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Forty-five Valentine’s Days

A crucial national holiday is looming on the horizon. Ignoring this holiday could imperil your current and future happiness, especially if you’re a guy. Valentine’s Day is a boon for the greeting card, floral, and jewelry industries. Sales could be tripled if their stores’ sound systems played “Mandy” by Barry Manilow on a continuous loop. One guy, after hearing that sap-drenched song for the first time, said, “It made me want to call all of my old girlfriends and beg them for forgiveness.” I mentioned that quote to my wife and she replied, “You darn skippy he ...

Updates, highlights at Marshall Public Schools

As we begin the second half of the school year, I want to share an update on the many things happening across Marshall Public Schools. January has been a month filled with student achievement, staff dedication, and continued progress toward our district’s goals — even as we work through difficult financial decisions. Districtwide update: Budget reductions Over the past year, we have been transparent that budget reductions would be necessary without a successful referendum vote. These decisions are not taken lightly and have been made with much consideration. Every position and ...

Walking the mile together: A reflection from United Way of Southwest Minnesota

The other weekend, as I sat in church with my family, something unexpected happened. A hymn I’ve heard countless times before suddenly felt new. Maybe it was the quiet of the sanctuary, or the peaceful weight of my granddaughter on my lap — but when the congregation sang this verse, it reached straight into my heart: “We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav’lers on the road; We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.” Those words lingered with me long after the Mass ended. They expressed something I’ve always believed: we’re not meant to ...

Arts council and city of Marshall should forge stronger ties

Sometimes an organization has to take a step back in order to eventually grow. That’s the case with the Marshall Area Fine Arts Council. I read with interest a Deb Gau article in the Independent this month about how MAFAC plans to lease space at City Hall. MAFAC can no longer afford the rent at its Third Street location. It needed a place downtown that would cost less yet still be accessible to the public. Moving to city hall means giving some things up. There will no longer be a gift shop. They’ll have just an office instead of both an office and their own space for meetings. ...

Living through century of history

An email recently arrived from a lady named Paula Gorgey, who is a fan of my work. We corresponded a bit and I learned that Paula is 100 years old and had grown up in Hungary. Sensing a good story, I asked if she would consent to a phone interview. Much to my delight, she said yes. “I was born in Budapest on August 24, 1925, just a few years after the Great War,” Paula began. “My father was an officer on a submarine during the war, and it’s a great point of pride that my grandson is currently serving on a nuclear submarine based in Hawaii.” I asked Paula about her ...

Don’t despair, baseball season around the corner

The early 20th century baseball star Rogers Hornsby was asked what he did in the off season. “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” As winter drags on, we can all appreciate Hornsby’s sentiment. As I write, a 40 mph wind is blowing in below zero temps. Whatever charm winter had, (“Oh look, the mosquitoes are gone”), faded with the passing of the Christmas season. Like the weather, the news has also been bad. The divisions in our nation are wide. So, I’ve decided to write ...