By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys moved into the semifinal round of the South Section 3AA Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive year after posting a convincing win over Tracy-Milroy-Balaton during a quarterfinal-round game played in Luverne Saturday.Luverne, which struggled at times during the game, made 48 percent of its field goals to set the stage for a 66-37 win over the Panthers.The win gives Luverne a 15-8 record heading into tonight’s semifinals, which the Cardinals will host since they are the tournament’s No. 1 seed.At 6 p.m. the Cards will play No. 4 Renville County West, a 41-37 winner over Windom in the quarterfinals. Redwood Valley and Pipestone will meet in the second semifinal game of the night, which will be played after the LHS-RCW clash.Although the Cardinals posted a 29-point win over eighth-seeded T-M-B, LHS coach Tom Rops wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s performance. Inconsistent play, a possible result of tournament jitters, topped Rops’ list of concerns."We played good second and fourth quarters, but we played poorly in the first and third quarters. I’m glad we got a win, but we need to maintain our intensity for 32 minutes," he said.Luverne scored the game’s first three points before T-M-B moved in front 6-5 2:36 into the contest.The Cards countered with a 6-0 surge that ended with John Tofteland’s reverse layup to take an 11-6 lead at the 1:46 mark of the first quarter. T-M-B, however, scored the final two points of the quarter to trail 11-8 at period’s end.Luverne dominated the action in the second quarter.The Cards scored the first two points of the period during what turned into a 12-1 run that ended with the hosts porting a 23-9 lead when Brandon Deragisch converted a field goal at 3:28. Luverne proceeded to outscore the Panthers 10-6 the rest of the stanza and led 33-15 when Andy Haakenson scored the final two points of the first half with 12 seconds remaining.Luverne struggled early in the second half as T-M-B scored the first eight points of the third period to trail 33-23. The Cardinals answered the challenge by outscoring the Panthers 7-2 in the final 4:30 of the period, increasing their advantage to 15 points (40-25) when Dusty Antoine turned an offensive rebound into a basket with 16 seconds left to play.The Cards settled the issue early in the fourth quarter, when a 10-2 run capped by two free throws from Tofteland at the 6:18 mark gave the hosts a 23-point lead at 50-27. Luverne went on to outscore the Panthers 16-10 the rest of the period to prevail by 27.Tofteland led the Cards with 13 points and four steals in the game. Antoine, who netted 12 points, nabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Brad Herman added three assists to the winning cause.Box scorePick 1 0 2-2 4, Haakenson 1 0 0-0 2, Ward 0 0 0-0 0, Herman 2 0 2-4 6, Deragisch 4 0 1-4 9, Hendricks 1 0 2-2 4, Antoine 4 1 1-3 12, Tofteland 4 0 5-9 13, Miller 0 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0 0-0 2, Boeve 0 0 1-4 1, DeBoer 0 0 0-0 0, Boelman 2 0 1-4 5, Heronimus 3 0 0-0 6, Clark 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsLuverne: 25 of 52 field goals (48 percent), 15 of 32 free throws (47 percent), 32 rebounds, five turnovers.T-M-B: 12 of 50 field goals (24 percent), 13 of 24 free throws (54 percent), 30 rebounds, 21 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian Dragons earned another trophy during the Minnesota State Class AA Team Wrestling Championships staged at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul over the weekend.Unfortunately for the Dragons, it wasn’t the piece of hardware they wanted to bring home.Making its second consecutive appearance (seventh overall) at the state team event, Adrian went 2-1 and placed third during the three-day event that started Thursday and ended Saturday.The Dragons rolled to a 20-point win over BOLD in Thursday’s quarterfinals, giving them a rematch against St. Michael-Albertville, the team that beat Adrian in last year’s state championship match. SM-A, the eventual team champion, bested the Dragons by 22 points in Friday’s semifinals.Adrian bounced back on Saturday to beat Perham by 17 points, giving the Dragons their third third-place performance (1981 and 1985) at the state championships in school history."Placing third isn’t bad," said AHS coach Gregg Nelson. "We’ve had a couple of