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Stennes grateful for 37 years
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STRAIGHT AHEAD - The Stennes sit in their classic 1970 Chevy Chevelle.
LOOKING AHEAD - Pete Stennes eyes his wife Jane as the couple sit on the rails of the camper they plan to travel the country in. Star Eagle photos by Eli Lutgens
By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The saying goes if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Pete Stennes, with the help of his wife, Jane, restored classic cars, provided mechanical repair and ran the car wash at Pete's Service Center in Hartland Minnesota for 37 years.
“I mostly did it for other people,” Pete said. “If I didn’t do it, then who would? More importantly, who else would put the time and effort into restoring all those vehicles?”
At 72 years old, and recently diagnosed with myositis, a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy muscle tissue, Pete decided it was time to close the service center.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Pete shared. “This is the first time since I was 13 that I don't have a job.”
Pete talked about how difficult it was to be diagnosed with an incurable disease. “When I finally got the phone call and was told that, the phone kind of went dead. Cause what do you say? We can go to Mars, but we can’t find a cure.”
It took three years for Pete to be diagnosed. Nevertheless, Pete persists.
Circus visits New Richland
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By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
For most folks, “a day at the circus” conjures up images of performers in shiny costumes demonstrating feats of derring-do for an audience seated on benches under the big top snacking on peanuts and cotton candy. The picture includes, of course, trained animals, trapeze acts, and clowns.
All that was true, of course, of the two performances of the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus which came to New Richland Sunday, August 8. But for anyone whose “day” at the circus lasts more than a couple hours, the phrase acquires much deeper meaning.
“We arrived in town at 7 this morning,” said Leo Acton, also known as Leo the clown. “We’ll be gone by 5:30 a.m. tomorrow.”
Vacancy pastor Joshua Skogen
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Filling in for Evangelical Lutheran Churches
By BARB FINSETH
Staff Writer
Pastor Joshua Skogen began serving the Hartland and Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Churches as vacancy pastor at the beginning of August of this year. Previously, Pastor Shawn Stafford served for 10 years with the people of these two churches before leaving to fill a position as an assistant professor in the Religion Department at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato.
In the Evangelical Churches, it is customary for a local pastor of their fellowship to serve a vacancy on a part-time basis until a full-time pastor is hired. Pastor Skogen is now serving as full-time pastor for Scarville and Center Lutheran congregations in Iowa. He has taken the responsibility to line up pastors or seminarians to cover each Sunday worship service for Hartland and Manchester. He also travels to Hartland to teach confirmation class, visit shut-ins, and provide personal pastoral care wherever it is needed.
Joshua and his wife, Katie, live in Scarville, Iowa with their six children, ages 12, 10, 9, 7, and identical twins three years old. In personal time, Joshua says he enjoys, "spending time with my family, visiting extended family, playing disc golf, and helping with the youth wrestling club in Lake Mills, Iowa.”
Council approves 10% tax levy
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The City of New Richland accepted its preliminary tax budget calling for a 10.9% tax levy increase during its regular council meeting, Monday, Sept. 27.
In the 3-1 decision, Council Person Jason Casey cast the first no vote of any council member, on any decision, all year.
“I would like to see if each department could provide us with a budget including a 5% cut and a budget with a 10% cut,” Councilperson Casey stated. “We will have another meeting to discuss changing it before the December meeting.”
Mayor Gail Schmidt agreed and said, following meetings with the heads of various departments, they would return to the budget proposal in November. A work session was scheduled for Monday, November 17, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
The final budget meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2021, where residents of New Richland can voice their opinions/concerns.
Run continues, Spikers defeat St. Clair 3-0 and Maple River 3-1, play Thursday
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NRHEG Volleyball players and fans celebrate after the girls win their first home playoff match since 2018. Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak
By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The NRHEG Volleyball team continued their best season in ten years, defeating St. Clair three games to zero in its first home playoff match since 2018.
The last time the Panthers finished with a winning regular season record was in 2011 when they went 24-6 and came within “a whisker” of a sub section championship, narrowly losing to LeSueur-Henderson. And the last time the Panthers played for a sub section championship was in 2015 when they were swept by Kenyon-Wanamingo.
This Panther team hopes to do what those teams could not as they prepare for a Thursday night bout for the sub section championship in New Prague against high seed WEM.
The spikers hosted St. Clair Thursday, Oct. 28 and took all three games handily, by scores of: 25-18, 25-20 and 25-7.
“The girls competed for every single point,” NRHEG head coach Onika Peterson said. “It was great to get a win at playoff time.”
The Panthers handily took all three games, by scores of: 25-18, 25-20 and 25-7.
“Our defense moved well and had some huge saves for us,” coach Peterson explained. “They kept our quick tempo offense moving all night. Offensively we had a lot of kids getting some big swings, which was great to see.”
Individually for the Panthers: Faith Nielsen, 1 dig, 2 assists; Erin Jacobson, 10 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace serve; Sophie Stork, 15 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace block, 1 ace serve; Hallie Schultz, 29 assists, 2 digs, 1 ace block; Bree Ihrke 5 kills; Sarah George, 4 kills, 4 ace blocks; Rhys Martin, 1 kill, 1 assist, 2 ace blocks, 2 ace serves, Bailey Ihrke, 1 dig; Sidney Schultz, 15 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace serve.
The Panthers continued their run Monday night, traveling to Mankato East and defeating Maple River in the second round of section playoffs three games to one.
The Panthers dropped the first set 25-22, but as they have all season, didn’t give up, winning the final three games by scores of 25-18, 25-13, 25-23.
“I continue to be impressed with this group of girls,” coach Peterson said. “They fought for every single point tonight. There were a couple of times they could have stayed down, but they picked each other up, completed, and finished strong. It was great to see.”