A friend sent me a piece from National Review. It raised questions about so many issues affecting us today—immigration policy, welfare reform, the role of guests in our country, and the role of the government agencies in keeping us safe. 

Here’s an excerpt: The checkered immigrant family of the two Boston bombers is a tragic advertisement of almost everything wrong with our current immigration policy. The idea of life-saving asylum doesn’t make any sense when supposed refugees, like both of the Tsarnaev parents, can return to live safely in Russia. The elder of the suspected bombers, Tamerlan, himself had likewise just spent six months in a supposedly deadly homeland — for what exact reasons we can only speculate. Do our immigration authorities really believe that Russia is so dangerous for Muslims that they must be allowed unquestioned admission to the United States, but not so dangerous that they cannot from time to time choose to revisit their deadly place of birth? 

That’s a good question, and it is one that I’ve not seen addressed by the government, or even questioned by the news media. Why did the government grant asylum to the parents? 

The usual reason for granting asylum is that the person is in mortal danger—yet the parents returned to Russia —and were not harmed. Even worse, one of the brothers actually returned to Russia for six months and came back to the U.S. Obviously, Russia is not as dangerous as the U.S. State Department said it was. What will be changed in the government granting of asylum? Why isn’t the news media asking the questions?

Can a resident alien no longer be summarily deported for breaking the laws of his host country? Tamerlan—for domestic violence against his non-boxing wife, or, in the case of his mother, for shoplifting over $1,600 in merchandise? 

Why doesn’t “Homeland Security” check up on those resident aliens? How about monitoring for conviction of crimes? The majority of illegals in the country (they ARE illegal, as in “not legal”) simply overstay their visas. What will change in the government oversight after this event? Why isn’t the news media asking the questions?

Does being on public assistance years after arrival in this country, like the Tsarnaev family, no longer qualify a resident alien for deportation?

Does being investigated by the FBI for apparently loud and public expressions of support for anti-American radical jihadists not mean much?

In short, if a Tamerlan Tsarnaev cannot be deported, then perhaps no resident alien can be under any circumstance.

Here we’ve had an entire family on welfare and social programs—parents (who eventually went back to Russia), and two children—both of which received welfare and a good education. What changes will the government make? Why aren’t the news media asking the questions?

Politicians and bureaucrats bluster about the “needed changes” of border security, well-publicized benchmarks for self-sufficiency, grand talk of the avoidance of crime, and continued emphasis on long-term residence. That’s well and good, but those changes never happen. Why hasn’t government enforced its own laws? Why isn’t the news media asking why?

All too often, we blame inanimate objects for the social ills of our society. We blame the building that houses crack houses. We blame the SUV involved in a crash. We blame guns, but not the person who uses them. 

That’s a childish thing to do. It’s like blaming the hammer when you hit your finger with it. The predictable response from government is “more laws”—more infringements on the freedom of people that didn’t cause the problem. 

In this case, the government failed to enforce its existing laws. Why isn’t government enforcing the laws it has on the books? Why isn’t the news media asking WHY NOT?

Failure to hold government accountable (after all they are the ones that enacted the laws, and the ONLY ones that can enforce them) is our fault. There ought to be a big hue and cry over the failure of government to protect us. 

They failed because they didn’t follow their own rules. If a business had failed to live up to what they promised, they would be in big trouble—not only with government, but with the consumers. Why the apathy from the general public on this issue? 

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 2nd: Shayna Kress and Tyler Kress, their 3rd; Jack Benjamin Owen, his 4th; Diane Smith, Ted Radke, Jill Goodnature Kubicek, Bonnie Shaunce, Stephanie Corey, DeWayne Farr, Nolin Joe Simmons, his 8th; Joshua Nicholas Paulsen, his 10th; Roger Anderson, Gerald & Mildred Flugum, Dean & Carolyn Wangen.

