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Letter: Dead Sea Scrolls was well worth it

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:03:45 +0000

From: Debra Olson
Winsted
My husband and I took a group of 29 teenagers and “twenty-somethings” to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Science Museum.
Although I would have recommended the exhibit before that weekend, I waited to write this letter until I could get the reaction of these young people as well.
I asked them two questions: “Was it worth going?” (affirmatives from everyone) and “Why?” The most repeated ideas were “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and “It builds up your confidence in the Bible.”
Seeing all the other artifacts helped the whole culture and setting of the scrolls become more “real” for many of them. One person was struck by the thought that the large water pots on display were the same type used at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.
Yes, much of the exhibit is scientific analysis and written from a secular viewpoint. One of our students made a great point about all of that. “Seeing it all from a completely secular view helps you understand how the people think and makes you understand more the importance of the scrolls and artifacts to the Christian faith.” (My paraphrase).
That really leads to my main point. No matter how “secular” or “politically correct’ the exhibit may seem, God’s hand cannot be hidden. Consider His use of the perfect conditions around the Dead Sea in preserving the scrolls. Think also about the ink. Many documents I have that are only 20 or 30 years old already have faded signatures, yet the particular compounds used by the scribes have lasted over 2,000 years!
God’s timing is also perfect. If the scrolls had been found even 100 years earlier, they may have been lost due to a lack of knowledge and technology for their continued preservation.
Finally, remember that God “who so loved the world” works through, and for, individual people. Imagine a solitary man with quill in hand painstakingly copying the text, never dreaming that 2,000 years later another solitary person would be seeing, reading, and studying his work.
God did all this so you could know about Him and trust His faithfulness.
Go see the scrolls. Look for God’s hand throughout the exhibit, and leave with the wonder and awe of His great provision for you.

Letter: Americans won’t stand for cheating

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:03:01 +0000

From: Joan Neururer
Waverly
Americans take their sporting events very seriously.
Americans are upset when their sporting heroes cheat. They are outraged when teams are accused of throwing a game.
The cheating politicians have perpetrated in the name of health care reform have now outraged American citizens.
Contrary to a recent letter to the editor; health care legislation is not a good thing. Republicans are not sore losers; they just don’t like losing through the machinations that were perpetrated by the Democrats.
Never in the in the history of our great nation has such sweeping social change been foisted on the American people with so much skullduggery.
Senate rules were changed. Congressmen were bribed, threatened, and lied to, all in the name of passing the bill. That sounds a lot like thievery.
A majority of the citizens made it known that the bill wasn’t desired, but nevertheless the bill was signed into law.
Americans won’t stand for cheating in their sports heroes, and they certainly won’t stand for it on something as important as health care legislation.

Letter: Dead Sea scrolls program recommended

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:02:12 +0000

From: Dianne Mahoney
Winsted
In the April 12 issue of the Herald Journal, an editorial review of the Science Museum of Minnesota’s current exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls with which I totally disagree.
The movie, “Arabia,” which is offered in the Omnitheater, is not required, in fact it costs an extra $8-$11 to see it.
It is advertised on the web site, and there is a big sign on the front of the museum advertising it, contrary to your statements in the review.
We found the exhibit fascinating, the next best thing to a trip to Israel. It is full of wonderful background information about the geography, history, and culture of the area.
It was so interesting and so jam-packed with information, that we had to skip part of the exhibit and made plans to go back another time. In fact, after a couple of hours of the information, my brain got to the point where it couldn’t absorb any more.
I would recommend that you go in the morning, spend a couple of hours at the exhibit, go take a lunch break, then go back in.
I suspect that your editor’s distaste for the movie colored the entire experience. For instance, referring to a “sect” was, I believe, a reference to the people who copied the scrolls and preserved them, not to Christians as a whole.
There were presentations of conflicting theories of who the people were, how the scrolls came to be hidden in the caves, etc. etc. It is a scholarly presentation, and I found the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in no way offensive to my Christian faith.
Academics are supposed to be interested in presenting information, which is what happens here. It is up to the viewer to make their own conclusions about the awe, mystery, and wonder of having a chance to see such ancient texts which so closely match what we have such easy access to, the Living Word of God.
I hope the negative review will not put anyone off from seeing what a group of Christians thought was a wonderful, wonderful educational experience.

