Jim Lutgens
NRHEG girls wrap up title
Panthers claim Gopher crown, improve overall record to 22-0
CATCH US IF YOU CAN — Carlie Wagner leads the fast break at Janesville last Friday during the Panthers’ 80-33 victory. Also pictured are the Panthers’ Katie Cole (14) and Tori Raimann (11). (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The games weren’t exactly thrillers, but some excitement came out of it for the NRHEG girls’ basketball team.
The Panthers, in the midst of one of their best seasons ever, clinched the Gopher Conference championship outright last week by hammering JWP 80-33 on Friday and blowing out Blooming Prairie 63-30 on Tuesday.
The Panthers improved to 13-0 in the conference, four games ahead of second-place USC with three games to play. NRHEG is 22-0 overall and rated No. 2 in the state in Class 2A.
The outcome of neither game was in doubt, especially at Janesville where the Panthers led 50-17 at the intermission.
As it has been all season, rebounding was key for NRHEG.
“I was very impressed with our rebound totals, 60-24,” said coach John Schultz. “That tells me we were hustling.”
Wrestlers pass endurance test
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The endurance test lasted three days and included eight dual meets for the NRHEG wrestling team.
By all accounts, the Panthers passed.
NRHEG improved its dual meet record to 14-5 by winning six of eight — including five in a row to finish — as they traveled to Kenyon-Wanamingo on Thursday, Lakeville South Friday and Wabasha-Kellogg Saturday.
“I was extremely pleased with our efforts over the three days,” said NRHEG coach Paul Cyr. “We scheduled this with the intention of testing all of us — coaches included — and it certainly proved to be just that. We responded very well.”
At Kenyon, the Panthers defeated Pine Island 35-33 and lost to the host team 45-15.
“We bounced back from a tough night and were 5-1 the next two days,” said Cyr.
NRHEG boys snap five-game skid
GOING UP — The Panthers’ Spencer Hanna goes to the hoop for a shot at Janesville last Friday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
DISHING OFF — NRHEG’s Sam Lundberg delivers a no-look pass during the Panthers’ 65-62 loss at Janesville Friday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG boys’ basketball team snapped a five-game losing skid last week.
A miracle shot by Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton started another one three nights later.
The Panthers, who have played tough but fell short many times this season, ended their rough stretch with a 57-48 triumph at Blooming Prairie on Tuesday, but fell 65-62 to JWP Friday on a three-point basket in the final seconds.
It left the NRHEG boys 6-15 overall and 4-9 in the Gopher Conference.
According to coach Pat Churchill, a stretch late in the first half was the determining factor against JWP.
The Panthers led by 10 with 4:30 left in the first half and had a chance to break it open, but the Bulldogs went on an 11-2 run and NRHEG was up 35-34 at halftime.
50 years of yours, mine and ours
George, Faye Dettman still appreciate one another
SECOND TIME WAS THE CHARM — In what was a second marriage for both, Faye and George Dettman have enjoyed 50 years of wedded bliss. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
And while that may not be the case with George and Faye Dettman, there are some indications this might figure into their chance meeting and subsequent marriage.
It was some 50 years ago that George ordered a steak, done rare, in a restaurant in Cando, North Dakota where Faye was working. When she saw the order she immediately came out of the kitchen to see who ordered their steak rare. Evidently she liked what she saw and he liked how she prepared his steak because they were later married in Havre, Montana back on September 12, 1960.
It was a second marriage for both of them. George’s first wife died when she was 26 from kidney cancer. They were the parents of three boys, Robert, Randy and Ronnie. Faye had two children, Dennis and Becky. Their family of yours, mine and ours included two children together, Roger and Roberta — one big, busy family that kept Faye home and busy as a full-time mother. They took family vacations "out west" and even slipped away for a vacation "without the kids" one time by letting them visit and stay with relatives along the way.
George is a man of many interests and experiences and though he recently celebrated his 82nd birthday, he still keeps busy working at Gopher Stop North in Ellendale. It was something he started doing some years ago when he and Faye occupied the house just behind the food and fuel complex owned by Lyle Wayne.
72 years later, they look back and smile
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME — After seven decades of give and take, Harlan and Leah Berg’s love for one another is as strong as ever. (Star Eagle photo by Rachel Rietsema)
By RACHEL RIETSEMA
Staff Writer
Oblivious to the cumulus clouds forming outside, Leah Routh scurried all about the house preparing for her New Richland Dairy Days date. Of course the butterflies were a raging for this soon-to-arrive escort dressed in green. And, believe it or not, those winged creatures are still at work 76 years later.
Now wedded for a whopping 72 years, Harlan and Leah Berg look back at that rainy date and do one thing. They smile.
"When you get married, it's for always," Leah said. "Those were the only words my mother said to me when I told her about the engagement."
