Back in 1987, I knew a guy who was a die-hard Twins fan and followed them closely even though he lived in Kansas. And although the Twins had finished last the previous year, he had a feeling the team would do well in ‘87. Perhaps his subconscious had put two and two togther and came up with that realization.

He wanted to place a bet on the team to win the World Series, but couldn’t find any way to do it. He didn’t know a local bookie and no one he knew was going to Las Vegas. He never got the bet placed. The odds were 150 to 1 against the Twins. Of course Minnesota won and a $100 bet would have paid $15,000. Wow! He did place a bet in 1991, but the odds weren’t nearly as good.

I mention this because the odds against Twins in 2012 are 80 to 1 on a Las Vegas site. It’s never a good idea to gamble, but there is at least one similarity between the ‘87 team and current Twins. Both finished last the previous year and little was expected of them.

I guess the first question a Twins fan might ask is, do they even have a chance to be in the World Series this year? Vegas doesn’t think so, but as we’ve seen, Vegas has been wrong before.

I was mulling that question over and thought, why not? The first positive rationale for success this year was that the Twins have pretty much the same team that was favored to win the division last year with the three major exceptions of Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Joe Nathan. In order to meet the loss of Cuddyer and Kubel, general manager Terry Ryan signed Josh Willingham and Michael Doumit. Last year Cuddyer and Kubel hit .284 and .273, respectively. Willingham hit only .246, but he did hit 29 home runs and drive in 98 runs. Doumit hit .303. I know sabermetrics would have much more sophisticated measurements, but this gives us a quick and dirty look. 

If I had my choice, I’d probably go with Cuddyer and Kubel, but the two newcomers may do just as well and Doumit gives the team backup catching. We also have to remember the Twins didn’t know what to expect from Nathan last year when he was coming off Tommy John surgery. Matt Capps was scheduled to be the closer and will be again this year.

The shortstop this year is Jamey Carroll and while he is no J.J. Hardy, he will be better than 2011's committee. Looking at the infield, it appears to be the equal of last year’s projected group with the big question mark, as it was last year, being Justin Morneau at first.

The outfield with Willingham, Span and Revere compares with last year’s Cuddyer, Span and Young and appears to be pretty much of a wash. Willingham and Cuddyer grade out approximately equal both hitting and fielding. Span is Span and according to statistical analysis Revere and Young are of equal value to a team. Revere won’t hit as well as Young, but his defense will make up for it.

It looks like a good starting lineup and it may well better last year’s projected team with 2012 starters Span, Carroll, Mauer, Willingham, Morneau, Doumit, Valencia, Casilla and Revere. More speed with less power than 2011.

The elephant in the room is Morneau. More about Morneau next time. Another big big question is pitching. We’ll take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly in the future.

NRHEG girls host Hayfield Friday

ADVANTAGE, PANTHERS — NRHEG sophomore Carlie Wagner (3) goes to the basket for a layup despite the efforts of a Triton defender during Tuesday night's sub-section opener in New Richland. The top-seeded, undefeated Panthers won 56-35. They'll face fourth-seeded Hayfield Friday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in New Richland. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The opening round of the sub-section tournament was not a surprise for fans of the NRHEG girls’ basketball team.

The top-seeded, undefeated Panthers were rusty coming off a 12-day layoff but still cruised to a 56-35 victory over eighth-seeded Triton in New Richland Tuesday night.

“It was a very sloppy game for us,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “It’s been 12 days since we have had a game and it showed.’’

But the Cobras were feisty, especially in the first half as NRHEG trudged to a 28-16 halftime lead.

“Triton had a lot to do with that,” said Schultz. “They defended our fast break well and rebounded right with us. We didn't get enough second shots on offense and made one too many passes on the breaks.”

BACK TO STATE — NRHEG senior Seth Petranek, right, earns a victory Saturday at Blue Earth and a second straight trip to the state tournament. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

NRHEG coach Paul Cyr had high hopes for two and mixed hopes for several others entering the Section 2A Individual Wrestling Tournament.

The two came through.

Seniors Dustin Esplan and Seth Petranek advanced to the state tournament while four others just missed in last weekend’s section tournament that concluded Saturday night at Blue Earth.

Esplan was most impressive in taking the 120-pound championship, winning by fall and, in the finals, by technical fall. He’ll take a record of 36-4 to state, where he finished third last year at 119.

Petranek was the runner-up at 182, falling 10-6 to USC’s Brady Thisius in the finals. Petranek, like Esplan a two-time state entrant, is 33-7. He was 2-2 at state last year and did not place at 189.

