Education bill has momentum

LEGISLATIVE TALK – District 30 legislators, from left, are Sen. Bruce Rampelberg, Rep. Mike Verchio and Rep. Lance Russell. The three men were scheduled to dialogue with the public in Hill City at the Super 8 last Saturday for two hours, but the time stretched to three hours as various bills were addressed, particularly HB 1234, the education bill. [PN Photo/CAROL WALKER]

By Carol Walker

Referring to House Bill 1234, the education bill, Sen. Bruce Rampelberg said, “There is so much momentum with this, I don’t think there is any way to stop it.” Rampelberg, Rep. Mike Verchio and Rep. Lance Russell answered questions well beyond the scheduled two-hour crackerbarrel on Saturday morning in Hill City, with much of the discussion centering on HB 1234.
Coming from a business background, Rampelberg believes that a school district should have some of the same components as a business.
“There should be a well-understood job description, well-understood common competencies, a well understood way of evaluating people, and a way of developing goals a well-understood bonus program,” he said. He believes HB 1234 is attempts to address some of these things and though every detail will not be hammered out now, a framework is being designed to be used by work groups to determine the details over the next two years before it is implemented.
Verchio also commented that none of this takes effect until 2014. “I think 1234 is a huge step forward. The most important thing in a business or a school district is people and capita,l or employees and money, if you will. I think this bill is a way to address these things.” said Verchio.
Later he said, “The governor didn’t just come up with this bill at his desk. Beforehand he worked on it with students, principals and teachers. This governor is not a top-down kind of person. He will take suggestions,” said Verchio.
All three of the legislators have received e-mails on this topic, many of them from teachers, most of them opposed to the bill. Verchio said any constructive ideas he received from teachers have been sent on to the education committee.
The bill is being examined by a committee of three senators and three representatives with input coming from other legislators and it is going through transformation. One idea being discussed is providing scholarships to students intending to go into math or science education, with a stipulation that they would teach in South Dakota for a specified number of years instead of the yearly bonus given to math and science teachers each year for their first five years of teaching. Discussion also includes bonuses for math and science teachers who rank in the top two tiers of a four-tier evaluation system.
Rampelberg said they are also talking about giving districts three options: to take the plan as outlined in the bill, opt out of the program or develop their own program.
Russell said he is uncomfortable with the momentum of this bill and he voted against it in the House of Representatives.
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Raba family donates to museum

IN MEMORY OF DAD – Jay Hendrickson, right, receives a donation from the family of Gabriel Raba, who died last month at 100-plus years of age. Raba signed up for the CCC in 1934 and helped build many of the physical landmarks that are still standing in the Black Hills. From the left are Raba’s children, Tim Raba, Janice Overby, Tom Raba and Cynthia Horning. [Submitted photo]

The family of Gabriel John Raba has made a donation in their father’s name to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum of South Dakota located in Hill City.
Gabiel Raba, who lived in New Underwood, died Jan. 3, 2012, at the age of 100, five months and 15 days. A memorial was established to the CCC Museum.
Raba signed up for the CCC in 1934 and was assigned to Camp Este near Nemo. He worked on projects at Dalton Lake and various other projects in the Northern Black Hills, according to family members. He was born in Selby on the homestead of his maternal grandparents, the third child in a family of 10 children. Gabriel attended West Spring Valley School through the eighth grade and then helped work on the family farm, raising horses, cattle and large flocks of turkeys, which they shipped away in barrels on the train. He trapped enough skunks as a youngster to buy a pocket watch, which still runs.
At Camp Este, Gabriel helped build the ski slide at Dalton Lake and made improvements all over the northern Black Hills, including building a passageway through Stage Barn Caverns near Piedmont so it could be seen by the general public. After leaving the CCC, he worked as a hired man in the area of Elk Creek Road and in 1946 moved to New Underwood.
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Two Rangers to wrestle at state meet this weekend

Marshall Swanson and Dominick Schooler will compete for individual championships at the state tournament this weekend.
Swanson and Schooler are the first Hill City wrestlers to win individual championships at a regional tournament. Swanson (120 pounds) and Schooler (113) helped earn the Rangers 47 points at the Region 4B Tournament in Mobridge, earning 11th place.
Philip took the first spot with 155.5 points, Bennett County came in second with 87.5 points and Hot Springs took third with 85 points. Custer, Mobridge-Pollock, Stanley County, Newell, Gettysburg, Lemmon/McIntosh and Harding County rounded out the top 10.
Wrestling begins at 10 a.m. on Friday and the majority of the wrestling will take place on Friday during 2 sessions. The tournament schedule and ticket information can be found on the South Dakota HS Activities association web site. http://www.sdhsaa.com/Athletics/BoysSports/Wrestling.aspx.
The State “B” Wrestling tournament will not be on this side of the state for several years, so now is the time to support the Rangers.

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One act play receives superior play award

By Carrie Moore

Hill City students performed their one act play “Tuna Fish Eulogy,” which gave the Rangers five awards. Hill City received an award for superior play in addition to four outstanding performances for Kassidi Livingson, Colton McKee, Kylie Steever and Aaron Vitter.
The 56th annual South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) State One-Act Play Festival was held at the Johnson Fine Arts Center at Northern State University in Aberdeen earlier in February. The State One-Act Festival featured the presentation of 43 high school one-act plays with nearly 1,100 students and their directors participating.

