(2008/05/08)
I am 38 years old and have no more living grandparents. I have lost loved grandparents at ages 8, 34 and 35. I never met my paternal grandmother. She died when I was quite young.
(2008/05/07)
Minnesota is on the brink of becoming a clean car state — and that’s great news for our state.
(2008/05/06)
I was honored to be asked to give the blessing before the start of the Winona Community Foundation’s “Celebrity Night,” April 25.
(2008/05/06)
I was driving home from work the other night when my phone started to ring. I was thoroughly enjoying singing the theme song to the Bollywood film “Salaam-E-Ishq” at the top of my lungs pretending it was I whom Salman Khan was in love with and not Priyanka Chopra.
(2008/05/05)
My goodness what a looker she was. Eighteen years old, sun red hair, big green eyes, a perfect figure that photos show she wasn’t ashamed of and a steely will built by hard times and a daily struggle to survive.
(2008/05/04)
Early and middle May are probably the best times of the year for birding in our area. Neo-tropical migrants — warblers, flycatchers and wrens — arrive from their warmer, southern wintering areas.
(2008/05/03)
On April 27, Bridget Mary Meehan wrote many statements in regards to the “womenpriests” and the Catholic Church.
(2008/05/03)
In a recent edition, John Rupkey responded to an earlier article from Joe Losinski regarding the homosexual lifestyle.
(2008/05/02)
The business aspect of public education is very complicated.
(2008/05/01)
As they wrap up promoting immunization awareness week, we say please educate yourselves before choosing to immunize your infant or child. We certainly wish we had.
(2008/04/30)
This is the grading season for college professors, and it is hard to break that habit.
(2008/04/30)
My daughter turns 8 this month, and I have a dilemma. Well, it’s not life-shattering in the least, but it is a teensy problem until I make up my mind to do something about it.
(2008/04/29)
I suspect that Col. Stan Gudmundson exaggerates my fame; I know he is confused on some other points, beginning with how businesses “move.”
(2008/04/28)
In 1990, Adm. Johnathan Howe was the commander of NATO’s Allied Forces Southern Region, which encompasses Turkey, Greece, Italy, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. As the Soviet Union began to break up, he became increasingly concerned about non-Soviet threats bordering his area of responsibility.
(2008/04/28)
Winona City Council’s consideration of a request for Tax Increment Financing to help the developer build the 42-unit cooperative housing project Applewood Pointe raises the question of when and under what conditions government should provide the means for making the ventures of private businesses profitable.
(2008/04/27)
Kathy Redig of Winona will be ordained a Roman Catholic priest on May 4. Mary Smith of Long Lake, Minn., and Barbara Zeman of Chicago, will be ordained deacons in the same ceremony. All are members of the Midwest Region of the Roman Catholic Womenpriest movement.
(2008/04/27)
There’s a golden rule in communication. When you have bad news, say it. When you have good news, write it.
(2008/04/27)
Since participants had so much fun on Earth Day, Mississippi River Revival gives you a second chance this weekend to remember one wildlife species already gone and witness others amid critical habitat.
(2008/04/24)
Who among us doesn’t like a compliment occasionally? Yes, we are all just a bit vain and like to hear someone compliment us.
(2008/04/23)
On St. Patrick’s Day, I drove to Milwaukee to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Before this year, I wasn’t much of a Boss fan. I generally grouped him in with John Cougar Mellencamp, an aging blue-collar heartthrob with the best part of his career in the rear view mirror with an older, different America.
(2008/04/22)
Neither my seven years of Spanish language classes nor my Polish training at one of Europe’s top universities could help me now. The woman at the ticket window of Budapest’s Nuygati Station was ready to sell me a ticket, and I could only massacre my request as I tried to read in Hungarian the notes I had written the night before. Moments later, tickets that I couldn’t read in hand, I boarded the train. My destination was a rural Hungarian town where I was positive I would be the first American to take a walk along its lakeshore. There was a reason I agreed to this rather unorthodox vacation. At the end of the line, my friend Péter and his homemade ice cream would be waiting for me.
(2008/04/22)
A local “economist” whose fame has spread throughout eight or nine counties and a couple of townships plus a small mosquito control district has recently provided us with a new revolutionary set of economic “facts” more commonly known as assertions. However, I am a little confused.
(2008/04/21)
As parents, we want the best for our children. We want them to grow up knowing that they are loved. We want to provide them with chances in life to be all that they can be. We buckle them in safe car seats. We give them nutritious food. We take them to the doctor when they are sick. And there are so many things parents want to give their children. Good health is perhaps the greatest gift. And vaccination is one of the most important ways parents can protect their children’s health.
(2008/04/20)
The recent editorial about the Winona housing complex in the Winona Daily News that excoriates the Winona City Council and, more pointedly, Councilmember Deb Salyards’ rejection of the proposed apartment complex is disturbing.
(2008/04/19)
I stay at home and wait patiently for the family to return every day. I am usually right in the middle of whatever they are doing. I help the kids with homework. I help Mom whenever there is food around. I stand on my own four legs and my dark brown coat glistens if the sun comes through the windows. I can tolerate hot and cold. I always like the feeling that I am the center of attention. Sometimes I’m a glutton for punishment, but I don’t mind.
(2008/04/17)
It takes the Earth 365.245 days to circle the sun. Every four years, we have to add a day to clean up all of those extra .245s. Every fourth century, though, we don’t add the extra day, to compensate for the difference between .245 days and an even .25. The sun’s light takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach the Earth. Eight minutes, 20 seconds, after traveling 93 million miles. (I don’t know if there are celestial rest stops involved.)
(2008/04/16)
Even Dear Abby is writing about our big windfall payment that we are to be getting this May.
(2008/04/15)
State Rep. Mindy Greiling | Roseville, Minn. Darrell Ehrlick’s editorial completely missed the point when he ridiculed months of work by a legislative task force and years of work by major education groups from all around the state that created a new plan to provide long-term funding reform for Minnesota schools.
(2008/04/15)
I have two topics to discuss today. First, I will compare Winona Area Public Schools Superintendent Paul Durand to President George W. Bush.
(2008/04/14)
If the so-called single-payer system is merely a pass-through method whereby the government makes no decisions whatsoever and will never ever make any healthcare decisions, then proponents could possibly make the case that their scheme isn’t socialism. However, if bureaucrats or politicians make the decisions about how much we spend or are involved with allocating resources, then the scheme is a government monopoly. That is socialism.
(2008/04/13)
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Stan Gudmundson argues that the Iraq war goes well and we must “stay the course.” Here are two sources that tell a different story.
(2008/04/12)
During the past four years, I have worked hard as the superintendent of the Winona Area Public Schools to address many issues and unique challenges. All of these efforts have been done publicly and with the full working knowledge and support of the board of education.
(2008/04/12)
Please allow me to share with you some of my feelings regarding the state of public education in Winona.
(2008/04/11)
For years District 861 has struggled to find ways to provide current technology for our students and staff. This was in large part due to three main factors.
(2008/04/11)
Like every year since my first election to the Legislature, nursing homes are a hot topic at the Capitol, and rightly so. The needs of people working long hours to provide care to our parents and grandparents are great, and we must do better by them. As important, in many Minnesota towns, the nursing home and other long-term care facilities are pillars around which the community is sustained.
(2008/04/09)
In 2006, 4,997 fires occurred in Minnesota residential properties, places where people live. That’s approximately 72 percent of all building fires. That same year, 46 Minnesotans lost their life to fire. Thirty-seven of those people died in a fire in a residential building.
(2008/04/08)
On April 2, the Minnesota House approved a compromise capital investment proposal that had been negotiated by appointed conferees from the House and Senate. The bill, which funds construction projects throughout Minnesota, came in with a final price tag of $925 million.