NRAFS kicks off March campaign

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE — Sharon Eckart of the New Richland Area Food Shelf holds an item up for bids at the Groove For Food event Sunday, Feb. 26 at Trinity Lutheran. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

There must have been more than a few New Richland area residents who attended church twice last Sunday. 

Trinity Lutheran was the site of the first-ever Groove for Food sponsored by the New Richland Area Food Shelf. Food shelf President Larry Goehring welcomed everyone as things got underway. Guests were treated to five different musical groups throughout the afternoon and the home-spun humor of local storyteller Al Batt.

“I was raised near Hartland in the now extinct town of Bath,” said Batt. “Hartland was a town of 300 people with only four last names. Hartland Township is now the honeymoon capital of Freeborn County.”

Pianist and vocalist Melissa Williams was the first performer with her rendition of “At Last,” a song written in 1941 and made famous by Etta James.

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

The NRHEG School Board discussed alternatives at last Tuesday’s regular meeting with respect to two important building improvements. The windows in Ellendale need to be redone, and the New Richland kitchen and cafeteria could use some remodeling to accommodate the additional traffic they will have in the fall when sixth-graders move to New Richland.

Architect

Two architectural firms, The Wold and Collaborative Design, Inc., have submitted brochures and initial estimates for both jobs.

While the windows at Ellendale are a straightforward and immediately important job, the remodeling of the kitchen and/or cafeteria is open ended and several design options were discussed.

Both the serving line and the seating area in the cafeteria could be expanded by 2,400 square feet by moving the south wall of the New Richland Media Center, and expanding into what is now the south part of the Media Center, which isn’t heavily used. Adding that area to the cafeteria would also provide outside lighting via the existing skylight.

New Richland City Council

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

Most of the Waseca County Commissioners were in attendance at the meeting of the New Richland City Council this past Monday evening. Vice-Mayor Christine Gislason called the meeting to order in the absence of Mayor Tom McShane. The evening’s agenda and consent agenda items were all approved.

The council heard a request from Vista Lutheran Church to hold their Vacation Bible School at the City Park this summer. There were no objections to the request.

City Maintenance Supervisor Ryan Nissen expects to take delivery on the new tractor sometime in March. The council decided to advertise to sell the old tractor via sealed bids. Nissen also requested $380 for oil and $1,110.68 for filters for the city’s vehicles.

The city has been pondering a maintenance contract offer from Utility Services Co. for several months. The company would be responsible for routine and preventative maintenance on the city’s water tower. Nissen had done some research with other cities who have done business with Utility Services and was given positive feedback. After hearing this, a motion was made and seconded approving the contract, which Gislason signed. 

Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, February 23 with Mayor Engel and all councilmen present. Also attending meeting were Roger Swearingen, city maintenance; Eric Haffner, engineer; Steve Louks, clerk; Gwen Reiss, Municipal Liquor Store; Jeff Johnson, fire department.

The council discussed strategy with Haffner and Swearingen regarding street repair. The council feels there are quite a few roads within the city that will need attention in the near future. Haffner, who works for Bolten & Menk, told the council about some work his firm had done for another city. Haffner said his firm went through the town and ranked the streets and gave them priorities. Swearingen said he would like to see 3rd St. from Highway 30 to 6th Ave. repaired. Swearingen also felt the same block on 2nd St. would be a good candidate for refurbishing. 

The council also talked about seal coating some areas in town. Haffner said seal coating is good maintenance if started at the right time in the street’s life. After some discussion, the council moved to have Bolten & Menk go through the city streets, rank them, and make note of any special repairs needed. The council felt then the city could implement a plan for the future. 

If you are like I am, you get so sick of television. The majority of the programs on cable television seem to be "bang bang - shoot 'em up dead" - murder and mayhem. Daryl and I have been finding more and more "oldies but goodies" that are clean, decent, and funny with no need for naked bodies, blood and guts to make them attractive to view.

O.K., so I am "old school" but a recent "Leave It To Beaver" episode featured him trying to save a mouse in a paper bag. Watching it brought back many memories of our real lives that paralleled the life of shows like "Leave It To Beaver." As so often it has to do with my grandmother, who was like no other -- but then, maybe she was like everybody’s grandmother.

An example would be the mouse episode. Grandmother had a mouse and set a trap. She caught the mouse by the tail, no less, carefully took the mouse, trap and all, outside to release the mouse from the trap, and, you guessed it, that little mouse made a bee-line for the house and beat her back in the house. Beaver had his mouse in a paper sack. 

Grandma so enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. During a visit at Grandma’s house one of the grandchildren, Steve, let out a big war whoop. "Grandma, Grandma, get a jar! I just caught a snake." Now, Grandma didn't like snakes any better than I do, but she obliged and did help him "can the snake" for a while before letting him loose after Steve went home.

As much as she didn't like snakes, she always told us about all the good they did cleaning up the bugs, eating the bugs for their breakfast, along with some small rodents. It had been another "Grandma School" day, which taught you things you learn way ahead of regular schooling. 

My mother is like Grandma used to be about ladybugs: she won't kill them but takes them outside so they can go their merry way. 

Remember the old adage? "Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children are alone." There has to be a story behind that but I don't know what it is.

My cousin, Jim, did find this though: in Medieval England, farmers would set torches to the old hop (used in flavoring beer) vines after the harvest in order to clear the fields for the next planting.

This poem was sung as a warning to the ladybugs that were still crawling on the vines in search of aphids.

The ladybugs' children (larvae) could get away from the flames, but the pupae, referred to as "Nan" in some versions, were fastened to the plants and thus could not escape.

Pupae are the larvae when they have formed a cocoon and are changing into adults. Nan was originally an affectionate form of the name Ann, but it is not generally used as a short form of Nancy.

In Britain ladybugs are referred to as ladybirds.

My mother is a firm believer that when all is said and done and there is no life left on the earth, there will still be bugs that will inherit the earth and also clean up what is left.

My sister Kaye’s husband, Mike, never kills rattlesnakes. He will capture them and move them to another comfortable destination like the waterhole a few miles away. (They live in Arizona.) He maintains Arizona is their home - the snakes were there first and should be treated with respect.

I do believe snakes are a bit territorial. When my parents’ house burned down and the "folks" took hiatus and spent some time with my sister in Arizona before they were able to rebuilt their house, they came back to find the cement block foundation (which was removed) crawling with snakes. You wonder why, but many is the snake that found himself dispatched to the wet lands behind their home and, though it continued for several years, eventually they quit trying to make my parents home their home. The wetlands were also home to some little brown snakes, quite small. It was interesting to note that their families were many but so thin and tiny at birth. They were scarcely thicker than thread.

As much as I don't like snakes because they slither and seem so creepy, (or are we in tune with the Bible when snakes were depicted as evil?) small children seem to be born with their dislike before they are ever introduced to them in the Bible.

The disappearance of many snakes in our local environment is a little scary. These lower amphibians, including frogs and toads, are disappearing. Why? What does it tell us about our environment?

My mother reminded me about a field trip she took to the Minnesota Zoo with a group of young children. The children were treated to a live exhibit of a huge snake. The volunteer let the snake hang around her neck while showing the children the snake. While she told the children all about the snake she invited the children to pet it. They were reluctant, so with a twinkle in her eye she challenged my mother to hold the huge beast. Mom said no, but she didn't let it go at that, knowing it was something she had to do to show the children it was possible and that they would not be harmed if they touched the snake.

Surprising, the snake was not slimy and slithery, but more like rubbing one’s hand over a purse.  The mission was accomplished. Some of the children were all too happy to follow the example, though some just kept their distance.

There does seem to be more and more educational and not-so-educational shows on television about amphibians of late. Somehow I don't think I want to wrestle an alligator or charm a snake. I am glad we live in the north country instead of the swampy areas of the US. Why they are such interesting pets to some people, I don't know. It’s a matter of taste. When my sister, Kaye, first moved to Arizona and did house cleaning, she acknowledged that a close friend of hers had a pet alligator who had his own bath and bedroom. Now what could be cuddly and loveable about five feet of jaw-filled teeth, I don't know. Kaye said he was quite docile, but why wouldn't he be? He had it made, except for being in captivity. She failed to see a purpose in keeping him.

I agree. We tend to think of pets as being soft and cuddly as well as being more loveable.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, March 1 — Dan Nelson, Arlen Brekke, Chet Alan Hansen, Jordon Cook, Rick Loberg, Sara Ihrke, Duane Reichl, Nicole Farr, Emily Ayers, Paula & Richard Conroy.

• Friday, March 2 — Willard Christenson, Wilfred Christenson, Laurie Jensen, Angie Hagen Rasmussen, Joanne Kaiser, Roger Langlie, Casey Lyman, Abner Smith, Alexis Elizabeth Klocek, Eldert De Raad, Ronnie & Marcia Hutchins, Paul & Kathy Underland.

• Saturday, March 3 — Jeff Lageson, John Crabtree, Valerie Tobiason Quiring, Maurine Larson, Frank Thompson, Bill Draayer, Terri Jensen, Darlene Christensen, Charlie Hanson, Jessica Tufte, Terri Miles, David Underland, Darren & Christine Hanson, Angie & Jeff Rasmussen, Nicole & Nathan Milender.

• Sunday, March 4 — Dawn David, Teresa Hove, Larry Spear, Julia Elizabeth Neitzel.

