To the Editor, Well, it’s that time of year when we see the realization of the annual tax increase and this year, we have the proposed Harmony utilities increases. The Harmony residents have again seen a ~3.33% increase in the city’s budget. If you look back four years, in 2018, the budget was $718,800. For 2022 it is $804,070, a difference of 11.86% or $85,270. That is … [Read more...]
Gratitude
President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation With the new year just days away, I have been taking some time to reflect on this past year. It was a year that, although challenging for many, filled me with hope and inspiration for the future of southern Minnesota. It was also a year during which we celebrated an important milestone here at Southern Minnesota … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Muskrats, milkweed and bismarks brought much-needed income
Part two of a series Making money with milkweed? Well, not all that much money, but children all over the United States, including some in southeast Minnesota, once harvested milkweed pods as either a patriotic duty or a source of badly-needed family income – or both. During the Great Depression of the 1930s and during the citizen rationing of World War II (1941-45), economic … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: “Comfort, O comfort my people”
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church The “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel’s Messiah is rightly famous, with its triumphant “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” and “For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth” and “King of kings and Lord of lords! Forever and ever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Much less known is how “Handel’s Messiah” begins. After the overture, a soaring … [Read more...]
Letter to the editor about The Christmas Story…
In October we were “scared out of our wits.” In November we were “thankful.” Now it is December. It’s time for “Peace on Earth”! One memory I cherish of my childhood was Christmas morning. My family would gather around the fireplace where we would be enchanted by the flames dancing before us and listen to my father’s voice as he read aloud the story of Christ’s birth. … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Hobbling to the finish line
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I’ve been a voluntary victim of the Fillmore County Turkey Day run for 12 consecutive years, since it’s inception as the brainchild of Ross Kiehne, Jim Peters, Craig Britton, Jason Schwarz, and myself. When we started this event, it was pretty much an open invitation to anyone who wanted … [Read more...]
Letter to the editor about cyber security…
Letter about cyber security... To the Editor, I’m taking a cyber security course. The instructor is an ethical hacker who has interesting stories. The stories alone are worth the time of the class. He doesn’t like the Russians and the Chinese. I can’t say for sure that he doesn’t like them because I don’t know his conscience, but there is no indication that he does like … [Read more...]
Letter to the editor – about sad display of Freedom of Speech…
To the Editor, It’s a catchy little phrase easily remembered, especially by our children - “Just say no to Sleepy Joe and the Ho.” I recently saw this sign in a Peterson [Minn.] yard. Dig deeper into the meaning of the misogynistic word “ho,” and it’s also racist. It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation; this is abusive and wrong. Putting up a political sign is … [Read more...]
The season of giving
By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation ‘Tis the season of giving, which I find to be one of the most inspirational times of year. I am always overwhelmed by the generous contributions that donors make to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) or to SMIF’s 30 Community Foundations. To me, this sends a clear message that keeping dollars … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… On our way to Thanksgiving
Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Boy, this was a big one. I am pleased to commend our team at the Fillmore County Journal for all of the work involved in publishing this week’s newspaper. This truly takes a team. Tasty Temptations Cookbook We had our 12th annual Tasty Temptations Cookbook, highlighting the “Best Cooks of Bluff … [Read more...]