YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN — Evan Berg, an NRHEG High School graduate, has found State Bank of New Richland a perfect fit — banking in a small town that happens to be his home town. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

The State Bank of New Richland has a new Ag Loan officer among the ranks.

And, after six months on the job, it’s clear these two parties really found each other.

“Everyone here has been great,” said newest employee Evan Berg. “It has likely been as much of a transition for them as it has for me, as I'm the first new employee the bank has had for awhile on the lending side.”

Berg’s more than ready to make the commitment for the long haul too. Just ask any of his co-workers.

“I accepted this position in hopes of coming back in the area and making a difference in the area I grew up,” he said. “I decided that I'd much rather make that commitment in the area I grew up versus elsewhere. I also knew the State Bank of New Richland was a strong institution and would be a good fit for my skillset and personality.”

Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday June 28, with Mayor Engel, Councilmen Helland, Goebel, Reiter and Groth present. Also attending the meeting was Clerk Louks, Donovan Eaker and Andy Bernau.

Bernau, from the accounting firm of Hill, Larson, Walth & Benda, PA, was present to go over with the council the 2011 audit. Bernau gave each council member a 36-page report for review. 

Bernau started by stating that overall the audit went well and the city is in good financial shape. Bernau told the council the Municipal Liquor Store did not have a positive cash flow for the year 2011. 

Bernau did note that due to the extensive remodeling at the MLS, next year’s audit could have a different outcome. However, the city will still need to hold a pubic hearing since the MLS has lost money two of the last three years. 

OUT AT THE PLATE — Reds catcher Jacob Staloch tags out a Cleveland Condors baserunner during recent action at Cleveland. The Reds beat Wells 12-7 June 24. They play at Cleveland again this Sunday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

The New Richland Reds brought their bats with them as they traveled to Wells Sunday, June 24 and came home with a 12-7 victory.

The Reds started the scoring in the top of the second inning when Jake Staloch singled and later scored on a hit by Tory Somage.

They added three more runs in the third on hits by Aaron Gilliland, Seth Tukua and Staloch. Wells countered with two runs to make it 4-2 Reds. The bottom of the fourth saw Wells tie the score at four runs each.

INSTRUCTORS — Helping with the New Richland Area Sportsman’s Club’s Range Day were, front from left, Cody Mosher, Lee Mendenhall, Monica Olson, Al Kraay, Dan McBroom and Ryan Christensen. Back: Jarrod Skalicky, Kipp Routh, Dennis Bolduan, Melissa Bolduan, Jessica Schaffer, Chris Hower, Brian Hoffman, Jane Wagner and John Kaupa. (Photo by Denny Prescher)

The New Richland Area Sportsman’s Club held their Range Day for students that completed the online computer class on firearm safety.

This is a new program approved by the DNR. The students are instructed on all aspects of firearm safety as they go through the computer program. After successfully completing their online class, they are then issued a voucher indicating they can now attend a range and field day to get their hands-on training in the proper handling of various firearms.

How did you celebrate the Fourth of July? Fireworks, parades, picnics, or celebrations?

There is always excitement in the air, as there should be when we celebrate this important time in the history of our country. A very important document was signed 236 years ago, and we still have our freedom to celebrate. 

The old saying, "Freedom isn't free," is true. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those that have and continue to serve and protect our country to this day. Our freedom is the best thing we have and it often appears that other nations would like to fight for the privilege of having that. Often they bring us into battle, not necessarily for our own good because it leaves us open to criticism, but we do it for the good of others.

I feel that the freedom we have is still the very best. It’s so easy to take our freedom for granted today. Many of the problems we are forced to cope with are nothing new because history is full of violence, tyrants and outrage.

I wonder what some of these countries would do if it weren't for the generosity and help provided to them in times of disaster by the United States.

It pains me to see how many people and corporations move to other countries while still enjoying the profits and rights of this country. Greed is a green-eyed monster that is trying to destroy our industrial endeavor. This can threaten our future. It takes away jobs, particularly in the medium sector and challenges our standard of living. But, I am optimistic when it appears that some things are coming back, at least those who stayed with the American industrial program are displaying their faith and integrity as never before. 

Notice how many now label their goods, "Made in America.” Isn't it better to take a stand than to watch the millions of citizens sitting back and doing nothing?

This year, when the flags are flying and the fireworks exploding and we celebrate another year of relative freedom, let’s all resolve to do what needs to be done to bring back the freedoms lost and make this a country that is still the best.

Sing out loud and clear. Fly your flag respectively. Fill our churches so that no religion will dominate or dictate what we have built our nation and religious beliefs on. 

