By John RittenhouseThe Luverne track squads mixed it up against some strong competition during the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls Friday and Saturday.The Cardinals competed in the Class A version of the event, and their appearance at the meet was highlighted by five Top 10 performances turned in by different athletes.Senior Tyler Elbers recorded Luverne’s best finish at the meet.Elbers cleared 6-2 to finish eighth in the high jump.Tim Rust and Justin Van Wyhe also placed in the Top 10 during different events for the LHS boys.Rust, who placed 14th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.44, cleared 12-6 and placed ninth in the pole vault.Van Wyhe, who placed 24th in the long jump with a distance of 19-10-1/4, covered 41-6 and placed 10th in the triple jump.A record-setting performance turned in by Lexi Heitkamp proved to be the highlight of the meet for the Luverne girls.Heitkamp, an eighth-grader, established a new school record in the 1,600-meter run when she finished ninth in the event with a time of 5:24.7.Heitkamp’s effort surpassed the old school standard of 5:25 set by Hannah Dietrich in 1998.Heitkamp also ran a leg with Luverne’s sprint medley relay team, which placed 10th with a time of 4:27.1. Victoria Arends, Maggie Kuhlman and Jenni Christensen are other members of the team.Here is a look at the rest of the performances turned in by LHS athletes during the meet.Luverne boys11th place: 800 relay (Rust, Ben Cornish, Jake Hendricks and Elbers), 1:34.81.15th place: 3,200 relay (Thomas Pinkal, Ruston Aaker, Scott Goebel and Nick Otten), 9:02.9.19th place: 1,600 relay (Hendricks, Aaker, Goebel and Elbers), 3:37.5.24th place: Pinkal, 3,200,10:47.1.32nd place: Goebel, 1,600, 4:47.1.40th place: Travis Halfmann, 3,200, 11:29.5.65th place: Andy Stegemann, 1,600, 5:17.5.Luverne girls14th place: Kuhlman, 300 hurdles, 50.62.17th place: 800 relay (Callen Bosshart, Amanda Dooyema, Nicole Willers and Christensen), 1:53.4; 1,600 relay (Christensen, Dooyema, Victoria Arends and Heitkamp), 4:17.75.18th place: 400 relay (Bosshart, Dooyema, Cassie Pap and Willers), 53.75.30th place: Arends, 300 hurdles, 52.9; Kayla Raddle, 3,200, 12:40.15.31st place: Kelsey Dooyema, 1,600, 5:45.2.32nd place: Amanda Saum, 3,200, 12:43.26.38th place: Kuhlman, 100 hurdles, 17.71.44th place: Jessica Willers, 100 hurdles, 18.6.47th place: Bosshart, 100, 13.6.Marissa Stewart threw the shot put 32-6 and the discus 110-0 without placing.

By John RittenhouseGoing by the calendar, there are 163 days between today and Oct. 16.As the result of a recent development, Luverne’s Preston Ver Meer is operating under the premise that there are only 163 days remaining to train for what will be a daunting physical challenge, which will take place on that date next fall.On the basis of being selected during a lottery drawing staged on April 15, Ver Meer has been invited to compete in the 36th Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.The event, billed as one of the world’s stiffest physical challenges a person can be subjected to, will begin at 7 a.m. (Kona time). The triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run, and it attracts world-class athletes from more than 50 countries.Ver Meer doesn’t consider himself to be a top-notch athlete at the age of 59, but he’ll have to train like he is one now. It will take a lot of hard work, but Ver Meer is looking forward to the challenge of getting into the type of physical condition he’ll need to complete the 140-plus mile course."Actually, I had a goal qualifying for this race when I was 60," Ver Meer admitted. "I wasn’t planning on it (qualifying for the event), but now I have to be ready for it by October instead of next year."Ver Meer already has beaten the odds just to be invited to the race.Most of the up to 2,000 athletes who will compete at the 2004 ITWC had to earn their invitations by placing in the Top 3 during the many different qualifying triathlons staged throughout the world. Ver Meer, in essence, had his name picked out of a hat for his right to race.As the event gained popularity over the years, race officials implemented a lottery system that gives amateur athletes a slim shot at being selected to join the field of competitors. Under the lottery system, 150 athletes from the United States citizens, and 50 international slots are up for grabs.Ver Meer and good friend and training partner Dave Duffy decided to roll the dice and enter their names into the lottery for a $35 fee last February, and fate fell in the favor of Ver Meer when his name was chosen among more than 4,000 entries."Dave called me that day (April 15) and asked me if we won the lottery," Ver Meer recalled. "I had forgotten about it, but I pulled up the Web site on my computer and searched through