Letters to the Editor

This letter is in regard to a recent [Sept. 13] communique submitted by one Robert Snetzer. In it he cited such world events as: 20 million lose healthcare (speculation) 800,000 destroyed by deportation (speculation), we are a “button push” away from nuclear armageddon with North Korea (speculation)...

Is it time to be worried, scared or terrified? The words and actions of the president are taking our country in the wrong direction say 66 percent of Americans. Many in congress, Democrats and Republicans, are questioning the president’s stability and ability to govern. ...

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Dickinson County Endowment Fund, the Lakes Area Extrication and Rescue Unit is closer to its goal of $170,000 to upgrade the extrication equipment. We also appreciate those in the Lakes Region who have supported us so far...

On Sept. 28, I attended the pubic informational meeting at the Sami Center about our area curlyleaf pondweed problem. The panel members who presented information are to be commended. They were well-prepared with supportive research for every point presented...

The serial writer of “Letters to the Editor” with negative comments about President Trump has his facts wrong in last week’s missive titled “President Trump, the NFL and the First Amendment.” The First Amendment, reads “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech …” The Supreme Court says the First Amendment applies only to government action, not private parties. ...

This letter is in response to the 9/26/17 “Mitchell Report.”  I think we can largely agree that “we need a break from the divisiveness.”  However, I respectfully disagree with your proposed solution of suggesting that individuals need to stand for the national anthem...

The news article outlining the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment meeting on Monday the 25th of September in the Dickinson County News was very well-written. I had the opportunity to attend four separate meetings that Brad Beck presented the PUD proposal; Dickinson County Planning and Zoning Commission, County Board of Supervisors, a meeting with neighboring property owners, and the County Board of Adjustment Meeting. ...

The First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Speech. This covers not only spoken or printed words, but actions as well. The Supreme Court has ruled that even political contributions to the party you support are covered. Actions – kneeling — by athletes during the playing of the National Anthem to demonstrate their resistance to the blatant racism in our country is another form of free speech. ...

Here is a big shout out and thanks to the persons listed below who helped complete the 19th consecutive sampling season of Dickinson County lakes as volunteers for the Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Program (CLAMP). CLAMP is coordinated by the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in partnership with the State Hygienic Lab at Lakeside, with funding support from the Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc. ...

I am writing this letter to share my opinion on a pending Planned Unit Development (PUD) next to East Okoboji. The Board of Adjustment has a scheduled hearing on this request scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 25. I live at Chalstrom Beach Condos and retired last year. ...

The critics of “Obama Care” should look back in this century at bills that are truly “people care” bills. • Roosevelt Care — Social Security • Johnson Care — Medicare; Medicaid • Kennedy-Johnson Care — Civil Rights; Head Start, etc. • Harkin Care — Americans with Disabilities...

Because we all value and respect the natural beauty of the Iowa Great Lakes, the following information will be of grave concern to you. A variance to rezone 65 acres of natural grasslands, mature trees and cropland adjacent to East Lake Okoboji, and near Parks Marina, is sailing through the Dickinson County rezoning process. This proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) will allow up to 520 small vacation-type homes and allow less than 30-day rentals of the homes...

Owners of Okoboji lakeshore property should be aware of another huge new development being proposed on land owned by Butch Parks near the Barefoot Bar. A small, local builder of homes and farm buildings and Subway franchise owner are proposing 520 units of rental housing on 65 acres northwest of the Barefoot Bar. ...

When you see something say something, Do everything you can to right a wrong.
We are here today to do just that … The lyrics from a well known musical play over and over in our heads: “Folks we got trouble, we got trouble right here in Dickinson County.”...

Thanks to Russ Mitchell of the DCN for explaining the difference between an article, column and editorial for those that weren’t aware of the difference. For some time now, people have been decrying me and my opinions about our current administration published in our local papers. ...

With all the hullaballoo about Russia allegedly meddling in a U.S. election, one naturally gets to wondering how many times the United States has meddled in the elections of other countries. Shockingly, Washington has meddled in foreign elections at least 81 times (just as many under Republicans as Democratic administrations), as counted in a just released study by Dr. Dov Levin of the “Institute for Politics and Strategy” at Carnegie-Melon...

Editor’s note: The following letter included personal attacks that had to be removed in the editing process. “So, character matters,” according to Robert Sneitzer’s Aug. 30 letter. Let’s talk facts. For months now, there has been whining on-and-on about President Trump. ...

Homecoming 2017 is just around the corner and the Student Advisory Council (SAC) at Spirit Lake is excited to announce that this year's homecoming begins Monday, Sept. 18, and continues until the 22nd. SAC has been working on the theme and the events for homecoming prior to school beginning...

