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Footprints open window in dramas of animal life

By Lori Ehde
Saturday dawned sunny and calm in the Blue Mounds State Park. It was cold - with temperatures barely climbing above zero - but conditions were perfect for another session of animal tracking in the snow.

Though many animals hibernate in the winter, Park naturalist Dave Rambow said the park is alive this time of year with animal activity - and the evidence is in the tracks they leave in the snow.

"Each set of tracks tells a story," Rambow said.

"Each animal has its own pattern. Rabbits run from tree to tree, from cover to cover. Deer follow established trails, moving from feeding area to feeding area, from bedding area to feeding area."

Some stories written in the snow are about life and death.

"Once I found a place where an owl pounced on a mouse," Rambow said. "Where the mouse tracks stopped, you could see the imprint of wings and tail feathers."
He said following tracks in the snow is a way to experience animals without actually being there to see them.

"It compresses time," he said. "You see the decisions the animals are making as they get to where theyÕre going."

When Rambow leads participants on tracking tours like the one Saturday morning, the most common tales are told by deer and rabbits, with an occasional mouse or pheasant pattern.

Before hunting season started last fall, there were about 180 deer in the herd on the Blue Mounds. Those numbers are down from previous years, when there were as many as 400 in 1996, for example.

While no formal count has been attempted, Rambow said coyotes are a constant presence on the Mounds as well.

Another tracking session is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday.

In a press release advertising the sessions, Rambow says, "We use tracking as a kind of tool to help people get back in touch with nature. It brings you down to earth and connects you to nature.

"When you get down on your knees following deer tracks, you see how the deer feels, how it sees things."

Trackers are advised to dress for the elements and bring their own snowshoes if they have them. A limited number of adult snowshoes are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Meet in the trail center building, formerly the park shelter house. The building was enclosed this summer for winter use, but it's not heated.

Rambow said Park Partners is working to locate a wood stove to make the building a winter warming house for the tracking sessions and other winter park activities.

18-year-old arrested for break-in at Scotty's

By Lori Ehde
The Rock County Sheriff's Department has arrested an 18-year-old rural Luverne man, and another 17-year-old male may be involved with an attempted break-in at Scotty's.

According to the arrest report, Deputy Jeff Wieneke was dispatched to a 3 a.m. alarm sounding at Scotty's Bar and Grill Tuesday.

When Wieneke arrived, he found 18-year-old Dan Meinerts hiding under a pickup in the parking lot.

He arrested Meinerts at the scene, and Scotty's employees were called to assess potential losses.

Wieneke noticed pry marks on the front door, and a screen had been removed from a window that was not locked.

Meinerts' footprints were found on the ground outside the window, but it's unclear if he had actually been inside the building.

When questioned about the attempted break-in, Meinerts requested to speak with an attorney.

Scotty's employees did not notice anything stolen or damaged inside the building.

Meinerts has been released pending charges.

A 17-year-old juvenile has also been questioned in connection with the arrest and faces similar potential charges.

Tickets on sale for hospice charity auction and banquet

By Sara Quam
The nationwide concern of hospice-care funding hits home for many area families.

Fund-raisers are one way that Luverne's hospice program can help make up for benefits missed by Medicare or health insurance.

The annual charity auction and banquet is scheduled for April 20 this year.

Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System purchased Luverne's hospital, but Helen Saum, volunteer and marketing coordinator, wants to make it clear that donations don't go to Sioux Valley.

"Any donation, memorial or fund-raiser stays in the Luverne Healthcare Foundation to serve local people," Saum said.

The foundation's money has gone directly to patients whose services aren't covered otherwise, to patients who may need to stay in The Cottage and pay room and board and to patients who have high prescription drug costs. The foundation also pays for some supplies and additional services like counseling.

The charity auction usually draws about 300 people and includes a meal, entertainment, a live auction and a silent auction.

About 35 area people donate their time to the hospice program. Those volunteers, from Rushmore to Hills to Adrian, are valuable assets to the program, Saum said.

"If we have a patient from a particular area, it's nice to have a volunteer from there see that patient," Saum said.

The hospice program includes patients who aren't living in The Cottage. They can be at home, in nursing homes or hospitals and still receive hospice care.

