NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

The “Striving for the World’s Best  Workforce” bill was passed in 2013 to ensure every school district in the state is making strides to increase student performance.

NRHEG Director of Curriculum and Instruction Terry Engel and Supt. Dale Carlson presented a report on the progress shown by the first year of the district’s World’s Best Workforce plan.

Five goals are addressed: 1. All children are ready to start kindergarten. 2. All third-graders can read at grade level. 3. All achievement gaps betweeen students are closed. 4. All students are ready for career and/or postsecondary education. 5. All students graduate from high school.

Judging by Adequate Yearly Progress, NRHEG did not meet all those goals in this first year, but they didn’t expect to. Instead, they set short-term goals they thought they could meet. 

Buckmeier to play at AT&T Stadium

NRHEG freshman Alex Buckmeier is one of 60 of the nation’s best high school freshmen and sophomore football players  selected to the U.S. Under-16 National Team, which will compete against Canada in the 2016 International Bowl on Friday, Feb. 5, at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is 1 p.m. CT.

Buckmeier, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound defensive lineman, recorded 33 total tackles (20 solo), 1.5 sacks and four tackles for losses this past season as the Panthers posted a 6-3 record.

Four high school-aged U.S. National Teams will compete against national teams from Canada in the seventh annual International Bowl series. U.S. Select Teams at the high school and junior high level also will compete as part of the series.

The days continue to tick away. Before we know it Thanksgiving Day be here. Thanksgiving appears on our calendars as Nov. 25 this year, but I feel Thanksgiving day should be every day of the year. To be able to share this special day of food and fellowship with family and friends is something to be thankful  for, but there is so much more. Every day isn't a holiday, but it is something to be thankful for.

Food, of course, is something to be thankful for, but maybe we need to think beyond filling our own bodies and think of those who don't have enough food to eat. Sometimes things happen and people just are not able to have the funds available to purchase the food needed to keep their bodies going.  

Some people we will never be able to explain, but we can express why the things in our faith have been so important.

If everyone would donate just one item per month to their local food shelf programs, those shelves would be overflowing and they would be able to help provide much needed relief to those who struggle day to day to provide for their families with basic necessities. Just a dollar can grow in worth if donated to one of the charities that help feed the poor. The price of a soft drink or a cup of coffee could feed even more because food shelf and charity personal have ways of multiplying food resources.

It is the unselfish kindness of good people that help feed the hungry. We all should help care for the suffering and provide peace to others whether they are church people or not. 

The Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments are non-denominational, but the people who believe in them have a belief and a heart of love for their fellow man. Who can deny that miracles don't just happen? Some things can not be explained.

We may not always be faithful in talking to a higher power, but you can be sure that is the first conversation you will have when the need is there. God was there even when we aren't.

It is no surprise I get upset over those who try to take down our religious beliefs and remove significant messages from the God we worship because they don't believe the same way. To add insult to injury, some of these things have been here for a long time. 

When I go to Mayo Clinic and look at the network of medical buildings — the largest non-profit in the world and world renown — I see how it grew from a few who were there after the disaster.

Yes, it may say "Mayo" on the label and they deserve the recognition, but we must remember to give thanks to the nuns who were there to care for the suffering, especially after the town was hit by a tornado oh so many years ago. Mercy comes from believers, not from those who make caustic remarks about the value of religion and the people who are a part of a church family and care for their fellow man. These are even "good people" who take things for granted not realizing there is always a need.

Sometime during the day when everything is over, take a little time to realize how blessed we really are. Thank God and appreciate all that we have been given. Make it truly a Thanksgiving day!

— — –

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, November 19th: Sidney Ellen Schultz, Kolby Dale Boverhuis, Deb Schmidt, Roger Dulas, Jennifer Kycek, Chanelle McCamish, Darrin Peterson, Mandi Wobschall, William Conley, LaShawn & Gretchen Ray, Jeff & Julie Cornelius

• Friday, November 20th: Chuck Pence, Howard Pence, Eric Simon, David A. Hanson, Angie Blouin Sikel, Dennis Blouin, Scott Brekke, Malinda Fennert, Alisha Waalkens, Heather Crabtree Krenke, Kristine Kelly, Rachel Nelson 

