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WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Volume 98; Number 26

www.bladepublishing.net

staff@bladepublishing.net

75

By Rin Porter

At the Dec. 17 county board

meeting, about 30 citizens

crowded into the commissioners

room

some to

criticize

B o a r d

C h a i r

C o mm-

issioner

R a n d y

N e u -

m a n n ,

a n d

some to

p r a i s e

him.

T h e

citizens

w e r e

t h e r e

e i t h e r

as mem-

bers of

t h e

Lives tock

A d v i s o r y

C o u n c i l

(LAC) or as

members of

the Todd

County Concerned Citizens

(TCCC) two groups with differ-

ent purposes and agendas.

The members of the Livestock

Advisory Council were there to

protest Neumanns support of a

lawsuit recently filed by the

Humane Society of the United

States (HSUS) and some neigh-

bors against the Gourley

Brothers hog facility built earli-

er this year in Gordon Township.

The suit contends that the DNR

should not have approved the

construction of the facility

because the hog farm uses more

than eight million gallons of

groundwater per year, according

to an HSUS press release pub-

lished Nov. 26, 2013.

LAC members Mark Buntjer

and Delvin Durheim criticized

Neumann for his support of the

suit and for not attending their

meetings, which they interpret-

ed as showing that Neumann is

against agriculture.

Neumann vehemently denied

being against farming. Im

just against putting these facili-

ties too

close to

h o u s -

es, he

said, in

defend-

ing his

p o s i -

t i o n .

He said

he cant

a t tend

L A C

m e e t -

i n g s

because

t w o

o t h e r

c o m -

m i s -

sioners

a t t e n d

t h e m .

H a v i n g

three com-

mis s i o n -

ers at a

meeting is

against the Minnesota Open

Meeting law, he said.

Neumann also criticized the

LAC for not contacting him

about their concerns before

showing up at a public meeting

to condemn him. He said, Its

just common courtesy for you to

notify us. He said the LAC has

not been sending its minutes to

the board, as required by any

organization that receives coun-

ty support.

TCCC member Nancy Judd

spoke on behalf of what she

described as many concerned

citizens to thank Neumann for

listening to the citizens of Todd

County, showing leadership, and

proving that an administrator

is not necessary to the running

of the county.

Nancy Judd presented Randy

Neumann with a plaque in recogni-

tion of what the TCCC sees as his

leadership and recognition of citi-

zens concerns during his term as

chair of the county board.

Citizens Groups Applaudand Criticize Todd Board Chair

Greetings of the seasons fromChrist the King and Zion Lutheran

Fr. Peter, Christ the King

Ready or not here I comethose famous words from my childhood ring in my ears these days. As

children we loved to play the game hide-n-seek. Who would be clever enough to outwit the other and

avoid being found by the seeker? Of course great strategy went into such decisions. Would you choose

a secluded place, or an open space? Would you journey high or stay down low? How much cover of

camouflage would be needed? It seems that times were simpler back then. There were no GPS sig-

nals to track you, or cell phones to text. It seemed like there was more than enough time. One might

even struggle with the occasional case of boredom, but dont tell mom!

Today things just seem to be different. Life went and got itself busy. With all of the hustle and bus-

tle of the Christmas season one might forget how Christmas began, or what it is all about. Please

remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Prepare to make room in your heart for his com-

ing. Ready or not here he comesOn December 22nd at 7:00pm, Christ the King is hosting an Advent/Christmas reflection night

with music and the reading of the Christmas story from Lukes Gospel. We will gather for Mass

Christmas Eve at 9:00 pm and Christmas morning at 8:30 am. St. Joseph in Clarissa will celebrate

Mass Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm, and St. Joseph in Bertha will celebrate Mass Christmas day at 10:30

am. All are welcome.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas,

Fr. Peter,

Pastor of Christ the King Parish, St. Joseph Parish in Clarissa, and St. Joseph Parish in Bertha.

Rev. Gena Maria Koeberl

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

I love this line from O Little Town of Bethlehem. Hope and fear met in Bethlehem. Hope and fear

also met on the cross, so that today you and I might be among those who, for the love of Jesus and

one another, comfort the grieving, tend the suffering, and work together with courage and hope for

the day when we wont need to anymore.

We ache in the wake of senseless violence throughout the world, especially when it is our children

who suffer. We want to do what we can to shield ourselves and those we love. But what good does thatreally do us? Mary sings in the story from Luke 1:39-55 of a day when the world is turned upside

down. She encourages us to grasp this hope that is meant for us. Even as we sort out our rage, grief,

and fear, there is hope born in us today.

My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Marys song begins by singing praises to God. She knows her own lowliness. Her faith looks beyond

the obstacles to the possibility, knowing Gods blesses her anyway.

For he who is might has done great things through me.

God reached out to her. This unexplainable generosity completely disrupted her life. She sings of

great things God is doing in her, while living in exile with constant unknowns.

He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their

hearts. He has put down the mighty and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with

good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.

Marys song inspires a few questions: Do we believe that a blessing is waiting within us to be born?

Do we realize that in our hunger, depression, grief and questioning we open ourselves to accepting

Jesus birth as meaningful and significant? As uncomfortable as these feelings are they are the vehi-

cles through which deeper meaning is born. When we run or deny the powerful presence and dis-

comfort of grief, disappointment, outrage, or loss, we deny ourselves an even greater birth of hope.Christmas is a time in which our hopes and fears unite. In this union, God with us is revealed.

I pray this Christmas to sing with Mary the Good News of what is about to take place. A child came

to be a deeper and fuller manifestation of Gods love in the world.

I pray that we let go enough of trying to control the messiness of life to recognize our blessed low-

liness our own need for God.

I pray we say yes to our calling to birth into being again this year the blessing of God with us,

revealed where hopes and fears meet tonight. Ask as the spiritual writer, Meister Eckhart once did,

What good is it that Christ was born a long time ago if he is not born now in your heart?

Rev. Gena Maria Koeberl

Zion Lutheran Church, Browerville

Merry Christmas fromAaron, Peggy, Stacey,

Venus, and Rin!