Hometown News Dec. 22, 2011

December 22, 2011Grey Eagle, Burtrum, St. Rosa, Freeport, Upsala, Albany,

Holdingford, St. Anna, Avon, Swanville, Melrose FREE Publication

Hometown News

Atkinson Well & Pump Ltd.

• GEO Thermal• Pump & Water Systems• Sales, Service & Parts

State Licensed • Nationally CertifiedServing You Since 1942

320-836-2597800-450-2597 Rodney Atkinson • Freeport

MN Lic. #2114

On TheInside...

Harvey Mackay Page 2Obituaries: Kuhlman, McDermond Page 4Saralee Perel Page 5Notes from the Capitol Page 8Local Municipality Minutes 0 Burnhamville Township, Burtrum City

Brandon Kelly320-491-6107 Equal Housing

Opportunity

Email: [email protected]

Search MLS Listings or FORECLOSURESwww.brandonkellymn.com

SOLD BY BRANDON KELLYThinking

about selling?

I offer Free Market

Analysis!

The lack of snow couldn’t keep this Santa from arriving in style in St. Rosa for Santa Day last Saturday. Photo by John Young.

Mon.-Fri. 7 am-5 pm; Sat. 8 am-12 pm

320-836-2177800-472-9876

We’re Wishing You A Blessed Holiday!

208 Main St W Freeport, MN

HennenFloor Covering

Season’s Greetings!

Happy HolidaysWe would like to thank everyone

for your business this year. We look forward to serving

you in the year to come.

320-836-2284 • 1-888-276-1751 29033 Co Rd 17, Freeport • In St. Rosa AGRICULTURE • COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

CONSTRUCTION, INCARNZENST. ROSA

LUMBER INC.ST. ROSALUMBER INC.

www.strosalumber.com

Best Holiday Wishes to You & Yours!

www.freeportstatebank.com

From All of Us At:

Freeport320-836-2126New Munich320-837-5297Melrose320-256-7208

To Celebrate the Christmas Season, Freeport State Bank will be CLOSED on Monday, Dec. 26th, 2011

www.benchmarkrealty.com

Merry Christmas!

from the Kerin family

and the Benchmark

Team

Real Estate ServicesBenchmark

Bruno's 320-285-4318 Burtrum

HUB SUPPER CLUB- Overlooking Long Lake -

www.brunosmn.com • www.gerardsmn.com

Gift Certificates AvailableGive the Gift They Won’t Have to Dust Off!

Bonus Certificates w/Every $25 or More Purchased!Give us a call and we can mail the certificates.

Join Us During the Holiday Season for Some Great

Festive Food & Fun!

Booking Christmas Parties Any Size!

Booking Weddings!

Any Wedding Booked During the Holiday Season will get FREE Hall Rental & Linens!

Fri. & Sat.: Slow Cooked Prime RibJoin us for New Year’s Eve Dinner!

Special Holiday Vikings Game, Sat., Dec. 24

Tom & Jerry’s, Eggnog, Half Time Appetizers,

Friday, Dec. 23 BRUNOTELLI NIGHT

Join us for a Special Holiday Pasta Bar -Create Your Own Dish- It’s Fun & Delicious!

Free Hors d’oeuvres from 3-6 PMClosing at 6 PM

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

320-285-8085800-645-6336Grey Eagle, MN

Building Supplies

Mon.-Thurs.: 8-5; Fri., Dec. 23: 8-12 pmSat., Dec. 24: Closed

Mon., Dec. 26: Closed

Dec. 31-Jan. 2: Closed

Albany Fleet Supply Mon. - Sat.: 7 AM - 7 PM; Sun.: 9 AM - 5 PM 1241 Co. Rd 10, Albany • 320-845-4321Used Farm Machinery For Sale On Our Lot!

Albany Fleet Supply Gift Certificates Make a Great

Christmas Gift! Any Size Dollar

Amount.

Hometown News

Ad & News DeadlineThe deadline for news and advertising

in the Hometown News is Monday.

Letter to the EditorLetters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone numbers. Letters should be short and to the point. We reserve the right to edit lengthy let-ters. Email to: [email protected].

Published ByJohn and Lori Young

SubscriptionsThe subscription rates for

13 weeks is $15.00 26 weeks is $30.0052 weeks is $60.00

Mail to: Hometown News, 29442 120th St.,

Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

29442 120th St.Grey Eagle, MN 56336Phone: 320-285-2323

Fax: 320-285-5264Website:

www.hometownnews.bizEmail: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/hometownnews

Sales StaffJan Theisen

Cell: 320-333-9774Fax: 320-845-2067


Lori YoungOffice: 320-285-2323Cell: 612-597-2998Fax: 320-285-5264


Free ClassifiedsPersonal Classifieds are free. Limit of 20 words; 25¢ for each additional word. 20 words or less can be emailed. Classifieds over the word limit must be prepaid.Business related Help Wanted, For Rent classifieds are $5.00 for the first 20 words, 25¢ per each additional word.

Mail to: Hometown News, 29442 120th St., Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

email: [email protected]

Card of ThanksCards of Thanks is $2.50 for the first 50 words, 10¢ per each additional word. Must be prepaid.

AnnouncementsAnniversary open house, births, birthday open house, engagements, weddings and obituaries are free of charge for one publication. To have it published twice costs $10. A prestamped, self addressed envelope is required to return photos.

The Hometown News is a weekly publication, which is published and

distributed every Thursday.

• Hometown News • Thursday, December 22 2011

Upcoming Events

If you have an upcoming event or meeting, please let us know by email: htnews@meltelnet or call 320-285-2323.

DECEMBER 28 • Grey Eagle Senior Center Monthly Membership Meeting at the center at 12:45 p.m.

ALBANY TOWNSHIP • Meets the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany City Hall. • Planning Commission meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany City Hall.

BURNHAMVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Burtrum City Hall.

BURTRUM CITY COUNCIL • Meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

FREEPORT CITY COUNCIL • Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

GREY EAGLE CITY COUNCIL • Meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

GREY EAGLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the first Monday of the month at 8 p.m.

ST. ROSA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Community Park building.

SWANVILLE CITY COUNCIL • First Tuesday after the first Monday of the month.

SWANVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the second Tuesday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Swanville Fire Hall.