Award winning psychologist Thomas Lickona’s book “Character Matters” lists 10 essential qualities that must be developed in order to avoid irresponsible and destructive behavior in children as they grow into adulthood. They are: wisdom, justice, fortitude, self-control, love, a positive attitude, hard work, integrity, gratitude and humility...

On behalf of the Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club, we would like to thank everyone who supported our first ever Boji Brew Fest on July 29 of this year. Working in conjunction with Spirit Lakes PEO Chapter PA, we were able to raise money for renovations of Shelby's Playground at Elinor Bedell State Park...

With overwhelming shared condolence for the victims of the Charlottesville, Virginia, we as members of the Iowa Great Lakes Area and residents of Dickinson County, speak out against hate. We must resist white supremacy, fascism, anti-Semitism and bigotry, because hate is not acceptable. ...

I want to comment about the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia. The recent tragedy there was a result of two opposing forces who went to the city both looking for a fight. The “alt right” and the “antifas” could have cared less about Robert E. Lee or the statue of him...

This is an open letter to one Robert Sneitzer [whose past letters have appeared in this publication]: The following excerpt is from the independent, non-partisan fact checking group "Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity" published on the "Consortium News" website dated Aug. 7, 2017. It shows quite clearly that the claims against Russia for hacking the DNC are nothing but a propaganda ploy that the anti-Trump fake news media has picked up and repeated ad nauseam:...

Thank you again, Spirit Lake, for coming out and giving the blood of life on Aug. 17 for the American Red Cross. We didn’t have a huge turnout but had no deferrals so everyone contributed who came. Five contributed double red units counting as 10 units, and 27 contributed whole blood. We had a total of 37 units which was about 15 units below our goal...

The weekly anti-Trump writer of letters to the editor seems to search out with great vigor everything President Trump has to say. Yet, whatever President Trump has to say, makes him very upset. It reminds you of the guy who was pounding his head against the wall. When asked “why do you do that?” he respond “because it feels so good when I stop.”...

This is an open letter to Steve King. Mr. King, your silence says it all. First of all, it took you two days to respond to the tragedies in Charlottesville. And when you did respond, your statement was simply to “agree.” On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the nation watched while the man in the White House openly sided with those whose main goal was to inflict fear and harm...

Tailgates. Pep rallies. Friday night lights. The new school year is here! And that’s exciting news for student-athletes and high school sports fans alike. Research shows that being a student-athlete is about a lot more than fun and games. Student-athletes learn important life lessons, too. ...

Wouldn't it be nice if the VA and Lakes Regional Healthcare could partner up to combine services to the thousands of local vets now being served through the VA and who reside in the hospital's service foot print? As a 50-percent-disabled vet and county resident myself, I can't even go to LRH for specialty services because of a loophole in regulations: Since we have an outpatient clinic located in town that DOESN'T provide the same service as LRH (such as colonoscopies) I instead have to travel nearly 100 miles each way, stay in a motel (because of the prep required) — all on the VA's dollar. ...

As President and Commander in Chief, Donald Trump’s primary responsibility is to keep us safe — domestically and internationally. On the world front, his statements to North Korea that they face the possibility of “fire and fury like the world has never seen” would indicate the United States is “locked and loaded” ie: prepared to start a nuclear war. Who knows what action this would bring from China and Russia? Does this make anyone feel safe?...

I hadn’t planned to submit a letter this week, but after hearing President Trump’s speech to a group of law enforcement officers at Long Island, New York, recently, I just could not be silent. His speech was notorious for its embrace of aggressive tactics of police officers. He encouraged police not to be concerned about physical harm to people taken into custody. Laws are stacked against police, he said: “Don’t be too nice!”...

Most of the Anti-President Trump Letters to The Editor merely repeat the negative stories being reported by the national news media. These so-called journalists include most major TV networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, & MSNBC) and most major newspapers (NYT and WP). ...

As Iowa’s Commissioner of Elections, I take the integrity of our elections and every voter’s personal data very seriously. You can be assured that the state’s elections systems are protected, and your personal information remains confidential and secure in Iowa’s voter registration database. I’m writing this because I want to emphatically encourage all registered voters to ignore any suggestion that you should cancel your voter registration...

I am writing in response to Dr. Kyle Coble’s letter of 7/11/17: “We Are Your Neighbors.” Dr. Coble stated in his letter that “The actual editorial pieces are campaigning against manure management and hog farming, citing New Fashion Pork as the aggressor.”...

There is an implicit promise from one generation to the next to deliver a society equal to, or better than the last. The bulwark of the defense and advance of this promise includes the institutions that make up our daily lives including our religious, government and legal institutions. The men and women who labor within these institutions carry a burden of selfless dedication to deliver on that promise...

