By CAROL JOLLY

Staff Writer

For NRHEG High School students, it’s time to dance again.

"I do not know the last time NRHEG had a homecoming dance," said Jennie Johnson. "It's been over eight years ago."

Jennie and her husband, Jeff, of rural new Richland, have stepped up and taken action to assure students that high school experience.

After the NRHEG homecoming football game on September 30, the Johnsons are hosting a "Homecoming Barn Dance," for students.

The Johnsons have secured additional insurance for the event. They’ve also made accommodations for parents during the dance. They have turned their three-stall garage into an informal parental meet and greet area.

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

Due to some scheduling conflicts, the Geneva City Council’s monthly meeting convened a day early on September 12. All members were present except Councilman Janell Tufte.

Mayor Steve Bailey promptly called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Councilman Taff Worrell made a motion to approve minutes, financial report and bills payable. Fellow councilman Jim Beenken seconded and the motion carried.

Rodger Hill then approached the council to request a building permit. Hill presented plans for an 8 by 16 foot deck to be built on the south side of his house at 209 E. Main Street. Beenken made a motion to approve. Councilman Rich Weckwerth seconded and Hill’s building permit was granted.

Thereafter, all councilmen reviewed the U.S. Cable franchise agreement. Weckwerth made a motion to sign the extension and corporate transfer agreement. Worrell seconded and the motion carried.

GIRLS STATE — NRHEG Senior Natalie Donovan (left) is pictured with Georgia Dinneen, Instructor at NRHEG. Donovan had the opportunity to attend Girls State, which is sponsored by New Richland American Legion Auxiliary Unit 75. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

Donovan recalls Girls State experience

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

Natalie Donovan went to Bethel College this summer for a week. It wasn’t an ordinary college week, but a gathering of young women from across the state sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary of Minnesota. Since 1937, the Girls State program has been focused on teaching patriotism and how the government works.

“Jill Theurer was originally chosen to attend,” said Georgia Dinneen, NRHEG Instructor and New Richland Legion Auxiliary member. “Something came up. It was great that Natalie was able to fill in on a short notice.”

Donovan is the daughter of Bill and Sheri Donovan of Hartland. She is in her senior year at NRHEG and acts as the statistician for the Panther wrestling and baseball teams and is an editor for the yearbook. She has been active in 4-H and won several awards at the recent Freeborn County Fair. Her plans are to attend Winona State University next fall, possibly studying nursing or early childhood education with an emphasis in English.

Delegates at Girls State get to experience a taste of college life by staying in a dorm and eating in the student dining hall.

GOING, GOING, GONE — The Panthers’ Jacob Staloch (17) breaks loose as GFW’s Lucas Woods (84) pursues Friday night in New Richland. Staloch ran for 201 yards scored four touchdowns, averaging 13.4 yards per carry, in a 73-8 NRHEG victory. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN — Brandon LeBlanc (18) follows blockers and leaves defenders in his wake on a kick return against GFW. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

Staloch runs for 201 yards as NRHEG improves to 2-1

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

Officially, the NRHEG Panthers and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Thunderbirds played a football game Friday night.

For NRHEG, it was more like a track meet.

The Panthers ran for a season-best 342 yards and raced to a more-than-lop-sided 73-8 triumph in New Richland. NRHEG improved to 2-0 in the Gopher Conference AA division and 2-1 overall, sending GFW to at least its 13th consecutive defeat spanning three seasons.

For the first two games of the 2011 season, the Panthers looked like a passing team, but everything clicked on the ground against GFW and they only had to throw the ball six times.

“Our kids played great,” said Panthers coach Dan Stork. “Our offensive line — Brandon LeBlanc, Carter Tollefson, Seth Petranek, Mitch Akemann, Todd Erickson, Spencer Hanna and Dillon Parpart — deserves a ton of credit. They might not be the biggest line but they can sure move people.”

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG volleyball team remained undefeated in the Gopher Conference and showed it can compete with some of the best in the state.

The Panthers ran their conference mark to 2-0 at Randolph last Thursday, two days after falling to the No. 2 ranked Class AA team in the state. The previous Saturday, they went 4-1 and took second in the Mankato West Invitational.

NRHEG dominated at Randolph, acing the Rockets 26 times while winning 25-10, 25-17, 25-20.

Anna Schlaak had 10 kills, nine digs and nine aces, Noelle Bartness 23 assists and eight aces.