UPSALA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

Weekend WeatherSaturday Sunday

Partly sunny. High: 33 Low: 17

Mostly sunny. High: 30 Low: 14

Temperatures Date High Low 12/14 35 29 12/15 28 13 12/16 20 13 12/17 31 17 12/18 48 21 12/19 32 11 12/20 35 10

Friday

Mostly sunny. High: 27 Low: 13

Press ReleasesPress releases are welcome. They must be emailed to: [email protected].

By Harvey Mackay

Coach Mike Krzyzewski (bet-ter known as Coach K) recent-ly became the winningest coach in men’s college basketball Divi-sion 1 history. However, he al-most didn’t get the chance.

Coach K was nearly fired after his first three years at Duke University after going 21-34 in his second and third year, and 7-21 in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference. The Duke athletic director was considering firing Coach K, until he received a visit from Bob Knight -- Coach K’s college basketball coach at Army where both legends started their coaching careers. Knight told the AD he’d be making a big mistake -- in Bob’s rosy vocabulary.

Coach K stayed on and turned the Duke program around in his fourth year and went on to 11 Final Four appearanc-es and four NCAA championships.

Similarly, I write in my new book -- The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World -- about four Hall of Fame NFL coaches who started poorly. Tom Landry was 0-11-1 in 1960, Jimmy Johnson 1-15 in 1989, both with the Dallas Cowboys, Chuck Noll was 1-13 with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 and Bill Walsh 2-14 with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. They even got massacred in their second years. But management kept them on, and they were rewarded with 11 Super Bowl championships among them.

Face it; something set that new hire apart from the crowd. You had high hopes that their attributes would com-plement the rest of the team’s, and they would simply hit the ground running.

Your mistake.It wasn’t necessarily a bad hire. But

after the “job honeymoon” is over, your job as a manager is to make absolutely sure that they understand what you ex-pect. You also have to be willing to pro-

vide the training and support they need as they assume more and more respon-sibility.

It’s a common problem: A new hire starts out strong, only to slow down once the initial excitement of a new job begins to fade. If that happens to any of your brand-new employees, keep the spark alive with this advice:

• Address the problem promptly. Meet with the employee to review his or her early progress. Remind your new associate of all the reasons you hired him or her in the first place. Ask about problems, and reinforce your confidence in the person’s ability to do the job.

• Stay positive. You may be impa-tient, but when you deal with the em-ployee’s diminishing performance, con-centrate on coaching, not disciplining. Ask questions designed to find out what the employee needs to improve. A little compassion will go a long way toward rebuilding the employee’s attitude and creating a sense of loyalty.

• Focus on strengths. Examine what the new associate has done well in the first few months, and remind him or her of those successes. Don’t linger over mistakes or weaknesses. Try to expand on what the person is doing right.

• Perform a reality check. Are your expectations reasonable? Were you to-tally honest and forthcoming about the job description? Do you expect the new hire to immediately possess the same level of knowledge and competence as the person who had the job before -- per-haps for many years? Are you making the situation more difficult by your de-mands? You may have done things the same way forever, but the new employee is on a learning curve.

• Communicate. Be available, or as-sign someone to act as a resource. You didn’t hire a mind-reader. Make abso-lutely sure goals are clear and well un-derstood.

It takes time for personalities and work styles to mesh. After a reason-able, pre-determined probationary pe-riod, reassess the situation. If everyone has been honest from the initial inter-view through the first few months, there should be no misunderstandings. Make

a change if necessary.Hiring is hard work, if you do it

right. The last thing you want to say -- or hear -- is “I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life.” Such a big invest-ment of time and energy deserves a fair chance.

Just like in the Super Bowl, winning teams fight for every inch. Before you throw in the towel, make sure all the players know the game plan and are pre-pared to win.

Mackay’s Moral: With good coaching, new hires can become super-stars!

Reprinted with permission from na-tionally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us,” and the new book “The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World.”

Don’t give up too quickly when new employees lag

Village Cafe• Breakfast Specials (All Day)• Homemade Soups

320-285-2800Grey Eagle

Mon.-Sat.: 6 am-2 pm Sunday: 6 am-1 pm

• Noon Specials • Fresh ground coffee

Hometown News • Thursday, December 22, 2011 •

Birth Announcements

Annie’s Corner StoreGrey Eagle • 320-285-2600 Mon.-Sat.: 8 am.-5:30 pm.

Sun.: 8 am-12 Noon

Chris (Ann), Owner

Chris (Ann), OwnerAnnie Bruggenthies, Manager We accept Visa/MasterCard,

EBT Card, Wic

Prices good Dec. 20-31

Business For Sale Grocery, Meat & Rental Property.

Call 320-285-2600 or 320-267-1342, Ask for Chris.

MeatFresh Ground Beef Chuck, Steaks, Beef

Roast, Pork Loin & More at Everyday Low Prices!

MN Gold Bacon 12 oz. $3.49MN Gold Skin On Wieners

28 oz. $6.89Ambassador Beef Little Smokies Gluten

Free 14 oz. $3.29 Frozen

Cass Clay Ice Cream Squares $2.99 1/2 gal.

Best Maid Christmas Shape Cookie Dough 24 ct. 1.25 oz. ea. $4.80

Our Family Non Dairy Whip Topping 8 oz. $1.29

Our Family Sliced Strawberries 10 oz. $1.29

DairyCass Clay Orange Juice 1/2 gal. $2.89Cass Clay Cottage Cheese 22 oz. $3.29

Cass Clay Party Dips 12 oz. $1.59

GroceryMrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup 2 ct. $1.59

Quaker Old Fashion Rolled Oats 18 oz. $2.99

Manager Annie’s CornerParticipate in the Grey Eagle Trivia & Win a

FREE Pound of Hamburger

1. What is the make of the tractor did the Greener Garage sell?______________________

2. What religious denomination was in the church building now occupied by the Eagle’s Crossing prior to the United Methodist Church?____________________________________

3. Name:____________________________

4: Phone #: __________________________

Last Month Winner: Carolyn IlgenAnswers: 1. Villwock Hardware

2. Our Own Hardware

Frequent Shopper

December WinnerJoAnn Heffron

Ask for your card today!

