EDITOR’S NOTE: Letters will be accepted for the Open Forum for publication in the next available issue after receipt. Letters may be sent to Forest Lake Times, 146 N. Lake St., Suite 125, Forest Lake, or by e-mail to ryan.howard@ecm-inc.com. Letters should not exceed 250 words and must be signed with the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Deadline is noon Monday. The newspaper reserves the right to edit letters and assure that rules of libel and good taste are not violated.
Thank you
On behalf of the staff at North Memorial Ambulance in Forest Lake, we would like to thank you for your generous donation of blankets and stuffed animals to use with our pediatric patients. As one can imagine, taking an ambulance ride as a child can be quite scary. Having the comfort of a stuffed toy or blanket can be one of the best treatments for a frightened child. The generousity of “Pam Remme’s Little Cherubs” in donating these items to us is very appreciated.
Karen Brown
Operations Supervisor at North Memorial Ambulance
DFL deja vu, too
Max Anderson failed to include Democrats in last week’s rant (“GOP Déjà vu”). Perhaps he forgot that the comedic millionaire Al Franken didn’t pay his taxes in 17 states.
He must have forgotten that Governor Dayton hides his millions across the border to prevent paying taxes here, where he increased Minnesota’s taxes by $2.1 billion.
He forgot the 2013 Democrat controlled legislature that wasted $90 million of your money on an unnecessary palace for politicians.
He forgot the money laundering by the Democrat-led IRRRB (Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation) board, recently exposed by the Star Tribune.
He forgot Democrat State Senator Tomassoni’s attempts to get paid for lobbying the legislature while at the same time getting paid to be in the legislature.
He forgot the Democrat-led “Community Action of Minneapolis,” who defrauded millions of tax dollars on political cronies and are under FBI investigation.
He forgot the Alliance for a High Tax Minnesota, whose founder is a Rockefeller (and Dayton’s ex-wife) and spent millions to get tax increasers elected.
He forgot the bonuses paid to MNsure big-shots after their website failed miserably. He forgot to mention the incompetence of the Dayton appointee who sipped daiquiris on a tropical beach while the site crashed, stranding everyone that Obama kicked off their health plans.
He forgot the billion dollar stadium that Dayton gave to New Jersey billionaire Zygi Wilf who was convicted of racketeering after defrauding partners out of $84 million.
Since there’s a 250 word limit, I have to stop.
Bruce Spangler
Wyoming
A bad deal
The Wyoming Planning Commission is working on a new ordinance that could threaten our remaining agricultural land and open space with acres of ground-based solar panels. The current draft ordinance would allow what is clearly a commercial use into every residentially-zoned area in Wyoming. If you have open fields in your neighborhood, those fields of green may be converted to racks of black solar panels. If your neighborhoods back up to fields of corn like Bridgewater, Wyoming Trail, and Pioneer Road, the corn may soon be replaced by acres of solar panels. If your neighborhood is zoned rural residential, it might soon be intermixed with a solar garden. Everyone loves a garden, but don’t expect tomatoes. While I’m aware that solar energy is viewed by most like a new puppy, this puppy doesn’t just chew on your shoes. It chews up remaining open space. I urge all of you who value what is left of our rural lifestyle and open space to call Wyoming Mayor ERic Peterson or Councilmember Linda Yeager and get the facts. You can visit the Wyoming City website for their email addresses and telephone numbers. The Planning Commission and the City Council meet on alternating Tuesdays. Please try to attend these meetings. The next Planning Commission meeting is Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Wyoming City Hall, next to our great library.
Neil Rever
Wyoming
Words of wisdom
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the effort and commitment by the players of the Forest Lake girls basketball program. It is a long season, and the work ethic of these young women to commit every day to getting better should be applauded. Circumstances have presented themselves beyond my control, which does not allow me to attend this year’s banquet. So, I wanted to congratulate all the players for their respective individual and team success. Special acknowledgement should go to those players who will receive recognition and performance awards during the banquet. I was hoping to provide some departing words of wisdom during the banquet; however, in lieu of that, I will leave you with these few suggestions for continued success.
First, put away your cell phone for one day and enjoy life around you in a different way. Use the best computer God has given each of you: your imagination. Never stop wanting to learn. Ask “why” in a respectful way, and be comfortable with every answer. Listen with your eyes. Seek to understand before you want to be understood. Acknowledge someone you don’t know or barely know using the most important word in the English language: “Hello.” (A head nod, “’Sup,” or “Hey” also works. Most importantly, have fun. Life is too short, so enjoy every minute.
Thanks for the opportunity to be a small part of your lives.
Roger Keller
Forest Lake girls’ basketball coach