Ervin Bedner, 86, of Hutchinson, formerly of Eagle Bend, died Friday, May 9, at Hutchinson Community Hospital.

Arrangements are pending with Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

Linda Anderson, 63, of Litchfield, wife of David Anderson, died Thursday, May 8, at her home.

Arrangements are pending with Hantge Funeral Chapel in Darwin. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

Kelly Paul Peterson, 40, of Kimball, the last of three defendants convicted of distributing the highly addictive and dangerous drug methamphetamine, also known as meth, was sentenced May 5.

Peterson was sentenced in Minneapolis by United States District Court Judge Donovan Frank to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of aiding and abetting distribution of meth.

From Rick D. Shackelford
Head Boys and Girls Track Coach
Renville County West High School

I would like to thank Leader Sports Editor Eric Kraushar for his kind words in his online blog about the loss of Al Handahl. Eric knew him for about a year and it was easy to read the impression Al had made on him. The kids at Renville County West have known Al their entire lives and I have known him for close to 20 years, so you can imagine the imprint he has made on our lives.

From Mayor Steve Cook
Hutchinson

Because of the importance of Local Government Aid to Hutchinson and many other cities in Minnesota, a few comments that have been made recently in letters to the editor in the Leader should be addressed. First, the LGA program replaced several other aid programs and was designed to provide tax base equalization so all Minnesota cities could provide basic levels of services at a reasonable tax rate.

From Shelly Grorud and Tari Niemeyer
McLeod County Thrive Action Team Coordinators Hutchinson

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is today, May 8.

Research shows that there have been rising numbers of children birth to 5 years old who are experiencing mental health concerns. You may be asking, “So, what is early childhood mental health?”
Early childhood mental health is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development. Mental health in children can be explained by the child’s ability to:

• Self-regulate and express emotions appropriately.

From Edwin Engelmann
Franklin

I live in rural Minnesota. I am a Veteran of the U.S. Navy Submarine Service, an ongoing patient at Veterans Hospital for service-connected disabilities, a father and grandfather.

I am also on the board of directors for the Aurora Borealis chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws of Minnesota.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, a day when we honor mothers of all kinds. In Minnesota, we might jest that moms come in two distinct groups: anglers and non-anglers. Most moms belong to the latter group.

But even moms who are crazy about fishing aren’t all that crazy about Mother’s Day falling on the same weekend as the state’s walleye opener. This year, a Minnesota outdoorsman who also happens to be a state senator tried to move the state’s walleye opener to the weekend before Mother’s Day.

The vast majority of municipally owned liquors stores in Minnesota are in the smaller towns and cities of Greater Minnesota. So it is not unusual that 40 of the 44 stores listed in a recent state auditor’s report as losing money in 2006 were Greater Minnesota city-owned liquor stores.

A declining customer base and hard economic times are making it difficult for small-town municipals to survive. Overall, seven cities got out of the liquor-selling business in 2006, even while total sales increased for a record 11th consecutive year to $281.2 million.

On command, Prancer and Shuba step forward in well-practiced unison until a firm “whoa” brings them to a halt. Another single command sends them stepping backward to their original starting point.

Standing 15 feet away, owner Jim Dostal watches with pride as his 22-year-old draft horses complete the task. He isn’t even in the seat, or at the reins, of the manure spreader they are hitched to at his Hutchinson Township farm.

By Brian McNeill, University of Minnesota Extension

The countdown has begun and summertime is just around the corner. Are you ready? This is a great time to start to budget and plan for the kind of summer you want for your children.

Research indicates that children unsupervised after school are at significantly higher risk of truancy, stress, receiving poor grades, early experimentation with sex and substance abuse. If this is what research says about after-school time, imagine what the summer hours could bring.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services has approved sending more than $12.9 in federal money to various agricultural producers in Minnesota’s Seventh District through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

By Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota Extension

Moisture content of hay at time of baling is the single biggest hay fire risk factor. Since 2000, there have been over 900 livestock and poultry barn fires in Minnesota, resulting in over $26 million in damages (Minnesota Fire Incident Reporting System). Although not specifically tracked by MFIRS, some of these fires have been caused by spontaneous combustion of hay that was baled too wet.

University of Minnesota Extension and the Working Family Resource Center are offering an online training for parents from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21. “We Agree: Creating a Parenting Plan” is a workshop for parents who care for their children in separate homes.

When families change through separation, divorce, remarriage or a paternity action, a whole new set of challenges arises for parents and their children. Decisions need to be made about where children will live, how parents will share parenting time, rules, activities, education and many other elements of daily care.

The annual meeting of the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 16, in the community room of the library building, 719 13th St. E., Glencoe. The report of the general business of the year will be given with election of the Board of Directors taking place.

The meeting is open to the public. For more information, or if interested in serving on the Board of Directors, call the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf at (320) 864-2088.

Orin Lavern Schiro, 78, of Lester Prairie, died Saturday, May 3, at Presbyterian Home in Spring Lake Park.

Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hutchinson. Interment will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Hutchinson.

A visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the church.

