DONATION — Missy Malakowsky and Rachel Ledding, left, present a check to Sharon and Norm Eckart on behalf of the New Richland Area Food Shelf. (Star Eagle photos by Jody Wynnemer)

DONATION — Christa Stieler, left, accepts a check on behalf of the Freeborn County Humane Society from NRHEG FFA member Amanda Groskreutz.

DONATION — Brandie Anderson, left, accepts a check on behalf of the Waseca County Humane Society from NRHEG FFA member Betsy Johannsen.

DONATION — NRHEG FFA member Erin Larson, left, presents a check to Bethany Mikesell on behalf of the Ellendale Area Food Shelf.

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

Members of the NRHEG FFA Chapter have been sponsoring their corn drive for many years. This year, the members decided to donate some of their proceeds to local food shelves and humane societies. In the past, Camp Courage, a camp for people with disabilities, has been the recipient of corn drive proceeds, and it was more of the same this year.

“We donated $7,500 to Camp Courage from this year’s corn drive,” said FFA Advisor Dan Sorum. “Additionally, there were five other organizations who shared in the donations.”

The organizations present to accept their checks were: Waseca County Humane Society, Brandie Anderson; Freeborn County Humane Society, Christa Stieler; New Richland Area Food Shelf, Sharon and Norm Eckart; and the Ellendale Area Food Shelf, Bethany Mikesell. 

A representative from the Steele County Humane Society was unable to attend. Each organization received a check for $1,624.79.

“We surpassed the $125,000 mark in donations this year,” said Sorum. “The chapter wishes to thank all of the area farmers for their generous donations.”

WALKING TOUR — Care Center Administrator Mikenzi Hebel (left) discusses operations with Sue Koilling. Pam Bishop is in the background. The visitors were part of the SMIF and McKnight Foundation groups who visited New Richland on December 15. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

Nancy Jane’s Bakery was a fitting place to begin the day as members of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the McKnight Foundation arrived by bus in New Richland Thursday, December 15. The delegation had coffee or treats and saw the business they helped to start.

The SMIF, which started in 1986, is one of six Minnesota regional foundations established by the Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation. The SMIF invests in new or emerging businesses to build vibrant communities and prosperity in the region.

SMIF President Tim Penny introduced everyone to the owner of the bakery, Nancy Jane Klecker. The SMIF was instrumental in helping Klecker open her bakery in New Richland over two years ago. She now employs three people.

“I have always loved to bake,” said Klecker. “I started frying donuts in 1982, then attended baking school at Anoka Technical School.”

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

All members of the Geneva City Council convened for their December meeting, held last Tuesday at 7 p.m. Mayor Steve Bailey called the meeting to order and announced the first order of business.

After perusing the paperwork, Councilman Janell Tufte made a motion to approve the meeting minutes, financial report and bills payable. Adjacent Councilman Rich Weckwerth quickly seconded, with the motion carrying.

The second order of business was soon underway once Bailey welcomed Alliant Energy representative Bob Danner to the table to once again review Geneva’s new electrical contract and gas franchise agreement. After their second read-through, Tufte made a motion to adopt the 20-year electrical contract with a 10-year window timeframe. Councilman Jim Beenken seconded and it carried.

All present also witnessed the gas franchise agreement approved by Weckwerth and seconded by Councilman Taff Worrell. The gas contract outlines the same parameters, 20 years with a 10-year window.

SCRAPPY PLAY — The Panthers’ Katie Cole, left, and Tori Raimann battle with Bethlehem Academy opponents for a loose ball during NRHEG’s 55-45 victory at New Richland last Tuesday. Wagner scored 33 and 38 points, respectively, as the Panthers remained unbeaten with a pair of victories last week. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG girls’ basketball team faced a pair of tough tests last week.

The Panthers passed both.

NRHEG remained unbeaten, improving to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Gopher Conference, in defeating Bethlehem Academy 55-45 at home Tuesday and winning 65-46 at United South Central on Friday.

A pesky BA team gave the Panthers problems in the early going, and the Panthers struggled, falling behind 14-10. They rallied to take a 26-22 halftime lead and held on for the win.

Carlie Wagner lit it up for 33 points, adding seven assists, five rebounds and five steals. Others: Katie Cole five points; Jade Schultz five points, six rebounds, four assists, five steals; Anna Schlaak four points, five rebounds, three assists, five steals, four blocks; Raelin Schue four points; Tori Raimann three points, four rebounds; Hannah Lundberg one point, five rebounds.

PLACEWINNERS — NRHEG placewinners at last weekend’s Redwood Riot in Redwood Falls were, back from left, Jade Waltz, Tyler Logan, Jacob Staloch, Seth Petranek, Brandon LeBlanc, David Lassahn and Dustin Esplan. In front is head coach Paul Cyr. The Panthers finished fifth among 28 schools. (Submitted photo)

Panthers improve to 2-0 in dual meets

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG Panthers are starting to look more like the 12th-ranked Class A wrestling squad in the state all the time.