really good years over here, placing second and third at the last two state tournaments. There are no complaints about that."Nelson, however, was hoping to give SM-A a better run for the state title. The Knights, a team that fields eight wrestlers who placed in the individual portion of the tournament, simply proved to be too strong for the Dragons to stop."They are just that good," Nelson said of the Knights. "You’ve always got to believe that you have a shot at winning, but if we wrestled them tomorrow, they’d still beat us. They just were a little better than us at a lot of weights. Not a lot, but just a little better. Still, it’s not like losing to them makes the whole season disappointing. Finishing third isn’t bad."Adrian ends the team campaign with a 34-3 record.Adrian 41, Perham 24The Dragons rallied from a four-point deficit to upend the Yellowjackets by 17 points during Saturday’s third-place match.Perham led 18-14 after Greg Perrine pinned Andy Heitkamp 40 seconds into the 140-pound match, but AHS won five of the last seven individual matches to lock up third place.A 15-7 major decision win from Dusty Bullerman (over Mac Stoll) and Tony Sauer’s 3:26 pin of Andrew Kratzke at 152 gave Adrian a 24-18 lead, but Perham battled back to knot the score at 24 with decision wins from Michael Guehna and Kenny Moenkedick at 160 and 171 respectively.Adrian then settled the issue by scoring 17 unanswered points between 189 and 275. Levi Bullerman beat Jon Flatau by technical fall at 189, and Will Lutmer (2:41 over Kyle Christopherson) and Cody Lutmer (1:18 over Joel Gorentz) secured pins at 215 and 275.The teams exchanged leads early in the match.Perham led 4-0 when Josh Harlow secured a 7-2 decision win at 103, but the Dragons moved in front 11-3 when Tony Thier won by technical fall and Joey Bullerman pinned Barry Nelson in 4:22 at 119.Perham regained the lead at 12-11 after Phil Moenkedick handed Jordan Reker a 9-0 major decision setback at 130. Adrian moved in front 14-2 when Brandon Bullerman nipped Justin Berns 2-1 at 135.Match wrap-up103 (P) Harlow 7-2 Loosbrock.112 (A) Thier t.f. Berns.119 (A) J.Bullerman pins Nelson.125 (P) Doll t.f. Z.Reker.130 (P) Moendedick 9-0 J.Reker.135 (A) B.Bullerman 2-1 Berns.140 (P) Perrine pins Heitkamp.145 (A) D.Bullerman 15-7 Stoll.152 (A) Sauer pins Kratzke.160 (P) Guehna 6-2 Engelkes.171 (P) Moenkedick 5-3 Reverts.189 (A) L.Bullerman t.f. Flatau.215 (A) W.Lutmer pinsChristopherson.275 (A) C.Lutmer pins Gorentz.SM-A 38, Adrian 16The eventual state champions overwhelmed the Dragons during Friday’s match in the semifinals.The Knights scored 21 unanswered points in the first five matches and never looked back on the way to a 22-point victory.SM-A won 10 of 14 matches during the clash.Along with receiving decision wins from Andy Hackenmueller, Dan Greeno, SM-A, received a pin from Mike Thorn, a major decision win from Alex Becker and a technical fall win by Joe Grygelko to open a 21-0 advantage after the 130-pound match.Adrian’s Brandon Bulleran snapped SM-A’s run by posting an 8-3 decision win over Steve Hegland at 135, but the Knights won the next four matches to open a 35-3 lead. The four-match run featured a technical fall win by Chad Little, and decision wins from Mickey Kirk, Jake Grygelko and Dusty Baker.Adrian won three of the final four matches, but the outcome was settled by then.Cody Reverts notched an 11-1 major decision win over Kurt Schumm, Levi Bullerman pinned Matt Nerdahl in 3:19 and Will Lutmer nipped Caleb McEachern 3-2 to account for Adrian’s final three wins.Match wrap-up103 (S) Hackenmueller 10-9Loosbrock.112 (S) Greeno 4-1 J.Bullerman.119 (S) Thorn pins Thier.125 (S) Becker 15-4 Z.Reker.130 (S) Grygelko t.f. J.Reker.135 (A) B.Bullerman 8-3 Hegland.140 (S) Little t.f. Heitkamp.145 (S) Kirk 5-2. D.Bullerman.152 (S) Grygelko 10-5 Sauer.160 (S) Baker 5-2 Engelkes.171 (A) Reverts 11-1 Schumm.