One of the magazine's all-time favorite stories was a 1997 photo essay on Berlye Seaman, an oldster who lived in a tiny cabin along the Bad River since returning from WWII. His simple lifestyle touched readers, many of whom sent him letters, candy and a little money. He loved the attention. Berlye wasn't a hermit, actually, but rather a world class procrastinator. He always intended to move to Fort Pierre but he just never got around to it. Summers were too nice to move, and winters were too rough.

"Million Dollar Baby" swept the Oscars and seems to have created new interest in boxing. By coincidence, we're working on a story on youth boxing in South Dakota.

Saturday evening, I attended a boxing tournament in Vermillion. Young boxers came from as far away as Timber Lake and Eagle Butte in South Dakota. Others came from all over Nebraska.

Dean Schrempp, a longtime friend of mine who ranches at Eagle Butte, accompanied an Indian team from that town. A former boxer himself, Dean is an advocate of the sport. In 30 years of coaching and officiating, he's never seen an injury other than a bloody nose. Not many football or soccer coaches can make that statement.

One question that comes to mind as you watch 65-lb kids swinging wildly at each other is this: Can fighting make you a better person? Well, if it works for men and nations then why not for boys? We'll ask that question as we delve into the subject.

We plan to attend a tournament in Eagle Butte sometime soon to collect more stories and photos. It will be an interesting article. (Bernie Hunhoff)

Photo: Dean Schrempp, the official, declares Johnny Betterman of Glenwood, Ia., the winner over Dupree Traversie of Eagle Butte. Don't feel too sorry for Dupree (who's a great kid) .... he just came off a big win in Omaha.

Word came to our offices today that Clara Prunty, widow of one of South Dakota's all-time greatest baseball players, has celebrated her 100th birthday in Lakefield, Minn. On a sunny, warm day like this it's a joy to reminisce about baseball.

Bill and Clara Prunty were living in the Aberdeen area during his heyday as a slugger. He played for Claremont, and then for Carthage, and two took teams to state championships.

The most dramatic moment in state baseball history came in 1938 when Claremont and Aberdeen were locked in a 4-4 tie for the championship. Aberdeen had no field lights, so the ump said if the game wasn't over by the 10th inning it would be replayed the next day.

Aberdeen didn't score in the top of the 10th and Claremont quickly had two outs in the bottom. Then Bill Prunty stepped to the plate. He worked the count, in the darkness, to 3-2 and then cracked a long, long home run that disappeared into the night. The only thing the crowd knew for certain was that it went over the fence. They found the ball at daybreak, and it now resides in the S.D. Hall of Fame at Lake Norden.

He was still playing in the 1950s. Jim Wittenhagen told the story (in our July 2004 issue) of a time when he was pitching against Prunty. "I wanted to strike him out in the worst way, and I was throwing as hard as I could. I lost control and hurled one right at his head. It appeared to hit his bat, but he collapsed to the ground."

Oh, the horror. Wittenhagen had bean-balled the greatest slugger in state history!

"I ran to the batter's box, scared to death I'd hurt him," Wittenhagen said. "He looked up at me with his baseball grin and said, 'If my wife wasn't in the stands I would have laid there and kicked my legs a couple of times.'"

When the South Dakota Magazine staff starts reminiscing about baseball, the geese are likely to be migrating over the Missouri and spring is just a sprout away.

Huron Daily Plainsman photo

A few inches of snow fell last weekend but overall it's been a brown winter across South Dakota. According to a story in the Brookings Daily Register, soil moisture isn't critical yet but without snow melt there won't be runoff for ponds and dams, including the big Missouri dams. Still, one expert said, "we could go from feast to famine in a hurry."

Four inches of snow did fall in Brookings overnight.

Although we've had several spring like days, winter is not gone yet. It just started snowing heavily about 15 minutes ago. This icy photo was taken by Bernie Hunhoff.

While talking to a gentleman once about the Highway Patrol's position on stop signs, he made the comment that we need to use common sense when enforcing the laws 'in the middle of no where.' I remind all of you that people die in the 'middle of no where.' So please use your common sense ....

Brian Biehl, State Trooper
Wessington Springs

We're the "Righteous Region" of America if you believe the State of the Union articles in the current Atlantic Monthly. The magazine has made a habit of chiming in with its own State of the Union every January. An article by P.J. O'Rourke concludes that the Dakotas and northern Nebraska have low crime, sound marriages, little divisiveness, lots of homebodies, generous givers .... and, writes O'Rourke, "the rest of us" don't want to live there.

Thanks to Bill Carlson of St. Louis for bringing this to our attention.

More on the snowy owls. We just talked to Kent Jensen of SDSU in Brookings who saw one west of Iroquois on Highway 14. Kent said he's also heard of sightings along Highway 81 near Arlington, near Sinai and at Sand Lake by Aberdeen. He said they'll probably go north again as the weather warms.