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A home run worth every dollar

For historians, the “Shot Heard Round the World” was fired at Concord to begin the Revolutionary War. For baseball fans, the shot heard round the world was also Bobby Thompson’s home run to win the pennant for the New York Giants in 1951. Then, there was the “Shot Heard Round Sleepy Eye.” That occurred May 29,1975. As often happens in baseball, the hero that day was not one of the star players. In a game filled with some of the best ballplayers Sleepy Eye has ever produced, Dominic Sellner, a speedy slap-hitting left fielder got the biggest hit. We will be celebrating ...

June is men’s health month: Own your health

When it comes to health care, too many men wait until something feels wrong. Yet the best time to address your health is before an illness or condition develops. That’s why a yearly checkup along with preventive screenings as recommended are so important. Preventive health can save you pain, discomfort and money. But it can also help ensure you don’t lose your ability to work, enjoy time outdoors, or do all the activities you love. Many health conditions can be cured or better managed if caught earlier. A good first step is to learn your family health history. Talk to your ...

Feed your curiosity

Looking back on my high school and college graduations, I can see just how important those moments were. I didn’t fully get it at the time, but graduation really is a big deal. It marks the end of one chapter and the start of another. Right now, a lot of students and families are standing at that same kind of crossroads. With change comes decisions about what to do, where to go, and who to do it with. At moments like this, one question I’ve always come back to is: What’s my why? If you’re graduating high school, you might be off to college, starting a job, joining the ...

On the Porch

The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon County on June 2, 1922: Mr. C. Huisenfeldt and Mr. G. Pearcy were fishing at Dead Coon lake Friday afternoon. The school in District No. 2 will close on Friday, June 2 with their annual picnic to be held at the M. Madden home, from 10 o’clock to 4 o’clock p.m. A family reunion was held ...

The Vietnam War – Bill Curwick – combat patrols as demolitions specialist

Bill Curwick graduated from Marshall High School in 1968 before enlisting and training as an Army Combat Engineer. He deployed to Vietnam in November 1970, serving first with the 26th Engineer Battalion at Chu Lai. Bill extended his tour and the Army reassigned him to Engineer Company (Provisional), which supported units of the 196th Infantry Brigade in Danang. Bill’s mom did not approve of his decision to extend his Vietnam tour. “I told my mother it was because I had survived a year in a job that typically ended sooner - the life expectancy for a demolitions specialist was ...

God too big; but the Holy Spirit, now I can dig that!

My friends, we are soon entering my favorite season of the liturgical calendar: Pentecost! Oh, I know that probably doesn’t sound very Lutheran of me. After all, as a protestant denomination, we are pretty Christ-centered. And deservedly so! But I’ve always loved the Holy Spirit. It’s the one expression of our celebrated Triune God that I understand on a very intimate basis. God? … Too infinite and vast for me to wrap my head around. Jesus? While I’m forever grateful of his sacrifice for me and for all people, and also for the model he provided as to how to live an ...