(2008/04/08)
The year was 2006. And the Winona State Warriors are headed to Springfield, Mass. Should we go or not?
(2008/04/07)
I live in a ranch-style home. I love our house. We got lucky when we happened upon it. We have been here approximately 2½ years. In that time, I have managed to paint every room on the main floor because to me, that’s fun. This spring I need to tackle the basement.
(2008/04/06)
Journalists and poets have a lot in common, I told Winona Poet Laureate James Armstrong as we talked at a local bar on a recent Monday night.
(2008/04/06)
Walking around Lake Winona one morning in early March, it was 7 degrees — I looked out over the frozen expanse and saw two fishermen sitting on overturned buckets. They were about 20 yards apart, their backs to the wind, motionless silhouettes in the early glare. I understood completely what they were up to, though I’ve never dunked a waxworm or turned an ice auger.
(2008/04/05)
I was at the library the other day, waiting in line to check out. There was a bit of a gap between me and the person ahead of me.
(2008/04/05)
I enjoy chemistry. In fact, I enjoy it enough that I once wrote a chemistry textbook and then sat down a decade later to do it again. As one who gets pleasure from a good puzzle, I have always enjoyed figuring out what makes the world of atoms and molecules tick.
(2008/04/04)
This year, Minnesota is set to join other states around the country in passing a law that will reduce global warming pollution from new cars, trucks, mini-vans and sport-utility vehicles.
(2008/04/04)
Private business and government programs are commonly evaluated by balancing costs against benefits. When benefits are deemed sufficient to outweigh costs, programs are considered generally successful. When benefits are not sufficient to justify costs, better alternatives are sought.
(2008/04/03)
My grandma turned 100 yesterday. In honor of her birthday, my gift to her is sharing her story — my roots — with my new community.
(2008/04/03)
Tell us about yourself. What do you feel your greatest strengths are — and your weaknesses? Why should we hire you? These are just some of the questions, I’ve been gearing up to answer as I look forward to the most evil of all necessities — the job hunt.
(2008/04/02)
Col. Stan Gudmundson did not follow his own advice very well.
(2008/04/01)
Our yard signs and bumper stickers say things like “Hope,” “Change” and “Support the Troops” without describing how we should act in order to fulfill these empty slogans. We proudly display our ribbon and flag magnets and lapel pins as if they actually mean something. When Americans put their money where their mouth is by buying into these stagnant sayings, all they do is pay lip service to platitudes.
(2008/03/31)
Sometimes a simple thing will get your mind thinking about all kinds of different scenarios. For instance, I recently received an e-mail from my niece. I hadn’t heard from her in quite awhile, so it was a nice surprise. It was also a surprise to get an actual “letter” in my e-mail box, not just more junk mail.
(2008/03/30)
Have you spent the afternoon gazing hypnotically at several fish tanks in a pet shop?
(2008/03/29)
Just a brief counterpoint to Stan Gudmundson’s two long opinion columns: First, the closure of the major bridge in St. Cloud and the 2003 photos of the bowed gusset plates on the ill-fated I-35W bridge confirm the poor condition of Minnesota roads due to lack of resources and poor management.
(2008/03/29)
The Winona County Planning Department, the Zoning Update Task Force and the project planning consultant wish to thank those who have participated in the zoning update process. Whether through attending the open house meeting in February, meeting with county staff or providing comments, your input in this process has been extremely important.
(2008/03/29)
Most people I have spoken with lately are really, really tired of winter. Especially this one.
(2008/03/28)
“Well, I’ll feed it. I’ll flip it over when it needs to be moved. I’ll change its diapers. It’ll be fine. It’ll sleep most of the day anyway …”
(2008/03/28)
In the Honorable Judge Dennis Challeen’s most recent letter, “Crisis in the Courts,” he laments the inability of the justice system to adopt scientific and promising approaches in reducing criminal behavior. At the same time, the State of Minnesota is struggling with budget shortfalls.