Tying the knot at ages 18 and 20, they had to do what married couples must. They learned to give and take.
"We started out with nothing," Leah said. "Nowadays when kids get married, they want to start out with everything, not just a little bit."
As both Leah and Harlan's upbringing took place on a farm, they knew what hard work was. And they wanted all nine of their children to carry on that legacy.
Sunday’s ice fishing contests cancelled
Mother Nature wins this year
By JODY WYNNEMER
Staff Writer
For the first time in memory, local sportsmen’s groups have had to call off their annual fishing contests. It was deemed the ice on both Beaver and St. Olaf Lakes is not consistent enough to host the fishing derbies.
“You can have 12 or 14 inches in one place,” said a local angler. “You go 10 or 20 feet away and only have six to eight inches. It’s just one of those years.”
Ellendale-Geneva Sportsmen’s Club representative Cindi Bartness decided to cancel their contest which was slated to start at noon Sunday. The ice golf and polar plunges are going on as planned.
“The access to the lake isn’t in very good shape,” said Bartness. “We still want people to come out and either participate or watch the polar plunge. It will be situated so folks can remain on shore to watch and cheer on the plungers.”
The warm nights and warmer-than-average days have resulted in less-than-perfect ice conditions on many Minnesota lakes. Various county sheriff water rescue units have kept busy pulling people and/or vehicles out of the water.
In Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources issues permits for fishing contests. If they say the ice isn’t safe or adequate, you don’t have a contest. Likewise, sheriffs in their respective counties can also put the kibosh on a fishing contest by denying access to the lake. This year Waseca County Sheriff Brad Milbrath has put up signs on Waseca’s Clear Lake warning anglers of thin ice.
The New Richland Area Sportsmen followed the lead of their Ellendale-Geneva counterparts and also decided not to have their fishing contest.
“This is the first time in a long time where we have not been able to have our contest,” said Lee Mendenhall of the New Richland Sportsmen. “Several years ago, we had a big rain and we had the event at the American Legion. There was so much water on the ice, we couldn’t have the contest. Basically, we just drew the names for the merchandise prizes.”
As of this writing, it is unknown as to what the clubs will do about the tickets for the events which have been sold.
The public is still invited to come out to Beaver Lake at 2 p.m. on Sunday to watch the Polar Plunge sponsored by the Ellendale-Geneva Sportsmen. Proceeds will go towards cancer research.
The New Richland Sportsmen will be having a fish fry on Friday, February 24 at the New Richland City Hall.
New Richland Care Center earns 5 stars
New Richland Care Center has received a high ranking of five stars overall in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Nursing Homes, released Monday. U.S. News’s Best Nursing Homes recognizes top-rated homes in all 50 states and offers important guidance to families and healthcare providers caring for people in need of a nursing home.
“More than 3 million Americans will spend part of 2012 in a nursing home, and trying to decide under pressure which one is best isn’t easy,” says Avery Comarow, Health Rankings Editor. “Top-rated nursing homes are worth considering and deserve special recognition.”
U.S. News’s evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a consumer website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government agency sets and enforces standards for nursing homes (defined as facilities or portions of facilities enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid that provide 24-hour nursing care and other medical services). Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars, as well as up to five stars in each of three underlying categories: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care. U.S. News updates each nursing home’s ratings data quarterly.
Of more than 15,500 homes rated and profiled on the U.S. News website, New Richland Care Center, was among the fewer than 1 in 8 that received a five-star overall rating in all four quarters of 2011.
“I am just so proud of my team!,” said NRCC Administrator Mikenzi Hebel. “They are amazing people. We will never stop working our hardest to provide our residents with the best quality of life possible. Our team is really like a family unit,” said NRCC Administrator Mikenzi Hebel. “We have honesty, trust, and accountability with each other. I feel so blessed to be a part of this team as well as a part of a community that has such a wonderful support system of our Care Center. Thank you for the recognition! Our residents mean the world to us and their quality of care is our number one priority.”
Using the search tools available at http://health.usnews.com/senior-housing, consumers can identify homes in their state, city or zip code, tailor their search to see only non-profit homes or those that accept Medicaid insurance, or in other ways find the best fit.
To learn more about New Richland Care Center you can find them on line at www.newrichlandcarecenter.com or can stop in at: 12 1st St NE, New Richland.
Final Frosty clue released
As the Sleigh and Cutter festival draws near, you could win some cold, hard cash.
Up to $1,250 is waiting to be won. Someone in Waseca County has been chosen to be “Frosty,” an ambassador for the festival. All you need to do is follow the clues and try to guess who Frosty is. Even if you don’t know everyone, by following the clues you may gather enough information to win some big money. Possible tools that may help you cash in are the internet, Google, dictionaries and the love of puzzles.
