Viewpoints

To the Editor:
As a tax paying citizen I would encourage all eligible voters to take advantage of their right and have their voice heard in this upcoming election. Legislation has been in place for a long time to allow for absentee voting for those who were unable to vote on election day. As we can see voting absentee has become the way!
I voted on day four of open voting at the Auditor’s Office and believe I was number 545! In addition to the increased workload on the office staff there is a financial cost as well. Postage alone is $2.59/ballot. This does not include the cost for the envelopes,  wages paid for staff to stuff the packets, apply the postage, label and mail. Nor does this include increased wages for the absentee board who will come in on election day to open, scan and report the results.

Dear Sir,
The last telephone conversation we had took place several weeks ago. Something you stated on that particular occasion has been bothering me since. I had asked you basically “When would all of the illegally constructed, resource damaging, ugly plastic wood boardwalks and other obtrusive junk be removed from the ancient landscape of our national monument?”
Your response was such politically correct “government-speak” I was appalled by the message. You stated something to the effect, “...we will have to wait several years for a budget increase to appropriate money to do a trails management draft plan.” Also stating in so many words, “We would have to solicit agency review, tribal input along with public comments.”
Seriously?  After at least four million dollars (that we can track), a decade of criminal waste, fraud and abuse, damage to the cultural and natural resources of the park the agency was placed in charge of, that is the official response?

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

by Rev. Tom Buresh

The first part of this three-part series, printed in the September 24 edition of The Standard, gave an overview of the process the Public Safety Committee has taken to make the recommendation to build a new Public Safety center at the County Farm and to send a $4.9 million bond referendum to the citizens of Allamakee County for a vote in November.
This second part of the series will take a look specifically at federal and state requirements for jail facilities as they relate to the shortcomings of of the current facility and how those same regulations determine the size and space needs of the new facility.

To the Editor:
I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciation for the recognition of our Kewaskum High School football program’s 100th victory during my tenure as head coach.
As I said on our Kewaskum Football Facebook page the day after the game, I’ve been blessed to work with many great kids and families over the past 12 years as head coach and have also had great coaching staffs. We’ve had great support from our community, school and administration. I’ve also had the blessing of a supportive family. This is far from any sort of individual achievement. While the win total is a nice achievement, there are lots of other “victories” we are proud of too.
Your support from afar is very much appreciated.  There is much to be said for the special relationships with your hometown community.

Sincerely,
Jason Piittmann
Kewaskum, WI

by State Represtative Patti Ruff

This is the first in a three-part series.

To the Editor:
I am writing and co-producing a documentary in conjunction with Iowa Public Television titled “West by Orphan Train.” It’s based on my book, Emily’s Story:  The Brave Journey of an Orphan Train Rider. It’s the true life story of my paternal grandmother, who rode an orphan train to Iowa in 1906. I’m on a search for a school photo of my grandmother that would have been taken at Jefferson School #2, (which was also known as “Oak Grove School” and stood in the northeast corner of Section 8 and is now the Freddie Miller farm) between about 1907 and 1909. She was taken in by the Edwin and Mary Kellogg family who were renting a farm in Jefferson Township. Some last names of farm neighbors that lived around them on the 1910 census were Walter, Pettit, Baldwin, and Woodmansee.

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus