10 years ago (1994)"With the arrival of warm weather, groups of young people socializing on the streets are once again a noticeable and sometimes distracting part of the city scenery.At their meeting Monday, the Luverne City Council unanimously approved a curfew for people under age 18. People 15 and younger have been covered by a curfew for many years, but the amended ordinance adds a curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds."25 years ago (1979)"It’s almost like an instant replay of the issues in last year’s elections.School board candidates throughout the Rock County area agree that financing, in the light of rising costs and declining numbers of students, is the primary concern today."50 years ago (1954)"Mound Springs State Park is open for the 1954 season with all facilities ready for the use of the park patrons, Ed Mohr, caretaker, announced this week. Over 100 permits have already been issued, he said."75 years ago (1929)"Mayor E.W. Brown yesterday announced that dog owners of Luverne will be given only a few more days in which to comply with the city ordinance requiring the payment of dog tax. Up to yesterday morning only thirty-one had done so, although the dog licenses issued last year expired May 1.… The mayor feels that it is not fair to those who pay taxes on dogs to permit others to avoid doing so, and he has instructed his police officers to check over the dog population in all sections of the city.… Prescribed tags may be secured from City Treasurer Carl Omodt at the First & Farmers National Bank by the payment of a fee of $2.50 for male and $5 for female dogs."100 years ago (1904)"A large party of Luverne people went to Round Lake Saturday night and spent Sunday at that popular resort. They went to Worthington on the night train and drove from that place to the lake. They found good fishing and succeeded in taking about three hundred pounds of fish."

Having rights or being rightWhen you try to explain the Bible to a friend, you might get the response, "That’s just your interpretation?" That reply is most popular from those who disagree with another person’s view, especially about the Bible. On the surface, it sounds innocent enough — we all have the right to our opinion. But having the right to our opinion is not the issue. The level of thinking in our day has declined so much that people confuse the right to their opinion with the likelihood that their opinion is right. But those two concepts are unrelated. "But," your friend adds, "the Bible includes all those mysterious, contradictory statements. How can anyone think his view is better than any other view?" The question introduces many issues such as the understanding of statements, the role of logic, and the difference between a paradox and a contradiction. Let’s consider those issues point by point.First, God gave the Bible to be understood in common language by common people. Its meaning is not restricted to church authorities or any other elite group. Even though we may need scholars to help us grasp the Bible’s hard parts, its meaning is usually quite clear if we approach it honestly. Second, the Bible’s understandability does not mean it can be interpreted any way we choose. We have no excuse for sloppy or lazy thinking to make it say whatever supports our preferences. Our interpretation of any statement is right only if it corresponds to the author’s intent. Third, our inability to understand everything in the Bible or in the universe does not mean that God, the source of both, is the author of confusion, or chaos, or irrationality. The fact that God’s understanding exceeds logic does not mean it violates logic. He may, at times, be supra-rational, but he’s never irrational. We don’t pursue truth better by avoiding logic. Fourth, the Bible does include things beyond human understanding. But the presence of mysteries or paradoxes does not make the Bible incomprehensible. A paradox is a statement that looks like a contradiction on the surface, but becomes more clear with more thought. A contradiction is a statement that says something can be what it is and not be what it is at the same time and in the same way. For instance, to say a shape is a circle and then say it is not a circle is a contradiction. The Bible never does that. We are responsible to think clearly about what we can understand now, and trust God to explain more fully in eternity what we can’t understand now. In the meantime, don’t let your friend confuse you by merging two unrelated concepts — their right to an opinion and the likelihood that their opinion is right.