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Basketball season ends with victories

Hoping for the basket — Dru Gyltan goes in for a basket against the Lady Wildcats defender Jasmine Cisneros. The Lady Rangers came away with the victory in District 15A playoff game. The Rangers won with a score of 42 to 34. [Submitted Photo/Scott Wooldridge]

By Shawn Woodward

The girls finished their regular season on Friday defeating Wall 58-55 at Wall. Kendra McLaughlin led the way with 16 points followed by Dru Gylten’s 15 and Kala McDonald’s 12. But the team’s defense was outstanding in the final quarter. Hill City was down by seven points with 2:30 to go in the game and the girls fought their way back for the win. Key free-throws by Sayge Wooldridge and a big basket by Breanna Lende-Hanson inside went along with a timely three pointers by Gylten. McDonald led the comeback.
On Monday night, the girls hosted Custer for the first district girls basketball game in eight years. The crowd was great as the Rangers were able to defeat the Wildcats for the third time this season, 42–34. McLaughlin and Gylten led the way with 10 pts each and McDonald had 9 pts. Custer’s half-court defense gave us problems all night, as they held us eight points under our season average. But the team defense again proved to be the key.
After falling behind 4–0 to start the game, the girls were able to hold Custer with only a free-throw the rest of the first quarter. As the game wore on, the Ranger constant pressure defense didn’t allow the Wildcats to ever get into an offensive rhythm, either. McLaughlin had 11 rebounds to lead the team and Kala contributed seven assists to go with her six steals. But the team defense on Kenzie Swanson was again the key to the win. Codee Sagdalen, Lende-Hanson, Sayge Wooldridge, McLaughlin and Allie Henderson were just some of the girls that really did a nice job defensively on the taller Wildcat inside. On the perimeter, Tia Grabow along with Gylten and McDonald really caused problems for the Wildcat guards.
The girls now will travel to Rapid City Central for the district championship on Thursday at 6 p.m. Their opponent will be the Red Cloud Crusaders, who they split with this year.

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Winter fishing reels in a crowd

CATCH OF THE DAY - Jeff Samsel, a writer from Georgia, caught a 10 lb., 29 inch trout at Pactola Lake on Tuesday, Feb. 7. He caught the fish on a lindy whatsit grub in about 70 ft. of water, fishing off the bottom. Samsel was one of several fishing and hunting writers hosted by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Department of Tourism and the Super 8 Motel last week. [Submitted Photo]

By Carol Walker

After about five hours on the ice at Pactola Lake Tuesday, Feb. 7, sportsmen and writers, guests of South Dakota Department of Tourism, Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce (HCACC) and Super 8 Motel, did not have to fish for words as they described their experience hauling in trout. They talked about the day’s experience over dinner that evening at Bighorn Crossing, storing up memories and photographs to be put into print later.
The men caught a total of 15 lake trout and one brown trout that day, and Jeff Samsel, a writer from Georgia, had the catch of the day, a keeper.
“It was about 10 pounds and 29 inches long. I caught it on a lindy whatsit grub in about 70 feet of water, fishing off the bottom,” said Samsel. It took him about 20 minutes to land the fish, and expressing it later on his blog, he said, “Day one on the Black Hills ice definitely goes in the books as a success.”
Denise Etzkorn, information specialist for HCACC, said Samsel and the other men were invited in to the area to promote winter sports in the Black Hills, primarily hunting and fishing. Hill City has been a host to many similar groups, promoting tourism in the Black Hills. Mike Faw with the United States Sportsmen Alliance came all the way from Washington, D.C., for the special area promotion, and Nort Johnson of Black Hills Badlands and Lakes joined the group as well.
Later, Johnson said of the event, “The guests were impressed not only by the fishing, but the landscape, amenities and hospitality. As the regional organization, we’re thrilled to see the cooperative efforts come together giving our guests a well-rounded taste of the Black Hills.”
Before coming to the Hill City area, the men had breakfast in Deadwood and then attempted to see Mt. Rushmore, they were thwarted by the fog. After a day of fishing at Pactola on Wednesday they went on to Deerfield Lake, Horsethief Lake, Sylvan Lake and a couple small ponds along the way, catching fish at every stop. Alex Jessen and Tyler French, two local sportsmen, were their guides. In addition to the fishing the guys were able to try their hand at coyote hunting.
“This is a good example of state and local tourism working together on a project like this. We are able to have triple, quadruple the impact,” said Lee Harsted, Deadwood Chamber marketing director, who has been organizing similar events for a few years.
Justin Larson, outdoor media representative for South Dakota Tourism, said, “We look at key markets for tourism and try to invite people associated with corporations, magazines and television shows.”
A professional fisherman, Ted Takasaki was in the group, along with his cameraman Andy Turbek. Teaching fishing seminars and involved with tournaments and television shows, Takasaki travels the world, doing what he loves best. Hailing from Wisconsin, he was inducted into the International Fishing Hall of Fame in the “Legendary Anglers” category.
Producer and host of the Outdoorsmen Adventure Television Series, Gary Howey also came to the area. He hosts “Fly-fishing in the Black Hills” on Fox 44 out of Huron and Sioux Falls. Mark Hicks of Ohio ,author of hunting and fishing books, was on hand as well, taking in the Black Hills outdoor experience, as was Larry Myhre, outdoor editor for the Sioux City Journal, and Ben Ekrem, national director for Cold Snap, a company dealing with ice fishing equipment.
Harstad believes the media hosting event was very successful, and is appreciative of the efforts from partners in Hill City and South Dakota Tourism.
“The trip was an enormous success. Hospitality in Deadwood, Hill City and places in between was first class, and the crew boasted about the welcome they received. Catching a lot of fish helped to round out the trip. The Black Hills are known for many great things, and this trip helped to promote some of the winter activities that aren’t well-known, but should be,” said Harstad.