the names of the winners. When I came across my name, I got pretty excited."Luck smiled on Ver Meer on the day of the lottery, but he wasn’t feeling so lucky on a cool November day back in 1987.During a deer-hunting trip near Canby, Ver Meer suddenly found himself experiencing a shortness of breath that scared him enough to seek an assessment from a cardiologist at Sioux Valley Hospital."I knew something wasn’t right," Ver Meer admitted.His assumption was correct, and a heart attack was the verdict.Upon further testing, Ver Meer learned that the main artery to his heart was 95 percent clogged, and two other blood vessels were equally plugged.Ver Meer’s cardiologist said an angioplasty would clear his clogged blood vessels for a couple of years, but it would take the commitment of giving up tobacco and alcohol on the patient’s part to extend his life beyond two years."I was 41 years old at the time, and I basically abused my body for all 41 of those years," he said. "My problem was that I believed what the Marlboro and Hamm’s Beer men were telling me back then. I decided that I didn’t want to die, so I quit smoking and drinking and started exercising."Ver Meer’s comeback from heart trouble was a deliberate one.It started with walks from his Hills home that were measured by the lengths in between telephone poles, and developed into longer walks and, eventually, jogging.Now Ver Meer is a regular at the Rock County Community Pool and Fitness Center, where a lot of his training for the Ironman competition will take place."My training schedule will change from week to week," Ver Meer said. "Last week I trained for about 10 hours, and I want to get it up to 20 hours each week by the end of the summer. The schedule for myself now is to run between 30 and 40 miles, bike up to 150 to 200 miles and swim five to six miles each week."Ver Meer needs to work hard now, because winning the lottery doesn’t mean an instant entry into the field at the Kona competition.Race officials need proof that Ver Meer can complete at least one-half of the Ironman triathlon prior to Aug. 31, and he hopes to meet the criteria at the Wisconsin Dells Tin Man Triathlon in Baraboa, Wis., June 19.Ver Meer will need to complete a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run that day."June 19 will be a big day for me," he said. "You have to prove that you can complete one-half of a triathlon before they’ll let you race in Kona. Right now I think I’ll be able to do it. I’m a little scared, but I’m confident at the same time."Should Ver Meer pass the test in Wisconsin, his training plan should help him gain confidence heading into the October challenge.Having completed two full marathons (the Twin Cities Marathon twice and Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth once), the running portion of the Ironman competition doesn’t seem to intimidate Ver Meer.The biking and swimming portions of the events are unknowns for Ver Meer at this point.He recently underwent surgery to repair rotary cuff damage in his shoulder, so Ver Meer’s swimming training has been limited.The bike race, after the swim, could be equally challenging if crosswinds reach 60 miles per hour as can be the case in Kona.Ver Meer, however, said he completed RAGBRAI (The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa) last summer, which gives him a good base to build on."The only thing I can control about this right now is my training," Ver Meer admits. "They call this a race, but it really is an endurance race. It’s a mental game. It does take physical ability, without a doubt, but it’s a mental game as well. As long as I take care of my part in the area of training, which is what I really enjoy doing, it should all work out in the end."At this point, finishing the race in Kona is Ver Meer’s goal.In order to do that, Ver Meer will need to complete the 2.4-mile ocean swim in less than 2:20, and finish the 112-mile bike race before 10:30 of the triathlon have elapsed. All athletes have a 17-hour time limit to complete the entire course."All I want to do is to finish the race standing up in less than 17 hours. I would like to think I could finish it between 14 and 15 hours, but that will be determined by the different elements."Considering what he has overcome since 1987 to get to this point, it wouldn’t be wise to think Ver Meer will not complete the race in Hawaii."All I know is that I couldn’t swim one lap at the Rock County Pool 17 years ago, and now we’re sitting here talking about this (the ITWC). I’ve been watching the race on TV for the past 15-20 years, and I thought it would be a great challenge to get healthy enough to compete in it. I often ask myself, what is perfect health? I think if I can go to Hawaii and to the Ironman, I can’t be too far off from being totally healthy."