• FREE Cass Clay Gallon of Milk w/a filled card

• FREE Cass Clay 5 qt. Pail Vanilla Ice Cream w/a filled card

Hunts Spaghetti Sauce Meat, Mushroom or Traditional 26.5 oz. $1.49

Bush Great Northern or Navy Beans 15.8-16 oz. 2/$1.98

Our Family Whole or Jellied Cranberries 14 oz. $1.29

Gurley Chocolate or Vanilla Almond Bark 20 oz. $2.49

Jello Cheesecake 11.1 oz. $2.59Our Family Light Corn Syrup 32 oz. $3.49

Household Xtra 2x w/Bleach Laundry

Detergent 75 oz. $3.69Best Value Toilet Tissue

4 roll $1.09Our Family Garbage Bags

30 gal. 20 ct. $3.59 Bounty Basic Paper

Towels 2/$1.49

Produce Gala Apples 2 lb. $1.59

Texas Red Grapefruit 79¢ lb.Russet Potatoes 5 lb. $1.39

• Custom Floral Arrangements• Tuxedo Rental

New Beginnings Floral Shoppe

Order Meat & Cheese trays

for all Holiday Entertaining!

Gift Baskets including

Fruit, Candy, Meat, Cheese, Gift Item from the Gift

Shoppe, etc.

Call Chris at 320-267-1342

Poinsettias Are Here!

Holiday DairyPromotion Winners:

Iris WolbeckLester Berscheit

Christmas Eve: 8 AM-3 PMChristmas Day: Closed

“Jesus is the reason for the season”

Wishing all our customers special blessings for the new year!

Ryan and Cassandra Leukam of Paynesville are proud to announce the birth of their son, Mason Aloys Morris Leukam, born Friday, December 16, 2011 at 1:33 a.m. at the CentraCare Health System-Melrose.

Mason weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 inches in length.

Welcoming Mason home are his brothers Brandon and Karter.

Grandparents are Rick Leukam of Paynesville, Robin Leukam of St. Cloud, and Bob and Cathy Lounsbury of Grove City. Great grandparents are Viola Leukam of Melrose and Julayne Lounsbury of Paynesville.

Mason Aloys Morris Leukam

Tracy and Martin Shay of Albany are proud to announce the birth of their daugh-ter born December 12, 2011 at the Albany Area Hospital & Medical Center.

Mark and Amanda Beuning of Hampstead, NC are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Helen Esther Beun-ing, born September 26, 2011 at 5:17 p.m.

Helen weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 21.5 inches in length.

Grandparents are Urban and Arlene Beuning of Melrose and Dave and Carol Hammen of Little Chute, WI. Great grandparents are Esther Beuning of Melrose and Jim Primus and Bernice Kluempke of Melrose.

Helen Esther BeuningSenior Dining Menus: December 26 - 30

Albany

Grey Eagle & Upsala

MON., DEC. 26: Lasagna, green beans, lettuce salad, garlic breadstick, pears.

TUE., DEC. 27: Roast beef, whipped potatoes, gravy, mixed vegetables, choc-olate mousse.

WED., DEC. 28: Hamburger, bun, baked beans, coleslaw, raspberry parfait.

THUR., DEC. 29: BBQ riblet, baked potato/sour cream peas & carrots, peanut butter cookie.

FRI., DEC. 30: Roast chicken, whipped potatoes, gravy, dilled carrots, dinner roll, sherbet.

~ The Lighter Side Menu ~MON., DEC. 26: Chicken spinach

salad, breadstick, pears.TUE., DEC. 27: Sweet/sour pork,

rice, mandarin oranges, chocolate mousse.

WED., DEC. 28: Stuffed green pep-per, fruit, dinner roll, raspberry parfait.

MON., DEC. 26: Closed.TUE., DEC. 27: Pork roast, mashed

potatoes, gravy, corn, dessert.WED., DEC. 28: Vegetable soup,

meat sandwich, fruit, bar.THUR., DEC. 29: Meatballs,

mashed potatoes, gravy, beets, cake.FRI., DEC. 30: Lasagna, lettuce sal-

ad, breadstick, fruit crisp.* Bread and skim milk served with each meal.Grey Eagle Dining Site: 320-285-4481

Upsala Dining Site: 320-573-4435

THUR., DEC. 29: Ham/cheese sub, vegetable soup, fruit sauce, peanut but-ter cookie.

FRI., DEC. 30: Cheese seafood penne pasta, broccoli, sherbet.* Bread and skim milk served with each meal.

Albany: 320-845-4070

A New Year, A new beginning, A new startRetrouvaille, A lifeline for marriages

Do you feel lost, alone or bored in your marriage? Are you frustrated, hurt or angry with your spouse? Are you constantly fighting? Have you thought about separation or divorce? If you an-swered Yes to any of these questions, Retrouvaille (pronounced re-tro-vi) can provide help.

Retrouvaille is a weekend program and six follow-up sessions which pro-vide the tools to help put a marriage in order again. Retrouvaille will help you

to rediscover each other and examine your lives together in a new and posi-tive way.

We care about marriages. Call Na-tional 800-470-2230, website www.retrouvaille.org. Central Minnesota 800-470-2230 or 320-255-5314, www.SavingMarriage.org. Locally you can call Jim & Shirley Fuchs 320-256-4085 & leave a message. Please be assured that your privacy will be strictly upheld.

Art Johnson Contruction

320-285-5430

Room Additions to full Home Construction

Grey Eagle, MN

Licensed • InsuredBonded

Brian’s PaintingInteriors, Exteriors, Staining, Varnishing

Brian Middendorf 320-285-4403 25 Years Experience

• Hometown News • Thursday, December 22, 2011

Obituaries

From the Staff atHillcrest Family Restaurant

and Stubby's Tavern

Hillcrest Restaurant will be closing at 2 PM on Christmas Eve and Closed Christmas Day

*Stubby’s Tavernwill be closing at 4 PM

on Christmas Eveand Closed Christmas Day

Book Your Christmas Party Available Handling Groups of 20-150

Call for Info & Reservations

Kitchen Restaurant Hours:Sunday - Thursday: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.Friday & Saturday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

320-845-21681 Block off I-94 Albany Exit

1004 Shamrock Lane • Albany

Family RestaurantSTUBBY’S TAVERN

Christine M. “Cris” KuhlmanChristine M.

“Cris” Kuhlman, age 46 of Long Prairie, died W e d n e s d a y , December 14, 2011 at The C o m m u n i t y Memorial Home in Osakis, Minnesota, after a long courageous battle with breast cancer.