There was a little old man in the Care Center in New Richland, and whenever anyone asked his nationality, he proudly said, "I am an American.” He never wavered from his statement.  

When people would say, "No, I mean what country are you from?"  His only comment was, "I am proud to say that I am an American."

Wasn't he right? Aren't we all? Some may have come from other lands, like my grandmother, Christine, who was born in Denmark. But she and her brothers and sisters were taught the English language and though her parents would speak the Danish language to each other, especially when they didn't want their children to know what they were talking about, the children were never to speak anything but English. After all, they were now Americans. 

If we were born here, we may have foreign heritage, but we were nonetheless, Americans. The memory of coming into the New York harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty was something my grandmother never forgot. 

My mother had a Vietnamese family in the headstart program. Their biggest goal was to become American citizens, which they did, as soon as they were able. 

At that time, the children were all given American names, and even their last name was changed to Trongson, because it was American to have son at the end of your last name. Mom asked them why their children were so intelligent and the father said, "Because we know how important it is to be the best American citizens we can be."

I hope that you celebrated this birthday remembering those who came, stayed and settled in this country, making it their home. Be thankful for those who have served in the military and have given us the freedoms that we have.

God Bless our land. God bless our citizens. It is only right that we should celebrate those who have been such an important part of this free country that we love.

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 5th: Emma Harold, Abby Harold, Jessica Wayne, Brad Tufte, Burt Scripture, Chad Sommer, Russell Thostenson, Rhonda Grunwald, Issac Paulson, Danny Burns.

• Friday, July 6th: Kylie Titus, Brenlee Knudsen, Austin Nord, Linda Aronson, Scott Briggs, Gary Grosland, Wendy Kronberg Kammer, Travis Hanson, Paul Richards, Darrin Stadheim, James Van Riper, Kyle & Bethany Miller.

• Saturday, July 7th: Collin Christensen, Ed Possin, Elizabeth Eder, Cheryl Boverhuis, Casey Johnson, Chad Quam, Scott Reese, Jon Spatenka, Anna Jacobson, David Anderson, DeAnn Skroch.

• Sunday, July 8th: Zaine Augustine Briedenbach, Parker John & Payton Lorraine Bunn were 6 in 2011, Barb Hagen, Al Lee, Adam Arends, Jacob Terry Phillips, Deacon Thomas Lang, Summer Paulson, Deb Jacobs, Marlene Jensen.

• Monday, July 9th: Larry Otto, Corey Pence, Mavis Knudtson, Joni Calderon, Lisa Worke, Dale Peterson, Jenny Bunn, Julie & Dean Hunt, Jennifer & David Lageson.

• Tuesday, July 10th:  Kalene Larson, Ethan Green, Brett Dunlap, Sally Hanson Sadden, Suzanne Skroch Larkin, Carley Ray Talamantes, Holly Swearingen, Anna Uetcsh, Todd Borchert, Kym Cameron, Paulette Nelson, Ryan & Amy Crabtree their 6th, Dustin & Jenna Quimby.

• Wednesday, July 11th: Zoie Marie Jensen, Shirley Wallace Tennant, Nicholas Lee Shultz, Helen Scripture Schubert, Kelly Sauke, Nataniel Lizarazo, Michele Degan Reistad, Rochelle Thompson, Lisa Goodnature Noble, Christopher Olson, Jessica Mangskau, Elaine Peterson, Naomi Hemingway, Randy Borchert, Scott Knutson, Celina & Richard Drecher, David & Bonnie Jensen, Carrie (Thompson) & Danny Wichmann.

Hope you have a day filled with things that make you smile!

This past week, my wife Jean and I headed up to our cabin. This was going to be a special trip that we were really looking forward to. 

What made this trip extra special was that our son Brad was bringing our little granddaughter Emma up to the cabin for the very first time. It rained pretty much non-stop upon arrival and continued for part of the next.

But that didn’t seem to dampen her excitement of being at the cabin for the first time. I don’t really know who was more excited about her visit, Emma or grandma and grandpa.

Her dad and grandma took her out in the paddle boat on our lake for the first time. Grandma helped her catch fish with her Barbie pole. 

The next day, we took our fishing boat and headed to an area lake where I soon discovered that Emma sure likes it when we go fast across the water. She caught the first fish (with grandma’s help) but she decided right away that it was more fun to play with minnows than to fish.

After she had caught her fish and her dad had caught a couple, old Grandpa was starting to get just a little nervous. Eventually, I caught fish and we all enjoyed a good day. 