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Keystone hears former Rapid mayor speak on 1972 flood

REMEMBERING THE 1972 FLOOD – Former Rapid City Mayor Don Barnett discusses with Phil Lervaag the terror people experienced when a flash flood of major proportions hit Rapid City and parts of the Black Hills, including Keystone in 1972.. It is said that 234 people lost their lives when heavy rains caused a dam to give way, sending torrents of water throughout the city, sweeping human bodies and debris as far away as the Cheyenne River. Barnett said recalling the 40th anniversary of the flood is important to preserving the area’s history, as “only 30 percent of the people now living in Rapid City were living here at the time of the flood.” [PN Photo/ BEV PECHAN]

By Bev Pechan

It was a small but interested group of persons who showed up last Wednesday for an informational meeting regarding a memorial observance for the 40th anniversary of the Rapid City flood of June 9, 1972, which also destroyed a large section of Keystone homes and businesses.
Keystone Town Board President David Cofoid called the meeting to order and briefly stated that the city had called the meeting to get public input for ways that Keystone could commemorate the event that affected the entire town. There was little response initially, but comments began to be exchanged after former Rapid City Mayor Don Barnett related some of his experiences as a 29-year-old newly-elected official when the deluge hit.
Barnett, who was in the Black Hills to attend a Rapid City meeting on the upcoming flood anniversary earlier in the day, told Keystone’s finance officer Vanessa Row that he would also like to be present at the Keystone meeting to help provide input. Barnett currently runs a consulting business in the Denver area and serves on the committee for the Rapid City series of events.
Keystone had, just a few weeks before the “flood of the century” occurred, voted to become a municipality, Row said. Because of this, even though they were not yet incorporated at the time, federal help was available to help the town rebuild.
Discussion followed about the number of deaths that had taken place in Keystone during that time, with several persons stating that the loss from the Keystone area was more than the nine officially listed. “It is between 11 and 15,” Cofoid suggested, adding that all were tourists.
Historian and geologist Ellen Bishop, Rapid City, stated that she was under the impression that there were some from the Keystone area lost as well, but that they may have been counted with the Rapid City totals, since some bodies were swept a great distance. At least one was a resident, she said.
Barnett invited Keystone to be active participants in the event Rapid City is planning for June 8 - 10, which will take place at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Large displays will be set up, by groups and individuals relating in some way to the events of that weekend four decades ago. There is no charge for this. The Journey Museum is planning its own display and programming as an ongoing addition to the permanent 1972 Flood exhibit which was begun several years ago.
Cofoid agreed that Keystone should take advantage of being a part of that remembrance, but added that he was interested in something of permanence in Keystone as well after former resident Pam Knapp contacted the city about creating a flood-related project. Volunteers for a committee were asked for at the meeting. Those indicating interest were Knapp — who was named chairman, Row, Sandi McLain, Patty Cofoid and Bev Pechan.
Row announced that there would be a meeting of the flood commemoration committee on Monday, Feb. 20, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Keystone Community Center. All are welcome to attend with their ideas and input.

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Hope arises for downtown sidewalk improvement

By Carol Walker

After many years of discussions over sidewalk options for improvement in downtown Hill City, the Hill City Council was given news that could result in action. At the city council meeting on Monday night, Brett McMacken, city administrator, announced he had received a letter from the South Dakota Department of Transportation notifying him the city was awarded $300,000 in response to a grant application sent in October 2010.
The city received this money for a streetscape project and the city, at that time of application, also pledged $75,000. The council believed that $375,000 would cover the cost of the work.
“This is great news because we’ve been talking about sidewalks for decades. We also talked about partnering with the arts council, making this something that would not only be functional but aesthetically pleasing, unique to Hill City,” said McMacken.
Before they go any further, McMacken plans to look more closely at the wording and the details of the grant, to make sure the city knows what it is getting into.
Lesta Turchen, vice president of the Hill City Arts Council, spoke to city council members, thanking them for their support and giving them a brief overview of projects in the past year. First, she talked about World Fest, relating the success of the first group of four scheduled in two years.
“The Egyptian group was very well received. The number of students who participated was tremendous, and the public concert was just packed. We actually had to close the door and turn people away,” said Turchen.
The next group, this one from Israel, comes on May 7 and, as before, they will be in the Hill City Schools, as well as schools in the Custer School District. She said there is a link on the website enabling people to view a video of the group.
Secondly, she mentioned Sculpture in the Hills, which will have its fifth anniversary this summer. She said it has grown over the past four years with support now coming from entities both inside and outside the Hill City community. There are 25 artists scheduled to be in Hill City in June for the show, and a waiting list of other artists who would like to be there.
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Art Anderson