(2008/03/26)
With all the recent media attention regarding men risking their status, reputation, marriage and career for illicit sex, I would like to share some key insights on this issue.
(2008/03/26)
The letter from Marine Sgt. Hovland was really great. I am so grateful that he provided us with a view of the conflict in Iraq that he and our military see every day but is never reported on. It will help to reassure the 60 plus percent of the American people who want to win that war that we are indeed winning.
(2008/03/25)
As lawmakers in St. Paul work on developing a sustainable, quality health care system available to all Minnesotans, we must remember that safe dental care is an important part of that equation.
(2008/03/24)
In a recent “Guest View,” Steve J. Bennick found it necessary to take me to task for my opinions on the people who are trying to disrupt the military recruitment centers.
(2008/03/24)
Are we mostly public relations with little substance?
(2008/03/23)
As everyone in Winona knows, the weather in the city was beautiful a few days ago.
(2008/03/22)
I’ve always thought the term “brain dead liberal” was merely an expression conservatives used to express frustration with liberal ideology.
(2008/03/21)
Boy, I just can’t tell you how excited and grateful I am to the government for my upcoming $600 tax rebate check! I thought it would be fun to list here just a few of the things I’m going to get with my unexpected windfall.
(2008/03/19)
I am not a runner nor have I ever been. But I participate in a road race every year whether the sun shines, the snow flies, or the birds sing, because the Fools Five Road Race is worth it.
(2008/03/18)
To be sure of my suspicions, today I took a walk into Windom Park to visit Wenonah.
(2008/03/17)
Most rural Minnesota school superintendents say the way schools are funded is a disaster and is ruining the quality of education.
(2008/03/17)
A couple of generations ago, in his presidential inauguration address, John F. Kennedy called on Americans to ask what they could do for their country, rather than asking their country what it could do for them.
(2008/03/16)
In response to Michael P. Siebenaler. You are the who is naïve, sir.
(2008/03/16)
The older I get, the more I find myself taking stock of what I have accomplished and how much I still want to do. Although I suspect I’m blessed with mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, I don’t actually keep “to do” lists. I do feel satisfied when I know that I’ve passed a milestone especially if I have made a difference to the world around me in the process.
(2008/03/15)
I have a response to the March 4 “Our View” editorial, “Feedlot Hearings Should Be Kept Public.”
(2008/03/15)
We all wanted emergency relief funding rushed to southeastern Minnesota almost as rapidly as the flood water itself arrived. Now, we must keep the letter of the law in mind to ensure aid is delivered to the intended recipients in the way prescribed by law.
(2008/03/13)
Victimized by the August flood, Rollingstone Township residents of the flooded and neighboring areas are to be victimized again by the city of Goodview with its greed for population and tax base.
(2008/03/12)
Winona County Environmental Services is receiving calls concerning the safety of private water supplies in Winona County. These concerns relate to an article in the Feb. 24 Winona Post, which suggested the flood-waters of August 2007 had contaminated our water supply aquifers.
(2008/03/12)
Today, I am mindful of three recent headlines in the news: 1. Energy prices sharply higher and crude oil in New York trades at over $100 per barrel; 2. Hugo Chavez threatens to cut off the U.S. from all oil shipments; and 3. Rep. Ken Tschumper takes on ethanol.
(2008/03/11)
The recent vigils at the army/navy recruitment offices have created a worthy discourse in Winona. This dialogue is critical, healthy and painfully uncommon.
(2008/03/11)
With a long winter, it makes me realize there’s more to this crazy season than you’d suspect.
(2008/03/10)
There are times when one wonders about the state of world and the quality of the people in it. People have an unbelievable tolerance for cruelty and can inflict pain on others without considering the ramifications of their actions. Teasing and bullying goes on daily in schools and, depending on the mentality of the victim, can lead to depression, dropping out or more extreme measures such as taking revenge on classmates.
