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Open letter from more than 60 CEOs of MN-based companies

Letters to the Editor

The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state. The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life. For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions. These efforts have included close communication with the governor, the White House, the vice president and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster ...

Living through century of history

Community Voices

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 ...

Riots and fraud

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: That is what’s happening in Minnesota. These are not “peaceful protests.” Peaceful protesters carry signs and maybe chant, but they don’t use weapons such as rocks, bats, snow shovels, broom sticks or vehicles to block access against law enforcement officers that are carrying out their legal authorized duty. The disruption of the Sunday morning church service recently was absolutely disgusting. Then there’s the multi-billion dollar fraud scandal making Minnesota a national embarrassment and becoming known as “The Land of 10,000 frauds”. These are ...

Minnesota: 50 things to like about the North Star State

Community Voices

In recent weeks Minnesota has made national headlines, and it’s caused negative impressions among many people who’ve never visited our state. I want to respond by listing everything I can think of that’s good about it. I can’t do that because it would take the entire editorial page. I’ll settle for listing 50 of the most famous things. For starters we have Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Lynx. We have the Mayo Clinic, Fort Snelling, Minnehaha Falls, and the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Then there’s Red Wing Shoes, the Watkins spice factory in Winona, and the Schwan Food ...

Don’t despair, baseball season around the corner

Community Voices

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 ...

On the Porch

Local Columns

The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon County on Jan. 28, 1921: County Attorney R.D. Houdersheldt returned the latter part of the last week from St. Paul, where he attended the state convention of county auditors. A canned fruit and vegetable “shower” will be tendered Mrs. A.J. Gag at her home Friday afternoon by the members of ...