Culligan Water Conditioning of Waseca has been a long-time supporter of the Frosty contest. Additional sponsors are Latham Place of Waseca, iWealth, Domino’s Pizza and Mediacom. The grand prize is $250 in cash, to the person who can identify Frosty and is determined to be the Grand Prize winner by the judges. If you are determined the winner and are present during the unmasking of Frosty at 9:30 p.m. during the Sleigh and Cutter Dance at the VFW in Waseca, you will get a $50 cash bonus from Culligan of Waseca. That is a total of $300.
Again this year: $100 to the first person from Janesville, the first person from New Richland and the first person from Waseca who correctly guesses Frosty and submits their entry in their respective towns. (See where to drop off your entries under Rule No. 9) Judges decision is final.
Here’s how the contest works:
1) Through February 8, a new clue will be published in the Waseca County News each Wednesday as well as in the NRHEG Star Eagle. Clues will also be available at the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce and at www.wasecacountynews.com and on the Waseca County News Facebook page. KOWZ/KRUE Radio will also broadcast the clues.
2) Each contestant is allowed only one guess per week.
3) Contestant must be 18 years of age.
4) Contestant must live in Waseca County.
5) If more than one entrant guesses Frosty’s identity, a drawing from all of the correct entries will be held during the unveiling of Frosty on February 10. Four names will be drawn for $50 each and the winner must be present during the unmasking to win. Four more names will be drawn for $50 each and the winners need not be present to win these. This is a total of eight $50 winners.
6) If there are no correct entries, a drawing will be held from all entries received.
7) Entries must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, Februrary 10.
8) The decision of the judges will be final.
9) To enter your guess, if you live in Waseca: mail it to the Golden Touch Salon, 110 South State St., or drop it off in person during business hours. If you live in Janesville: mail it to the Golden Touch Salon or drop it off in person during business hours and mark the ballot, “Janesville.” If you live in New Richland, your entry can be dropped off at the office of the Star Eagle during business hours.
The first clue:
The time has come to seek me out, the hints I’ll give should help you out.
Three more clues will come your way, so waste no time and start today.
I was born and raised in Waseca town, but I have lived all around.
A few small towns have been my home, but across the border I also roamed.
I’ve done some coaching in my years, basketball, track and softball, lots of cheers.
One more clue, my age you ask, I was born before 1960 had passed.
The second clue:
I come from a larger family as you will soon see, where there is a mom a dad, five siblings and and me.
There were more girls than boys in our family nest, now put on your thinking caps and figure the rest.
You may be wondering if I am a boy or a girl, just start your guessing and give it a whirl.
While attending college I met the perfect catch, a friend introduced us and thought we were a good match.
Now more than 30 years later and kids of my own, I'm busy as ever, this is well known.
The third clue:
Now if you're still wondering who I could be, maybe you’ll get it with clue number 3.
A Scarlet, a Bluejay, a Maverick and more, the places I've been have opened the door.
Two boys have left and one is at home, the halls of Waseca is where I now Roam.
Cookie time is here again!
It's Girl Scout Cookie sale time again! Area Girl Scouts hold the eight varieties of cookies available. Girls will have cookies in hand again this year. They are still $3.50 per box. Sale runs February 11 to March 25. Local contacts: Beth Schoenrock 507-461-0606; Melissa Karl 507-684-2249; Laina Rajala 507-463-8625; Connie Kaupa 507-383-1883. Pictured front from left: Dana Standke and Macala Sundve. Middle: Maci Surat, Maurya Johnson, Taytum Ihrke, Haley Van Winkle and Melissa Hermann. Back: Kassie Koziolek, Jennie Kaupa, Lauren Herrmann, Betsy Schoenrock and Makenzi Rhoades. This is the 100th year of Girl Scouting so there is a new lemon cookie called Savannah Smiles named for the birth place of Juliette Gorden Low, the founder of GS. Other kinds: Thin MInts, Samoas, Tagalongs, DoSiDos, Trefoils, Thank You Merry Bunch and Dulce De Leche. (Submitted photo)
Life is like one big jigsaw puzzle
It is surprising what things will come to mind.
There are times when we need to take time to slow down. In times like these, I like to get out a puzzle. It may have to sit out on the table awhile before I can get it completed, but it does help to get ones mind off other things.
It’s an activity you can do and still carry on a conversation with others. It also can give you time to meditate, or like mentioned earlier, just get your mind thinking of something else for a while.
The puzzle my mother and I are working on now is extremely difficult. It is a maze of different shapes. Some are little, some big, some crooked, some curved. And seeing as it does not have a straight outside edge, it is definitely designed to give the brain some exercise.