The Panthers, off to a 2-0 dual-meet start, turned in a strong showing at last Friday and Saturday’s Redwood Riot in Redwood Falls, finishing fifth out of 28 schools.

“I was very pleased the way we bounced back from a sub-par performance last Thursday and really wrestled pretty well for two days,” said NRHEG head coach Paul Cyr.

Wrestling very well was senior Dustin Esplan, who went 4-0 to capture the 126-pound championship. In the finals, he pinned a Minneapolis South wrestler who finished fifth in last year’s state tournament.

“Dustin showed that he is almost all the way back from the injury he suffered last summer,” said Cyr. “This was by far his best performance and he showed the flashes of the explosiveness that were his trademark a year ago.”

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

After an 0-5 start, the NRHEG boys’ basketball team is in the victory column.

The Panthers ended their winless streak Saturday, defeating the host team 50-41 in the third-place game of the JWP Invitational. The Panthers lost their tournament opener 56-45 to Minnesota Transition Charter School and, earlier in the week, fell 58-41 at Bethlehem Academy.

The Panthers were down early against JWP, trailing 8-4, but they regrouped and led 26-19 at halftime. They controlled the rest of the game with defense.

“We played tremendously defensively tonight,” said Panthers coach Pat Churchill.

NRHEG took three charges, had a couple five-second calls and didn’t allow the Bulldogs one offensive rebound in the first half.

The Panthers led by 10 with six minutes to play but had three straight turnovers, allowing JWP within four. NRHEG iced it by making nine of 10 free throws in the final three minutes.

No matter how you spell it or analyze it, the most wonderful gift at Christmas is the Christ of Christmas. Everything about the gift is priceless. Don't hurry to rush back to the pauper status of this world and exchange this gift.

The Christ in Christmas is a priceless gift given to all who will accept it. It comes wrapped in love and appreciation for who and what you are regardless of color, race, culture or monetary value. It comes in many shapes and forms, is unbreakable and always available whenever it's needed. It's musical and the sounds of the loving Christ are beautiful to the ear. It sings of love, kindness and compassion and is amplified in the human heart. Nothing is as sweet to the ear. It is timeless, going for centuries, yet can be heard and felt any hour of the day or night with no time off for malicious behavior. It comes with hugs and sometimes tears and in amounts as needed.

Don't send Christmas cards anymore? Give another thought to sending a letter, especially to those you see less often or are confined away from their regular home. If you haven't time to stop and visit, then take some time to write something newsworthy. Don't you enjoy it when you receive a few extra words in your Christmas cards?

Surprise somebody. Call someone. Send a card and make their day. Little things mean a lot.

All the fuss about taking Christ out of Christmas reminds me of a story supposedly true. Who knows? But it’s a good story anyway.

Kindergarteners can not always be predictable, but maybe they know more than we do. If you've been attending the Christmas concerts put on by local students and seen them sit cross legged on the floor of the packed gymnasium, you know how each group got up one by one to perform their songs.

Somehow the song, "Christmas Love" had been slipped into the holiday program. The kindergarten children all got up adorned in bright colored sweaters, fuzzy mittens and bright snowcaps.

Those located in the front row - center stage - held large letters. So, as the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. The "H" was for happy and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message: "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, it was noticed that a small, quiet girl in the front row with the letter M was holding her letter upside down. The audience of first through sixth-graders snickered at the little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W."

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. A few tears glistened too. In that instant it was understood the reason why they were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. 

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "C H R I S T - W A S - L O V E."

And, I believe, He still is.

Amazed in His presence. Humbled by His love.

Again, I hope you have a blessed Christmas season!

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about the local happenings and family events such as family and school reunions, birthday and anniversary celebrations, 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, so we can then pass along the news to you. If you have news to share, please contact me.

Also, if our NRHEG Star Eagle readers would like to share birthdays and anniversaries of your family and friends, or you know of some that should be deleted, or names have changed, 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, December 22nd: Destiny Rita Hill, David Arends, Pam Cook, Gary Dobberstein, Tracy Dulas, Julie Jensen Wichman, Ed Nelson, Nikki Toft Schumaker, Barbara Zamora, Bryce Hanson, Jamie Jensen.

• Friday, December 23rd: Vicki Richards, Jonika Otto Wing, Jess Dunlap, Paitin DuBois, Julie Cornelius, Keith Severson, Carol Schultz, Marian Camp, Sophia Swift, Burt & Carla Scripture.

• Saturday, December 24th: Christmas Eve! Barbara Mrotz, Brooke Reese, Craig Paulsen, Anna Louise Fuerniss, Susan Oolman.

• Sunday, December 25th: Merry Christmas!  Mitchel Gale Evans, Krista Lee Hardyman, Tom Reitveld, Makenzie Butler.

• Monday December 26th: Nadine Strenge, Gerald Edwards, Tom Hanson, Joshua Kasper, Jill Peterson Otterbein, Nicklas Hanson.

