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Open Forum
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Thank You for Lending a Helping HandJust wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Kevin, of Kevin's Plumbing, in Brainerd for pulling me out of the ditch last week. This is our first winter up here after moving from the Cities to our cabin, "up north" people are THE BEST!
I had just turned out of our driveway onto "our" road and promptly slid across the road and into "the ditch." Not too far in luckily, just enough so that my husband and I had to shovel and try and rock it out...when all of a sudden here comes Kevin driving by in his big truck! He kindly stopped and helped push, and then Kevin pulled out a ginormous tow rope, hooked up the car and it "popped" right out - THANK YOU KEVIN!!! We love this town!
Thank you!
Jane Reierson
Fifty Lakes, MN
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Pine River-Backus Area Relay for LifeLetter to the Editor
Have you thought about forming a team for the Pine River-Backus Area Relay for Life? The Pine River- Backus Relay for Life will be held on Friday June 18th at the Pine River- Backus Track and Field.
It is a fun way to raise money in the fight against cancer. Teams can consist of 8 – 15 people and each team member must raise $100.00. Teams are established through church, business, school, family and friends. Team members acquire donations to meet their $100.00 goal and a single donation of $10.00 allows the donor to dedicate a luminary either in memory or honor of a cancer patient. The opening ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. and honors the area cancer survivors. The luminary lighting ceremony takes place at dusk and it is a very moving experience. The team members walk through the night by the light of the luminaries. Campsites are set up along the track and can have themes and sell different items or have games with all the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Cancer has touched all of us in one way or another. The Relay allows us to fight back for our family members, co-workers, and friends. It gives us the chance to DO something and make a difference in their lives and the lives of those that will be diagnosed this year and in the years to come.
Please contact Tina Grewe at 568- 6084 or via email tina@landsenddev.com if you are interested in forming a team or have questions about the Relay For Life. We are looking for community members from Pine River, Backus, Cross Lake, Breezy Point, Jenkins, Pequot Lakes, and everywhere in between to have a team at the Relay.
The first team captain meeting will be Monday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. at The Warehouse in Pine River. If you are planning on having a team, it is very important that you or another member of the team be there to pick up the team packets and learn more about this year’s event.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to volunteer for the American Cancer Society! Let’s get ready to Relay!!
Tina Grewe
Pine River-Backus Area Relay for Life
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Sheriff's Message: Stay SafeLetter to the Editor
More often than not, burglars break into your home when they believe no one is around. They look for houses that appear to be easy to get inside, either through a window or through a door. That makes it imperative that we make sure that the doors we have on our residences are as secure as they possibly can be:
Keep your door in plain sight. A burglar won't care if they break in through the front or the back, but if they feel the front door is well hidden it becomes an easy target. A house with overgrown trees and bushes can block the view of the front door giving criminals a perfect spot to hide while they make their way in. Keep any type of plant life trimmed back so thieves can not use them as a hiding place.
Check your door. Before adding any security devices to your door, examine it to see if it hangs properly and was installed correctly. Make sure there are screws in every hole for each hinge. The more securely a door is attached to the wall, the harder it will be to break down. If the hinges are loose or partially empty, it is important to fix them right away. Create new holes if the wood is rotted out and the screws are barely hanging on. Once the door is on as tightly as possible, you can include new locks and bolts.
Door lock and bolts. Some basic door locks are easy to get through. The lock can be pried back with a small instrument, allowing a burglar to open the door and get inside. You can add a dead latch door lock quickly and easily to make the entry way far more secure. These locks can not be pried open, so they are an inexpensive and very effective security device.
A rim lock can be installed on the inside portion of a door in just a few minutes. It includes a heavy duty dead bolt to make sure criminals can't pry it open.
The top and bottom of any door can be reinforced with flush bolts. These are bolts that make it extremely tough for a burglar to open the door for easy entrance.
When installing any type of bolt, make sure everyone in the house knows how to lock and unlock them quickly. While they work well for keeping intruders out, they can also lock people inside during an emergency situation if everyone doesn't know how to operate them.
Your front and back doors are common and easy targets for burglars who may try to get inside your home. Don't let them-take precautions to reinforce every door in your house and make sure they do not provide easy access for criminals.
Break in's occur quickly. It only takes a few minutes for a break in to occur. In fact, most criminals move as quickly as possible to avoid the possibility of being caught. Someone could come home at any time, so they work fast to collect your valuables and get away.