To grandpa and grandma the fishing was great, not because of fish caught but because we had taken Emma on her first extended fishing excursion. She was really good in the boat and never really asked to go in until the very end. I think that we might just have another fisherman in the family.

Once she arrived at the cabin, it took Emma no time at all to start enjoying the outdoors. She really liked feeding peanuts to the chipmunks and it wasn’t long before she was petting them. 

That was fun to watch, but when she made a move to pick one up, we all yelled at the same time. I do believe she was the only one that wasn’t worried about getting bit. 

When we decided to have a campfire she helped her dad carry wood to the fire pit. Grandma had the fixin’s for S’mores. I do think  Emma had as much marshmallow on her face as she did in her little tummy.

It sure was great to spend time in the outdoors with our youngest grandchild. It’s a great feeling to be able to share the outdoors experience that we all enjoy so much. I know that Emma really liked it at the cabin because when it came time to pack up and go home, she didn’t want to leave.

— — —

For quite a few years, I had a camper parked at Best Point Resort on Lake Tetonka where I was able to enjoy one of our areas finest resources. It seems that no matter what time of the year it was, you could always catch fish on that lake. We have a valuable resource right here at home, but there are many great places to camp within a 50-mile radius. This is what makes this state so great for anyone that enjoys the outdoors.

The DNR has issued the following news release regarding Lake Tetonka and other lakes in that watershed:

DNR surveying anglers on Upper Cannon chain of lakes

A comprehensive survey of anglers on the Upper Cannon chain of lakes this summer will help manage and improve those fisheries, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The survey, also known as a creel, involves interviewing anglers while they are on the water. The creel clerk will ask questions about fishing experience, fish caught and harvested, and information about the anglers themselves. Anglers will also be asked for their opinions on proposed muskellunge management on Tetonka Lake. The creel clerk will also do a boat count to measure recreational use.

When the creel data is analyzed, it will help provide a unique picture of the fishing quality and recreational pressure on the lakes. It will also impact future management plans for the lakes.

“It’s been nearly 25 years since we’ve done a creel survey in this area,” according to TJ DeBates, DNR area fisheries supervisor. “This is a high priority for us and we’re anxious to use the data being gathered.”

The creel clerk will conduct surveys on Tetonka, Upper and Lower Sakatah, and Cannon lakes in Le Sueur and Rice counties. The clerk will split days between lakes and interview anglers from a boat.

DeBates said the creel clerk will be easy to recognize. The clerk will be in a DNR uniform and will be driving a boat that displays a DNR sticker. The creel clerk will approach anglers on the water and ask for permission to survey them.

“The more information our clerk gathers, the better we will be able to manage this chain of lakes. By helping us, the anglers will help themselves.”

Reports from the first two weeks of the creel survey show anglers have been very successful with walleyes, northern pike, white bass, bluegills and crappies on this set of lakes.

Until next time, take some time to enjoy a little fishing and experience the magic of watching a bobber as it bounces lazily in the breeze.

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

Everything that surrounds us seems to be balanced between positive and negative: Good and evil, dark and light, etc. I’ve written about the Yin and Yang of our lives before. One can go on and on about polar opposites. 

Good and bad most often seem to be in balance. But not always, because there may come a day when one tips irrevocably. Life and death for example; for once you’re dead, you’re dead for a long time.

Sometimes, the good outweighs the bad and sometimes the opposite is true. A baseball team can win 10 in a row and it can also lose 10 in a row. It’s hard to explain, but it happens.

Our Minnesota Twins may be hovering between bad and good. They have been bad and seem to be climbing a slippery slope toward good. But suppose they slip and fell into the dark hole of defeat with all the bad things. This following fictitious dark-side account would certainly contribute to bad things happening to the team:

Joe Mauer will miss a number of games and his batting and catching abilities plummet. He is put on the disabled list because of bilateral thumb weakness.

Justin Morneau suffers from post-concussion problems and retires to become coach of hockey’s Vancouver Canucks.

Josh Willingham tries to carry on, but falls into a slump and is striking out every third at-bat. He becomes depressed, feels ill and takes a few days off to recover. He receives a get well card from Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. Terry Ryan accuses Cuddyer and Kubel of being bad sports. A huge controversy arises and the Twins are in the midst of player chaos. Some players are despondent and the team gets stuck with the tag of losers.

Ben Revere experiences an unexpected growth spurt and loses foot speed. Revere then tries to become a pitcher, but lacks a really good fastball.

Trevor Plouff catches a case of viral pneumonia and after recovery, his home run blasts are ending up on the warning track. Plouff vows this bilateral arm weakness will be fine after extensive rehab.