M e m o r i a l Services were

held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 20 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Grey Eagle with Rev. Mary Lee Gens officiating.

Christine Marie Kuhlman was born August 11, 1965 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Richard and Genevieve (Paavola) Kuhlman. She graduated from

Grey Eagle High School in 1983. She worked various jobs in the area including property management for Northern Management and Sand Companies. Cris attended the St. Cloud Technical College from 2005 to 2007 where she studied business management and was active in the Dex group. Cris enjoyed going to the casino, fishing, scrapbooking, stamping and spending time with her family.

Survivors include her mother and step-father William Gay of Grey Eagle; three daughters, Stephanie of Grey Eagle, Sarah of Fergus Falls and Brandy of Grey Eagle; brothers and sister, Michael Hatlestad of Sauk Centre, Richard “Buck” Kuhlman of Long Prairie and Vicki Peterka of Osakis; and aunt Bea Kraker of Minneapolis.

Cris was preceded in death by her grandparents; father; uncle, Joe Paavola and aunt, Marylee Larson.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Grey Eagle.

Duane K. McDermondDuane K. McDermond Sr., age 80,

passed away on December 16th, 2011 after a brief struggle with pancreatic cancer.

The family is planning a service to be held at a military cemetery which the place and date has not been decided.

He was born and grew up in Grey Eagle, MN. the son of Clinton and Rose, brother to Jim, Richard, and Bill. He graduated from Grey Eagle High in 1950 and soon after joined the U.S. Navy serving during the Korean conflict. After the service he settled in Bowie, MD where he had a rewarding career working in

the unmanned space program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt MD. He later moved to the Baltimore area where he enjoyed his retirement as a proud pop pop working around the house, researching genealogy, following politics and spending time with his wife and their granddaughter. He had fond memories of growing up in the Grey Eagle area and visited frequently.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn, four children, ten grandchildren, one great grandchild, three step children and six step grandchildren.

EXTRA HOLIDAY HOURSOPEN Mon., Dec. 26

thru Sun., Jan. 1 Day Hours Only 11 AM-5 PM

EAGLE MOUNTAIN

Christmas Eve: Sat., Dec. 24 • 11 AM-3 PMChristmas Day: Sun., Dec. 25 • Closed

33861 Breezy Drive Burtrum, MN 56318320-573-2222

www.eaglemountainge.com

Eagle Mountain Snow TubingOnly $10

for 2 Hours of Tubing Fun!

Flensburg Liquor“Open 7 days a week” • 320-632-9024

Serving a full menu & daily specials.

Sunday: Chicken Buffet 11 AM-2 PM • All you can eat $8.95

Mon.: Burgers $1.50 (5-9 PM)Wed.: Large 2 Topping Pizza $10.50Thurs.: 5-9 PM Wing Night $3.25/lb.

Sundays - 7:30 PMKEY FOR CASH DRAWING

$75 Jackpot

Bingo Dec. 27: $725 Blackout

with 58 numbers or less

Tuesdays 7:00 PM

Christmas Eve: Closing at 5 PM

Christmas Day: Closed

New Year’s Eve Party9 PM - 1 AM

DJ DANIEL

ALL STARSSPORTS BAR & GRILL

St. Rosa • 320-836-2154

All You Can Eat Fish... $6.5021 Shrimp............... $5.50Grilled Shrimp.......... $9.9512 oz. Ribeye........... $8.95

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve: 10 am-6 pm

Friday Night Specials

Join Us New Year’s EveDJ

Kringen’s Korner - By Jon Kringen, LPGE SuperintendentThis week’s column will be a devia-

tion from the normal topics as we head into the traditional Christmas and New Year break and celebrations.

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have taken the time to visit with me, call or email with feedback on this column. All comments are appreciated and it is gratifying to know that so many people read this on a weekly basis; this is motivation to continue to write and try to develop topics that may interest read-ers.

Second, I would like to say Merry

Christmas to all readers. This time of year is a great time for families to re-connect and remember what is truly important in our lives. All too often, we get caught up in politics, finance and the other problems that tend to dominate our daily lives and forget to focus on all of the positives in our lives.

Lastly, Happy New Year! There is nothing quite so optimistic as the start of a new year. Whether we hope for the better on a local, state, national or global scale or simply hope to keep one of those resolutions that we make; good luck to all of you.

Upcoming Wellness Class scheduledA Wellness Class covering Heart-

burn, Acid Reflux, GERD, IBS, Con-stipation, Gluten and Celiac issues on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, from 5:15-7:00 p.m., at Sacred Heart Church basement in Freeport.

This class is presented by Dr. Deb Proechel, chiropractic and naturopathic physician. The program is free. Please pre-register by calling 320-836-7150 or 888-827-7859 prior to 10:00 a.m. on the class date.

Property owners along state high-ways are reminded to use only blue or clear reflectors when marking driveway entrances and other objects on highway rights of way, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

People installing reflectors on the highway right of way need to follow these guidelines:

• Reflectors posted near mailboxes and driveways should be blue or clear in color and at least three inches wide.

MnDOT reminds property owners of reflector requirements along highways

• Reflectors should be double-sided and positioned so they can be seen from both directions.

• Driveway reflectors should be post-ed at least 12 feet from the outside edge of the shoulder and no more than five feet above the ground.

• Reflectors should never be placed on mailboxes or permanent posts, includ-ing red and orange colored reflectors and any type of reflective tape. Motorists may confuse reflectors with vehicle lights.

Merry Christmas!From Jill & Deb

Hours: Tues. - Fri: 11-6;

Sat: 9-12

Style ‘n Go320-285-7780Grey Eagle

THEFINISHINGTOUCH

CUSTOM CABINETS & FURNITUREKitchen Cabinets • Bathroom Cabinets • Bedroom

Sets • Pre-Finishing of Trim • Free EstimatesCorey Miller, Owner, Albany 320-492-7808

BURTRUM LiquorMon.-Thurs. 11 am to 11 pm

Fri.-Sat. 11 am-1 am 320-285-2196

Old Milwaukee While Supplies

Last!24 pk After Rebate

Yearly MN Raffle Tickets Available Now-Jan. 1st!Two $1 Million Raffle, Plus Vehicles & More! See bar for details.

$8.99

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. We hope you & your family a safe & relaxing

holiday season & a prosperous 2012. Merry Christmas!