Burglars know where to look for valuables in your home. They will target key areas such as dressers, desk drawers, jewelry boxes and bathroom counters.
Before leaving, they will also look in common hiding spots like under the bed or mattress, inside the toilet tank or under rugs that may conceal a hidden compartment with a secret stash of valuables. A small safe may be a good idea, gowever, if they can pick it up and carry it away with them, they will.
There is no residential home that is 100% burglar proof, however, we have to remain vigilant in attempting to make it more difficult for the criminal to get in.
Always remember to lock your doors and windows each time you leave the house.
If you return home to find that your home has been unlawfully entered, call 911 immediately and wait for law enforcement to arrive. Do not go in to the residence by yourself as you could have interrupted the burglar in the act.
Please stay safe............
Sheriff Todd Dahl
Crow Wing County Sheriff
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League of Women Voters to Discuss RedistrictingThe League of Women Voters of the Brainerd Lakes Area will present a discussion on "Redistricting" Thursday, March 18th, at the Brainerd Public Library at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. Florence Hedeena, a member of League of Women Voters in Park Rapids, will lead the discussion. Redistricting" is a significant topic in view of Census 2010. Redistricting is the process of redrawing the lines of the legislative districts. The eight Congressional seats for Minnesota may be seeing a change to align with the population distribution according to the 2010 Census.
Florence was a committee member in researching, writing, and publishing the "Redistricting" Briefing Paper for the LWV for Minnesota. As State Membership Co-Chair she is on the LWVMN Board of Directors. She is the Liaison to LWV Brainerd Lakes Area and is the State Membership Chair. Florence has been selected as one of 12 LWVUS Ruth S. Shur Fellows. As a national Fellow, she will be trained to offer coaching support to help state and local LWVs attract new members and leaders.
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He Should Be AshamedLetter to the Editor
After recently returning from a stay in Florida, I was glancing through the newspapers that arrived while I was gone. I cannot believe what I read in this paper's Open Forum of February 10. In his letter, "Just My View," Jesse states "The tea party movement is really just the same groups that made up the Militias, the KKK, the American Nazi Party and similar groups, just repackaged." Nothing could be farther from the truth, and how dare he make such a statement.
I, my children, many of my good friends, some of whom are Jesse's own relatives through marriage, are all part of the tea party movement. If my late wife was still alive, she would also be part of this evergrowing movement and maybe even be one of the leaders. We are all good, hardworking, ordinary folks. Some of us are veterans. We love our country very much,even though we realize it is not perfect, and there is always room for improvement. It is the greatest on Earth. We don't like this "hope and change" that is spinning out of control and taking us down a slippery slope. We have every right to our opinions and feelings and to peacefully express same, and that is exactly what we're are doing, no more, no less. Jesse has no basis for comparing my family and friends to the KKK, or the Nazi Party. And let me say, that we are very typical of probably 98 percent of the people in the tea party movement. Jesse, should be ashamed.
Before closing, I would like to make a couple of other points. Nazis are more in line with the far left than with the far right when one considers their taking over industries, committing infanticide, demagoguing others, taking away peoples' guns, etc. The list goes on. However, there was one difference between Hitler and the communist bunch. The numbers of people who died as a result of his wicked genocide pales in comparison to the numbers that died as a result of the genocide committed by Mao and/or Stalin.
About the militia: I won't say much other than it consists of every ablebodied American. I would hope that would include Jesse. In case Jesse is not aware of it, I will simply say that one of the Founding Fathers was a guy by the name of George Mason, who was from Virginia. He said this about the militia: "It is the whole (body of the) People, except for a few public officials." Others of the Founding Fathers expressed similar words.
John A. Davis
Breezy Point
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Common SenseLetter to the Editor
I attended the public info meeting in Emily today and they seem to have their ducks in a row. The most serious question seemed to be the traffic on highway 6. It will increase by about 4 trucks an hour, it will be during the day. Improved turnout will be provided.
Living on highway 6 I know that the peak traffic is in the morning and evening and on weekends. The only solution would probably be: let the road between Crosby and Emily deteriorates further, so the tourists would shift to 169 or 371. I don’t think that would be a popular Idea.