In 1993, 30 people entered the hospice program. That number increased to 59 last year, and stays in The Cottage have risen even more steeply - from 5 in 1998 to 40 last year.

As the number of hospice users rise, the proportion of Medicare funding has fallen.

When Medicare set hospice payments in the 1980s, prescription drug costs represented about $1 of the per diem reimbursement rate. Now the prescription drugs cost about $16 a day.

The average length of service has also dropped. More patients enter hospice very late in their illnesses, requiring intensive services.

"By the time they get here, there's a high cost to their care, and we're not fully reimbursed," Saum said. "It's a nationwide concern, and Congress is starting to look at it."

The effort to balance effective care and rising costs is aided by local fund drives.

Relay for Life in Luverne

By Lori Ehde
Rock County's first ever Relay for Life isn;t until June 15, but now is the time for interested teams and corporate sponsors to commit to the cause.

The Relay for Life kickoff meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in Grace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall.

"We're hoping to get a lot of people to come," said co-chair Vicki Baartman. "If people are interested, we don't want to scare them away from this meeting. Just by coming, we’re not going to sign them up."

The kickoff meeting will involve corporate sponsors, team captains and co-chairs to discuss the purpose and goals for the event.

Don and Betty Cashin, two local cancer survivors, have been named honorary co-chairs for the event.

The American Cancer Society suggests 15 for a first-time Relay for Life, but Baartman said local organizers hope to have 25 teams.

Cindy Arends, who is chairing corporate sponsors for the event, has already met with positive response from local businesses.

Corporate sponsors can get involved at three different levels.

oThe Gold Level involves support at $1,000 or more,
oThe Silver Level involves support of $750 or more, and
oThe Bronze Level involves support of $500 or more.

So far, Arends said she has commitment from Luverne Community Hospital and Luverne Medical Center/Sioux Valley Physician Group at the Gold Level, and Jubilee Foods, Glen’s Food Center and Luverne Farm Store have committed support at the Bronze Level.

"We have had other smaller donations to date that are also appreciated," Arends said.

The Relay for Life has become the trademark fund-raiser for the Society, the world’s largest non-profit health organization committed to cancer research, education and service.

The event in Rock County will be staged on the track and field at Luverne High School.

Relay for Life involves teams of runners and walkers competing against each other to raise the most money.

Teams of individuals representing corporations, hospitals, neighborhoods and families take turns on the track with at least one team member on the track at a time.

The Relay for Life is now held nationwide, and thousands of people participate each year to help fight cancer.

The event is most noted for its luminaries that glow in memory of individuals who have died from cancer or in honor of those who have survived cancer.

The paper sacks, containing sand and candles, are displayed around the track and are illuminated during a special lighting ceremony at dusk.

In December, local organizers mailed letters to area businesses announcing the event.

The letter also outlined several ways to get involved.

oCorporations, businesses and group sponsors are needed to donate advertising dollars to promote Relay for Life.
oTeams of eight to 10 walkers are needed to compete to raise money during the night of walking.
oPeople are needed who are willing to buy luminaries in memory of their loved ones who have died from cancer or to honor those who have survived cancer.
oVolunteers are needed to help with any part of this activity, from setting up to cleaning up, and to support Relay for Life by attending.

Arends can be reached at 669-2905. Baartman, 283-4119, and Janet Marshall, 283-4192, are co-chairs for Relay for Life in Rock County. Helen Saum, 283-4340, is the team recruitment chair.

Snow removal becoming challenging for local road crews

By Sara Quam
If clearing a sidewalk or driveway after a snowstorm seems daunting, try clearing an entire city and 300 miles of rural roads.

That's what the city of Luverne and the County Highway Department faced after a weekend of heavy snowfall. The city and county both used at least 15 hours of worker time Saturday and Sunday in their efforts to clear roads.

County Engineer Mark Sehr said, "You have to balance between machine time and salaries and clearing the roads."

"We've spent a lot of money on sand and salt," Darrell Huiskes, Luverne public works director said.

So far, Luverne has gone through 225 tons of salt - spending about $12,000 - and is waiting for 75 more tons. "It's from the state, and we've been waiting because everyone needs it now," Huiskes said.