Letter: Wait before bestowing sainthood

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:01:35 +0000

From: Dale Vander Linden
Delano
My good friend of 40-some years, John Norman, expounded the virtues of the Obama health care reform.
Considering the fact that we have seldom seen any government program, either Republican or Democrat, live up to its hype, I don’t think most of us fall into that category of sore Republican losers, but into the category of concerned citizens.
Before we pin medals on the program, and on Mr. Obama, maybe we should consider the fact that government agencies have recently pointed out that in 10 years there will still be 40,000,000 folks without insurance and that the 10-year savings look to be $143,000,000,000 less than advertised.
Maybe we should wait about five years before bestowing sainthood.

Letter: Drinking not a passage of spring for teens

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:59:51 +0000

From: Carver County Attorney Jim Keeler
Sheriff Bud Olson
Chaska Chief Scott M. Knight
Springtime is full of celebrations for our students – including prom and graduation. These events are milestones for students and families and should be celebrated. How students celebrate prom and graduation however, could have major consequences.
Underage drinking is a serious problem. In Minnesota, it is illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase, possess and drink alcoholic beverages. Under the “Not a Drop” law, if someone under 21 drinks and drives they will lose their license from 30 to 180 days. These laws have reduced the incidence and harms of underage drinking.
Teens, however, continually report that adults are their primary source of alcohol at home, in bars, and restaurants and outdoor parties. Serving alcohol to minors is illegal.
Adults providing alcohol to teens can be ordered to serve a jail or prison sentence, pay fines and substantial monetary civil damages. Chaska’s “Social Host” ordinance holds individuals criminally responsible for hosting or allowing underage drinking at parties.
While some parents are relieved that their teen is “only” drinking, they may not know that alcohol is a drug. Teens use alcohol more frequently, heavily and with more deadly results than all other illicit drugs combined. These statistics do not take into consideration the countless lief-altering consequences of underage drinking that do not result in death, including vehicle crashes, violence and sexual assault.
Even though they are 18, graduating and attending prom, parents can still help their teens make choices that ensure their own and others’ safety.
Parents can establish boundaries and expectations for them and hold them accountable for their actions. Remember underage drinking is not a rite of passage –it is illegal.
Our message is aimed at preventing underage drinking and potentially deadly behavior, including drinking and driving. We care about the teens in our community. Please join us in our effort to keep them safe and sober while celebrating their accomplishments.

Letter: Adopt a highway volunteers are out

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:58:34 +0000

From: Bob Busch
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Now that spring has arrived, Adopt a Highway volunteers are out along our roadways helping to beautify roadsides and saving taxpayers’ money in litter removal costs.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of MnDOT’s Adopt a Highway program, a public service campaign where community groups, churches, businesses and individuals pick up litter along Minnesota highways.
Minnesota’s Adopt a Highway volunteers are the real heroes of public service. Every year they pick up tons of litter from state highways. The work is hard, never-ending and frequently thankless.
As MnDOT District 3 Transportation District Engineer, I would like to offer sincere appreciation to each volunteer. MnDOT is very proud of their dedication and commitment to keeping our roadsides attractive and giving visitors to our area a positive impression as they travel our local roadways.
Courtesy of their efforts, MnDOT can use the resources that would have been used to pick up litter for highway improvements and safety projects.
The next time you pass a group of volunteers picking up litter, give them a thumbs-up. Or better yet, organize your own group to adopt a highway of its own. Those interested in adopting a highway can visit: www.dot.state.mn.us/adopt/contact.html to find out who to contact in their area.
Adopt a Highway volunteers really make a difference in our communities.