• Monday, March 5 — Dayna Schember, Nicole Ella Schultz, Tim Toft, Vickie Haberman, Steve Van Ravenhorst.

• Tuesday, March 6 — Valerie Schember, Aaron Reese, Larry Reese, Dawn Dulas, Lynda Maddox Norland, Wade Wacholz, Ryan Schimek, Marlene Peterson, Lillian Weaver, Jami Ann & Travis Marzolf

• Wednesday, March 7 — Jace John Goslee, his 6th; Marlee Diane Dutton, her 8th; Jake Ortiz, Emily Horan, David Otterson, Chuck Hagen, Lorna Reistad, Kenneth Peterson, Lance Cummins, Peggy Evenson and Rose Myhre.

Wishing you quiet moments of beauty on your special day!

As I was driving north on Bridge Street one day this past week, I looked out across the slough in my old neighborhood and thought back to the many days I spent hanging out at “the bridge” and of all the fun we had there as kids. I had to wonder just how many hours I spent at that bridge with my friends or exploring the wilds of the slough.

Winter time always seemed to be the season that challenged our creativity more than any other. None of us kids was the type to hang out indoors doing nothing when we could be out having snowball fights, building snow forts, exploring the wilderness of the slough or searching for a new place for sledding.

The hill we frequented as kids is still there on the south edge of the slough just a couple of hundred yards from where the old bridge once was. We ventured out to the hill on more than one occasion to see if that steep little hill could offer any fun for a bunch of adventurous kids. Although the hill wasn’t very long, it was extremely steep and it was quite a challenging climb to the top for such a short thrill. The ride down was swift, but once you reached the bottom it was short lived because of the cat tails and slough grass. It was quite a jaunt from home because there was just no easy way to get there. This however seemed to be the part we took as a challenge and as kids we were all about challenge.

What better way to spend a big part of your Saturday than trudging through the slough on a way to just another great adventure? I have mentioned it before that when a kid’s imagination is allowed to flourish, many good things are created. Whenever I ventured out into the slough I always felt like some sort of an adventurer and sometimes you could be that boyhood hero you always admired. In the winter time, I was usually Sgt. Preston of the Yukon or a frontiersman from the Northwest Territories fighting Indians and bad guys.

On almost every trip, we seemed to spot our share of wildlife and probably the most memorable for me was this large white owl that on one occasion had perched on a tree not far from where we were sledding. I watched as it swooped down to catch a field mouse or some other furry critter that had ventured too far out into the open. This was nature at its best. I could only marvel at the sight of nature’s cycle of life in action.

As we would work our way through the slough to the hill, there were many signs of life in the snow. Rabbit and pheasant tracks were all over and occasionally, you would scare one up which probably scared me more than the critter. I can still remember the excitement when we’d spot a set of tracks we were convinced belonged to a red fox or some other critter we considered dangerous.

Just spending a large part of the day in that slough had many rewards, but of course there was always a downside. Hands and feet would eventually get cold because the gloves would only stay dry for so long, and there was the matter of frozen pant legs. After so much sliding your snow-covered pants would also get wet and your cuffs would bang together like a couple of pieces of wood. If you weren’t careful, the old five-buckle overshoes would get snow down inside them and things would really start to take a turn. I still get goose bumps when I think of the pain that came with warming my half-frozen feet by the old heat register. If I have forgotten most of the other painful experiences of my youth, that one is forever etched into my memory.

Once you were wet and cold and quite a trudging distance from home, it was time to call it a day. I have mentioned before there was always the saving face thing where none of us wanted to be the first to give in, but there were ways around that. Having a pre-set time that your mom said you just had to be home by was always a good excuse. 

Unfortunately, nobody carried a watch or had any of the modern convenience of today’s world so you had to guess by how high or low the sun was in the sky. There was another good excuse for leaving, ”I think I hear your mom calling.” Everyone would listen for that phantom call and eventually it would be agreed that it was time to call it a day. 

It was sort of a “been there and done that” kind of thing. We came, we saw, we conquered, sort of, and now we knew what it was like to slide down a hill we had never visited before.

Except for a snow saucer, I only had one sled my entire childhood and that was a Radio Flyer. It was the shorter version but it worked quite well for me. I still have that old sled hanging in the garage and every once in a while I’ll pause and look at it and think of some of the good times that sled has shown me. I have long since grown too big (*see old) to use it, but it sure is fun to remember the good times that old sled and I had shared.

Our youth of today need to be encouraged to explore the outdoors and use their imagination to create some fun of their own. Whether it is fishing, hunting, camping or just spending time exploring nature, teaching them the outdoors experience will build our future sportsmen and women of tomorrow.

Until next time, play safe, watch out for thin ice, good fishin’ and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors experience.

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