• Friday, May 3rd: Jase Dean Knudson, his 5th; Cassidy Worrell, Fern Possin, Justin Robertson, Dale Dulas, Wayne Dobberstein, Anthony Brandt, Merle Bartness, Leah (Ruth) & William (Bill) Scott, their 4th.

• Saturday, May 4th: Joyce Wayne, Angie Worrell Aaseth, Daniel Knudson, Kenneth Schumacher, Charles Wangsness, Keith Miller, Shirley Draayer Anderson, Dean Heskett, Thad Tuttle, Leslie Ray Farr, her 11th; Jessica Marcus, Julia Elizabeth Rye, her 5th, Brooklyn Cecila Strand, her 8th, Melonie Butler, Lexi Jo Brandstad, her 12th.

• Sunday, May 5th: Mckenzie Lynn Jensen, her 12th; Alexis Janning, his 12th; Jeff Draayer, Shirley Jensen, Melody Krenke, Ron Langlie, Ryan Larson, Shirley Swearingen, Amber Obermoller, Dennis Sauke, Martin Whelan, Erik & Shannon Smith, their 12th; John & Lucille Nechanicky, Tim & Jolene Sorenson, Kevin & Annie Avery.

• Monday, May 6th: Caleb Scott Harpel, his 13th; Brad Borchert, Tracy Haddy, Cheryl Nelson, Iris Jensen, Brandon Wallace, Bill Vavra, Tim Wilker, Jennifer & Michael Vetsch, their 13th, Bill & Judith Hatch, Everett & Marian Camp.

• Tuesday, May 7th: Brody Hanson, Brian Jensen, John Snyder, Nancy Swearingen Grant, Brian Johnson, Heidi & Jason Owen, their 8th, Bryan & Diane Brighton, Heidi (Crabtree) & Jason Owen, their 8th.

• Wednesday, May 8th: Grace Carol Jean Riskedahl, her 1st; Olivia Kay Smith, her 7th; Kristina Follien, Marguerite Christensen Nelson, Ronald Wangsness, Elizabeth Bremer, Sandy Neubauer.

• Thursday, May 9th: Elli Pearl Baker, Aidan Jeffrey Schlaak, his 6th; John Jensen, Sue Pence, Jake Simmons, Julie Haroldson, Sue Hohansee, Audrey Horan, Karol Carroll, Nijole Aaseth, Rachelle Doran, Carolyn Greer, Karla Kelly, Jerry Westrum, Jill (Ottesen) & Cam Kehne.

• Friday, May 10th: Tari (Walterman) Erickson, Ryan Callahan, Tina Nelson, Steve Nielsen, Christine Ingvaldson, Dave Oeljenbrun, Mary Wilker, Brody Johnson, Mark & Sara Misgen, Rande & Jamie Nelson.

Wishing you sunshine and flowers and many, wonderful days ahead.

Just the other day, I was finally able to do a little yard work and that in itself felt pretty good. Now, I know that doing yard work is not a newsworthy tidbit of information. But, as I was cleaning up the yard waste, it dawned on me that the cart which I was using to haul it away was a real relic. 

It is rusty and the paint that is still there is covered with old cement. I can remember that it was originally green with orange trim. 

I believe that it was originally purchased by my aunt and uncle at the old Gambles store “up town” which today would be referred to as downtown. Whenever my folks were going to town they were going up town. Example: “I’m going up town for a while be back in a bit.” Maybe my family was just a little bit dysfunctional or some might shrug it off as us just being Norwegian but that’s what we called it.

As a kid, going to town was a big event that usually took place on Saturday mornings. I can remember going to town with my mom and aunt to buy groceries.

There was a store called National Tea, which was located near the Post Office. What made that store unique was that it had a drive-in parking garage. I remember how much fun I thought that was when I’d get to go along and we’d park in that garage. 