Letter: Observe National Day of Prayer May 6

Staff — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:57:33 +0000

From: Helen Bunge
Mayer
Thursday, May 6 is our 59th annual National Day of Prayer. National Day of Prayer was created by an act of Congress to be the first Thursday of May.
The theme for 2010 National Day of Prayer is “Prayer. . . for such a time as this,” and is based on Nahum 1:7 which states: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”
National Day of Prayer task force chairman Shirley Dobson announced that Mr. Franklin Graham will lead the nation in prayer as the 2010 honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer task force.
Below is printed the 2010 prayer for the nation written by Franklin Graham, so that you can pray with millions across this land.
Lord, we are thankful for the abundant blessings You have bestowed on America. Our forefathers looked to You as protector, provider, and the promise of hope. But we have wandered far from that firm foundation. May we repent for turning our backs on Your faithfulness.
We pray that this great nation will be restored by Your forgiveness.
From bondage, You grant freedom.
Through Your own sacrifice, You offer salvation.
From the state of despair, You offer peace.
From the bounties of Heaven, You have blessed – not because of our goodness – but by Your grace.
You have given us freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your holy word instructs. May our lives honor You in word and deed. May our nation acknowledge that all good things come from the Father above.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that our nation should set apart a day for national prayer to confess our sins and transgressions in sorrow, “yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon. . . announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nation only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
“We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produces by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own . . . we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us. It behooves us then. . . to confess our national sins and to pray the God who made us! It behooves us then. . . to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Help us to pray earnestly for our president and leaders who govern, that they will humble themselves and seek Your guidance so that everything we do will shine the light of Your glory in a darkened world.
May our prayers as a people and a nation be heard and blessed for such a time as this. We make this plea in faith, believing in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
You may have heard from the news media that the Freedom from Religious Foundation filed suit a number of months ago contending that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.
On April 15, US District Court Judge Barbara Craft decided in their favor, claiming that this observance violates the “establishment clause” of the First Amendment.
This ruling makes the National Day of Prayer theme “Prayer. . . for such a time as this” most timely.
We must unite our voices against this outrageous move to take away our religious liberties established by our founding fathers.
National Day of Prayer is America’s heritage. National days of prayer have occurred since 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the nation to join in a petition for divine guidance.
Since then, 34 of the 44 US presidents have called for days of prayer during times of crisis, including George Washington during the Revolutionary War, Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson during World War I, Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, George H. W. Bush during Desert Storm, and George W. Bush during Iraqi Freedom.
Roosevelt prayed a passionate six-minute prayer on D-Day June 6, 1944, which was broadcast in its entirety on nationwide radio. Our leaders knew then that we desperately needed God’s intervention during those very dark days. And today, official recognition of the National Day of Prayer is now judged to be unconstitutional.
We know God is in control. I urge you to pray with bold confidence that our merciful God hears and answers our prayers, for Jesus’ sake, and for the good of this people in “such a time as this.”

Letters: Legislation has broad positive benefits

Staff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:30:57 +0000

From: John Norman
Buffalo
Apparently the sky is falling as the Republicans attempt to discredit the health care reform bill.
You would never know, with all the false information and racket perpetuated by the sore loser Republicans, who there is much in this legislation that has broad, positive benefits for those covered by health insurance.
President Obama promised change when he ran for president; was elected by a majority of Americans; has a Democratic majority in congress. In spite of no support from the Republicans, who advertised the health care plan would be his “Waterloo,” the bill passed and is now law; the biggest social change since the passage of Medicare over 60 years ago.
This landmark legislation represents an achievement for Obama that other presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, sought unsuccessfully for nearly a century to implement.
This health care reform bill provides solid steps to curb rising health care costs which, left unchecked, would continue to bankrupt families, penalize US corporations and negatively impact our recovering economy.
This is not a government takeover of the nation’s health care system. Health care insurance companies will now have to compete on a level playing field.
Virtually all of the 160 million Americans with employer-sponsored coverage will be able to keep it. The 15 million now self-insured and the 32 million uninsured will also have the option of private coverage.
Provisions that take effect within the year will bar insurers from rejecting people with pre-existing conditions; will extend health care coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans; will provide tax credits to small businesses that offer coverage; will provide subsidies for people with limited or moderate incomes and will allow young people to stay on their parents’ policies until age 26.
Additionally, it will require health care insurers to spend a higher percentage of premiums for benefits instead of profits and overhead. For older Americans on Medicare, it will gradually close the “doughnut hole” on prescription drugs and also guarantees basic Medicare coverage. The Independent Congressional Budget Office states that savings generated by this bill will trim the federal deficit by $143 billion through 2019.
This ground-breaking legislation is a victory for all Americans over the big insurance companies and will prove that good policy is good politics.
As the impact of this health care reform is recognized by the American public they will heartily endorse it.

