Viewpoints

To the Editor:

It’s been quite some time since I wrote a letter to the newspaper. At 94 years old, I don’t write very well. It’s difficult to hold the pen, so here it goes.

I had the privilege of attending the Waukon semifinals football game at the UNI-Dome and it was exciting. Friday, November 20, I watched the game live on tv and I watched other reruns and would watch it again. What a great group of players on both sides. If a player was on the ground, both teams offered a hand in helping them up - great spirit.

I know that most of our players are Christian, and maybe all. I’m sure they know that their great playing ability and talent is given by God but they have to put it to work. They know that Sunday morning belongs to God and their church and that attending church regularly is a must. If they attend church and encourage others to attend, the rest of their lives will be very successful.

Thanksgiving: A Great and God-pleasing Good Work

Thanksgiving is not an official church holiday like Christmas or Easter. But yet it is a spiritual holiday. After all, who are we thanking? Thanksgiving is not an official church holiday but maybe we should make it a church holiday? We could call it “good works day” since all good works are nothing more than a “thank offering” to God.

Good works are more about who you are than what you do. They are character qualities that come from the heart. St. Paul gives us a good definition of good works when he writes: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23). And a thankful heart is the motivation behind all these fruits.

To the Editor:

Yesterday, I received an email from my brother’s daughter, Holly. It is about her father, Gerald.

I believe that her sentiments express those of so many children of parents who have served our country in uniform. I thought of how happy Gerald would be if he could read what Holly has written about him here. Regrettably, she can’t tell him now; he and Holly’s mother were killed in a car accident several years ago.

The reason I am submitting this in The Standard is that I’m hoping that maybe someone will read this and consider telling a parent how much you appreciate that he or she served our country. If you do, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that they didn’t even think you had noticed.

Here’s part of what Holly wrote:

To the Editor:
On behalf of the Allamakee Democrats, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the election officials who worked together for a fair, safe and smooth election in Allamakee County. This includes the poll workers, many of whom were poll workers for the first time, as well as the experienced poll workers.

These individuals from different communities and different political parties trained together, worked together, put in long hours at the polls and helped make it possible for voters to vote on Election Day.

This year, poll workers had the worries of the coronavirus, yet they gave of themselves and their time.

Voting started long before Election Day. Many voters voted early by mail or in-person at the Auditor’s Office. The staff in the Auditor’s Office increased the ease of voting early. Auditor Denise Beyer commissioned an Auditor’s Drop Box outside the courthouse for safety and convenience. What a tremendous asset.

To the Editor:

I appreciate my fellow Americans voting Joe Biden into office for the next four years as the president of this great country. America will be great again.

When I go to bed at night, I can rest knowing my Social Security, my healthcare, my 401K, etc. will stay intact.

Knowing November 11 was Veterans Day, I would also like to wish all Veterans a happy day, as I am proud to have been one myself.

Paul R. Melsha
Harpers Ferry
 

To the Editor:

With all of the turmoil and unrest in the world today, I wanted to take a moment and recognize an excellent teacher and community member who is making a very positive impact in our school and community, Ms. Sarah Bieber.

As many of you have most likely noticed, anytime there is a community event, whether it be a parade, trunk-or-treat,  community visits, or singing at holiday events, she is there with her students adding to the event and teaching the kids how important it is for them to be involved with positive things in the community.

To the Editor:

Our region is in its greatest fight against coronavirus. We are seeing increased infections, hospitalizations and deaths in our communities. Our staff are strained. Our testing sites have longer lines and higher positivity rates.

We were able to flatten the curve and avoid tragedy last spring and summer with your help. By masking, distancing and hand washing, we protected each other, limited the spread of the virus, and saved lives.

For a variety of reasons, we lost ground. To keep our friends and families healthy and ease the strain on our hospitals, we must rededicate ourselves to following established, proven safety measures. We have done it before. We can do it again.

While it is encouraging to see many of our neighbors and businesses adhering to the safety guidelines, it is greatly disappointing to see those who are not.

To the Editor:

Please take actions now to save the lives of many in our community. Iowa is experiencing a surge of COVID-19 infections, with 800 Iowans hospitalized and cases up 103% in two weeks. Things will likely get much worse. If we take action now, lives will be saved.

Please avoid indoor Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Even small family gatherings with relatives outside your “bubble” can cause COVID-19 spread. Mask, distance, wash hands, and get your flu shot.

If you can, get groceries and restaurant meals curbside, and support our local businesses and essential workers. We are already a COVID-19 red state, meaning there is free spread of the virus in our community.

Warning signs:

To the Editor:

Americans, you need to dust off your Bible. Read Mark 8: verses 36-38.

Virgil Thorstenson
Monona

Since this is my first article in the Waukon Standard in almost 30 years, I thought it would be a good idea if I took a few lines and introduced myself. I arrived to serve the parishioners in Waukon, Hanover and Dorchester on July 13 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This is my eighth assignment in 34 years since my ordination to the priesthood.

I was born in Guttenberg, the youngest of five children. My family moved to a farm near Elkader when I was two years old. I attended St. Joseph Catholic School until it was closed - 1st thru 4th grade; I am a graduate of Central Community High School (Elkader) in 1977, Iowa State University in 1981, and the St. Paul Seminary (Twin Cities) in 1986. My hobbies include the following: bicycling, fishing, flowers, and motorcycling.

On May 24, 1986 I was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque.