It is almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with the flu. What is the best way to protect yourself? Create and support a strong immune system as your first line of defense.

The portals of entry are the nose, mouth and throat. Contact is not as much of a problem as proliferation.

Simple habits can help keep you and others healthy.

First and foremost, frequent hand-washing is very important. An essential key to health and reversing aging is identifying and eliminating toxins from our lives.

Realize everything you touch has bacteria. Run your hand along a handrail; loaded. Turn on a drinking fountain; pick up a pen or magazine. Punch the elevator button at the doctor’s office, the handle on a door, the shopping cart. Anything you touch! You can't sanitize your hands too often.

Remember the "hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of your face.

We must also gargle twice a day with warm salt water. You can use Listerine if you don't trust salt. The virus, H1N1, takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents the proliferation. Gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

Also, similar to the previous mentioned habit, clean your nostrils at least once a day with warm salt water.

Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Surta Neti, which are good Yoga asanas to clean the nasal cavities, but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in alleviating viral problems.

We also need to boost our natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

And last, but not least, drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee etc.) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. Warm liquids wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Open your eyes and read the label. No matter what the front of the box or can says, turn it over and read the back label.

There are big bucks involved in posting things on the label; take advantage of it. And please, always look for USA.

Many products no longer show where they were made; they only show where the distributor is located. However, reading the bar code should tell you where things are made. Foreign businessmen are catching on that the consumers really do prefer products made in the "good old USA," thus resulting in their omission of this important fact.

Go to the bar code. If it’s 00-09, it has been made in the USA or Canada. Products with the bar code 690-692 were made in China, 30-37 were made in France, 40-48 were made in Germany, 471 were made in Taiwan, 49 were made in Japan and 50 were made in the U.K.

It is so simple; 0 at the beginning of the product code number means USA or Canada. Maybe it is symbolic, that 0. It is what we will wind up with if we don't buy American made.

Everybody likes a bargain, but if we define bargain, maybe it isn't. Quality of products, diminished employment, the federal costs to protect and maintain overseas manufacturing and personnel, that’s expensive.

Look closely at produce stickers on fruits and vegetables. They contain different PLU codes depending on how the item was grown. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers. Organically grown fruit has five numbers proceeded by the number nine. Generically Modified (GM) fruit has five numbers, prefaced by the number eight.

The best bet is still to find the time to grow a garden, visit your local growers, and eat fruits and vegetables in season. There are local farmers markets and whole food co-ops in every area of the country. The organic and natural food industry has exploded and made it much easier for people in busy, populated cities to obtain clean whole foods that have not been processed.

Also, when you are looking at the nutrition label, look for the size of the portion, the amount of calories, as well as the fats. Be aware, if it is less than a small amount of trans fats, the companies don't have to list them on the package.

It is not wise to eat anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. And in processed foods, sodium is a big factor. Often, in fat reduced or low-calorie products, sodium/salt is added for flavor. Be label savvy.

Today may be the time to resolve to be educated in taking care of your health. Remember to make today the first day of the rest of your health!

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.

• Thursday, October 13th: Hunter Stephen Knutson, his 8th; Journey Lynn Utpadel, Courtney Ann Deml, Otto Nels Oquist, Mitchell Wallace, Jackie Flor, Rita Thompson, Suzanne Peterson, Becky Wallace, Mikkel & Jennifer Iverson.

• Friday, October 14th: Chris Schlaak, Jim Lutgens, Reece Alexander, Chris Ritz, Janet Goette, Dan Hanson, Breanna & Tim Briedenbach, Delana & Daniel Routh.

• Saturday, October 15th: Madison Lynn Homuth, Corbin Brocker, Colin Matthew Felt Farr, Tony Anderson, Sandy Jensen, Ed Ver Hey, Leroy & Garnet Folie, Heidi & Tim Schaefer.

• Sunday, October 16th:  Kade Schember, Jenny Shaunce, Sabrina Marie Bauers, Allie Larson, Donna & Gordon Hanson, Daniel & Regina Van Kampen, Jamie & Amber Jensen, Travis & Stacy Ingnaszewski.