By John RittenhouseGoing by the calendar, there are 163 days between today and Oct. 16.As the result of a recent development, Luverne’s Preston Ver Meer is operating under the premise that there are only 163 days remaining to train for what will be a daunting physical challenge, which will take place on that date next fall.On the basis of being selected during a lottery drawing staged on April 15, Ver Meer has been invited to compete in the 36th Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.The event, billed as one of the world’s stiffest physical challenges a person can be subjected to, will begin at 7 a.m. (Kona time). The triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run, and it attracts world-class athletes from more than 50 countries.Ver Meer doesn’t consider himself to be a top-notch athlete at the age of 59, but he’ll have to train like he is one now. It will take a lot of hard work, but Ver Meer is looking forward to the challenge of getting into the type of physical condition he’ll need to complete the 140-plus mile course."Actually, I had a goal qualifying for this race when I was 60," Ver Meer admitted. "I wasn’t planning on it (qualifying for the event), but now I have to be ready for it by October instead of next year."Ver Meer already has beaten the odds just to be invited to the race.Most of the up to 2,000 athletes who will compete at the 2004 ITWC had to earn their invitations by placing in the Top 3 during the many different qualifying triathlons staged throughout the world. Ver Meer, in essence, had his name picked out of a hat for his right to race.As the event gained popularity over the years, race officials implemented a lottery system that gives amateur athletes a slim shot at being selected to join the field of competitors. Under the lottery system, 150 athletes from the United States citizens, and 50 international slots are up for grabs.Ver Meer and good friend and training partner Dave Duffy decided to roll the dice and enter their names into the lottery for a $35 fee last February, and fate fell in the favor of Ver Meer when his name was chosen among more than 4,000 entries."Dave called me that day (April 15) and asked me if we won the lottery," Ver Meer recalled. "I had forgotten about it, but I pulled up the Web site on my computer and searched through the names of the winners. When I came across my name, I got pretty excited."Luck smiled on Ver Meer on the day of the lottery, but he wasn’t feeling so lucky on a cool November day back in 1987.During a deer-hunting trip near Canby, Ver Meer suddenly found himself experiencing a shortness of breath that scared him enough to seek an assessment from a cardiologist at Sioux Valley Hospital."I knew something wasn’t right," Ver Meer admitted.His assumption was correct, and a heart attack was the verdict.Upon further testing, Ver Meer learned that the main artery to his heart was 95 percent clogged, and two other blood vessels were equally plugged.Ver Meer’s cardiologist said an angioplasty would clear his clogged blood vessels for a couple of years, but it would take the commitment of giving up tobacco and alcohol on the patient’s part to extend his life beyond two years."I was 41 years old at the time, and I basically abused my body for all 41 of those years," he said. "My problem was that I believed what the Marlboro and Hamm’s Beer men were telling me back then. I decided that I didn’t want to die, so I quit smoking and drinking and started exercising."Ver Meer’s comeback from heart trouble was a deliberate one.It started with walks from his Hills home that were measured by the lengths in between telephone poles, and developed into longer walks and, eventually, jogging.Now Ver Meer is a regular at the Rock County Community Pool and Fitness Center, where a lot of his training for the Ironman competition will take place."My training schedule will change from week to week," Ver Meer said. "Last week I trained for about 10 hours, and I want to get it up to 20 hours each week by the end of the summer. The schedule for myself now is to run between 30 and 40 miles, bike up to 150 to 200 miles and swim five to six miles each week."Ver Meer needs to work hard now, because winning the lottery doesn’t mean an instant entry into the field at the Kona competition.Race officials need proof that Ver Meer can complete at least one-half of the Ironman triathlon prior to Aug. 31, and he hopes to meet the criteria at the Wisconsin Dells Tin Man Triathlon in Baraboa, Wis., June 19.Ver Meer will need to complete a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run that day."June 19 will be a big day for me," he said. "You have to prove