JoAnn Marvel Johnson was born August 11, 1941, to Clifford and Marvel (Myhre) Johnson in New Richland, MN. She grew up and attended school and graduated from New Richland High School. She married Theodore Keller June 25, 1960. The couple had three children. JoAnn worked at Brown Printing at the same time for over 25 years. In October of 1984, Theodore passed away. However, in 1986, JoAnn married Robert Klitzke. The couple continued to live in Waseca and later moved to Pipestone and JoAnn worked for F.E.Y. Industries making calendars and other printed supplies. In 2006 Robert also passed away. Finally, in 2008, JoAnn moved to Brandon, SD. She continued working at Hy-Vee in Sioux Falls and for SMG, the concessions at the Arena.

Hartland Soup and Dessert Supper Monday

There will be a Soup and Dessert Supper Monday, October 28 from 4-7 p.m. at Hartland Evangelical Lutheran Church. They will be serving chili, chicken noddle vegetable beef, potato ham soup, home baked bread, pies, and desserts. Adults (age 13 and up) will be $7, Children (ages 5-12) will be $3, and Children (ages 4 and under) will be free. The bake sale will be from 4-7: p.m. The Auction–Bazaar will start at 7 p.m. 

NRCC luncheon, silent auction Nov. 2

The New Richland Care Center will hold a Luncheon and Silent Auction on Saturday, November 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m in the Care Center Activity/Chapel area. They will be serving Sloppy Joes, Potato Salad, Bars, and beverages/coffee. The cost will be $6. Bidding on the Silent Auction Baskets will begin in October and will end at 1 p.m. November 2. Proceeds will go to the New Richland Care Center Resident Council. 

Win at LCWM sets up Friday showdown at Maple River

PLEASED TO MEET YOU — NRHEG’s Noah Krell (52) greets ball carrier Matt Sheetz (32) in the LCWM backfield at Lake Crystal last Friday. Krell had eight tackles and two sacks on the night as the Panthers remained unbeaten in conference play. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlak)

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

LAKE CRYSTAL – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva football team had to stray from its game plan against the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Knights at Lake Crystal Friday. 

The Panthers were able to adjust well enough to earn a 28-22 victory and remain in a first-place deadlock with Maple River for the top spot in the Gopher/Valley AA Conference. 

“LCWM played a very aggressive, attacking defense tonight,” said NRHEG coach Dan Stork. “We weren’t able to stick to our game plan completely, but the kids did a nice job adjusting to it.”

The Panthers improved to 3-0 in the conference and 3-2 overall. NRHEG is 2-0 on the road this season. 

NRHEG CC boys miss first place by one point at Janesville

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING — NRHEG senior first-year cross country runner Kellen Ferber, shown finishing a junior varsity race, made his way onto the medals stand for the first time last week. Ferber has unofficially been designated the Panthers’ “politician” for his knack of waving and smiling at spectators. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys’ cross country team came close to doing something it has not accomplished for a long time. 

The Panthers finished one point shy of winning a team championship.

Coach Mike Weber’s squads had a two-meet week. 

The Panther boys placed fourth among eight teams at the Blooming Prairie Invite and second among four teams at the Grizzly Pie Invite in Janesville. 

NRHEG has an overall mark of 23-45 this fall. 

Volleyball team runs record to 8-10-3

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

Consistency is what nearly every athletic team aims for. Good teams usually develop it during a season. Bad teams do not. 

Coach Onika Peterson’s New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva volleyball team continued to struggle with consistency last week. 

NRHEG dropped a non-conference match in four games to Tri-City United, playing one of its best and one of its worst games of the year in the match. 

The Panthers picked up a Gopher Conference road victory at Randolph later in the week. 

NRHEG concluded its busy week with one win and two ties in five matches at the Blue Earth Invite. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've heard it all before. We hear it every year about this time. 

It's Fire Prevention Week. It is time to turn back the clocks and put new batteries in the smoke alarms, as well as in your flashlights, then keep one close to your bed. As if we didn't have enough to do or think about this time of year. 

The change back to regular time from daylight savings time has become a useful signal to check our smoke alarms and fire extinguishers to be sure they are all in good condition and working. It doesn't take much time, but sometimes we let it slide another day, and it is forgotten. 

Insurance companies incorporate rules and regulations into your policy that might add to your safety, but also give them an out if you neglect them. One thing adjusters ask is, “Were your smoke alarms in place and working?”

There is always a danger of fire, but there seems to be a special emphasis in the fall, possibly because things get dry. Nobody wants to hear that siren sound. Hopefully it’s not a home, because if it is, it may mean not just material losses that can be replaced, but lives!

