Letters to the Editor

In a recent Letter to the Editor titled "The Right And Practice To Dissent" the writer continues his diatribes against President Trump. By my count these diatribes have been going for more than a year. Most of his material seems to be recycled from liberal blogs or the national news media. ...

The YMCA of the Okobojis would like to recognize and thank the Good Neighbor Fund for the funding given to the Y that impacts both the Bedell Family YMCA and Camp Foster. The Bedell Family YMCA received funding to assist in the purchase of new CPR mannequins for our aquatic center to be used to train lifeguards and re-certify those who hold CPR certificates. ...

Thundercloud District of the Mid-America Council, Boy Scouts of America, would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the Good Neighbor Fund for its donation this year, as well as the many donors who contributed to this worthwhile fund. Thundercloud District provides unparalleled experiences for youth through the scouting program to over 650 scouts in cub scout packs and scout troops in eight Iowa counties: Dickinson, Clay, Palo Alto, Emmet, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Osceola and O’Brien. ...

The American Red Cross Serving Greater Iowa would like to thank everyone in the Iowa Great Lakes Region who donated to the Good Neighbor Fund this year. The grant money given to the Red Cross will help us continue to provide services to those recovering from disasters in northwest Iowa during their time of greatest need. Already in 2018, volunteers with the Red Cross have responded to 34 home fires here in northwest Iowa...

The Pearson Lakes Art Center would like to sincerely thank the Good Neighbor Fund for its donation to our Education Department, specifically the Preschool Art Program. Their commitment to non-profit organizations in the Lakes Area is appreciated by the PLAC staff, the preschool teachers, and most importantly the preschool students who participate in this unique program...

Dickinson County CARES would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the following businesses and individuals for their generous sponsorships and donations for our Second Annual CARES Carnival on 4/21/18: Dickinson County News, Landmark Products, Okoboji Realty, Avera Holy Family Foundation, Spirit Lake Kiwanis (Noon), Milford Kiwanis, Bank Midwest, Central Bank, Dickinson County Farm Bureau, L & C Tire, Lakes Regional Healthcare, MHR Insurance, Northwest Bank, United Community Bank, Grace Lutheran Church-Spirit Lake, Henry Olsen Funeral Home, Coyote Motors (Dave Dubois), Dickinson County Cattleman's Association, Carstens Financial Group, Champion State of Mind, Farmers Savings Bank-Milford, Terri Mueller, Indian Hills Golf Course, Jensen Realty, M.L Bohner, Sandy Law Firm, Walker Insurance, Lakes Autosport, Herum Excavation, Lakes Lifeskills, Edward Jones-Spirit Lake, Forest Ridge Youth Center, Holiday Express Trucking, Lakeland Realty, Melanders, Big Spirit Resort; Kevin Hess/Hess Motorsports, GKN-Estherville, Alliant Energy crew, Timothy Browning, Linda Webber/Webber Construction, Mike & Rhonda Reekers, Shane Arndt-Arndt Construction, Blossoms & Blooms, Cupcakes by LOLO, Hardees, Coca Cola, ISU Extension, Dry Dock Restaurant, Daily Addiction, Grand Occasions, Spirit Lake Silver & Gold, Rodan & Fields, Harley Davidson, Playful Cupcaketions, Okoboji Chamber, Parks Marina, Barefoot Bar, Homeology, Drs. ...

Our agency was pleasantly surprised by a donation we received from the Good Neighbor Fund of the Okoboji and Spirit Lake territories. We want to openly express our thanks to everyone who may have donated to such a cause. Centers Against Abuse & Sexual Assault (CAASA) provides services to sexual assault/abuse survivors by offering 24-hour crisis intervention services, crisis counseling services, transportation services, information and referral services, legal and personal advocacy mentoring and other additional services for victims of abuse. ...

Thank you again, Spirit Lake, for coming out and giving the blood of life on May 14 for the American Red Cross. Once again, the turnout was disappointing. Our goal was 43 and we only obtained 24 pints of whole blood and six power reds, which made our total 30 but we saved 90 lives with this life giving blood. We had nine that were deferred and three that had quantities not sufficient...

I would like to acknowledge the numbers of people who have emailed, phoned, sent snail mail and commented face to face saying how much they appreciate my letters to the editor and encourage me to keep writing. Many have said that they are the first thing they look for when they open the paper — Democrats, Independents and Republicans...

Dickinson County Zoning is at a crossroads when it comes to proposed high density development. We face the prospect of county zoning that gives developers whatever they request, versus a professional review of the proposed development which insures attention to the capacity of utilities, roads and the environment. Our future quality of life depends on which of the three candidates are elected to the three open seats on the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors...

Did you know that in 2018 Iowa was named "The Best State in the Nation" by U.S. News and World Report? This year, Iowa has been named as the third best run state in the nation. This year, Iowa has the lowest dropout rate for high school students in the nation. ...

In a recent Letter to the Editor titled "Let's Kill All The Lawyers" Robert Sneitzer agonized over the negative portions of President Trump's life. There are so many untruths and missing facts in his letter it is not worth the time to try and correct them. ...