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Nerdahl.215 (A) W.Lutmer 3-2 McEachern.275 (S) Dehmer 5-1 Kruger.Adrian 38, BOLD 18The Dragons opened the tournament by besting BOLD by 20 points during Thursday’s quarterfinals.BOLD sported an 18-16 edge after Mark Pietig recorded a pin at 160 pounds, but the Dragons won the final four matches to advance to the semifinals.Cody Reverts put AHS in front to stay with a 12-3 major decision win over Trent Squibb at 171 pounds. Levi Bullerman (40 seconds over Gerald Freberg), Will Lutmer (50 seconds over Brian Hagen) and Cody Lutmer (5:30 over Ben Aaseth) iced the victory with pins.Trailing 3-0 early, Adrian moved in front 7-3 with a major decision win from Tony Thier and a decision victory at 112 and 119.The Dragons led 13-7 when Jordan Reker and Brandon Bullerman won decisions at 130 and 135, and the advantage increased to seven points (16-9) when Dusty Bullerman notched a decision win at 145.BOLD won the next two matches to take a two-point lead that was erased by Adrian’s late four-match run.Match wrap-up103 (B) LeVasseur 1-0 Loosbrock.112 (A) Thier 11-2 Brenner.119 (A) J.Bullerman 5-4 Neubauer.125 (B) Jahnke 11-4 Z.Reker.130 (A) J.Reker 15-10 Kramer.135 (A) B.Bullerman 7-2Rettmann.140 (B) Neubauer 11-9 Heitkamp.145 (A) D.Bullerman 11-4 Revier.152 (B) Elfering 8-2 Sauer.160 (B) Pietig pins Engelkes.171 (A) Reverts 12-3 Squibb.189 (A) L.Bullerman pins Freberg.215 (A) W.Lutmer pins Hagen.275 (A) C.Lutmer pins Aaseth.

By John RittenhouseTen years have passed since the exchange occurred, but Adrian wrestling coach Gregg Nelson remembers a conversation with then third-grader Levi Bullerman like it had taken place yesterday.A spunky grade-schooler, Bullerman was feeling good about the fact that he had won a state championship at a youth wrestling tournament. And the young boy wasn’t shy about sharing the information with Nelson, who was an assistant coach in the high school program that year."I remember Levi coming up to me and saying, ‘Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nelson, I’m a state champion.’ I said, ‘That’s great, Levi, but no one remembers third-grade state champions. They remember high school state champions.’"If Nelson’s words are true, the name of Levi Bullerman will not be forgotten at AHS.Bullerman, a senior, won four straight matches at 189 pounds to the an individual title at the Minnesota State High School Class AA Wrestling Championships staged at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Thursday through Saturday.Bullerman will go down in history as the seventh AHS wrestler to capture an individual state title. He joins Tyler Bullerman (2001 and 2002), Leon Bullerman (1986), Pat Dorn (1984 and 1985), Ron Thier (1983), Dusty Becker (1983) and Eugene Wolf (1981) in the champions chapter of the AHS wrestling annals."This is something Levi’s been working toward for 10 years," Nelson said. "He earned it, and he deserves it. He never was in any trouble during his four (individual) matches. Two of his wins were three-point decisions, but he was in control of those matches. He was just wrestling safe."Bullerman shared some thoughts from his home Sunday."Winning a state title has been a goal of mine all through high school," Bullerman said. "Words can’t describe what I feel like right now. I don’t think it has totally sunken in yet."Bullerman took over the top spot on Adrian’s all-time career wins list by going 7-0 in St. Paul. (He won three matches in state team competition.) He went 2-0 during Thursday’s individual competition. After pinning Crookston’s Brett Steinbrink in 3:28 during the opening round, Bullerman topped Lake City’s Jacob Vaith 3-0 to earn a berth in the semifinals.Litchfield’s Cory Schlack emerged as Bullerman’s opponent in Friday’s semifinals, and Levi’s second straight three-point win (7-4) sent him into the championship match against LeSueur-Henderson’s Mike May.Prior to the championship match, Bullerman posted a technical fall win against Perham’s Jon Flatau during the third-place match in team competition Saturday afternoon. Flatau was undefeated entering the state tournament, and Bullerman’s complete domination of the Yellowjacket boosted his spirits as he entered the individual championships."After beating the No. 2-ranked kid (Flatau) 20-5, I felt confident that I would do well in the finals," Bullerman said.His instincts proved to be true. After a scoreless first period against May, Bullerman increased his intensity while building a 4-1 lead before pinning the L-H junior 1:34 into the second period to cap a 44-1 senior season.As satisfying as winning the individual title was, placing third in the team competition kept Bullerman from enjoying the entire weekend in St. Paul."I would trade my championship for a team championship in a second. I wish we could have done better on the team side, but that’s how the cards were dealt. I got the job done as