The Waseca Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors recently selected Janet Rudolph and Arlene Nelson of Waseca as the 2014 “Outstanding Conservation Farmers.” Janet and Arlene own and manage an 800-acre, fifth-generation family farm. They have proven over time to be good stewards of the land by applying sound conservation practices including: Contour strips, terraces, water and sediment basins, buffer strips, buffered tile inlets, grassed waterways, CRP, farmstead windbreak, stream bank stabilization, and cover crops. Congratulations Janet and Arlene from the Waseca Soil and Water Conservation District.

Annual event this weekend

A wagon train, antique tractor pull, tram rides on a historic Time Lane, and much more can be enjoyed for free at the 2014 Fall Fair, Sept. 13 and 14 at Farmamerica.

It’s the first time the annual event has had no admission charge, making it the perfect fall outing for families throughout the area.

“We want everyone to be able to experience the many attractions at Fall Fair, so we won’t be charging admission this year,” Farmamerica Executive Director Jim Gibson said. Also new this year is the Sheriff’s Posse Wagon Train Saturday, raising funds for youth with an impressive array of rigs and horses. Sunday’s main attraction is the antique tractor pull beginning at 11:30.

Jim Clark open house set for Saturday

An open house Jim Clark, New Richland-Hartland football and baseball coach and teacher from 1961-65, will be held Saturday, Sept. 13 at The Willows. Former students and athletes are invited to have lunch with Jim at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome. At 1 p.m., there will be an open house for all who wish to greet Jim.

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Hillbilly Harvest Hoedown Saturday

The Hillbilly Harvest Hoedown will be on Saturday, September 13 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. by the New Richland City Hall. The Jerry Beauchamp Band will be playing. Cost to get in is $7 for individuals and $10 for couples. This event is a fundraiser for Farm and City Days.

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Saturday night in downtown Ellendale this summer has become an inspirational event one can't say enough about it.

It has been great to see the following of local residents, and out of the immnediate area people, who have been coming to listen to the great music and visit with their neighbors. The faithful who have been following the talent is commendable. If you haven't been there yet, you don't know what you are missing.

September has come on us all too quickly it seems, but Russ Goette has kept on top of things and has gotten some great music lined up. With darkness sneaking in earlier and earlier, there has been a need for a time change and the Saturday night programs now start at 6:30.

Pollution is a word that comes to mind.

We all are educated regarding the pollution from smoke and trash and the like and what it does to our health, but my concern is about pollution of the mind. Am I so used to pollution I don't recognize its effect or have given up on trying to do something about it?

The pollution of our environment covers many areas. Half truths, whole untruths, bad language, criminal advances, or intruders who contaminate the universe for their own satisfaction or greed without the thought of the consequences for others.

Lets start with television. Why do we have to pay good money to hear words that should never be uttered in private, let alone broadcast in amass, that is shocking to an adult, let alone a child?

Television is full of cursing, violence, nudity and suggestive action not credible for adults, let alone children. Not only is it polluted with forever advertising that is legal, but not necessarily truthful.

Ads create a "wanna have" condition that causes over spending and buying products not necessarily good for a healthy diet or lifestyle.

This is true with communication on the Internet as well. One wonders what is true, half true or is out and out propaganda. This is especially true when we have contradictory reports.

Television, computers, i-Pads, and all that "stuff" has its educational worth, but too much of even a good thing is detrimental to one’s health. I am relatively sure we all spend too much time watching even good programs or using electronic devices to allow enough time for the many other good things out there. 

Ever notice how many adults, children or even tots spend their time with a gadget in hand? Direct verbal communication is often lost and can be as addictive as any drug or undesirable passion.

Parents should monitor what their children watch. Children should monitor their parents and other adults too.

Many wouldn't be able to get anything else done because even in "decent television" those ugly acts and words are thrown into advertising, especially advertising programs that are child prohibitive. Turning off the television is the best choice by far, which is sometimes inconvenient.

Along those same lines, I have read some good literature that was spoiled because it had things in the content that were unnecessary to give value or credence to the story. Even choice of words can make a difference.

