Letters to the Editor

The two serial writers of Letters to The Editor seem to be going into cardiac arrest over the events that occurred two weeks ago in Washington. This week their savor – Joe Biden – will be inaugurated, and he will make everything all right. The Jan. 6 political rally in Washington was peaceful until some people left the rally area — before President Trump finished speaking – to pick up their riot tools and storm the Capitol...

Sadly, I just read the notice of Fred Dowden's passing in the Dickinson County News. As with other relatively recent deaths in the Lakes Area, it brought back for me those memorable days of 2003-04 when Fred and a tremendous board of concerned folks came together to give me direction as we began the Herculean effort of putting Arnolds Park Amusement Park (now HAPI) back on solid ground...

The deplorable Jan. 6 assault on our Capitol will never be forgotten. It was fomented and incited by President Trump and his enablers. It should be no surprise coming from a man having no regard for our Constitution, institutions, rule of law, separation of powers or mankind in general...

It was 1897 when little Virginia O’Hanlon wrote her famous query to The New York Sun, “Is there a Santa Claus?” The editor turned the letter over to Francis Pharcellus Church to answer. The result is a timeless piece of wisdom that applies as beautifully this holiday season as it did long ago...

Should Lake Okoboji continue on its pathway of becoming – more and more — a "rich families lake" both on water and upon land? Is the Okoboji Promenade the best example of wealthy families taking over public property and privatizing public property for their own families?...

In last week's Letter to the Editor there was a lot of smoke — even allegations that a fire was being created — over President Trump not ceding the election. It is only three weeks after a hotly-contested presidential election. President Trump is merely exercising his legal right to verify the voting...

We may be seeing our republic disintegrating before our eyes. Is this really what more than 72 million Trump voters envisioned or wanted? Clearly, Trump lost the election by over 5 million votes but insists on shattering every norm practiced by 44 previous presidents — peaceful transfer of power...

It's always good to focus on positive things, especially when we seem almost overwhelmed by negatives. In light of that I mention two very positive things. First, the Spirit of Harmony Chorus, a women's acapella chorus based in Spirit Lake. This chorus just celebrated their 40th anniversary of singing together and entertaining the community as well as successfully competing in their regional competitions. ...

Currently, in the United States, there are 21 states led by Republican Governors and Congresses and 15 states led by Democratic Governors and Congresses. An interesting study by Lloyd Chambliss of the University of North Carolina revealed a startling statistical contrast between Republican led states and Democratic led states...

Spirit Lake, you really blew it out of the water this blood drive! We had a goal of 46 and a total unit count of 56! What a fun and profitable day on the 19th of October. We had 56 sign up, only four no shows, seven deferrals, one walk in, and six power reds for 12 units. This is outstanding and I commend all of you...

Coming to the courthouse every day to make sure things are in order, arriving  early and leaving late. Lori Pedersen's steadfast dedication this election to the details will result in an uneventful tally. She deserves more than praise, she deserves a bonus. I am witness to it, every day, Saturdays and Sundays also. ...

In the summer of 2019, I had the pleasure of meeting many seniors in Dickinson County while working as an insurance company contractor completing home-based Medicare Wellness exams. I remember one woman I visited with sent me home with banana bread; another person gave me a cute little gag gift. He had crafted a small hammer that could be pushed down onto a quarter i.e., a "quarter pounder."...

We are asking each of you to oppose new legislation that will have far-reaching consequences for Iowa's biofuels producers and farmers. Recently, a group of U.S. Senators and Representatives introduced legislation (the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2020) that would begin restricting the sale of passenger vehicles capable of utilizing biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel by 2025 and would completely ban their sale by 2035...

Obviously, your vote is only one in many millions. However, when actions are taken to suppress the vote, it effects not only your vote but millions of other voters. We are now in a raging pandemic and expert medical advice tells us to avoid interacting with large numbers of people, such as on site voting...

On Sunday, Oct. 11, I had the good fortune to drive down from the Twin Cities in Minnesota to provide some feedback to the Spirit Lake High School Marching Band and their staff. Currently in my 36th year of public school teaching as a high school band director, I have had the opportunity to both compete with and adjudicate a large number of marching bands in the Midwest. ...