• Saturday, November 21st: Paul Wallace, Angie Johnson, Paul Kasper, Desirae Farr, Cheryl Harpel, Greg Schimek, Leah Maddox Larson, Abby Underland, Dustin Burshem, Robin & Jan Jepson

• Sunday, November 22nd - Mallory Luhring, Whitney McCamish, Jodell Hanson, Keven Larson, Donna Maixner, Jane Tappe, David L. Hanson, Jason Peterson, Jacki Shadden, Elzo Peterson

• Monday, November 23rd: Amy Hunnicutt Kromminga, Lisa Holmes Rietsema, Margaret Loven, Marietta Sommers Rupe, Rick Thompson, Sara Anderson, Joyce Ditlveson, Amanda Farr, George & Diana Ritz

• Tuesday, November 24th: Blaine Boverhuis, Deb Peterson Schmidt, Ellen Pearl LaFave, Heather Snow, Lisa Hunnicutt Vreeman, Bob Hanson, Rita Glynn, Abraham Ladlie, Kyle Layland, Scott & Lisa Reitsema

• Wednesday, November 25th: Scott Groth, Calista Lerum, Randy Born, Mitchel Hill, Joel Langlie, Brian Vogt, Gideon Jude Long, Daryl & Kathy Paulsen

Wishing you quiet moments of beauty on your special day and may Thanksgiving and every day day be a day for "thanks giving!"

This past October was a very good month for our family because my wife’s brother, Lynn Johnson, came to Minnesota from his home in Nome, Alaska. He was here from the end of September until the 2nd of November. Whenever he is here in the fall he pretty much has one thing on his mind – bow hunting for deer. He hunted with my son Brian a couple times, but mostly he was hunting with his longtime friend, Wayne.

He has a group of friends he has been bow hunting with for many years and they were able to get together a few times.

At different times he has brought back moose meat, caribou, musk ox, king crab and salmon, but when all is said and done he still likes venison the best. He loves the sports of hunting and fishing and in Alaska it’s not just a sport, but a way of life. Lynn and his wife Margaret have moved venison to the top of their favorites list when it comes to wild game. He did get a nice buck while he was home so being able to take venison back to Nome made this a very good trip.

He had brought some salmon they canned back to share with friends and family. Lynn also brought salmon fillets and at the last family get together we had before they went back we had a smorgasbord of food with everything from grilled goose steaks, rib eye steak and hot dogs. Lynn’s wife Margaret, who we call Sister, prepared baked salmon like only she can make and she topped off the meal with her made-from-scratch apple pies and caramel rolls. Yumm! It definitely wasn’t a cookout that the PETA folks would approve of.

It was good to see Lynn and Sister again and I was glad I was able to spend quite a bit of time with him on this trip. I’m sure Lynn really enjoyed it this time because he got to spend time with family.

It didn’t take Lynn long to get back into the hunting groove when he got back to Nome. I don’t think he was home more than two or three days when he started sending pictures of the caribou hunt he and some friends were on. They had to drive quite a ways north of Nome during what Lynn called a “ground blizzard,” which made the road tough to navigate. There was one part of the road called Golden Gate which is about 50 miles north and almost impassible during storms. After Lynn got back to Nome he tried to contact his friend who had been behind him pulling a trailer with two four-wheelers, but he couldn’t get ahold of him. Lynn got two caribou and after he had dressed them he decided to head back up the road to see if his friend was having trouble. He found there were a few vehicles that couldn’t make it past Golden Gate but his friend did, and was headed back to Nome.

I have always thought of myself as an outdoorsman of sorts, but my brother-in-law is definitely what I would call an adventurer. He has done many things during the years he has spent in Nome that would make for good reading in an Outdoor Life or Field and Stream magazine.

Hunters register 68,401 deer during first weekend

Minnesota firearms hunters registered 68,401 deer during the first three days of firearms deer season, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“Hunters are seeing more deer this year as we continue to build deer populations across much of the state,” said Steve Merchant, wildlife populations and regulations program manager. “We’ve issued a conservative number of antlerless deer permits, and because of this, many hunters are seeing deer they can’t shoot. However, patience this year should translate to more harvest opportunities in the future.”

Final numbers from the first three days show that the number of deer registered rose 6.3 percent from 2014. Buck harvest during the first three days of the firearms season was up 8.5 percent from last year.

