New school registrations accepted Aug. 21, 22

Are you new to the NRHEG School District? If so, there will be a time set aside for new student registration. Both the NRHEG Middle/High School and the NRHEG Elementary School will accept new student registrations on the following dates:

• Tuesday, August 21, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Wednesday, August 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Questions?  Call Doug Anderson, Elementary Principal at 507-416-2102.

Many new activities, events set for annual celebration

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

Grab your dancing shoes and bring that sense of adventure for a time well enjoyed at this year’s Ellendale Days event.

On Thursday at 6 p.m., Luverne’s Concertina Band will kick off things with a bang. Well, not exactly.

“It’s what you would call dinner music,” said Scott Groth. “This year will be the first time we provide our own food from the liquor store. If you like old time polka music, it’s a good night to come.”

Organizers of the event are sure to grab the attention of the younger generation, with Friday’s inaugural dodge ball tournament starting at 5:30 p.m. behind the Ellendale School.

“Anyone interested should register with Pat Krueger,” Groth said. “It’s open to anyone. So, if you have the quicks and are able to dodge the ball, it would be a fun thing to do.”

Officials expect northerns to rebound soon

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Residents in the Geneva area had been enjoying some good fishing on Geneva Lake this summer.

The quality of the fish, in particularly northern pike, was amazing both in size and taste. Imagine their concern around the 4th of July to find a very large quantity of beautiful trophy northerns floating belly-up on the surface in the northern area of the lake.

They called the game warden, Tom Hutchins, to let him know about the situation. Authorities are aware of the problem but there is little that can be done about the hot weather, which is causing the fish-kill.

There didn't seem to be many rough or lesser pan fish affected, possibly because they may have gone down into the mud bottom where it was cooler, and survived.

Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, July 12 with Mayor Engel and all councilmen present. Jim Johnson, representing the Bargen Company; Pete Paulson, Municipal Liquor Store; Roger Swearingen, maintenance; Clerk Steve Louks; and Luke Dobberstien were also in attendance.

The agenda was amended to include discussion about the road in Country View Estates.

Johnson, from the Bargen Company, which specializes in road repairs and maintenance, was first on the agenda. Johnson told the council his company was using a new product for sealing of tar roads. 

His product is a by-product of soybean oil, which is applied topically to blacktop surfaces. Johnson said the product puts a layer of polymer into the blacktop and allows less water to penetrate into the blacktop, which means less pot holes and soft spots. 

Back in the day when there was a wash day, there was something called a clothesline. 

I can hear some folks say, “Of course there was,” but I also realize not everyone on the planet may know that, as some grew up with nothing but clothes dryers.

Actually, the clothing line was a device strung between two objects, usually posts, that were anchored to the ground. Sometimes, the clothing lines were hung between trees when poles weren’t available.

The lines could be cotton, but more often metal was used. It was stretched tight and consisted of a number of lines. 

Metal lines required one to wash the line well with a wet cloth or rag before hanging the wet clothes, or one was apt to have dirty, dark spots on the clean clothes when they took them off the line. 

This is also true of the clothespins, the pinch-type gadgets that left their mark if they had been left outside on the clothesline. It was best to remove them from the clothesline every time they were used. 

Clothespins came in a gripper style with a coil spring center. There were wooden ones too, without springs. Typically, the wooden ones ran cheaper but usually weren’t as sturdy and capable of their job. Many times the side of one item shared the side of another to save on clothespins.

Whites were usually washed first, and then the sheets. The sheets were discreetly hung on the outside lines so one could keep their unmentionables hid, or even less white articles from being seen by the neighbor.

Properly hung, shirts should be hung and pinned by the shoulder seam or the upper part of t-shirts hung over the line and pinned under the arm pit, but most often they were hung by the tail, which caused knit garments to sometimes attain a weird bottom shape. Jeans were hung unzipped and with the pockets turned out so they would dry faster.

Back in those good old days, clothes were hung out in the summer and winter. In the winter, they supposedly froze dry and were often taken into the house like stiff planks. 

Particularly funny were bib overalls and long legged, one-piece underwear that could literally stand alone. Once thawed, they were still considerably damp like when they came from the wringer washer. Cottons like shirts and blouses were just right for ironing.

The prudent housewife kept her eye peeled for inclement weather. When it started to rain there was a mad dash to the clothesline for the almost dried clothes. Sometimes items had to be caught before they blew away in the wind.

Catastrophe struck when a line broke and all the clothes fell to the ground and had to be rewashed.

Monday was wash day. Tuesday was for ironing. Then, the clothesline could be used for drying dish towels or airing out clothes or blankets during the remaining portion of the week. Lucky kids got to make tents by putting old bedspreads or blankets over the clothesline so they could play house or maybe even sleep under them on nice summer nights just for fun.

