The NRHEG volleyball team opened Gopher Valley Conference play Thursday, Sept. 10 with a 3-0 victory over Maple River at Mapleton. The Panthers won 25-10, 25-19, 25-21.

“We hit well across the board, lots of girls getting really great swings,” said NRHEG coach Onika Peterson. “They worked extremely hard, playing well together. This group really cares about their teammates. They are more worried about getting the ‘W’ for the night rather than their own stats.”

The win improved the Panthers to 3-1 overall.

The NRHEG High School cross country teams traveled to Montgomery for the annual Redbird Invitational Thursday, Sept. 10.

The boys totaled 715 points for last place out of 25 schools. Waseca won with 106. New Prague was second at 122.

Panther times and places: Tyler Schlaak, 124th, 20:28.4; Zach Mely, 127th, 20:37.4; Ben Lewer, 137th, 21:03.6; Aaron Fleming, 163rd, 24:20.2; Jorey Fischer, 164th, 24:38.5; Orin Mely, 165th, 25:43; Aaron Seath, 170th, 28:03.5.

“Zach ran very well,” said NRHEG coach Mike Weber. “Ben took a couple minutes off his time from last year. He gives a great effort each week. The boys gave a great effort this evening.”

The girls did not have a full team. Running were Jade Mely, 25:16; Mia Williams, 25:58; and Katharine Lewer, 26:47.

The Panthers run Thursday, Sept. 17 at Mapleton and host the Panther Invitational Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Area crops look beautiful in their many shades of green, brown, tan and yellow. It is surprising how much the crops of corn and beans can change in just a matter of days, but then we have to realize it is already the middle of September.

Harvesting has changed since Grandpa’s days, when corn was picked by hand, shoveled by hand into small elevators or directly into corn cribs. Corn was shelled as needed with a hand sheller or by a larger sheller often brought in for the task. Now, it’s hard to remember how things used to be when we see large combines come in and can pick a large field in a short amount of time.

Corn cobs were often used to feed the stove, or the pigs when the corn was still on the cobs. It almost seems impossible when you consider the amount of hand labor that went into farming. How did they manage back in those good old days?

Back then, farmers were less apt to have a stomach “hangover” because of all that exercise they got working on their farms. Only body builders were apt to use a gym for workouts.

Were those the good old days? I bet today’s children would have a hard time believing what hard labor was.

From all reports, it promises to be a good year for the farmers, except of course for the farmer who gets paid by market, not by the amount of money and work he puts into the season, good or bad.

Harvest will soon be underway and that aspect of farming can also be one of the most dangerous occupations out there because of the size and power of the machinery, as well as the circumstances necessary to harvest the crop.

When harvest season rolls around, farmers have to make sure their equipment is in good working order and ready to tackle the task ahead. The farmers also have to make sure they have things ready to protect themselves. They need protective gear in place and in good condition.

Night-time harvesting, even with lights, is more hazardous or course than during daylight. Farmers need to factor in the importance of getting enough rest, as well as working under stressful conditions when time is of an essence.

Grain bins can become a large hazard when moisture in the fall air causes the grain to form a crust or create pockets of air. When things suddenly cause the grain flow to not operate properly, or stop altogether, farmers will go in the grain bin to investigate the problem. If they are not careful, they can easily become the victim of a suction of grain that traps them like quicksand, causing suffocation. We all know we need oxygen to live. Also, if a farmer were to get trapped by a shift of the grain in a bin, it can cause injuries from the intense pressure of the grain on their bodies.

The height of bins, the power behind the augers, as well as electrical lines can all come into dangerous play. Forgetting and not observing they are there would be a tragedy.

Speaking of tragedy, it is hard to figure carbon monoxide. It can become as treacherous in a grain bin as it is in other situations.