Art Anderson was born Sept. 6, 1945, in Brookings, S.D., to Arthur Sr. and Olga (Wold) Anderson. He graduated from Belle Fourche (S.D.) High School. He later attended South Dakota State University and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He married Sue (Steele) on Feb. 19, 1966. They made their home in Hill City, S.D.
Art was very active in the Hill City Community. He was a volunteer firefighter and served as fire chief for many years. He also had a strong passion for his job as public works superintendent for the City of Hill City.
Art enjoyed attending any activity involving his children and grandchildren.
Art, 66, of Hill City, died Feb. 9, 2012, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Sue (Steele); daughters, Michelle Anderson, of Hill City and Kristi (Sergio) Flores of Grand Prairie, Texas; sons, Jeff (Staci) Anderson and Jon (Melanie) Anderson, both of Hill City; mother, Olga (Wold) Anderson of Custer, S.D.; brothers, Jim Anderson of Pierre, S.D. and Glen (Elaine) Anderson of Hot Springs; their daughter Christine Anderson of Reno, Nevada; Paul Anderson, his daughter Brianna of Anchorage, Alaska; grandchildren, Tabitha (Tee) Tetrault of Martin, S.D., JD, Megan, Makaley, Molly, and Jesse Anderson all of Hill City, S.D., Max, Maya and Mateo Flores all of Grand Prairie, Texas; great-grandchildren, Trey, Tayce and Tatum Tetrault, Martin; brother-in-law Rick (Deedee) Steele of Hot Springs, S.D.; niece Sarah (Jim) Perry of Morrill Neb.; their daughter Danielle Perry of Kearney Neb.; nephew Tony (Tisha) Steele, their children, Cody, Jake, Hailee, Seth, Billy Jack of Gillette, Wyo.; brother-in-law Jerry Steele, Lead.
Services are 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 at Hill City Middle School in the Ginsbach Gymnasium.
Interment with the military and fire department honors will follow at Hill City Cemetery. A memorial will be established.
His online guestbook is available to sign at www.osheimschmidt.com

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Wrestlers claim two champions at Districts

By Chad Ronish

Dominick Schooler (113 pounds) and Marshall Swanson (120) claimed the District 7B titles in their weight classes this weekend.
They each scored two wins against their opponents with no losses to earn their championships. Schooler is now the first Hill City wrestler to earn two district titles, while this is Swanson’s first district title.
The two will compete this weekend in Mobridge at the Region 4B tournament, along with Mario Lupercio and Brent O’Dell, who each scored fourth place finishes after bouncing back from early losses to get into the medal rounds.
Corbin Goodsell also wrestled for the Rangers, but finished one match short of advancing to the region tournament.

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Girls win two games in two weeks

By Shawn Woodward

The Rangers girls’ basketball team was able to defeat Red Cloud in Red Cloud 68–53. The Rangers came out strong again building a 20–11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The girls stretched the lead to 39–25 at half as Dru Gylten made a big three- pointer to stretch the lead. The Rangers were able to push the lead to as much as 26 points in the second half as everyone saw varsity minutes and the girls coasted to a solid win.
Leading the way was Gylten with a game high 28 points. Gylten now has the second-highest single game scoring mark in Ranger history, only behind Hillary Johnson’s 32 points in the 96-97 season. Kendra McLaughlin tallied 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds leading the Rangers. McLaughlin pushed her career total to 525 points and moved up to 14th place on the all-time Ranger board.
Kala McDonald had a great game finishing with 12 assists and four steals. Allie Henderson also contributed nine rebounds, four assists, and six points. Again, as has been the team’s strength all season, the difference was a total team effort to get the win, as eight different players scored for the Rangers. The varsity record now stands at 11 – 6.
The junior varsity girls also competed against Red Cloud losing 45-36. The girls played hard, but just couldn’t quite overtake the Lady Crusaders. Brianna Clemetson led the way with 11 points, followed by Mikahla Ferguson’s nine points. The JV record now stands at 7–9.
The girls were able to defeat Douglas at home 53-45. The Rangers built a 10 point lead at half 30–20 and came out in the third quarter and stretched it to 24 points with a 47–23 lead going into the final quarter. Leading the way was McLaughlin’s 21 points, followed by McDonald’s 11 points. Codee Sagdalen led the way with 11 rebounds.
The girls traveled to Lead to play the Lady ’Diggers and came out on the short end of a 62–56 OT loss. The Rangers found themselves trailing by as much as 16 points. midway through the third quarter, but were able to fight back to get the game into overtime.
In the extra four minutes, they were out-scored 11–5. Leading the way was McLaughlin with 27 points, followed by McDonald’s 13 points. and Gylten’s 10 points. McLaughlin had eight rebounds leading the team.
The junior varsity girls also competed against Douglas losing 31-29 in overtime. The girls played hard, but just couldn’t quite get the victory. Jenni Qualm led the team with 11 points. The girls also lost to Lead-Deadwood’s junior varsity 48 – 30 with Qualm again leading the way with 13 points. The junior varsity record now stands at –11.
The girls will finish up the regular season as we travel to Wall on Friday Feb. 17, with the junior varsity game starting at 6 p.m. and varsity 7:30 p.m..
The varsity record now stands at 1 –7 and the girls have clinched the number one seed in the district. That entitles them to host the first district game in Hill City on Monday, Feb. 20, at 6:00 pm. The seeding for the rest of the district is still to be determined.
Come out and support the Lady Ranger basketball team on Monday night as they go for their first district win in eight years.

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Lance Russell expelled from caucus