Senator Joni Ernst deserves credit: She kept her word to support conservative, constitutionalists for the bench by announcing her support for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. The left is outraged, but if they had the White House and Senate, they would support an election-year nominee. ...

Team WAVE and the City of Arnolds Park would like to thank everyone who participated in our Adopt-A-Flowerbed program this year. Helping to keep our landscaped areas of the city clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy is no easy task, especially with the drought the last couple months. This year's Adopt-A-Flower-Bed program participants were, Okoboji PT, Liberty National Bank of Okoboji, Oak Hill Marina, The Sugar Shack, Jensen Real Estate, Linda Hinshaw and Barb & Wayne Woodley...

Parenting is not an easy task, and parenting teenagers comes with its own unique set of challenges. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 18-24, the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is teaming up with law enforcement across the state to help empower parents to discuss the importance of safe driving habits with their young drivers. ...

The 2020 pandemic has resulted for many as an opportunity to slow down life, to evaluate priorities, and to realize that we all have basic human needs. We have found out how important mental health and wellness is for healthy living, no matter what age we are, as isolation, loneliness, and anxiety affect our lives as we navigate our world...

Was there a debate Tuesday night? I did not see one. What I saw were two "politicians" shouting at each other. Some newspaper writers are saying there was a debate winner. How do you win anything when both candidates are not listening to his opponent and developing a coherent response to what the other party said, but is only preparing to shout some more? During the debate, I found myself looking at the off-stage curtain hoping for the mystery third party candidate to come out that I could at least consider to vote for.. ...

Last week the serial anti-Trump writer of "Letters to the Editor" used faulty reasoning in his letter. His concern was that President Trump was wrong to nominate a Justice to the United States Supreme Court, and that the Senate would be wrong to vote on the nomination...

Anyone growing up in Spirit Lake knew Berkley & Co. was established by Berkley Bedell and was the city's largest employer. My mother worked at Berkley & Co. for over 20 years as did many others. My sisters and I grew up with Berkley's kids and participated in activities with them; many of those activities under Berkley's leadership...

With Veterans Day approaching, we all stand with respect for those men and women who were willing to sacrifice all in order to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy. These are truly our nation's heroes and worthy of our honor and support. I am writing this letter to inform you about one group of Veterans who can use your support especially now: those men and women of American Legion Post 23 in Spirit Lake...

In 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham defended the Republican decision to block President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court saying: "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process is started, we'll wait till the next election."...

Citizen misunderstandings exist by the average person as it relates to serving as a local county supervisor. The purpose of this letter is to clarify these misconceptions. Misconception #1: When a person runs for election as county supervisor, they typically submit the needed signatures and file in the June primary listing a party affiliation...

There needs to be a state law with a noise limit on those exhaust systems that were purposely altered to make more noise than no muffler. Smart alecs take a good and proper muffler off their trucks or motorcycles and put on a counterfeit thing that looks like a muffler, but really isn't. Look up muffler in your dictionary. They do this so they can harass the whole community with obnoxious and unnecessary noise...

Here is a sample of advice for college students and second-home owners during the pandemic which was occurring census day, April 1, 2020. You should count anyone who is living in your home most of the time as of April 1, 2020. This includes family members, roommates, foster children, and friends. This also includes people in the hospital or even in jail temporarily who normally live with you...

The recent news that J.D. Scholten accepted an invitation from KTIV for a debate and Randy Feenstra declined the invitation, reminded me of a guest commentary letter written three weeks ago by Senate District 1 Senator Zach Whiting and House District 2 Representative Megan Jones. ...

Our yard signs have been gone on two occasions. My dear wife is an immigrant. She was born in Poland. They mayor of her home town did not want his people overrun by Stalin's army on their way to unseat Hitler, so he organized an evacuation into Germany. My wife and family lived in the woods 12 days during the bombing of Berlin...

