Letter: Camp Manitou at risk of being sold

From: The Friends of Bertram Chain of Lakes
Christina Johnson Koshiol Monticello
The YMCA property in Monticello, currently known as Camp Manitou, is at significant risk of being sold for private development.
For those who may never been there, the area boasts over 1,200 acres of an amazing pristine natural environment that includes four beautiful lakes with completely undeveloped shoreline, a large wildlife habitat, large wetland complexes and a potential for multiple recreational activities including swimming, fishing, hiking, camping, canoeing, athletic fields and much more.
It is very much like having a piece of the Boundary Waters in Central Minnesota.
Preserving this property as a resource for the central Minnesota region has received significant support by residents within and beyond the region.
We are appreciative of the efforts of several leaders in the Monticello and Wright County area. A lot of effort is being made to try and preserve the property as a regional park.
Currently, there is a incremental purchase agreement with the YMCA that extends through 2013, but this agreement will fall through without additional support.
Understandably, there is a tough economic and political environment right now. In these tough times, it is especially important to protect our natural resources for future generations.
Because there is broad support for this project, a “Friends of Bertram Chain of Lakes,” group has been created with a mission to provide a grassroots effort to support the acquisition of the property as a regional park and natural resource.
Anyone interested in keeping up with the current efforts to preserve this area and learn how to support the project can join us one of several ways:
1) join our Facebook page – just search for “Friends of Bertram” and click on “Become a Fan”
2) join our e-mail list through the City of Monticello web site City Departments and Services Parks and Recreation Bertram Chain of Lakes
3) call 866-590-7223 and leave your contact information on the voicemail.
Membership is free and open to anyone who supports the group’s mission.
We look forward to hearing from you all.

Letter: Food shelf donations needed in Mcleod

From: Marietta Neumann
McLeod Emergency Food Shelf
It is that time of the year again to appeal for help for the needy households in McLeod County.
March is the month of the statewide Minnesota Food Share Drive that you hear about on radio, TV, and in the papers. What does it mean to us in McLeod County?
About 135 Winsted and Lester Prairie residents have been served so far this year.
This drive is of utmost importance to our local food shelf. The donations that come to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf stay here in the county but we receive cash credit for that amount to be spent strictly on food.
Although it started to be a dollar-for-dollar match, Minnesota Food Share did not receive enough money from the big donors to be able to do this. Now it is a percentage according to the amount received, and the number of households served and the  number of pounds of food distributed. Each pound of food is equal to $1.
At this time, the Feinstein Foundation from Rhode Island also awards a cash donation according to the amount received. The drive is also very important to the food shelf as the amount received has to supply the food and personal care items needed until the Halloween drives.
The only other large drive for food during that time is the Cub Scout drive in April. The summer months are the time of great need as the children are home from school and many are not receiving the one hot meal a day that for many, is the only  meal for the day. Almost 10,000 children had breakfast before they went to school because of your concern.
In 2009, there was over a 20 percent increase in usage over 2008 and is still increasing in numbers of households served. Of the 3,111 households served, 400 never had to use the food shelf before; many of them were over 70 years of age.
All donations are tax deductible, with donated items being considered $1 a pound. Every donation, however large or small, is very important to help feed many need households and is greatly appreciated.
We appreciate all the past donations.

Letter: Distracted driving major safety hazard

From: Matthew Schoen
principal, Delano High School and Safe Communities Wright County board member
This letter is concerning a very important topic in keeping our community safe. Distracted driving has become a considerable safety hazard on the roads that we travel daily.
I can tell you as a high school principal that this has become more of an issue among teenage drivers than educating our students about the hazards and legalities of drinking and driving.
Distracted driving can come from other people in the car, loud music, talking on a cell phone or worst of all, texting while driving. These all are major factors in distracting a driver which always creates an unsafe situation on the roads of our community.
In the spring, we will be hosting a mock car crash, and new this year, we will be implementing in the dialogue of the car crash that the driver will be texting while driving.
As a fellow community member, it is my strong belief that we need to continue to educate drivers of all ages regarding this critical safety issue.
With ever increasing new technology in the hands of our fellow citizens, this has created just another way for drivers to be distracted and potentially create a crash that could change the lives of many.
We need to continue to reinforce good habits while driving and continually educate our drivers of the potential risks involved with distracted driving.

