Lanesboro, MN A year after the Solomon Islands became independent from Great Britain in 1978, my wife and I went to the Melanesian country in the South Pacific as Peace Corps volunteers assigned to three small villages on north Guadalcanal.  And the following year when provincial elections came our villagers walked to the polling station from their villages along the gravel … [Read more...]

Recently Art Laffer, who once upon a time served Ronald Reagan, went on Fox News to say that “the poor, the minorities the disenfran-chised, those with less education, young people who haven’t had the job experience. These people aren’t worth $15 an hour in most cases.” This is what the kids these days are calling a “mask off” moment. Really “having a normal one” but it was … [Read more...]

No matter how hard we try, we really can’t avoid one another. We live in a world where what takes place somewhere else on the globe has a very good chance of affecting us – along with many others. The pandemic, of course, is a useful – if sobering – example. A virus that infected humans in one city in China spread with breathtaking speed around the world, beyond the power of … [Read more...]

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently awarded 23,622 children’s books valued at $420,472 to 47 organizations through its Early Literacy Grant Program. This grant supports early literacy efforts that enhance school readiness for children birth to age five by providing children with books. The books were awarded in partnership with Capstone and ABDO, … [Read more...]

We don’t often think that how the U.S. conducts itself at home has much impact on how we face the world, but it does. You’d be amazed at how closely people in countries all over the globe follow events here and count on the United States to lead the way.  When it’s messy at home, it’s hard to sustain the strength and readiness to turn our attention outward.  Doing so is … [Read more...]

Grand Meadow, Minn. After visiting cemeteries and honoring those who served in the military on Memorial Day, my mother, wife, and I were enjoying sitting on the street in beautiful Lanesboro when suddenly a pickup truck roared by with two flags, the American flag and “F*** Biden” flag.  What a disgrace.  Total disrespect for the American flag and those who served and lost … [Read more...]

Letter about understanding violence... To the Editor, Recently I  have been trying to understand the violence in  our society and trying to figure out what we can do to encourage civility and restraint In reading Pure Land by Annette Mcgivney, I felt I gained some insight into how our minds deal with trauma in our lives.  According to a report from the U.S. department of … [Read more...]

Letter about displaying profane language in public... To the Editor, To the person displaying the flag that reads “‘F-word’ Biden.”  You have two American flags on the front of your house, so I am certain of your love for our country. However, this flag regarding our president takes away any respect you have for the office. You certainly have a right to your opinion, but … [Read more...]

Most people don’t have a clue about what happened during the Great Depression of the ‘30s.  October 29, 1929, the stock market collapsed to less than 200 from a high of over 380 two months before.    After what was called Black Tuesday, there was a five-month recovery period when the stock market regained a little over 100 points. Unemployment had also decreased in June to … [Read more...]

To the Editor, I listened to the discussion (at the last Harmony City Council meeting) on what account the monies ($12,500) for the trailhead park pump/grinder was to be taken from.  Devin asked the council this question, seemed fairly simple even though it has no association with the splash park other than the work was done under the same contract with the provider. … [Read more...]