I looked forward to helping my mom unpack the groceries when we got home; anticipating anything that a kid might like. Cereal was usually the most kid-friendly thing she would buy, which would consist of Wheaties the breakfast of champions, Corn Flakes or Shredded Wheat. Cereal came in only one size back then.

Let’s get back to the cart. I can remember my Aunt Ruby, who was the original owner of the cart, yelling at my cousin Tom for pushing me around the yard in that very same cart. I find it hard to believe that I was ever that small. 

My Aunt Ruby and Uncle Harvey Christensen lived right next door to us on Bridge Avenue. They had a nice big yard which they really kept quite nice. 

As a kid, I spent a lot of time at their house and they would usually let us kids play in the front yard if the conditions were right. If the ground was wet or soft, Aunt Ruby would come out and shoo us off. But, if it was dry, she would usually leave us alone to play. We mainly played football in that yard because it was big and flat so we had plenty of room to run.

Once in a while, Uncle Harvey would take me golfing at Green Lea. Of course I’d start out as his caddie Then, when we’d get away from the clubhouse, he’d let me golf with his clubs. 

I thought that was pretty neat, but as I remember, those clubs were pretty heavy for a kid to carry for nine holes. It was the first time that I had ever heard someone yell “fore,” and I actually had to have my uncle explain to me what it meant.

There were times in the early spring when he would take me fishing for bullheads at Pickerel Lake’s shore. Back then, you would park right alongside highway 69 and fish the shoreline. 

In the spring, the banks would be lined with folks hoping to fill a bucket with that early spring delicacy. It was fun, and I felt good about it because I was being treated to a short fishing trip to a lake I didn’t normally get to fish.

There was a period of time when my uncle had a little office up on Broadway where he sold used cars. When I got a little older, he would sometimes find little odd jobs for me to do. 

I believe that the actual car lot was on the south part of town. However, he kept that uptown office, which was very narrow and very small. It was located somewhere in the area where the old cigar store once was. 

I rode my bike to town and occasionally, he would have me sit in the office and answer the phone whenever he needed to go somewhere. Come to think of it, I don’t remember if anyone ever did actually call while I was there. Most days he would have me ride my bike to the car lot and wipe the dust off the cars so that they would be nice and shiny in hopes of catching the eye of a perspective customer. I didn’t get paid very much for doing that, but I didn’t really care because it made me feel like I had a real job.

Now that the lakes are open and the weather is actually warming up, it’s time to scratch that fishing itch. This is a good time for perch, crappies and sunnies; not to mention the whiskered ones. Live bait is usually the key to early ice out fishing success because the water is still cold; so slow presentation and live bait should work well for those hungry fish.

— — —

MUSKY TALK:

The May meeting of Crossroads Chapter 54 of Muskies Inc. will be Wednesday, May 8 at 7p.m. at Eagles Club in Owatonna. Our speaker will be our chapter member, Rodger Larson, who guides on Leech Lake. He will give his thoughts on what worked last summer and what you can expect this summer. Rodger will take your questions and give answers. Our meetings are the 2nd Wednesday of every month and include informative speakers, updates, door prizes and raffle and plenty of musky talk! Bring a friend. You do not need to be a member to attend. Help support musky fishing in Southern Minnesota.

Until next time, take a little time to enjoy 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.

Last year at this time, the warm weather convinced most of us the truth in Global warming.

This year, at the same time as last year, the weather convinced most of us that Global Warming was not the truth.

In conclusion, the truth is just like this column: it is either “fact or fiction – you decide.”

Put another way, “Weather will be weather, whether you like it or not.”

The old saying of “The robin will see snow three times on her back before nesting” is no longer valid. At last count, it has snowed nine times on her back, and no nests have yet been built.

It was interesting watching the ducks, geese, and gulls when they first arrived this questionable spring. The ducks and geese accepted any open water they could find. We even had a male and female Mallard check out our open water bird bath. The first Canadian honkers hung around the open water by the lake aerators. The gulls couldn’t find any warm ice for their cold feet.