• Monday, October 17th: Lucas Bailey, Pat Wayne, Dale Strenge, David Killian, Sherrie Dahl, Dustin Wayne, Pam & Rick Cook, Sidney & David Kasper, Andy & Mary Ditlevson.

• Tuesday, October 18th: Gordon Jensen, Carrie Nolan Allen, Deloris Nelson, Andreas Quinn Vu, Stan & Cindy Nelson, Randy & Cindy Horan, Tait & Jennifer Ingvaldson, Carol & Larry Cox.

• Wednesday, October 19th: Robert William Pulley, Jody Johnson, Katie Ann Carlson, Jan Klocek Louks, Roger Larson, Jeanene Reese, Kristi Nelson, Everett Thompson, Barbara Olson, Esther Rodi, Jim & Laureen Hohansee.

May every day in the year ahead bring you something to enjoy!

If you stand back and look at the Minnesota Twins, Vikings and Gophers, losses fill the landscape. Much like Cormac McCarthy’s book The Road, all is gray and desolate. The Road has no hope. Is there hope for our Minnesota teams? There is, at least we like to think so. But what needs to happen for our losing teams, besides the Vikings channeling their first-half play for the entire game?

Perhaps they should study the Minnesota Lynx, who have just won the first championship for Minnesota in 20 years. However, there is no magic in the ladies’ win. They did it because they were eligible for high draft choices and made very good trades. They also believed in themselves, as did their fans.

When you look at the Gophers, Twins and Vikings, one thing that stands out is that they are uncertain about winning, particularly the Gophers. And the Vikings, even though they beat the Cardinals. Quarterback McNabb looked tentative and still had trouble in the second half. Granted, injuries and lack of skill play a large role in losing, but even poor teams sometime win more than expected. Why? Is it karma? The basic tenent of karma is that actions determine the outcome. That is a wonderful mantra for a football coach. In other words, practice, practice, practice. But perhaps there is something more that a team can do. It has to believe in itself. How does one go about instilling that belief? A lot of coaches are masterful motivators. I don’t know about Viking coach Leslie Frazier, but I bet Gopher coach Jerry Kill can send a motivated team out on the field. I would guess that Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire can provide the necessary pep talk. Evidently, "coach speak" hasn’t worked, for the losses continue to mount. What else is there to be done? As fans, we’d like to help, but how?

I was recently reading about something called a meme. What’s a meme? That was my reaction, and I looked it up on the Internet. Marvelous invention, the Internet, and thanks to Steve Jobs for making the Internet and the information on it more accessible. A meme is described as "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from one person to another within a culture." It’s believed that a meme can replicate itself, mutate and, though it’s just an idea, can behave as an organic being. Like a biological gene, it can become more than it was. A meme acts as one unit conveying an idea from one mind to another by conversation, reading the same article, etc.

For example, the meme that the New York Yankees are unbeatable has spread through the Twins’ organization. It is everywhere. Gardenhire keeps repeating what a good team they have. Dick Bremer, Bert Blyleven, Ron Coomer and the whole Twins announcing staff keep repeating what a tough team the Yankees have. That belief became the truth. It’s interesting to note that the Yankees have a losing record against all their playoff opponents. The only exception are the Twins, whom they beat handily.

If a meme causes attitudes, perhaps if we all believed that our teams were winners, maybe they would be. If that’s the case, here’s what to do. In an upcoming crucial game, the meme could be that our team was a cinch to win, an idea that would spread to the team. We’d need a signal to start this thought process, but that could be worked out and our team, with all the confidence the meme has provided, will win.

Here we are in the heart of fall hunting season. The season for waterfowl, grouse, gray partridge, rabbit and squirrel is now open along with the archery season for deer. Pheasant season opens on October 15 and runs until January 1. One of the more important things to keep in mind is that when you are hunting any of the upland game birds, you must wear blaze orange. It’s the law and just a matter of self preservation.