Scott Diamond comes down with the Scott Baker syndrome and only pitches 15 more innings.

We have just traveled down a very extravagant dark side of the Twins good and bad, but in retaliation, here is a good side:

Mauer continues his climb for the batting title. He again is a fan favorite as he fights his way past minor injuries to lead the Twins to a Central Division title.

Morneau opens his eyes one morning and all concussion worries have vanished. He is the Morneau of old as he supplies much needed left-handed power down the stretch drive.

Ryan Doumit is voted "Newcomer of the Year" and supplies a steady fielding and hitting presence.

Denard Span and Revere have career years and both wind up with above-.300 batting averages. The Twins appear to be set for the next 10 years with those two in the outfield.

Willingham becomes the right-handed slugger the Twins have long sought.

Francisco Liriano and Diamond are remindful of Johan Santana and Brad Radke.

Glen Perkins and Jared Burton are the first successful tandem closers in the Central Division and back up the starters with great success.

The Chinese looked at Yin and Yang not as opposites, but rather as complimentary. Perhaps the Twins can put together the good and bad and have a successful season.

— — –

This column will not appear during the remainder of July and hopefully when I come back, the Twins will be in the thick of the Central Division race.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

  "I was just thinking about my father. Dad, if you’re up there, I’m thinking about you."

"I’m sorry, I didn’t know your father had died."

"Died? He’s a roofer."

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 possible to think the unthinkable?

I’ve learned

1. People on high horses get thrown.

2. I earn more money in a year than some professional athletes do in a day.

3. If I were stranded on an island and could bring only one thing, I’d bring a boat.

Those thrilling days of yesteryear

The cafe and the barbershop were the places to go to become misinformed. My uncle Bill was a barber for 62 years. He wasn’t just a barber. He was an entertainer. He told stories as he cut my hair. The longer his story became, the shorter my hair became.

Sucrets

 I had a Sucrets tin in my pocket and a lozenge in my mouth. I’d been yelling encouragement. The tin that the Sucrets came in was handy to have. In the 1950s, some of the British crown jewels were housed inside a Sucrets tin while Queen Elizabeth’s crown was reset. The Boy Scouts created survival kits that fit inside a tin. I used tins as storage containers for fishhooks and coins. I remembered reading about a medicine for sore throats used in this country before 1900. It was called “Frog in the Throat” and was supposed to cure hoarseness. In the 17th century, holding a live frog in a child’s mouth until the frog died was thought to be a cure for thrush (a fungal disease of the mouth). I didn’t have a frog, so I had a lozenge in my mouth as I called time and walked from the dugout to home plate.

It didn’t seem as though the umpire was giving my team the benefit of the doubt. To my prejudiced eye, every close call went in our opponents’ favor. I hated to complain, but the ump was killing us. I was the coach. I needed to do something. I visited with the ump and hinted that he should try calling the game the same way for both teams. The man in blue took my suggestion poorly. He snarled, “You’re just upset because we’re winning.”

Slidewalk

I walked the hallways of a giant building. I was on my way to give a talk somewhere in that complex structure. I walked on the right side of the hall. A woman walked toward me. She was on my side of the hall. Maybe she was from England. I moved to my left while at the same time, she moved to her right. I corrected my course and moved to my right just in time to meet her moving to her left. This slidewalk was a case of stranger dancing. It was a game of rock-paper-scissors in which both participants kept throwing paper. I stopped. She walked by. I wish driving a car was that easy.

A declined feline

The man from Idaho told me that he loved his home. I love where I live. He told me, for about an hour, how much he loved his home and that he never wanted to leave it again. After listening to him that long (he didn’t encourage questions or interactions of any kind), I never wanted him to leave his home again either.

Bob Frisk of New Richland told me of a traveling cat in his neighborhood. The cat was one of those that didn’t care to stay home. He had a route. Bob recounted the sad demise of this cat that had become flattened fauna on the road.

I thought I should say something proper and uplifting, so I said, "I’m sure that’s the way the cat would have wanted to go."

Nature notes

“Do earwigs pinch people?” An earwig has a flat, reddish brown body with a pair of pincers on the tip of its abdomen that it uses for defense. The myth behind its name is that it was thought that the insect crawled into the ears of sleeping humans to feast on brains. Not true. Some people say they pinch, but I’ve never experienced that while handling them. It they do pinch, it’s not much of a squeeze. They feed primarily on decaying vegetation but may take a bite of your broccoli, beans, strawberries, or zinnias. The damage could be confused with slug feeding. Slugs leave a slime trail and earwigs do not.

Meeting adjourned

Play the kind card.