“Time marches on,” was the first thing that came to mind when I found out that Dave Phillips had sold Bluff Country Newspapers to Jason Sethre. Thinking about the eight community newspapers that had served Harmony, Lanesboro, Preston, Mabel, Spring Valley, Chatfield, Rushford and Spring Grove for all those years now just a distant memory, really pulled on my heartstrings. In … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… CEOs have nothing on small business owners
I recently read an article about a CEO of a large corporate chain restaurant, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. He gave up his annual bonus plus base salary this year to pay his chain’s workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The total amount donated to employees from the CEO amounted to about $1 million. This has been shared all over the national media. Some … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Pre and postCOVID – being thoughtful Do you ever get stuck on a phrase that you can’t shake? Well, I know I have…. and some of you who know me may agree that I have been using and probably overusing the word Awesome for 30+ years. My prediction is there are a couple of phrases that will be used for a very long time are “preCOVID” and “postCOVID.” Anyone taking inventory of … [Read more...]
What kind of country do we want?
The recent pandemic has exposed some deficiencies in our current system. For example, millions of people have lost their jobs and therefore lost their medical insurance when they may need it most. Others may put off going to the doctor because of high deductibles, which could be fatal. Trump fired the pandemic response team two years ago after they predicted a respiratory … [Read more...]
Welcome to Trump’s Grand Wet Market
By Donna Buckbee Rushford, MN Chinese Americans and Asian Americans, in general, are being scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic. We all know where this could go and I want it to stop. Those “wet markets” — the open air meat markets where raw meat and fish are sold alongside live, wild animals, including bats and snakes. We like to call that type of meat exotic to … [Read more...]
This is what happens when you elect a sociopath
By John Torgrimson Lanesboro, MN I first heard of the coronavirus in early January when my friends in Hong Kong started posting about a strange deadly SARS-like virus that was emerging in Wuhan, a city in Hubei province in China. This was right around the time of the Chinese New Year and my first thought was: the entire country will be returning to their ancestral … [Read more...]
What makes a successful politician?
One of the intriguing features of the coronavirus pandemic is how sharply it has illuminated the importance of effective political leadership. Wherever we stand on the political spectrum, we’re looking to elected officials to help steer us through this crisis. While I don’t want to talk about specific politicians, a lifetime in politics has given me a sense of what makes a … [Read more...]
Please be a friend, wear a mask Fillmore County
To the Editor, It’s easy to think, when you “know” you are healthy and well, that wearing a mask could be an unnecessary bother, or that you’ll stand out. You’ve possibly seen adults wearing a medical mask in the past, and wondered what’s wrong and maybe even if “it” is catching? But if you’ve had any significant medical challenges hit home, for anyone old or young - … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage
By Wenda Grabau My brush with the virus A few days after my family’s return from a trip they had been on, symptoms reared their ugly heads. Coughing uncontrollably, nearly sleepless nights, sore throat, and fever all descended on our little home in the country. Doing his regular chores drained my husband’s strength. Life was not going as usual. After several days … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: The man who was more than an artist
By Zara Wilkemeyer Renaissance. One simple word that nearly everyone has heard at one point or another, but what about a Renaissance man? A classic Renaissance man had many talents or vast knowledge, and one of these men was Leonardo da Vinci, who I’m sure, many have heard something about. His life, his inventions and creations, his intelligence, and his death may not be … [Read more...]