One good thing about all the late snow and lots of rain is the moisture. The creeks and rivers have risen, the lakes have come up a few inches, and even the field tiles are draining water off the fields.

The war, dry weather last summer and fall was ideal for a bumper crop of boxelder bugs this late spring. I’ve been conducting an experiment on those I catch in the house. They can swim an average of two minutes and ten seconds after I release them in the toilet bowl.

Judy Hellie of East Freeborn Lutheran Church is sympathetic to the boxelder bugs being so cold due to the low temperatures. She lets them sit on the microwave door as she warms up her tea water. When her tea water is warm, so is the boxelder bug. A win-win for all.

Two hundred fifty people served two pancakes per, over fifty years of five times per year, is 125,000 pancakes flipped. Newell, did you realize this would happen? LeRoy and Newell Sommers, you are a great 50th Anniversary couple.

We have a large number of junco (snowbirds) feeding on small seeds in our Albert Lea back yard. One of them has a long pure whit feather sticking out of its tail.

The weather forecasters are now assigning an alphabetical name to each major snowstorm. They began with an “A” and are now at “Y” (Yogi). The area snowbirds are using this as a guide to leave for their area home. In other words, the closer to “Z,” the better the time to head home!

Cousin Cheryl Davis from Sacramento, Calif. came back to Minnesota for a visitation in April. While here, she was lucky enough to see it snow. She also attended our Christmas family gathering which had been held over many times due to the weather.

Evie Toft, your birthday is very special to a lot of people. How do I know this? Because most of Ellendale was at your birthday party Saturday, April 21. (Those who weren’t there sent a birthday card!)

———

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.

Echoes from the Loafers Club Meeting

I complained to the assessor’s office about my real estate taxes. The guy there had only two words for me about my taxes."

"What were the two words?"

"Pay them."

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: how is it that I'm able to sleep better on the sofa, with the lights on and the TV blaring, than in bed?

I’ve learned

One bad job can give you all the experience you’ll need.

If they couldn’t fly, flies would be called "walks."

You’re lucky if you’re lucky.

The news from Hartland

Man tries to lose weight by riding an exercise bike to work. He lost 40 pounds and his job.

Man breaks tooth while eating Body Chex cereal.

Diner claims that the soup of the day suffered from irritable bowl syndrome.

The cafe chronicles

The coffee was considered ready to drink when the spoon floated to the top. Lies fell like rain. "The fish were biting so well on Lake Inferior that I had to hide behind a tree to bait the hook." "Bacon bits come from guinea pigs."

Someone brought up the time when the girls chanted, "Boys are rotten, made of cotton. Girls are handy, made of candy. Boys go to Jupiter, to get even stupider. Girls go to Mars, to get candy bars."

Spring is always somewhere

The day had been rain and snow. Winter is the new spring. Not long before sunset, the sun fell below the clouds and brightened my world with sunlight. It’s as if the sun were saying, "This is what it would be like if you lived in Yuma, Ariz. (the sunniest city in the US according to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which ranked cities based on the percentage of annual possible sunshine).

This year, spring fever is double pneumonia. Not many flowers to be seen, but red noses are blooming in the cold. I want to encourage spring. There is an actor, who appears in most of Adam Sandler’s movies, by the name of Rob Schneider. Schneider’s job in many of the films is to say, "You can do it!"

I want to be that guy for spring. "Hey, spring! You can do it!"

An odyssey

I rose shortly after going to bed. I needed to catch a plane. I showered, but the cobwebs clung to the corners of my brain. As I put on my clothes, I couldn’t remember if I was outside trying to get in or inside trying to get out.

I spoke in Alberta. Banff and the Rockies tickled me to a color far beyond pink. A good share of the province’s population resides in Calgary and Edmonton. Edmonton is the smaller of the two cities, but I couldn’t help but have "The Wreck of the Edmonton Fitzgerald" find a roost in my brain.