"Though it wasn't always pretty, it was nice to come away with a win and get back on the right track,” said coach Joe Kuechenmeister. “We definitely need to work on tightening the screws defensively, but we're 2-0 in the Gopher Conference and that's exactly where we need to be at this point in the season.”

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG boys’ and girls’ cross country teams did not have similar results at last Thursday’s Maple River Invitational.

They were more like, exact.

Both squads finished ninth among 11 schools, both with 226 points.

T.J. Schiltz ran a strong race to lead the boys, taking third with a time of 17:32. Following for NRHEG were Jade Waltz, 42nd, 20:43; Raece Johnson, 55th, 22:12; Tyler Holz, 64th, 25:03; and C.J. Schiltz, 65th.

Mary Jane Anna Jensen, 72, of Red Wing, died on Sunday, August 21, 2011, at her home in Red Wing.

Mary was born at home in Berlin Township, Steele County, Minnesota, on July 12, 1939, the eldest child of Selmer and Myrtle (Smith) Peterson. She attended Ellendale public schools. On October 13, 1957, she married Milton Jensen at Le Sueur River Lutheran Church in rural New Richland. Milton passed away on September 22, 1996.

She was an accomplished businesswoman. Mary and Milt owned several businesses together in Geneva, Chaska, and Ramsey, Minnesota.

Mary will be remembered for musical talent. She played guitar, accordion, piano and mandolin. She loved to sing and could yodel, and as a young teenager, won a talent contest in Owatonna. Mary composed two songs and had them copyrighted. She loved attending bluegrass festivals and jamming with other musicians.

There is something about the word itself. Times change. Things change. We change. But, there is something warm, friendly and forever to know that we can come home. If you are tired or excited or it is just the end of a long day, there is always that good feeling of home. Home is where everything starts, where things happen. Homecoming is a part of us.

Traditionally, homecoming at your school is where you come to meet other alumni of your school days. You may be past the time when the names on the game roster are familiar, but your children, your children’s children or the offspring of the guys you played sports with in high school may be on that list. Your love of school, the sports and memories bring you home for the anticipated big game.

Homecoming at our local school has changed a great deal over the years, and no longer just centers around the big football game. Typically, the first day of school in the fall includes a time for the senior class to gather for their first meeting of the year. Many things were discussed, including graduation, but the main focus of the meeting was selecting the homecoming candidates.

The first homecoming coronations were not the grand dress up events they are now. The homecoming attire was less formal; the candidates wore dress clothes. In later years, those selected as homecoming candidates wore more formal attire and most generally wore the dresses they had worn for prom. Back when real fur was acceptable, the queen candidates in Ellendale wore fur jackets that had been borrowed from a fur shop in Albert Lea. Later, it was decided that all of the candidates should be dressed alike and the king candidates should also be dressed appropriately, and wear tuxedos.

When the first homecoming coronations took place, in Ellendale and New Richland, only a queen was crowned. At one time, members of the football team served as escorts and the football captain was the one honored to escort the queen; a king wasn't chosen. Later, king candidates were selected to be part of the royal court in Ellendale while in in New Richland there were no king candidates. The football coach felt that the players were more apt to concentrate on the big game when they were less involved with the frivility.

Ellendale for many years had crown bearers, first-grade students who carried the crowns into the gymnasium for the new king and queen. The queen in Ellendale also wore a long elegant, deep red robe. For a number of years in Ellendale the queen candidates carried red velvet muffs with their names on them; that tradition has continued, but there is no longer red every year.

Changes have also taken place too, in regards to the homecoming game.

At one time, football was the honored sport for homecoming. While it still remains a big moment, other fall sports are also considered an important part of the festivities. Volleyball usually begins the week of athletic events, and the running of the football from Ellendale to New Richland by the cross country team has become a fascinating and honored attraction as well.

Some won't be there for homecoming. They're too far away. But there is still a significant impetus to remember homecoming. Home is or should be the most cozy word in the dictionary, because that is where it all began. It brings back memories, perhaps of that first day your little body entered the doors of education. It was a new experience in learning to be a part of something more than your home experiences. It was meeting new people, some who would travel with you through the years and others just for a little while.  Nonetheless, part of a homecoming experience.