My family has been there, seen that, and, thank goodness, survived – but the memory stays. Seeing my parents with the hair on their heads singed so bad it looked like brown wool stocking caps doesn't go away. And they were two healthy adults, only feet away from a large escape opening, and on ground level. I remember crying as we buried the family dog, but still grateful that at least it was a pet and not a person.

My dad had a tendency to get a little fanatic about fires. I know it made others chuckle about the number of huge patio and French doors he put in their house. To him it was no laughing matter. They were escape routes, as many and as close as possible.

When I lost my leg some 30 years ago, before my dad even said, "How are you," he was already planning what he could do to prevent me from being stranded in our bedroom. First he was going home to spread straw and tarps on the ground (it was December) so it would not freeze, which would prevent digging. He planned to add on a family room, with patio doors to the outside, and to put a pair of French doors in the wall right next to my bed that would open out into the family room. Then in the family room he would put patio doors to the outside, so if nothing else I could roll to safety if there were a fire. 

He didn't just say it – he did it. That is how we got our family room, but it also made me realize what a great dad I had. He was more concerned with what he didn’t want to happen than what already had.

There were probably simpler things he could have done, or he could have let it slide by – but dad had been there. He had experienced what could happen. He knew the darkness of smoke when you are almost unable to see. He knew how fast a fire can travel. He had felt the heat. He remembered how an almost empty house could explode with fire and consume everything in minutes.

In their case not everything was gone, because my mother, thank goodness, was awake and up reading a book in the middle of the night, and they got out.

Try it sometime: blind your eyes so you can't see; use your imagination and realize how hard it is to breathe. Think.

Try to feel your way to an exit. What if the exit is blocked? If you have a stairway, is it equipped so you can get down it safely? But what if that’s where the fire is? Do you have an alternative plan? 

Are there windows large enough that you can get out through them? If it’s a two-story house, is there someplace you can get out onto? Is your family well-schooled on what they should do in case of fire? Are there handicapped or elderly persons in the home? 

When my aunt and uncle lost their two-story home shortly after he had returned home from the hospital, he was miraculously able to swing his wife and small children onto a porch – one that was not directly under their upstairs window, but just close enough. 

I hope it never happens to you or anyone dear to you, but I feel it should be a concern. 

I will always have the greatest admiration for our local fire fighters, who not only take their time but risk their lives in caring for others. I have watched and listened to them as they talk to children. They teach them how important it is not to panic, and to stop, drop and roll, which helps put out fire in their clothing. To stay close to the floor, crawling if need be, to escape the toxic smoke. Also to feel the doorknobs on closed doors, to see if they are hot or not, which indicates if there is a fire on the other side of the door. They also teach them not to be afraid and hide, but better, to scream so someone can hear and find them. 

Firemen also teach children not to play with matches or other fire lighters that adults use, as well as to remind smokers that if they must smoke, smoke outside, and then put out all butts, and once out, discard them in a container, preferably airtight, so that birds can't pick them up and transport them somewhere else where even a spark can cause a fire.

Fire is fascinating, especially to young children, and fire pits are fun to gather around socially and roast wieners and marshmallows, but it is also important to know that the fire should definitely be put out when you are done, and ideally, once it is extinguished, have an air-tight cover. 

Fire is necessary and useful, but it demands respect, thought and solutions. Whether in the home, a business, or in a field, it can be deadly. It’s too late to take precautions when one hears the siren. 

Worry isn't the answer, concern and action is. We can't always prevent fires, but isn't it better to live trying than to die because we didn’t?

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. 

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, Oct. 3: David Bunn, Lori Neidermeier, Dawn Enzenauer, Colette Holmes, Carrie Thompson, Wendy Thostenson Bogen, Paul Wayne, Lisa Zabel, Edna Thomas.

• Friday, Oct. 4: Susan Cornelius Wehr, Helen Jagusch Mantahei, Skyler Hanson, Clair Clausen, Michelle Lageson, Jerome Simon, Dale Waage, Jeff Waage, Lori Zabel, Matt Redmon, John & Cynthia Nelson, Krista & Randy Baana.

• Saturday, Oct. 5: Kijah Joy Mikesell, Bethany Otto Mikesell, Graciela Solveig Ortiz, Larry Pence, Karen Wiersma, Julie Cornelius, Jamie Farr, Elizabeth Randall, Peggy Sorenson, Linda Harding, Karen Kasper, Ray & Bunny Jepson, Jim & Pat Lyle, Wayne & Jo Schimek, Mandi & Darren Johannsen, Doug & Deb Braaten.

• Sunday, Oct. 6: Evan Matthew Beckman, Mesa Jo Grace Krause, Jackson Wyatt Lageson, Mark Plunkett, Marlin Beckman, Kaira Glienke, Melissa Horan, Aurie Brighton, Caden Reichl, Gail Turvold, Julie Born Beenken, Scott Holmes, Tait Misgen, Cindy Kasper Johnson, Jayme & Ryan Paulson.