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I was out of town last week. The loving husband and I took a brief respite from the rigors of daily living and headed to Flagstaff, Ariz. We took a death-defying hike into the Oak Creek Canyon during which time I had to cross a raging river six times. Not once did I fall into the raging rapids to my death. OK, maybe it was more of a meandering mountain stream where baby ducklings could swim and people could fish for trout. We also hiked the rim of the Grand Canyon, where I fully realized my intense fear of heights. However, a little fear does not keep me from my adventures. Next we moved on to Las Vegas for the loving husband’s business seminar. I was on my own, so I took another daring four-mile hike into all of the casinos. If you try to visit as many casinos as possible, you don’t have time to gamble in any of them. This is my own personal philosophy. I also visited the infamous "Coyote Ugly Bar." Did I participate in fire-dancing on the bar? Maybe, maybe not. On the flight home, I sat across the aisle from a man who had a brand new hardcover book sitting on his snack tray. I wanted to fondle it. I wanted to slap on a barcode and assign a call number to it. I wanted to hold it in my arms and whisper, "I missed you." At that point, I knew it was time to get home and back to work. By the time you read this, I will have fondled several new books and have them on the shelf. You might want to try the new title by John Sandford, "Hidden Prey." Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter. Now, on the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Orslov is found shot dead, and though nobody knows why, everybody — the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves — has a theory. A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene — and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she a cop at all? Why was the man shot with 50-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there — shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly. Also new on the fiction shelf is "Voices Over Water," by Ann Herlong-Bodman. When the Union forces invade the Carolina low country, Sarah Eddings is determined to participate in the war effort. The beautiful, headstrong daughter of a plantation owner, she is asked to serve as a spy for the Confederacy. Living behind enemy lines, she adopts the guise of a teacher setting up schools for the children of the freed slaves. Soon Sarah begins to question the legitimacy of the Southern cause. As she becomes more involved with both her pupils and a handsome Union officer, she must decide whether to cling to the past or carve out a new future for herself.

Beaver Creek newspapersThe following was printed in the Rose History in 1911: "The third newspaper founded in Rock County and the first of the five that have had an existence in Beaver Creek was the Beaver Creek Graphic. The little village on the Beaver had developed during the early ‘80s into a lively place and its citizens offered support to a paper which would champion its cause. A plant was installed, and on August 27, 1885, appeared the Beaver Creek Graphic, founded by Charles Y. Knight and F.A. Knapp. The new journal started off like a winner and received liberal support during the early part of its history. Three months after its founding, Mr. Knight sold his half interest to Rev. H.W. Knapp, and the publishing firm became H.R. Knapp & Son. They conducted the Graphic with indifferent success until January 1887, when Mr. Knight secured the interest of the elder Knapp and the founders of the paper again became the publishers, R. Knight becoming the editor. John Park, who had been in business in Beaver Creek, took charge of the paper in July 1887, and managed it until it suspended in September 1888, to be revived a few weeks later as the News-Letter.In opposition to the Graphic, on March 27, 1886, appeared the Beaver Creek Bee, published by the Beaver Creek Publishing company and edited by Col. Harrison White. The Bee was printed from the office of the Rock County Herald. After the election in November 1886, publication was suspended. Early in October 1888, Frank N. Robinson bought the old Graphic plant and commenced publication of the Beaver Creek News-Letter. He conducted it one year and then sold to Leon F. Carr. The News-Letter under Mr. Carr’s administration was ‘published for fame, not for lucre’ and succeeded in living under that motto until July 1890. Publication was then discontinued, the proprietor having received an offer of support for a paper at Sioux Center, Iowa. After a month spent in raising the mortgage from the plant, Mr. Carr moved it to the new location. For a little more than a year, Beaver Creek was without a paper. Then A.B. Vines moved a plant from Highmore, S.D., and on Sept. 25, 1891, issued the first number of the Beaver Creek Magnet. For a time the Magnet drew well and in June 1892, was enlarged to a six-column quarto, in which form it was published until January 1897, when it was made a folio. Mr. Vines conducted the Magnet without much success or ability until August 1897, when he moved