A fellow I once worked with quite a few years ago was an avid bow hunter, but not always on top of his game when it came to the common sense part. On the opening weekend of slug season in our area, he ventured out bow hunting in his camouflage pants and jacket but no blaze orange. Evidently, he liked the challenge of sneaking up on the deer while dodging bullets. Luckily for him he never got shot at, but all the same, it wasn’t a good decision. Whenever you are hunting, it is important to not only practice gun safety but also wear the proper colored clothing and use common sense.

The pheasant hunting season is close at hand. From the DNR reports that I have heard and also from my own observations, there are not that many pheasants around the area this year. A severe winter followed by a wet spring contributed to a significant decline in Minnesota’s pheasant counts. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the pheasant population index declined 64percent from 2010 and is 71 percent below the 10-year average.

Contributing factors include:

• A second consecutive severe winter, resulting in hen counts 72 percent below the 10-year average.

• Cold, wet weather during the April through June nesting period, resulting in brood counts 75 percent below the 10-year average.

• Loss of nearly 120,000 acres of grass habitat enrolled in farm programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since 2007.

Severe winters combined with cold, wet springs are doubly hard on pheasant populations. That’s because fewer hens survive the winter and those that do are less successful in producing broods.

Pheasant hunters are expected to harvest about 250,000 roosters this fall, the lowest harvest since 1997. This compares to harvests that have exceeded 500,000 roosters five of the past eight years. The 500,000 bird harvests correspond with a string of mild winters and high CRP enrollment.

“We expect hunters to harvest a similar number of birds in 2011 as they did in 2001, which was another year with a severe winter followed by a cold, wet spring,” said Kurt Haroldson, a wildlife biologist for the DNR’s Farmland Wildlife Population and Research Group in Madelia. Haroldson noted survey results indicated an unusually low ratio of hens to roosters.

Minnesota is not the only state to see pheasant index declines. Wildlife officials in South Dakota reported a 46 percent population index decline. North Dakota’s spring population survey showed a decline, too.

The pheasant population estimate is part of the DNR’s annual roadside wildlife survey. The survey summarizes roadside counts of pheasants, gray (Hungarian) partridge, cottontail rabbits, white-tailed jackrabbits and other wildlife observed in the early morning hours during the first half of August throughout the farmland region of Minnesota.

To help offset continued habitat losses caused by reductions in conservation set-aside acreage; DNR has accelerated acquisition of wildlife management areas in the farmland region of Minnesota. DNR also supports habitat conservation on private lands by working with a variety of partners in the Farm Bill Assistance Partnership and Working Lands Initiative. Also, nearly 10,000 acres of private property will be open to public hunting through the state’s new Walk-In Access program. 

The August roadside survey, which began in the late 1940s, was standardized in 1955. DNR conservation officers and wildlife managers in the farmland region of Minnesota conduct the survey during the first half of August. This year’s survey consisted of 166 routes, each 25 miles long, with 148 routes located in the ring-necked pheasant range.

The fall colors in our area are going to be peaking in the next week or two. So if you enjoy Minnesota in the fall, this is a great time to get out and take it all in. The Northern third of the state is at or past peak right now, but the southern part is going to be beautiful for the next week or so. 

On another note. the perch fishing in Geneva Lake has been phenomenal for at least the past month. The majority of the fish are being caught in the narrows of the lake. If it is sunnies and bluegills you are seeking, then Fountain Lake is the place to go. Nice sized fish are being caught close to shore almost anywhere you care to wet a line. This is indeed a good fall bite, if panfish and perch will satisfy your craving for fish.

I have always said that if a person wants fish, then you need to fish for what’s biting. In recent years, I have learned not to be too locked in on one species. It can be a waste of valuable fishing time seeking “lock jawed” fish, when a different species is more than willing to bite your hook. Any way you look at it, the weather that we have been experiencing makes spending time on a lake or soaking a bobber from shore just that much more enjoyable.

Until next time, enjoy some fishing on a beautiful fall day and make a fashion statement by wearing blaze orange while hunting in our great Minnesota outdoors.

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

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Sid?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s good. I don’t have an Uncle Sid.”

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: nothing messes up an apology more than an excuse.

