The annual Festival of Trees kicks off Christmas at the Carnegie with 32 creatively decorated Christmas trees in the Carnegie Cultural Center, Luverne. Each tree is decorated by a different local organization, family or group of individuals. The tradition was started more than five years ago when Charlie Braa filled the Carnegie with his own decorated trees Ð each with its own theme. Braa, the long-time Rock County auditor, died in 1996, but his tradition of Carnegie trees lives on.

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Christmas at the Carnegie wouldn't be complete without the traditional family tree in memory of Charlie Braa. This year, his tree follows a tea party theme of gingerbread men, teapots, teacups and saucers. Pictured are his daughter, Kathe Stearns, and her daughter, Addie Stearns.

Charlie's widow, Luella Braa, connects homemade gingerbread men with hooks. Charlie's sister, Jan Baustian, made 130 gingerbread men and two dozen miniature gingerbread men (about an inch tall) in her own kitchen from applesauce and cinnamon.

Charlie's granddaughter, Addie Stearns, helped make the teapots, which started with large round ornaments adorned with polymer clay for a base, handle, spout and lid. The tree sports more than 48 of the handmade teapots. The project was a family affair, according to Kathe. "Charlie never had a traditional tree," she said. "Every year we do something different. He would be proud of us. We get together right after Christmas and decide what we're going to do the next year. Then we buy everything on clearance."

Another of Charlie's daughters, Karen Vogel, Rapid City, S.D., came up with the teapot idea and made hers and sent them home. Their sister, Carla Sirorine, even sent a few from her home in Missouri.

Students and staff at Adrian Elementary School are settled into their new classrooms and offices since construction was completed this fall.

"I think the people are just really amazed that this really happened, that they have this new school," Adrian Elementary Principal Russ Lofthus said Monday. "I don't think people realized how nice it was going to be. They're very proud of what they have here."

In December 1998, taxpayers in the Adrian School District said "yes" to a $4.9 million bond referendum for improvements to the district's elementary school facilities. It passed easily with a vote of 637 to 374.

"The reason it was so successful is that we had so many people in the community get involved in the process who took a real interest in it and got the information out to the public," Lofthus told the Star Herald after it passed.

Prior to construction, the early childhood special education, kindergarten and first-grade classes met in the high school, and grades 2-6 met in the elementary building.

Students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are all now in the newly improved elementary building, and sixth-graders moved to what is now the middle school wing of the high school.

Lofthus said it's nice that all elementary students are now together, rather than in two separate buildings. AdrianÕs elementary enrollment has been holding steady, with three sections per grade. There are 320 students in grades K-5.

Renovations to parts of the 1954 building included adding 10 classrooms to the north and east sides plus a media center, art and music classrooms, a cafeteria and a full-service kitchen.

Construction also included new kindergarten and preschool rooms and new elementary office areas.

The 1912 elementary building, although charming with high ceilings, ornate woodwork and squeaking floors, will be demolished during Christmas break. The work was approved as part of the of the bond.

Lofthus said community members had a chance to salvage woodwork, doors, mop boards and other pieces of the old school during an auction earlier this year. "So they could save a piece of the past," he said.

The building didn't meet current fire safety codes nor was it accessible to people with mobility handicaps. The three-story building has bathrooms only in the basement and the electrical system cannot begin to meet the demands of computers.

By Lori Ehde
An elk, of all things, wondered through the west side of Luverne last week, creating a stir among residents on the west side of town.

According to DNR Conservation Officer Joel Mikle, the elk was spotted Sunday, Nov. 12, in the neighborhoods south of the school bus garages.

"It looked all right, but it looked tired," Mikle said. "It was standing upright between a house and garage looking around. It was prancing and running with its head up high, so it looked good."

Mikle said he has no way of knowing where the elk came from or where it was headed.

In the wild, elk normally live in the western states of Montana, Wyoming and some in the Black Hills and a small area of northwestern Minnesota.

A more likely home base for this elk, he said, is a game farm, possibly from Murray or Nobles counties.

He said there's no way to know for sure. "Wild elk have been known to pass through here," he said, adding that it's been 15 years since he's heard of one in this area.

He guessed it was a 2-year-old male around 700 pounds. "As far as elks go, it wasn't huge, but compared with a deer, it was quite a bit bigger, especially with the antlers."

Mikle said full-grown elk weigh between 700 and 1,000 pounds, while the largest deer get to be only 400 pounds.

There's no excuse to mistake it for a white-tailed deer," he said. "Hopefully people leave it alone."

The animal was last seen in the Beaver Creek area.

Mikle said the only reason he got involved with the elk was because it was in town. "Public safety was a concern," he said. "It's fun to look at, but don't get too close. It's like any animal. If you leave it alone, you'll be OK."