the plant to Rushmore and founded the Rushmore Magnet.The Beaver Creek Banner, the last paper founded in Beaver Creek, has had a life of eight years. This publication was started by Howe & Misener early in May 1903, as a six-column quarto. Lincoln Misener edited the paper until November 1905, when he departed and the plant was bought by O.J. Nash at a mortgage foreclosure sale. That gentleman conducted the paper until Feb. 16, 1906, when J. Roland Doan leased the plant and conducted the Banner until May 10 of the next year. The next two months Fred W. Gluck edited the journal. On July 5, 1907, A.E. Caldwell took charge of the paper for the Beaver Creek Publishing company, which was controlled by Finke & Nash, of Hills. Mr. Caldwell bought the Banner plant in September 1907, and conducted the paper until February 1909. He was unsuccessful in putting the paper on a sound financial basis, and on February 26 announced that the plant had passed into the hands of the following named Beaver Creek businessmen: S.L. Todd, F.E. Henton, E.C. Brooks, E.W. Timm, William T. Jennings, H. Ohs, J.C. Claussen and M.O. Page. Mr. Howe, of Valley Springs, was employed to conduct the paper, which he did until April 9, 1909. At that time H.H. Peters, who had bought the plant a few weeks before, took possession and he has since presided over its destinies. He changed the form to a five-column quarto, added machinery and material, and has brought the Banner up to a prosperous condition." Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Dear Trooper Kathy: I have a trailer and a boat, can I tow all three in Minnesota? What are my restrictions?Perfect timing for this question; I am glad you asked. You can have a three vehicle recreational combination; however, there are rules.The three unit recreational combination consisting of a pickup truck towing a fifth wheel or gooseneck type camping trailer with one additional trailer, which carries a watercraft, snowmobile, motorcycle or ATV, are allowed with the following restrictions.ß Tow rating of the pickup truck is equal to or greater than the weight of all the vehicles being towed.ß Combination is connected according to state law.ß The fifth wheel camper does not exceed 28 feet.ß The entire 3-unit combination does not exceed 60 feet.(It is not 65 feet as commonly thought)ß Driver must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license.ß Cannot be driven in the seven county metro area 6 to 8 a.m. or 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.Remember the combination must be recreational vehicles. The length of the three units will include all of its sections, for instance; the motor of the boat to its rear-most point. A two-vehicle combination (car hitch-boat) cannot exceed 75 feet and the unit towed cannot exceed 45 feet. When towing, brakes are required on all trailers with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more. Brakes are required on all wheels of a trailer manufactured after June 30, 1988. Every trailer with a gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 pounds shall be equipped with a breakaway brake device that will automatically apply and hold the brakes should the trailer accidentally become detached from the towing unit.If you have any questions regarding traffic safety and or traffic law please write Sgt. Kathy Pederson at Minnesota State Patrol, 1800 East College Drive, Marshall, MN 56258. Sgt. Pederson will not offer advice on specific situations or real events which involve law enforcement.

Increasing numbers of milk drinkers in Canada have the best of all worlds. They are able to eat their fish and drink it, too. "Some landlocked Canadian cows are enjoying a little seafood with their hay and grain," recently reported Reuters, "so they can produce a new kind of milk being touted for its benefits for the brain, eyes and nerves." Researchers at the University of Guelph developed the milk, which is now produced by herring-fed cows in Ontario and sold by Canada’s largest food processor and distributor. The milk provides a fatty acid, commonly found in salmon, trout and mackerel, to diets of people who don’t eat enough fish. Only time will tell if consumers will fall hook, line and sinker for the new dairy product. Will they drink it like fish or will they think of it as just another crazy fish story? We can only imagine that when fisheries and dairies join forces, their new combination beverage will be offered in the following types –— whole, two-percent, skim and lightly battered. The article from Reuters failed to mention the name of the new dairy product. To differentiate the herring-milk from what Coca-Cola spokesmen might call "Classic Milk," it could be advertised as "mish" or "filk." Both names are short and catchy, perfect for the advice mothers feel obligated to dispense. "Now, be sure to drink your mish, children, or your teeth, bones, brains, nerves and eyes will fall out." What’s good enough for Canadians eventually finds its way to our own grocery shelves. The following tell-tale signs might indicate if you and your family are drinking milk from herring-fed cows: You might suspect something is fishy