We hope our area farmers will be extra careful during this harvest season, as well as hope the people in our area will give the farmers the space they need to get to their big, heavy equipment to their fields and back to the farms safely.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, September 17th: Duane Edwardson, Karen Hemingway Core, Al Routh, Kara Ladlie, Allen Brandt, Sue Tasker, Brock David Routh, Terry & Marlys Van Kampen

• Friday, September 18th: Torsten Wayne, Laura Groth, Carla Scripture, Kevin Christenson, Ron Farr, Chris Larson, Becky Axmann, Laura Davis, Julia Spande, Randy & Cindy Horan, Andrea & Nick Miller, Todd & Mary Wayne, David & Malinda Hanson, Jill & Brian Wolff, Nicholas & Katie Wayne

• Saturday, September, 19th: Vicki Hill Kress, Carol Anderson, David Deml, Ben Cerney, Dan Underland, Kristine Sorenson, Bill Hatch, Jennifer Johnson, Gerald Trandem, Cindy Morris Erickson, Scott & Tracy Tracy, Kelly & David Wacek, Jill & Dustin Johannsen

• Sunday, September 20th: Trinity Starr Wocelka, Jade Hill, Tricia Wayne, Sarah Mills, Cheryl Lonning, Bruce Born, Jennifer Thorn, Jason & Michelle Gordon

• Monday, September 21st: Addie Haugen, Tiffany Shelton, Tim Sorenson, Dan Richards, Ann Hamilton, Margaret Deml, Thomas O'Conner, Pastor Richard Spande, Richard Axmann, Ashley & Anthony Cookas, 2014; Sherri & Chad Fritz, Jodi & Brandon Wayne, Marty & Karen Johnson

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

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

• Thursday, 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

• Friday, September 25th: Amelia Christine Powers, her fourth; Makayla Jayme Haberman, Travor David Barber, Geraldine Vangen, Tom Lageson, Pan Conklin, Suzanne Enzenauer Skaar, Camerson & Dayna Schember; Kellen & Allison Utpadel, Dwight & Loretta Schewe, Harmony & Ryan Anderson, Amy & Rick Storlie, Wendy & Marty Schultz, Larry & Elaine Peterson

May your special day bring many blessings.

Each year as the school year begins I like to reflect back, oh so many years, to when I was still in school. My best school days were spent in Hammer School, the country school that once sat where Jim Gustafson Field is today. Those were simple times, fun times when everyone knew their classmates and we all, for the most part, got along.

I can still remember meeting the teacher on the first day of school, which was no surprise because we had a two-room school house where grade 1-3 was on one side and 4-6 on the other and the same teachers would more than likely be there again the next year. The seating had a special order with 1st grade along the inside wall, 2nd in the middle and 3rd grade by the windows. After you moved to the other room you had to start over with the wall seating, kind of a seniority thing. We had to sit together with our own grade because there were three different grades, each one studying their particular grade’s lessons.

Music was kind of fun and we would enjoy singing old favorites like “Oh Susannah”’ “Are you Sleeping Brother John,” “Alouette,” “She’ll be Coming ‘round the Mountain” and a whole lot more. I was not and still am not a very good singer, but I could get into those songs and do more than just move my lips, which is what I usually did when singing in church.

The school had large windows along each side and the only air conditioning was those windows. You’d get fresh air in the spring and fall, which sometimes made it hard for me to concentrate because the smell of fall or spring made me want to be outside. Those days nobody cared what kind of clothes you wore or where you bought them and I don’t believe that anyone even knew what the phrase “name brand” meant. Yes, these are some of the times that I reflect back on when thinking about the good old days.

We ate our lunch in the basement of the school, which had a painted floor and wood tables and benches that were painted red. If I close my eyes and think back I can still smell the wondrous odor of my favorite sandwich — egg salad. My mother made the best egg salad sandwiches, which came wrapped in wax paper, usually accompanied by carrots, celery or a pickle. Each day we’d bring milk money for that little carton of milk we had with our lunch.

I believe it was about once or twice a week that LeRoy Mass would come to the school to have us enjoy phy ed. We’d play kickball, dodgeball, have three-legged races and other organized activities. For most of us kids the real fun was the games we organized ourselves at recess. One of our favorites was “chicken” where one kid rode on another’s back and you tried to get the other team off balance and make them fall down. This was fun until broken arms started to pop up and the teachers found out; after that the game was just a memory; kind of like now. A few of the kids that lived by the airport rode their bikes to school but most of us walked, rain or snow.

