Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, May 26 with Councilmen Helland, Reiter, Goebel and Groth in attendance. Mayor Engel was absent. Also in attendance were Clerk Louks, Maintenance Supervisor Swearingen, Shannon Sweeney, Brian Blattie, Dan Pettsinger and Jeremy Reese.

The council approved the amended agenda for the evening.

Blattie, representing the Thompson Oaks Association, was given the floor to discuss the possibility of the city connecting a water line to the Oaks. Blattie was at the council meeting on May 12 to initiate the possibility. At that meeting, the council told Mr. Blattie they would consider providing water to the 17 homes in the Oaks. The council stated at that time they would ask legal council for an opinion. The council also would have the city’s engineer take a look at the area and bring to one of the next meetings some figures as to the costs to both the city and the homes in the Oaks.

Blattie told the council the association had held a meeting and he was there with a couple of questions. Is the city interested in providing water to the Oaks?

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

NRHEG FFA Chapter President Emily Riihl welcomed the 75 members and guests present as the 81st Parent-Member Banquet commenced at the New Richland City Hall on Wednesday evening, May 18. Following dinner, the traditional opening ceremonies were conducted by the chapter officers. Each officer explained the duties of their appointed office outlining how each office contributes to the overall goal of the FFA organization. The FFA motto is “to practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsiblities, and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess.”

NRHEG School District Superintendent Kevin Wellen next greeted the audience on behalf of the school speaking of the importance of FFA in the district.

“It’s not the same farm today that some of grew up knowing,” said Wellen. “FFA has been a tradition at NRHEG.”

The presiding officers in turn next congratulated all of the members during the member degree ceremony. The pins they received denotes the next step in their progress in FFA.

Calls received and/or action taken by the New Richland Police Department:

• Sunday, May 1, 11 p.m. – Medical assist, 1st St. NE. Assist rendered.

• Monday, May 2, 5:30 p.m. – Domestic, S. Cypress Ave. Juvenile party arrested.

• Tuesday, May 3, 9:15 p.m. – Attempt to locate, S. Dogwood Ave. Assist locating juvenile who left residence.

• Wednesday, May 4, 6:50 a.m. – Medical assist, 7th St. NW. Assist rendered.

• Wednesday, May 4, 8:25 p.m.– Criminal damage to property, Legion Field. Concession stand door damaged.

• Wednesday, May 4, 10 p.m. – Intoxicated party, S. Broadway Ave. Party transported to detox.

• Friday, May 6, 10:35 p.m. – Agency assist/Waseca County. Various from Wells. Attempt to locate possible drunk driver.

MIGHTY TOSS — NRHEG senior Tony Wacholz threw the discus a season-best 149 feet, 9 1/2 inches for the Panthers’ lone gold medal in the Sub-Section 5A boys’ track and field meet at Mapleton last Tuesday. (Photo by Chris Schlaak)

SMOOTH EXCHANGE — The Panthers’ Geoff Ramaker, right, hands off to teammate Brian Billing during the 4x100-meter relay at Mapleton last Tuesday. (Photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

After heaving the discus 149 feet, 9 1/2 inches, Tony Wacholz exchanged high-fives with his coach and teammates.

They were well deserved.

The season-best toss was good for the Sub-Section 5A boys’ track and field championship for the NRHEG senior.

“Tony is on fire,” said NRHEG coach Duey Ferber. “He was the sold sub-section champ for our boys tonight.”

But it wasn’t the only Panther highlight.

Wacholz’s toss at Mapleton last Tuesday earned him a spot in Saturday’s Section 2A meet at Mankato, where he’ll be joined by seven other NRHEG boys.

HANDOFF — Paige Bolduan, left, hands the baton to Raelin Schue during the 4x100-meter relay at the Sub-Section 5A girls’ track and field meet at Maple River last week. The Panthers advanced seven girls to section. The 4x100 placed third. (Photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

Carlie Wagner continued her fabulous freshman season, and six other NRHEG girls are going along for the ride.

Wagner advanced to section in four events as a total of seven Panthers qualified out of last Tuesday’s sub-section track and field meet at Mapleton.

