opinion

This is a monthly feature of our Columns & Commentary page, in which we either applaud a person, group or event for something positive that we feel is worthy of a little credit (Applause), and/or address something that gives us pause; something that we feel deserves to be addressed...

All of our energy is biological in origin – a bacterial fermentation of vegetation from millions of years that we dug up, or drilled, or whatever. Everything that can grow can be fuel, be it wood, corn, beans, oats, switch grass, bales of straw, you name it. It all grew for one...

My name is Lana Schultz-Julin, a Perham High School alumna (1986) and current Licensed School Social Worker for the Perham-Dent School District. I have worked for the district since August 2001, when hired along with two other school social workers. I am now the only remaining...

Back a lot of years, the oldest of The Young Girls (my three daughters), was ready to learn to drive. I came upon an old Datsun, straight stick, that was well past its “use by” date. I bought it. The local fire department needed a car to try out their new metal cutting tool,...

You need to know that I love the Twins, but truthfully, I love KLN Family Brands companies even more. I really delight in Twins/KLN ads. However, I miss Kenny Nelson in the ads. Charlie Nelson does a great job, too – I have known Charlie since he was a happy, friendly kid, and I...

Well, fellow babies, the “silly season” bears down on us once again. I’m talking, pardon the expression, politics. From now until November, we will be treated to millions of dollars’ worth of messages, most of them negative, from well-meaning and well-coiffed candidates who...

New farm bill provides certainty and safety net It has been a long, long road for the Agricultural Act of 2014, or what we call the “farm bill.” The Farm Bureau is now focused on the rule making and implementation process. This bill will provide a safety net for consumers...

I’ve always thought of my last name as a mixed blessing. Huwe. Who-vee. Unless you know it or have incredible luck, chances are you wouldn’t pronounce it the “right” way the first time you saw it. As I always say, it’s like a birth-given telemarketer detection service. The...

The instructions weren’t simple. They were as far away from simple as they could be. I had a cell phone now with three gigs of storage capability; why then shouldn’t I just move some music onto my phone, the better to listen to if I ever go on an airplane somewhere. That’s...

I agree wholeheartedly with last week’s letter to the editor submitted by Mr. Boehlke; “Homeowners deserve to be compensated after sewer backup.” Our home was also negatively affected by the city’s failure to have an adequate back-up system when the power went out after...

It’s a sure sign that spring is coming when the seed catalogues arrive in the mail. I’m in constant contact with a local nursery about apple trees, because I’ve got so many of them growing here on the farm. I’ve been bugging the nursery lately about not stocking so many...

Last June 20-21, the sanitary sewer backed up due to a heavy rainfall, a lightning strike and an infrastructure that has not kept up with the expansion of the city. At least two dozen residents experienced extreme clean-up costs and loss of property. The city’s ineffective...

Throughout my many years of living in the Perham area, I have witnessed the generosity and kindness of this community when there was a need. The young, the old, the business owner, child, husband, wife and extended family lend their strengths, as the community pulls together to show...

On Feb. 5, CVS Pharmacy announced it will stop selling tobacco products as of Oct. 1. Larry Merlo, president and CEO, stated, “Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS Pharmacy is the right thing for our customers and company. Put simply, the sale of tobacco...

I would like to take a moment to thank all who came and supported the cause of looking for and rescuing the children of human trafficking this past week. Through the generous hearts of Joe and Dolores Wasche of the Comet Theatre, we were able to show the movie “Not Today” and...