December 15, 2011: At approxi-mately 4:01 p.m. the Todd County Sher-iff’s Office received information regard-ing a one vehicle accident on 331st. Ave. in Burnhamville Township. A 2000 Chevy Cavalier driven by Kayla John-son of rural Swanville entered the ditch and struck the embankment after swerv-ing to miss an on coming vehicle. The

Todd County Sheriff’s Dept800-794-5733 • 320-732-2157

other vehicle involved is described as a dark blue passenger car which did not stop at the scene of the accident. John-son was treated for minor injuries at the Long Prairie Hospital. Johnson’s vehicle sustained severe damage. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Todd County Sher-iff’s Office.


320-285-4541 Formerly the Golden Eagle

December SpecialSunday $2.00 Off

Chicken Dinners (All Day!)

Mon.: Featuring MN Gold Hot Dog Bar $4.95Tues.: Taco Bar $5Wed.: Burger Night $1.50Thurs.: Steak Night - $1.50 OFF Sirloin DinnersFri.: Shipwrex Seafood Platter $11.95Sat.: Ribeye Au Jus $12.95

DINNER

Daily Lunch Specials

Christmas Eve: Closing After the

Vikings GameChristmas Day:

ClosedOpen 11 AM Monday

New Year’s Eve Buffet Starting at 5 PMHigh Octane (9-1) w/DJ Shawn & Jody

Happy Holidays

Breakfast & Lunch SpecialsBucket of Chicken - Pizzas To Go!

Back Room Available for Parties!

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 am - 1 am

Linda B’sSt. Rosa, MN • 836-2152

For Catering Needs, Give Us a Call!

Evening Specials Serving 5-10 PM

Mon.: Pizza & Pitcher of Beer/PopTues.: Chicken Fry: Real Potatoes, Gravy & All The Extras! Free coffee for senor citizensWed.: Pasta NightThurs.: Delicious BBQ Ribs & ChickenFri.: Hand Battered Fish Fry with Shrimp or Pan Fried WalleyeSat., Dec. 24: Closing at 6 PM

Christmas Eve: Closing

at 6 PM

Merry Christmas!

Watch for New Year’s Eve

Specials

Monday's: $4.95 1/2 Nacho

Tuesday’s: $1.50 6 oz. Burger Night

Wednesday’s: $6.95 8 pc. Broasted Chicken

Thursday’s: $5.45 Drummie Basket w/ toast & Fries

Friday’s: $14.00 12” 2 topping Pizza

w/pitcher of beer

~ Nightly Specials 5-9 PM ~

Dine-in Only

On/Off Sale320-547-2120Swanville

Gift Certificates Make Great Stocking Stuffers! Purchase

$25 or more in Gift Certificates and receive a Free Drink!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve: Open 10 am-6 pm Stop in for a free Tom & Jerry Vikings Game at 3 pmChristmas Day: Open at 5 pm Kitchen Closed. Pizza/Subs Available

PT CookWanted

By Saralee PerelI’ve been a

psychotherapist for 22 years. Hence, many people ask me for advice, espe-cially around the holidays. So I figured it would be a good idea

for me to put the most commonly asked questions in “Dear Abby” format. I’m Jewish, so I’ll use my Hebrew name: Bubby Wisenheimer.

Dear Bubby,My parents always want us to go to

their house on Christmas. But my hus-band’s parents want us at their home too. Which ones should we pick?

Sincerely,I Really Hate My Parents — Please

Don’t Pick Them!Dear Pick,This is a common problem for

which there is no answer. But it’s clearly not the season to feel hatred and favorit-ism. Base your decision on which set of parents will leave you the biggest inheri-tance.

Dear Dr. Wisenheimer,I want to buy my wife the perfect

gift. I was thinking about a new vacuum cleaner. What do you think?

Signed,A Great HusbandDear Bonehead,That’s a brilliant idea. Please tell

your wife to buy you a new baby-chang-ing station.

Dear Bub,I’m 18 and pregnant. How do I tell

my mother? She’ll notice any day.Signed,Your Daughter RachelDear . . . what!?Well, I’m sure your wonderful

mother would understand. What if she told you she doesn’t even know who your father is?

From Rachel:I’d freak out!Dear Rachel,Um . . . never mind.

Dear Bubby Wisenheimer,During the holidays, I always put

on 15 pounds. I confess that instead of

Cockamamie Holiday Advicesalt and pepper, my favorite seasoning is peanut butter. My stomach is so round, I can no longer balance a plate of spa-ghetti on it. And lately, I’m acting so crazy that I’ve literally started talking to myself. I need help!

Sincerely,Saralee PerelOh Dear Me,This is a common problem for which

there is no answer.Gentle readers, the holidays are jam-

packed with The Fun Police. They’re the ones who push joyous noel-ly things like carrot sticks, low-fat icky stuff and those delectable new Dunkin’ Donuts diet “Flatbread” sandwiches made out of steamed papier-maché. They also make up those incessant “instead of” lists, such as:

1. Instead of ice cream, substitute low-fat yogurt.

2. Instead of putting real eggs in eggnog, substitute Eggbeaters.

I have my own list of guaranteed ap-petite suppressants.

1. Instead of giblet gravy, think about what giblets really are.

2. Instead of apple pie, picture Bill and Hillary having sex.

I ask: Can’t we enjoy the season without going crazy about putting on a couple of pounds or who gets what or pleasing everybody at once? I think we can. And frankly, I believe most of us know what truly matters and what doesn’t.

Last evening, while leaving Stop & Shop, I heard a gal ask the Salva-tion Army fellow why he wasn’t wear-ing gloves. He said, “Maybe I’ll get an early Christmas present.” Shortly, I saw her come back out of the store. She had no groceries. She only had a new pair of gloves. She quickly handed them to him and rushed away so fast that he had to call out to her to be heard, “Thank you from the very bottom of my heart!”

She waved her hand and disap-peared into the night.

Now that’s what I call holiday mag-ic.

Nationally syndicated columnist, Saralee Perel, can be reached at [email protected]. Please click “like” on her Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/4footedcoach/.

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Amanda Rieffer, daughter of Joel and Gail Rieffer, recently was awarded the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

Swanville High School Student Achieves Presidential Physical Fitness Award

Her physical education teacher, Mr. Poegel writes: “Persistence and Extra Ef-fort Pay Off!