Letter: Precinct caucuses being held Tuesday

From: Tom Schoper
Glencoe
Most people don’t even realize Tues., Feb. 2 is a big day. That’s right; Tuesday is the day we hold precinct caucuses in Minnesota.
This is your opportunity to have a strong voice in what happens in Minnesota and in Washington.
The bid for election starts here for most candidates. When you show up to a caucus, you have an opportunity to become a delegate at the endorsing conventions. Elected offices doesn’t belong to the person serving the office, it belongs to you.
This is the first step in getting the right people to be on the ballot in November. All too often we think that caucus is for someone else and not for us. It is for you and it is easy to get involved. Just show up and participate.
As a civics instructor, I teach students about our system of government and how it works and many of my students will be attending the caucuses for class.
You’ve most likely all learned the same things. So let’s put it to practice on Tuesday, and set an example for our students attending party caucuses.

Letter: Plan to attend the Republican caucus

From: Diane Robinson
Hutchinson
Precinct caucuses will be conducted throughout Minnesota Tues., Feb. 2 (Groundhog Day) at 7 p.m.
I wish to extend a special invitation to all residents of McLeod County to attend the Republican precinct caucus this year.
We have seven locations throughout the county in Hutchinson, Glencoe, Stewart, Brownton, Lester Prairie, Winsted, and Silver Lake. If you need caucus location information, please call the secretary of state’s office at 877-600-8683 or go to http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us.
There are two reasons why it is especially important for you to attend precinct caucus this year:
• Open seat State Senate Dist. 18 election – State Senator Steve Dille has announced that he is retiring. On Nov. 2 Dist. 18 residents will be electing a new state senator.
If you attend caucus on Tues., Feb. 2 you can seek to become one of the approximately 200 delegates to the Republican county convention which will be Sat., Feb. 27 at the Silver Lake Auditorium.
As county convention delegate you automatically become a delegate to the Republican Dist. 18 endorsing convention which will be Sat., March 13 at the Dassel-Cokato High School Performing Arts Center.
At the Dist. 18 endorsing convention, you will hear from our four candidates; Tim Benoit, Dean Mahlstedt, Scott Newman, and Randy Wilson. You will then cast ballots for the person whom you feel would do the best job representing Dist. 18.
The person who wins the endorsement will more than likely be the Republican candidate on the ballot in November and will more than likely be elected the next Dist. 18 state senator.
It is rare to have an open seat state senate election, you can have a tremendous influence in this important endorsement process, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity.
• Gubernatorial straw poll – The night of caucus we will conduct a straw poll for our six gubernatorial Republican candidates; Leslie Davis, Tom Emmer, Bill Haas, David Hann, Phil Herwig, and Marty Seifert. The winner of this straw poll will receive statewide recognition; there will be extensive free publicity for that candidate.
If you have strong feelings of support for a particular gubernatorial candidate please make a point to attend caucus to participate in the straw poll.
The McLeod County Republicans welcome all residents of McLeod County to join them at precinct caucus Tues., Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at (320) 582-2420 or our Chairman and Chairwoman, Craig and Nicole Hoel at (320) 234-6284.

Letter: Partisanship or public interest

From: Randy Maluchnik
Carver County Commissioner
Partisan politics corrupts the functions of local government.
There is an effort by a small minority of local partisan extremists to make elected county, city, and township positions in Carver County partisan.
This dangerous concept would bring the polarization of partisan politics with its ineffectiveness to local government. Why would we in Carver County want to bring the gridlock of the Minnesota State Legislature and the division of Washington Beltway politics to our local governments?
Local government elections should be about choices and what is best for the public interest, not what party bosses think is best for us all.
Carver County has a long history of supporting a thriving democracy dependent on a well-informed citizenry that votes and takes civic engagement seriously. A nonpartisan election brings to the table greater competition to county, city, and township elections while placing the focus on the competency and qualifications of candidates, instead of partisan party politics.
Nonpartisan local elected offices are more accessible and more accountable to the citizenry. Candidates for local office in Carver County do not have to pass an ideological political party litmus test, just have a practical vision.
Local government officials in Carver County can take satisfaction in knowing that they were elected without attachment to a political party. These local officials were elected to really represent their constituents and not the special interests of the Republican or Democratic parties. Nonpartisan elected officials have an independence that is rarely possessed in the partisan systems.
County, city, and township government is a meat and potatoes type of government delivering basic local services.
Local government must respond to the day-to-day needs of our communities, from water treatment, law enforcement, building permits, fire protection, recycling centers, street maintenance, parks and recreation, to land use planning. Influence on these fundamental services should be from the people and not through a partisan process.
When a city council is trying to decide where to build a new fire station, does there really need to be a Republican and a Democratic position?
Elected officials who run under a party banner serve under that banner once they are in office. I often wonder whether their votes serve the people or the party. If they are following a party line are they really listening to the constituents that they are supposed to be representing?
Let’s keep local elected government in Carver County free from partisan politics and focus on the real public interest. I am interested in hearing from county residents concerning this issue. Please send your comments to my e-mail Randy@chaska.net.

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