Before we had a TV at home one of my school friends, Larry Hubbell, who was older than me, would usually ask me if I’d want to stop at his house and watch “Crusader Rabbit,” a cartoon on channel 10 sponsored by Wonder Bread, which boasted it helped build strong bodies 12 different ways. I always looked forward to this because it was a luxury we didn’t have.

School today is a totally different animal and I do wonder what folks today would do without social media, cell phones and video games to entertain them. You don’t suppose they would create their own fun, spend time outdoors and not worry about what the other person was wearing? Never mind, that was just a silly thought.

In the ‘50s, most mothers were stay-at-home moms who spent time ironing, washing clothes, taking care of the garden, baking and canning vegetables and fruit. These were the necessities of the times. Today, most households have both parents in the workforce; another necessity, which makes everything today so much faster paced. It would be nice if we could just take a time out and enjoy a few of the simple things.

Yes, as kids we played outside at recess and most of the time we played games that we had come up with on our own; it’s called imagination and creativity. If the youth of today have everything organized and planned for them they just won’t have the time or the opportunity to enjoy being just kids.

— — —

The Mille Lacs Lake walleye situation is a big problem to which there is no easy solution. There is now a push on to open the lake to winter walleye fishing. Isn’t that sort of defeating the purpose? I’m not for or against doing that because on one side there is the thought that not fishing them for a certain period of time may somehow help the walleye population. Then there is the harsh reality that many resorters may still be able to salvage their season with winter walleye fishing; which on this lake is a very big deal. I’m glad that I’m not the one trying to solve this puzzle, which would be harder than the Rubik’s Cube.

Until next time, now is the time to enjoy the mild temperatures of the day and those cool evenings; which makes for a great time spent enjoying the outdoors.

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

Do you want to go to a Twins game?

When?

I don't know.

Who are they playing?

No idea.

Who else is going?

I'm not sure.

I think I'll pass.

Oh, great! And after I’d made all the arrangements.

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: Road construction crews work in mysterious ways. If you think that air is free, you haven't bought a bag of salty snacks lately.

The cafe chronicles

"Where the swine come to dine," he said with a smile. Like many people, his attitude matched the weather. He called others "pal" and "buddy." He was on a forgotten-name basis with many people. He said that the waitress had given him some herbal tea yesterday that was supposed to bring stress relief. He burned his tongue on it. No more tea for him. The waitress came for his order.

"I'd like a venti, skinny soy, half-sweet, one–pump, caramel, macchiato, half–caff, extra whip, with a peppermint stick," he said.

"Is a regular coffee OK?" the waitress replied.

It was.

NFO, YES or NO

I grew up in a wonderful rural neighborhood. Great people. They were different as we all are. Lots of great makers of pies. I'd eat a piece of pie and feel like upper crust. I'm not sure how the upper crust feels, but I imagine they feel just as I do when I eat a piece of good pie. One of the neighbors, Joe Holland, was a member of the NFO — the National Farmers Organization. He proudly displayed a sign at the end of his driveway proclaiming his membership. The NFO was a populist agrarian movement begun in 1955 in Iowa. It advocated collective bargaining via holding actions. They did this by such measures as withholding milk from the market in order to improve the prices paid to producers. Two of my former neighbors and classmates, Keith Wakefield of Burnsville and Tom Miller of Green Bay, took the sign from Joe Holland's drive and put it in place at the end of the driveway of Karl Pedersen's farm. Karl would have been the last guy who would have been a member of the NFO. Joe and Karl had different ideas about such things. I can reveal the shenanigans of Keith and Tom now only because the statue of limitations has run out. Besides, everyone thought it was funny. Everyone except Karl and Joe.

Temperature cricket

I listened to the pastor’s sermon. It was on the importance and the power of prayer. It was a hot summer day and the church windows were cracked open slightly. A fall field cricket chirped loudly and constantly just outside the end of the pew where I sat. The cricket was an obvious believer in the importance and the power of chirping. I don't think it was broadcasting the temperature. The chirping thermometer that I’m familiar with is the snowy tree cricket that sounds like sleigh bells. If you count the number of chirps in 13 seconds and add 40, you’ll have a fair approximation of the temperature. I suppose all crickets could be thermometers, but the snowy tree crickets are more accurate.