• Monday, Oct. 7: Candace Lageson Baker, Carolyn Weller, Jason Huber, Todd Wayne, Debbie David, Garrett Briggs, Jill Bergdale, Kris Strenge, John & Ellen Hanson, Denise & Jerry Abbott, Jamie & Brian Riley, Pat & Barb O'Conner.

• Tuesday, Oct. 8: Mandy Moon, Lauren Olivia Sommers, Haley Hanson, Barb Hagen, Barb Dobberstein, Barb Strenge, Mary Kay Spurr, Brad Anderson, Doug Anderson, Hazel Spiering, Daniel Paulson, Kay Nelson, Julie & Brian Dahl.

• Wednesday, Oct. 9: Matt Kubiatowicz, Joshua Kasper, Cheryl Paulsen Wilson, Randy Mucha, Nancy Jo Anderson, Ashley Hove, Keith Neidermeier, Dennis Blouin.

May all of your favorite things be within reach. Have a wonderful day!

The past week I was saddened to hear of the passing of Orrie Jirele, who was taken from us all too soon. Orrie was a very good basketball coach; he was fiery and coached with passion and when you attended a basketball game there was always a question of not if, but when he would shed the coat and tie. If you attended a high school sporting event you could usually count on seeing him there supporting the team. He was also a teacher, counselor and accomplished violinist and an avid sportsman who loved the outdoors. I always knew he liked to fish, but I also knew that hunting waterfowl was his favorite. It is ironic he left us doing something he loved and, I think, at times we’ve all had that thought, if only for a fleeting moment.

Orrie was many things to many different people but he was above all the real deal. I first met him when he coached my oldest son Brian on the high school tennis team and right away I felt like I’d known him for years. Although I was not a writer in those days, he knew from talking to Brian that I liked to frequent the same area of Northern Minnesota that he did. He mentioned to me he liked to vacation with his family at Bowstring Lake, northwest of Grand Rapids. In those days Bowstring was known for its big crappies and he said he really enjoyed fishing for them. Orrie once confided in me that he occasionally liked to take the boat out alone, light up a good cigar, sit back and just take it all in. I think it’s a “guy thing,” meaning that most guys have some little thing they do to treat themselves to something they don’t ordinarily get to enjoy.

Whenever I would attend my grandson’s tennis matches I could always count on talking to Orrie; he would be there supporting the team and talking to the kids and parents. When he asked you how you were or if you’d been fishing, he was genuinely interested in what you had to say. We all know someone that slaps you on the back asks how you are and before you get a word out they are moving on like they are walking barefoot on hot coals – not Orrie, he was genuine. He played tennis with my grandson Taylor this past summer and also hunted with Trevor my oldest grandson. The last time I spoke with him we talked about his latest fishing trip with the family and he also told me to be sure and tell Trevor to give him a call if he was doing the early goose hunt.

Yes, Orrie had a zest for life and was a man that touched the lives of many in our community; he will be missed.

— — —

Grand Rapids area waterfowl season opener is average

Hunter success was about average on three popular waterfowl lakes for the 2013 waterfowl hunting opener in the Grand Rapids area.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife staff conducted waterfowl bag checks on opening day, Sept. 21, on Big White Oak Lake, Mud Lake (both near Deer River) and Big Rice Lake near Remer.

Hunter success in terms of ducks bagged per hunter varied from a low of 1.6 ducks per hunter at White Oak Lake, to 2.2 ducks per hunter at Mud Lake. Over the five year average, hunter success was about average for each lake.

Mallards, wood ducks and blue-winged teal were the most common birds in the bag with blue-winged teal being the most commonly bagged bird at White Oak Lake, mallard being the most commonly bagged bird at Big Rice Lake and wood duck being the most commonly bagged bird at Mud Lake.

Based on car counts, hunter numbers were down about 15 percent from the five year average.

“Noticeably absent in the bag this year were ring-necked ducks which often represent 50% or more of the opening day harvest,” said area wildlife manager Perry Loegering. “Ring-necks usually start migrating into the state in late September, but weren’t here yet.”

This year’s duck hunting season is 60 days in length. The duck bag limit is six ducks daily and may not include more than any combination of the following: four mallards (two hen mallard), three scaup, three wood ducks, two pintails, two redheads, one black duck, and/or two canvasback. If not listed, up to six ducks of a species may be taken. The daily bag limit for coot and moorhen is 15. The daily bag limit for merganser is five, no more than two of which may be a hooded merganser.  

Until next time, this is a great time for hunting and fishing but most of all its fun to just get out and enjoy the natural beauty of our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.