The Panthers captured three golds. Wagner won the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches, junior Danielle Krueger took the 400 meters in 62.51 seconds and the 4x200 relay team of Raelin Schue, Krueger, Anna Schlaak and Wagner won in 1:49.08, good for a new school record. The old mark of 1:49.4 was set in 2002 by Emily Kofstad, Kalisha Anthony, Brandis Hagen and Camille Kyte.

Wagner also advanced to section by taking second in the 100 (13.25) and second in the 200 (26.9). Schlaak was second in the 100 high hurdles in 17.25.

BACK! — NRHEG’s Matt Dahle dives safely back to first base against United South Central last week. (Photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The season ended for the NRHEG baseball team, but not before the 2011 Panthers posted one final highlight.

The locals bested Waseca 11-10 at home last Tuesday. They fell 4-3 at United South Central in sub-section play Thursday.

Matt Dahle delivered the game-winning hit against Waseca on a suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh. David Lassahn was 2-for-2, Jake Staloch and Tyler Sorenson 2-for-3 with doubles. Chad Schlaak and Eric Sorenson also doubled.

Cody Kraay, Carter Tollefson and Jake Staloch pitched, with Staloch going the final 2 2/3 innings for the win.

At Wells, the Panthers had a game that coach Jeff Reese said summed up their season.

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

It was a beautiful day for golf Thursday, May 26 as the Waseca Bluejays hosted the South Sub-Section 2AA Boys’ and Girls’ Golf Tournament on the par-71 Waseca Lakeside layout. The Bluejay boys (315) won the team title by 16 strokes and advanced five golfers to the section tournament.

The NRHEG girls’ team finished in sixth place, but Panthers’ Maddy Reed and Brina Bergland both shot 107s to capture a spot in the Section tourney slated for Thursday at New Prague. Hannah Moe finished with 118, and Michaela Hansen had a 119. The Fairmont girls won the event with a 387. Triton’s Lacey Koss was medalist with an 87.

Fairmont won the girls’ meet with 387 strokes. The Panthers had 451.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG softball team ran into a buzz saw in the opening round of the sub-section tournament.

More specifically, the Panthers ran into Kami Smesmo.

Smesmo threw a no-hitter against the Panthers last Tuesday and ended NRHEG’s season 7-0 at St. Peter.

“Hats off to St. Peter’s softball team,” said NRHEG coach Wendy Schultz. “They have a great senior pitcher who threw well.”

Smesmo struck out 15 and walked three while allowing no hits, improving her team’s record to 12-5.

My grandpa Hanon was a farmer.  He wore bib overalls and flannel shirts and a denim chore jacket that was missing a button. He closed it with a nail.

I remember his sheep that he sheared by hand with a hand clipper.  His love of John Deere tractors made life a little easier. Once he even hung corn in the grainery to be saved for seed, germinating them in a wet towel to see what percentage of the seed grew.

He mixed a home brew for his white pigs out of ground feed and milk, along with a yeast compound. He filled his own silo, and threshed his own grain with a huge machine. 

He had wide hands that weren't necessarily dirty, just brown and scarred with thick chipped nails and calluses. He picked corn by hand, cultivated, and chopped thistles, burdocks and rag weed with a hoe or a scythe. He pitched hay and straw by hand. He also milked by hand too and turned the crank on the separator.

It was hard work, but a perfect world for one to communicate with God. Things are different now and easier in some respects, but there is still no man who lives as close to God as farmers. That will never change. True farmers are born with a love for the land.

It takes a lot of faith to invest a half million dollars in a piece of machinery, then put in hundreds of dollars in seed, not knowing what the outcome may be.

But the future belongs to those who are willing to work for it and through time, invention and money have lessened some of the toil and struggle for farmers today. Faith has brought them through tough times.

Come to think of it, there is something about farming that is reality. Without it, there would be nothing. How a farmer’s life goes, so goes the world.

If I were a poet, I would write an ode to the American Farmer. At the very least, I will say a prayer for his health, safety and profession.

Farming is also a family affair.  You either have it or you don't, that desire to find joy in not by which you own, but in what you are. 

It has been said that God made top soil so farmers could grow good children. And I really do think the kid who loves the farm is amazing, as they develop that same "get the job done" attitude.