an individual, and I feel good about that," Bullerman said.Eight more Dragons competed individually at the state meet, and three earned places. Seniors Joey Bullerman and Cody Lutmer placed fourth with 3-2 records at 112 and 275. Junior Brandon Bullerman went 2-3 to place sixth at 135.Joey Bullerman secured 9-2 and 3-2 decision wins over Monticello’s Mike Land and St. Michael-Albertville’s Dan Greeno during the first two rounds of the tournament before dropping an 8-2 decision to Sauk Centre’s Brian Beilke in the semifinals.Joey nipped Stewartville’s Derek Stolarzky 2-1 in consolation competition before his 38-9 season came to an end with a 5-1 loss to Greeno in the third-place match.Lutmer pinned Stewartville’s Louis Kuisle (1:51) and notched a 4-0 win over New London-Spicer’s Stephen Westby in the opening rounds before dropping a 3-0 decision to Waseca’s Tom Block in the semifinals.Lutmer edged Fulda-Murray County Central’s Andy Witzel 2-1 in consolation action, but a 2-1 loss to Westby in the third-place match ended his 39-8 campaign.Brandon Bullerman topped SM-A’s Steve Hegland 4-2 in the first round and secured a 17-4 major decision win against Caledoina-Houston-Spring Grove’s Steve Hegland in the quarterfinals.SC’s Zach Winter saddled Brandon with a 9-0 major decision setback in the semifinals. Decision losses to Annandale-Maple Lake’s John Fradette (8-1) and Scott West’s Dominic Dvorak (7-1 in the fifth-place match) left Bullerman with a 40-7 season record.Freshman Zach Reker (30-18) went 1-2 without placing at 125, senior Dusty Bullerman (41-6) went 2-2 without placing at 145, senior Tony Sauer (36-9) went 1-2 without placing at 152, junior Nate Engelkes (22-2) went 0-2 without placing at 160, and sophomore Will Lutmer (35-5) went 0-1 without placing at 215.

By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek passed its first test as the No. 1 seed of the South Section 3A Boys Basketball Tournament by defeating a scrappy Southwest Christian squad 65-49 in Worthington Saturday.Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema expected a tough challenge from eighth-seeded SWC in the quarterfinals, and he got one.The Patriots, however, were able to turn a nice second-quarter run into a 10-point halftime lead and H-BC led by as many as 20 points in the second half before settling for a 16-point win.The victory ups H-BC’s season record to 25-2. The Patriots will return to Worthington tonight to take on fourth-seeded Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin, a 60-46 winner over Southwest Star Concept Saturday, in the semifinals. Game time is 6 p.m.Like Saturday’s game against SWC, Wiertzema said ML-B-O will likely offer another stiff challenge to the Patriots."The sub-section is really strong this year. Seeds 1 through 8 are very good teams," he said. "It’s always hard to win the first game, and you would think you would be playing someone other than the perennial favorite in the first round." SWC always offers a strong defensive effort when it takes the floor, but the Patriots were able to meet the challenge with timely shooting from the floor and one of their best efforts from the free-throw line this season. H-BC converted 21 of 25 free throws (84 percent), including an 11 of 14 effort in the fourth quarter.The Eagles led 4-2 in the first quarter when H-BC reeled off seven straight points with senior Kale Wiertzema hitting a three-point shot at the 4:35 mark to give the Patriots a 9-4 advantage. SWC pulled within one point (11-10) of the Patriots as the period progressed, but H-BC guard Tyler Bush drained a pair of charity shots with two-tenths of one second left to give the Patriots a 13-10 lead heading into the second period.H-BC, a team that scores in bunches, opened the second quarter with a 13-3 run that ended with the Patriots sporting a 26-13 cushion when Bush drained a field goal at the 2:51 mark of the second period. SWC cut H-BC’s lead to nine points twice as the second quarter progressed and trailed 33-23 at halftime."It was very important," coach Wiertzema said, about H-BC’s 13-3 run to start the second period. "We’re a team that scores in runs. We want to run the floor. That’s how we play."The Patriots scored the first five points of the second half and led 50-30 when Bush scored two of his 19 points with 1:00 remaining in the third quarter, which ended with H-BC sporting a 52-32 advantage.SWC climbed within 