Columns/Opinion

Dr. Jan Meyer: There are all kinds of ways to get things done

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 11:10am

When computers were new to the business environment, the change was not always a welcome one to individuals. It was a huge adjustment, because for one reason people just did not trust “it” to do what they were doing. One company was getting frustrated with the pace at which employees accepted this innovation, and decided that surely something could be done to speed it up. Because it was a behavioral problem — a human factor — not a technical one, it became my job to find ways to try to move it along.

Bill Bentson: Snow already affecting Minnesota sports

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 11:09am

The good news this morning: NO SNOW.  Can’t say the same for our friends to our west.  We’re not out of the woods yet, as the temperature is supposed to drop and continue to rain.  I feel so sorry for the farmers around here. The fields are so muddy.

I went to a football game over in Ada last night, and for about two miles on a county road I drove on the wrong side of the road, ‘cause the right side of the road was covered with mud.

Letter: Another Trump term would destroy democracy

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 10:43am

To the editor, Re: “Swamp Creatures”

I’m confused. You (Roger Dietrich, letter published Sept. 30) think the Democrats are dangerous? You think your hate-filled excuse for a president is a good president? You think any news you or your fake president doesn’t like is fake news?

Did we wake up in another universe? Or does Roger Dietrich need to take another look at what he imagines is “real” news?

Another Trump term, IMHO, would destroy our democracy, and the recent move to impeach him is long overdue.

   Alima C. Fairchild

Letter: Trump really does need help

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 10:42am

The letter from Roger Dietrich (Sept. 30 Reader) of LeRoy says Trump needs another term to clean out the swamp. The last thing I read about the swamp, it had become bigger and is infested with corrupt billionaires just like Trump; a lot of them were picked by Trump.

Roger seems to think Trump needs help in the next election; he is probably right about that statement. I just saw Trump’s approval rating fell to 37 percent. I doubt even with the Republicans’ gerrymandering, moving voting places and other things they have done to depress the vote, that Trump would win.

Letter: Representative’s remark about suicide is appalling

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Mon, 10/14/2019 - 10:38am

I attended a Rep. Hagedorn Town Hall meeting in Winona in early September. I’ve been haunted ever since by his response to a citizen who was asking if he was aware of the relationship between gun ownership and suicide. Mr. Hagedorn’s response was that he believed that “people who commit suicide go to hell.”

Letter: Times may change, but the need to support a free press has not

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Thu, 10/10/2019 - 3:30pm

Once upon a time, having a job at a newspaper meant working in one of the most imposing buildings in town, inhaling the acrid aroma of fresh ink and the dusty breath of cheap newsprint and feeling mini-earthquakes under our feet every time the presses started to roll. For those of us old enough to remember those days, National Newspaper Week 2019 could be one big, fat elegiac nostalgia trip.

Al Batt: Niagara Cave near Harmony is heaped in wonder

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 10/08/2019 - 2:57pm

My wife and I joined good friends in taking a hike into Niagara Cave near Harmony. We had superb guides, Aaron and Amy Bishop, who were enthusiastic and informative. Each time I set foot in a cave, I think of mnemonics I learned in school to help me tell which one is a stalactite and which one is a stalagmite. When mites crawl up, they pull their tights down. Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling. Stalagmites might grow to meet them.

Lisa Brainard: Fall deluge brings rain, but much more to do

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 10/08/2019 - 2:56pm

Oh my! The fall deluge of activities continues in the month of October!

Sigh . . . When I said the word “deluge,” you probably thought I was talking about rain and thunderstorms, right? Wow, does that get old! It seems I can remember back to a time when fall meant not only beautiful leaf colors, but also sunny, temperate weather for the most part. It was a season to dream about . . . to be active and fully enjoy.

Dr. Jan Meyer: Citizenship lottery brings ‘good neighbors’ to USA

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 10/08/2019 - 2:53pm

A week or so ago I met a very nice and interesting young gentleman; he was a salesperson in the men’s department at one of the big department stores. Because I believe everyone has an interesting story, I like to talk to people and hear theirs. This young man was particularly intriguing because I couldn’t immediately detect his accent. I quickly found out he had won the lottery, but not a lottery where the prize is money, nor does one buy a ticket to win. There are over 50,000 first prizes every year: each one is a green card, or permanent resident card, to live in the U.S.

Bill Bentson: Very long road trip includes couple stops in area

Published by tlittle@bluffco... on Tue, 10/08/2019 - 2:52pm

Does the number 2,007.9 have a familiar ring to you?  It does to me!  That’s what my trip odometer showed when I pulled up to my house this past Monday night (9:30 p.m.), 2,007.9 miles on this latest road trip, which began Tuesday, Sept. 24.