opinion

In Minnesota, the week should not pass without residents taking note of a report on the state’s readiness for an oil-train or pipeline accident. Why? Because the public-safety workers themselves call their own readiness “below moderate,” and “none of the responders rated...

One of my favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill: “I choose to be an optimist. It does not seem to be much use to be anything else.” I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. I believe all of us have something to feel good about, to be thankful for, to look forward to or...

Bobcats are one of the most elusive and secretive native species of mammals common in Minnesota. Not very well understood by most people, fewer still ever observe them. Granted, they are mostly nocturnal by nature, but rest assured these amazing animals are more numerous than many...

Every Sunday now, I cannot resist looking at the paper and checking out the latest flu map – you know, the one that shows where it is hitting the hardest. At the moment, Minnesota seems to be kind of in the middle, numbers-wise. Anyone I talk to says they hate to go into a clinic...

APPLAUSE to the new mural recently installed along the south side wall of the Photo Magic building. Large, colorful and highly visible with its placement right on Main Street, the mural is a pride-inspiring addition to Perham. Featuring loons, water and a rolling, pine-treed landscape,...

In keeping with doing something memorable with the New Year, I’m making a resolution (another one, just like the other ones) to watch once again some of my all-time favorite movies. Here they are, in no particular order, although I must confess I have some extra fondness for this...

Research on this column, which is to be about the worst Christmas gifts ever, reminds me of a time when we decided that only children would receive gifts. Granted, we would all still get stockings, where the rule is: ‘If it don’t fit, don’t get it.’ Male genius. Absolutely. In...

I’ve always been a big believer in not judging a book by its cover. Of course, as a bookworm and history nerd, I’ll admit my reading preferences aren’t always in line with the New York Times’ Best Seller list. I’d treasure a beat-up, pages-falling-out volume about World...

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” I tend to be shy and find it takes a lot of courage to ‘go against the flow’ to give an opinion that isn’t popular, but silence is not always golden. As I sat through the performance of “Grease”...

A recent area newspaper gave front-page importance to the fact that the local high school was not going to offer a study hall. Further reading of the article seems to indicate that, in fact, there has been no study hall for some time. I didn’t know you could do away with something...

I’m a part-time resident of Perham and I’m continually impressed with all the activities that take place here. I thoroughly enjoyed the Turtle Fest parade with my daughter and two granddaughters – such a wonderful variety of entrants and great participation! That morning...

A PAUSE to soggy weather that has flooded some area cabins, basements and crop fields. Precipitation levels have been well above normal in recent weeks, with some areas around Perham receiving as many as 15 inches of rain within a 30-day period. The Minnesota Department of Natural...

“Honey, where are the forks?” “Seriously? Fork-get about it. They’re packed away somewhere, probably at the bottom of the biggest, heaviest box at the bottom of the tallest, heaviest pile of boxes.” “C’mon. Really? How am I supposed to eat my week-old leftovers...

In response to Hilda Bettermann’s letter to the editor in the June 12 issue of the Perham Focus: There have been a flurry of scare tactics and myths spread about the Affordable Care Act (sometimes called Obamacare) by Tea Party-types who often use misleading or deliberately deceptive...

Did you know that a new IRS regulation not passed by Congress prevents employers from reimbursing their employees for the cost of health insurance premiums if the employees go into the insurance market to buy their own insurance? Also, employees cannot be sent to government exchanges...