If you are older or maybe not even all that old, the school you attended may not look the same. Even so,  you will always remember how it looked. In the past, bonfires were probably one of the big things for homecoming. The excitement of gathering materials for the pep fest rally is just a memory and has been replaced by more ornate but nonethe ess exciting activities as they crown a new king and queen.  There will be smiles, tears, hugs and pictures to commemorate this big occasion.

It is always exciting to watch the school homecoming parades. The enthusiasm of the elementary students can overshadow the excitement of the older students.

In the fun and excitement of so-called roasting the royal candidates, it is hoped that students are adult enough to realize some tricks of the trade can be damaging to the candidates’ parents and property. Papering may be considered a visible and relatively harmless event, while the use of other material may not always be.

Homecoming is also perhaps the time when the high school yearbook makes its appearance, which reminds many of the activities the year before. It arrives just in time to get some autographs from alumni who come home for the big occasion.

The yearbook, probably more expensive than most best sellers, is a golden reminder of what that year had been. It's a history book, an encyclopedia and a source of much information. You think not? You're talking to the wrong person.

It hurts to lay out that amount of money sometimes, but to me it is worth it. I may not have a lot of things, but I have a closet full of yearbooks collected through the years of those students who attended our high schools, then and now. They are many times a resource book for me. I use them to remember a names and faces, and find out what year someone graduated. I also look back to see who the homecoming candidates and king and queen were in a particular year.

I miss the lower grades pictured in the school annual. It is nice to know how kids grow up, and of course I only have a few annuals from New Richland before the consolidations of our schools.

Though they may not always seem like happy days, these are some of the very best days of one’s life.

Homecoming is a time to renew old friendships and look forward to the years ahead.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, September 22nd: Noah Rasmussen, Lee Nelson, Gary Jenkins, Kaleb Christensen, Diane Stollard, Kathy Underland, Doris DeNeui, Mark & Rachel Lee.

• Friday, September 23rd: Aiden James Manges, Allison Groth Muilenburg, Melissa Lonning, Sara Corenlius Routh, Kristin Hamburg, Lance Jepson, Theresa Langlie, Debra Harding, James Robertson, Galen Montanye, Elizabeth Lageson, Mark Kasper, Robin Christensen, Judy & Tad Lunning.

• Saturday, September 24th: Gilmore Nelson, Nancy Pence, Jayna Domier, Jazmyne Tayton Martinez, Brandon Wayne, Cherysh Christina Hill Marcks, Brody Carlson, Michael Bedney, Trevor David Barber, Jill Vanden Heuvel, Kathie Lein, Susan Mickelson, Sophie Miller, Iris & Stanley Jensen.

• Sunday, September 25th: Maykayla Jayme Haberman, Trevor David Barber, Geraldine Vangen, Tom Lageson, Pat Conklin, Suzanne Enzenauer Skaar, Cameron & Dayna Schember, Kellen & Alison Utpadel, Dwight & Loretta Schewe, Harmony & Ryan Anderson, Amy & Rick Storlie, Wendy & Marty Schultz, Larry & Elaine Paulsen.

• Monday, September 26th: Becky Tindal, Tammy Beenken, Lori Klemmensen Suchanek, Marc Horan, Verdel Humberg, Virginia Miller, James Henry Neidermeier, Connie Calderon, Lee Johnson, Glenn Beckman, Marty & Lee Nelson.

• Tuesday, September 27th: Layla Grace Schultz, Judy Christensen, Naomi Wangsness, Mary Wayne, Gail Farr Christenson, Sara Holmes Wencl, Steve Lageson, Kristin Paulsen Zinke, Jacob Tasker, Chris Ritz, Katie Cameron, Eleanor Rodriguez, Carl Shadden, Daniel Van Kampen, Donna Mae McCamish, Kristin Severson, Lud Borchert, Jocelyn & Jason Heyer.

• Wednesday, September 28th: Madeline Schei, Kylie Lembke, Denise Hagen Olson, Mary Therneau, Mitch Vangen, Taff Worrell, Haley Mattson DuBois, Bunny Jepson, Miranda & Isiah Payton, Jerry & Ginger Thompson, Bill & Sharon Vavra, Jill & Todd Kubicek.

May your special day hold the promise of many bright tomorrows!

Have I mentioned that this is my favorite time of year? I don’t think that any time of year makes me feel more alive than fall. This is the time of year when there is a little bit of everything out there for the outdoorsman. Whether you fish or hunt waterfowl, game birds, bear or deer, there is basically something for every sportsman out there.

