Harrington homers in 11-1 rout of Medford

ALL RIGHT! — NRHEG’s Kelli Harrington, right, is congratulated by coach Wendy Schultz rounding third base after hitting a home run over the centerfield fence at Legion Field Monday, May 6. The Panthers beat Randolph 11-1 on their way to at 3-1 week. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

Just think what the NRHEG softball team could do with Jade Schultz in the lineup.

Schultz’s slow but steady recovery from major knee surgery continued and the Panthers continued to play mostly solid ball without their injured star, winning three of four games in the past week.

The Panthers 10-runned Medford 11-1 Monday, May 6, fell 8-4 to Randolph the next day and bounced back to sweep WEM in a Friday doubleheader, winning 3-1 and 5-4 at New Richland’s Legion Field. Coach Wendy Schultz’s crew improved its record to 8-2 overall, 6-2 in the Gopher Conference.

Team third in Section True Team Meet

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

It was a wonderful day to compete, and the NRHEG girls’ track and field team competed wonderfully.

The Panthers dominated their rescheduled home invitational last Friday, winning 11 of 18 events to finish with 231 points to 102 for runner up Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet. St. Clair had 97, Blooming Prairie 65, JWP 39.

“The girls looked fantastic tonight, with some dominating performances,” said coach Duey Ferber. “Many of our young girls stepped up and ran well tonight.”

And many familiar faces finished first.

Schiltz is lone top-six finisher at True Team

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG boys’ track and field team made the most of its regular-season only home outing of 2013.

The Panthers captured three firsts and finished third in their rescheduled invitational in New Richland Friday, May 10.

Junior T.J. Schiltz had a hand in all three NRHEG firsts.

He won the 3200 meters in 10:12.3 and ran a leg on two first-place relays. The 4x800 included Tyler Schultz, Karter Sletten and John Cole, clocking 9:01. Kiel Sletten, Karter Sletten and Raece Johnson joined Schiltz in the 4x200, which won in 1:40.5. For good measure, Schiltz added a third place in the high jump, clearing 5-6.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

It wasn’t a stellar week for the NRHEG baseball team.

But it wasn’t bad.

The Panthers went 2-2 during the past week, defeating Medford 12-6 Monday, May 6 and Randolph 8-2 the next day. They went on to fall 10-0 to WEM on Thursday and 19-15 to Maple River at Legion Field Saturday.

Coach Jeff Reese’s Panthers are 3-5 in the Gopher Conference and 3-6 overall.

NRHEG 12, Medford 6

The Panthers started the week on the right foot, handling Medford at Legion Field.

With the return of much nicer weather, the NRHEG Clay Target team turned in some very strong scores.

Led by the season's first perfect 25/25 from Zach Eustice and a season-high 47/50 as well, the rest of the team turned in an average of 41/50 for the top shooters and a total team average of 36/50 in week three of the season.

The effort was enough to shave a point off of the second-place team from Woodbury. However, a stronger showing from the conference-leading team from Brainerd kept them in command of Conference 6A.

Spring concerts set

The NRHEG Junior High Choir (grades 6-8) Spring Concert is Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the high school gym in New Richland. The Elementary (1-4) Spring Concert is Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. in Ellendale.

Heavenly Harp concert set for May 20

There will be a Heavenly Harp concert on Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale, 503 Radel Court. This concert is open to the public and there will be free admission. They would like you to join them as Karin Gunderson brings “Serenity” through harp and voice. Gunderson is a professional musician from Phoenix, AZ. Her presentation includes Christian favorites and harp instrumentals. To preview her music, visit www.ChristianHarpMusic.com. Heavenly Harp CDs and DVDs will be available.

The school year is about ready to come to a close, so I would like to dedicate this week’s column to great teachers.

Do you remember your teachers? All of them? Some of them were special ones.

Do you have a favorite teacher or person who taught you more than ordinary book learning?

Two things came up this week that gave me pause to think.

I happened upon a familiar story on the Internet.

