In late July the Somali American Cultural Society of Owatonna (SACSO), was vandalized with spray paint and had a fire lit in front of its building. I was saddened by this senseless act of vandalism against SASCO which has been a reliable and valued Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) grantee and client. Several years ago, SASCO was founded by Ibrahim Hussein to … [Read more...]
Trust me!
My husband Glenn and I were in the restaurant business in Lanesboro for thirteen years. The White Front Café provided a stage where customers played out their lives and shared their experiences over a cup of coffee. One day a couple came through the doors , smiling and made themselves comfortable in a booth halfway along the wall. They had just moved onto a piece of land … [Read more...]
Who needs to step up?
An interesting thing keeps happening to me. Every few days, someone — an acquaintance, a colleague, even a stranger on the street — approaches me. They ask some version of the same question: What can we do to pull ourselves out of this dark period? For the many Americans who respect representative democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law, there’s reason to be … [Read more...]
More comments from an “Old Soldier”
By Ron Scheevel Preston, MN As I prepare to pen my thoughts on several subjects, I realized I have strong opinions on a few things that are current events. As I read the sports section of the Rochester’s Post-Bulletin, I noticed that on Monday Night Football, 11 members of the Cleveland Browns football team knelt during the National Anthem. As a veteran, it bothers me … [Read more...]
Bringing the science to you: Could Fetal Alcohol Syndrome be reversed someday?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate based upon studies of health records that 1-2 infants per 1,000 live births are affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS (CDC, 2017). Other studies suggest as much as 5% of children in the United States are affected by this (CDC, 2017). FAS is very descriptive in its title as it is a condition that affects infants … [Read more...]
Letter about 10th anniversary of the Rushford flood…
To the Editor, I was honored to join with others in the observance of the 10th anniversary of the Rushford flood. As I stated in my remarks at the ceremony, the citizens of Rushford who adopted the attitude of “never give up” are the reason that the community not only recovered from the flood, but is now flourishing with a bright future ahead. I am pleased that the Southern … [Read more...]
Nine Presidents
One reason I consider myself fortunate to have led a life in politics is that, over time, I’ve had a chance to work with nine Presidents. From Lyndon Johnson through Barack Obama, I’ve talked policy, politics and, sometimes, the trivial details of daily life with them. I met JFK twice for brief conversations. I don’t know our current President, but I’ve gained valuable … [Read more...]
The devil’s lie
By Aaron Swartzentruber Greenleafton, MN I can’t help but chuckle a bit when I read an article addressing the problem of soil erosion and the same article talks about how evolution thrives and succeeds. I really shouldn’t chuckle too much though, because it is a sad case if you really think we’ve evolved from our closest ancestors that are swinging from limb to limb in the … [Read more...]
Supporting a free press
By Senator Amy Klobuchar In Minnesota, we understand the importance of a free press. It’s hard to forget in our state – Minnesotans are among the most engaged citizens in the country. Last year we again ranked first in the nation in voter turnout. Minnesotans volunteer at the second highest rate in the country. And we usually look to our local newspapers as the first stop … [Read more...]
Help me, Boomers
Baby Boomers, children of the ‘60s, those born somewhere between 1947 and 1965 (if my internet search is to be believed), I need your help. I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past, and I know we’ll have them in the future, but for now I’d like to offer a brief truce to our good-natured horseplay and have a heart-to-heart for a minute or two. I grew up in a Boomer’s … [Read more...]