By Jason Ferguson

District 30 state representative Lance Russell has been expelled from the Republican caucuse at this year’s legislative session for what House Majority Leader David Lust has classified as a failure to attend caucus meetings.
Lust said he wouldn’t classify Russell’s exclusion from the caucus as being “kicked out,” but rather, Russell has not attended any caucus meetings this session, and has chosen not to be a part of the caucus. Lust said he merely confirmed Russell’s own decision.
“I met with him last week, one-quarter of the way through the session, and asked if he was going to attend caucus,” Lust said. “I indicated he was welcome to attend, but he must commit to attending or letting leadership know he could not make it. He did not attend that day, nor the day after, and did not inform anyone he would not be there.”
The Republican caucus is a group of Republican legislators who meet daily to discuss bills, policy and strategy. There are four such caucuses in the legislature—Senate Republican, Senate Democrat, House Republican and House Democrat.
When Russell did not attend the caucuses following his conversation with Lust, Lust said he felt that was confirmation of Russell’s decision to not be a part of the caucus. Lust then announced that to the caucus.
“Not attending caucus shows disregard for his colleagues in the caucus, all of whom have attended or informed leadership when they could not attend,” he said.
For his part, Russell said he spent the first parts of both the 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions doing research in the Supreme Court Law Library during caucus time. He said he found his time was better utilized early in the session in the library as opposed to caucuses, because he felt they were more designed for first-term members of the legislature.
“A legislator of some years once told me the best way to be an effective legislator was to be an informed legislator,” he said.
Russell said the day he was removed from the caucus, he was having a lunch meeting with a District 30 constituent.
“I felt this meeting was frankly more important,” he said.
Mike Verchio, the other District 30 representative in Pierre, said Lust made it clear last year and this year the meetings are mandatory. Verchio said Russell had informed Lust he didn’t feel the caucus provided him information he needed, which did not sit well with Lust.
“To me it’s very valuable. Sometimes you find out things you didn’t know,” Verchio said. “You might have sponsored something that when someone else puts a different light on it (you change your mind).”
There are no formal repercussions for not being a part of the caucus, other than the inability to participate in the caucus, its activities and meetings. Russell has not lost any privileges to participate in committees or in votes and debates on the House floor. In fact, Russell said about 10 to 12 representatives of both sides of the aisle meet with him every day prior to caucus to give him input on bills.
“I have a lot of assistance, and for that I am grateful,” he said. “This was a decision by one person, not the caucus as a whole. It is my understanding that the other members of the caucus were told that if they did not like the decision, they were also free to leave.”
“It is unfortunate that Rep. Russell decided not to participate with the rest of the Republicans in the House,” Lust said. “To be part of any organizations requires making some effort and demonstrating your commitment to that organization. He has elected not to do so, which is entirely his choice.”
Lust said if Russell were to indicate a sincere desire to participate in the caucus and attend meetings, he would let the caucus decide if he should be allowed to participate. Russell said he has still not been told by Lust he has been removed from caucus, but would happily return if asked.
Verchio said Russell’s not coming to caucus has caused some consternation among others, because of the perception of him not wanting to participate with his fellow House Republicans.
“He is a smart guy and has a lot to contribute because of his legal knowledge. I would love to have him back in caucus,” he said. “It would be a big help to me.”
Russell points out the caucus is supposed to be a voluntary association, and said he has fully participated in the committees he has been assigned to, as well as on the floor of the House.
“That will not change, and I am fully engaged in the legislative process on behalf of the citizens of District 30,” he said.

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The fight against beetles gaining a louder voice

Black Hills Map — This map, dated Aug. 2, 2011, from beatthebee
tles.com, shows the United States Department of Agriculture’s proposed action on mountain pine beetle infested areas. Currently, many areas in the Southern Hills are not addressed on that map. [Submitted Photo]

By Carrie Moore

The fight against the mountain pine beetles is gaining momentum and a stronger voice thanks to the work of Nort Johnson, president & CEO of Black Hills Badlands & Lakes Association, a 500-member tourism marketing organization based in Rapid City. Johnson has been discussing the beetle problem with representatives in Pierre and Washington D.C., as well as writing letters to governmental department heads.
Johnson will travel to Washington, D.C. for the third time in the next few weeks. The first time he went was September, as part of a contingency from the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce, when state and local elected officials and industry representatives made their concerns known with the Forest Service and the Council on Environmental Quality. The group also visited the offices of Sens. John Thune and Tim Johnson as well as Congresswoman Kristi Noem to make sure they understand the concerns of the business community in South Dakota.
Johnson then made a stop on his way back from another trip to personally deliver additional letters of support for alternative arrangements from the Visitor Industry Alliance, the South Dakota State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Save Our Black Hills Coalition and many local chambers and businesses.
This time, Johnson met with Jay Jensen, aide to Nancy Sutley, chairwoman for the Council of Environmental Equality, to discuss solutions and assistance for fighting the mountain pine beetles.
The proposed solutions have been designed to give the Forest Service some leeway with treatment. The solution will hopefully include a shorter environmental review process. However, no plans have been approved.
“It’s difficult to stand by and not take action,” Johnson said. “The mountain pine beetles are multiplying at rates 350 percent to 1,300 percent per year. On average, five new trees are affected by each bad tree.”
Johnson also said options in fighting the beetles are limited to removing, thinning and burning trees to destroy beetle larva.
“We have to get them before they are fully grown,” he said. “Otherwise it’s nearly impossible.”
There are two main concerns for Johnson and those fighting for the Black Hills. The first is getting plans and policies approved and the other is speaking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service about funding.
“Most of the Black Hills is on federal land,” Johnson said. “And the Forest Service is severely under funded when it comes to fighting the mountain pine beetles.”
Available only in the print version of the Hill City Prevailer, to subscribe call 605.574.2538.

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Chocolate lovers unite

By Carrie Moore

This weekend Hill City will be covered in chocolate. Not literally, but many shops and restaurants will be participating in Tour de Chocolate.
Tour de Chocolate is a celebration of the Valentine season. Bring along someone special to stroll the streets of Hill City. Visit different shops, sample the varieties of chocolate in all their glory and shop the sales. People can enjoy the weekend with a special someone by taking advantage of several lodging sweetheart packages paired with wine, chocolates and flowers.
Many stores will be offering a variety of chocolates, either purchased locally or homemade.

