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Community Voices

New plumbing

I had some new, very personal plumbing installed recently. And no, I’m not talking about a bidet. I wish it had been as simple as choosing chrome or brass fixtures. My new plumbing is so personal that you can’t even see it. Part of preparing for my cancer treatments included the installation of a device called a port-a-cath. It’s a long, thin plastic tube that’s attached to a silver dollar-sized plastic hub. The tube was inserted into a vein in my neck and the hub was placed in a subcutaneous pocket below the clavicle. If I wear a shirt with a collar you can’t even tell ...

Beware: Bad actors want to steal from veterans

Thieves are working aggressively to steal from veterans, veteran service organizations, veteran nonprofits and government agencies that work with veterans. It’s a numbers game. If they get one success out of 100 attempts, that’s worth their efforts. Don’t fall prey to their predator tactics. A post for a veteran service organization received a text from someone claiming to be a Hennepin County veteran service officer and asking for $200. Soon, the CVSO learned the same message was sent to another post. This time, the post shared a screenshot (shown). In another case, people ...

Top 10 reasons for going to church

I go to church. That put me in a solid majority of Americans when I was young. Now I’m in a mnority. The trend toward that significant shift began a few decades ago. It got a jolt during COVID when staying home became a preferred pastime for many. A lot of people blame a lot of things for the drop in church attendance. We can take comfort in knowing God’s time is not our time. Rather than griping about it, how about if we believers commit ourselves to being the most decent, loving, and kind people we can be? Maybe we can attract someone back to a pew who wants to be part of ...

Homemakers: Still prove important to family life

One of Glen Campbell’s famous songs celebrates an American icon and an ideal way of life from the 20th century. The “Dreams of an Everyday Housewife” is not his greatest hit of all time. That honor should probably go to “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Honorable mentions should definitely be given to “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman.” Even so, the housewife song is meaningful because it presents a viewpoint that’s different from the idealistic image of homemakers from the time period. A woman’s place was at home with the children. Women worked only if they absolutely ...

Preparing for 2024-25 school year

As we gear up for the fall and the 2024-25 school year, several summer projects are underway, taking advantage of the time when school is not in session. One major project you’ll notice completed this fall is the renovation of the Middle School theater. Funded by Long-Term Facilities Maintenance funds, this project has been in the planning stages for several years. The theater, originally built in 1968, was showing signs of wear. The newly renovated space will feature new seating, wall coverings, flooring, updated lighting, speakers, and new presentation hardware, ensuring it meets ...

The mask

Getting lined up for cancer treatment involves approximately as many people and resources as it took to build the Saturn V rocket. My initial day at the cancer center was a learning experience. Among the first things they requested was permission to take my photo. “Is that really necessary?” I asked. “Has anyone ever tried to impersonate their way into cancer treatment?” I was told that this has never happened except for that one time when a guy who had an identical twin brother thought it would be funny to try a switcheroo. I got the impression that staff at the cancer ...