Viewpoints

Wed
21
Jun

And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I watched a good portion of the Comey appearance before that senate committee. When you are retired, you can do things like that.

There is no way I am going to comment at this point on who is lying in the Comey-Trump “he said, he said” meeting. Eventually the truth may come out, but I doubt it.

What I came away with was an opinion that among things that have changed in the last half century may be the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

I have noted here before that I enjoy listening to old time radio shows on Wisconsin Public Radio Saturday and Sunday evenings, preferring that to the banality of television. Among the programs from time to time are episodes of “The FBI, In Peace and War.” As the title implies, the show dates back to the World War II era.

Wed
21
Jun

Word for Word 6/21/17

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
 
As I picked up my youngest from her last day of school a few weeks ago at Growing Bear, one of the other moms that was there to pick up her child came up to me as I signed out my baby from preschool and said,
“Girl, these babies have grown so much over this last year…and have you lost weight?!”

Now this woman like most could easily see the growth of any of the kids in that school since the start of the year, but she could not have known how hard I have been working to achieve my own fitness goals. And she most certainly couldn’t have known how much simply noticing would mean to me.

And yet, she said something none the less.

I laughed and said, “Well if strangers are noticing, I must be doing something right.”

And this is where the story took a turn…

Wed
21
Jun

Letter to the Editor: Really....?

To the Editor:

Perhaps fellow readers can tell me what is really good for what? Is catnip really okay for cats? Does Juicy Fruit gum really kill moles? Does baking soda water and honey really help to fight cancer? How much sleep should you really get at night?

There are probably more than a million suggestions and recommendations out there without really any proof for them. Lets face it, what self-respecting scientist is going to put a camera in a mole hole to determine if the Juicy Fruit really killed a hungry mole?

What really bothers me is when folks present fix-it facts that are accompanied by an attitude of attitude like, “Oh really, you didn’t you know?” Maybe these are now being referred to as ‘alternative facts’.

Wed
14
Jun

And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that a couple recent articles served to remind me how lucky I am to have been born in northeast Iowa and lived here most of my life.

One was in the most recent issue of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s magazine, and dealt with an area under its control in extreme northern Allamakee County, along the Upper Iowa River.

The other was by outdoor writer Orlan Love, in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and concerned the karst topography we enjoy.

Love described the clear trout streams of the area, and how freshwater springs and groundwater seepage contribute immensely to the clean water. He notes that 22 of the 32 streams in Iowa declared outstanding waters are in this three-county northeast Iowa area of Allamakee, Winneshiek and Clayton. He notes that trout in those streams in many cases swim in water that just moments before had been underground, unsilted and unpolluted.

Wed
14
Jun

Word for Word 6/14/17

Robin and Steve Oden
Robin and Steve Oden

Do you have peace?

Peace is something most people desire, but few really experience the peace God desires for us. The dictionary defines peace as: freedom from war, a treaty to end war, freedom from public disturbance, law and order, freedom from disagreement or quarrels, undisturbed state of mind, absence of mental conflict, serenity and calm. So, the realm of peace covers the gamut from peace in our own hearts and minds, to peace in our homes and relationships, to peace in our neighborhoods and cities, to peace among nations.

Most people are searching for peace, vainly attempting to find it in diverse ways and places. With everything going on in the world today, one may wonder if a person can even experience peace within themselves to wondering if there will ever be a realistic roadmap to peace in the Middle East.

Wed
14
Jun

Wexford Wanderings

by Hugh E. Conway

Games Three
Circle games with song and verse were some of the favorite for the children and teachers at the rural Wexford Schools. Two games that were normally played by the younger children are London Bridge and a Hunting We will go. Often, the youngest children will be afraid when starting to play the game and may not want to go under the bridge.

There are two versions of London Bridge game. In the first version of London Bridge, two children who are to be the bridge each choose a word for the caught children to make a choice. For example, one chooses apple and the other pear. The two children then form a bridge by facing each other, joining their outstretched hands, and locking their fingers. The rest of the players go round and round under the bridge one by one stooping low as the children sing:

Wed
14
Jun

Letter to the Editor: What are the 47%ers?

To the Editor:

I guess I really don’t know where to start. Our country, the USA, is so divided and so many problems that need attention and fixing.

Remember when Mitt Romney said, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what.”? That group is being led by the devil and they want to ruin America. They want the Bible and the Ten Commandments out of everything, especially our schools. They want the people to depend on the government.

The government is taking over 16% of our economy by taking over healthcare. Did you ever think it could come to this? Pay and join the government healthcare or be fined. The worst thing that ever happened to our country is Obamacare. Our Congress is having one hell of a time figuring out how to replace the 2,700-page Obamacare.

Wed
07
Jun

And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that on this Memorial Day, I’d like to write a little bit about baseball.

There was a time when every little community had a “town” team and they often played on the holiday. As rural populations shrunk, so did baseball at that level. But I was a fan in those days, from mid-1940s into the 1950s in particular.

As a baseball fan, I altered my usual Sunday mid-day routine so I could watch the University of Iowa play Northwestern in the Big (whatever) tournament that noon. It was with some difficulty that I found out Iowa was in the finals. The Sunday papers did not have much info (one none at all) because Iowa had to play its way in via a night game Saturday night. I watched ten innings of that game then went to bed. Good thing, because it turned out to be the longest game in tournament history, lasting just three minutes short of five hours! But Iowa did win.

Wed
07
Jun

Word for Word 6/7/17


Rev. Lynn Groe

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches.

This is an “oldie,” but one of my favorites!

Did you know that the old phrase “cool as a cucumber’’ is actually true! It has been proven that the interior temperature of a cucumber is usually 10 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. Even if the cucumber is in direct sunlight on a hot, dry day in the middle of summer - the interior still remains much cooler than the exterior temperature. But the cucumber remains cool and moist only as long as that cucumber remains attached to the vine. If you dis-attach the cucumber it will become as hot as the outside temperature and soon begin to spoil and rot.

The meaning to this parable is two fold:

Wed
07
Jun

Letter to the Editor: State Treasurer concerned about paying bills on time

To the Editor:

In May I expressed concern about the state paying bills on time next spring. Today, I reiterate that concern. With the news that May revenue has come in significantly less than expected, it is time to consider a cash-flow borrowing in 2018. This would ensure we make payments on time, including school aid and tax refunds. Iowans should not be concerned about the need to issue a cash-flow borrowing. It is the right thing to do when you have unpredictable cash-flows.

People should be concerned about the fact that the State has consistently been unable to project revenue in a time when Iowa unemployment is at a low of 3.1%, the stock market is at record highs and we are not facing a national economic crisis. Nobody can give a clear explanation of why we are short, but tax cuts with unpredictable results appear to be catching up with the budget.

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