14 points (60-46) of the Patriots with 2:20 left to play in the fourth quarter, but H-BC made its free throws down the stretch to win by 16."We got them down in the third quarter, and we survived in the fourth quarter. We didn’t take care of the ball very well at the end of the game, but their quickness had something to do with that. SWC is a good defensive team," Wiertzema offered.Kale Wiertzema led the Patrioits with 25 points (13 in the second half), 10 rebounds, eight steals and five assists. Bush, who scored 15 first-half points, added eight rebounds and four assists to the cause.Box scoreWysong 1 0 4-4 6, Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, Bush 4 0 11-13 19, Wiertzema 5 3 6-8 25, Baker 1 0 0-0 2, Broesder 1 1 0-0 5, LeBoutillier 3 0 0-0 6.Team statisticsH-BC: 20 of 48 field goals (41 percent), 21 of 25 free throws (84 percent), 30 rebounds, 19 turnovers.SWC: 20 of 49 field goals (40 percent), nine of 15 free throws (60 percent), 30 rebounds, 29 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseFulda ended Hills-Beaver Creek’s bid to repeat as champion of the South Section 3A Girls Basketball Tournament by besting the Patriots 58-51 in a semifinal-round game played in Worthington Friday.H-BC trailed by two points with 2:27 left to play, but Fulda’s Abby Oakland drained four consecutive free throws in the final 40 seconds of the game to seal a seven-point win for the Raiders.The win sent top-seeded Fulda to Marshall Tuesday, where it played Southwest Christian in the tournament’s championship game. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the fifth-seeded Patriots, who end the season with a 17-9 record."It would have been nice to get the lead at some point in the fourth quarter," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle, who guided a team that sported a 5-6 record before Christmas to a 12-3 finish this year."If we could have taken the lead, it might have changed the complexion of the game. We were one play away from getting a lead a lot of times. Give Fulda credit. Every time we made a run, they had an answer."Fulda proved its grit by answering every challenge H-BC offered in the fourth quarter.H-BC trailed by one (41-40) when Kerri Fransman drained a three-point shot at the 7:08 mark of the final stanza, but the Raiders countered with a 10-5 spurt to open a 51-45 lead. H-BC’s Brittney Rozeboom drained a free throw with 2:27 remaining to bring the Patriots within two points of the Raiders at 51-49. With Oakland leading the way, Fulda outscored the Patriots 7-2 the rest of the game."She’s a great player," Goehle said of Oakland. "She wanted the ball in her hands at the end of the game and made the big shots."To H-BC’s credit, the Patriots were in the game from beginning to end.Fulda scored the first four points of the contest only to have H-BC close within one point (6-5) when Rozeboom converted a field goal with 2:13 left in the first period. The Raiders led 11-7 entering the second quarter, when H-BC put together a 7-3 spurt capped by Kelly Mulder’s field goal at 4:49 that gave the Patriots their first lead at 16-14. Fulda regained the lead with a 12-3 run that gave it a 26-19 cushion at the intermission.Fulda led by eight points (38-30) with 2:05 remaining in the third period before H-BC reeled off seven straight points (the last two coming on a field goal from Kari Roozenboom with 18 seconds left) to trim the difference to one point at 38-37. The Raiders capped the scoring in the third quarter with one free throw.According to Goehle, Fulda’s play on defense proved to be the difference in the game."They were looking to shut down our penetration and they did a pretty good job of it. Our guards like to penetrate, but they shut that down and made us work hard for everything we got offensively," he said.Fransman and Rozeboom led the Patriots in scoring with 14 and 11 points respectively. Mulder led H-BC with seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Cassi Tilstra and Melinda Feucht recorded three assists each.Box scoreRozeboom 1 2 3-4 11, Fransman 1 4 0-0 14, Bush 0 0 0-0 0, Feucht 3 1 0-0 9, Fink 1 0 0-0 2, Tilstra 3 0 1-2 7, Roozenboom 1 0 0-0 2, Mulder 3 0 0-0 6.Team statisticsH-BC: 20 of 57 field goals (35 percent), four of six free throws (67 percent), 23 rebounds, six turnovers.Fulda: 21 of 54 field goals (39 percent), 12 of 15 free throws (80 percent), 39 rebounds, 13 turnovers.