Letter: ‘Global warming’ is current catch phrase

Staff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:27:22 +0000

From: Joan Neururer
Waverly
Chicken Little was crying, “The sky is falling.” In the 70s “Global Cooling” was the catch phrase of the far left.
The alarmists said we must change our ways. They said the use of fossil fuels was polluting the world and causing “Global Cooling.” They said that people would be dying from starvation, worldwide, within 10 years.
Alarmists insisted we could warm the earth’s surface by dumping ash on the polar caps. Dumping ash on the polar caps was a ridiculous idea, but sane people agreed that we needed to be better stewards of this wonderful world we inhabit.
The saner minds prevailed and people in general became more energy-conscious. Unfortunately environmentalists gained a strangle hold on the country and began dictating national policy.
We essentially quit drilling for oil. We let our natural resources lay fallow in the ground. For the most part, oil refineries ceased to be built and some old refineries were deemed pollutants and shut down.
Chicken Little ran faster crying, “The sky is falling.”
Flash forward to the turn of the century. “Global warming” is now the catch phrase of the far left.
The USA is deemed the cause of “Global warming.” We are deemed a selfish, uncaring nation. If that were true, why do we contribute aid more generously than any other nation, when crises occur around the world?
On the other hand while being extremely generous, the saner amongst us, are not willing to commit what will be national suicide.
Cap and Trade legislation must not be passed. “cap and trade” or Cap and Tax, as it is commonly called, would effectively tax industry out of existence in the USA. It would send industry off shore and it wouldn’t save our planet. Industries will move to countries such as China and India. Those countries are known to have abysmal regulation of pollution.
We can’t allow the further undermining of our national wealth in the, erroneous, name of climate control.
In Iceland, a volcano is spewing more pollution into the air than we can even imagine. The funny thing is that some scientists are saying that the volcano will, quite possibly, lead to global cooling. The volcano has, possibly solved the fictional issue of global warming.
Remember we live in the great state of Minnesota. We have 10,000 lakes that were created through the melting of glacial beds long before the USA was even in existence.
There were certainly no automobiles around when those glaciers melted. Still, Chicken Little is running around crying, “The sky is falling.”
Please become involved in the fight for environmental sanity. Call your congressional representatives. Join “Camp America,” a local Tea Party group based in the Waverly and Howard Lake area. http://campamericagrassroots.com