The Iowa Constitution says it perfectly: "All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people, and they have the right at all times, to alter or reform the same, whenever the public good may require it."...

How much longer will Iowans accept political leadership that rests on "alternative facts" to reach bad public policy? On April 18, Representative John Wills (R-Spirit Lake), authored comments in The Dickinson County News about special drinking water protection for the Iowa Great Lakes. A conclusion Representative Wills reaches about Des Moines Water Works raises serious issues about his policy conclusions involving environmental issues...

Shakespeare said it in his play Henry VI, but I think President Trump might be saying it now, several hundred years later. Lawyers and judges (judges — just lawyers with more authority) have for some years given Donald Trump headaches and unwanted problems...

After reading Rep. John H. Wills’ ‘Dear Friends’ commentary on our Bill of Rights (and with his promise more would come) I want to give him a little advice: Reread the opening line of the Constitution. Spoiler alert: It says "We the People" not "Me, Myself, and I." Sure, it's our legal framework, but it's also our promise to each other. ...

Dickinson County CARES (Community Advocates Ready to Empower Survivors) is a local volunteer group supporting the Family Crisis Center (FCC) and the Center Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) by assisting with public awareness events and financial resources. FCC provides services to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in 17 Iowa counties. CAASA provides services to victims of sexual abuse & assault in all of northwest Iowa, including Dickinson, Clay and Emmet...

To our family, friends and the entire community and beyond, we don’t know where to begin. As many of you know, our peaceful lives were turned upside down recently, after we lost our home to fire. It has been a surreal time. Thankfully our family is safe, which is absolutely the most important part of this whole experience. ...

Character Matters is a program presented to students to show them the importance of monitoring their judgment and behavior to meet accepted social standards. March For Our Lives is a movement by our youth to show their concern for their security. It encourages actions, not words in the behavior of our legislators in response to the many school shootings. Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough...

Have you seen the "pizza ad" which describes the monetary impact of the Okoboji Community School district bond issue? The cost of this bond is less than the cost of a large pizza to the average homeowner, per month. An old classmate jokingly said to me "no pizza for you this month, kid!" after seeing the flyer. This prompted my reply:...

Hyper-individualism plagues us. One of its most destructive expressions is in our political process where positions often become so extreme that meaningful conversation can no longer take place. We just attack one another instead. We need to recall the wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt — that with freedom comes responsibility — to extract ourselves from this wasteland...

Where we live, wide spaces separate our towns, our farms and naturally our hospitals. But with innovation, good planning and talented teams of professionals, health care systems like ours can help ensure everyone gets the care they need, when they need it...

As a lifetime resident of the community of Milford, I feel obligated to express my concerns about the problems that exist due to the past expansion and construction projects of the Okoboji Community School District. It appears to me that the decisions made by those responsible for doing so at that time had the best intentions of providing for the school district's students and meeting the wants of the school district's employees...

In a recent "Letter to the Editor," Robert Sneitzer appeared to be consumed worrying about old Trump news from the 2016 presidential election. All of the negative news cited has been factored into the November 2016 election decision with the voters electing Donald J. Trump as our president. If you spend your time mired in the past, you will find it difficult to recognize what is happening today and how today’s events might reflect on your future...

As a young real estate mogul, he added to an empire stared by his father. His success, however, was marred by his practice of not paying his employees and subcontractors. U.S. banks refused to lend him money due to his history of not repaying loans, leading to his practice of using foreign services as a revenue source...

In a Feb. 28 Letter to the Editor, Robert Sneitzer went off the deep end, finding fault with the NRA and President Trump regarding the recent gun controversy. Many of the gun statistics quoted were exaggerated or simply wrong. Making wild speculations with statistics to prove your point does not help your case...

I am enthusiastically voting "yes" for the $9.7 million bond that will fund several necessary improvements in our school facilities. First off, school safety is of paramount concern, and the bond would provide funding to construct secure entrances into our facilities. Secondly, the bond would fund several needed improvements at our high school, including a new science, vocational agricultural and industrial technology classrooms/lab areas. Lastly, a new gymnasium would be constructed...

President Trump opened his State of the Union Address acknowledging the heroic efforts of the first responders that came to the aid of victims in the floods that devastated Houston and the wildfires that engulfed California. However, he did not mention what loaded the dice making those disasters so dangerous and costly: climate change...

Another school massacre and our president responds: MORE GUNS! We should train and arm 20 percent of teachers he says. Our U.S. public school system currently employs over 3 million teachers. Using the math, that would create 600,000 potential new customers for gun manufacturers. ...

This state has a long and strong history of clean elections. In fact, this state was a leader in woman's suffrage and females could vote on certain issues (bonds) well before any other state. This state has a  reputation for quirky but clean elections summed up beautifully by a statement from ballotopia, "When you go to cast, there is an election judge who knew your mother." The American Political Science Review states that voter fraud in Iowa is statistically insignificant, no higher praise than that.. ...

In a Feb. 14 "Letter to the Editor," Robert Sneitzer found fault with words President Trump has said. Finding fault with words taken out-of-context is really easy. In the lead paragraph, the writer finds fault with the President’s comments about the blank expressions of the Democratic members of Congress at the State of the Union address. ...