When the city gets the salt, it mixes it with four parts sand before putting it on roadways. Luverne now has about 25 tons of salt left to tide the city over until that shipment arrives. In all of last year, the city went through just 80 tons of salt.

County maintenance supervisor Walter Stearns said Saturday, Sunday and Monday took up almost 30 tons of the salt and sand mixture. "This is starting to compare to the winter of 1996-97," he said.

When city streets look clear, it doesn't mean the job is done. Huiskes said, "It'll take us about five days to finish after we've started."

The county isn't quite done either. Stearns expects all roads to be open to two-lane traffic by Friday. Most blacktop roads were cleared Tuesday, but others had to wait.

The city has exhausted space on the west side of the dam where it piles snow. It's now started hauling snow north of the river, near the power plant.

Luverne has to clear all city parking lots including Blue Mound Liquor, the library and the airport so crews are busy long after streets appear finished.

Clearing snow after last weekend's storm was difficult. The snow was a heavy, wet variety and slow-moving to push aside.

The city faces additional problems with vehicles parked on the street.

It used to interrupt television broadcasts to announce snow emergencies, but federal regulations have stopped that.

The local radio station can't broadcast the announcement because its nighttime programming is syndicated. To help the city, residents should avoid street parking when it snows because it's likely the city will be plowing.

The county also asks for patience. Townships and outlying cities are responsible for their own snow removal, but Stearns said clearing the 300 miles heÕs responsible for isn't easy.

Storm predictions come true on weekend

By Lori Ehde
The past few mild winters are mere memories by now as area residents dig out from yet another storm system that moved through region over the weekend.

The storm, which meteorologists had predicted a week in advance, made its first appearance in Rock County Friday late afternoon.

By nightfall, snow accumulations totaled only an inch, and Saturday dawned quiet but gray.

With sure predictions of more to come, area residents planned evening events "weather permitting."

By about 4 p.m. Saturday, those predictions started coming true in the form of pouring rain, which eventually turned to snow.

When the winds came up around 7 p.m., flakes fell horizontally, causing near-zero visibility for motorists.

Saturday's accumulations came to about 3 inches.

Interstate 90 was closed that evening first from Mitchell to Chamberlain, S.D., and as the storm system moved eastward, all lanes were closed all the way to Blue Earth. In addition, all state and county highways in southwest Minnesota were also declared closed.

Sunday church services were cancelled, and area residents and highway workers spent most of the day digging out.

The sun shone brightly most of the day on Sunday, and when the winds died down, the Interstate opened after stranded vehicles were removed from ditches and shoulders.

Many area residents went to bed Sunday night thinking their hard shoveling efforts would allow them clear passage to work the next day, but, as if to add icing on the cake, Mother Nature delivered another healthy inch of fresh snow during the night.

For rural ditches that are already piled high with snow, it doesn't take much for remote township roads to plug, and area schools were forced to start two hours late Monday morning.

The weekend's storm brings the total snowfall this year in Rock County to more than 50 inches - about three times what the area receives in a normal winter.

Forecasters topped off their weekend reports with the happy news that spring is only a few weeks away. But they also warned that March is typically the snowiest month of the season.

Spring can't come soon enough

Luverne's Dale Maranell heaves a shovelful of snow on top of an already monstrous snow bank Monday afternoon. "Where am I going to put it anymore?" he wondered out loud. The snow piles near his home at Dodge Street and Highway 75 are like many around town that are reducing visibility for motorists attempting to enter busy intersections.

Photo by Lori Ehde

Slow the flow

By Sara Quam
Megan McClure likes pop. She likes the way it tastes and she likes the caffeine.

"It just gets you going for the day.... I need my caffeine," she said.

McClure, 14, is just one of the hundreds of Luverne students who purchase soda from vending machines on campus. If she didn't get it at school, she said, she'd buy her pop elsewhere.

The Minnesota Dental Association and some state legislators want to stop students from excessive soft drink consumption by ending sales on school grounds during school hours.

The Senate bill was introduced a week ago, meeting opposition from the soft-drink lobby and from the Minnesota School Boards Association, which said many schools need the revenue for student organizations and activities.