It's the story of a nun and a precocious little boy, Mark, who was forever getting into mischief, and when she would discipline him he always said, “Thank you for correcting me, sister.” She taped his mouth shut. He winked at her. She couldn't help but laugh. 

Six years later, she had him in her math class. One day, sensing her class was frustrated and edgy, she asked them to list the names of their fellow classmates on a sheet of paper. Then she told them to write the nicest thing they could say about each one next to their name. 

The following Saturday, she wrote their names on separate sheets of paper and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday, she handed out the lists that she had made for each one of them. 

Upon receiving their sheet of paper, they all smiled, and said, “I didn't know that I meant anything to anyone.” No one ever mentioned the papers again. 

Some years later, Mark was killed in Vietnam. She went to his funeral and all she could think of was how she had used masking tape to take the boy’s mouth shut, and how she would give anything to have him speak to her now.

After the funeral, one of the pallbearers told her how often Mark had talked about her. Mark’s father said, "I want to show you something we found in Mark’s things." It was two pieces of notebook paper that had been taped, folded and refolded many times. It was the list.

"Thank you," Mark’s mother said, "You can see how much he treasured it."

Hearing the comments from Mark’s father and mother, Mark’s classmates gathered around and one by one said, "I still have my list."

The purpose of this is to encourage everyone to compliment the people you love and care about.  That nun was from Morris, Minn., and yes, the story is true. 

The second story is about someone even closer to home, a teacher who taught in Ellendale 50 or 60 years ago. Elementary classrooms back at that time usually held two different grades and about 40 children.

Teachers had a hard job. There was no special education, music or physical education programs. They did it all. 

Mrs. Anderson was "just an ordinary school teacher," but she was much more to James Hanson.

There was an inspirational poem called, "The Touch of the Master’s Hand," by Myra Brooks Welch. Fifty-seven years ago, Mrs. Anderson read the poem to her fourth-grade class.

I mentioned the poem and Jim Hanson was able to come right up with the name. Mrs. Anderson certainly made a profound effect upon him!

That is not all he remembers.

Mrs. Anderson also taught WWI history. In 2001, Jim was able to visit the Somme in France and made a point of looking for the “Devonshire Trench” and “Trench of the Bayonets” Mrs. Anderson had talked about in class. It took Jim a whole day to find it, but he did. 

He was able to go back to France last year with more information, and again this year with Victor and Kelly Mrotz and others. 

Jim showed them the area, as well as where they could look for artifacts. Victor found the hilt of a trench sword, and someone else found the very trench that the Devonshires had left. 

With the information he had learned from that teacher 57 years ago, and combining it with a desire to make the connection with her teaching, Jim was able to come up with the position of the Devonshires and their attackers that Mrs. Anderson mentioned. 

He also was able to discern the field of fire to locate bullets from that very machine gun that caused the carnage in the history books. He and his brother Bob actually found two German machine gun bullets from a war almost a century ago, verifying the information Mrs. Anderson had taught her class over a half century ago.  

It was almost like a crime detective novel – a “cold-case” mystery played out in almost a century in being solved – using information given to a boy over half a century ago, who used it to reconstruct the crime scene 4,500 miles from where he heard the information. 

You never know when you might have an influence on other people. Mrs. Anderson certainly did!

Look for an addition to this story in a later issue of the Star Eagle.

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 news, 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, May 16th: Ron Kubicek, Mark Reistad, Mark Skroch, Vernie Stieglbauer, Kim Lageson, Doug Lembke, Judy Karsjens, Anne Larson, Allycia Zinke, Becky Phagan, Bev White, Annie Larson, Christine & Brian Carlson.

• Friday, May 17th: Laura Caroline Deml, her 6th; Caitlyn Nelson, David Thompson, Dale DeRaad, Rhonda Lund Thevenot, Jerry Blouin, Robert Briggs, Dyne Thereneau, Kay Barclay, Darlyne Paulson, Luella Reiman, Judith Hatch, Thomas Shawback, Rose & Carl Glienke.