I have had some discussion about the Tea Party Group and my comparing them to some other groups with rather unsavory reputations. I was sent a mission statement I believe. It was well crafted, probably by a K street Lawyer or marketing person nothing anyone would disagree with. The problem is that words are rather ambiguous. What is the meaning of common sense? The meaning that they imply, but do not say, is balance the budget first. No stimulus packages.
I question that as being common sense. That was Hoover’s method to deal with the great recession which made it worse. Roosevelt came in and was convinced to change strategy. Then three years later he went back to the balance the budget strategy and things started to get worse again. So we know how that works. Should we try that again in this situation, I don’t think that it would be considered common sense.
The budget should be balanced that is a goal, not an immediate necessity. It was balanced about nine years ago. Things were humming then, massive tax cuts two wars and lax enforcement of financial oversight and responsibility along with a belief that the market was self regulating destroyed the financial underpinning of the US and probably the whole world.
It has been said that the market with out the restrictions of morality would devour everything then devour itself. Corporations have no morality and when their leadership has none only greed that is the end resort.
To that end, Government must control Corporations and a puny government is not sufficient, it must be more robust than the Corporations or it, and us will lose.
Along those lines a home owner that budgets for a new roof and when it is installed comes home and finds that the furnace is out and the pipes have froze, could shut off the water, have the family use the bathroom at the gas station two miles away and save until he can get a new furnace and pay for new plumbing or he can borrow the money for the repairs. I would think borrowing for repairs would be common sense others might say no, he could save up for the repairs in a year or two.
Jesse Nix
Emily, MN
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Breezy Point Crabapple CampaignLetter to the Editor
Dear Residents of Breezy Point,
Just a reminder…please place your crabapple tree order soon. There is a sign-up sheet at City Hall for those who would like to participate. Please sign and pay for the number of trees you would like. Delivery is anticipated sometime in April.
I am inviting all residents and businesses to take part in this year’s Campaign and continue the demonstration of community spirit by planting more trees this year. The Crabapple tree(s) you order could adorn your yard or business site or be donated to the City for public spaces.
I will be placing the order with the nursery soon. The cost again this year is $25.00 for a two-year-old, bare root Red Splendor crabapple tree.
Please participate in the Crabapple Campaign 2010 and show the Crabapple tree is indeed our official city tree!
Wini Kristufek
Crabapple Campaign Organizer
Breezy Point, MN
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“Joey’s Law” Aimed at Reducing Drunk DrivingState Rep. John Ward introduced legislation on March 3, 2010 designed to strengthen how drivers who have been convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) are monitored.
“Joey’s Law”, named in honor of Joey Jordan, a young man from Rep. Ward’s district who was killed by a drunk driver, would create a pilot project in Crow Wing County that would judge the success of monitoring volunteer DUI offenders through ignition interlock devices, secure continuous remote alcohol monitor (SCRAM), a portable breath test (PBT) device or other methods approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety.
If enacted, the commissioner would be required to submit two annual reports (2012 and 2013) to the state legislature that evaluate the successes and failures of the pilot project, provide information on recidivism rates and make recommendations on continuing the project.
“The family of Joey Jordan will never get over the tragedy of losing their son,” said Ward. “While Joey can never be brought back, we can honor his death by passing this law that could help prevent similar tragedies in the future.”
The costs associated with this enhanced monitoring will be paid by the DUI offender, according to Ward. It is expected some may choose this path instead of the typical home monitoring or complete loss of driving privileges.
The bill was passed with bipartisan support and referred to the Public Safety Finance Division.
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Leave No One BehindLetter to the Editor
If you're trained as a Marine, or admire what the Marine Corps stands for, you're a liberal.
When us white people began invading this continent, and started sticking flags into native people’s front yards, declaring the land as our own, or “In the Name of Germany / England / Spain / France / Portugal / etc.”, many of the ‘locals’ became ‘insurgents‘, and resisted our efforts to bring peace, democracy, and a bitter way of life to them.
I guess we could be called the worst of the invasive species.
We were puzzled, however, to discover that within some of these tribes, the chief was sometimes the poorest man in the village. We wondered why they weren't wealthy, like our leaders.
(The Dakota people called us "wasichu", meaning "takes the fat". The Ojibwe called us chimookemon, meaning “long knives“. I‘m not sure of the spelling: I‘ve seen it spelled various ways. When I was growing up in Cloquet, the Fond du Lac Reservation was west of town. Cloquet is actually built on the Reservation, but I suppose someone planted a flag sometime and it became ours, in spite of any dumb ol‘ treaty. I remember hearing some of the Indians I went to school with would sometimes quietly call some of us “chimooks“, but I didn‘t know what that meant then. Anyway...)