There were some dangers involved with clotheslines, like if someone took to chasing after a ball and forgot the clothesline was there or they were outside after dark for whatever reason and ran into them.

One thing is for sure, no chemical concoction could ever smell as good as clothes brought in from the clothesline, especially in cold weather.

When dryers first came on the market, many the housekeeper denied herself the ease of drying clothes other than on the clothesline. Hanging out the laundry on the clothes line was just another example of free exercise.

There was the hauling of the clothes basket up the stairs and outside, bending over and picking up each item, lifting their arms to hang the clothes on the clothes line, taking the clothes off the line and folding them and bending over again, putting them back in the laundry basket, then carrying the basket back into the house and delivering the laundry to each room.

Enough said about clotheslines. Washing clothes today has come a long way from the old wash board and hand washing to the old wooden tub washers, and of course the mighty square tub Maytags which had a dasher and a wringer. 

The laundress would use a stick to pull pieces of clothing out of the wash tub, arranging it carefully on the wringer. There were many tales of hands, arms and hair getting caught in the wringer. Passing clothing through the wringer so many times was dangerous, especially so if time and attention were considered into the mix.

The wringers on those old washers consisted of two hard rubber rollers that the clothes had to pass through. My mother remembers having one of the first washers that had a tub on one side, and a spinner on the other side that spun the water out. 

Later on, she got a washer similar to those we have today, which also happened to function as a dryer. They disappeared for a while, but they are back and used more often in Europe.

Then came upright washers that washed and spun the water out of the clothes. Then came the water saving front loaders, many more equipped with dryers or steam cleaning.

There was a time when one could take dry cleanable clothes to a laundry mat by Morin Park in Albert Lea, which had washers that used a cleaning fluid instead of water.

One could write a book on soap. My Grandma Schember always made her own soap from tallow and strained grease, lye and whatever else. It was tough stuff, but it seemed to clean well. Sometimes, a scent was added to make the clothes smell better.

Earlier bar soap was P & G.  Oxydal was the powdered soap of choice for many years. Baby clothes were always washed in Ivory or Dreft.

Now, there are about as many varieties as you can count legs in a crowd of centipedes with various claims, strengths, smells and in liquid and powdered form. Tide has been a favorite of many, and Norwex is a brand where a little bit goes a long way, but is only available direct from the company and not in stores.

There are sheets for the dryer to stop static electricity and make things smell good. The only downside is that they have chemicals. 

Makes you feel a little sorry for the natives who use to have to pound their clothes on the rocks in streams, doesn’t it?

I guess that is why we now need exercise gyms. Old timers got their exercise automatically as a part of the homemaker’s normal day. Think about it.  

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. 

• Thursday, July 19th: Charlie Glenn Fuller, Cheryl Dunlap, Natasha Marie Peterson, Nicholas Pete Johnson, Carolyn Plunkett, Alyssa Mumm, Travis Jensen, Michael Beckman, Ryan Schmidt, Warren Farr, David Cooper, Angie & Michael Kath.

• Friday, July 20th: Pam Muri, Paul Marcus, Wayne Sommers, Brad Eder, Richard Nelson, Cody McCartney, Howard Gallentine, Elvern & Jeanne Holland, Cory & Colette Bauers, Mark & Teri Ravenhorst.

• Saturday, July 21st: Julie Langlie, Riley Marzloff, Violet Elise Aronson, Lindsay Smith, Marilyn Sullivan, Trudy Abel Holm, Marcia DeVriendt, Randy Anderson, Michele Granowski Domeier, Mike Collins, Nicholas Miller, Micki Heimer, Ed & Nancy Ver Hey, Katie & Paul Troe, Mike & Amy Glienke.

• Sunday, July 22nd: Warren Torgerson, Colleen Brekke, Jodie Hohansee Waalkens, Shari Crabtree, Jeff Olson, Joanie Ayers, Jesse Collins, Tyler Joshua Lair, Carl Anderson, Vicki & Kory Kress, Tara & Scott Peterson, Tara & Chad Cliff.

• Monday, July 23rd: Barb Kubat, Jackie Layland, Diane Broskoff, Jim Brown, Ron Kraiser, Kelly Pitcock, Carl Glienke Sr., Nathan & Michelle Jacobson, Brooke & Isaiah Lundberg, LuAnn & Keith Miller.

• Tuesday, July 24th: Marilyn Goslee, Robert Carter Edwards, Katie May, Joy Peterson, Pat Schulz, Jeff Thompson, Phillip Briggs, Denise & Richard Olson, Trisha & Casey Johnson, Greg & Shari Lassahn.

• Wednesday, July 25th: Sue Hill, Kari Janka Hareid, Stan Mork, Ivy Oland, Ann Falksen, Rick Hagen, Cole Pospesel, Kristine & Jesse Routh.

Let your door open to every joy your special day can bring.

