Appreciation noted for Montrose resident

From: Sheila Salonek
Montrose
In last week’s paper, the list of wages for Montrose city employees and city council members was published.
What wasn’t mentioned, was that council member Scott Czanstkowsi’s pay was donated back to different city committees and organizations.  Some went to the Montrose Days Royalty Committee, some towards the Montrose Days car show.  A portion also went to a fundraiser for a former Montrose fireman’s family.
It should also be noted that council member Czanstkowski was responsible for reducing the pay each council member (and mayor) receives per meeting.
I appreciate his generousity to the city of Montrose and its citizens.

Freedoms and rights should be maintained

From: John Norman
Buffalo
Are we getting mixed messages from the Minnesota Republican Party and their legislators? They have taken the high ground on family values and fiscal responsibility under false pretenses, and now appear to have abandoned them completely.
Recent events demonstrate their inability to manage their own party, let alone govern our state. They always claimed that government doesn’t work and now have proved it, after taking control of the legislature in 2010. Examples are the state shutdown and the two proposed constitutional amendments.
In order to bypass Governor Dayton’s potential veto, they proposed putting a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the 2012 ballot. This amendment is in complete opposition to the concept of individual freedom of all citizens to marry the person they love.
Our constitution guarantees the right of every eligible citizen to vote. This right is threatened by the GOP’s proposed constitutional amendment to require a photo ID for all voters. The supporters of this amendment make the frivolous claim of voter fraud, but it is a blatant attempt to discourage the elderly, students, and lower-income citizens to exercise their right to vote.
To defeat these amendments, we Democrats have to make sure the voters hear the truth about what the Republicans are proposing to do to the gay community and our potential Democratic voters.

Did the voter process work?

From: Harlan Wegschied
Winsted
I noticed a small item in the Jan. 2 edition of the Herald Journal mentioning that the local school superintendant commented on the bond referendum. Quote “the biggest factors were the total cost and the tax impact. He said the school board had received the same feedback.”
A group of us have been at every meeting of the board since the referendum failed and I guess I have not noticed any evidence that they got the message. People keep asking me what was the point of having a referendum in the first place, since the board seems to be hell-bent on spending every last dollar they can get away with.
I went back to the comments made on your blog site right after the vote; it makes for interesting reading. Chairman Bob Carlson, “I now have to seriously consider changing my philosophy based on the decisions of the majority. There will be a lot of thought and review over the next few months.” Yeah, like about five seconds.
A week later, they had a plan to get around the expressed wishes of a large majority of the voters. Fred Blaser said, “It is your right to vote the way you want, it is your responsibility to vote informed.”
So, how many people knew, until it came out in the paper one week before the vote that there was really a $7.5 million  plan on the table? Who did such a good job of keeping the public informed?
Ann Meyer said, ”I’d like to see referendum opposers step up and help make a plan that they will support.” Point of fact, a group of us have been at every meeting since the vote, we’ve been on the phone with boiler companies, we’ve had reps from two of the largest come out and look at them, l’ve been on the phone with the Minnesota Dept of Education finance division, the ones who approve or disapprove the plan.
I’ve had some very interesting conversations. A citizen at the last meeting asked the board’s consultant, advisor, or whatever, what he was wearing that night, “How much do you get for this?” Answer: 18 1/2 percent. On the original plan for $7.5 million, he would have gotten $1.387 million. If he gets that percentage on whatever comes out eventually, do you think the board is getting unbiased advice? I don’t . . . .
Does anyone on the board, or the referendum supporters for that matter, read the local paper? How about the statement by the county auditor-treasurer, Cindy Schultz, at a meeting in Winsted, “I feel for the main street commercial property in McLeod County. I don’t see much future if it keeps going the way it is.” Have any of you “yes” supporters taken the time to ask them how bad they are getting hit this next year, not to mention what will happen after next year, when the taxes for this project come online?
Somehow, the supporters argued that this $7.5 million was going to grow the town. Go figure I’ve held up on this letter one full day while Gene Feltman tried to get the reps from these two boiler companies on the agenda of the next board meeting, but nobody wants to talk to us and they sure don’t want anyone who knows what they are talking about to tell them why the biggest mistake they can make is throw out two Kewaunee boilers that were built to be repaired, and incidently, are built for both steam and hot water, and replace them with modern day throwaways.
We could just have them show up and take advantage of the three minutes allowed anyone there for comment period, subject to a total of five person, 15 minute limit, but, the hell with that. Ah, democracy in action.
I’ve been a member of this district for 51 years, paid my taxes like a good little boy, used the school two years when my sons went to kindergarten, and, like a lot of other people, stayed out of school politics.
That was a big mistake. We end up with a board of spend-thrifts. We get no vote on any of this foolishness, but there will be votes in the future, called school board elections.
I still think people will look back in the not-too-distant future and wish they had never opened this Pandora’s box of troubles. I even tried to get a community meeting with pro-voters to see if we could reach some kind of agreement on a program we could all agree on, but that fell flat on its face
Suddenly, people who signed their names to letters to the editor in support don’t want to be connected in any way. So, it’s back to retirement in my private stockade. This time, I will abide by the oath I took 23 years ago, to never, ever, ever again get involved in anything other than an individual’s issues. Bon-jour. Honk as you go by.