when, halfway through a glass of milk, you have inexplicable cravings for tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon. You read on the milk carton that the milk inside is processed by Chicken of the Sea or Mrs. Paul, better known for her fish sticks. The "Got milk?" ads in the media take on a new flavor — "Got herring?" or "Got mish?" You develop an adverse reaction to anything resembling fishing nets, including hairnets, fishnet stockings, and even basketball, badminton and volleyball nets. With enough of the new milk in your system, you discover that you react differently to old clichés, such as "swim like a fish" or "to be like a fish out of water." When people tell you they have "other fish to fry" or that so-and-so should "fish or cut bait", you find that you are suddenly craving a tall, frosty cold glass of filk. Canadian critics of the new milk view it as a "fish out of troubled waters." They believe cows should continue turning grass and hay into foods for humans. According to the critics, cows shouldn’t be part of a designer diet fad. If scientists and nutritionists are going to go through all of the time, money and effort anyway, they should be able to come up with more palatable food combinations than milk and herring. Let’s face it. A herring is little more than a sardine without its can. For example, how about feeding lobster meat to beef cattle? That way, we could experience a true "surf and turf" dinner — all in one bite.

While swimming recently, I glanced ahead under the water at my rhythmic strokes and discovered my father's hand. I was sure I was using my own body parts to glide through the pool, but there it was — the left hand of my departed father and it was attached to end of my left arm. In just that glimpse under water, I recognized dad's gnarled and life-worn fingers, particularly his little finger, bent permanently when he slipped and put it through his mother-in-law's window one wintry day. My left hand's imperfections result from arthritis and a mishap it had with a soccer ball in fourth grade.Our hands are witness to our every unique experience and often the primary tool of many of them. But when hands are passed from parent to child, the uniqueness of their experiences are often comparable. So this is what dad experienced when he glanced at his hands under water! And what other experiences with our contorted hands do we have in common? And how many more miles do mine have to travel before I even begin to approach the history of his?Before their distortion, nearly the total existence of dad's hands involved manual labor — farming during an era without hydraulic machinery, automatic milking devices, or power saws and screwdrivers. The harsh life of farming in the 1920s and '30s left working men's hands distinctively, though proudly, worn. In dad's lifetime, they would be the same hands that lovingly caressed the soft, movie-star features of my mother's face. And always, throughout the severe and the sincere, my father's hands tiptoed through the countless pages of the countless books he read in his family's hayloft, hidden from the male relatives who disdained his passion for reading. If our hands could speak they would tell a complete tale of our lives. Father's hands spoke most loudly when they were tapping out literature on his Remington typewriter. I could never understand how such full (OK, gigantic!) fingers could land so precisely on each key without touching those nearby. But dad's hands did not perform solely as a synapse for words to pass from his brain to the written page. Many a curve ball spun from those large fingers toward his bat-wielding son. And in the day during growing season, dad's hands were wrapped around his decade's-old spade, holding it in place while his equally large boot forced the tool into the stubborn ground of the family garden. And when the grass wasn't green, dad shucked his winter gloves and set to struggling with his miniature tractor and its unwieldy frozen nuts and bolts while exchanging the sickle for the snowblower.Most memorable for anyone brave enough to attempt was shaking the six foot, nine inch man's oversized hands. Before extending your own hand to his, you were advised to review your life insurance, or at least the status of your medical policy. Dad's massive hand approached yours like the claw of an oversized backhoe. You trusted the operator, but stuff happens and there was always the chance of a malfunction somewhere. In that case, every finger for themselves! One's hand would be completely entrapped by dad's and if shaken long enough, emerge oxygen depleted. That's why people appeared to be enjoying his company — they were just happy to have survived the handshake!So, there before me is my hand, gliding effortlessly through its paces in the pool. My hands do not have the capacity to engulf yours, but I'd like to think they will often repeat the gentler motions of my father's — the passionate hugging of grandchildren, the considerate caressing of a never-opened new book, and the gentle cradling of newly-picked sweet grapes whose juice will soon imperceptibly stain the hands of a life well lived.