The hot temperatures we have been experiencing the last few weeks have many area fishermen concerned. 

I’ve seen this occur in past years, but it hasn’t happened in this area for quite some time. It is hard to accept because there is nothing to do but let nature take its course. 

From the reports I have heard, dead fish have been found on Fountain, Bear, Geneva and Pickerel Lakes in our immediate area. When I first heard about the fish kill a feeling of frustration came over me when I thought about how the northern fishing was just starting to pick up on these area lakes.

The Minnesota DNR issued the following news release concerning the fish kills:

Record heat may be contributing to fish kills in Minnesota lakes

Record-setting heat may be contributing to fish kills in lakes across the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“Natural summer fish kills are not unusual,” according to Brian Schultz, DNR assistant regional fisheries manager. “In the past several days, however, we’re getting increased reports of dead and dying fish in many lakes from around the state.”

Unusually warm weather has raised water temperatures of many shallow lakes. Schultz has received reports from DNR field staff of surface water temperatures in some lakes reaching 90 degrees, with temps at the bottom only a few degrees cooler where maximum depths are less than 10 feet. “Those are some high readings and northern pike are especially vulnerable when the water gets this warm,” Schultz said. “They are a cool water species and just can’t adjust to the high temperatures when sustained for more than a few days.” 

Warm water temps can also impact other species such as walleye, yellow perch and bluegills.

“It is difficult to pin a summer kill on just one cause,” Schultz said, “and although it is a natural occurrence, it can be disturbing.”

Fish kills are usually not serious in the long run. Most lakes contain thousands of fish per acre and the fish kills represents a very small percent of that total.

Some positive effects from partial fish kills is that it creates an open niche in the fish population, allowing the remaining fish species to grow faster with less competition.

Minnesota lakes are resilient. The DNR has documented these conditions many times over and lake conditions and fish populations do return to managed expectations, either naturally or with the help of stocking if necessary.

— — —

A gentleman called me the other evening. He wondered if the fish kill could be caused by the treating of Fountain Lake for algae. I told him that for a fleeting moment that thought had entered my mind. But, with other area lakes experiencing the same thing, I know that it had no effect on it. 

He said that although he was pushing 90 and is no longer able to fish, he was concerned about the future of fishing for his grandchildren and the generations that lie ahead.

I could tell that he was a person who is fond of fishing and the outdoors and hoped to pass it on. This is what we should all strive for as sportsmen; preserving the habitat and the sport of fishing and hunting. We need to introduce as many youth as we can to these sports so that they can carry on the traditions we have established.

Area organizations like the Fountain Lake Sportsman’s Club, Minnesota Deer Hunters, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and Minnesota Waterfowl to name a few do a great job of introducing the youth to these various sports. As individuals we can take a little time out of our busy schedules to introduce our kids, grandkids or friends to the outdoors experience at one of our area lakes. We are fortunate that we have access to a lot of shoreline that we can use for fishing. It doesn’t cost a lot to introduce a kid to fishing – just a little time.

My grandson, Trevor, from time to time will ask me if I want to go fishing with him at one of our area lakes. I took him up on it last Sunday and went with him and his family. 

I had a lot of fun and managed to catch some fish to boot. Watching him and his love for the outdoors is a rewarding experience and the satisfaction I get out of having shared my experiences with him is priceless. I have to admit that he has passed his Grandpa in his knowledge of the outdoors and that’s a good thing!

Until next time, take a little time to relax and enjoy a picnic at an area park, go for a walk or wet a line and soak a worm, but mainly just enjoy the outdoors experience and Stay cool!

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

“My nephlittle Neal is visiting.”

“Don’t you mean ‘nephew’?”

“A little is a few.”

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: some people tell me that this country is headed in the wrong direction, but the sun still sets in the west.

I’ve learned

1. The five days following the weekend are the hardest.

2. Cats keep us around just for our thumbs.

3. You can slap anyone as long as you say, “Mosquito.”

How dry is it?

Stan Fitz of Rockford, IA said that the Shell Rock River is lower than it was a few years ago when the fish could only swim every other day. I know that Stan is not one to exaggerate or he would have added that it was so dry the bullheads had wood ticks.

Class reunion

The actor Monty Woolley was at a dinner party when he belched loudly. A woman sitting nearby gasped indignantly and glared at him. Woolley returned the look and said, "And what did you expect, my good woman? Chimes?"

I attended a class reunion recently. I love reunions. They are reminders some things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember, but I never know what to expect at such gatherings.

No one looked as if he or she had just pecked his or her way out of an eggshell, but everyone looked good. No one asked, “Who invited all these old people?” The reunion was a bit of show-and-tell. If someone showed up, he or she was expected to tell a bit about his or her life. No one went on for an uncomfortable time. There were no disappointments in either the showing or the telling.

“You know, you haven’t changed a bit since high school,” said one classmate to another.