And then there is the pollution of our foods and medicines and liquids. Things are added that aren't necessary to further nutrition, but for other reasons. Many additives that are added, things like artificial colors and flavors to enhance the product or are for the appeal. As if sugar in soda drinks aren't enough, caramel color and flavoring is added too. I don't know if it is true, but it has been said in China they add unused ingredients to processed products to cut down the cost and space of disposal of garbage.

Part of the controversy over the use of vaccinations is because of ingredients that may not be of any particular value except possibly extending the length of time it is usable. Florida has had a water additive for almost always, but does it have a side effect that is more dangerous than decay?

Drug departments are covered with things that can or can not do any number of things, but are these fact or fiction. Even good necessary drugs can contain things that develop dangerous side effects.

There is pollution found in little ways that are aggravating, sometimes dangerous and unnecesary. Your trash is your trash - not someone else’s responsiblity. It is great that there are people who will clean the roadways and public areas of trash, papers, cans, bottles and such, but it should not be necessary if everyone did their part and disposed of things responsibly. Trash is trash and unsanitary.

Sometimes we have to make choices in the value of pesticides and other chemicals. There are products out there without pollutants. It is good to remember that products pollute the air we breathe, the ground we till, the clothing we wear, the bed we sleep in, the plastics we use, the dishes and the utensils we use to prepare our food. And we can't forget that the way we prepare our food can pollute it too!  

Common sense should be a common factor in use and excess use. If we don't need it, we don't need it. Consider anything unnecessary detrimental to the well being of the individual or the environment, as pollution!

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.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, September 4th: Cody Blouin, Marc Vanden Heuvel, Melissa Wayne, Erin Dobberstein, Daniel Pitcock, Holly Wangsness Dau, Rachel Arends, Melody & Tim Gassnman

• Friday, September 5th: Beckett Dane Rasmussen, Sydney Marie Schmidt, Jennifer Broskoff Dutton, Bruce Langlie, Beth Ann Suelter, Darren Hanson, Stacy Evenson, Grace Lorraine Kofstad, Rande Nelson, Dennis & Mary Jensen, Chuck and L‚ymra Hoogland, Brian & Angie Dobberstein

• Saturday, September 6th: LeAnn Hjoberg, Cindy Sloan Scheevel, Jackson Kilian, Tina Thostenson, Luke Trumble

• Sunday, September 7th: Tanner Ryan Green, Caleb Wacek, Bert Van Hal, Janice Nelson, Charles Phagan, Allen Wacek, Jenny & Jed Popiel, Summer & Wayne Schultz, Erik & Gina Cooper, Al & Becky Larson, Brant & Rhiannon Boerner

• Monday, September 8th: Pastor Joel Xavier, Natalie Aaseth, Cindy Loberg Smolinski, Anna Lois Erickson, Brittani Hagen, Karen Briggs, Kelly Hagen, Amy Johnson Svoboda, Jennifer Johnson Popiel, Jimmie Olson Jr., Jamie Thompson, Brenda Dokken, Bob & Karen Vaith, Brian & Jody Wayne, Jessica & Jay Eidem

• Tuesday, September 9th: Eva Lauren Wayne, Charlie Pence, Paul Aronson, Bruce Cerney, Corey Haddy, Steve Hanson, Roger Herbst, Jim & Mary Brocker, Randy & Deb Parks, Spencer & Suzanne Wayne

• Wednesday, September, 10th: Arnold Lund, his 96th; Taya RaeAnn Lembke, Emily Crabtree, Caden Jensen, Curtis Blouin, Craig Blouin, Pauline Fetterly, Steve Granowski, Kathy Knudson, Sally Utpadel Waknitz, Connie Krusemark, Charlie & Diane Marlin

Wherever this year takes you, may you find happiness along the way.

Although the first day of fall isn’t for a few more weeks, the Labor Day weekend has always meant the beginning of the fall season for me. Football season begins after that holiday and the deer hunting archery season begins on Sept. 13th and runs through the 31st of December. This means the open water fishing season is now on a relatively short leash. Don’t put away the fishing poles and tackle boxes just yet because there is still plenty of action to be found on the water.