We are writing to hopefully make the people in this community aware about a fact concerning the new hospital. It will be GREAT to have a new hospital and we are all in favor it! However, it would be much greater if it would accommodate some of the individuals in our community with special needs. We are referring particularly to the Kidney Dialysis room that we have been fighting for. Some people think we do not need a dialysis room. We cannot understand why they think this is not necessary in our community when there are at least a dozen individuals in this area that would benefit from the local dialysis. This is not a luxury — it is a necessity for these folks to keep them alive, and treatment is required three times a week. Pipestone and Worthington each have a dialysis program as well as Sioux Falls, but why do our Luverne people have to drive miles to get treatment when everyone around in other towns can go to their hometown hospital? These patients need to arrange for someone to drive them to their dialysis treatments three times a week, every week. This is not something that can be postponed, so if it’s inclement weather they have to make arrangements to go early, or stay overnight. Dialysis patients should not be driving themselves after a treatment, however, due to the expense of hiring someone to take them, by necessity they choose to drive themselves. In the first place, these people are not feeling well — then they have to travel a distance, buy meals, buy gas, and in some cases pay whoever does the driving to transport them. Multiply that by three times a week, every week for as long as they are able, and you begin to realize the cost for these folks. We know of several folks from the area who have chosen not to live in Luverne because they would have to drive a distance for their dialysis treatment. Would this service not bring more people in to use our grand facility? And Luverne?We hope that our hospital board would consider offering this service that could accommodate so many of our community people, and we would hope that the new hospital will go out of their way to furnish this service for those who require these life-saving treatments. It seems like a given that the number of people using the dialysis would justify the cost of providing these services. The number of folks requiring dialysis seems to increase the longer we live. Now is the time to do it! Please reconsider and think of the folks that need these services. It would make life so much simpler for them, and their days of treatment so much more bearable if they don’t have to be on the road so long, and worry about the weather, cost, drivers, etc. Wouldn’t it be much more convenient for them to be able to go to our new hospital for these services? It would also be easier on family and much more cost effective.What do we, the people of the Luverne community need to do to convince the hospital board that a dialysis room is needed in Luverne? If you agree that this is a necessity in our new hospital, make your request known to the hospital administration or board member. Concerned citizens and friends for those who require dialysis.Signed on behalf of 90 signatures,Theresa and Vince Persing

Hills-Beaver Creek Dist. 671Minutes4-26-04The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board met for its semimonthly meeting at 7:30 pm in the library in Hills. Board members present were DeBoer, Larson, Boeve, Esselink, Leuthold, and Baker. Harnack was absent. Superintendent Deragisch was also in attendance. The meeting was called to order by Vice Chairman Esselink. Vice Chairman Esselink recognized Jolene Farley of The Crescent as the only visitor to the meeting. Patriot Pride: Congratulations to the Junior class and their parents for successful Prom and After Prom activities Parents new to the area were impressed with the H-BC elementary & staff and plan to move into the districtElementary report was given by Mr. HolthausHigh School report was presented by Superintendent Deragisch.The minutes of the last meeting were approved as sent out. Motion by Leuthold, second by Baker, and carried to have one school board meeting in July. Summer board meetings were set for the following dates: May 10th & 24th July 12th June 14th & 28th August 9th & 23rdDiscussion was held concerning the school board staff development goals for 2004-05.Motion by DeBoer, second by Leuthold, and carried to pay the outstanding 1999-2001 Special Ed bill of $55,864.49 to Luverne Public School District.Motion by Boeve, second by Larson, and carried to end the last day of school on May 28, 2004 at 11:00 am for the high school and 11:15 am for the elementary.Discussion was held on the following topics: Potential cuts for 2004-05Information regarding operating referendums from area schoolsLegislative update was given by Esselink. Dates to Remember: May 10 School Board meetingMeeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.Ann Boeve, Clerk(5-13)