Amanda Rieffer is a person who pushes herself to be the best she can be. Last year Amanda was the only student who qualified for the top Presidential Fit-ness Award. She will receive a Presiden-tial Fitness certificate and a Presidential Fitness patch for her letter jacket.

Amanda did not pass the mile run on the test the first time around but she was persistent and kept asking when she could redo the mile again. When Amanda ran the mile the second time around she did not leave anything to chance. Amanda came in well under what she needed to qualify for the award. Congratulations to Amanda and her family as they have one more pos-itive to celebrate this Christmas.”

Swanville ExCel StudentsS w a n v i l l e

High School is pleased to an-nounce its ExCel Award Winners for 2011-2012. Colten Kruzel, son of Allen and Janal Kruzel, and Tracy and Tim Hannah, and Ab-

bey Schultz, daughter of Jill and Char-lie Schultz, are this year’s recipients. The ExCel Award is sponsored by the MN State High School League, and is for juniors who excel academically, are involved in at least one MN State High School League Activity, and are a leader in their school and community.

Colten is involved in football, bas-

ketball, and band. Abbey is in-volved in tennis, basketball, soft-ball, and theater. She is also presi-dent of the Junior Class. Both Col-ten and Abbey are leaders in the school, and can

be counted on to help out where needed.Congratulations Colten and Abbey!


Community Snapshots EMAIL US YOUR PHOTOS! • [email protected]

The knitting/crocheting group that meets at the Village View Apartments on Tuesday nights donated hats to the Empty Stocking program. Anyone is welcome to join them from 6-8 p.m. They will also teach anyone who wants to learn to knit or crochet. If you have any yarn laying around, you are welcome to donate it to them.

The Holdingford St. Isidore Knights of Columbus Council recently donated $250.00 to the Holdingford Food Shelf. Pictured is Grand Knight Eugene Breth presenting a check for $250.00 to Holdingford Food Shelf Manager, Mary Stalberger. Other recent donation recipients included Camp Friendship at Annandale, the Holdingford Area Respect Life Committee, and a college scholarship applicant. (Submitted by Roger Doucet.)

Jason Theisen of Albany pulled up a 10 pound Walleye on his favorite fishing lake. (Photo submitted.)

Thinking on the Christ of Christmas, a man said, “Jesus is the only Somebody you can’t match!” How true!

Consider His pre-existence. Jesus didn’t begin when He was born. Before He became Jesus of Nazareth, He was

the Son of God. He always was and will be the God-Man.

Consider His pre-choice. He’s the only one who chose His mother and His name before he was born. He chose the Virgin Mary, and was born without a human father; and He chose the name Jesus.

Consider the puzzle. One question determines the destiny of our souls. Pi-late asked it, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?”

His own rejected Him. The soldiers ejected Him. Some have neglected Him. But I have accepted Him. What will you do with Him?

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Merry ChristmasFrom All of Us At Lange Oil

Thank you for your business throughout the year! We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and God’s continued blessings in the New Year!


Minnesota Through The Lens: Submitted by Jan Theisen

To submit a nature photo for Minnesota Through The Lens, email it in it’s original (large) size to [email protected].

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Dancing to the tune of “Follow Me,” the Upsala Dance Team entertained fans and family for the Upsala-St. John’s Prep boys basketball game in Upsala on Tuesday. Pictured (front, from left) Kim DeZurik, Madeline Pekarek, Hayley Peterson, Marissa Perry, Rebecca Scepaniak; (second row) Hope Boeckerman, Megan Tschida, Emma Guthrie, Shana Brenhaug, Tara Christian; (third row) Margaux Douvier, Chelsey Wolbeck, Miranda Voller, Kristen Smieja, Katie Dziengel; (back) Elana Youngbauer, Johannah Verholen, Kim Mayer, Amanda Tschida. (Not pictured: Rachel Schlumpberger and Marie Blonigen.)

Santa Day was held in Swanville last Saturday. Photo by Jan Theisen.

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And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord

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Notes from the Capitol By State Rep. Paul Anderson

As we gath-er with family for the holiday season, it’s my wish that you have a blessed Christmas. This is a wonderful time of year, one that’s meant to be shared with oth-ers. It can also be a difficult time, especially for

those who are alone or who have recently lost a loved one. Let’s remember them as we share this holiday with others.

Looking back at the past year, it has seen its share of ups and downs. The legislative session was challenging as we faced a huge potential deficit with a di-vided government, that is, a Democratic governor and Republicans in control of both the House and Senate. Those budget differences weren’t resolved by the time the regular session ended so we went into a state shutdown. That unpleasant situa-tion lasted 19 days, with pressure mount-ing as each day passed. An agreement that no one fully embraced was finally

reached, and the state slowly started re-turning to normal.

As we hear daily reports out of Wash-ington of gridlock on the federal level, I am thankful for many facets of our state government. First, and foremost, is the constitutional requirement that we bal-ance the budget every two years. I don’t think many of us can fully imagine a tril-lion dollars and the fact that our federal government is 14 trillion in debt. Or that 40 cents of every dollar spent from our federal budget is borrowed!

Balancing our state budget is not easy; decisions must be made that some-times are not popular. In addition, some will say that borrowing from our schools is not the correct way to balance the bud-get. I would agree it’s not a perfect solu-tion, but many school officials are quick to say that a shift is preferable to an out-right cut. With the latest budget forecast showing the state beginning to build up a surplus once again, there is hope we can, at least, start to re-pay the K-12 shift.

Those involved in transportation or agriculture are certainly noticing the high price of diesel fuel, along with the wide price differential between diesel and gasoline. Earlier this fall, I fueled

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came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. -Linus Van Pelt

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my grain truck at a local station, and the pump price was $4.29 per gallon. Right alongside was the gas pump with a post-ed price of $3.20. Not only is that the largest spread I’ve ever seen between the two fuels, but there were also spot short-ages of diesel fuel during the fall harvest season.

This country literally runs on diesel fuel. National studies are showing that us-age of gasoline is gradually going down, while demand for diesel is increasing. With our smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, that trend is likely to continue. Re-fineries are turning out all the diesel fuel they can, but most still produce more gas than diesel in the refining process. This is

a situation our country needs to address.The oil boom in western North Da-

kota is one of the reasons given for high prices and spot shortages of diesel fuel. In addition to all the trucks running out there, diesel fuel is also used in the oil drilling and pumping process. At a recent conference, we were told that it takes around 1,500 gallons of fuel per day just to run the oil rig pump. Another couple thousand gallons are pumped down the well to lubricate the drill bits. And in cold weather, another thousand gallons or so are utilized to power boilers used to heat water.

