Jim Lutgens
Looking Back
100 Years Back – 1914
• When Joseph, the twelve-year-old son of Carl Youngberg of Otisco Township attempted to deliver a baseball with unusual speed Monday last, he succeeded in throwing a swift ball and in doing so snapped off the bone in his right arm about halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. The boy was brought to Dr. E. J. Batchelder, who states that he never before set an arm broken in a like manner and has heard of very few cases of the kind. Joseph was playing ball with another boy and was evidently training to become a big league pitcher. One way of accounting for the accident is that the bone in the arm must have been weak.
• Those who climb to success by pulling somebody else down are not entitled to succeed.
• Notice—The public library will be open next Saturday afternoon. A charge of 50 cents a year will be made for the use of books. This charge is very reasonable, considering the large number of books available, and it should readily be paid by those who have been in the habit of patronizing the library.
After 50 years, Clark comes back
Legendary NR coach returns for reunion
HONORING AN NR LEGEND — Former New Richland-Hartland teacher and coach Jim Clark, second from right in front, was honored with a reunion/open house at the Willows Sept. 13. Pictured next to Clark are Kathy Frisk and Dr. Albert Flor. Others pictured: Jim Finseth, Curt Dodge, Xan Johnson, Steve Johnson, Mike Hatle, Dennis Roesler, Dave Flor, Craig Jensen, Bill Supalla, Mark Dodge, Tom Borchard and Bob Frisk. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Reunions or open houses for former teachers or coaches are not uncommon. You hear about them all the time. They usually involve an individual who was at a particular school for a long period of time.
That’s not the case with Jim Clark.
Clark, who coached New Richland-Hartland football and baseball team for just five years in the 1960s, was honored with a reunion/open house at The Willows in New Richland on Saturday, Sept. 13. A total of 13 people turned out to share dinner with Clark and his wife, Moni, and several others showed up to share stories.
Dave Flor, a 1963 New Richland-Hartland High School graduate, organized the event.
Why?
News Briefs/Notices
NR man arrested for criminal sexual contact
On September 16th, 2014, a criminal complaint was filed with the Waseca County Court Administrator’s office charging local resident, Joseph Gordon Ranniger, with numerous counts of felony Criminal Sexual Conduct involving alleged criminal sexual contact and penetration between Mr. Ranniger and a juvenile female, occurring within the City of Waseca, County of Waseca and City of New Richland from approximately 2001-2010. An arrest warrant was requested and issued based on this complaint.
The investigation was conducted by the New Richland Police Department with assistance provided by investigators from the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office, the Waseca Police Department and the Albert Lea Police Department.
On September 18, 2014, at approximately 4 p.m., Mr. Ranniger was taken into custody in another county by a deputy from the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office and was transported to the Waseca County Jail.
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Water tower leak mysteriously repairs itself
New Richland City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
The New Richland City Council held its second meeting of the month on Monday, September 22. All members were present, and the agenda and consent agenda items were approved.
A request by the St. Olaf Lake Association was made, with Darlene Miller and Dr. Dennis Knudson in attendance to present the proposal and ask for the Council’s support for a no passing zone and speed restriction on 240th Ave., the road adjacent to the lake. With so much foot and vehicle traffic on the stretch of road from roughly 170th St. to the Steele/Waseca County line, a speed restriction would greatly reduce the possibility of an accident occurring. The Council approved the request for support, and the proposal will be presented to Waseca County Commissioners, the County Board and eventually the DOT before any action will take place.
A golden era in Ellendale
Powerhouse Raider football teams ran winning streak to 27 games
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
The football season is upon us. Homecoming is here.
It’s a time to look ahead and to look back.
Nobody around here will likely forget the 1976 and ’78 state championships for coach Jim Simser’s New Richland-Hartland teams.
To the east, in Ellendale, one of the most memorable stretches ever occurred more than 70 years ago, in the early 1940s.