Some Democrats spend much of their waking hours trying to dig up dirt on President Trump. I believe a more productive use of our time would be to recognize the President's accomplishments. If you balance Trumps accomplishments against his character flaws, it is clear Trump's accomplishments more than outweigh his flaws. To test that theory think back about the many presidents we have had over our 200-year history. Presidential accomplishments stand out over their character flaws...

The founding fathers put their lives and property on the line to fight and establish our democracy and provide a constitution, though not perfect, as a barrier to monarchy and autocracy. They understood the constitution's fragility but believed through separation of powers, peaceful presidential transfer and belief in government institutions it would prevail...

• Put patients and doctors in charge of our health care system  • Cut prescription drug prices  • Cover all pre-existing conditions  • End surprise billing  • Protect Social Security and Medicare  • Lower health care premiums  • Protect our veterans and provide world-class health care and services ...

Numerous experts have studied the mail in voting process and declared it virtually fraud free. President Trump has openly stated that a national mail in vote would result in a large turnout in the 2020 election and would be a disaster for him. In a strange message to his base supporters, he encouraged them to vote by mail and then go to a polling station and vote again. ...

Please help shape the future of Dickinson County by responding to the 2020 census. Accurate and complete census data affects how much money we get from the federal and state governments for roads, bridges, firefighters, wildlife restoration, school lunch programs, senior housing assistance and over 100 other programs for the next 10 years...

When you go to the polls in November to cast your vote – ask yourself, "would I vote for this party’s platform?" 1. Provide amnesty and free health care for people in our country illegally.  2. Open our borders to millions of more undocumented immigrants. ...

I am deeply concerned about what is happening in our country at this time. I do not understand why the president is not doing everything possible to help the post office, one of our oldest institutions. He has the power to provide money for extra workers and allowing overtime hours. ...

For many of us, summer in Iowa is synonymous with sitting outside on the patio of our favorite bar or restaurant and enjoying a cold beverage. Luckily, for now, we have been able to do that albeit with some restrictions. In order for this to continue, we all need to take personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19...

Where is everyone in this coronavirus time? They are on the bike trails — you can keep yourself 6 feet away from other people. There are some new trails. One is along Highway 86 on the west side of West Okoboji. There is a new one by our home at the Landings. ...

I went to the Spirit Lake Post Office on Saturday and the clerks did not have masks on, but they were behind plastic. Then a man at the door without a mask came very close to me and I asked him to get back and told him to wear a mask. He said, "What did you say?" And I again said, "Would you please wear a mask; you are too close to me." He called me an "old b——." I have never been cussed at or called such a name in my life. I was so upset...

We had another fairly successful Red Cross Blood Drive in Spirit Lake where we had registered 33 donors, received 40 units of blood, had eight donors of power red blood with only one deferral. We also had a first time donor which is always exciting...

In 1994, the Clay County Fair employed me as general manager. I was there until 1999 when I left for an opportunity in the Twin Cities. It was fall of that year and the Save the (Arnolds) Park campaign had achieved its astonishing success. Of course I was aware of the campaign and knew some of its principals but only a few well. Paul Hedberg was one I knew well from both the Spencer fair and my time at the Minnesota State Fair; Berkley Bedell was not...

Last week in a Letter to the Editor, the author was quite agitated over what was called President Trump's multiple "rants." Funny, I don't remember any Trump "rant." Calling comments from the President of the United States a "rant" demonstrates that the author is unable to evaluate the President's actions in a fair and impartial manner...

I contemplated writing about key positive issues or programs that could be introduced after our next election. However, following President Trump's Rose Garden rant, his recent TV interviews, his rebooting of misinformation/politicizing the COVID-19 crisis and now his dispatching federal militia into sovereign cities managed by political opponents, it becomes more important we seriously study history of constitutional democratic demise! Trump's actions flaunt the concerns of Hamilton and other founders in creating the American presidency they perceived to be based upon trust of mutual toleration and institutional forbearance.. ...

By Judy Palmer The red-wing blackbird nibbles at the feeder As the wind whips flags on the white docks. Boats traverse across the lake as the Wind excites wakes so skiers can jump them. --- Sightseeing boats carry chairs filled with Awestruck dreamers of what might be...