Once again, to you and yours, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rep. Anderson encourages constitu-ents to contact his new office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at [email protected]. To contact An-derson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 445 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.

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Inactive CatholicA Christmas InvitationIf you’ve been away from the Church, or are drifting away

from it; if you have been hurt by the Church or are confused or angry because of your Catholic experience, please

consider this invitation to come and talk with us. Reclaiming people was central to Jesus’s ministry & mission

which he has entrusted to the church. Come home for Christmas!

Grey Eagle United Methodist Church

Candlelighting ServiceSaturday, Dec. 24 • 4:00 PM

The Grey Eagle United Methodist Church is located at Todd County Roads 2 and 47

Special Notice: No Service on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011.

Christ the Savior is BornUpdate Building Supplies

Santa’s 12 Days of Christmas Raffle Held Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011

By the St. Rosa Jaycees & St. Rosa Lions

Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket for our raffle.

Kathy ElferingGilbert RoerickLoren PundsackDave EhlertRichard VogelBill BlommelJason ArnzenLawrence TerweyAllen RoerickTom MeyerMindy BauerLornie MiddendorfPaul & Stacy SchifflerLogan GillespieDan LundbergLisa WalterDillon SundermannTom SchmittAndrew EngelmeyerRomie BertramAl RennekerVic ElferingRoseMary MatchinskyMarvin SchneiderRonnie AustingMary LomaxChuck UphoffElmer BoeckerAl & Hildegard KociembaSimon HellermannJane TretterDonna Welle

Barb KosnerTom SchmittClara PundsackLaura KerfeldTroy CoxTim VogelKelly DalbySugar OpatzCharles PflipsenKathy FunkLynn SchifflerAlice KlasenBrian HinnenkampMarvin RoheDarrin SalzmanDanny RipkaTom & Vicki HerkenhoffTammy WaldvogelMichelle SchulzetenbergTim FeldewerdRichard VogelJim RennekerJeff LangeLinda MeyerPete Terres, Sr.Dave RahnKen BoeckerSam SalzlJanelle RoerickJim EngelmeyerAmbrose RellerDuane Bertram

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By Representative Mike LeMieur Christmas is a time for enjoying fam-

ily and friends and looking forward to the New Year. I came across this story and wanted to share it with you. I hope that it inspires you, the way it has inspired me, to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Price-less works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action.

The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness.

On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home.

A man introduced himself to the wid-owed man by saying, “I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.” As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man’s son had told everyone of his father’s love of fine art.

“I’m an artist,” said the soldier, “and I want to give you this.” As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the solider, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace.

True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thou-sands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.

The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, he told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation. With the collector’s passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auc-tion. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on

A Christmas to rememberChristmas day, the day he had received his greatest gift.

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, “Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s forget it and go on to the good stuff.”

“No, we have to sell this one first,” re-plied the auctioneer. “Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. “Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.” “I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?” called the auc-tioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice. Gone.” The gavel fell.

The auctioneer looked at the audi-ence and announced the auction was over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Some-one spoke up and asked, “What do you mean it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here!

The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son - gets it all.”

May we take a few moments this Christmas to reflect on the blessings we have, and the sacrifices of others to en-sure our freedoms. It is my hope that we will remember the reason for the season, a baby born over 2,000 years ago came into the world, and we celebrate year after year together. May this Christmas bring happi-ness to you and your families and hope for the coming year!

Representative Mike LeMieur can be reached by phone at 651-296-4247 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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Local Municipality Minutesbeen completed and new signs are in place.

The board heard a report from the Grey Eagle Fire Depart-ment meeting.

Bruce Township heard back from their resident that left the tree cuttings along 210th St. which our township maintains. He stated he would remove the wood from the road right of way. The board appreciated the coop-eration of Bruce Township Board in this matter.

All townships are required to have a sign maintenance and replacement program in place by January 2012. The board will re-view a model plan from the town-ship association and will adopt a plan at next month’s meeting.

ard supports the Muellner turkey barn project as it will bring in more revenue for the area.

Motion was made by Sup. Berscheit to pay all bills num-bered 4559 through 4568: Rev. $584.58, R&B $19,994.45, Fire

Burnhamville TownshipNovember 29, 2011

The regular meeting of the Town Board of Burnhamville Township was held November 29, 2011 at the Burtrum Com-munity Center. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by chairman Mike Berscheit. Mem-bers present include Supervisors: Mike Berscheit, Louis Thomp-son, Bruce Johnson; Clerk Shir-ley Hulinsky; and Treasurer Pam Throener. Others present: Erv Herdering.

Sup. Johnson made a mo-tion to approve the minutes of the October 25, 2011 regular meet-ing. Motion seconded by Sup. Thompson. Motion passed.

Correspondence included a census form the township needed to complete as well as the nox-ious weed report and planning and zoning notices from the county.

The redesign of intersection of 321st Ave and County 104 has

$5.67. Sup. Thompson seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s report showed a balance of $118,130.87 before to-night’s bills. Report was approved with a motion by Sup. Berscheit and seconded by Sup. Thompson . Motion passed.

A motion was made by Sup. Berscheit to adjourn the meet-ing which was seconded by Sup. Thompson. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m.

Next regular meeting will be on December 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Burtrum Community Center.

These are unofficial minutes.Shirley Hulinsky, Clerk

Burtrum CityDecember 5, 2011

The meeting of the Burtrum City Council was called to order on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. by Mayor Allen. All coun-cil members answered roll call.

Minutes of the November 7th meeting were read and approved on a motion by Jenny Ahrendt and seconded by Clara Taft. Upon vote motion approved.

Finance report was read and approved on a motion by Ron Strassburg and seconded by Anna Payne. Upon vote motion carried. Motion was made to approve pay-ment of checks number 6932 thru 6942 by Clara Taft and seconded by Jenny Ahrendt. Upon vote mo-tion carried.

Under old business, a dog running at large was discussed. Owner will be notified.

There was no new business. Motion to adjourn the meet-

ing was made by Anna Payne and seconded by Ron Strassburg. Upon vote motion carried.

These are unapproved min-utes.