The Ellendale Red Raiders had a powerhouse back then, going undefeated for two consecutive seasons and outscoring opponents 353-0 in 1941.
Mistakes again plague Panthers
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
If you take a gander at the statistics, you wonder how the NRHEG football team lost its home opener to Maple River last Friday.
Until you get to the turnovers.
The Panthers had four of them while falling 13-0 to the unbeaten Eagles.
“We continue to step on our own foot,” said Panthers coach Dan Stork. “We are simply making way too many mistakes.”
The Panthers dominated time of possession, having the ball for 31:08 to 16:52 for the Eagles. They also outgained Maple River and led 14-11 in first downs.
Boys 6th, girls 5th in CC invite
The NRHEG High School cross country teams hosted their lone home meet of the season, the Panther Invitational, at Riverview Golf Course Thursday, Sept. 18.
The boys scored 134 points for sixth place, defeating Austin Pacelli and Madelia-Truman. Mankato Loyola won with 44.
Panther places and times: Tyler Schlaak, 20th, 19:15; Josh Fleming, 25th, 19:35; Brenden McMann, 37th, 20:22; Zach Mely, 40th, 20:33; Ben Lewer, 49th, 21:08; Aaron Seath, 72nd, 23:29; Orin Mely, 80th, 26:19.
Clay target team begins season
With the fall comes cooler weather, crop harvests, hunting season, and traditional fall sports.
However, not so new to the game, yet still a growing sport, High School Clay Target shooting is securing its place in the sounds of fall.
In its fourth year, the Fall League of the MN State Clay Target League continues to grow much like the larger Spring League. This year over 2,000 athletes across the state will participate in this six-week season.
‘Star Spangled Banner’ celebrates birthday
"By Dawn's Early Light," a historic flag-raising ceremony, took place in Baltimore on September 14th this year, 200 years since it first occurred.
My brother-in-law, Corlyn Paulsen, brought it to my attention that the “Star Spangled Banner” was celebrating a birthday, and that, along with the news about this event aroused my curiosity to want to look into some of the interesting things I didn't know or remember about it. Yes, I knew it was written by Francis Scott Key, and some facts about it, but I wanted to learn more.
Members of the U.S. Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, along with the help of Civil War of 1812 re-enactors, made history as they hoisted a 15-star, 15-stripe, full-size flag over Fort McHenry. The flag was a 30-foot by 42-foot replica of the flag that had been raised 200 years ago. The original event was what had inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Defense of Fort McHenry,” which later became our national anthem. As this flag raising took place at 9 that morning it was recorded that guns blasted and a crowd of onlookers fell silent.
Former Secretary of State and retired Army General Colin. L. Powell was called upon to be the guest speaker for the reenactment of the event. Powell stated, "It is a great pleasure for me to be here at this historic site and in this historic city of Baltimore as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of our Star Spangled Banner."
Powell added, "The American flag is a piece of cloth I have loved all my life and have served under for 40 years."
Yes, It may be a piece of cloth but it is symbolic for all that it stands for.
During the war of 1812 the British had taken Dr. William Beanes of Maryland and held him as their prisoner aboard a warship in Chesapeake Bay. Two Americans, Francis Scott Key and John S. Skinner, both of Washington, D.C. had received permission from the Secretary of State at the time, James Monroe, to communicate with the British in hopes of securing the release of Dr. Beanes. The two men boarded the warship just as the vessel was preparing to bombard Fort McHenry, which was protecting the city of Baltimore. The British did agree to release Beanes but they held all three of the Americans on the U.S. vessel at the rear of the British fleet until the battle ended, so that the men could not reveal plans of the attack to patriots on shore.
The bombardment started on the 13th of September and continued all that day into the night. The three men paced the deck all night, as they knew that the Fort had little defense. Even when dawn came, they were still not able to know who had won the battle as the smoke and haze was so thick. Suddenly a break in the mist cleared the view and revealed one lone U.S. flag still flying over the walls at Fort McHenry.