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council and Rock County Board exchanged compliments and sighs of relief Tuesday as they both approved an amended long-term law enforcement contract.Rock County will continue providing law enforcement services to the city of Luverne at a cost of $604,000 this year, and 5 percent more per year through 2010.The contract comes after more than a year of proposals and counter proposals between the two boards.First thing Tuesday morning, the County Commissioners approved the contract, with Ron Boyenga voting no.The Luverne City Council voted unanimously in favor of the contract Tuesday night.Commissioner Richard Bakken said that people with "good character and with their hearts in the right place" was important through the negotiation process.Sheriff Mike Winkels said, "We can all live with it."County Board Chair Ken Hoime said, "I know there’s been a lot of hard work done to get this agreement in order."Boyenga, although he voted against the contract, said he was happy for county staff to have it resolved.Wildung said, "The staff in law enforcement has been through hell for the past 16 months and it’s going to be so good to have this over. … A lot of good things came from this process: we have a concise reporting model, we have set payments, there are better defined responsibilities and we resolved the ownership of assets issue."County Attorney Don Klosterbuer said the contract was good because it involved both sides giving in a little.The Rock County Board also rescinded the joint powers termination for the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center. The county will remain a part owner of that facility. It had terminated the joint powers agreement with the city for the Pool and Fitness Center until a law enforcement agreement was reached.Boyenga also voted against the pool motion.Particulars of the law contractOne of the most positive things to come out of the contract is having a contract price for the city of Luverne set for the next five years. The city of Luverne will pay $634,200 in 2006; $665,910 in 2007; $699,206 in 2008; $734,136 in 2009, and $770,874 in 2010.All other costs for law enforcement are the county’s.The city of Luverne can renegotiate the contract price and services if it loses 15 percent or more of state aid.The city of Luverne will get management reports from the sheriff on traffic and moving violations, criminal investigations, criminal arrests, liquor law arrests, vehicle accidents, parking violations, other activities, total number of calls and a copy of the annual uniform crime report.The county will continue receiving fine revenue from city of Luverne ordinance violations. That amounts to about $12,000 a year.One detail important to the city has been payment for property the county had used since the two departments merged in 1998.That property, including guns, radar equipment, a vehicle and file cabinets, is worth an estimated $15,000, for which the county will now pay the city.If the county and city want to renegotiate the contract and can’t come to an agreement, the contract calls for mediation. The contract also specifies duties of the Sheriff’s Department, which hadn’t been so clearly outlined before.The Sheriff’s Office responsibilities include: otraffic patrol, enforcement, patrol school zones and monitor school crossing guards; oaccident investigation; ocrowd control for traffic, parades, ball games, Rock County Fair, special events; ocapture animals and deliver to impound and domestic and wild animal control; olock parks and park restrooms; oshut off lights at ball diamonds and tennis courts; oenforce parking ordinances; oenforce snow emergency; oliquor store money escort; onotify city of burned out street lights, airport lights, downed wires, water leaks; oweather watch, Skywarn; obike, skateboard, Rollerblade enforcement; ofingerprint business people for jobs, including government jobs; obackground checks for solicitor’s license; obackground checks for city employees; enforce city ordinances, state statutes; oDARE program and other drug education programs; ovacation and winter residence checks; business check and door check; oassist the needy, vagrants, and check them for wants and warrants; odomestics, family problems, battered women, abused children and sexual assault; ocriminal investigations; oassist the fire department, traffic control, crowd control and HAZMAT; ouse community based policing format for citizens and programs; oassist the city when necessary in serving administrative citations and summons; oconduct city employee alcohol tests when requested; o911 emergency communication; odispatching services; records processing, records storage and maintenance services; oschool crossing guards services, oand assist the city, when necessary to preserve the peace, in gaining access to properties for utility readings.