“That’s nice of you to say.”

“It’s no wonder you had trouble getting dates.”

Each class member had done well for someone who chewed gum with an open mouth in class. We were those of whom Carl Sandburg could have written, "Why did the children put beans in their ears when the one thing we told the children they must not do was put beans in their ears? Why did the children pour molasses on the cat when the one thing we told the children they must not do was pour molasses on the cat?"

It’s true we lacked beans, molasses, and cats at the reunion, but everyone acted like a grown-up.

I know what our parents would say about that.

"It’s about time."

Is that spider going to be in the bathroom all day?

We hadn’t been married long. We didn’t have much money or much of anything else. When I came home from work one day, my new bride told me she had discovered a spider in the bathroom of our old house. She hadn’t yet learned to enjoy the occasional spider in the biffy. We didn’t have any insect sprays, so she sprayed it with what she could find — hairspray.

It didn’t hurt the spider, but it was ready for prom.

Nature notes

Willow trees have salicin in their bark. It’s similar to aspirin — acetylsalicylic acid. Those who went before us chewed willow bark to combat toothaches and headaches. How did they know to do that? They might have learned from the Native Americans who got onto it because beavers never suffered from headaches or toothaches. In honor of the beaver and its sharing of a headache remedy, I would like to share this bit of poetry, “I had a little beaver that I tied up with a cord. But I had to let him go. I hated to see a beaver bored.”

 Heat is the most common weather-related cause of death. Some research indicates that an ocean of corn causes a spike in the dew point. I believe the excessive hot weather is due to all the folks who, every winter, wish for warmer weather. What we call an extended heat wave is a normal summer in parts of this country. We have no dearth of weather. We can’t put up a barbed wire fence in order to keep weather out. It will change. Weather is fickle, but wind seems to be a constant. That’s a good thing. If the wind quits blowing, the gigantic wind turbines near my home would be disgusted.

Meeting adjourned

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

Change is the word of this era. It is here whether we like it or not. 

For example, it used to be that a Good Field Of Corn measurement was “knee high by the Fourth.” Now the Good Field of Corn measurement is “Tasseling by the Fourth.”

I did a dummy and left the car key in the ignition. The net result? A dead battery the next morning. 

After a call to Al’s Body Shop in Ellendale at 8:30 a.m. and a jump start, the car was ready to go. With quick service and a very, very reasonable fee, I was on my way at 11 a.m. Al’s Body Shop, you know how to give excellent service. Thanks.

Hey readers, it’s time for the “Everyone Attends” social event of the year. There are only two reasons not to attend: 1. You’re in the hospital. 2. You’re at a funeral – your own. I’m referring to your local County Fair. See you there!

The Lady is back at Beaver Lake. She spent the winter in Hawaii waiting for it to get warm here. She can be seen at the end of the dock (cabin 74). What a Doll!

How come it is that on a hot day, your liquid inflow far, far exceeds your liquid outflow?

As most of you know, a full moon can cause people to do strange things. I woke up to the sound of strange voices that sounded like Chinese. 

The next night it was the same thing. The third night of the full moon, I was ready, and recorded the Chinese sounding voices that were floating across Beaver Lake. I mailed the recording to Hartland University at Hartland, Minnesota asking for a translation.

The answer back was, the voices were Minnesotans trying to copy High Society Mandarin Chinese. High Society Mandarin Chinese are very polite and educated. 

They must ask permission to go to the bathroom. Minnesotans call this #1 and #2. High Society Mandarin Chinese ask permission with “sing a song” (#1) and “make a cake” (#2).

The letter back stated that for some unknown reason Minnesotans, especially those living on a lake, revert back to what they have learned in visiting the High Society Mandarins. The letter stated that asking permission usually happens only during a summertime full moon.

Hobnobbing with the Mandarin Chinese has definitely caused three couples living on Beaver Lake (in three different cabins) to revert back to what they learned on their recent trip to China.

To the young lad who threw a garbage can with garbage into Beaver Lake: “Is your Mommy proud of you?”

Advice to the companions who watched: “You have issues in who you hang out with.”

A male resident on Beaver Lake tells me he has most certainly changed. Per him all his walking is “on the level.” It seems that his right leg bothers him when he walks uphill. Jim Hinton, is this true, or are you pulling my leg?

Uncle Sam is now in residence at cabin #90. He is outside to greet you in his red, white and blue outfit.

Once again, that dynamic Sommers duo did an excellent job making pancakes at the Farm and City Days in New Richland. Genie and I both thought the flipping Sommerses looked a little different!

Bass fishing at Beaver Lake has been “gooder than good.” Two catch-and-release bass fishermen caught ten in two hours: one seven pounds (22 inches), another five pounds (20 inches), and the other eight, one to three pounds.

— — —

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. 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. This is the Hanson’s 37th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, 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.