard about the movie and asked to be the voice of Al McIntosh.Luverne role started with Quentin AanensonThe McIntosh information will be a big part of Luverne’s role in the movie, but that’s not what led to Luverne’s inclusion in the production.Luverne native Quentin Aanenson produced "The Fighter Pilot’s Story" in 1993, and it was picked up by PBS and aired in 1994."… it has helped purge some of the devastating memories that have haunted me for almost 50 years," he says at the start of the movie. "So this is my story. It is being told so the children and grandchildren of those who were involved in this mortal storm can have a better understanding of what our world of war was really like."For that reason, Aanenson said he’s honored to be part of the making of "The War." He was also in Luverne over the weekend."It gives me a thrill to realize I can come back here so many years later and still find it’s an area I can relate to."McIntosh and Luverne’s historic appearance have turned out to be icing on the cake, according to Ward."It’s a quintessential American town," Ward said. "All towns experienced the war, but Luverne hasn’t been transformed completely since then. At least remnants appear to be very much the same as they were during the war."Working relationshipsFlorentine Films Associate Producer Meghan Horvath has been assigned to Luverne for the movie.During an early visit Horvath said she was impressed by the national military presence Luverne has had throughout history."Everyone has a sense of Luverne’s military role in the country," she said in a July 2003 Star Herald story. "I was surprised by that, because for such a small town, there are a lot of veterans here."Associate producer Sara Botstein said Friday, "This is our favorite town. Every town has a different reason for being our favorite town. But here, it’s the kindness of the community. … We feel like we know everybody."PBS crews were also in Luverne over the weekend, filming the producers doing their jobs, as were Minneapolis Star Tribune reporters.Film producers shot footage of the palace at night (with the marquee advertising Bing Crosby and Rita Hayworth), 1940s automobiles parked on side streets, Al McIntosh’s former home and rural farm residences.Some specific items they were looking for this time include photographs or home movies of the following:oLuverne places: such as the Omaha railroad bridge, the Luverne train depot at night, Gimm and Brynes’ RestaurantoLuverne people: such as men who were wounded or killed in action in the war or Luverne residents at home or at work.oLuverne war activities or events: VE Day, VJ Day, scrap drives, people saving fat, civil defense wardens in the neighborhood, people listening to the radio for war news, funeral or memorial services.oHolidays in Luverne: ChristmasoSeasons in Luverne: spring and winter especiallyoPost-War Luverne: parades and returning Vets.For more information about possible contributions, call Mann at 283-2913.