that you can complete one-half of a triathlon before they’ll let you race in Kona. Right now I think I’ll be able to do it. I’m a little scared, but I’m confident at the same time."Should Ver Meer pass the test in Wisconsin, his training plan should help him gain confidence heading into the October challenge.Having completed two full marathons (the Twin Cities Marathon twice and Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth once), the running portion of the Ironman competition doesn’t seem to intimidate Ver Meer.The biking and swimming portions of the events are unknowns for Ver Meer at this point.He recently underwent surgery to repair rotary cuff damage in his shoulder, so Ver Meer’s swimming training has been limited.The bike race, after the swim, could be equally challenging if crosswinds reach 60 miles per hour as can be the case in Kona.Ver Meer, however, said he completed RAGBRAI (The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa) last summer, which gives him a good base to build on."The only thing I can control about this right now is my training," Ver Meer admits. "They call this a race, but it really is an endurance race. It’s a mental game. It does take physical ability, without a doubt, but it’s a mental game as well. As long as I take care of my part in the area of training, which is what I really enjoy doing, it should all work out in the end."At this point, finishing the race in Kona is Ver Meer’s goal.In order to do that, Ver Meer will need to complete the 2.4-mile ocean swim in less than 2:20, and finish the 112-mile bike race before 10:30 of the triathlon have elapsed. All athletes have a 17-hour time limit to complete the entire course."All I want to do is to finish the race standing up in less than 17 hours. I would like to think I could finish it between 14 and 15 hours, but that will be determined by the different elements."Considering what he has overcome since 1987 to get to this point, it wouldn’t be wise to think Ver Meer will not complete the race in Hawaii."All I know is that I couldn’t swim one lap at the Rock County Pool 17 years ago, and now we’re sitting here talking about this (the ITWC). I’ve been watching the race on TV for the past 15-20 years, and I thought it would be a great challenge to get healthy enough to compete in it. I often ask myself, what is perfect health? I think if I can go to Hawaii and to the Ironman, I can’t be too far off from being totally healthy."

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth track teams ran well at the Arrow Relays in Pipestone Tuesday.Competing in the Class B side of the event, the Patriot boys scored 109 points to place third, and the girls finished fourth with 73 points."We really ran well at this meet," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "Our girls set two meet records, and that indicates what type of day we had."H-BC-E-E’s boys landed three meet titles during the course of the event.Tom LeBoutillier, who placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.4, won the long jump by covering 19-9.The Patriots took top honors in the medley and 3,200-meter relays with respective 3:50.7 and 8:41.7 times.Lee Jackson, LeBoutillier, Kale Wiertzema and Tyler Bush ran the medley. Jackson, Wiertzema, Todd Alberty and Bush joined forces in the 3,200.H-BC-E-E’s Cody Scholten placed second in four individual events. He cleared 6-1 in the high jump, covered 19-1 in the long jump, ran 100 meters in 11.61 and dashed 200 meters in 24.14.The boys’ 1,600-meter relay of Alberty, Wiertzema, Jackson and Bush placed second with a time of 3:35.38.The H-BC-E-E girls won three relay races and set two meet standards during the competition.Meet records fell in the 400- and 3,200-meter relays as the Patriots produced the winning times of 53.77 and 10:10 in the events.Amanda Connors, Cassi Tilstra, Mya Mann and Kelly Mulder ran the 400. Jocelyn Bucher, Mann and Amanda and Cassi Tilstra formed the 3,200-meter team.Mann, Connors, Ashley Bucher and Cassi Tilstra took top honors in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 4:17.4.