The DNR is projecting the 2015 total deer harvest to be between 140,000 to 155,000 deer. The 2014 total harvest after last year’s conservative season was just over 139,000.

In much of Minnesota, the deer season continued through Sunday, Nov. 15. Additional deer will be harvested during the northern rifle zone season, which continues through Sunday, Nov. 22; the late southeastern season, which runs Saturday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 29; and the muzzleloader season, which begins Saturday, Nov. 28, and continues through Sunday, Dec. 13.

Until next time, with winter just around the corner so take advantage of the weather and get outdoors to enjoy what nature has to offer...

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

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I don’t seem to be able to stay on my diet.

Why not? Lack of willpower?

That’s not it. The problem is that I enjoy reading by the light of an open refrigerator. 

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: Never trust atoms. They make up everything. Don't be sad that life is passing you by. Be happy that it isn't running over you. Be forewarned, life may cause drowsiness.

King Midas

King Midas was greedy. He loved only two things, his daughter and gold. One day, King Midas helped an aging wizard with an income tax problem. The wizard thanked him for the favor and offered to grant him any wish. King Midas asked that everything he touched be turned in gold. The Midas touch. The wizard granted the wish. The king scratched his nose and caught a nasty head cold. The lesson here is that if you ask an aging wizard to grant a wish, especially a wizard who is hard of hearing, you’d better get it in writing.

I don’t remember doing it, but I must have asked an elderly, hard-of-hearing wizard for fried chicken. I got a freed chicken instead. A rooster showed up at our place. We didn’t know he was coming. He was a traveling chicken. He wasn't good at being a chicken. He couldn’t fly well enough to occupy a proper perch. I had him step on the head of a rake and then I lifted him up to a rafter in our machine shed so that he’d be safe from predators. I did that late each afternoon. In the morning, I went to the shed with the rake and lifted it up to the rafter. The rooster stepped on it and I lowered him to the ground, making it possible for him to get on with his day.

I need a rental car that comes when I call it

I was far from home and I’d been traveling incessantly. Befuddled was my description. My flight landed at the airport and I dragged my bag to the rental car counter. I rented a Chevy Malibu. The clerk told me that I’d find it in stall 17. I walked to the car. The door opened without involving the key. I sat behind the wheel. It was crowded in there. As I sat there, nonplussed, a family of three — father, mother, and teen daughter — approached. The man tapped on the driver’s side window. It took me a while to roll the window down.

"Is this your car, buddy?" the father asked, in a not all that friendly manner. I suspected he thought that a homeless man had been living in his rental car.

"Apparently not," I said.

I apologized and climbed out of the Chevy Cruze and found my Malibu in stall 19. I’d been given the wrong stall number.

The family of three watched me get into my car before finding seats in the Cruze.

If one of them had been Dorothy Parker, she’d have said, "This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it."

I tried to not think about Bullwinkle

My wife and I sat with friends at an American Legion hall far from home. We ate spaghetti with a meat sauce made from moose for a Veterans Day meal. We talked about a mutual friend who is 27 years old – young, but with an old soul. She approached life with a wisdom generally acquired with age. I heard nearby voices say things as, "I don't want to waste time being mad at you," "I know it’s the 11th, but I don't know what month it is,' "The Rolling Stones need to keep touring until all their fans have died," and "I've saved a lot on my heat bill by wearing long underwear all the time."

Some of the talkers might have been old souls, but it’s definitely amazing what a fellow can hear while listening.

Nature notes

"Why do birds stand on one leg?" I can’t be sure, but I suspect it conserves body heat. Bare legs are exposed to cold, wind, and moisture. Cutting that exposure in half saves on fuel. Maybe it’s a way to give one leg a rest or just a comfortable way to stand.

Meeting adjourned

Be kind. The world is a small place.

Most of the comments I hear from people regarding my column are in conjunction with my “Word of the Week.” I’m always gratified to hear folks say they try to use the words the following week in an effort to increase their vocabulary.

Using big words can be fun; today my 7th graders learned that expectorate is a synonym for spit while reading Tom Sawyer. It’s neat to see eyes widen and heads nod as they think about how to use new words to impress their friends and confuse their enemies.

