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Readers’ Views

Vote ‘NO’ on Martin Co. West school referendum To the Editor: Martin County West (MCW) School Board has been asked a number of times to sit down with concerned citizens of the district to look at alternative solutions to spending millions on tearing down good buildings and replacing with a new school building. The first thing that should have been done was an impartial third party feasibility study. Instead, the school board hired a company that builds new schools to come in and tell us what was wrong with our present school building and then spent several thousands of further ...

Readers’ Views

Leave a legacy that supports children and education To the Editor: Dear Friends, I am writing to share my thoughts on supporting the referendum to build a new school. A building project will bring excitement to our district. It will attract and will keep young families. They are vital to our communities. They deserve the best we can give them. Maynard and I have been blessed, but have not given a lot to our school. It is our turn! We want to pay it forward. What better legacy can we leave than this? It is our privilege and responsibility to support education within our ...

Readers’ Views

'Tis the Season of signs in Minnesota To the Editor: Come on and show your creativity: Erect a super large sign and say anything you want. Use flashing lights to make sure everyone will see it. For instance, say your neighbor is trying to sell his house and you want to discourage potential buyers and lower the home’s value. It’s easy. Just put up several 4’x8’ signs. One might say you love AR-15 assault rifles. Another might say that your home is guarded by 4 mean pit bulls. Another might say “I love loud heavy metal music.” A swastika could be attractive (not ...

Readers’ Views

Thank you from Heaven’s Table Food Shelf To the Editor: FoodShare Month in Fairmont and Sherburn for Heaven’s Table Food Shelf was a tremendous blessing. Thank you to all who contributed in any way to this annual statewide effort to boost giving to food shelves. During the March campaign, we received $15,383.74 and 14,531.70 pounds of food from our generous neighbors throughout Martin County and beyond. Although we didn’t win the challenge from Watonwan County Food Shelf, this will help our efforts as we head into the summer months when children are home from school and families ...

Readers’ Views

Grateful to Fairmont Knights for hosting auctions To the Editor: People First, a self-advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, would like to thank the Fairmont Knights of Columbus for their hard work and dedication for continually hosting their annual silent/live auction. No matter the amount from this fundraiser for CREST and The Arc Minnesota-People First; the money will be an asset to both organizations. Thank you for continuing to support us in our endeavors to make the lives of people with disabilities a better place in our communities. Pat ...

Readers’ Views

School Funding in Minnesota: An operating levy vs. a referendum To the Editor: In order to understand why the MCW School District has a referendum on the ballot for May 14th, it is important to have a basic understanding of how schools are funded in Minnesota. Some have proposed that MCW asks for an operating levy instead of a referendum, and this editorial will provide more insight as to why that is NOT a financially sound plan. According to the Center for Rural Policy and Development, “although Minnesota’s K-12 schools get their funding from a mix of local, state and federal ...