Customer comments

Phil Barton of Rochester told me that he’d taken a part-time job at Dollar Tree. He enjoys the work even if he is just a Phil-in.

Stan Fitz of Rockford wrote "Rumor has it that summer will be on a Saturday this year."

Did you know?

The Sheldon (Iowa) High School teams are nicknamed the Orabs. An Orab is a blend of the school's colors, orange and black.

Nature notes

The plains pocket gopher is a Minnesota gopher that isn’t the Minnesota Gopher. It eats mostly plant roots but also some aboveground parts, including alfalfa crown buds. They often burrow in the most productive field areas that have the most available food supplies. They destroy vegetation directly over their burrows, creating thin plant stands or bare spots. Surveys have found that lambsquarters, bull thistle, ragweed, foxtail, and cockle are in greater numbers when gopher mounds were present. Gopher mounds on slopes create bare patches that are vulnerable to erosion. Gophers reduce alfalfa yields and can damage mowing and baling equipment. Holes near the surface can injure grazing animals. Gopher excavation does have some benefits. It increases water infiltration and reduces soil compaction. When I was a boy and most farms kept cattle, most farm boys trapped pocket gophers. Minnesota was tabbed the “Gopher State” in 1857 after a cartoon, depicting gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive, was published, referencing proposed legislation for a railroad in western Minnesota. The 13-lined ground squirrel is the animal that is the mascot for the University of Minnesota.

Meeting adjourned

"The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being."--The Dalai Lama

After the snow left, again, the weather turned a tad nicer than the scurs had predicted. How will the predictions compare this week? Starting Wednesday, your May Basket could be slushy. Cloudy with a chance of accumulating snow. Highs near 40 and lows in the lower 30’s. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with a chance of rain and/or snow. Highs in the lower 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Same thing for Friday with highs once again in the lower 40’s and lows in the mid 30’s. Cloudy and slightly warmer for Saturday with a continued chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a lesser chance of rain. Warmer with highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Monday and Tuesday should get us back to partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the mid 60’s and lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for May 1st is 64. The normal high for St. Patrick’s Day is 40. The normal low for May 1st is 42. The normal low for April 8th is 32. The scurs are convinced their thermostat is broken. That or someone keeps flipping the calendar back and is having a good laugh about it.

Despite the cold and wet conditions, some fieldwork was accomplished over the weekend. It was however not widespread or very long-lived. A small amount of corn has been planted particularly in areas of lighter textured soil. There were fields worked down in anticipation of planting Monday only to be rained on overnight Sunday. Anhydrous ammonia, bulk fertilizer spreading and rock picking have been the order of the day for most. Fields remain just a hair too wet in many cases with some black areas apparent particularly after the overnight. Some found them wet enough when performing some of the aforementioned actions to wait before doing more fieldwork. The calendar still said April 28th, not May 28th, and given the way this spring is behaving, the key is planting once and making it count. There may not be another opportunity without taking a severe yield penalty.

So why are fields staying so wet? It’s no secret that we’ve been cold. How cold? Highs were in the upper 30’s as late as the 23rd and 24th, with the snow on the ground the 23rd, soil surface being frozen several time last week. Couple that with lots of cloudy, damp days. I recorded measurable precipitation on 17 out of 30 days for the month. and it shouldn’t come as any surprise things are in the shape they’re in. Yes, but don’t we have all this tile now that should help? It helps; however, we also have recorded 6.3” of precipitation for the month of April at the ranch. Unfortunately tile can’t make the wind blow or the sun shine. Check the weed growth. We’re just starting to see some of the early emerging species such as giant ragweed and lambsquarters. Tree buds are also a clue. Typically by corn planting time we see wild plums in bloom. This spring/winter is a throwback to the good ol’ days. Those tales your grandpa told you were true. Patience, grasshopper.

