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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Monday, May 10, 2004

Your views for Monday, May 10, 2004

By Daily News readers

Richard A. Adank | John Campe and Robin Grawe

Recognition overdue for WW II veterans

By Richard A. Adank | Commander, American Legion Post 9, Winona

The American Legion' Post 9, Winona, will be sponsoring a number of World War II veterans to the dedication of the long overdue monument in Washington, D.C. We will also be recognizing all WW II veterans in a solemn ceremony from 2 to 6 p.m. May 31 at the American Legion, 265 E. Third St. We will honor all the surviving veterans of WW II residing in Winona County. All local posts — Legion, VFW, AmVets, D.A.V. and auxiliaries will be joined by local police and fire departments.

I approach these services with a high degree of reverence, honor and respect. I also admit to a certain degree of sadness that only a quarter of the WW II generation will be with us to take part in this long overdue recognition. A generation that quietly came home, with little recognition, went on to help build this country and this world and would later become known as the "greatest generation." As President Lincoln once said, "It is fitting and proper that we do this" and yes, many will "little remember what we do or say here, but a grateful nation remembers."

Your veterans organizations will once again be placing flags on all veterans' graves at the local cemeteries in preparation for Memorial Day services. As commander, I stand and read the names of 216 veterans who have already given the ultimate sacrifice. Unfortunately, we may well be adding additional crosses, "so that this nation shall not perish from this earth."

"It is also fitting and proper," that we continue to develop the Veterans' Center on Sarnia Street for all veterans. Although restrictions imposed by the Winona State Foundation have impeded the veterans' ability to obtain financing, we have recently called on the foundation to release those restrictions. When this has been finalized a new Veterans' Center will be established on Sarnia Street.

We call on all Winona area citizens and veterans to express their support for this endeavor. We are eager to proceed with the new Veterans Center.

River management at critical point

By John Campe, Dakota, Minn., and Robin Grawe, Winona

The U.S. Senate may pass yet this spring legislation including recommendations from the long-awaited Restructured Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway Navigation Feasibility Study.

It is imperative that Congress address both navigation and environmental needs of the Upper Mississippi, as the study recommends. The great values and needs of the Upper Mississippi River are all interconnected and should be addressed together by Congress.

The needs, both for navigation improvements and for ecosystem rehabilitation, have been amply demonstrated. The 70-year-old navigation system causes delays, sometimes as long as three days, at the locks above St. Louis, economically challenging the Upper Midwest and the entire nation. Well-documented ecosystem deterioration threatens the 718 species dependent on the river as well as the $7 billion tourism/recreation industry on the Upper Mississippi.

Practically, the Corps of Engineers needs dual authority to manage the river for both navigation and environment. Currently, agencies and the public are repeatedly frustrated that projects are delayed or not done at all because parts of the project fall outside existing authorities or funding sources.

Management of this great multi-purpose resource is a matter of public trust. When the lock and dam system was constructed, the government promised to build fish passages if they turned out to be needed; there have been strong cases for fish passages at selected dams but none ever built. The Environmental Management Program was part of an agreement for the reconstruction of Lock and Dam 26, but the dollars allocated have fallen far short of those promised. At the same time, since 1978 the towing industry has been assessed a special tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund precisely to cover half the costs of navigation infrastructure modernization.

The Upper Mississippi is always competing with many other projects for funds. Letters from citizens make a difference. And it is important that our elected officials hear that there is broad-based citizen support for this river to be managed responsibly for recreation, environment, and navigation.

If you value the Upper Mississippi, write your U.S. senators to urge them to take care of it, all of it.