Editorial Comment

Norwegian visit is a good reminder why we are allies

The Norwegian Home Guard has been visiting Camp Ripley the last couple of weeks, training in what turned out to be our not-so-cold weather environment. This exchange program has been in place for 39 years, and remains one of the highlights of the year for the Camp and, indeed, all of Morrison County. This year,  Read more »

LF needs to enforce sign ordinance uniformly — now

The city of Little Falls needs to enforce its sign ordinance uniformly. It should have done so all along, and, even though it has not done so and has public sentiment on its side, it should not wait until it gets around to amending its ordinance. Last October, a letter to the editor appeared in  Read more »

Legislature should drop idea for tax-hike ‘supermajorities’

A constitutional amendment requiring all tax increases to have a so-called “supermajority” 60 percent approval by the Legislature is being considered in St. Paul. We fully recognize that the state needs to rein in the size of government in difficult times and that, when taxation is excessive, it makes it more difficult for the private  Read more »

Gov. Dayton’s bonding bill should be considered immediately to create more jobs

By Don Heinzman, Guest Columnist With about 176,000 Minnesotans out of work, Gov. Mark Dayton’s bonding bill, which a study says will create 21,700 jobs, should be considered immediately. All or major portions of it should be approved in time for the upcoming construction season. This is the time to end political infighting over such a  Read more »

Maybe it should be unsaid that economy is top issue

More than 40 people attended the legislative update sponsored by the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce Thursday, including the usual array of government officials. Surprisingly, however, none of them wanted to talk about the biggest issue of the day. In fact, at the end of the session, state Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, made note of  Read more »

Linden Hill offers a chance to learn about ‘shared sacrifice’

We want to draw your attention to a new exhibit that is coming to Linden Hill. Thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society, the “Minnesota Homefront” exhibit will offer a glimpse of what American life was like during World War II. Most Americans have never experienced the concept of shared sacrifice in wartime. The last time  Read more »

Get serious about keeping high school athletes healthy

Suppose somebody came up with a new sport and went to the local school board and said, “There is some violence involved, and, in all likelihood, 10 percent of the kids will be injured during the season enough to miss at least some practice time, but there’s only a slim chance that they will be  Read more »

Here’s a 2012 agenda for Morrison County to embrace

The arrival of any new year presents an opportunity to set goals. For a community as a whole or only an individual to progress, experience teaches that it is best to lay out an agenda, to make plans, to have a destination in mind. Here’s one agenda for the local community. These are developments that  Read more »

Here are a few reminders as to why Christianity endures

Today, most people in Morrison County will be celebrating Christmas. Wherever the Gospel has spread, and it has continued to spread for two millennia, mankind has been lifted out of earthly miseries by the teachings of Jesus Christ. In this year 2011, we encourage all to take to heart those lessons. It is not enough  Read more »

County needs to capitalize on opportunity in bike trails

The announcement this week that the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) for bicyclists has become a reality is a significant reminder for Morrison County. As much as the county relies on agriculture, the sector most likely to grow in the future remains tourism. The development of infrastructure to support that growth will be key. The Mississippi  Read more »

Make this Christmas special for someone else — but hurry

Monday is a key date this holiday season. That’s the deadline that  will determine if 300 Morrison County families will receive gifts this Christmas or not. Now in its 16th year, the annual Holiday Gift Giving Program is attempting to fulfill 1,200 gift wishes, for all ages but many from children. If you can afford  Read more »

State’s competitive bidding success could help feds

Minnesota’s two U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, both Democrats, have made it clear that they will not hesitate in carrying the state’s best practice measures to the halls of Congress. We hope they were listening and watching this fall as the state of Minnesota released what has to be considered good news. The  Read more »

Royalton, Upsala close on the map, not on education

Royalton and Upsala  sit less than a dozen miles apart on the map. And yet, it became apparent last Election Day that the two communities are light years apart when it comes to their attitudes toward their public schools. The difference between the two may be the result of their recent histories. Around 10 years  Read more »

Adopting a Thanksgiving Day attitude can lead to happiness

The Great Recession is now in its fourth year. It seems to be an unusual time in American history, with most people continuing to live in relative prosperity while others have struggled to hold onto their homes and their livelihoods. Even those who have survived unscathed economically, however, have become more cautious. Confidence in the  Read more »

Historic preservationists need to work together

Little Falls has a strong and active contingent of citizens who want to preserve historic buildings.  Sometimes their enthusiasm gets them in trouble, but we would like to believe, as we have in the past, that all have good intentions. That may be a lonely opinion to have these days. It has been well documented  Read more »