Since about 1980, Americans have continued to be some of the hardest working people on the planet. In fact, we work harder, and more efficiently, almost every year. And yet, we don’t see a reward from that. While we produce more, and while we produce it for less money, we don’t see any of that money. Instead, it has gone, nearly every penny, to the people sitting at the top. … [Read more...]
The time is now
To the Editor, The last week in June I was on Washington Island to hear Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove speak about reclaiming our moral imagination as people of faith. The forum is an annual event sponsored jointly by the Wisconsin Council of Churches and the Christian Century magazine. I knew it would be a challenging presentation. Wilson-Hartgrove issued a call, a national … [Read more...]
The importance of fact checking and corrections
To the Editor, Getting your facts correct these days has become critically important. Sometimes we don’t realize the damage that can be done, when we get our facts wrong. Case in point, on Monday June 17, 2019, two reporters covered the Rushford-Peterson School Board meeting and the topic of the school purchase. One reporter, Kirsten Zoellner, freelancing for the Fillmore … [Read more...]
Learning from trees and watching debates
If you have an interest in nature and trees, I urge you to visit the adjoining Parks of Kings Canyon and Sequoia in central California. I recently visited there, what an experience it was to see the groves of Giant Sequoias and learn about their relationship to fire. Giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world; the General Sherman [1,700 yrs. old] is the largest. it … [Read more...]
Devil’s Advocate…Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation
I first learned about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in my high school psychology class. My teacher insisted that we internalize and understand the topic. He was, and is, a great teacher (he’s enjoying retirement now). He was a “Don’t judge others until you take a walk in their shoes” kind of teacher. What he taught me about Abraham Maslow has stuck with me to this … [Read more...]
Gammel Dag Days
To the Editor, I went to Gammel Dag Days on Saturday, June 22, and thought it was fun. I participated in the parade with the Scouts. There were numerous activities to choose from. The strawberry smoothie was the highlight for me, but I also enjoyed the music. My siblings enjoyed the horse rides, face painting, wool spinning, and flower crafts. There were many people in … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Your buying decisions
Imagine if you owned an auto repair shop, and a customer came to you and asked you to give them a quote on repairing their vehicle. The customer tells you they can’t afford to get the repairs made at this time. Within a week, that customer calls you, the auto repair shop owner, and says they went on the Internet and bought all of the parts needed for the repairs and they … [Read more...]
The professor forgot to tell us something
If I wanted to undercut, diminish, and/or destroy an opinion I didn’t agree with, I might start with telling you all about my bon-a-fides. I would begin by highlighting my credentials. For example, I might point out that I am a Distinguished professor. In the College of Technical stuff. At the largest university in the state. In other words, I want everyone to know that I … [Read more...]
Letting go!
My husband Glenn died Sunday June 16, 2019, Father’s Day. He was 82. We all experience loss whether it’s a spouse, daughter, son or a friend. We have to confront death in order to value life. Glenn and I, in our declining years, had time to reminisce and converse about our lives. We are grateful for our many years in this world and for our 53 years together. We have been … [Read more...]
Responding to the needs of entrepreneurs
By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of the three program areas that we focus on is Economic Development. Since our founding in 1986, we have worked to catalyze entrepreneurial activity in our 20-county region by providing early-stage investments, traditional loans, micro loans, … [Read more...]