Viewpoints

... enough already with the wind!
I knew someone who lived in a couple of those states in the west, east of the mountains, where wind was pretty much always a factor. She said that whenever there was a tragedy, such as the suicide of the high school athlete and honor student, or when a model husband and father suddenly killed his wife and child before taking his own life, someone would almost certainly offer the excuse of “it’s the wind!”
Maybe it was!

Remembrance of Mothers
They come in all shapes and sizes, all temperaments and styles. They mold us before we were born, they shape us during our formative years, and they still mold us today, even if they are no longer around. They are mother, mom, ma, mommy! They are our own mother!  And sometimes all we can do is kneel in awe and wonder beside their love, a mother’s tremendous love for her family.

To the Editor:
I am grateful to the Allamakee County dairy community and particularly the Ehrhardt family for the honor of the “Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award” that was given to me at the Allamakee Dairy Banquet in March. The award is particularly meaningful to me because it honors the life of Sandra Ehrhardt, a family friend, 4-H leader, and an innovative and enthusiastic dairywoman. I am also grateful to Mark, Monica, Melissa, and Samantha for this special remembrance of your wife and mother.

To the Editor:

... some day-after-Easter thoughts.
Churches were crowded Easter Sunday. And the crowd, from my observation, was different. There were more dressed-up people than can be seen in a month of Sundays.
I did not notice any Easter bonnets, but there were more dresses and skirts and dress slacks than at any other Sunday of the year. Christmas also draws huge crowds of better dressed folks, but the weather at that time of the year is not as favorable for dressing well.
Absent for the most part were the more customary blue jeans and cargo pants, and, summer time, shorts.

“... The winter is passed, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth: the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” - Song of Solomon 2:11,12.

To the Editor:

To the Editor:
Prom Night... means different things to different people. To the students, it’s a chance to dress formally, enjoy time with friends, and stay out all night.
To a parent, there is always a concern to keep the students safe on this special night.
For many years now, our community has done just that with a safe, substance-free, post-prom celebration for all Waukon High School students and guests.

To the Editor:

As we enter into the final weeks of this year’s Legislative session, I wanted to give you an update on the work of the Rural Caucus. We’ve been meeting weekly since January to discuss issues I hold near and dear to me, ways to improve rural Iowa and specifically ways to reduce nutrient pollution in Iowa’s rivers and lakes.
It is my hope that in these final weeks, when the Legislature is working on next year’s state budget, that we will continue to fund Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy.  Progress has been made, but a lot of work is still to be done.