The garden at the ranch is in the same category as the planting progress in area fields. I look longingly at the small garden on the south facing slope, thinking that one day it will be fit, only to see moisture still at the soil surface. To add insult to injury, a robin was using some of the mud from the garden for a nest being constructed nearby. Seeds are ordered although when they arrive and are planted are anybody’s guess. There are several things including winter radishes and snap peas that can be planted in the summer for a fall crop, so not to worry. The rhubarb is progressing though, the warm days finally allowing actual leaves to be detected from the sliding glass door. Putting in some replacement trees had to satisfy my need to plant something, the muddy soil under sod providing a clue about the soil moisture status. 

The warmth did green the grass up, and that has made everyone at least think that spring may possibly be here to stay. While the snow may sour everyone’s attitude temporarily, it won’t stay long and we can get back to more positive thinking. The arrival of new birds seems to convince me that the sky is not falling, at least not yet. After hearing about fox sparrows from the kindly neighbors, there was one in our yard too on the 25th. The redpolls they mentioned were here as well although they apparently split sometime over the weekend. They had a good run of about 3 months, their longest stay in recent memory. There are still a few juncos remaining though, apparently thinking there may be something to eat when the snow arrives. They’ve actually been eating from the feeders as opposed to ground feeding which is a little unusual. Barn swallows and tree swallows arrived almost simultaneously at the ranch on April 26th. White-throated sparrows were spotted that morning, so we’re getting closer to on schedule. A brown thrasher was also heard, although not actually seen until the 30th.  Not unusual as they’re secretive and nearly as talented at hiding as the little fat buddies. 

The resident rooster pheasant has continued to amuse us and some visitors alike. A friend from South Dakota was picking up some sheep to take to a show and happened by when the rooster was crowing on the edge of the lawn.  We still think the rooster is a descendant of Little Jerry as he struts his stuff while dressed to kill in his breeding plumage to attract the hens. Every once in a while a hen can be seen slinking along the pasture fence then in a sudden burst of speed running as fast as they can to his lair in the plum and sumac thicket. You’d think they’d be wise to his ways by now.

See you next week…real good then.

On January 10, 1970, according to a couple of sources I found, the Catholic Church said that it would be okay to fulfill your Sunday mass obligation on Saturday night. This  helped relieve the congestion in churches at that time and to help those that were required to work or had to travel on Sunday.

I’m old enough to remember many businesses not being open on Sundays. The “blue laws” that were in effect then kept most gas stations, grocery stores, and retail businesses closed all day. The only reason you might have to work was if you were employed in a hospital, fire station, or police department.

These laws began to loosen as I grew older. Some gas stations were open. You could pick up a gallon of milk at the store, and you could grab some fresh donuts for after church. By the time I was a teenager, I  worked Sundays on a regular basis. Today, about the only thing that is banned on Sundays is the sale of alcohol.

Our school district has a policy in place that keeps extracurricular events from occurring on Sundays, unless there is prior permission because of special reasons. I love this policy, though there are many against it.

Sundays should be one calm day in the storm that has become the lives of many. Many families look at their weekly calendar and find themselves running almost every night. Why not have one day where you can relax and spend time together?

A couple of my 8th-graders wrote persuasive essays on why they should be allowed to play on Sundays. One thing they pointed out was that they are with their families on Sundays. That may be true, but many families find themselves running in different directions with various kids.

Growing up, we often went to one of our grandparents’ houses after church, had lunch, and visited during the afternoon. Dad and I spent many Sunday afternoons watching football. We did chores around the house and sometimes had 4-H meetings at night.

The world has blossomed into a 24/7 mall where we feel like we should have access to anything we need on a Sunday. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Listen, whether you attend church or not is only partially pertinent to this situation. I don’t want to make this a whole religious thing. However, families that do attend church need to be given that opportunity.

When it comes to sports events on Sundays, these should never start until after noon. Many basketball tournaments for our youth run all day Saturday and start up again Sunday morning. The same thing goes for baseball tournaments in the summer. 