I’ve never been an avid deer hunter like a lot of folks in our area but I can understand what folks see in the sport. It definitely takes a lot of patience to sit in the woods hours on end waiting for that perfect shot. On the other hand, spending time in the woods watching wildlife and anticipating the trophy buck you are seeking may be just over the rise or behind a clump of trees can be fulfilling in itself.

My son Brian first started bow hunting with his Uncle Lynn when he was in high school, and Lynn taught him a lot about the sport, but most importantly he taught him to appreciate the outdoors and when to take a shot and when not to. Taking a bad shot can result in crippling a deer, causing it to run off and maybe not be found for days, if at all.

After Lynn moved away Brian kept bow hunting for a couple of more years before deciding to put bow hunting on hold. He has been talking about starting to bow hunt again, but so far it hasn’t happened. Hunting is not as uncomplicated as fishing because you have to either have permission to hunt private land or use public land. Fortunately for area residents that like to hunt there are at least 11 WMA’s (Wildlife Management Areas) available to outdoorsmen in Freeborn County.

One crisp and sunny October morning when Brian was still hunting, he asked me if I’d like to go with to see where he was hunting. If you were to make a prototype of a perfect fall day, that day would be as close as you’d get. We drove to an area between Bricelyn and Frost that Lynn and Brian had been hunting. Brian didn’t plan on hunting that morning; he just wanted to show his dad the beauty of those woods so I could understand how attractive it could be to anyone that truly enjoys the outdoors. He didn’t have to do much selling before I realized how much enjoyment a person could get out of just sitting in a tree stand on a day like this and although it didn’t make me want to go out and buy a bow, it did remind me of how much I truly enjoy spending time in the outdoors on crisp, sunny fall days.

I’d have to say that this is one of the many reasons that fall has always been my favorite season. In a way there is something a little bit lonely about fall because it signals the end of summer and the end of the growing season. It is probably the reason why when a person reaches that “golden age,” which I like to think of as a state of mind thing; it is referred to as the autumn of your life.

I have known some folks that liked to combine duck hunting and fishing so they could have the best of both worlds. One guy fished for walleye and hunted waterfowl on Lura Lake in the fall and had good success with both. Another would make an annual late fall trip to Lake of the Woods for a combined hunting and fishing vacation; what a great way to get the most out of the outdoors experience.

I plan to head north a couple of more times to do a little fishing and maybe even a little grouse hunting. I have seen numerous grouse in the area by our cabin all summer so you just never know. Fishing in the fall can sometimes be challenging, but it’s all good when you’re spending time on a lake. I have not found anything better than being on the lake enjoying the cool crisp air while taking in the beauty of the leaves as they change colors; it just makes everything seem right.

If you have ever enjoyed the smell of the fallen leaves in the forest, you know that there is definitely a different smell in the air after the first hard frost. This is when the foliage begins to turn brown and in most cases the lake vegetation also begins to die. Fishermen, at least “the old-timers” used to say that fishing got good again after that first hard frost. Somewhere along the way someone decided to analyze this and came up with the ph system or “turn over” as an explanation. I know that this is probably a scientific true-ism, but I’m sticking with the old-timers and using the first hard frost as a measuring stick. Whatever you want to believe, the bottom line is that fishing can be pretty darned good from mid-September ‘til ice-out and it’s one of the best times to land that trophy fish you have been seeking.

Until next time; there is still plenty of time left to enjoy the great outdoors with a weekend camping trip, do some fishing or just spend a day at one of our areas lakes.

Please take a little time to remember those who served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today. 

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I want two hamburgers.

How do you want them?

One with onions and one without.

Which one do you want without the onions?

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: driver’s license photos are never used in obituaries.

Sayanora, summer

Summer doesn't officially end until September 22, but kids and parents know better. School starts and summer is over.

The neighbor boy didn’t care much for school. To him, every textbook was a mystery novel.

I liked school. It sharpened the brain. When caught sleeping in class, I lifted my head and said, "Amen."

Paparazzi pester the nonagenarian

She didn't like being called a little, old lady. She’d always been little. She preferred being called an old, little lady.

Despite the fact that life can be like walking through spider webs, she’d managed to reach her 90th birthday. Once she reached that milestone, odd things happened. Friends and relatives wanted their photos taken with her. She felt like a sunset.