I’ve learned

1. If you are one in a million, there are 6,964 just like you.

2. When it comes to lemons, a rind is a terrible thing to taste.

3. The hardest thing about learning how to ice skate is the ice.

Moneyball

A movie called “Moneyball,” based on a book of the same name, is about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt). It presents Beane’s analytical approach to assembling a competitive baseball team without spending gobs of money.

I did that when I was a lad. I spent a nickel at Sibilrud’s and received five Topps baseball cards in a packet with a piece of bubblegum. I didn’t like the bubblegum and gum has to be bad for a kid not to like it. I grabbed the packet and rushed outside. I hoped a card would feature the likeness of Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Al Kaline, Roberto Clemente, or Harmon Killebrew. I freed the cards individually.

“Got him. Got him. Got him. Need him. Got him,” I said to no one and everyone.

No Musial, Mantle, Snider, Aaron, Mays, Kaline, Clemente, or Killebrew. Instead, I found the images of Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Wally Post, Jerry Zimmerman, and Elmer Valo.

I traded doubles with friends, but everyone had Throneberry, Post, Zimmerman, and Valo.

Some cards went into games. A boy flipped a card into the air. Another boy did the same. If the cards matched, the second boy owned both. If they didn’t match, the first boy won both cards.

 I used clothespins to attach cards of guys like Marv Throneberry to my bicycle so that the spokes hit them and made cool sounds. It was a motor to a good imagination. It wasn’t good for the cards, but it was Moneyball.

I owe Marvelous Marv Throneberry an apology.

Spitting

I was sitting in the car, waiting for my wife to exit a store. When it comes to shopping, I help by waiting in the car.

A car parked near me and a couple got out. The woman spit onto the ground as they walked to the store.

I wouldn’t have thought much about it had it been the man who spit. I thought women were above that.

Men spit because they are men. It’s one thing that most of us are good at. It’s exercise. I’ve watched wrestlers spit in an attempt to lose weight. I watch baseball players spit out chewing tobacco for distance and accuracy. Major League Baseball causes flooding. Motorcyclists spit out bugs.

I’d considered spitting gender-based. Now that I know it isn’t, I’m giving a niece a spittoon for Christmas.

It’s a man’s world

Not long after I witnessed the spitting lass, I heard a woman say, “It’s a man’s world.”

A study showed that 82% of the people hit by lightning in the US are men. The world doesn’t know that men are in charge. If it were a man’s world, houses would have urinals, all towels could be used, and there would be only one shade of white paint.

Nature notes

State Farm Insurance estimates 2.3 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. during a two-year period (2008—2010). That's 21.1 percent more than 5 years earlier, while the number of miles driven increased 2 percent. Such collisions are more likely during the last three months of the year and in the early evening. The chance of a West Virginia driver striking a deer over the next 12 months is 1 in 42. Iowa is second with the likelihood of a car hitting a deer being 1 in 67. Michigan (1 in 70) is third. Following in order are South Dakota (1 in 76), Montana (1 in 82), Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Minnesota (1 in 99). Drivers in Hawaii are least likely to hit a deer (1 in 13,011).

Talking to the Holstein

I was talking to the Holstein the other day. The Holstein is a retired milk cow, so she has time to talk. I told the Holstein that my conscience works overtime.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully and said, “A clear conscience is a sign of a bad memory.”

Meeting adjourned

Kind words bring pleasant dreams.

Genie and I went to the Gala Ball at Wedgewood Cove in Albert Lea, sponsored by the Naeve Health Care Foundation. The theme was “The Beat Goes On,” with proceeds going to procure state-of-the-art cardiology equipment for the Albert Lea Medical Center. The old Sonny and Cher song, “The Beat Goes On,” was the first song played by the band. Genie, being a Naeve Nursing grad, and both of us on the Naeve Auxiliary Board, enjoyed dancing the night away.

With the fall goose migration being on, there are 200-300 geese on shore or in the water at all times at Beaver Lake. We have been invited to a goose Thanksgiving dinner at the same place as the last few years. He has a huge live trap he sets out on the shore of Beaver Lake with corn as the bait for coyotes. So far, he has never caught a coyote, but once in a while, a goose will get into the trap. By the way, a corn-fed Canadian honker is very tasty.

