Imagine being a kid in a small town in Minnesota who, more than anything, wants to dive into the city pool with their friends to escape the summer heat — but their family cannot afford the pool pass. This very situation is what prompted the Wabasha Kellogg Area Community Foundation (WKACF) to start offering free pool passes for all area youth.

To the Editor:
Favoritism: The favoring of one person or group over others with equal claims.
Cronyism: The practice of favoring one’s close friends, especially in political appointments.
Nepotism: Patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics.

Next Tuesday the United States celebrates its 247th birthday. It was on July 4, 1776, that the second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence declaring, the United States of America.

Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend some good organizations or websites for locating interesting volunteer opportunities? I’ve been doing some volunteer work since I retired last year, but most of the jobs I’ve tried haven’t been very fun or satisfying.
Retired Volunteer
Dear Retired,

When my daughter was three years old, she asked me if she could do something. “You’ll have to wait until your get bigger,” I told her. She paused for a moment, looked me in the eye and said, “Tomorrow I will be bigger.”

This spring in Kasson, one of the busiest businesses was Houston’s greenhouse. But they aren’t unique. People that live in an area where a good portion of the year is spent in snow and cold, are very eager to frequent any place that has a stock of green and growing things, and especially flowers.
Greenhouses are the destination of thousands if not millions of patrons each spring. But the question is, why?