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Keystone maintenance crew fixes all things on the fritz

By Bev Pechan

Getting off to an early start for the new year, Keystone’s public works employees have been taking advantage of the mild weather to get things in working order for spring and summer. At last Wednesday’s town board meeting, Dar Coy told officials that the transmission on the city’s Ford Ranger pickup had gone kaput. The cost to get the vehicle back on the road would be $2.495 to have the transmission rebuilt. It was motioned by board president David Cofoid, seconded by trustee Sandi McLain to approve the repair.
The news wasn’t as good for the city’s air compressor, however, as Coy related that it was beyond help. Discussion followed on the purchase of a new unit for $650 with a three-year guarantee from Runnings in Rapid City, which was also approved.
It was noted that during the inspection of grease traps uptown, the east side of Winter Street was noticeably more clogged than the west side. This will be more closely monitored when businesses reopen within a few months.
Roy Street has had maintenance conducted by A-1 Sewer and the company also jetted downtown and Watson Street areas. Jerry Przybylski, public works, reported another malfunction that proved problematic when a replaced dryer switch blew up. It was discovered that the dryer was plugged into a welder outlet which was incompatible but that information was unknown to newer employees. Maintenance workers have also been cutting trees from the Watson Park property to ready the area for public use. Some proposals are expected on a variety of projects around town that the town wants to begin work on in the near future.
It was reported that the surplus gaming room items taken to Ralph’s Auction in Box Elder sold for $135.
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Beetle workshop Feb. 11

On Saturday, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon, South Dakota State University's Dr. John Ball, Brian Garbisch from Custer State Park and U.S. Forest Service entomologist Dr. Kurt Allen will host a meeting on treating trees to save them from mountain pine beetles. The workshop will be held at Crazy Horse Memorial.
A number of companies are soliciting business from private and public customers and using different methods to save trees. Ball, Allen Garbisch "have had a lot of calls from folks wondering about the spraying" according to Ball.
Ball said People have questions about what products to use and why, the best time of year to spray or otherwise treat trees, and requests for lists of who to contact for help including federal, state, county, city, and private entities.
Ball said they "decided to host a number of meeting open to the public to discuss and answer these questions."
Warne Chemical, D&C Spraying of Custer, and Timberline Tree Spraying, among others, have been invited to demonstrate equipment at the session to show the public the various capabilities and products available for use. Warne Chemical of Rapid City will be providing the sprayer to be used for the demonstration this Saturday "but we will be repeating this workshop several times this spring as the time for treatment approaches and anyone else is welcome to volunteer to bring a sprayer along during any of these sessions,” Ball said.
Everyone is welcome to attend and discuss their services after a short presentation on mountain pine beetle and treatment options.
"We are attempting to get the word out to as many applicators as possible as well as the public," Ball said.
Contact Ball at 695-2503 with any questions. For more information go to www.beatthebeetles.com

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Two wrestlers win titles at BHC Tournament

Holding Him Back — Brent O'Dell tries to hold back Philip Area wrestler Lane Blasius in an early round match. O’Dell finished in seventh place in his 138-pound weight class. [PN Photo/CARRIE MOORE]

By Chad Ronish

Hill City took 11th place at the Black Hill Classic Tournament with 77 points, but the highlight of the event was two Rangers winning individual championships.
Dominick Schooler (113 pounds) defeated Strugis wrestler Tanner Brengel in a 13-2 match and Marshall Swanson (120) defeated Grady Carley from Philip Area, 4-2.
Mario Lupercio placed third in the 182-pound bracket while Brent O’Dell battled through the brackets to claim seventh at 138 pounds.
“The Rangers hit the home stretch this week, where all of our energy will be focused on preparing for the district tournament this weekend in Philip,” coach Chad Ronish said.
Philip claimed the team championship this year and the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler was Seth McCann from Newell.
Ronish was pleased with the way the Black Hills Classic wrestling tournament went last weekend.
“On behalf of the Hill City Wrestling community, I want to offer a huge thank you to the businesses, individuals and volunteers that contributed so much to make the 2012 Black Hills Classic a giant success,” Ronish said.
Hill City hosted 16 teams and over 1,000 people and treated them to a first class event.
“The wrestling was outstanding and we put the ‘house’ in hospitality,” Ronish said. “Every comment received was a positive about our facility, our tournament, our community and our people.”
According to Ronish, the weekend and season couldn’t have been so successful without so much volunteer involvement.

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Verchio proudly serves his country in Iraq and Kuwait

Family Time — Tony Verchio, left, along with his mother, Jeri, and father, Mike, attended the National Guard Military Ball honoring those who serve. Verchio has proudly served 24 years in the army. He is currently stationed in Kuwait with the 139th Unit out of Brookings. [Submitted Photo]