• Saturay, May 18th: Blake Ihrke, Zachary Jacob Dau, Cory Bailey, David Farr, Arlene Busho, Arlene Cummins, Xan Johnson, Mandy Muri Johannsen, Charlie Hanson, Dan Schember, Hank Thompson, Carol Stohr, Roger Draayer, Kelly Krumwiede, Rod Serdahl, Dan & Val Schember, Sue & Dean Westrum, Ken & Pat Sable.

• Sunday, May 19th: Christina Hill Berry, Madison Schweirjohann, Summer Schember Schultz, Mike Rysavy, John Oolman, Dawn Parks, Tim & Tiffany Hanson.

• Monday, May 20th: Oakley Baker, Kaye Schember Cady, Laureen Hohansee, Kathy Hanson, Hannah Ashton, Carrie Thorstenson, Penny Nordhorn, Haley Collins, Scott Stohr, Kevin Peterson, Kent Lageson, Josh Kelly, Virginia Jensen, Cynthia Butler, Jay & Marsha Neitzel, Ed & Camille Nelson, Hannah Ashton, Adam & Kristen Arends.

• Tuesday, May 21st: Tony Dodge, Christopher Flim, Tom Wilker, Joel Cooper, Ryan Parks, William & Marvel Beiser.

• Wednesday, May 22nd: David Eliason, Christine Thompson Krause, Lori Lembke, Scott Dirksen, Pat Horan, Mark Christensen, Jim Obermoller, Michael Sarver, Roger Thompson, Andrew Grunwald, Karla Hanson, Dick Swift, Chuck & Susan Grubish, Toni and James Perschbacker.

• Thursday, May 23rd: Stephane Paul Martin, her 4th; Will Richard Utpadel, his 6th: Ilsbeth Wayne, Jeanne Simonson, Melissa Shaunce, Burton Borchert, Orville Langlie, Karen Quam, Rodney & Peggy Sorenson, Duane & Janice Morreim, Jeff & Sara Miller, Rebecca & Tim Brekke.

• Friday, May 24th: David Christensen, Marlyn Swearingen, Reta Draayer, Nina Widlund.

Celebrating with you as you mark another year. Hoping that your day is filled with family, friends and cheer!

The weather has finally seemed to have turned the corner. I believe that I can safely hang up the old snow shovel for a while.

The official opener for walleye and northern fishing usually falls on Mother’s Day each year. This is a good thing because it is a time for me to pause and reflect on all of the things that my mother did to encourage me to enjoy the sport of fishing and the outdoors. Although my mother loved to fish, she never seemed to have that much time to enjoy it.

I can remember the times when my dad would treat the family to dinner at the Dairy Bar drive-in, which sat about where McDonalds is now. It was his Mother’s Day treat to her, as she didn’t have to cook a big Sunday dinner. 

Mom always ordered the pork tenderloin basket because she always said that it was her favorite. After dinner, we sometimes drove to St. Olaf or Beaver Lakes and do a little fishing. My dad was never much for fishing, but he always made sure that mom got to do a little of it on “her special day.” There were even a few times when he would even rent a pontoon boat and take my grandma along.

Once my wife Jean and I got the camping buzz, we occasionally took mom along with us for an overnight camping and fishing excursion to Elysian or Waterville. There were a couple of times when I took her to Clear Lake in Waseca. 

I can still remember how excited she would get when a fish would hit her lure. Mom and dad went up north with us a couple of times and on her last summer with us, she went with Jean, the boys and I to Sand Lake which is near Squaw Lake. 

I knew she didn’t feel very well so I said that she didn’t have to go out in the boat with us if she wasn’t up to it. Her answer was quite simple: “I didn’t come all this way to sit in the cabin.” 

She ended up catching the largest walleye of the week. I know that made it worthwhile for all of us. I always say that you can never turn back the clock, but it is sure nice to visit the past on occasion.

— — —

The buzz this past week has been about the opener and whether the ice will be off the northern lakes. When this column goes to print that question will already have been answered.

Locally, it obviously will not be a problem. I am looking forward to hearing about how our area fishermen fared this weekend.

