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Community Voices

Home ownership: Is it part of the disappearing American Dream?

Home ownership has been a longstanding part of the American Dream, one that seems increasingly elusive in recent decades. Costs for home purchases have risen dramatically in the past 50 years. It’s made many members of the baby boom generation wealthy. They purchased homes in the 1970s or 1980s and watched them appreciate in value. Very often nowadays retirees have their house as their greatest asset. The problem we face in 2023 is that the home value increase is not likely to continue. Values can’t increase much more without going well beyond what most middle class buyers can ...

A veteran remembers

The first thing that Myron Koets noticed when he landed in Vietnam was the smell. “It was a greasy, oily odor,” he said. “I soon learned that it was the stink of fuel oil being used to incinerate the contents of a latrine barrel.” Myron and some fellow servicemen were loaded onto a bus. That’s when he noticed the second memorable thing about Vietnam. “The heat was tropical, and the bus had no air conditioning,” Myron said. “Chain link fence had been welded over the bus’s open windows to prevent grenades from being lobbed into it.” Myron, who grew up on a dairy ...

Understanding the truth when dealing with complex conflicts

Ever since the death of Bambi’s mother, I’ve known that I don’t like to watch violent or gory things. Pictures stay in my head and won’t leave. The last couple of weeks, I’ve intentionally let my guard down. My mind is filled with terrible, bloody images. They are of Palestinian children suffering the consequences of the bombing of the Gaza Strip. “Suffering” is too weak a word. Daughter Abigail is a human rights officer for the United Nations. She is currently working in Colombia. After several years in Central America working with the poor, oppressed, and often ...

Correcting the RTR bond election facts

For the last couple months, there have been Facebook articles and letters to the editor distorting the true facts about our upcoming RTR Facility Bond Election on Nov. 7. I believe our stakeholders need to get truthfully informed about the issues, and then voters need to vote either yes or no, depending on their convictions. But what must not happen, is where distorted facts are put out to the public; just to hopefully get others to vote the way they want them to vote. Here are some actual truthful facts about our school: • In 2019, the RTR School Board did promise that not ...

RTR board is asking for another $15 million bond — when will the spending stop?

RTR School Board is asking for another $15 million bond to build 16 additional classrooms, day care center, $1.1 million new fitness center, $2.9 million gym and remodel of the district office. In 2019, the RTR School Board asked the tax payers for a $35 million bond to build a much-needed new Pre-K through 12 grade facility for 700 students and staff. The school board promised the taxpayers they would not spend more than what the bond was for but they did. During construction, the school board made the decision to add a sport complex at the cost of 4.5 million. They used over ...

Vote ‘no’ on sales tax extension referendum

The Marshall Aquatic Center is one of the oldest in the state. It isn’t ADA compliant. The locker rooms need to be updated. The pool loses water daily. There isn’t a splash pad or zero depth entry. I desperately want to support the efforts to build a new facility, but we shouldn’t settle for the facility the city is proposing. I’ve been on the aquatic center committee for several years, including serving as chairman of the committee to help in the design and promotion of the new facility. This is why the community should vote no. • It doesn’t meet the needs of the ...