(2008/03/10)
Minnesota City, Minn. The event was a sham. For the past several months, under a virtual veil of secrecy, obviously with the intent of depriving the public of participation, Winona County has been using a consulting firm under a $70,000 contract to develop an update of its zoning ordinances.
(2008/03/08)
Our legislators should take to heart what Dr. Phil says, “What were you thinking?”
(2008/03/08)
Hobbies are a good thing, right? Not only do they help pass the time, but they stimulate the mind.
(2008/03/07)
My friend, Jimena, sent me an e-mail the other day. We met in Istanbul and spent a couple days exploring the city together. Despite our short time together, we had started a friendship that would last a lifetime. Her last e-mail was filled with the latest news of her life back at home. At the end of her e-mail, she wrote one two-word sentence: “Miss you.” And then followed it up with: “Weird, huh?”
(2008/03/06)
So there I was driving back from an attorney’s office in Fountain City with a check for more than $286,000 for the Winona Area Humane Society. I serve as its president.
(2008/03/06)
I want to thank my family, friends and community members for their support with my school board campaign. I have learned a lot about this community and what the concerns are regarding education issues. I have a growing list, and I will do my best to do what is right for our children, our school system and our community.
(2008/03/06)
After I graduated high school and went to college Dad never again let me into his house. He was still eager to visit with me, just not at his house. He had lived alone for so many years that he became embarrassed by his housekeeping. With only himself to please, there wasn’t much motivation to keep things neat. So, as I grew into adulthood, we would meet in Chicago to catch a jazz gig rather than in Detroit to reminisce old times.
(2008/03/06)
Some reflections from a recent trip to Eastern Europe:
(2008/03/04)
Apart from the robin —whose arrival marks the coming of spring and the renewal of life — perhaps no bird is as beloved by Americans as the dove, symbol of peace and sign of hope. Robins are federally protected. They may not be hunted anywhere.
(2008/03/03)
Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. Active duty, Reservist, National Guard. We are all the same. We are soldiers. Whether we have fought the wars of the past, those we are currently involved, or those which have yet to come, we are all one.
(2008/03/02)
Sister Elzear Lillian Kral fascinated the public in the early 1980s, beginning with the protest of her dismissal from her Winona-based religious order, and continuing with other protests against civil power structure.
(2008/03/01)
The transportation funding stalemate in the state of Minnesota has apparently ended. On Feb. 25, a nearly $7 billion transportation tax increase proposal that had been vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty was overridden by the Legislature.
(2008/02/28)
Six months have passed and, believe it or not, many southeastern Minnesota homeowners who were impacted by flooding last August still have not received any financial assistance from the state.
(2008/02/28)
Four years ago this month, perhaps to the day depending on when this article hits the press, I deployed to Iraq. My tour of duty cemented my opinion of the war and those in charge of waging it, and events since my return and eventual (honorable) discharge from the Marines have not persuaded me to reject my views.
(2008/02/27)
Last week in the Minnesota House and Senate, we passed an important comprehensive transportation funding package. It is sound public policy representing months of bipartisan discussion and compromise. The result is a balanced bill that benefits every county in the state, carefully weighing the transportation needs of both rural and metro areas.
(2008/02/26)
Most people are aware of the growing cost of the war in Iraq.
(2008/02/25)
Imagine this scene: A jury in a small Mississippi town returned a $41 million verdict against a notorious chemical company for dumping toxic waste into the town’s water supply. In an attempt to avoid liability, the chemical company appealed the case to the Mississippi Supreme Court for final review. The chemical company, fearing that the court will not lean in its favor, decided to influence the appeal through an upcoming judicial election. During the election, the company invests a few million dollars in the campaign of a pro-business candidate. In the course of a highly negative political campaign, its candidate is elected to the Supreme Court.
(2008/02/24)
Our courts are in trouble. We do not have enough money to keep operating at the current level. Since we do not have significant investment in buildings, equipment or inventory, we are going to have to cut staff.