We have discovered that things look impossible one way on our large piece of white cardboard, but for some reason, turning it and looking at it from a different direction gives you a whole new outlook. Compare that to every day living. If something isn't falling into place sometimes, it helps to turn things around and look at it from a different perspective. It doesn't always work, but inevitably at least a few pieces seem to appear and take their spot in completing the puzzle.
Like the puzzle, there are times I don't think all the pieces are there in my life. Nothing seems to fit together just right, but with patience and a little ingenuity, eventually the pieces seem to fall into place. Sometimes, it takes extra thought to see the shape of things and a little color helps too.
Turning pieces around sometimes helps to make them fit, even though you swear you've found the right piece many times. Soon enough, you figure out otherwise, and then bingo — the pieces fall into place.
They say puzzles are good for the mind. Time spent isn't wasted because you have been exercising your thoughts, attention, eyes and it makes one intuitive. It’s a great brain exercise to teach us to not just look but see what is going on.
Children are usually good puzzle people. I believe that is because they see things quickly. As many of you know, I am missing part of one of my legs following an amputation back in 1982. Most adults ask how long I have been on crutches, never seeing the missing leg. However, children see it immediately and question why. Maybe they are on a different level and are more observant.
On the humorous side in regards to puzzles and such, my Grandma Hanson always used to say, “Give me a scissors and I'll make it fit.” We laughed, but there is some truth to it. We often go for the “quick fix,” which isn't always the right fix.
Life is a puzzle — put it together correctly and it turns out to be a beautiful picture, even if some of the pieces aren't shaped right or lack luster. Giving up results in only having a pile of pieces with lots missing. True too, with life, giving up makes one’s life less than complete.
The time element does/doesn't make a difference. Sometimes, it is easy and the puzzle progresses quickly. Other times, it takes a lot of work. Maybe that is what makes life interesting and sometimes difficult. We breeze along putting pieces of our lives together and everything seems so complete. But then, we hit a place in the puzzle (life) that has all the wrong curves and colors and we are tempted to throw it all back in the box so to speak.
That is not the solution. We're human. We have good days and bad days. We cherish the good times and we have to work to get through the bad, but it is nice to know it can be done.
Robert Schuller coined the phrase, “Tough times never last but tough people do.” My mother has it on card on her refrigerator as a constant reminder. It has been there “forever” but the message is still fresh as the day she put it there.
I’ve often wondered why would anyone cut a beautiful picture to pieces only to turn around and put it back together again. Such is life. Someone or something will always “cut up” our perfect world. It is a challenge to put it back together again. We can do it.
Like pieces of a quilt, it is how you put it together that makes it a masterpiece. But, that is another story.
— — —
Birthdays and anniversaries:
• Thursday, February 9th: Emily Eder, John Warnke, Donnavon Eaker, Laura (Edwards) Baudoin, Brad Lerum, Howard Goette, Kelly Lageson, Heidi Nelson, Karen Knudson, Tami Sorenson, Jay Wangsness.
• Friday, February 10th: Brooklyn Jo Baudoin, Brett Mitchell Kubiatowicz, Greg Hagen, Abbey Jensen, Tom Wayne, Dean Reiter, Michael Glienke, Wayne Osmundson, Rachel Strand, Judy Thostenson, Peggy Talamantes, Greg Nelson, Madison Johnson, Dick & Mary Ann Ewing.
• Saturday, February 11th: Helyn Langlie, Megan Pence, Jet Wayne, Neil Douglas Schmidt, Donna Wilker, David Dunn, Julie Christensen, Rhonda Thompson Christensen, Steve Gallentine, Earl Cleven, Teresa Knudson Pratt, Nadine Berg.
• Sunday, February, 12th: Gail Skroch, Joe Moon, Michael Hanson, April Van Riper, Rick Borchert, Eugene Kruckeberg, Travis Wayne, Jessie Olson, Greg Oswald, Taff & Jean Worrell, David & Carolyn Hanson.
• Monday, February 13th: Cobi Gowlland, Becca Spurr, Greg Spurr, Jim Brocker, Eric Olson, Linda Ingvaldson, Bonnie Jensen, Brian Rechtzigel, Anita Kes, David & Carolyn Nelson, Terry & Pam Roberts.
• Tuesday, February 14th: Happy Valentines Day! Angie Entwisle, Elsie Vander Stoep, Michelle Peterson, Matthew Reiter, Angela Westrum Lair, Lee & Jean Johnson, Bob & Mary Macko, Gene & Linda Pederson.
• Wednesday, February 15th: Kloe Renee Wacek, Nancy Cornelius, Patty Kunkel, Eric Olson, Adam Warnke, Ron Jensen, Michelle Hanson, Angie O'Byrne, Elina Butler.
May all the good wishes that you receive on your special day bloom in your heart and bring you joy!