• Tuesday, December 27th: Sue Bailey Billbray, Colette Hemingway Moudy, Mikkel Iverson, Jamie Hagen, Scott Christensen, Carly Titus, Stacy Osmundson Titus, Ron Peterson, Shannon Peterson Pederson, Brad Bothum, Joe Anderson.

• Wednesday, December 28th: Hope Mikesell, Chad Toft, Rosella Wynia, Dorothy Brandt, Tyler Titus, Charlie Marlin, Merrill Bunn, Laura & John Ortiz, Neil & Ellen Pence, Erin & John Christensen.

May your find joy and pleasure all around you on your special day!

The days of feasting are finally upon us. I have been checking out the price of lutefisk, herring and oysters in the local grocery stores like an old fisherman trolling the shoreline for pike. It seems that price is usually no object when it comes to putting these holiday delicacies on the table.

In our family, we usually have it traditionally every Christmas Eve, just like when I was a kid. I am the one who gets to reap the benefits of the leftovers on Christmas Day. Our family doesn’t eat it in great quantities, but I have convinced some of the grandkids to eat a little “token” fish.

When I was a kid, it was considered a coming-of-age ritual when you were brave enough to take that first bite of that tasty morsel we call lutefisk. Like every other thing we do, it is not easy to simply call it by its proper name. But, once you’ve mastered the art of eating it, you can now call it “fish,” as if it were walleye or something.

I have written before about the first Christmas Eve I tasted the fish and how it made me feel like I had grown to adulthood with that first bite. My uncles, Ben and Oliver, would be seated at the table along with my dad and my mom, aunts and my grandma. This was the day of reckoning and I’m sure that’s what they were talking about when they were speaking Norwegian amongst themselves. They were probably asking each other whether or not I would be brave enough to take that first bite. 

That first bite came with a few instructions from the grownups. “Roll up your sleeves,” they piped, put potatoes and fish on the lefse, smother it in butter, salt and pepper and then roll it up and pick it up in a plate to mouth motion. Picking up a loaded lefse was a true test of how good the lefse had been made, because if it could hold the fish and all the rest of the fixin’s, then it was a good batch. My dad always said the only way to eat the fish was to roll it, pick it up and let the melted butter run down your arm, hence the sleeve rolling instructions. These were all fine instructions to follow and, looking back, it almost makes my mouth water in anticipation of that magical night that lies ahead.

We always had to attend Christmas Eve on both my mom and dad’s side in the same night. I think it was a stubborn Norwegian thing, seeing as neither side would change their tradition. It always started on my dad’s side and then we’d get to moms side at “the farm” just in time for all the goodies and to open presents. I can still hear my aunt Millie saying, “Just what I wanted,” no matter what she got. Then of course there was the Tom Moore Root Beer, Ginger Ale and Orange soda in big bottles. For a kid who only occasionally got to indulge in soda pop, it was a dream night with that almost unlimited supply of soda and baked sweets. I was in heaven.

After my wife and I were married, we would spend Christmas Eve with my folks and Christmas Day on her folks’ side. The traditional lutefisk was served for the noon meal and we enjoyed it to the fullest (pardon the pun). Orv, my father-in-law would like to start the lutefisk season on Thanksgiving and carry it over until the New Year. Although I enjoy the “fish” a lot, it could get to the point of being too much of a good thing. Once the new year was upon us, it was time to put it to rest for another year.

In trying to carry on the family tradition, I have been able to convince all of the grandsons to at least try eating it. They have all indulged to a certain extent, and a couple of them are definitely eating like true Norwegians. It’s nice to see that the tradition may be carried on with our future generations. My son Brian however has not shown that true sense of adventure it takes to “dig in” to his Norwegian heritage.

Passing on a tradition like eating lutefisk is not quite the same as passing on that love for the outdoors. I have to say that both of my sons have passed that on to their boys. It makes me feel good to see them enjoy fishing and hunting the way that they do. These are great sports and without sharing those with our youth of today, those sports may indeed be lost. It only takes a small amount of time to introduce a kid to fishing. Of course hunting takes a little more training and is also a little more costly than a hook, line and sinker, but the sport is definitely worth the price.

Sharing a family tradition and starting a new one of your own can be very rewarding. I was always proud of that day when I could “belly up” to the adult table at Christmas time for a taste of that magical fish. This can be said of any tradition that a youth gets to enjoy for the first time. 

Catching that first fish is huge, hunting waterfowl for the first time or going to your first deer camp are all exciting times for a youth and something they can cherish all of their lives.

I see that there were a few adventurous fishermen on the channel last week. I guess that must be some mighty tasty fish to make them want to venture out on that thin, fresh ice. I still believe that waiting until the ice is at least 4-inches thick only makes sense. The rain that we received in the middle of the week could create pockets of thin ice mixed in with the thicker stuff so use caution when you do venture out on it.

Until next time, play safe, stay off the thin ice and enjoy the outdoors experience. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the holidays and the coming year. They are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.