Letter: Please rough in a culvert now

Staff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:26:20 +0000

From: Karsten Anderson
Watertown-Mayer Superintendent
In conjunction with Carver County, the Watertown City Council is considering plans to reconstruct County Road 20 between Paul Avenue and the “Y” intersection near Bremer Bank.
As part of this project, roundabouts will be installed at both ends; curb, gutter, and a trail will be installed between the roundabouts; and a culvert may be roughed-in near the elementary school at the intersection of County Road 20 and Paul Avenue.
At a later time, perhaps after more homes in Forest Hills are built, the roughed-in culvert could be converted into a pedestrian underpass.
The purpose of this letter is to urge city council members – Steve Duske, KJ McDonald, Rick Mann, Dan Geiger, and Earline King – to rough-in a culvert now to provide the safest possible road crossing for residents of the City of Watertown.
An underpass would enable city residents to easily cross County Road 20 so they can access the Luce Line Trail, proposed city park, and school district fields and facilities.
Because the culvert would also benefit the school district, Watertown-Mayer is willing to consider a cost-sharing arrangement with the city to pay for the costs of roughing-in a culvert.
The following issues have been raised by council members who are opposed to roughing-in a culvert at this time:
Cost and responsibility: according to the latest city estimates, the cost to rough-in a culvert at this time is about $80,000.
One city council member expressed concerns about burdening taxpayers with this cost during these difficult economic times. If this is truly their primary concern, then why will curb, gutter, and a trail be constructed between the roundabouts?
Why should we spend any taxpayer dollars on these features even if other governmental entities are paying part of the bill? Why can’t we construct the trail north of County Road 20 at a later time?
Roughing-in a culvert is more important than these other features of the project. Out of a project of this magnitude, $80,000 is a small price to pay to provide the safest possible crossing route for our children.
Because the primary benefactors for the project will be the residents of Watertown, the City of Watertown should pay for at least some of the costs for roughing-in a culvert.
Nevertheless, Watertown-Mayer would consider an appropriate cost-sharing arrangement with the city to help pay for roughing-in a culvert at the intersection of County Road 20 and Paul Avenue
Costs could be recouped in the future if the district needs to limit transportation options for residents who live near the schools.
Timing: Now is the best time to install a culvert because the road is being redone, construction costs are low, and needed equipment will be on site.
Some say we should wait until more families move into the development before we install a culvert, but it will be much cheaper to do the work now during the road reconstruction.
If an underpass will ever be constructed under County Road 20, now is the best time to rough-in a culvert.
Location: One council member mentioned that an underpass should be placed further east on County Road 20. The first phases of Forest Hills, however, will be on the west side of the intersection; those residents, along with other city residents, will more likely use an underpass located at the intersection of County Road 20 and Paul Avenue
Furthermore, the county road over the location further to the east was recently reconstructed, and I doubt the county would redo that portion of County Road 20 to accommodate the construction of an underpass.
Type of crossing: Another council member suggested that an overpass be constructed in the future rather than an underpass now.
My understanding is that an overpass is more complicated and expensive than an underpass, especially when you are dealing with accessibility issues, structural issues, and power lines.
Suggesting this solution may temporarily appease some community members, but it is not a serious option for consideration.
Maintenance: Some council members claim that an underpass at the intersection would cause undue maintenance concerns for the city, especially with regard to snow removal and water accumulation. If true, then an underpass in another location would be similarly problematic.
In addition, some argue that there are maintenance concerns for overpasses. I am confident that our city engineers and maintenance staff members can address these maintenance issues; after all, other cities are able to do so.
Need: One council member conducted his own personal traffic “study” to see if children would walk to school from Forest Hills.
Because he did not see any children crossing busy county roads on that day in the middle of the winter, he claims that an underpass is not needed because children won’t walk to school.
That’s like saying a proposed road won’t be used because no one has been seen driving a car on a farm field where a road might be placed.
If an underpass is built under County Road 20, more children will walk or ride to school. Watertown-Mayer has periodically sponsored walk-to-school days when 10-plus adults supervised intersections and other crossings. On both days I observed, we had 100 to 200 students, their younger siblings, and parents walk or ride to school.
If city council members had observed these events, they would have seen children and parents with scooters, baby carriages, and bicycles finding their way to school.
Imagine how many children would walk or ride to school on spring or fall days after more homes in Forest Hills are built and families have an underpass to use? After all, Forest Hills will eventually be nearly twice as large as Wildflower.
Adequacy of the roundabout: One city representative indicated that the roundabout would be adequate for our residents because one near the high school in Waconia works well.
This roundabout in Waconia is fed by city streets with lower speed limits, and the primary destinations for traffic are the high school and community center.
In contrast, Watertown’s roundabout will be near an elementary school and will be fed by a major county arterial road with a high speed limit. There is no reasonable comparison between this Waconia roundabout and the Paul Avenue/County Road 20 roundabout.
To enhance the safety of children walking to school, one city official suggested that the school should pay for crossing guards before and after school.
The solution sounds simple, but having an underpass would still be safer than having crossing guards supervise a roundabout.
Furthermore, who would supervise the crossing during the summer and other non-school times? We are hoping for the safest possible solution throughout the entire day and year, not just the fifteen minutes before and after school.
I have a unique perspective because I not only represent the school district but also live in Watertown and have three young boys who love going to parks and riding their bikes.
Although this particular proposed underpass does not directly serve my neighborhood, I understand the needs and concerns of Watertown residents who desire a “walkable community” ostensibly espoused by the city and county.
To provide for the safest possible crossing of County Road 20, we encourage Mr. Duske, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Mann, Mr. Geiger, and Ms. King to vote for roughing-in a culvert as part of the County Road 20 project.
The culvert is proposed for the right location, the timing is right, and benefits outweigh the costs. This is our chance to get the project right. Let’s do it for the good of our community.