That is when Francis Scott Key had been inspired to quickly pen a few lines of a poem about what he had witnessed "at dawn’s early light," following the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British troopship which had been anchored a few miles away.
That early light revealed one lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak. It gave him proof that through the night "our flag was still there" and he pulled an unfinished letter from his pocket and wrote a few lines of what he had witnessed. Years later John Stafford Smith composed the music of what would later become our national anthem.
It is hard to believe that it took until the 1890s for our military to adopt Key’s song for ceremonial purposes. The first official step toward making "The Star Spangled Banner" our nation’s anthem occurred in 1889 when the Secretary of the Navy ordered it to be played at morning flag-raising ceremonies. By 1917 both the Army and the Navy considered the song to be the national anthem for ceremonial purposes.
Then in 1931, thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Reuben Ross Holloway, president of the Maryland State Society, United States Daughter of 1812, and Congressman J. Charles Linthicum of Baltimore, Congress elected to make the "Star Spangled Banner" the official national anthem of the United States.
Recently the city of Baltimore hosted a weeklong series of events at Fort McHenry, which commemorated the bicentennial of the historical Battle of Baltimore. More than 30 ships from the United States and foreign nations were all on hand for this grand event.
Fort McHenry hosted a number of special events including several commemorative ceremonies, living history demonstrations, and interpretive programs. The Star Spangled Spectacular concluded on September 16th with an air show performance of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
The Geneva Community has shown much pride over the silhouette of the Iwo Jima flag raising and I thought we should learn more about the importance of this special event in our minds as well.
Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us. Also if you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me.
If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like include, or news to share please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P. O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.
This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:
• Thursday, September 25th: Amelia Christine Powers, her third birthday: Maykayla Jayme Haberman, Trevor David Barber, Geraldine Vangen, Tom Lageson, Pat Conklin, Suzanne Enzenauer Skaar, Cameron & Dayna Schember, Kellen & Alison Utpadel, Dwight & Loretta Schewe, Harmony & Ryan Anderson, Amy & Rick Storlie, Wendy & Marty Schultz, Larry & Elaine Paulsen
• Friday, September 26th: Becky Tindal, Tammy Beenken, Lori Klemmensen Suchanek, Marc Horan, Verdel Humberg, Virginia Miller, James Henry Neidermeier, Connie Menefee Calderon, Lee Johnson, Marty & Lee Nelson
• Saturday, September 27th: Layla Grace Schultz, Judy Christensen, Naomi Wangsness, Mary Wayne, Gail Farr Christenson, Sara Holmes Wencl, Steve Lageson, Kristin Paulsen Zinke, Jacob Tasker, Chris Ritz, Katie Cameron, Eleanor Rodriguez, Carl Shadden, Daniel Van Kampen, Donna Mae McCamish, Kristin Severson, Lud Borchert, Jocelyn & Jason Heyer
• Sunday, September 28th: Madeline Schei, Kylie Lembke, Denise Hagen Olson, Mary Kasper Therneau, Mitch Vangen, Taff Worrell, Haley Mattson DuBois, Bunny Jepson, Miranda & Isiah Payton, Jerry & Ginger Thompson, Bill & Sharon Vavra, Jill & Todd Kubicek
• Monday, September 29th: Norrine Jensen, Gail Kaplan, Annette Flugum, Millie Flugum, Ellen Pence, Jenna Quimby, Kevin Klemmensen, Linda Schmidt, Fran Ladlie, Ron & Donna Sletten, Jason & Tara DeWight, Dave & Donna Maixner
• Tuesday, September 30th: Jordy Philip Klocek, his first; Chloe Walterman, Dean Hunt, Elmer & Joan Vanden Heuvel, Gilbert & Harriet Larson, Todd & Cheryl Utpadel, Amy & Shannon Vander Syde, Aaron & Jean Klemmensen, Tiffany & Luke Mueller, Kelly & Joshua Warke
• Wednesday, October 1st: Kaeli Wayne, Ana Renee Larson, Lois Plunkett, Larry Crabtree, Vince Bergdale, Brian Flor, Melinda Milan, Renae Thompson Weatherley, Lisa Lembke, Carl & Brenda Shadden, Barbara & William Conly
Wishing you a day of fond memories and new beginnings.
