Opinions

I Was Thinking... Everybody Knows Your Name

If you were a fan of “Cheers” you know that when Norm would walk in everyone would respond with “Hey, Norm.” Norm Peterson knew when he walked in, his presence would be recognized by everyone calling out his name. He was also famous for his one line come backs when questioned about his life. “...

Renewable projects key to achieving energy demands, goals

Americans’ (and Minnesotans’) demand for electric energy has grown dramatically in recent years, from ‘simply’ powering our homes and businesses, to powering smartphones, electric vehicles, and countless other items we depend on daily. This trend is only accelerating as our lives become more...

Concern for our neighbors

A story on the front page of this week’s DCI touches on two areas that although different, do share a connection. At Kasson-Mantorville High School Lori Pagel teachers a Community Action Class. The purpose of the class is to connect students to the topics and issues that resonate with them and...

I Was Thinking... Connections

Recently at church, our minister gave us an exercise to take home with us for the week. Each member was to select a piece of paper with a word on it from a plate that was passed around. If we didn’t like the word, we could put it back and get another one. But the plan was that we were to put that...

Sacrifice can be meaningful

In times gone by, the central act of worship was the sacrifice of a living thing. The Biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy describe in detail what was to be sacrificed, at what time, in what manner. Surrendering a valuable animal, or a portion of what was grown in the fields was an...

New beginnings at South Central

I make it a tradition to start my New Year with a New Year’s Day run. The requirements are only that a minimum of one mile must be completed, and it must be outside despite the weather. There are some years where this is easier than others, due mostly to wind chills, but I find it starts my year...

Remembering a beloved teacher

The Triton community was saddened this week with word of the passing of longtime Triton teacher Craig Anderson. I first met him shortly after I started writing for the old West Concord Enterprise in 2013. A big part of the newspaper’s coverage involved Triton schools and the Music Department...

Glad to live in Minnesota but don’t be complacent

It’s true the last two weeks of Minnesota weather have not been the best. In the days before Christmas we had blizzard conditions and very high winds throughout much of the state. Then the New Year brought another round of heavy snow to much of Minnesota while here in the southeastern part of the...

I Was Thinking... Be Not Afraid

On a recent Sunday, the sermon theme was “Be Not Afraid.” Our pastor said it is stated 365 times in the Bible. That means there is one for every day of the year. That got me thinking. I know, in church, during the sermon, you should be paying attention to what is being said and not let your mind...

Good questions, thoughtful answers are important

As we in the church continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus, (at least up to Epiphany), and the rest of the world, at least in merchandising, was setting out Valentine things during the week of December 24th, I was thinking about how precious it is to be able to connect with those we love during...