All farmers should be proud that they can provide the setting for children to experience every aspect of life in a positive way.  Birth, play, work, failure, success, death and heavenly rewards are all woven into the fabric of farm life. Farming may not always be the best of times, but it is the best of lives.

It is the American farmer’s spirit of determination, adventure, and eternal optimism that enables us to not only feed the nation, but it’s worth as well. The highest reward for farmer’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. 

We know He will help us bear what comes - joy or sorrow, high prices or low.

A farmer knows deep in his heart he could never be truly happy anywhere else; for the satisfaction or being on the land, working the soil, he will handle whatever comes his way.

In farming, one also experiences the miracles of new beginnings, waiting for the seeds to sprout, and the farm animals to be born.

I hope that all children have the opportunity to see the baby animals as they wag their tails, squeal for food and nurse their mothers. It puts meaning to life.

Even my greenhouse friend says the most exciting time for her is when the little plants start to emerge from the seeds planted in the soil.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, June 2nd: Maia Kathleen Peterson, Brent Dobberstein, Angie Goodnature Kath, Taylor Draayer, Sue Jensen Kuckenbecker, Steve Kasper, Cindy Olson, Barry Esplan, Krystle Lonning, Ahston Haried, Trent Hanson, Brandon McLaughlin, Tammy & Garth Gonnering, Greg & Nicole Shultz, Eric & Snow Lee, their 3rd

• Friday, June 3rd: Isabella Grace Kohn, her 1st; Devin Matthew Haddy, his 4th; Justin Stieglbauer, David Hall, Troy Vavra, Donald Peterson, Jason Jenkins, Michael Bartness, Angie Kasper Christenson, George Kasper, Chrisopher Conley, Max Miller, Esther Van Ravenhorst, Misty (Ebnet) & Jeremy Krueger, Eric & Christine Nelson

• Saturday, June 4th: Dale Miller, Becky Nordland, Jim Borchert, Judith Severson, Warren Nelson, Jamie & Tina Hagen, Art & Doris DeNeui, Jan & Andrew Bernau, their 4th

• Sunday, June 5th: Ann Wallace, Beulah Crabtree, Marcia Vermedahl, Shawn Johnson, Paul Krull, David Reistad, Mike Rossing, Lisa Jensen Nord, Jack Butler, Greg Oswald, Michael Schmidt, Ron & Jolee Johnson, Stacy (Osmundson) & Trevor Titus, Erica (Van Kampen) & Jacob McClaskay, Elzo & Joy Peterson

• Monday, June 6th: Steve & Kari Vanden Heuvel, Stacy & Shannon Wobschall, Dean & Roberta Lembke, Hope Kilian, Eric Sorenson, Cheryl Louks, Steve Lonning, Todd Born, Owen James Wheeler, Blake Rolland Baudoin, Isiah DuBois

• Tuesday, June 7th: Chris Blouin, Daniel Eliason, Jesse Langlie, Roger Sommers, Faye Thompson, Paul Stollard, Trisha (Gross) Gilbertson, Brandon Gross, Katie (Klemmensen) & Kevin Knudson, Holly (Wangsness) & Jake Dau, Richard & Karen Holmes, Irvin & Joan Diderrich, Richard & Bonnie Peterson, Jeff & Lynne Draayer, Jim & Joanne Pichner

• Wednesday, June 8th: Deb Wallace, Steve Hagen, Owen Ryan Krueger, Monty Miller, Sandi Meyer, Rodney Wayne, Steve Lembke, Morgan Hutchinson, Michelle & Damon Gowlland

• Thursday, June 9th: Torsten & Melissa Wayne, Rhonda (Lund) & Troy Thevenot, LeRoy & Gladys Peterson, Lexi Wayne, Ahinka Jensen, Sharon Lageson, Bennett Ver Hey, Carrie Paulson, Karen Swearingen Cox, Dana Waltz, Greg Smith, Tait Ingvaldson, Kenny Toft

• Friday, June 10th: Arnold Lund, his 91st; Warren Wayne, Samantha Mae Schumacher, Kathy Allard, David Ellis, Chuck Groth, Jamie Weller, Margaret Reese, Forest Peterson, Adam Wacek, London Avery, Sarah (Cornelius) & Rob Routh, Marv & Pat Schulz, Missy (Lonning) & Paul Richards

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