This week’s travelogue

Virgelle, Montana has a population of three, down from a high of 25, which once supported a post office, lumberyard, grain elevator and bank. Big sky. Small Virgelle. It’s located in the midst of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. I stayed in a century-old, 8-by-10 homestead cabin featuring period furniture and lacking electricity. I traveled on the Virgelle Ferry, a flat-bottomed, 50-foot long ferry pulled by cables and winches. It took 1 1/2 minutes to get a vehicle across the Missouri River. I visited Virgelle Mercantile. Everything was for sale. The owner promised not to sell my chair while I sat in it. I enjoyed waffles made from locally grown wheat with chokecherry syrup made from berries handpicked along the Missouri River. I was there for work and canoeing. It was a quiet place. The owner threatened to move somewhere quieter.

Meeting adjourned

I attended the funeral of Betty Miller of Kasson. Betty believed that every day was a blessing. She made it clear that after her death, there would be no visitation on the day before her funeral. She didn't want people to spend extra money on gas. Her final and thoughtfully prepared words were, "Thanks to everyone in my life for your overwhelming kindness."

“I have called you by name, Sylvia, you are mine.”

These were the words on a banner Sunday afternoon, August 30, at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland, as you found a place to sit.

Shortly, members of the New Richland Legion Auxiliary, in full uniform, walked in and occupied the first three rows in front on the left side. They were there to pay respect to their fellow Auxiliary member of 69-plus years.

The family entered later and occupied the front of the church on the right (the same side where they gathered holding their lighted candles at the Christmas Eve service as a family tradition). Son, Curtis, gave a reading from the family in honor of their mother.

The children sang that great hymn, “Jesus Loves Me,” just as they did for Grandpa Gene at his funeral in 2013.

The Reverend Paul Andree conducted the church service with interment at St. Olaf Cemetery followed by lunch in the church basement.

Sylvia was born June 18, 1921. After graduating from New Richland High School she managed to find her way to Santa Ana, California, where she married Gene C. Dodge on June 5, 1943.

In 1945, Gene was honorably discharged and they moved back to New Richland.

I am nominating Sylvia as a founding member of a club that didn’t exist at the time of the following. Please read the following and express your feelings by saying, “Uffda.”

Fast forward to the spring of 1952. Sylvia is the mother of three youngsters and has just found out she is pregnant with birth expected in October (the oldest is now 6 years old).

“Uffda.”

The year 1952 was a tough spring, a lot of snow, freezing, thawing, and then more snow. The roads were a mess, plus road weight restrictions prevented the New Richland school buses from running (yes, school was held).

“Uffda.”

Sylvia and Gene stepped up to the plate and invited Robert Tollefson, Carol Tollefson and Robert Hanson (me; all teenagers) to stay at their place until the buses could get through. Now you have three youngsters, three teenagers, a young couple expecting another child in October, all in a not-that-big of a house for two-plus weeks of three extra people.

“Uffda!”

Think of the situation: three children age six and under, expecting a fourth, three teenagers, shuffled sleeping arrangements, one-plus bathroom – this was truly an “uffda” situation.

I think all of you will agree with me, Sylvia Dodge, you are nominated as a founding member of the “Minnesota Nice Club.”

“Uffda.”

———

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. 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. Bob says if you enjoy his column, 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.

One of the best books I’ve read this year so far is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. It’s a fast-paced thriller that keeps you guessing at every turn and was hard to put down; I think I finished it in two days. If you enjoyed the novel Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, this book will be right up your alley.

 However, this book is littered with grammatical mistakes, the most glaring being the constant use of what English teachers refer to as comma splices. This is a scenario where a writer connects two complete sentences with only a comma. Let me give you an example from the very first page of the book: “It could have been left behind by the engineers who work this part of the track, they’re here often enough.”

Ninety percent of the population will look at that sentence and not see any problem. It nagged at me, and I saw more and more throughout the book. Here’s the problem: “It could have been left behind by the engineers who work this part of the track” is a complete sentence. So is “they’re here often enough.” There are three ways to write those two sentences.