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s Top Six finishers and the team standings from the Arrow Relays.The Patriots will compete at a meet in Sturgis, S.D., Saturday and attend the Frisbee Relays in Pipestone Tuesday.Class B girls: Adrian 115, Fulda 113, Southwest Christian 83, H-BC-E-E 73, Southwest United 61, Lincoln HI 38, Elkton (unavailable), Lakeview (unavailable).Class B boys: SWC 124, Fulda 113, H-BC-E-E 109, Adrian 95, Lakeview 43, Baltic 37, SWU 22, Elkton (unavailable), LH (unavailable).H-BC-E-E boysThird place: Derek Haak, 3,200, 11:17.7; LeBoutillier, 300 hurdles, 43.98; Greg Van Batavia, 1,600, 5:07.64.Fourth place: John Sandbulte, triple jump, 37-3; 400 relay (Paul DeLeon, Devin DeBoer, Cody Rozeboom and Roger DeBoer), 49.9.Fifth place: Soren Trebesch, 400, 58.1; 800 relay (Sandbulte, Rozeboom, D.DeBoer and DeLeon), 1:45.4.Sixth place: Robert Baker, 800, 2:20.44.H-BC-E-E girlsThird place: A.Tilstra, triple jump, 29-2; Rayna Sandoval, 3,200, 13:14; A.Bucher, 1,600, 5:47.4; medley relay (Rosie Lewis, Mulder, J.Bucher and A.Tilstra), 4:45.76.Fourth place: Lewis, shot, 30-0; Lewis, discus, 91-3; Kari Roozenboom, 110 hurdles, 18.69.Fifth place: Roozenboom, triple jump, 28.5; 800 relay (Connors, Lewis, Brittany Helgeson and Mulder), 1:58.67.Sixth place: Mulder, long jump, 13-4; Roozenboom, 300 hurdles, 59.68; Brooke Kramer, 800, 2:54.56.

By John RittenhouseSome members of the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton girls’ track program turned in some stunning performances during the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls Friday and Saturday.Three H-BC-E-E girls’ relay teams earned medals by placing in the Top Eight of their respective events during Class B competition."We’ve never had three girls’ relay teams medal at the Howard Wood Relays before this," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "We ran very well and were extremely competitive."The best effort by the girls came from the 1,600-meter squad, which placed fourth with a time of 4:18.1. Mya Mann, Amanda and Cassi Tilstra and Ashley Bucher formed the team.H-BC-E-E’s 3,200-meter relay team of Mann, the Tilstras and Jocelyn Bucher finished sixth with a time of 10:10.8.The sprint medley squad of Amanda Connors, Kelly Mulder, Mann and Cassi Tilstra earned a medal by finishing seventh with a 4:30.8 effort.The H-BC-E-E boys’ sprint medley team also earned a medal by placing third with a time of 3:44.6. Cody Scholten, Tom LeBoutillier, Kale Wiertzema and Tyler Bush formed the team.The boys’ 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays placed 11th with respective 3:40.7 and 8:42.1 efforts.Lee Jackson, Wiertzema, Bush and LeBoutillier ran the 1,600. Jackson, Wiertzema, Bush and Greg Van Batavia formed the 3,200-meter team.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s results from the weekend event.H-BC-E-E girls36th place: 400 relay (Connors, Mulder, Rosie Lewis and Brittany Helgeson), 55.9.49th place: Kari Roozenboom, 100 hurdles, 19.4.Rayna Sandoval ran a 13:28 in the 3,200-meter run without placing.H-BC-E-E boys17th place: LeBoutillier, 300 hurdles, 42.8.22nd place: LeBoutillier, long jump, 19-11.32nd place: 400 relay (John Sandbulte, Soren Trebesch, Devin DeBoer and Paul DeLeon), 49.8.56th place: Derek Haak, 1,600, 5:04.7.Scholten was unable to clear the opening height (6-0) in the high jump.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGConditional Use PermitPursuant to the Rock County Zoning Ordinance, Notice is hereby given by the Rock County Planning Commission that a public hearing will be held at the Rock County Family Service Center located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, May 17th, 2004. The purpose of the hearing is to rule on the application submitted by Duininck Bros, Inc. for Conditional Use Permit for a temporary hot mix plant located in the East 620 feet of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 and the West 680 feet of the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 21 in Battle Plain Township, T104N R44W, Rock County, Minnesota. Eric HartmanZoning Administrator(5-6, 5-13)

Rock County Sheriff’s Office will be accepting sealed bids for 911 ANI/ALI controller – 911 PC Answering positions w/Windows NT answering position software – Centralized ANI/ALI printer – Dedicated individual UPS systems (3 for PC, 1 for controller) – 2 ALI data modems – 1ALI fax transfer modem – Specifications may be obtained at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, 213 E. Luverne, St., Luverne, MN Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bids must be received by 4:00 p.m. on May 28, 2004. Contact Mike Winkels, Sheriff, for more information. Rock County Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to reject any or all bids. (5-6, 5-13)

