opinion
Bjerke exhibit is “an amazing accomplishment”
Friday, March 5, 2021 9:10 pm
Dear Editor, Lucille Bjerke, originally from Wisconsin, who also lived at times in Arizona and Illinois, returned to Decorah in 2016, where she once studied painting at Luther College under Orville Running, to live near her son Lee Bjerke, Winneshiek …
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Letter in support of 2020 election officials and volunteers
Friday, March 5, 2021 9:09 pm
This is a letter of support, encouragement and thanks to election officials across this country, from secretaries of state to county recorders and their staffs as well as thousands of volunteer workers who all combined to assure that the November …
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Johnson will be missed but not forgotten
Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:42 pm
Dear Editor, During COVID-19 isolation I have been re-reading some favorite books in my library, and I happened to come across an essay that Paul Johnson had written in a booklet “IOWA-Portait of the Land.” It was so well written …
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In memoriam: Transplants to our community led with their hearts
Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:41 pm
Dear Editor, Two towering members of our Decorah community left us last week: Mike Blevins and Paul Johnson. Mike passed away on Sunday, Feb. 14; Paul left us on Monday, Feb. 15. Both men were extremely active in our …
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Letter to Bergan and Klimesh on voting laws
Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:39 pm
Dear Editor, Voting is the fundamental duty and right of United States citizens: the way that we can directly express ourselves politically. Your party is pushing changes in Iowa voting laws with no advance notice to the public and next …
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A letter to the taxpayers of Winneshiek County
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 9:24 pm
Dear Editor, After much deliberation, I felt the need to make a recent purchase by the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors known to the public. Mid-January, three implement dealers (myself included) were asked to submit quotes for a new 115hp …
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Maybe history will sort it out
Friday, February 19, 2021 9:22 pm
Dear Editor, The United States came together after 911 in a bi-partisan way to become engaged in fighting terrorists from foreign countries. The Patriot Act followed. (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism …
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Enact fair and enforceable face mask laws for the common good
Friday, February 19, 2021 9:22 pm
Dear Editor, The air volume in a closed room, no matter how large or small is communal property, shared by everyone. That airspace, and any virus it contains extends into the lungs of every person breathing in that room. …
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Reynold’s rescinding of mask and distance ordinance is premature; safety tips suggested for public
Friday, February 19, 2021 9:21 pm
Dear Editor, Iowa’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic is not over. Governor Reynold’s premature rescinding of her weak mask and social distancing ordinance, done without consulting Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), may cause the estimated death of an additional …
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Winneshiek County.: A COVID-19 vaccination desert
Sunday, February 14, 2021 5:13 pm
Dear Editor, Winneshiek County Public Health (WCPH) has no plan for COVID-19 vaccination distribution. If there were a plan, it would be shared with the public. That’s part of the “public” in public health. A random review of other Iowa …
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Properly funded public school would result in the excellent education young people deserve
Sunday, February 14, 2021 5:12 pm
Dear Editor, Recently a principal for North Charleston H.S. in Charleston, S.C. has made national news. This individual has appeared on the Today Show, been featured in People Magazine as well as other media because of his efforts to help …
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What message does the school choice bill send to educators?
Sunday, February 14, 2021 5:11 pm
Dear Editor, Governor Reynolds’s proposed school choice bill (SF159) would allow public funds to be diverted to private schools in districts with underperforming public schools. This bill is not supported by educators and administrators in Iowa public schools. Legislators …
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Family planning highest impact, most cost-effective investment
Thursday, February 4, 2021 8:20 pm
Dear Editor, My September 2020 “Population Connection” magazine states: “Family planning and slower population growth have a positive impact on nearly all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).” These goals are as follows: 1. No poverty; 2. …
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Repudiate misinformation or perform an exorcism?
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 8:20 pm
Dear Editor, After looking at the Thursday, Jan. 21 opinion page, I could not make up my mind whether to sit down and start repudiating all the misinformation or call a priest to perform an exorcism. Let us give the …
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‘School Choice’ bill offers no choice to taxpayers
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 8:19 pm
Dear Editor, Ninety-two percent of Iowa’s children are educated in public schools*. As a parent, taxpayer and college educator that receives this product, I care as much about the success of a child in Cedar Rapids or Western Iowa as …