McClure said she averages four pops a day, and if students like her have to buy those outside of school, it would mean a loss for the school budget.

Soda sales generated about $8,000 for Luverne schools last year, impacting the student activities budget. The funds are collected in the Student Council budget and funneled to other school groups. Yearbook costs, for example, are kept down thanks to money from the pop machines.

While pop may help the schools' budgets, it doesn't help the students' teeth.

Luverne dentist Bob Kaczrowski said he's seen the effects of soft drink consumption firsthand. Over the past few years, he said, the rate of cavities due to pop drinking has increased. The phenomenon isn't just for teens - many adults who sip pop throughout the day are noticing increased cavities.

"Sugar pops are worse, but diet are bad, too," Kaczrowski said.

"Those screw-on bottle tops make it worse because people carry them around all day and prolong the exposure to their teeth."

Kaczrowski said natural sugars found in fruit juices aren't as bad for teeth as processed sugars found in most beverages in vending machines.

Once soft drink sugars and acids combine in the mouth, the damage starts. Simply rinsing or drinking water doesn't stop the nasty combination from working overtime either. Kaczrowski said brushing and flossing is the only sure way to remove the harmful substances from mouths.

A culture of caffeine and availability of sodas may be at the root of over-consumption. Luverne's school grounds have four pop and one juice machines (counting one pop in teachers' lounge) and are open throughout the day.

Kaczrowski said he sees the cavity rates increase by the middle school years and theorizes that those students have more breaks that allow them time to drink.

But that doesn’t mean younger children aren't starting to form pop-drinking habits. The Minnesota Dental Association says that one-fifth of all 1- and 2-year-old children drink pop.

Other factors in soft-drink habits come from the drink industry itself, which says it’s being unfairly singled out in the fight against cavities. Bottles of pop in the 1950s and '60s were 6.5 ounces, compared to today's commonly drunk 20-ounce bottle.

Another concern is that by drinking pop, it often means children aren't drinking milk, water or other healthy beverages.

More than just teeth
A recent study says that an extra soft drink a day gives a child a 60-percent more chance of becoming obese.

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, says that the increased obesity rates of children in the study are independent of their food and exercise.

Basically, the extra calories in soft drinks aren't being compensated for by cutbacks in other parts of the diet. It wouldn't be out of line to estimate that soft drinks can supply an extra 15 to 20 teaspoons of sugar a day.

In the United States, obesity among children has increased by 100 percent between 1980 and 1994, although some experts disagree on what defines obesity. One estimate is that 24 percent of American children are obese.
Obesity in childhood has been connected to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Sugar and acid combine for double trouble
Acid (low=bad) Sugar
Water 7.0 (neutral) 0
Barq’s 4.61 10.7tsp
Diet Barq’s 4.55 0
Diet 7UP 3.67 0
Sprite 3.67 0
Diet Coke 3.39 0
Diet Mt.Dew 3.34 0
Grape Min. Maid 3.29 11.9 tsp
Mt. Dew 3.22 11 tsp
Fresca 3.2 0
Orange Slice 3.12 11.9 tsp
Diet Pepsi 3.05 0
Nestea 3.04 5 tsp
Surge 3.02 10 tsp
Gatorade 2.95 3.3 tsp
Dr. Pepper 2.92 9.5 tsp
Squirt 2.82 9.5 tsp
Hawaiian Punch 2.82 10.2 tsp
Orange Min.Maid 2.8 11.2 tsp
Coke 2.53 9.3 tsp
Pepsi 2.49 9.8 tsp
Battery acid 1 0

How cavities are formed
oSugar in pop combines with bacteria in the mouth to form acid.
oDiet or "sugar free" pop contains its own acid.
oAcid attacks teeth. Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes.
oThe acid attack starts over again with every sip.
oOngoing acid attacks weaken your tooth enamel.
oBacteria in the mouth cause cavities when tooth enamel is damaged.

Basketball girls clinch third place in T-CC Friday

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls capped a hectic five-day span by besting Edgerton 40-26 in a basketball game played in Hills Friday.

Playing their fourth game in five days, H-BC used the scoring of Erin Boeve and solid play on defense to secure third place in the Tri-County Conference with their 14-point win over the Flying Dutchmen.