(2008/02/23)
An Associated Press story in the Winona Daily News online edition, Feb. 20 (I have not found it in the paper edition) accuses charter school leaders who form a separate not-for-profit building corporation that secures funding to buy or build a facility to lease back to the charter school of “clearly circumventing the law.”
(2008/02/22)
Irving Berlin, the man who brought us “White Christmas” and other beloved tunes, once said “the toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success.”
(2008/02/21)
The Winona area was proudly represented at the 152nd Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
(2008/02/20)
I am a control freak. There, I said it. I have a vision of how things should be and I enable that vision at work and at home. Most of the time things pan out well. That is, they work out according to my simple plans. When they don’t, I get agitated. I’m not entirely a Type-A personality, but I like to see things my way. Who doesn’t?
(2008/02/19)
At kitchen tables across America and right here in southern Minnesota, middle- class families are making tough decisions about how to make ends meet.
(2008/02/19)
The Winona Human Rights Commission would like to invite state Rep. Steve Drazkowksi to diversity training.
(2008/02/18)
Anger. Just one letter short of danger, and I don’t think there is a whole lot of difference in the two.
(2008/02/17)
I often think growing up in Minnesota made me politically hyperaware. Despite a proud and often nationally influential political tradition, Minnesota is a state not often given its due in the contemporary scene, lost in the shuffle of presidential primaries between early contest states like Iowa and New Hampshire and delegate-rich states like New York and California.
(2008/02/15)
Health savings accounts are frequently touted as a better alternative than government funded and sponsored programs and as a solution to the problems of medical insurance purchased from private corporations.
(2008/02/13)
I put together a puzzle the other day. It had two guinea pigs and lots of purple daisies on it. It wasn’t a difficult puzzle. In fact, it was only 100 pieces. I watched two Bollywood films, made Ramen noodles for lunch and put together a guinea pig puzzle. Oh, I also went to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk.
(2008/02/11)
Like all good Lutheran children of my generation, I memorized Luther’s Small Catechism as a part of my confirmation process.
(2008/02/07)
They call the third Monday in January Blue Monday because of a variety of converging circumstances. There’s the post holiday let down, past and looming financial concerns and the fact that we’re smack dab in the dead of winter and our bodies are starved of heat and light. In the middle of the country, in the middle of winter the world gets cold and dark and you’re looking for any sign of life. Who’d of thought I’d find it at a funeral?
(2008/02/06)
During a recent meeting with the Winona County commissioners, I learned that the courts are going to have to lay off staff due to increased costs in administrative services.
(2008/02/06)
There are a lot of phrases I expect to hear from my kids’ mouths on a regular basis.
(2008/02/05)
Since media weren’t at the Jan. 23 Levee at Main meeting, we’d like to fill in people about what the task force is doing.
(2008/02/04)
In 10 years, when you look up from the valley floor to the bluffs that surround Winona, what do you want to see?
(2008/02/03)
There’s just something I don’t understand — the love affair with football.
(2008/02/02)
Winter has set in with a vengeance. The sub-zero daytime temperatures have arrived, and I am never ready for it. I know there are people out there who love winter, but I am not one of them. I don’t enjoy the tropical humidity of July either, but I do love to complain and talk about the weather like 97 percent of Minnesotans.
(2008/02/01)
A few weeks ago, as I landed in Afghanistan during a nine-day visit to the Middle East and Central Asia, I saw Army engineers unloading some important cargo from the plane I’d traveled on — the first Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle to arrive in Afghanistan.
(2008/01/31)
Jenny struggles in her bed as the 12-year battle with cancer tests the depth of her being.
(2008/01/30)
During the past few years, I have been asked several times about what it means to be a Catholic school. Simply stated, Catholic schools make Christ present every day. As an extension of the church, educating children in the faith and preparing them for Christian witness and action is central to our mission.
(2008/01/30)
It is unfortunate, and probably unbeknownst to most Houston County citizens, that they find themselves in a precarious situation.
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