The Star-Spangled Banner....
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose board stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does the star-spangled banner yet wave.
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream.
"Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave.
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Fall is here; pheasants not far behind
As I sit here writing this column from the comfort of our cabin, I am looking out at the lake that seems to resemble a mirror as it reflects the colors of the trees as they make the transition to fall. The trees are changing fast and I know that by the end of the week the colors will be even more plentiful in this part of the state.
I enjoy the early mornings at the cabin in the fall as the birds come to the feeders to begin their day the sun slowly rises giving more light to the golden leaves of the trees that are already getting colorful. Another plus for fall is the lack of bugs, (mosquitoes) which were more than plentiful this summer. My friend Mark came up to spend a few days fishing and just enjoying the outdoors. We took a trip to my favorite lake, which is Spider but unfortunately although the weather was great I can’t say the same for the fishing. It didn’t really matter because just being able to spend the day on that beautiful lake made it all worthwhile.
One of the many things that I like about this area of the state is that there are so many beautiful lakes and most of them don’t get fished very hard. I have always loved to lake hop; and this area of the state has an abundance of lakes to explore. To me there is nothing more fun than fishing a lake for the first time; I’d guess it’s all about exploring the unknown. Last fall my grandson Dylan and I decided to try fishing a lake that is just a few miles north of our cabin and one that I had driven past quite a few times over the years. On this particularly cold fall day we did manage to catch a few small northern in the short time that we were there. There was something about our trip to that lake that made Dylan want to revisit it again this summer, unfortunately we never got the chance but I know that the next time that he and I are up here I will make it happen.
The area of the state where our cabin is nestled in is north of Deer River and about 35 miles northwest of Grand Rapids. Highway 38 runs north out of Grand Rapids and is rightfully named Scenic Highway 38 for the way it winds through the Chippewa National Forest and around the many lakes that are visible from the road. This is what makes this area so special to me, always having that option of fishing a different lake or just driving down a scenic highway and taking in the scenery.
Pheasant population up slightly; habitat loss still poses biggest threat
Despite a short-term increase in the number of Minnesota pheasants, habitat loss continues to be the primary factor in the long-term decline of the state’s pheasant population, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR’s August roadside survey for pheasants showed a six percent increase in the pheasant index from 2013, an increase that occurred in spite of a severe winter, a slow start to spring and heavy rains in June.
This year’s statewide pheasant index was 28.7 birds per 100 miles of roadside driven. The highest pheasant counts were in the southwest, south-central and west-central regions, where observers reported 28 to 62 birds per 100 miles driven. Hunters will find good harvest opportunities in these areas.
Looking over longer periods of time, the 2014 pheasant index is 58 percent below the 10-year average and 71 percent below the long-term average.
Weather and habitat are the two main factors that drive pheasant population trends. Weather causes annual fluctuations in roadside indices. Available grassland habitat for nesting and brood-rearing drives the longer-term pattern.
Like other Midwestern states, the loss of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres is the primary reason there’s been a steady decline in Minnesota’s pheasant harvest since 2006.
Until next time; fall is a great time to do a little small game hunting, and don’t forget the fishing because fall is a great time to catch that lunker you’ve been looking for or you may just want to spend some time at one of our many area parks or lakes.
I will be heading to another of this area’s beautiful lakes tomorrow and the best thing about that is I have a choice. This great country that we live in gives us that right and that right was earned through sacrifice so please take a little time to remember those who served, those who are serving now and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we enjoy today.