This past week, I spoke with a few folks that are a little upset, me included, with some people that come to our waters and fill coolers with fish while having no license and no regard for the rules. I had also heard of one instance where people were observed keeping walleyes well before the legal opener. This is where our local sportsmen can step in, call the TIP line and report a violation. That number is: 800-652-9093. 

It really bothers me to see someone getting “greedy” and breaking the conservation laws that the rest of us heed to. True sportsmen have an unwritten code of ethics when it comes to protecting our resources, so it is hard for me to even watch when a person keeps an 8-inch walleye even though it is not illegal. The walleye limit for inland waters is 6 and only one fish over 20-inches is allowed.

The Minnesota DNR has released the following information on an investigation called Operation Squarehook:

Authorities are bringing state charges against 21 individuals following a major investigation into the illegal sale and dumping of thousands of protected game fish in north-central and northwestern Minnesota.

The three-year special investigation, known as Operation Squarehook, involved about 60 officers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and tribal authorities from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This is Minnesota’s largest case of illegal fish commercialization in two decades.

The suspects are facing up to 35 misdemeanor and six gross misdemeanor state charges in six counties in northern Minnesota. Total state fines are expected in the tens of thousands of dollars. Cases have been presented to state county attorneys for prosecution; some individuals have been charged or have already paid fines.

The charges involve both illegal purchases and sales of the game fish, primarily walleye, taken from some of Minnesota’s most popular fishing lakes, including Cass, Leech, Red and Winnibigoshish lakes on the Red Lake or Leech Lake Indian reservations.

Until next time, take advantage of the nice weather and wet a line, soak a worm and watch a bobber bouncing in the breeze as you relax on the shore of one of our area lakes.

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.

Echoes from the Loafers Club Meeting

"I watched the movie Groundhog Day last night."

"Again? You watch that movie every night. Why don’t you watch something else?"

"Because I like Groundhog Day. I might not like a different movie."

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: there is something about us that makes us tell someone who is stuck indoors because of a job what a beautiful day it is outside.

I’ve learned

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think there are two kinds of people in the world and those who don’t.

Antiques will be things of the past in the future.

Letting the cat out of the bag is easier than putting it back in.

Cafe chronicles

It was a big day at the cafe. There were new nails to hang the coats on.

There was a birthday party for a gentleman there. He told me that he was "eighty-something."

"What do you know?" I said in response.

"A lot," he said, "but I can’t remember most of it." His memory didn't appear to be in embers. "I remember a lot of things that are gone, but I can’t complain. I get around much better than I did when I took my first breath."

Mother’s Day in the rearview mirror

Mothers get flowers, candy, or dinner for Mother’s Day.

On Father’s Day, fathers get something, too. Usually, it’s a collect phone call that goes something like this, "Hi, Dad. Happy Father’s Day. Let me talk to Mom."

That is how it should be.

Storytelling stories

I had told a story about my uncle Bill. Bill was a barber forever in Burt, Iowa. Like many barbers, Bill enjoyed telling stories. The longer his stories became, the shorter my hair became. I love visiting barbershops. They are purveyors of infinite wisdom. Loren Opdahl of Woodbury was in the audience and after my talk, Loren told me that I could get a BS by spending enough time in a shop. I don’t think he meant a BS in Barber Science.

Customer comments

Laura Luehmann of Gaylord told me that when she and her husband Al moved from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Minnesota, she thought Marty Robbins was singing, "A white fur coat and a pink carnation."

Kurt Lehmkuhl of Arlington told me that when his son was quite young, the boy had a nightmare. While being consoled, the youngster was asked if he’d been scared witless. The lad admitted to losing one wit.

We spend too much time wanting what we don’t have

I've lived here all my life. I’ve traveled a bit. I’ve learned that there is no good weather. There is no bad weather. What there is, is unique weather.

I listened to a pastor read one of my favorite poems recently, "Present Tense" written by Jason Lehman.