However, some words don’t need to be multi-syllabic to have an impact. The word quit packs quite a punch when used. Sure, you could use similar words like desert, resign, or abdicate, but that simple four-letter word is powerful.

No, this isn’t some odd segue about me giving up this space in the paper. (Sorry to disappoint those who were hoping for that!) But it seems that lately I’ve been telling a lot of students to avoid quitting when things get tough, and it got me thinking if I follow my own advice. Looking back, sometimes it feels like I’ve gone that route plenty in recent years.

I was a board member of the Quad Cities Baseball Association for many years. I was all set one year to resume my duties as vice-president when I reached a tough point with many things converging at once. My stress levels peaked and I had to find a way to fight that. I gave up my position with the QCBA, though quit seems pretty strong. Let’s go with resigned. I aided a bit through that following season with areas I had always taken care of to help the transition, but I found that I felt better overall.

And now it looks like I’ll rejoin the fray as Anton’s group of baseball players will enter that organization’s purview next summer. Much like what I wrote about in last week’s column about stepping back from coaching basketball for a few years, this feels right to have had some time away from something I love.

Last spring I ended my time as head of our building’s PBIS team. Once again, stress levels had built up and something had to go. Still, quit seemed pretty strong to use. Perhaps I abdicated my position. Much like with the QCBA, I’ve still made myself available to offer any thoughts on different PBIS activities. It seems like the group is doing fine, and they’ll hopefully reach new heights. Sometimes change is good for everyone involved, and it looks like that has been the case here.

Goodness knows I felt like quitting as a negotiator after our tentative contract failed last spring. After much hard work, to hear many disparaging comments was tough to take. However, I believe in finishing a job, and so we’re continuing to work in the best interests of our membership. Here’s a difference that comes with age. I see teenagers and even folks in their 20s hop from job to job when the going gets tough. I see students give up on activities like band after less than a year. Give things a chance. If you start something, see it through to the end. It was very tempting to just walk away from negotiations and say, “If you think you can do a better job, go ahead.” But that would meet the very definition of quitting.

We all know our jobs are difficult at times. We all have days and weeks we’d like nothing better than to go along with Johnny Paycheck and say, “Take this job and shove it!” And some people do. Walking out on a bad job might be satisfying at the moment, but what about long term? Do you have another gig lined up?

There have been weeks it’s tough to get going on my column. Life is busy, and to find the time to just sit down and write is difficult. It would be easy those weeks to just call the paper and say I don’t have anything for them that week. But that seems like quitting as well. Sure, it’s tough those weeks. Sure, I might be struggling to find a good topic. Sure, I might rather be watching something that’s been sitting on my DVR for a month. Throughout this writing, I’ve figured out that I don’t want to be a quitter.

Maybe an abdicator. Maybe a resigner. But not a quitter, right? Then there’s the matter of stopping as music minister at church. One could say I deserted that position. The differences I had with one of our priests had been building, and, as I’ve mentioned here before, finally broke. I had fought against the negativity for some time, but finally had to give in. Is there a time where it’s okay to quit? I won’t say I feel great about abandoning that post, but I’m at peace with it.

We should avoid quitting at the drop of a hat, but perhaps sometimes there comes a point where it’s okay to step away. In most situations, I’d like to use a less powerful synonym, but there might be the need to say, “I quit,” on a rare occasion.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is brabble, which means to argue over petty manners, as in, “The brabbling at the meeting made him want to walk out immediately.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

More warmth this past week and the scurs have no clue about what got into the Weather Eye. Is there no end to the nice days or will we finally start our descent to the inevitable? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain and a slight chance of snow in the overnight. Highs in the low 50’s with lows near 30. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Sunny and cooler Friday with a slight chance of overnight snow. Highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of light rain or drizzle. Highs in the low 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. The normal high for November 21st is 38 and the normal low is 23. A sneak peek at Thanksgiving Day looks like cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the 15 degree range. After wearing out their Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald cd last week, the scurs need to go shopping for their turkey soon if they expect it to be thawed before next Thanksgiving.

Still some late season field activity over the past weekend as the forecast of rain sparked a sudden sense of urgency. Fields that had been previously unworked suddenly turned black and some anhydrous was being applied. At least until conditions became too slimy due to the Monday morning rain. Given the rainfall predicted for the week, it may put fieldwork on hold until the ground starts to freeze up. That may come sooner than later, perhaps as early as the weekend.