It turns out that leadership was considered not a way to fill your pockets, but a responsibility to all members of the village. If someone needed clothing or food, the chief felt it his duty to help them, even if it meant giving his own away.
When they had to move, the weak or sick weren't left to try to keep up on their own: they helped and took care of each other.
And this is where the Marines come in. They don't leave their wounded behind, not even their dead. They risk their own wellbeing for their fellow soldier.
This is some of the philosophy behind the so-called tax and spend liberals: leave no one behind. It's part of the idea behind singlepayer, universal healthcare.
Those high 'liberal' taxes aren't intended to line pockets of CEO's or sit-at-home investors. They're meant for programs such as WIC and food stamp programs, child care assistance, social security, Medicare.
And in reality the only time in the past 30 years we didn't have a budget deficit was during Clinton, a liberal president. Reagan, Bush Sr., and Bush Jr. all ran huge deficits: true borrow and spend conservatives!
That's why I'm so disappointed in our own Chief Pawlenty. His plan to balance Minnesota's budget involves assistance cuts for those poorest and weakest among us, and tax cuts for wealthy corporations. Hurt the poor, help the rich, under the guise of "provide jobs". Certainly not a Marine ethic of leaving no one behind.
A. Martin
Merrifield, MN
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BereavementLetter to the Editor
Recently I was asked if I could share some of my experiences and thoughts on bereavement.
I was privileged to attend last month's Bereavement group. I shared thoughts and ideas I've learned from 25 years as a Hospice nurse. I believe it is never too late to grieve the loss of a loved one.
I shared that it's ok to feel angry and sad and even happy again after the loss of a loved one. I shared some of my own grief experiences, which was a little scary since I didn't know everyone in the group. Then I asked if I could come down from my speaker's spot and be a part of the group. I then joined the group and listened as they shared their grief experiences and ways they are coping.This group of people gather to share their stories, their feelings and to listen to and comfort one another. I know it can be difficult to reach out for help when you're hurting but it's ok to reach out. I stressed how important it is to take care of yourself. Each person I shared with that day was grieving the loss of a loved one.
I think coming to the Bereavement group has given them a safe,accepting and caring place to come to in the process of caring for themselves after the loss of their loved ones.
Mary Klein
Hospice Nurse
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House Passes Solution to Care for Letter to the Editor Poor, save Taxpayer DollarsLetter to the Editor
The Minnesota House passed compassionate, common sense legislation February 18, 2010 to provide health care to the poorest and sickest Minnesotans who will soon lose their coverage under General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) as a result of the Governor’s veto. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support, on a vote of 125-9.
State Rep. John Ward said the solution passed today creates a temporary, low-cost, reformed GAMC. It will cover 85,000 Minnesotans over the 16 months, most of whom make under $3,000 a year, including 8,000 veterans. Eighty percent of this population suffer from mental illness, chemical dependency, or other chronic diseases.
“If we did this for these people alone, it would still be worth it,” said Ward. "What we are also getting with this bill, however, is more money for our local hospital than the Governor’s plan, and a huge savings for taxpayers.”
St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd will get nearly $2 million over the next 16 months under this plan, compared to $437,000 under the Governor’s plan. The House bill is also $200 million cheaper for taxpayers than what the Governor has proposed.
Rep. Ward said that in light of the state’s ongoing budget deficits, this legislation also includes cost saving reform measures, something the Governor said would be required before he could sign the bill.
“Under the original GAMC, the state paid $817 each month for every person enrolled in GAMC, and the Governor’s proposal to auto-enroll these folks in MinnesotaCare would cost the state $937 per person every month,” said Ward. “Our bill costs $457 per person each month – a significant savings.”
The solution came after months of work by members of the House, and has the support of hospitals, providers, members of the faith community and citizens.
“Minnesotans expect us to solve serious problems,” said Ward. “I’m proud to vote for this GAMC fix, and believe it meets our goal of providing basic care for sick Minnesotans, while at the same time saving taxpayer dollars.”