Law Library 9:00 AMRock County Courthouse April 19, 2004Chair Jarchow called the meeting to order with all Commissioners present. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Hoime, to approve the April 19, 2004 County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to approve the April 6, 2004 County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.Land Management Office Director Eric Hartman and County Attorney Don Klosterbuer presented gravel pit bonding issues, specifically the reclamation of abandoned gravel pits. Following discussion, the Chair directed that the County Attorney, Engineer and Land Management Office Director and the Planning & Zoning Committee work on a number of options to the gravel pit bonding that is currently required and bring it back to the County Board for action. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the Schuur Concrete conditional use permit for gravel extraction with the understanding that additional requirements will be added to the permit following the bond discussion, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the Fick and Dave’s Repair conditional use permits for gravel extraction, with the understanding that additional requirements will be added to the permit following the reclamation bond discussion, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 3, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 4, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 5, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 6, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 7, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 8, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to authorize the conditional use permit for MinWind 9, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Wildung, to approve the substation conditional use permit in Beaver Creek Township, declared carried on a voice vote.There was a brief discussion regarding legal correspondence regarding a conditional use permit in Magnolia Township that is currently tabled at the Planning & Zoning Committee. The County Attorney is drafting a response to Peters & Peters addressing their concerns.There was a discussion regarding stockpile setbacks; the Chair directed the Planning & Zoning Committee make a recommendation back to the County Board by the first meeting in July, which setbacks should be for stockpiled manure.Mr. Hartman gave a Level III Feedlot Inventory meeting update for informational purposes only. He also stated that he had attended the school research plots and provided an update on their progress of finding a use for the research plots. Motion by Bakken, second by Wildung, to enter into a Municipal Solid Waste contract with Ketterling for hauling - $180.00/one way trip and $200.00/roundtrip, with an effective date of May 1, 2004 – December 31, 2005, declared carried on a voice vote.The County Board directed that the Chair draft a city/county acknowledgement letter thanking them for their correspondence and look forward to a receipt of their proposal. Gloria Rolfs, Auditor/Treasurer, presented Per Diem listing of $1,435.00, a liquor license for the Rock County Sportsman Club and payment of a lost warrant for the amount of $11.87; motion by Hoime, seconded by Wildung, to approve those items presented, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Bakken, seconded by Hoime, to pay the claims, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of the claims is available by request at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office. General $ 36,238.50LEC 850.28Road & Bridge 38,207.25Welfare 40,901.43Landfill 2,122.10TOTAL $118,319.56The fund balance report was accepted on a motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to approve solid waste abatements for Renfro Variety $84.00, Lava Flow $74.00, Mike Cox office building $42.00 – all located apartment rental units located above the respective businesses, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Hoime, seconded by Wildung, to approve Resolution 14-04, authorizing the sale of tax-forfeited properties located in Clinton Township and in the City of Luverne, declared carried on a roll call vote with Commissioner Boyenga being absent. Brent Polanchek, Buffalo Ridge Regional Railroad Operator, presented information regarding railroad activities; there was a twenty percent increase in car movement in 2003 from 2002 and presented issues regarding stop sign violations as well as damaged signage along the railroad. Currently, he will start a process of billing back townships, cities or county. The board expressed their appreciation for Mr. Polanchek’s work in bringing the volume of activity to the railroad. Mark Sehr, Engineer, presented a pavement marking policy; motion by Bakken, seconded by Hoime, to approve the policy, declared carried on a voice vote. The Engineer requested to advertise for edge striping; motion by Hoime, seconded by Wildung, to authorize the advertising for the edge striping, declared carried on a voice vote. The Engineer requested to obtain quotes for a new roll off container at the Transfer