In a speech in Cincinnati on Feb. 5, President Trump called the Democratic members of Congress treasonous because they did not stand and applaud during his State of the Union speech. This was a statement you might expect from a despotic ruler in a banana republic, not in an American democratic republic. ...

On behalf of the American Red Cross, we wish to express our deep appreciation and say “thank you” to every donor, volunteer and support person who participated in the Jan. 31 blood drive in Spirit Lake. A special thanks go to Grace Lutheran Church for providing a wonderful place for this to happen and a big “thank you” goes to Hy-Vee for the fabulous cookies they provided...

Robert Sneitzer on Jan. 31 authored a letter to the editor titled “The Darkest Places in Hell." It hits several themes beginning "… there is no greater sin than inaction." He follows that with "Currently in our country there are many 'wrongs'…" Although he does not mention President Trump by name, it is the same litany of complaints I hear from those infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome. I look for good and I can find it...

They don’t make the headlines. Their names are not in the box scores. They don’t make the all-star teams. But some of the most important individuals in high school sports are the contest officials. These individuals are so important, in fact, that there would be no organized competitive, school sports without the men and women who officiate these contests every day across the country. ...

This letter is in regards to a letter written by one Phil Petersen (Jan. 16) concerning the many issues surrounding the East Loch Estates. As I read the minutes of the proceedings, I began to wonder if these discussions are happening here in Dickinson County, U.S.A. ...

Much of what the world now knows and believes about hell is based on Dante’s book “The Divine Comedy.” In it Dante states "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crises." It means in dangerous times, there is no greater sin than inaction. ...

On behalf of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Spirit Lake Chamber of Commerce, and Okoboji Tourism, we would like to thank so many for making our 38th Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games another success for our business community...

I read with some disappointment and concern the “Questions linger in state opioid lawsuit” article from Dec. 26. Although the article primarily referenced discussions around the county’s decision to participate in a class action lawsuit against drug manufacturers of opioids, it is the ancillary comments made regarding the opioid epidemic by elected officials that causes me concern...

From the Lakes Regional Healthcare volunteers and Meals on Wheels of Dickinson County, we would like to thank the community for supporting our 2017 Tree of Love. We had one of our biggest turnouts ever for the tree-lighting ceremony and this year’s Rudolph tree ornaments were a big hit. Thank you to all who participated in making this a successful project again this year!...

In late December, Dickinson County held three controversial public hearings for the rezoning of a 66-acre property called East Loch Estates — north of the Chalstrom Beach Plantation. There were a Dec. 18 Planning and Zoning, Dec. 19-20 Board of Supervisors and Dec. ...

Marble Beach State Park on the west side of Big Spirit Lake is a gem that is beloved for its natural beauty and frequented by many year-round and summer visitors, including campers, walkers, dog walkers and anglers. The rolling campground of 224 campsites (100 electric and 124 primitive) is well shaded and has paved roads, a boat ramp, restrooms and showers and a dump station. ...

The 422 unit housing project northwest of the Barefoot Bar, on 65 acres of farmland owned by Butch Parks was approved by the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment Dec. 26 after more than three hours of presentation and pro and con comment. The request was nearly identical to the request denied by the same Board of Adjustment Sept. 26...

I guess we were on the Naughty list this year … Don’t know Not my Job Nothing was required Ask someone who cares..... Out on the rooftop the reindeer paused and dumped a load from Santa Claus-the package arrived and hit with a thud – oh my god what has happened-- he delivered a PUD........

This letter pertains to the rezoning of Parks A-1 Agricultural land to R-3 Multi- Family Residential Zoning and a request for a Planned Unit Development by a developer calling their proposal East Loch Estates. This request was heard Dec. 18 by the Dickinson County Planning and Zoning Commission...

Dickinson County Residents, The quality of life here in Dickinson County is second to none! It is our utmost goal to insure and ultimately better the quality of life with hope that one day our children will be able to raise families and live and experience the wonderful Lakes region, as we have for so many years!...

This letter pertains to item number nine of the Board of Supervisors' Dec. 19 agenda regarding: "Discussion/possible action regarding TIF agreement between Dickinson County and Nicholas Poolman/Jeremy Jalas." The Dickinson County Taxpayers Association is concerned that this Tax Increment Financing agreement with the developer would have negative consequences for the county, school districts, sewer district, community college, county hospital and other taxing jurisdictions...

The same controversial development plan rejected by the County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 25 is back again. While it is true that the proponent has applied once again, it appears that all of the same material for the original application was, either submitted with the original application in August, or made in a presentation to the Board of Adjustment on Sept. ...

On Sept. 25, the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment had the good sense to oppose a request for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) located on 65 acres of natural grasslands, mature trees and cropland, very close to East Lake Okoboji and Parks Marina. This high-density PUD would allow hundreds of small houses, like Bridges Bay vacation cabins...

The following is a copy of the letter recently sent to the Planning and Zoning Board and to the Board of Supervisors for Dickinson County. I am writing this with the hope that the Dickinson County Planning and Zoning Commission, the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors and the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment will take a moment to read...