From the Office of State Representative John Ward
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Our health-care system is brokenLetter to the Editor
The Documentary “Under Our Skin” exposes the politics and conflicts of interest among researchers, insurance companies, and “”Big Pharma.” It exposes the horror of an illness that too long has been ignored. We learned that it is the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed diseases of our time - “Chronic lyme disease exists – treatments don’t.” Like its genetic cousin, the “great imitator” syphilis, it mimics other illnesses, including chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, ALS, Alzheimer’s and autism. It can be trasmitted from mother to child in utero, and sexual transmission has not been ruled out. Lyme physicians who successfully treat patients with “unproven” protocols are threatened with sanctions by state medical boards. Charles Ray Jones, MD, the leading Lyme-literate pediatrician in the U.S. has treated more than 10,000 Lyme patients, 300 of who contracted Lyme in the womb, and at least 35 who acquired the disease through breast milk. At age 79, Dr. Jones has been in legal proceeding for 2 years. The Connecticut Medical Board found him guilty of diagnosing Lyme and prescribing antibiotics over the phone.
Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville and Rep. John Ward, DFLBrainerd, have enacted legislation giving legal protection to doctors who prescribe long-time therapy for chronic Lyme disease. The only thing standing in the way of Minnesota doctors treating Minnesotans who have Lyme disease with this course of treatment is the State Board of Medical Practice. Joining the opposition to the bill was the Minnesota Medical Ass’n, representing the states doctors. This confusion prevents proper treatment and covers up the fact that Lyme Disease is not only epidemic, but pandemic.
Members of the Minnesota Medical Association have a professional- responsibility to view – to learn the facts. I’ve watched the entire 105 minutes – eight times - have purchased 3 DVD’s to loan with friends who share my concerns. DVD’s are available for $40.25 (includes a 30 page Discussion Guide) at Open Eye Pictures - 415-332-3266. “Under Our Skin” needs to be “on-thetable” in the health-care debate.
Dr. Bob Uppgaard
Pequot Lakes, MN
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Thoughts on Jesse’s Latest DiatribeLetter to the Editor
I found it interesting that Jesse Nix would celebrate Ronald Regan’s birthday and the one year anniversary of the sure cure stimulus stunt with one of Jesse’s patented Rambling rants ranging from Mr. Nix’s shotgun opinion that there are similarities between people who are opposed to repressive taxes and KKK members and, of course, Nazis.
Although Jesse doesn’t explain exactly what those similarities might be, he does let fly with a salacious salvo against people he knows who “espouse many contradictions such as being pro-war and pro death penalty and anti abortion.”
In one of Jesse’s rare, logical moments, he admits that abortion is killing and that “most of those who have been in serious conflict are antiwar.”
While fulfilling my six year military obligation , I was never in mortal danger, yet, I too am antiwar and I have never met anyone who was not “antiwar”. But then again, I don’t spend a great deal of time with those “fellow Christians” in Emily, MN.
As Jesse rambles on he narrows his disdain for people who expect to be treated honestly by their elected officials down a little by singling out Mr. Grover Norquist whom Jesse tells us is ”the head of club for growth and several other anti-tax groups is a leader and I suspect that you will find several others of his kind that form these groups get people stirred up with seditious rhetoric. They start movements and collect expenses for running them, that leave them quite well off, and drain the nation of vitality.
Jesse fails to mention that Mr. Norquist is also the author of the insightful book “Leave us alone, Getting the Government’s hands off our money, Our Guns, Our Lives” as information, Mr Norquist also is on the Board of Directors of the NRA. And for that alone I greatly admire him.
Now how Jesse doesn’t tell us how “quite well off” Mr. Norquist has become but I would not be surprised to learn that Mr. Norquist’s net worth is somewhere in the neighborhood of all those high ranking DFL officials. We’ll probably never know for sure.
Like just about every other Jesse Manifesto, Mr. Nix waxes philosophical:,” They really don’t address the root causes of the problems, which are social injustices. Things like not paying fair wages, that too is stealing, even if it is the wage contracted for. The bible says that a man is worthy of his hire which means that he should make enough to pay for his needs, which include healthcare, his food, his rent or house payment, and his taxes. Enough so that he can get to work and to provide for him when he is old.” That sounds good but it’s a double edged sword. Accepting payment for merchandise not delivered or for services not rendered (featherbedding) is also stealing and should be punishable by imprisonment (but not the death penalty inside the Emily City limits.)
Stephen A. Busch
Pequot Lakes, MN
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