The Chilson Funeral Home in Winsted is serving the family.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has again proclaimed the month of May as "Hire A Veteran Month" as part of his ongoing efforts to make Minnesota the most veteran-friendly state in America.

Minnesota supports the national "Hire Vets First" campaign, which honors America 's military veterans by helping employers and veterans make the best use of a national network of employment resources.

From Sandy Tracy
Darwin

A recent article in the Leader (Tuesday, April 29) reported on Sen. Norm Coleman’s visit to Hutchinson to promote his health care initiative. Coleman is quoted as saying that every American should have affordable health care “outside a government-run program.”

From Cliff Carmody
Executive director, Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative, Marshall

Tuesday, May 6 is National Teacher Day. Be sure to thank a teacher for making your schools great.

Teachers in southwest and west central Minnesota touch so many lives. National Teacher Day is a great time to recognize and thank teachers for the contributions they make to our communities every day.

Cheers to the more than 75 volunteers for the assistance with the initial food outreach program April 24, at the McLeod County Fairgrounds. Special thanks to Randy Starke and the fairgrounds staff for the use of the facility. Thanks to the participating Common Cup Ministries congregations for the volunteer recruitment and promotion of the program. The outreach benefited 489 households made up of 1,252 individuals. The next distribution will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the fairgrounds.

Bev Bonte, director
Common Cup Ministries

Cheers to all the volunteers at Burns Manor Nursing Home. Thank you for all you do!

Burns Manor residents and staff
Hutchinson

By Steve Barton

For those of those who don’t know me, I would like to introduce myself. AKA “Fish,” I have owned Aquaria Pets in downtown Hutchinson for almost 40 years. My wife Deb joined me in the business 15 years ago. As the name implies, Aquaria Pets was started as a fish store. As a growing number of customers requested a bigger selection of pets, our selection grew. In the process, we’ve learned a lot from our customers.

This is National Pet Week. In the spirit of helping you and your family select your next family member, I want to share some concerns and tips with you.

What comes to mind when you think of Gopher Campfire’s Wildlife Sanctuary on the north shore of the Crow River in Hutchinson?

Do you think of a place where you can learn about and appreciate white-tail deer, wild turkeys and other wildlife? Or do you think of it as a well-conceived refuge where upkeep has definitely gone wrong?

Gopher Campfire, the city and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are hoping that within 18 months, we’ll all be proud of the sanctuary, which has been at its present location since 1939.

Could wind power be in Hutchinson Utilities’ future? A motion by the city-owned company’s governing board last week to begin a preliminary study is the first baby step toward that potential goal.

The Utilities Commission authorized a $26,000 study by Geronimo Wind Energy that will analyze the feasibility of Utilities pursuing construction of a wind turbine development in the Hutchinson area. The work will take about two or three months.

Elizabeth “Liz” Agnes Wendolek, 80, of Hutchinson and formerly of rural Glencoe, died Sunday, May 4, at Birchwood Hospice House in Hutchinson.

A Mass of Christian burial is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Silver Lake. Interment will follow at St. Adalbert Cemetery.

A visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at Maresh Funeral Home in Silver Lake. A Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary ritual by Post 1502 is at 6 p.m., an American Legion Post 141 Auxiliary ritual is at 6:45 p.m. and a Council of Catholic Women rosary will be recited at 7 p.m.

Julie Elder can now look out across the hustle and bustle of Hutchinson’s Main Street and see the peaceful, green space of Library Square whenever she gets a moment between customers.

Elder recently moved her Urban Hair Studio from a basement site in the 100 block of Third Avenue Southeast to the former downtown Coffee Company building at 18 Main St. S. She remodeled the former coffee shop with new colors, lighting and flooring.

In addition to her own customers, Elder rents chairs to three other self-employed stylists. A massage therapist also rents the back room.

Donald H. Grams, 84, of La Crosse, Wis., born in Hutchinson, died Sunday, May 4, in his home.

A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday, May 9, in Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 2006 Weston St., La Crosse.

Entombment with military rites will be by the Roy L. Vingers American Legion Post 52, in Mormon Coulee Memorial Park, La Crosse.

Donald Busta, 63, of Buffalo, and formerly of Mankato and Brownton, died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, in Buffalo.

Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Brownton.

Arrangements are by Hantge Funeral Chapel of Brownton. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

From Arnie Boich
Hutchinson

Have you noticed what is happening in Hutchinson?

The ability to get adult pornographic videos and movies has increased dramatically in the last decade, and it’s all legal, just so as long as you are 18 years old and you know where to get it. Cable TV, the Internet and now even some stores are succumbing to this great temptation, and people seem to think that it is no big deal.

From Bill Mathews
President, Crow River Builders Association, Hutchinson

Is it hard to build green? Is it a lot more expensive? Do you have to live in a straw-bale cottage or some other strange building to say you’re a green-home owner? No, no and most decidedly no!

The National Association of Home Builders’ Model Green Home Building Guidelines are about to celebrate their second birthday. Designed to help bring residential green building into the mainstream, the guidelines also demystify the process and debunk the myths of green building for consumers — and for home builders.