Children's librarian April Gangestad reads "Hurry, Santa!" to a full crowd Friday in a story hour that kicked off Winterfest activities. The children were treated to snacks, a puppet show and a visit from large furry friends Peppermint Moose and Christmas Bear. At right are Samantha Kramer and Kasey Madtson anticipating the end of Gangestad's suspenseful story of Santa's deliveries.

By Lori Ehde
When Adrian district residents approved their elementary school bond in December 1998, they were also asked to vote on construction of a new $2- million gym. It was narrowly rejected by a vote of 502 to 466.

That issue will again appear on a ballot on Tuesday. This time, voters will be asked to support a $2.62-million bond for a gymnasium and multipurpose room at the high school.

Polling places will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. at Adrian High School and Lismore Community Center.

Improvements are needed to provide space for physical education, athletic and community recreation activities.

According to reports from the Department of Children, Families and Learning, Adrian's current gymnasium is outdated and ranks among the bottom 10 percent of physical education, athletic and community recreation spaces in the state.

Plans call for new construction to include:

-competition-level gym designed for two sections of physical education and bleacher seating for 800,

-two varsity locker rooms with an office, toilet and shower facilities,

-additional uniform storage and laundry facilities,

-fitness and weight training room with an area for aerobics and adjacent toilets,

-office/dressing and shower room for visiting referees, staff and coaches,

-multipurpose room large enough to accommodate wrestling mats and physical education programs,

-lobby space with a concession/ticket stand,

-pupil rest rooms as required by assembly space and occupancy codes.

In December 1998, taxpayers in the Adrian School District said "yes" to a $4.9-million bond referendum for improvements to the district's elementary school facilities. It passed easily with a vote of 637 to 374.

Construction was completed this fall, and students and staff began the 2000-01 school year in their new classrooms and office space.

By Lori Ehde
First Baptist Church Pastor Tom Mabe remains in the intensive care unit of Sioux Valley Hospital, and doctors hesitate to give a prognosis beyond one day at a time.

Only 10 days ago, he was chatting in a Star Herald interview about his exciting plans to start a new challenge with a church in Edina.

He still hasn't had a chance to read that story.

As the Star Herald went to press Wednesday, Dec. 6, Tom collapsed in his home.

Church secretary Rhonda Morris had stopped by the parsonage to pick up a television set her son was interested in fixing.

Doctors say it's a good thing she was there to call an ambulance, because Tom wouldn't have survived long at home alone.

In medical terms, he suffered a "dissecting aortic aneurysm," which means his main aortic valve split open from the top and separated from the lining of the heart.

Because Tom received prompt medical attention, doctors were able to operate immediately to restore blood flow to his body.

They did this by bypassing the damaged area, and during the surgery, Tom's heart didn't beat for 21 minutes, while machines kept blood and oxygen flowing to his brain.

With the surgery complete, Thursday was a day to wait and see if the procedure worked. Doctors were making no promises or predictions, but by Friday, it was clear he'd survived the aneurysm and surgery, and it was a day of hope.

As Saturday and Sunday passed with small improvements, optimism mounted. But on Monday, Tom's family members faced the cold reality that they could still lose him.

On Monday, his lungs had started filling with fluid and his body functions, including kidneys, had started shutting down.

He was placed back on a ventilator to get oxygen levels back up in his blood and to take some strain off his heart.

It was a step backward, but as quickly as things turned sour Monday, they turned around Tuesday for the better.

At 7 a.m. Stephenie said Tom woke up a new man. "His eyes opened up and he was determined he was going to get that ventilator off today," she told the Star Herald Tuesday night. "He wanted to sit up and get that tube out."

Doctors cautiously warned that might not happen Tuesday, but by 5 p.m. he was strong enough to get along without the ventilator.

"He's got some real determination right now," Stephenie said. "He's real thankful for everybody praying for him. He gets really overwhelmed."

Without the tubes down his throat, Tom was able to speak, and mostly, he spoke about how grateful he is for the outpouring of support, Stephenie said.

While he can't have visitors in the intensive care unit, Tom has heard about the hundreds of people in his church and community who are praying for him.

His son, Josh, and son-in-law, Vince, spoke to the First Baptist Church congregation Sunday morning to let them know how Tom was doing.

They also relayed a plea by the Sioux Falls Regional Blood Bank for donations of O-positive blood. "They had an O-positive shortage because of Tom," Stephenie said.

After that word got out, the hospital was inundated with more than 100 local people who volunteered to give blood. On Dec. 27, the Sioux Falls Regional Blood Bank team will be in Luverne to accept additional donations.

Leaning on the prayers and support of their friends and family, Tom, Stephenie and their family are taking one day at a time.

"They're telling me he still has a long road for recovery," Stephenie said.

"If he can hold his own now, and keep breathing deep ... He seems to be as positive as ever and thankful for everyone in the church as well as in the community."

By Sara Quam
Township road signs are an increasingly important issue in rural Rock County with all surrounding counties having similar signage in place.