We have become such a mobile civilization. For example, the part-time residents of Beaver Lake will soon be gone — where do they go? Try Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Maine, Virginia, Missouri and Minnesota for their home away from Beaver Lake home. Some will move to another home for a few months and then go south for the winter. This means that some of the Beaver Lake cabin owners have a total of three places where they live during one year. Home Sweet Home, where is it?

When you read this article, Genie and I have left Beaver Lake until next April. As you read this, we plan on being atop the Green Mountains babysitting a house and critters. I plan on writing about our travels between now and moving back next April.

We plan on deer hunting in November; ice fishing in January, the Eelpout Festival in February, Arkansas in March, North Carolina plus the Outer Banks in April, and then back to Beaver Lake mid-April.

I must remind all of you who read this article on your computers, you miss the lead-in warning: “Beaver Lake Fact or Fiction, you decide.” Also, “If you repeat what you read here, it may be used against you.” Computer readers have now been warned.

This was the 10th year of writing this article. Remember if you don’t enjoy reading the article, keep on reading, it can get worse. Also, a reminder, “There is always room for God.”

— — —

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 36th 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. 

Another week of warm and the scurs may not have the heart to tell folks that it will change. Will it change this week? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers. Highs of 70 and the low should be near 50. Partly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs around 65 and lows dropping to 45. Friday partly cloudy with highs of 55 – 60 and lows near 40. Saturday partly cloudy with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs of 60 and lows of 40. Partly cloudy and cooler on Sunday with highs 55 and lows dipping to 35. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs of 60 and lows around 35. Jack Frost pays a visit again on Tuesday night. Highs of 60 and lows dropping to 30. The normal high for October 15th is 61 and the normal low is 37. The scurs will be picking out their pumpkins soon for the end of the month gala.

As of the 16th we will be at 11 hours of daylight, having lost an hour and eight minutes since the autumnal equinox. The sun will set before 6:30 on the 16th and rise after 7:30 on the 17th. Time flies when you’re having fun. The Big Dipper continues to occupy its place in the northwest sky after dark as is the case when autumn is full blown. Someone asked the other day what the object was relatively low in the eastern sky not long after sunset. The answer to that would be Jupiter. In the morning relatively high in the western sky an hours or so before sunrise, Jupiter can be spotted shining brightly on the way to the barn. Probably even if you’re not on the way to the barn.

Another week of above July-like high temperatures has moved this crop beyond what anyone would’ve imagined even in mid-September for the calendar date. 99-day maturity corn planted the first week in May was coming out of the field at 12.7 percent moisture. Waxy corn, known for its slow drying characteristics was down to 15 percent. It is almost eerily quiet however with very few dryers running across the countryside even though one knows that harvest is moving along at warp speed. Moisture in the soybeans fell too. Too dry, yes but unavoidable given the circumstances. It’s simply not possible to combine all the soybeans in the area within a couple days, which is about how quickly the moisture fell from 12 percent to seven to eight percent. Rainfall continues to be sparse and spotty with the first measurable precip at the ranch for the month falling on Saturday at .01”. Fire danger in the fields has remained very high and for last week there were at least five fires noted while out and about. The light showers that fell on Monday afternoon did help alleviate it some. If we keep burning up high priced combines, it doesn’t take much anymore for even these light drizzle events to be considered million dollar rains.

Harvest at the ranch is nearing completion. The last of the squash and the gourds were harvested on Sunday. Always amazing how well some of the gourds can hide, not unlike the little fat buddies when there are honeydew projects to do this time of year. The Indian corn was picked and the ears were probably as nice as we’ve ever grown. The stalks somehow withstood the high winds and were tied into bundles allowing me to fashion them into a corn shock. I cheated of course by pounding a steel post into the ground first so those high winds wouldn’t flatten it. Something about a corn shock just says fall is here, especially when surrounded by pumpkins, gourds and Turks Turban squash.