When my oldest son Brian was in his late teens, his uncle Lynn got him hooked on bow hunting. Lynn would take him with whenever he could. Brian learned a lot about hunting from him. 

Eventually, Lynn moved away but Brian never lost his desire to hunt. One fall day when he was still living at home, he asked me if I’d like to ride along with him to see firsthand some of the spots he was hunting. It was a cool clear crisp autumn day so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy spending time in the outdoors with my son.

We headed west to the Bricelyn/Frost area. He took me to a couple of places that he had access to. Just being outdoors in the woods waiting for that deer to appear would be enough for me. I didn’t even have to be a hunter to enjoy this time; the peaceful tranquility of the forest in the fall gave me a peaceful relaxed feeling that is hard to describe.

If a person has a stressful job or thinks that things sometimes seem to be moving too fast, then perhaps taking a little walk in the woods could be a great stress reliever. I know that it works for me. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors right here in our area. Myre-Big Island State Park is a great place to go for nature walks 

If you want to venture a little farther north to the Waterville area, Sakatah State Park is another beautiful park with hiking trails. Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail runs through Sakatah Lake State Park and stretches 39 miles from Mankato to Faribault. The paved trail offers hikers, bikers, skiers and snowmobilers beautiful scenery through Minnesota's hardwoods.

You can also combine a nature walk with some grouse hunting if you care to venture even a little further north. Jay Johnson, the hunting recruitment and retention coordinator for the DNR, has this to say about hunter walking trails in Minnesota:

Whether you’re a first-time ruffed grouse hunter, a seasoned veteran or a family planning an active outing, finding places that offer easy access to Minnesota’s most-popular game bird will be your first priority. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hunter walking trails are excellent places to start.

Hunter walking trails offer hundreds of miles of easily accessible hunting trails that wind their way through wildlife management areas, state forests and other public hunting lands. There are more than 450 miles of maintained trails meandering throughout the northern half of the state, and new trails are continually being created.

Many of these trails are gated, allowing foot traffic only, and offer parking lots or easy access to parking. Hunters can expect mowed routes that may follow old logging roads, are planted with clover or pass through forest openings that attract a variety of wildlife.

“There is a lot of great ruffed grouse habitat along these trails,” said Jeff Lightfoot, DNR northeast regional wildlife manager. “The trails are easy to navigate and offer excellent opportunities for the novice hunter or for families with kids just learning to hunt to see birds and enjoy the outdoors.”

Finding the hunter walking trails is simple: www.dnr.state.mn.us.   The DNR Web site also offers a hunter walking trail tool that provides information on the locations of these trails by name and the county in which they are located. Simply select a county from the tool and browse the list of the various hunting trails.

“There are more than 165 maps presently available on this website,” explained Tom Engel, DNR wildlife geographic information system specialist. “New trail maps are being added continually, so folks should remember to check this website regularly for any new additions.”

Hunter trail maps are also available at most DNR area wildlife offices, along with a variety of information on the area wildlife hunting or viewing opportunities and tips.

“There is no time better than this fall to pack up the hunting gear and the family and explore the forests of northern Minnesota by doing a little ruffed grouse hunting,” said Ted Dick, DNR grouse coordinator.

“Ruffed grouse populations are at their peak right now. The excellent habitat and easy access you’ll find on the hunter walking trails provide the perfect ingredients for a successful hunt.”

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I don’t know if you have driven past Pickerel Lake in recent days, but I have to say that it’s not a pretty sight! The dry spell and hot weather we have been experiencing has not helped the beauty of our area lakes. The sight of this lake really bothers me. 

With the killing of the carp came cleaner water, which means more sunlight and more vegetation. This creates a sort of “Catch 22” for those of us that enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. All the pencil reeds that appeared after the initial kill were a great place to catch northern pike. This is just this writer’s opinion. I know that there are fish in the lake and in a couple of years, the pike should be big enough.

I equally enjoy the fishing and the beauty of a lake. Just being able to sit back and look across a lake and enjoy a sunset or a sunrise is a great way to relax and forget the stress of a day. Try it sometime. Just drive or walk to a local park and take the time to sit back and take in the beauty of it all.

There is still plenty of fishing to be done so if you head north to hunt or venture to a nearby lake, don’t forget to take the fishing pole.

Until next time try and take a little time to relax and get out and explore our great Minnesota outdoors. Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the coming year.