An unimpressive hole-in-one

A fellow in Sterling, Illinois told me that he played too much golf. His wife wasn’t happy about his addiction to the links. He knew that he should cut back, but he couldn’t. He might be able to now that he’d gotten a hole-in-one. He scored the ace and rushed home to share the news with his wife. After he blurted out his remarkable achievement, she asked, "How did the other guys do?"

Cannibal sandwich

When my ancestors arrived in covered wagons, they brought covered dishes with them. I like hotdishes.

I was summoned to Shawano, Wisconsin. A man I’d met while speaking in Appleton invited me to a cannibal sandwich lunch. This concoction was originated in French restaurants. Some folks call it steak tartare. It's raw beef, raw egg yolk, and a slice of onion served on rye bread. The meat was so rare, a veterinarian could have saved the cow. My sandwich ate the corn off a plate at the next table.

Take me out to the ballgame

I played softball at a high level. Third grade. Actually, I played softball forever. I played until people started asking, "Didn’t you used to play ball?" They asked that during games in which I was playing.

One day, my cousin Russell Hauenstein was playing for Emmetsburg High School. He’d just pitched and his arm was exhausted. They we were playing Algona and their other pitcher was struggling. The coach asked Russ if he could pitch.

Russ said that he could as long as he threw nothing but slow curve balls.

Russ pitched as another cousin of mine, Swede Batt of Burt, umpired. The game did not go the way Russ would have liked. 

After the game, Swede asked Russ why he hadn't started. Russ replied that he had no arm left and shouldn't have been pitching. Swede said, "Don’t worry, you weren't."

They say

Julie Knutson of Hartland said that a group of lambs raised by her sons were named for the characters on the TV sitcom, "Seinfeld." There was Jerry, George, Kramer, Elaine, Newman, etc. Each of the lambs took on the personality of its namesake.

My wife Gail, also known as Poor Mrs. Batt, is concerned that The Village Inn, the local eatery, might close if it isn’t sold. She suggests that if such an unfortunate event happens, the restaurant should be turned into The Hartland Test Kitchens.

Customer comments

Eric Johnson of Fairmont said that standardization would be a good idea in hotel showers.

A young man wore a T-shirt at the Martin County Fair that read, "Pigs, the inventors of bacon."

Wayne Wakefield of St. Paul wrote, "Garrison, Minnesota claims to be the smallest town in the world with a McDonald's. I think it’s smaller than Hartland." (Garrison’s population was 210 in the 2010 census).

Ric McArthur of Morpeth, Ontario sent this, "Nobody is sicker than a man who is sick on his day off."

JENean Mortenson of Faribault wrote, "I love all your columns as they make me feel normal."

Gunnar Berg of Albert Lea sent this, "The primary function of hubcaps is not a style statement; they are lug nut trays."

Nature notes

A bald eagle is a bit longer on average than a golden eagle, but a golden eagle slightly outweighs the bald.

Meeting adjourned

"The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being." — The Dalai Lama

Central Freeborn fundraiser Sept. 22

Once again, it’s time for one of the two “Must Attend” local social events of the year. There will be handshaking, back patting, and a friendly, “How are you?” along with, “It’s good to see you.” All this will accompany a pleasant smile at the same time.

There will be old and young and in-between ages of males and females. All those attending are in the VIP classification – including you! Members of the Freeborn County Historical Museum and the Albert Lea “Y” will be there to greet The Great You at the door.

You are such an important person that they will let you enter through a special door. You will even be just ahead of the person behind you.

This is an eating event, so get those taste buds ready. If you’re a light eater, fast for at least a day before attending. If you’re a heavy eater, fast for at least two days. A word to the wise: “Be sure your undergarment has good elasticity.”

Live background music by local celebrities will be featured prior to your eating.

Wild rice, chili, potato, and chicken noodle soups will be served. Key lime, chocolate, apple and pumpkin are some of the pie choices, along with vanilla ice cream. Norwegian juice (coffee), water and 1919 Root Beer will be available for your beverage choice.

Ah yes, all for your presence, so come on down! Put on your eating shoes and boogie on over. The parking lot attendants (Bob Hanson, Wayne Indrelie, Barry Moszer, and Gene Wangen) are waiting for your vehicle. Their motto is “A full driver is a happy driver.”