Dorothy Strassburg, City Clerk

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Affidavits of Candidacy for township board March election may be filed with the clerk at her home beginning Tuesday, January 3, 2012 until 5 p.m. on Tuesday January 17, 2012. Offices to be elected include: One supervisor for a 3 year term One clerk for a 2 year term Filing fee $2 The clerk may be contacted at 320-285-2050.

Shirley Hulinsky, Burnhamville Township clerk

Public NoticeResidents of Burnhamville Township

Due to the New Years’ holiday, the January 2012 monthly township meeting will be changed to Monday, January 9, 2012. We will start at the regular scheduled time, 8:00 p.m.

Mary Ann Primus, Grey Eagle Township Clerk/Treas.

Grey Eagle Township Notice

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I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dum-mies know that!”

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma al-ways told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she

I remember my first Christmas adventure with grandma - I was just a kid...

snorted....”Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”

“Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.

I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but nev-er had I shopped for anything all by my-self. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dol-lar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Deck-er didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough; he didn’t have a

Santa continued to pg 11

Letter to the EditorBy Senator Ingebrigtsen

As a republican senator, I am very disappointed with recent actions of members of my party. Our employee’s deserve to work in a place that does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. I do not condone these wrong doings and will in-sist on the proper sanctions.

The public’s trust has been vio-lated. I will assure you that I will work hard in our caucus to regain a level of professionalism, accountability and in-tegrity. Minnesotans should hold their elected officials to the highest standards. I promise you that I will serve to meet that trust.


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FOR SALE: New super duty 6x10 two wheel trailer, removable sides, must see, $1,800. Call 320-285-3501.

FOR SALE: 26 in. Sony color TV, A1 shape, dish receiver included, $50. Call 320-836-2887.

FOR SALE: Pronto M91 powered wheel chair, good condition, can be used inside your home. For Sale: Pacesaver Passport scooter, good condition. Call 320-697-5564 after 6 p.m., Elrosa, MN. 1/5P

FOR SALE: Men’s XL winter coats, leather jacket, nice suit, rest are very nice. Call 320-584-5017.

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FOR SALE: Lift chair, excellent shape, $500. Call 320-256-3858.

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1____________ 2____________ 3____________ 4____________ 5_________ 6_____________7____________ 8____________ 9___________ 10_________ 11____________ 12___________ 13___________ 14____________ 15_________ 16____________ 17___________ 18___________ 19____________ 20_________ $.25___________ $.50___________ $.75___________ $1.00_________ $1.25_________ $1.50__________ $1.75___________ $2.00__________ $2.25_________ $2.50_________ $2.75_________ $3.00_________ $3.25_________

Classified AdvertisingPersonal For Sale, Wanted, Giveaway type ads are FREE up to 20 words. 25¢ For Each Additional Word. Pre-Paid.

Business Ads: For Rent, Help Wanted, Service type ads are $5.00 for 20 words. 25¢ For Each Additional Word. Pre-Paid.

Did you remember your phone number?

Email to: [email protected] Mail to: Hometown News

29442 120th St., Grey Eagle, MN 56336

*We Do Not Accept Classified Ads Over the Telephone.

FIREWOOD FOR SALE· Oak, $200/cord· White Birch, $250/cord· Basswood, $150/cord· Delivery AvailableFor more info, call Steve at

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CatsOk

Equal Housing Opportunity

Season’s Greetings!

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FOR SALE: Split fire wood, Maple, Ash & mixed. Call 320-746-2320. 12/22

FOR SALE: Big square & round bales of hay. Call Josh, 320-761-0778. tfn

FOR SALE: Firewood, cut, split, dry, also boiler wood, $100 cord. Call 320-845-2043, leave message. tfn

BUSINESS FOR SALE: Grocery, meat & rental property. Call 320-285-2600 or 320-267-1342, ask for Chris.

FOR RENT: 1 & 2 bedroom apartments in Albany available now, 2 bdrm $445/mo., 1 bdrm $375/mo., $100 deposit, cats ok. Call Loreen 763-238-0616. AAtfnB

APARTMENT FOR RENT: 1 bed-room+ a loft, Grey Eagle. Call 320-285-2600 or 320-267-1342, ask for Chris.

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For more information, contact Julie at 320-573-2151.

Equal Housing Opportunity

Santa continued from page 10good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.”

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really need-ed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bi-ble) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explain-ing as we went that I was now and for-ever officially, one of Santa’s helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.”

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, be-side my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ri-diculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents the week before Christmas. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs.

“I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE! AND AN XBOX 360! AND I PRAY FOR THE NEW IRON MAN COMIC BOOK!”

His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said, “Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn’t deaf.”

To which the little brother replied, “No, but Grandma is!”

Prayer


Albany Area Home Care and Hospice Avon Medical Clinic

www.albanyareahospital.comAlbany Medical Center will be closed

December 24, 26 and 31.

With Caring Thoughts at Christmas

We appreciate the gift of your confidence & trust.

We wish you and your familya very healthy Christmas season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM GESSELL AUTO SALES, INC.

OUR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL:

Buy a Car at the Fantastic Advertised Price + the Standard $50 Dealer Doc. Fee, We Take Care of the

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Fees. Offer Good Thru 12/31/11No Hidden Fees - No B.S.!

Merry Christmas From the Gessells!

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2001 Chev S-10 Blazer LT - 4.3 V6, 4x4, 4dr, Leather Int., Nice Clean Rig! $4,695.002000 Buick LeSabre Custom - 4dr, 3800 V6, Loaded w/opts., Moon-Roof , Leather Int., Nice Car!............................ $5,750.00

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320-285-7116 (Burtrum, Romie Sr.)320-285-3751 (GE, Romie Jr.)320-232-0231 (Romie Jr.-Cell)

GESSELL AUTO SALES, INC.

Burtrum/Grey Eagle, MN

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!Hometown News

Lori - Jan - John - Brandon

Merry Christmas & Have a Happy Safe & Healthy New Year fromCentral MN Westwind AntiquesWe are closed for the season, but give us a call if you need

any furniture, appliances etc., or have items to sell. Contact Lee 320-630-6111 or Ken 320-232-0444.

The Corner of Hwy. 27 & 284 miles North of Swanville • 12 miles East of Long Prairie

Watch for Our Spring Opening Dates. Thank You For All Your Support.

Hometown News Dec. 22, 2011

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Transcript of Hometown News Dec. 22, 2011