Station; motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to authorize that request, declared carried on a voice vote.Ruth Hubbling, Southwest Crisis Center Regional Director and Raevette Loonan, Rock County Southwest Crisis Director presented statistics of domestic violence and sexual assault service numbers for Rock County. Last year they had worked with ninety families in Rock County and over eight hundred families within their five county area. The County Board expressed their appreciation for their work. The County Board requested that we receive a report from Social Workers, County Attorney’s Office and Corrections regarding sex offenders level 1, 2 & 3 residing in Rock County or Rock County residents residing in other locations to be presented at a future meeting. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to nominate Commissioner Hoime to serve on the Environmental Quality Board Task Force, declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board directed that letters be sent to Governor Pawlenty and TCI thanking them for working together in bringing this project to Luverne and to include letter recipients Representative Magnus and Senator Vickerman; motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, and declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to authorize Terrie Gulden to attend the National Transit Conference in Seattle, Washington on the condition that he make use of the state grant of $750.00 and approval of an Employee Grant of $500.00, declared carried on a voice vote. The Administrator was directed to send a letter of congratulations to the City of Beaver Creek and to Lloyd DeBoer recognizing the efforts they have made in generating prosperous growth in the City of Beaver Creek; motion by Bakken, seconded by Hoime, declared carried on a voice vote. Commissioner Hoime informed the board that he had attended the Land Use and Energy Task Force meetings and that Mr. Mark Willers had attended the Land Use meeting and Energy meeting giving updates and information; motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to authorize Mr. Willers a Planning & Zoning per diem of $50.00, declared carried on a voice vote. Also informed the board that he had attended the pool meeting and that corporate rates were discussed and that they were authorized for a two-year window only. Also informed the board that the Farm Family selection process had been discussed at Extension and that it will be changed during the 2005 Farm Family selection and that it will be addressed at that time. With no further business to come before the board, the meeting was declared adjourned. Bob Jarchow, Chairman of the BoardATTEST: Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board(5-6)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS ON BEHALF OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETYNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Luverne, Minnesota ("City"), will conduct a public hearing concerning the approval of the issuance of the Colorado Health Facilities Authority’s Health Facilities Revenue Bonds (The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society Project) Series 2004 (the "Bonds"). Proceeds of the Bonds in an amount not to exceed $2,650,000 will be used (i) to finance the acquisition, construction, improvement and equipping of a 28 bed assisted living facility (the "Project") at Poplar Creek Estates, owned and operated by The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (the "Borrower") at 201 Oak Drive in the City, (ii) to establish a reserve fund, and (iii) to pay certain costs of issuing the Bonds. The Bonds, when issued, will be limited obligations of the Colorado Health Facilities Authority (the "Authority") and will not constitute a general obligation or indebtedness of the Authority, the State of Minnesota or any political subdivision thereof, including the City, nor will they be payable in any amount by taxation, but the Bonds will be payable solely and only from amounts received from the Borrower named above under a Loan Agreement, the obligation of which will be sufficient to pay the principal of, interest and redemption premium, if any, on the Bonds as and when they shall become due. All interested parties are invited to present comments at the public hearing regarding the issuance of the Bonds and the use of the proceeds therefrom. Written comments to be presented at the hearing may be submitted to the City, at 203 East Main Street, P.O. Box 659, Luverne, Minnesota 56156. The public hearing will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 in the City Hall located at 203 East Main Street, Luverne, Minnesota 56156.(5-6)