Letter of apology to the citizens of Lester Prairie

From: Andy Heimerl, Mayor of Lester Prairie
As mayor of Lester Prairie, I would like to apologize for my error in judgment during the Prairie Day’s parade July 16, 2011.
I would like to apologize to the people in attendance who witnessed the action of me throwing three cans of beer to my friends and family, who were seated in the crowd that lined the parade route on the corners of Central Avenue and Elm Street. I regret my actions. Certainly this type of behavior is unacceptable for anyone to demonstrate, but it was particularly unacceptable for me, since I was representing our fine city of Lester Prairie as its mayor.
I also owe an apology to all of our community members, even those who were not present. My actions have brought negative attention to our city and I am sorry for that. Not only did I endanger people that were sitting at that location, but I opened the city up to potential financial liability.
I would like to apologize to the Lester Prairie Police Department, not only for redirecting their efforts from other important duties that night, but also for putting them in the uncomfortable situation of dealing with a city leader, someone that should be held to a higher standard.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to apologize to my brother, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other family members and friends that were present. This incident did not live up to the standards that I have set for myself. It definitely fell short of the type of behavior I want my three boys to strive towards.
While I certainly intended no harm to anybody, I understand that the act of throwing full cans of beer to my family and friends was an unreasonable act. I ask for forgiveness and can assure you that as mayor of Lester Prairie you will not witness a repeat of such behavior.

Who’s watching out for the kids?

From: Margaret Jordan
Howard Lake
An article in the Nov. 21 Star Tribune prompts this reflection.
Growing up on the farm, I knew our farm tom-cat wouldn’t hurt baby kittens. It was the outsider, who would sneak in if tom-cat wasn’t around and kill the babies, hoping he could soon impregnate the grieving mom-cat.
Once again we read of a boyfriend killing a baby – a boyfriend babysitting while mom works. Where is baby’s dad? Boyfriend, absent dad, and poor excuse for a mother could all take a lesson from nature. Mothers protect your babies. Dads be more than sperm-donor; protect your little ones.
I write this with sorrow for what has happened to our society.

School improvements make sense

From: Jen Thiry
Lester Prairie
I have attended four of Mr. McNulty’s Lester Prairie school referendum informational sessions. The four I went to were not well attended by residents of the district.
I wanted to make sure I knew why this referendum was being asked for.
There is a misunderstanding as to how the proposed commons area is to be used.
The primary purpose for the commons area is to be the school’s cafeteria. The size of the current cafeteria will be expanded into the old FCS room, which is currently just used for the after-school program (and no longer used for home economics, a class that is not required by the state and has also been dropped by other area schools. This will put this space to much better use.
The current cafeteria has a limited seating capacity, which requires that there be four lunch sessions. There are groups of kids who eat lunch very early, and some who eat lunch over 4 hours after starting school, so even longer since breakfast.
The high school day goes from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The elementary school day from 8:20 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
The first elementary lunch session is from 10:55 to 11:20 a.m.
The junior high lunch is from 11:51 a.m. to 12:17 p.m.
The second elementary lunch session is from 12:17 to 12:42 p.m.
The high school eats from 12:46 to 1:12 p.m.
With the expanded cafeteria (commons), the plan is to be able to reduce the lunch periods from four to two. This will allow kids to eat lunch at more reasonable times. This area will be filled with cafeteria tables, not couches as alluded to in a previous letter to the editor.
This shared cafeteria/commons area will also be the new entrance into the gymnasium and the new location for the concession stand.
If you attend school events, you know how cramped the current entrance is, with ticket sale and concession stand lines often “colliding” and very little extra room for people to stand.
The plan for this area is also flexible, so either part of the current gym stage will be maintained or this commons/cafeteria space will have an elevated area that can be used for performances/plays.
This cafeteria/commons space will be available for groups to use, as the current one is, but that is not its primary purpose for being redone.
Do not believe the gossip, and make sure you do your own homework and have all the information you need to make an informed vote.

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