I umpire in Owatonna, and they start tournaments Friday night, run them all day Saturday, and start again at 8 or 9 Sunday. I do not help out on the Sunday games.

Shorten your tournaments if that’s what you need to do to at least avoid Sunday morning. Every year, the Quad Cities Baseball Association has hosted an end-of-the-year tournament for the league. I’ve been in charge of that for many years and can only remember twice we played on Sunday. Both times it was only because weather on Saturday forced us to move a game to Sunday.

Over the years, many people have commented to me that they are appreciative that they can have one day over the weekend to themselves. Sometimes this means shortening the length of games, but that’s worth it to get things done.

I know I won’t win the battle of people playing in tournaments on Sundays. It would be nice to at least wait until the afternoon. There was a baseball team last year that, if they had won a particular game on Saturday, would have had to play Sunday morning. A few boys on that team said they wouldn’t be there because they would be attending church. 

That’s an unfair position in which to put kids and their families. Again, whether you are a churchgoer or not, you should respect those that choose to go.

I’m sure I’ll face some of these decisions with my daughter’s basketball team in the near future. We’ve managed to avoid Sundays so far, but there may not be much choice in the years to come.

It’s been a slow progression since 1970, but that’s a good place to point for when things really began to change. Once the Catholic Church said it was okay to serve your Sunday obligation on Saturday, people started to assume the “Day of Rest” no longer applied.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is resistentialism, which means the spiteful behavior seemingly shown by inanimate objects, as in, “My lawn mower is manifesting resistentialism by not wanting to start every spring.” Thanks to Neal and Shelley Pederson for this goodie! Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Remembering the life of Merlyn Swearingen..

Funeral Services for Merlyn Swearingen of Owatonna, formerly of Ellendale, will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale. The Reverend Richlard L. Sliper will officiate. Interment will be in First Lutheran Cemetery, Ellendale.

Military Honors will be accorded by the Ellendale Veteran’s. Visitation will be will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale and one hour prior to services.  Bonnerup Funeral Service is assisting the family.

Family and friends gathered around with love and compassion in Merlyn’s last few days before Jesus called him home on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at Traditions in Owatonna. He was 86.

Funeral services for Lyle (Fred) Byrne of New Richland will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at All Saints Catholic Church in New Richland. Father Swami will officiate. Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. on Monday at Friedrich Funeral Service in New Richland.

Lyle Byrne died peacefully on Friday, April 26, 2013. He was 81 years old.

Lyle was born on March 8, 1932 in West Otisco, MN. The youngest son of Earl and Esther (Mortensen) Byrne, he lived in Waseca County his whole life. After the death of his parents and four years of farm work, Lyle enlisted in the United States Air Force where he spent time in Texas and Kansas before returning home. On October 12, 1954 he was united in marriage to Mary Banashak in Wells. Together they had two children.

Funeral services for Cordelia N. Bethke will be held at 11 a.m. at St Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Pastor Scott Williams will officiate. Interment will be in the Woodville Cemetery in Waseca. Visitation is one hour prior to the service at church.

Cordelia Bethke passed away on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at County Neighbors in New Richland. She was 96 years old.

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

“In all my years of hiring people,” Dr. Dennis Goodwin told the NRHEG School Board, “you just know. Your gut knows.”

That seemed to be the case for NRHEG with Dr. Goodwin, as the board members and community group connected early on with the business-manager-turned-school-superintendent from Platte, S.D.

Nonetheless, the board went conscientiously through the steps of the superintendent selection process as laid out by South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) facilitators Butch Hanson and Dale Brandsoy, interviewing and evaluating four semi-finalists April 15 and two finalists Thursday, April 25, before tallying their results and deciding to offer Dr. Goodwin a contract, contingent on a successful site visit and background check.

The phrase, “a good fit” was heard several times in casual discussion from several board members.