"It was Spring. But it was Summer I wanted, The warm days, And the great outdoors. It was summer. But it was fall I wanted, The colorful leaves, And the cool, dry air. It was Fall. But it was Winter I wanted, The beautiful snow, And the joy of the holiday season. It was Winter. But it was Spring I wanted, The warmth, And the blossoming of nature. I was a child. But it was adulthood I wanted, The freedom, And the respect. I was twenty. But it was thirty I wanted, To be mature, And sophisticated. I was middle-aged. But it was twenty I wanted, The youth, And the free spirit. I was retired. But it was middle-age I wanted, The presence of mind, Without limitations. My life was over. But I never got what I wanted."

Nature notes

"Do robin eggs all hatch at the same time?" Until they've laid a full clutch, robins allow the eggs to stay cool so embryos don’t develop. That way all the eggs hatch at about the same time. The mother robin may start incubating her eggs after the second egg is laid or wait until all the eggs are laid. The female usually does all the incubating for 12 to 14 days. She rarely leaves the nest for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time. She must turn or rotate the eggs several times daily. Some birds like hawks and owls that lay eggs in cold weather, start incubating as soon as the first egg is laid. The eggs hatch in intervals, so that the oldest hatchling may be much bigger than the youngest.

Meeting adjourned

It is the time to be kind.

Mother Nature and the Mother of Invention work hand in hand. Mother Nature gave us three days of warm weather and then rain to make the grass turn green and grow. The Mother of Invention gave us a lawn mower to cut the grass. 

My neighbor was the first person in Albert Lea to mow his grass this spring. (Late this year compared to last year, but remember – Mother Nature controls.)

Mother Nature gave us plenty of free nitrogen to fertilize the above lawn in the form of wet, heavy snow (From ten to 18 inches depending on where you live). The Mother of Invention gave us a snow blower to move the snow as we see fit (This was done on May 2 by my neighbor).

From the mowing of grass and the blowing of snow, I am certain my neighbor (Roger Erickson) has connections with the two above-mentioned Mothers. Speaking of weather, are the following statements true or false? The answers are at the end of this column.

1. It has snowed every month in Minnesota except July.

2. It has frozen every month in Minnesota except July.

3. The most snow ever in NRHEG Country for the month of May was in the year 2013.

4. It has snowed on Memorial Day in NRHEG Country.

5. It has frozen on Father’s Day in NRHEG Country.

6. One year in NRHEG Country, it never got warmer than 90 degrees.

7. It has rained every month of the year in NRHEG Country.

8. There has been thunder and lightning every month of the year in NRHEG Country.

9. There has been a double rainbow each summer for the last 14 years in NRHEG Country.

10. The answer to all ten of these statements is not false.

Congratulations to Jay Crabtree on being promoted to Sergeant in the Albert Lea Police Department.

The ice-out on area lakes was April 23 (give or take a day) this year. This was later than usual. So far, it has never gone out after April 30 in this area. 

Many years in Northern Minnesota, a fisherman hasn’t had to buy ice for the fishing opener; he’d get his ice out of the lake. How do I know this to be true? Because I swept snow out of the boat to go get ice out of Leech Lake one fishing opener.

I have a nose that knows the good smell of food. My nose sniffed out a new place to eat in New Richland. I followed the smell right to The Lunchbox in downtown New Richland. Can your sniffer find it?

While at The Lunchbox for breakfast, a farmer friend joined me. We swapped small talk waiting for our food. He voiced his concern about getting a good crop this fall, as planting was very late this spring. 

When I said the table grace, I included my friend’s concern for the crop. Just prior to saying “Amen,” my friend said, “Saturn and Cronus, I hope you’re listening.” As we were eating, he explained that Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture and Cronus was the Greek god.

As you know, the weather people have a name for each snowstorm of the season using the letters of the alphabet. Prior to the May 2 storm, they had made it to “Yogi,” thus “Z” would be used for May 2. In NRHEG Country, the locals have decided “Zee End” would summarize their feelings for the season.

P.S.: The ten statements are all true. “Zee End,” then, is my closing for this column!

———

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.