With all the wind, leaf watching turned out to be a situation where if you blinked you missed it. Sure, there are still localized pockets of color with some oaks retaining their leaves such as the pin oak and red oak trees in our yard. Most of the area has been pretty well denuded however. The sheep don’t seem to mind as they’re busy keeping the pasture vacuumed and free of leaves. 

Birds continue to move through although activity at the feeders has been slow. There are occasional nuthatches, blue jays and chickadees but no sign of the goldfinches that threatened to eat us out of house and home. It was a good weekend to take down the nectar and jelly feeders however. The orioles have been gone for the better part of a month and the hummers haven’t been seen for a couple weeks now. That and the winds have emptied them for me so there’s little to dump out. Bluebirds have been migrating along with more robins. It’s not unusual to look out the window in the morning to see a robin gobbling down crabapples. In the fields killdeers are numerous and Juncos were spotted in a customer’s grove on the 6th telling me these nice days won’t last forever.

The warm weekend caused me to open the windows once again. It was downright warm in the house Saturday night so the cool breeze felt good as I hit the sack. About six in the morning one of those unpleasant odors wafted inside. Apparently Pepé Le Pew had either been struck by a car or was alarmed about something and nearby too, judging by the strength of the odor. It was also about the same time Ruby had been let outside for potty so it was a little touch and go when Mrs. Cheviot let her back in. No run in this time but given a Border Collie’s propensity to herd cats, birds, lawnmowers etc., it won’t come as a surprise if/when it happens. 

See you next week…real good then. 

The funeral service for Esther Emilie Ida Christensen of Ellendale, MN will be 11 a.m. Thursday, October 13, 2011 at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale, MN. The Reverend Richard L. Sliper will officiate. Interment will be in the First Lutheran Cemetery, Ellendale. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church.

Esther died Sunday, October 9, 2011 at the New Richland Care Center. She was 92 years old.

Esther was born May 30, 1919 in Berlin Township Steele County, Minnesota to Louis W. and Josephine (Fischer) Ribbe. She attended Country School District #46 and graduated from Ellendale High School. Esther married Harry Christensen on October 8, 1940.

Ross L. Anderson, 78, of Ellendale, MN and formerly of Randall, MN and Burnsville, MN passed away on October 6, 2011.

Ross graduated from Ellendale High School and served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-55. He was employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad; later Burlington Northern until his retirement at age 55. He was an avid fisherman and deer hunter, and loved tinkering in his garage and gardening.

Robert “Lloyd” Smith, 92, of Owatonna died on Thursday, October 6, 2011, at Owatonna Care Center.

Robert Lloyd Smith was born August 17, 1919 near Ellendale, the son of Robert and Frances (Pechacek) Smith.  There he was raised and attended country school.  Following school he helped work on the family farm.  Lloyd entered the United States Army during WWII and was stationed in Montana, California and Hawaii.  After his honorable discharge, he returned the Ellendale area.  

Lloyd was united in marriage to Eldora Jensen on June 8, 1947 at Community Lutheran Church in Geneva.  They made their home in rural Steele County where he farmed.  In 1959 the couple moved to Owatonna and Lloyd worked in landscaping and later for the Owatonna Public School District.  He retired in 1982.  

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

No action was taken on the Annual Report of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Performance at the Sept. 19 meeting of the NRHEG School Board, due to board issues about “unexplainable drops” in the district’s performance results.

Approval was also delayed on the 2011 payable 2012 levy for the simple reason that the numbers from the State of Minnesota were still not available on Sept. 19.

“As of this morning,” said Supt. Kevin Wellen, “it was still not available on the Web site.”

The board tabled the approval of the not-yet-seen levy limit until the amounts were revealed, which would have to be sometime the week of the 25th. A special meeting for that purpose was scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29.

“As usual I will recommend that you approve the maximum amount,” said Wellen, though he implied the district will probably choose to approve a lesser amount for the final budget, as it did last year.

October 1 is the deadline by which proposed school budgets need to be set, but this is not possible until the State-supplied limits are published.