Many of you know what I’m referring to; you just don’t know when. This year the Soup and Pie Supper at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church (just north of Albert Lea) will be from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, September 22. Be one of the first 700 and you won’t have to worry about running out of food, as we’re planning on 700-plus.

The net proceeds of the Soup and Pie Supper will benefit the Freeborn County Historical Museum (Debt Reduction) and the Albert Lea Y (Youth Programs) with supplemental funds by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Please bring a non-perishable food item or two to help support the local food shelves.

If you’re unable to attend (you’re in the hospital or at a funeral – your own), a donation would be most appreciated.

Short shorts: 

A. This is a food event with no counting of calories allowed. 

B. In attendance will be a lot of people whose word you can rely on. 

C. Gluten-free food items will be available. 

D. A Norwegian two-holer outhouse will be one of the raffle items.

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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.

For many years, I’ve hosted a “Holy Crap, I Have to Go Back to Work Tomorrow!” party on Labor Day for my family. This year we made a change and moved the locale to Lafayette. The reason for this? We helped my grandma move from her home there to a senior living apartment in New Ulm.

This will be a huge change for Grandma. It’s a positive change, but any change requires a period of adjustment. Knowing Grandma, it won’t take her long to get settled in!

Change continues as we enter another new school year. Every student progresses a grade and faces a sense of uncertainty with a new teacher or teachers, different classes, and fresh faces in both faculty and students. No matter how excited some students (and parents) are, there’s always a tinge of fear at the change.

Last year at this time, I wrote about my change in grading philosophy to a pass/fail system. I was anxious about making such a drastic change, but told myself I’d have to give it time, even if it started off rough. I made some tweaks during the year and am now prepared to make some more changes to this standards-based grading system.

I decided to go back to grades. However, the grading formula will be different than what many people use, with 90% being an A, 80% a B, etc. To get an A in my class, you will need to achieve 80%. Wow, you might think, that’s an easy A!

Not so fast. Every assignment is worth only four points. A student earns all four points for exceeding the standard on which the assignment is based. If they meet the standard, they get a three. Partially meeting the standard means a two, and not meeting the standard means a one.

What are these standards? They are the Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by Minnesota for English Language Arts. Every one of the assignments I give links to at least one of those standards, which means I need to make sure my assignments have rigor and true meaning; there will be no busywork in my class!

Now 80% doesn’t look so easy. But wait, there’s more! B’s will cut off at 65% and C’s at 50%. Anything below 50% is an F. If you can’t partially meet these standards, you won’t pass. No D? Nope. D’s have always felt like a cop-out: you can’t do average work, but I don’t want to fail you.

The final component to this radical style of grading is one I started to implement last year. Every student has the opportunity to redo most assignments. If a student wants to get a better score, he or she needs to meet with me to go over how to get better. Isn’t our ultimate goal that our students get better at these skills?

I’m a little scared. Any time something changes in education, people tend to get defensive. If it’s not “the way it was when I grew up,” eyes tend to narrow. I believe in this new style of grading though, so I’ll work through any difficulties, just as I did last year. My hope is that by the end of three years, I’ll have a pretty good system figured out. That means I’d better get to that this year or next year!

The other big change deals with my 7th grade classes. The day has finally arrived: my daughter will be in my class.

You think your parents embarrass you? Try having a teacher as a parent. Worse, try having that weird English teacher who reads books with strange voices and loves getting a microphone in his hands in front of large crowds. Even worse, that dad has already put together some video for the first day for the ENTIRE STUDENT BODY in which he sings (which will hopefully be on the school website by the time you read this!). Ugh.

This will be a challenging year. I know Jayna’s class very well. I’ve coached many of the girls for four years in addition to just getting to know a lot of these kids since they started together in Ellendale. Familiarity can be a double-edged sword. Still, it will be nice to start the year knowing all my students and not needing as much of a “get to know you” stage.

Much like Grandma, I’ll have some big changes. Hopefully, we’ll both make it through just fine, with a sunny outlook and a better lifestyle.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is inculcate, which is to instill something in someone’s mind through repetition, as in, “The teacher gave students many opportunities to do work which would inculcate the vocabulary words.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!