After ten years of “singlehood,” my boat found a safe harbor. I was 30 when I “fell in love.” In the friendship Glenn and I enjoyed for the year preceding our engagement we spent hours talking to each other. Glenn expressed the opinion that people place too much importance on being “independent” when in fact we should become more “dependent” on each other! One day my … [Read more...]
Saint Patrick of Ireland: The miracle behind the legend
In honor of the beginning of Lent and the celebration of our most beloved (and perhaps most misunderstood) saint, we travel back through time and separate fact from legend as it pertains to the most successful and remarkable of all missionaries. My main sources are The Story of Ireland by Emily Lawless and St. Patrick and the Druid Priests by J. A. Wylie. We must delve … [Read more...]
Signs of hope
Call me a contrarian. Or even a Pollyanna. But when everyone around me is filled with gloom and despair, seeing dire portents in every political headline, I try to find trends that encourage me. And I’m finding them. It could be that my hopes outrun the realities. But I’m guardedly optimistic that’s not the case. If there’s a single theme that ties them together, it seems to … [Read more...]
180 Dollars
In negative two degree weather, I forced myself to get out of bed at 6:30 to take the recycling to the curb. While I was out there, I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox and noted, with some relief, that there was a check in there from what I liked to call my third job. I opened up the envelope, checked the amount, and resolved to deposit it as soon as possible. My wife, not … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… What killed U.S. savings bonds?
Nearly every adult over the age of 40 recalls receiving U.S. savings bonds from their grandparents when they were younger. That is probably a foreign concept for children of today. Why? In today’s issue of the Fillmore County Journal, you’ll notice several pages dedicated to the “Cute Kids of Fillmore County.” This is a special feature we have been publishing in our … [Read more...]
Creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem
At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we know that growth comes from within. In all of our programming we aim to lift up the communities in our region by providing them with resources and a framework for success, but it is the people within our partner communities who ultimately create the future they want to see. As we seek to increase our involvement in small … [Read more...]
Devil’s Advocate…And then there was one
I have a challenge for you. The goal is to not skip a single name. Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… We won three awards, but..
I’m proud to share that our team at the Fillmore County Journal won three awards at the 151st annual Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention held at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloominton, Minn., on Thursday, January 25, and Friday, January 26. Historically, our newspaper staff has never found enough time to submit entries for the MNA Better Newspaper Contest, but this … [Read more...]
Partisan true believers are part of the problem, not part of the solution
What is the right thing to do? That question should guide our political discussion not what a party’s position is. Truth should be the basis of debate and discussion rather than party talking points. As an independent voter who has voted for republicans, democrats, independents, greens and democratic socialists; parties are not important. What matters is the candidate’s … [Read more...]
In praise of party politics
By Eric Lee Harmony, MN I am going to state what anecdotally feels like an unpopular opinion, these days. I like party politics. I wasn’t always this way, and it took me a while to get here, but let me take you through my exciting journey. You see, much of my life I have preferred to think of myself as an independent. I can think for myself. I won’t be beholden to any one … [Read more...]
Gratitude
With the barrage of news these days from the ongoing fires and flooding in California to the terror attacks around the globe and of course the consistent thrum of politic divide, it is still important to sit back and reflect on what to be grateful for at this time of year. And, there is so much for which to be thankful for this year. For me, I’m thankful for my family, which … [Read more...]
Sand threats lurk in Fillmore County
The Rein frac sand mine on County Road 12 has a new name and a new operator since it was first permitted in 2013. Although not a single load of frac sand has yet been scooped, the newly named Highland Sand’s new operator Larry Thompson is seeking approval of additional hauling routes to as-yet-unknown destinations north and south of Fillmore County. Meanwhile, their original … [Read more...]
What awaits us in the New Year
As I take down the calendar for 2017 and replace it with a new calendar for 2018, I wonder what lies ahead in the New Year. Last year ushered in a disturbing trend. Truth, facts and reason were abandoned. The social fabric in our country was torn apart. It appears that as a nation we have lost our moral compass. I’ve always thought that life should be a search for the … [Read more...]
What to look for in 2018
Because we live in such tumultuous political times, it’s easy to believe that today’s intense public focus on the Trump presidency is something new — an obsession like none we’ve ever seen before. Yet to one degree or another, the president has always been at the center of the public’s attention. This is because he or she is the central actor in American government. The sheer … [Read more...]
Letter about News from Hillcrest Drive, Rushford…
To the Editor, It was thought now that the controversial Hillcrest Drive Project is mostly complete as I have received the official notice of my special assessment, and it is at a reduced rate, but still about six times greater that the annual real estate taxes on my home now! At a recent council meeting, one council member asked if there was a more effective way to prepare … [Read more...]