By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek Superintendent David Deragisch and several H-BC School Board members attended School Board Member Day at the Capitol in St. Paul on Monday.The group attended a Minnesota School Board Association meeting in the morning, spent the afternoon in the Capitol attempting to meet with District 22A Rep. Doug Magnus and attended the Alliance for Student Achievement Rally on the front steps of the Capitol.The purpose of the trip was to learn more about the governor’s proposed education bill released last month and to encourage the H-BC school district’s representatives to be a voice for education finance reform in rural areas.Thousands rally at the CapitolNearly 5,000 parents, students, teachers and school officials crowded the steps of the Capitol to let Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislators know public education funding must be made a priority during this legislative session.The crowd was unaffected by the cold weather, snowy lawn or strong winds. They chanted "Fund Our Schools," "Legislate to Educate" and "We are Watching" in between passionate speakers and school marching band performances."Our legislators made a promise to fully fund our schools, but the only thing they have delivered is inadequate funding, larger class sizes, teacher cuts and fewer student programs," said Ken Dragseth, chair of the Alliance for Student Achievement. "Our students do not come to school with ‘democrat’ or ‘republican’ stamped on their foreheads, they come as children."Dragseth is a former National Superintendent of the Year.Other speakers included PTA President Phill Enke, Minnesota Teacher of the Year Tom Keating, as well as a senior student and a grandmother.Tom Keating’s powerful voice complained about a lack of resources in his classroom."I hear the legislative body ask for accountability. If we as teachers need to be accountable, then stop taking the tools away from me that I need to make connections with students. I can’t teach unless I can make that connection."Hills-Beaver Creek School Board Member Ann Boeve said she was astounded by the turnout. She said, "I knew there would be a lot of people, but I never expected the buses to come."But they came. Buses lined the Capitol building and were parked four rows deep along other streets.The rally coincided with the release of Gov. Pawlenty’s Education Bill to the Minnesota legislative body. How the legislators handle this bill will determine how much funding public schools get for the next two years.H-BC board members briefed on legislationLloyd DeBoer, Matt Larson and Ann Boeve, all H-BC School Board members, attended the Minnesota School Board Association’s annual School Board Member Day at the Capitol. House and Senate Education Committee members addressed school leaders from all over Minnesota on K-12 legislative issues. Speakers included District 33B Rep. Barb Sykora, chair of the House K-12 Education Finance Committee, and District 44 Sen. Steve Kelly, chair of the Senate Education Policy Committee. Board members were also updated on legislative activities that could adversely affect their schools and their students.Gov. Pawlenty’s education proposal goes to committee this week. This could change some of the language in the bill depending on how representatives and senators react during the committees.Rep. Sykora and Sen. Kelly highlighted several changes that would be made if the bill, as it currently reads, were to pass:
Increasing the general education formula 2-percent in each of the next two years.
Changing the formula for education finance by reducing pupil weighting.
Giving local school districts more levying authority.
Adding Q Comp, which would fundamentally change how we pay teachers.
Get Ready, Get Credit, which would mandate that sophomores take an additional standardized test. The test would determine which subject areas the students should concentrate on during their final years in high school.
Creating a statewide insurance group for educators.
Relying on local property taxes to pay for excess special education costs.A visit with Rep. Magnus doesn’t offer board members much hopeH-BC board members and Superintendent Deragisch met with Rep. Magnus following the close of the House of Representatives session late Monday afternoon.They asked tough questions about education funding, but Magnus replied education already accounts for "40 percent of the money in Minnesota’s budget."He said everyone wants more money, but with healthcare costs rising by 25 percent a year, it would be difficult to find more money for education.Deragisch explained that board members can only ask local taxpayers to foot so much of the education bill. But Rep. Magnus directed attention to nursing home and healthcare costs."I can’t come home without money for the nursing homes and salary increases for their workers," Rep. Magnus responded when Boeve asked if education was a priority for him this legislative session.Although he was asked to attend, Magnus did not join the board members at the rally.H-BC board member Larson said, "He just didn’t even attempt to make us feel like he cared."