By Carrie Moore

From a young age, Tony Verchio always knew he wanted to serve in the Army. At age 17, when his father, District 30 Rep. Mike Verchio, told his son to get a summer job, Verchio enlisted in the National Guard. Since then, he has been with the Army for 24 years.
After his National Guard training, Verchio was on active duty for four years, where he fought in Desert Storm and Desert Shield. His Guard experience has taken him all over the world, including Jordan and other countries in the Middle East and other areas in the United States.
“It’s always interesting to learn about other culture,” Verchio said. “I’ve enjoyed learning the Arabic cultures.”
When Verchio was deployed during Desert Storm, his father started to worry.
“I would worry about his well being,” Mike Verchio said. “I started to lose sleep and get depression. I couldn’t let go of the ‘what ifs.’”
However, each deployment has gotten easier, although the worry never fully goes away.
“It’s always hard when they leave home, but when combined with a career in the armed forces it adds an element of worry,” Mike said. “We knew he was trained to do his job, but always had that little bit of dread in the back of our minds.”
Verchio, who is a Lieutenant Colonel with the 139th unit stationed in Brookings, recently returned from deployment to Iraq. After a few weeks home with his family, Verchio will once again be deployed, this time to Kuwait.
“I was initially very excited about the mission in Iraq,” Verchio said.
In fact Verchio, who is trained in special ops, threw his name into the deployment group.
“I watched friends being deployed, so I knew I had to do it,” he said. “I wanted to do my part for the country. So I took advantage of the opportunity.”
A typical day for Verchio and his unit was working 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, before going back to camp to rest or email home. Every two weeks soldiers would get the chance to phone home and talk to love ones.
“It was very rewarding working in Iraq,” Verchio said. “Deployment was good and everyone did a good, solid job.”
“In large, people were concerned about safety,” Verchio added. “When we arrived, the country was peaceful and calm. What makes the news is the horror stories and killings. It’s not so much like that.”
While in Kuwait, Verchio and his unit will have shorter days and more chances to explore the town. Kuwait also has a movie theatre, which allows troops to catch a flick once in a while.
“The operation tempo is slower there,” Verchio said. “Kuwait also has nicer amenities there than anywhere else. And it’s also safer, too. There’s no indirect fire.”
Verchio will also get more chances to talk to his loved ones.
“I do miss not being with my family,” Verchio said. “We do everything together, so it’s hard not being able to do that.”
But in large, Verchio’s family does fine with his deployment. This year, Verchio’s wife, Karey, and his daughters, Jessica and Kaitlin, held back Christmas until he arrived home.
“It was touching that they waited for me to be home,” he said. “It was special that I did not miss that celebration.”
Verchio’s deployment has caused him to miss birthdays, some holidays and graduations. But his family understands the importance of his service.
“We email him a lot, write letters, send packages and spend a lot of time with the girls,” Mike said. “We do family dinners, school activities and plow their driveway — the things he would normally be there to do.”
Verchio will be in Kuwait through May, where he then hopes to be home for good.
“I think every parent is very proud when their son or daughter serves our country,” Mike Verchio said. “We are extremely proud of him.”

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Officials say individuals can save their pine trees

Representatives of several companies and agencies recently demonstrated proven treatments to ensure that pine trees live and to take care of those already infested with mountain pine beetles.
“We have two challenges,” said Frank Carroll, a Custer homeowner. “The first is to save the trees we want to keep. The second is to take care of the trees that are already dead or dying.” Carroll said the clock is running and people need to prepare now for the beetle flights this summer.
Scott Guffey from Pennington County Weed and Pest control and Greg Josten, South Dakota State Forestry, said individual homeowners can save trees and clean up dead trees.
Sawyers from Baker Timber Company showed the proper way to cut down and chunk beetle-killed trees at Joan Davis’ Mistletoe Ranch north of Hill City. Cutting and chunking the trees and scoring the bark speeds the drying process and reduces the threat from beetles infesting individual trees. This method costs about $25 dollars per tree, officials said. Josten said on Monday there is still “plenty of money” available to help homeowners with this kind of treatment.
Timberline Tree Spraying and Fertilizing owner Erik Rusin showed how trees are sprayed to protect them from the beetles.
“Spraying is the single most effective way of saving individual trees,” Carroll said.

Available only in the print version of the Hill City Prevailer, to subscribe call 605.574.2538.

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Chili cook-off heats up, melts winter blues

THE WINNER IS – Representing the Farmer’s Daughter, Beverly Bush, left, made her grandpa’s recipe for ranch chili for the Hill City Chamber sponsored Chili Cook-off, held in Hill City last weekend. Bush’s recipe, which included a dab of pepper chutney, won first place out of 10 varieties around town on Saturday. Having a taste are, from left, Karmin and Mike Hacker of Rapid City and Dennis and Mary Machow of New Ulm, Minn. [PN Photo/CAROL WALKER]

By Carol Walker

The cold winter blues turned to a warm, red cheer in Hill City on Saturday as visitors and local people took part in the “Breakin’ the Winter Blues” Chili Cook-off sponsored by the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce. Of the 10 pots of chili scattered around town at various businesses between 10:30 a.m. and noon, Beverly Bush, representing the Farmer’s Daughter, garnered first place honors and $50 in Chamber Bucks.
Angela Raderschadt, new events coordinator for the chamber, was not sure what to expect last weekend since she had not been involved with the cook-off in 2011.
“I think it went well. People came up from Rapid City, so that was good. From what I understand from others, the numbers of people attending the event increased quite a bit from last year,” said Raderschadt.
Bush agreed, saying that as she manned the store there seemed to be a good turnout. People were shopping as indicated by bags in their hands.
“There was even someone from New York and a guy from Ireland. He was a tour bus operator in Ireland during the summer months so this is the only time of the year he could find to travel,” said Bush.
Besides Farmer’s Daughter, other businesses participating in the cook-off were DJ’s Boutique, Stage Stop Leather and Gifts, Gold-N-More, Hill City Ambulance Service, Heart of the Hills Antiques, Broken Arrow, Granite Sports and ArtForms Gallery (with two types of chili).
Chili was judged on color, aroma, consistency, taste and after-taste. Intent on breaking the winter blues, Chris Voyles walked around town trying varieties of chili and judging them by those criteria. By taking the time to vote for her favorite one, she was entered in a drawing, and her name was drawn to receive $25 in Chamber Bucks.
“Linda Block and I tasted all the chilis. I enjoyed all the varieties, the sense of community and the pride that the cooks had in making and sharing their chili,” said Voyles.
Voyles did say she hopes they will extend the hours for tasting next year, as they really had to rush to taste them all in an hour and a half, which left little time for shopping. Raderschadt said that is in the plan for next year. She also said they will incorporate other activities with the cook-off.
Available only in the print version of the Hill City Prevailer, to subscribe call 605.574.2538.