On July 14, the New York Times reported a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian operatives that took place about one year ago. Trump Jr. then was forced to acknowledge, that in June 2016, he had met with Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya and two other Russians, who promised damaging information on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. ...

Having heard Steve King's recent rants regarding the military, veterans, food stamps and any other group he can denigrate, discredit or dishonor, I feel compelled to write once again. After 15-plus years in his current job, he has attempted to improve his record of zero bills out of committee with some pretty outlandish bills aimed at demoralizing some of our citizens who most need support. ...

My mother was a British war bride. My father had met her when he was stationed in Liverpool during World War II. They fell in love, got married and then came me. I was 1-year-old when the war was over. Nine months later, mom and I joined Dad in Iowa. His mother and eight siblings had lived on a farm in Emmetsburg. It's still there. My cousin's family cares for it...

Yes, dear citizens, the CAFOs are coming, even to the Iowa Great Lakes. The hog slaughter plant being build in nearby Windom, Minnesota, puts Dickinson County directly in the crosshairs of the ongoing expansion of industrial pork production. Although other states have cracked down on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), Iowa has rolled out the red carpet by weakening environmental laws and ignoring the vast research documenting the air and water pollution, human diseases odor issues, flies and economic damage that occurs in areas when this industry moves in.. ...

The solitary writer of Anti-Trump Letters to The Editor in our community continues to be worried about our future. His negative view is probably shared by leftists on the East and West coasts, mainly because President Trump was elected. Meanwhile, most of us in the Midwest – who voted for Trump - are enjoying our summer. ...

The advent of wind turbines coming to my farming community has opened my eyes to a whole new set of societal issues. There is a clear delineation between those who embrace the idea of wind turbines and those who do not want anything to do with them...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank everyone who was involved in what made for an incredible Fourth of July. J & M Displays put on yet another fantastic show over West Lake Okoboji, enjoyed by thousands of friends and families. Even with a bit of rain, Lakes Area visitors and locals alike knew that the fireworks display would be worth it!...

The American media plays a central role in a functional democracy. In the political arena its function is not only to transcribe the words of our politicians to the public, but to analyze the statement for truth and consistency. Here, statements are fact checked to determine truth. ...

Most of the anti-Trump Letters to the Editor in this county are written by one person. Listening to what the candidate says during the election process would seem to be logical. But once the president is elected, doesn’t seem more logical to pay attention to his actions. It is refreshing to have a President who says what he means and means what he says...

As a resident of Dickinson County, I am growing increasingly concerned about agricultural activities taking place here. I keep reading editorials about farmers. Their contributions to the community from a financial aspect in terms of local wages ($120.4 million according to the 2012 Farm Census, employing 15.9 percent of Dickinson County's active labor force) or property tax contributions on the 187,363 acres of farm ground seem to be overshadowed by the fermented smell of politics and activism...

I am concerned about New Fashion Pork and their hog confinement being built in Dickinson County abutting Christopherson Slough and near Swan Lake. By using a loophole, they are going to injure the tourist trade here. Being an out-of-state owner, they are not following the rules set out by our state. The Swan Lake Winery and B&B is downwind of the farrowing barn and that is not good...

A few days ago, the New York Times published an article listing lies told by President Trump since he took office. As I went through the list I counted just about 100 up until June 21. They were easily fact-checked statements i.e.: crowd size at his inauguration, claim that he had the record for times on the cover of Time magazine (he had 11, President Nixon had 55); claimed the U.S. ...

Before I begin, let me point out that my views do not necessarily reflect that of the rest of the council, the mayor, or the administration! In reference to the letter sent last week addressing the police force and their lack of effort in investigating vandalism at Florence Park in Milford, maybe you should have done some homework before broadcasting instead of tuning in. ...

Dear Editor,   Today on CNN, Steve King was reported to have said that former President Barack Obama is partly responsible for the severe bipartisanship we are experiencing today. Shame on Mr. King. Apparently he has failed to remember that, on the night President Obama took the oath of office for his first term, Republicans held a meeting in which they pledged to do everything they could to discredit Obama and keep him from bringing forth any of his campaign promises. ...

The sore loser letters that have been frequently appearing in local newspapers has presented us with a smorgasbord of selected facts on the current administration. Not since the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and his inauguration in March of 1933 have we seen such rapid changes being made to correct years of poor administration. ...

This week I received a letter from a self-described “committed conservative and ardent supporter of the constitution” asking me to stop writing letters to the editor. Stating “Us Trump supporters certainly know by now that you don’t like or agree with him.” Further, that like so many of your fellow Trump opponents, your actions are counter-productive and detrimental to the common good...