We got the fat lambs and cull ewes shipped before Mrs. Cheviot trekked off to Louisville. The lambs loaded relatively easily while the ewes had other ideas. Not their first rodeo so they weren’t as cooperative. They knew once we got Ruby out that we meant business. While she’s not a terribly intimidating Border Collie, it’s one more body to contend with. Once the ewes were on the trailer I breathed a sigh of relief. Never have any regrets once they’re on the trailer and the older I get the more that rings true. The aches and pains only serve to reinforce that attitude.

At the ranch, I tried my best to capitalize on the nice weekend weather. It was a little too muddy to haul manure so there a plethora of yard work to do. While it was still fresh in my mind, I got out the pruning saw and loppers. Time to do battle with the face slappers and eye gougers that had taken a lot of the fun out of mowing the lawn. Not that it was much fun in the first place. Got through about 20 trees before realizing I’d made quite a mess before heading out on a special appointment. By the time I got back chores were looming on the horizon so set my sights on Sunday. I couldn’t believe the piles of brush generated although I had to admit the trees looked much better. Along with that, there should be fewer battle scars and less cursing. Grinding up the leaves was next and true to form after a long layoff neither mower would start. Much to my chagrin I’d discovered earlier that the bunnies were already working over one of the small crabapples so onto another “next task” after putting the charger on one of the lawnmowers. 

Found the tree wrap and in the process discovered where the one barn swallow nest had been. Yup, right above the tree wrap. Fertilizer for the small trees, I muttered to myself while tossing the plastic spirals into the Gator. For some reason though wrapping the trees really doesn’t bother me. I get to see each one of them up close and personal. Amazing how fast they grew after a phenomenal growing season. Some are getting big enough so that this may be the last time they’ll need to be protected. Gazing around the yard and seeing how those I wrapped up 20 years ago now contribute to the wildlife, shade and protection from the wind, it’s been worth it. And after getting all that done the mower did finally start. The dry afternoon was perfect for pulverizing the leaves into confetti and putting the yard work largely to bed for another season.

Both Saturday and Sunday were too beautiful to spend inside or working the entire day. I’d actually set aside time both days to take the Silver Hawk out for one last spin. Saturday I took someone who’s basically been a father figure to me over the years. I lost my dad when I was 26, so consider myself lucky that his family was willing to loan me Donnie once in a while. His son and grandson came along for the ride as we made the trip to Albert Lea on some of the smoother tar roads we’d discovered the weekend before. In his mid-80s, Don thought we should throw the youngsters in the trunk so we could cruise main for chicks. That was a fun excursion even though like all of them, it ended all too soon.

The next day I retraced many of those same steps so the car could be fueled up and the gas treated with stabilizer. It was about 4 p.m. by the time I pulled out of the yard. I was alone with my thoughts and dropping the car on down into overdrive, the Hawk seemed to appreciate one last chance for the year to stretch out and run. I reflected on the good times I’d had from purchasing the car from a gentleman in St. Louis, days at shows with Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer to the people I met over the course of the summer and the cool places I’d been. I was somewhat sad too that it was all coming to an end for the season. Then like everything else that weekend, I thought of the things that still needed attention on the Hawk and its roommate the Lark. There will be plenty to do on both units until it’s fit to head out once again.

See you next week…real good then.

It is with great sadness that the family of Warren Arnold Wayne share the news of his death on November 13, 2015 in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Warren was an amazing husband and father and very proud of his service in the U.S. Coast Guard in WWII. His belief in God, family, and country made him the outstanding person that he was.

He will be greatly missed by his entire family and friends.

Services to be held at a later date.

A free home style meal is being served the first Sunday of every month at United Methodist Church, 200 6th St., NE, Ellendale.

Worship is at 10:30 a.m. and the meal begins at 11:30.

Dates are:

• December 6th, 2015

• January 3rd, 2016

• February 7th, 2016

• March 6th, 2016

• April 3rd, 2016

• May 1st, 2016

• June 5th, 2016

• July 3rd, 2016

• August 7th, 2016

• September 4th, 2016

• October 2nd, 2016

• November 6th, 2016

• December 4th, 2016