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Bimbo Steele

Bimbo Steele, 58, of Clovis, N.M., died Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, at his home in Clovis. Memorial services were held Sunday, Dec. 3 at First Christian Church with John Forrest and Ron Eggleton officiating.
Steele was born April 14, 1953, to Roy Wilson and Neva Fitzsimmons Steele in Clovis, N.M. Throughout his lifetime, Steele worked for R.W. Steele Trucking, American Cattle Feeders and the Computer Store. He loved working with computers, he loved spending time with his grandkids and was a Bronco fan.
Survivors include his daughter, Shilo (Andrew) Hawkins of Clovis; four grandkids, Justin, Austin, Dylan and Katelyn Hawkins of Clovis; his mother, Neva Steele; one brother and six sisters, Treva Kline of Hill City S.D, Everett (Judy) Steele of Clovis, Annie Mae Robertson of Prince George, Va., Pearl (Muril) Burnett of Clovis, Bernice (Gary) Baker of Clovis, Jessie (Fred) Strauch-Steele of Clovis and Geneva Cissi (Pat) Hickerson of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Roy.

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Descendant of Custer 1874 Expedition officer Tilford dies

By Bev Pechan

Richard Ferguson Tilford, West Palm Beach, Fla., had big plans to spend some time in the Black Hills, sharing his stories of Custer’s Seventh Cavalry and of his great-grandfather, Col. Joseph G. Tilford, who led one of the two columns of cavalry that explored the region during that summer of 1874.
Richard Tilford studied the military career of his ancestor extensively and was particularly enamored of the time he spent in Custer’s cavalry and the multiple times he commanded at Fort Meade. For several years, the younger Tilford appeared at community events, reenactments and college campuses to share his knowledge and love of this history. Last summer, he hoped to spend some time in the Custer and Sturgis areas, visiting with tourists. When scheduling did not allow it, he began talking of doing this in 2012. Throughout his lifetime, he worked in the aviation business and had a lengthy career in real estate, besides presenting public talks on military history and his family’s role in it. Richard “Tiger” Tilford, 58, died on Christmas morning, Dec. 25, 2011.
According to Richard Tilford, Col. Tilford and Custer were not enamored of each other, but they shared the same wedding anniversary and for many years, celebrated these occasions together.
In the early winter of 1876, the Custers were at the home of the Tilfords at Fort Rice, Dakota Territory for the annual ritual. A housekeeper later passed along a story to her relatives about that evening.
Custer, it was noted, was standing before a tall mirror, adjusting his uniform, when the glass shattered. Libbie Custer, it was then said, was visibly shaken by the event and saw this as a bad omen, with her worst fears becoming realization just a few months later. The elder Tilford did not go on the Big Horn Expedition, due to being placed on medical leave with a bout of arthritis that prevented him from mounting his horse.
During the journey into the Black Hills, Col. Tilford was an agreeable companion. He always carried a Bible in his saddle bags, which his wife placed there. It was Col. Tilford who read the service for the two troopers who died along the way and it was also Tilford who hosted what has become known as “the champagne party” at the campsite in present Custer City, while Custer himself was climbing Harney Peak. During his superior’s absence, Tilford organized what was the first game of baseball played in the Black Hills.
Following the battle of the Little Big Horn, Col. Tilford personally escorted Custer’s remains as far as Chicago by train, where the body was transferred for the last leg of the trip for burial at West Point Academy. But first, he first cut a lock of Custer’s hair to give to Libbie.
In 1878, the remainder of the Seventh Cavalry removed from Fort Abraham Lincoln to a place called Camp Sturgis. Nearby, a permanent army fort was erected and called Fort Meade.
Tilford was called upon in several instances to take command of the facilities there and was instrumental in helping to rid the town of Sturgis of its more unsavory businesses. The Col. and Mrs. Tilford did much charitable work in the community and the then bustling town of Tilford was named for them.
When the Seventh Cavalry left Fort Meade for the last time in 1878, Col. Tilford was placed in charge of one regiment of buffalo (black) soldiers. Prior to joining the Seventh, Tilford was also cited for bravery at the Battle of Glorietta Pass in what is now New Mexico.

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Rangers win four out of five

Quick grab — Zach Siemonsma goes for a loose ball in last Fridays game. The Rangers came away with an easy win against the Hot Springs Bison. The game was held on Gins court last Friday night. [PN Photo/ Scott Wooldridge]

By Blake Gardner

The Hill City boys basketball team continued to stay hot as the Rangers defeated Hot Springs 72-53 on Coach Gins Court last Friday.
Hill City jumped to a 24-11 first quarter lead and never looked back. Derek Skillingstad paced the Rangers with 36 points and 11 rebounds. John Lucas had 15 points . Gage Skillingstad had nine, Pedro Villalobos had four, Dylan Thomas, Zach Siemonsma three and Brady Groves with two.
The night before, the Rangers defeated the Wall Eagles 58-52. Lucas led the team in rebounding with nine boards while scoring 10 points. Derek Skillingstad had 32 points, Gage Skillingstad eight, Dietric McConnell added four, Casey Sullivan had two, while Villalobos and Brady Groves each had one.
Of the last five games the Rangers have won four. Two of the games were won on buzzer beaters with less than one second to play. The loss was to Spearfish, who just beat number two AA-ranked Pierre and then beat Wall and Hot Springs. The next action for the Rangers is Thursday at Newell, then Friday at Red Cloud.

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