MINUTES OF THE HILLS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYFEBRUARY 8, 2005Dana Dahlquist, President of the Hills EDA, called the meeting to order with the following board members present: Dana Dahlquist, Ross Metzger, Jim Jellema, and Linus Svoboda. Board members absent: Keith Elbers. Guest: Lexi Moore, Reporter-Hills Crescent.Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Metzger to approve the minutes of January 10th and 24th. Motion carried. The expenditures for January were approved for payment. Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Jellema to refund Kurt Bly’s security deposit, pending rent and utilities payments are paid in full through January 31, 2005. Motion carried.No further discussion, meeting adjourned./s/ James JellemaJim Jellema, EDA Board Member

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETINGOF THE HILLS CITY COUNCILFEBRUARY 8, 2005Mayor Jim Jellema called the meeting to order at 6:06 P.M. with the following council members present: Jim Jellema, Dana Dahlquist, Linus Svoboda, Keith Elbers, and Ross Metzger. Employees present: Connie Wiertzema, City Clerk; Joanne Goehle, City Treasurer; and Wayne Ward, City Maintenance. Guests: Gawaine Diekevers and Alan Nuffer-Martin Township; Jeff Bass, Derek Bundesen, and Tim Durst-Hills Fire Department; Lexi Moore-Hills Crescent. Minutes of the January 10th meeting were approved.Request information from Hansel Plumbing regarding Voss sewer line work. Approved payment of $30 for property taxes on the city’s mobile home lot. Council renamed the appointment of the city’s weed inspector to be Wayne Ward. Motion by Dahlquist, seconded by Svoboda to set a maximum of $60.00, as a miscellaneous expense item, toward flowers for funerals of immediate family members of city council members, city maintenance, clerk, or treasurer. None opposed, motion carried. Gawaine Diekevers, Alan Nuffer, Jeff Bass, Derek Bundesen and Tim Durst appeared at the meeting to discuss fire protection contract renewals for the City of Steen and Clinton Township; and the replacement of the fire tanker truck. The Council approved to renew the Fire Protection Contracts for Clinton Township to increase the rate to $350.00 per section, and to leave the rate for the City of Steen at $2,500.00Members of the Hills Fire Department will obtain truck replacement estimates prior to Martin Township’s annual meeting on March 8th; they will also submit a budget for 2006.Council approved the Treasurer’s report. Motion by Dahlquist, seconded by Metzger to approve payment of the January expenditures: General $7,697.57; Park $707.84; Fire $1,005.64; Street $2,860.61; Legion $965.10; Sewer $802.27; Garbage $1,256.64; Water $3,971.43; Law Enforcement $9,322.50.General Checking 134,749.56General Fund CD#18197, 2.5%, 12/4/04 243,300.81General Fund CD#17792 (prev. #15742) 2.5%, 5/29/03 – cashed in 6/3/03General Fund CD#17760 (prev. #17573) 2.5%, 3/15/05 20,994.17Sewer Fund CD#17877 (prev. #17433) 2.5%, 10/18/03 – cashed in 10/03 –($21,000 to general)Sewer Fund CD#18255, (prev. #18171) 1.5%, 7/19/04 – inter-fund loan to Southern Hills Apts. to pay-off apt. bond - $70,771.64Fire Truck Replacement Fund CD#18647, 2.0%, 1/13/06 26,578.89Hills EDA Security Deposit Account 1,916.81Hills EDA Checking – Acct. #1248 22,464.29Southern Hills Condo Acct. #1263 156.67Southern Hills CD#17759 (prev. #17572) 2.5%, 3/15/05 5,248.54EDA CD#17850 (prev. #17384) 2.5%, 5/7/05 28,668.82EDA CD#18275 (prev. #17268) 1.25%, 07/04 – inter-fund loan to Southern Hills Apts. to pay-off apt. bond - $10,661.76EDA CD#18597, 1.0%, 1/17/05 (renew & int. added each month 20,353.16EDA CD#18505, 1.0%, 1/22/05 (renew & int. added each month) 10,713.35Keith Elbers, Connie Wiertzema and Joanne Goehle were dismissed from the meeting. Motion by Metzger, seconded by Dahlquist to purchase a blockbuster brand of carpet, plus wall base, for offices in the Hills American Legion building. Motion carried. Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Dahlquist to adjourn. Motion carried.The City Council meeting was reopened for Wayne Ward’s maintenance report. Ward is satisfied with the working range of the two-way radios. Motion by Dahlquist, seconded by Metzger to approve payment to Vantek Communications. Motion carried. The City received their wastewater permit, which expires in 2009.Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Dahlquist to adjourn. Motion carried. /s/ Connie J. WiertzemaConnie J. Wiertzema, City Clerk andJim Jellema, Mayor(3-3)