The only factor that has so far prevented the county from completing the signs is cost - about $70,000 for the project.

The issue was addressed at a joint townships and county board meeting Friday, Dec. 8, with an informal tally resulting in an almost even split among those in favor of, against or undecided about signs.

Terri Ebert, Rock County Sheriff Department dispatcher, said that in her opinion, it’s a necessary expenditure.

Ebert said one cause for the need is that without rural addresses, US West doesn't give the sheriff’s office updates on its new customers' locations.

Just Tuesday, that situation came into play when a woman called 911 and the only information dispatchers received on their computer system was her telephone number. They received no location and no name, which would have helped dispatchers get help to her. In this case, the woman could tell the dispatcher where she was, but not all people who call 911 are able to do that.

"We have the computers and the capability; we just need the addresses," Ebert said. "We try to have directions ready, but the old system that went by those directions is obsolete."

If the county goes ahead with the signing project, rural route addresses would become street addresses with house numbers, and the dispatch mapping system would correspond with those.

Emergency crews responding to the dispatches now follow directions by a plat map with information on township, section numbers and other directions to the location. But in cases of newly located residents or children who can’t say where they are, that system may not work.

"We don’t want to be playing games when it’s people's lives," Ebert said.

Dispatchers aren't the only personnel looking forward to an organized numbering system to roads. Delivery companies, service workers and people trying to find a business or residence in rural areas usually find road signs more helpful than not.

A matter of cost
Township board members who said they weren’t interested in the project indicated they either thought it was unnecessary or too costly.

For those who thought it was a matter of cost, they learned most other counties have split the cost with townships. With almost 540 signs needed within the county, the cost to townships would be almost $5,000 each, which the county would likely pay for initially and then get reimbursed for.

County Engineer Mark Sehr has mapped a tentative numbering system that will match Pipestone and Nobles counties. He said he chose to use numbers instead of named roads because they are easier to follow as a driver and because signs with names are more likely to be vandalized or stolen.

The dollar amount townships may be asked to pay is the estimate if the signs are done this year. That could increase with each year the project is postponed.

The county would pay all the costs for the computer mapping system, but it is uncertain who would be responsible for maintenance.

The meeting with the townships was for information only, and no decisions were made. The county wants input from the townships, although their approval is not needed to go forward with signing the roads.

Those interested in the area's railway happenings will notice Nobles-Rock Railroad is changing - first of all by name and operator.

New operator Brent Polanchek renamed it Minnesota Southern Railway, and he has been operating the line for more than two weeks.

Polanchek said the new name will "try to erase some negative feelings." The biggest change Polanchek looks forward to is increasing traffic on the line.

"We have to increase the car loadings," he said. "Obviously our goal is to get more cars moving. It's a big challenge, and I foresee it taking work."

The shortline runs from Worthington to Manley, and generally hauls ethanol, fertilizer, corn and soybeans, but Polanchek said the line is always willing to take on more projects. In fact, just last week, it started running a second engine on the line.

Ethanol will play a major part in the success of the line because it produces year-round and can keep the lines busy when crops aren't being hauled.

Polanchek signed a 20-year lease in November and took over the business when former operators Cascade Railcorp fell far behind in payments. The railroad business is not an easy one - Polanchek is the fourth operator in 10 years to lease from Buffalo Ridge Regional Rail Authority.

Polanchek doesn't claim to be a business expert, although he and his wife, Kathy, own a gun shop in their permanent home of Kallispell, Mont., near Flathead Lake.

"I'm still on the learning curve," he said.

Even though learning the trade is slow and paperwork isn't his favorite duty, Polanchek revels in his time as an engineer - or the train driver.

"My dad worked for the railroad and I remember riding on trains when I was a pup. It's a lifelong habit," Polanchek said.

His own career in railroads was hampered in 1989 when he lost his legs in a train accident. But engineering the train from the driver's seat is a task his disability more than allows for. Railroad employees Herb Tollefson and his son, J.R., are both experienced and do much of the work on the ground.

Polanchek is planning to buy a home here to split his time between Luverne and Montana. He said his experiences in the area have been "pleasurable," and he looks forward to a thriving local shortline.

4-H member Katie Kannenberg (back) supervises as Jessica Dorhout (left), Nicole Solis and Katie Dahl form "snowballs" out of cookie dough to make snowman cookies during a holiday session of Kids in the Kitchen Tuesday in the home economics room of Luverne High School. At right, Hannah Baartman (left) and Gretchen Nowatzki add pretzel antlers, chocolate chip eyes and cinnamon noses to their reindeer cookies.

Kids in the Kitchen, a joint effort of Minnesota Extension, Community Education and Jubilee Foods, teaches kids about food nutrition and food safety. Jubilee Foods Home Economist Mary Tilstra said Tuesday's session was mostly for holiday fun.