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

Published - Thursday, January 31, 2008

Winona, don’t fence us in

By Darrell Ehrlick | Editor

Here’s a message to the city of Winona: Don’t chicken out.

We mean that quite literally. Don’t put more restrictive ordinances in place, don’t form special task forces, don’t waste too much time worrying about chickens or other smaller critters in the city.

Last week, Winona learned that several houses — here and there — may still keep a few chickens. Some city residents don’t like feeling like they’re out in the country and have complained. Not scores of people, mind you, just a couple, mostly anonymously to a city council member.

From there, the issue has been brought to the entire council: What to do with chickens?

The council ultimately sent the issue back to the planning commission, which will examine the issue more closely and consider any revisions to the city ordinances.

But save for a few uppity neighbors, does this really need strict enforcement or tight regulations?

We agree there shouldn’t be a chicken farm in every backyard and that some minimal regulation is necessary. However, we also think residents should have the right to keep a couple of chickens, if they want. And the price of chicken isn’t getting any cheaper. And for a city that wants to embrace good “green” practices, letting people produce food a little closer to home seems to — well, excuse the mixed metaphors here — dovetail well with other ongoing programs.

Besides, chickens cause a lot fewer headaches than stray, unwanted dogs and cats.

It’s a good thing to periodically reexamine the city’s ordinances. But city leaders should also be careful that the complaints of a few disgruntled neighbors don’t push council members into making a hasty or overbearing decision. After all, this is still Winona and we should cherish our agricultural and somewhat rural roots.

Many old-timers around Winona remember fondly when there was such a thing as “the hog line.” The hog line ran down Mankato Avenue — any property to the east of it could keep pigs.

Let’s hope Winona doesn’t enact a “chicken line” and decide to draw it around the entire city limits.

Ehrlick writes on behalf of the Winona Daily News editorial board, which also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham and online editor Jerome Christenson. To comment, call (507) 453-3507 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.