The first is the easiest. Simply put a period after the first sentence and start the second sentence with a capital letter. The second is also something that most of my readers may recall from their grammar studies. You can connect both sentences with a conjunction, in this case a word such as “for,” and then place a comma prior to that conjunction.

The third way is the least used and probably the most misunderstood. That is to place a semicolon between the two sentences. You remember the semicolon? Your English teacher spent about 10 minutes on it in junior high. My students often call it the comma with a period over it.

I remember being taught to rarely use a semicolon. It can be used to connect two complete thoughts, but those thoughts should be very closely related. You would not write, “I walked down the street; my sister was sleeping at home.” Those two thoughts aren’t very closely related. However, it would be okay to say, “I walked down the street; I had to leap out of the way of a car.” One idea leads to the next.

What frightens me is that books continue to be shabbily edited. I find mistakes all the time in best-selling books that scare the dickens out of me. Words are left out of sentences, punctuation is wrong, and I even find misspellings. I wonder if book companies are trying to pump books out so quickly at a cheaper rate that they have cut out some of the important revisions and re-readings that are necessary prior to publishing.

If there’s one area my students struggle with the most, it’s the proper use of commas. Most of them would look at the example I used and say the comma looked right. After all, you would pause when you read that, right? That’s a good place for a comma. While that’s often a good rule for using a comma, writers have to take the extra moment to review the overall sentence and make sure it’s not the aforementioned comma splice in action.

I call some of those users comma-holics; they like to use commas everywhere they might take a breath. Yet, they will probably forget the necessary comma on Facebook when they wish somebody a happy birthday and put the person’s name after it. Remember that rule from your grammar class? When you talk directly to someone, put a comma before their name (or after it if the name starts the sentence). So when folks posted on my Facebook page, they should’ve written, “Happy birthday, Mark!” You don’t necessarily pause, which makes that a tough sell as a go-to for using commas.

I often joke that my mutant power is knowing when to use commas. I doubt the X-Men could use me for that unless it was to read their outgoing correspondence. It’s not easy to know all the rules; plus, some of them have changed since many of us were in school. The most important thing is to slow down when writing and double check before sending.

And even if you never find a use for a semicolon, maybe you’ll find better uses for commas than connecting two complete thoughts, even if that comma is only a nice addition the next time you write happy birthday to someone!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is gongoozler, which means one who stares for hours at anything out of the ordinary, such as, “The gongoozler spent hours staring at a piece of writing using more semicolons than periods.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs were a little disappointed that the Weather Eye got ahead of itself, predicting rain for Monday rather than Tuesday. When in doubt, blame global warming. Why not? Everyone else does. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 with lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly sunny Friday and cooler with a continued modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm.  Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Monday, continued sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Sunny for Tuesday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for September 22nd is 70 and the normal low is 47. The sun begins to rise after 7 a.m. CDT on the 22nd. The scurs have their calendar marked for the autumnal equinox although our nearly even amounts of daylight and darkness will not occur until the 26th. Winter is coming. Oh goody.

Days are definitely becoming shorter and the crops are making dramatic progress towards the finish line. Some fields of early planted early maturing soybeans will likely be combined this week. Corn has moved along to the point where a frost or even a hard freeze is unlikely to harm it much. The milkline on most hybrids was well past half milkline in most cases with some earlier planted earlier maturing hybrids having black layered. Stalk quality is started to be talked about and rightfully so. Corn is relatively tall this year and ear placement is also fairly high. It gives wind plenty of leverage, especially when it blows like we all know it’s capable of.

Some of the birds we’ve come to enjoy over the spring and summer continue to say their goodbyes. The last oriole we saw at the ranch was about the 7th. Last year the last one was spotted on the 8th. They showed up on May 2nd so we really can’t complain. Knowing what’s coming, given the chance many of us would start to fly the coop pretty soon too. The local barn swallows appear to have departed as well. A week or so ago, swallows were lining the wires for about a half mile in front of the ranch. Pretty sure the locals were still here as they were flying through the window on one side of the granary and out the other. The hummingbirds are still bountiful yet, but their days too are numbered. Last year the final hummingbirds we saw were on October 4th.

Saturday was International Drive Your Studebaker Day and no I’m not making that up. A fitting day it was at that. With lawn needing mowing and dozens of other things that could be done, I decided that the Silver Hawk needed to make a trip to the A&W in Spring Valley. It was perfect weather to open the side vents on the front fenders and let the fresh air in, screened for bugs of course. Mrs. Cheviot had arranged to meet her sister and brother-in-law. We had intended to take them for a cruise earlier, but schedules and health did not allow. We went for a loop from Spring Valley to Stewartville and back. The Stude performed beautifully, cruising smooth as silk on recently redone U.S. 63. Using features like the overdrive along with the Studebaker exclusive hill holder clutch, the cruise was a success, turning heads and generating a “thumbs up” wherever we went. Unfortunately, before we knew it we had to return home. 

The gas gauge apparently is fairly accurate. Non-oxygenated fuel was impossible to find on the way home so we were on pins and needles watching the gauge running on empty. We made it home, but had no idea how much fuel might have been in the tank. It holds 18 gallons. I ran some errands with the pickup the next day and grabbed three gallons to put in the Studebaker, enough to get us to Waseca for a fill. I had purposely not wiped the car down anticipating that I would make a run to fill it up late Sunday. In addition to the three gallons I put in it, I put a hair over 15 gallons in it, that after the trip to Waseca. We had to have been running on fumes. The good news was it gave us an excuse to enjoy one more trip on what was an absolutely beautiful weekend for cruising.

It always saddens when a customer for 20+ years and faithful reader suddenly passes away. Gudmund Nodland farmed with his wife Ethel where Ethel grew up south of Waseca. They received the paper from Ethel’s sister and I frequently was asked about some of the things I’d written when I went there to look at their fields. Gudmund was a kind soul and always had a smile on his face when we’d stop. Typically he and Ethel would invite us in for in cookies and something to drink. He also would offer us sweet corn from his field, something I took him up on occasionally when our own garden sweet corn wasn’t ready yet. Those were a much appreciated half dozen ears of perfection. Gudmund also gave me an old International electric fencer, one I still have today. It still works and is pressed into service occasionally should we suffer a lightning strike or one of the other units just gives up the ghost. In recent years Gudmund frequently wasn’t his normal self. He didn’t talk about it much other than mentioning his mobility was suffering. I was surprised to learn recently that he was in the care center and absolutely shocked to read of his sudden passing back on the 5th. Come to find out he had been ill for some time. I’ll miss going there to look at his fields and most of all I’ll miss that smile as we visited over a cold beverage and cookies.

See you next week…real good then.

You may have noticed the growing number of engraved bricks at the Memorial Park area next to the New Richland Post Office.

To date, there are 44 bricks installed. The hope is the improvements and bricks have added a sense of reflection and peace as you enjoy the scenery of the mural (which has recently been repaired), and the bench, all reminding us of friends/family who have passed. One more order will be placed in 2015. If interested in purchasing a brick in memory of a friend/family member, you may do so until Friday, Sept. 25. The hope is to get them engraved and then installed while the weather permits. They cost $100 with your choice of wording, with or without any artwork. The money goes into the Mural Fund which will be used for continued upkeep and improvements to the area. If you wish to order a brick, stop at City Hall or contact Gail Schmidt at (507)-383-1147.

Also, if there are any extended improvements or additions that you would like to see to the area, please do not hesitate to make your suggestions or requests. Thank you for your continued support for this beautiful park area in New Richland.

On Saturday, Sept. 19, La Familia, a local organic farming cooperative, will host a grand opening and the whole community is invited to join the celebration. There will be a tour of the small farm that is growing tomatoes, tomatillos, peas, peppers, and other organic produce as well as a tasting of various Latino dishes prepared with food fresh from the field.

In 2013, La Familia, started out with a small group of community members who wanted to increase healthy eating in the Latino and broader community in New Richland and the surrounding area. They turned to the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) with the goal of starting an Agricultural Cooperative.  LEDC helped Co-Op members develop a business model, provided them training in organic farming and provided financing to get them started.  Many Co-Op members and their families had agricultural experience, which gave them a head start in the process. They named the Co-Op, La Familia (The Family) to celebrate the traditional role family play in growing and preparing food for their families.