Boeve, who had five rebounds and three blocked shots for H-BC, came up big for the Patriots in what proved to be a decisive fourth quarter.

The Patriots turned a five-point advantage heading into the period into a 14-point win by outscoring Edgerton 11-2. Boeve scored six of her team-high 18 points in the stanza.

H-BC led 10-4 after eight minutes of play before settling for five-point leads (21-16 and 29-24) at the next two quarter breaks.

The Patriots forced Edgerton to turn the ball over 28 times in the game, and Becky Broesder and LaDonna Sandstede led the way with three steals each. Broesder and Jody DeNoble had five rebounds each. Shanna Tilstra contributed four assists to the cause.

H-BC 40, Edgerton 26
The Patriots finished Tri-County Conference play with a 5-3 record after beating the Flying Dutchmen by 14 points in Hills Friday.

The game was close through three quarters before a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter allowed the Patriots to pull away in the end.

H-BC took a 29-24 advantage into the final eight minutes of play, when it limited Edgerton to two points while scoring 11.

The scores stood at 10-4 and 21-16 at the first two quarter breaks.

"This was a very good finish to a long week for us," said Patriot coach Goehle. "We finished the week with a 3-1 record. We continue to get better as a team, which is what you are looking for at this time of year."

Erin Boeve, who scored six points in the second and fourth quarters, led the Patriots with 18 counters. She also had five rebounds and three blocked shots. Becky Broesder had five rebounds and three steals. Jody DeNoble added five rebounds, Shanna Tilstra four assists and LaDonna Sandstede three steals.

Box score
C.Tilstra 0 0 0-0 0, Olson 0 0 0-0 0, Sandstede 0 1 0-2 3, Rentschler 0 0 0-0 0, S.Tilstra 1 0 0-0 2, Broesder 2 0 2-4 6, DeNoble 4 0 1-2 9, Boeve 7 0 4-6 18, DeHaan 1 0 0-0 2, Arp 0 0 0-0 0.

Team statistics
H-BC: 16 of 40 field goals (40 percent), seven of 14 free throws (50 percent), 26 rebounds, 16 turnovers.
Edgerton: 11 of 39 field goals (28 percent), four of six free throws (67 percent), 23 rebounds, 28 turnovers.

Girls end regular season

By John Rittenhouse
A big game by Patriot Erin Boeve wasn't enough to keep the Hills-Beaver Creek girls' basketball team from ending the regular season on a sour note Tuesday in Worthington.

H-BC took on a strong and deep Trojan team and came up on the short end of a 67-33 tally.

Boeve played a solid game by scoring 18 points, collecting 13 rebounds and blocking two shots, but this game belonged to Worthington.

The loss capped a 10-12 regular season for the Patriots, who will open the South Section 3A Tournament by hosting Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Worthington, a Class 3A team, used its strength and depth to best the Patriots by 34 points. Playing a relentless, physical style of game, the Trojans were able to outscore H-BC in every quarter.

"They were too physical for us," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "The style of game they let go on over there was just too physical for us. It took us out of our game."

The Patriots remained in contact with the Trojans when they faced 23-13 and 35-23 deficits at the first two quarter breaks, but Worthington outscored H-BC 32-10 in the second half to win handily.

The Trojans opened a 21-point lead (46-25) by the end of the third quarter before outscoring H-BC 21-8 in the final stanza.

Becky Broesder recorded four assists for H-BC.

Box score
C.Tilstra 0 0 0-0 0, Olson 2 0 0-0 4, Sandstede 0 1 0-0 3, Rentschler 0 0 0-0 0, S.Tilstra 1 0 0-0 2, Broesder 2 0 2-2 6, Rozeboom 0 0 0-0 0, DeNoble 0 0 0-0 0, Boeve 7 0 4-6 18, DeHaan 0 0 0-0 0, Arp 0 0 0-0 0.

Team statistics
H-BC: 13 of 48 field goals (27 percent), six of nine free throws (67 percent), 29 rebounds, 19 turnovers.
Worthington: 27 of 63 field goals (43 percent), nine of 12 free throws (75 percent), 46 rebounds, 14 turnovers.

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