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Community Voices

Spring in Southwest Minnesota — a season of renewal and community impact

As spring arrives in southwest Minnesota, it brings a welcome sense of renewal — and a moment to reflect on the work that strengthens our communities. Each year, United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) takes this season to thank our Community Partners and look ahead to the opportunities the next Community Impact Grant cycle will bring. UWSWMN’s community impact grants support programs that expand youth opportunities, build healthy communities, promote financial security, and strengthen community resilience. We extend our sincere appreciation to our 2025–26 community partners, ...

I like words

When you write an occasional column, you think about words. I like words. I try to find the right ones whether I’m talking or writing. Sometimes I succeed. In my last piece, there was this line. “It is fast time our nation binds our wounds and heals.” The day it came out, a friend said there was a misprint. She thought it was supposed to be “It is past time.” No, I meant “It is fast time.” The nearest equivalent to saying, “It is fast time for something to happen” is “It is high time for that to happen.” In other words, it is due. That is slightly different ...

Humble pennies had value that’s now a distant memory

If we had a conversation about things that get no respect, one of the first items that should be mentioned is the good old copper penny. Federal officials recently announced that they’ll no longer issue new pennies. We’ll just use the ones that are already in circulation. Eventually they’re likely to fade away. We’ve reached a point where the penny is almost worthless. Someone who works for minimum wage makes hundreds of pennies every hour. Many people don’t even pick up a penny if they see one on a sidewalk or in a parking lot. It’s almost insult to tell someone the ...

Forged in frustration

None of this would have happened were it not for cable TV. Like many guys, I’m a skilled — one might even say professional — channel surfer. I’m not interested in what’s on so much as what else is on. Some years ago, during one of my surfing sessions, I stumbled across a show called “Forged in Fire.” The show immediately caught my attention, mainly because it involved fire. A quartet of blacksmiths take such things as a pound of steel ball bearings or random car parts and forge them into a type of blade that had been chosen by a trio of judges. I found the process ...

Personal bucket list changes with the passage of time

It’s rare when a movie sums up a concept so well that it becomes applied to the lives of almost everyone. One example from almost 20 years ago was The Bucket List, a good story about two old men who want to live out a set of dreams before they kick the bucket. I’d never thought in terms of a bucket list until I saw the movie at Marshall 6. After seeing it I realized that bucket lists really do play a role in how people live. My bucket list has changed over the years. There are three things that I’ve achieved and two that I now realize I’ll never achieve. I’ll never go ...

Remembering Dave

My wife and I recently received the sad news that our friend Dave Vincent has passed away. Dave was one of the most interesting people we’ve ever met. I became acquainted with Dave when he was working for a major advertising firm. Most of his job involved doing PR work for a major ...