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Letters to the Editor

Readers’ Views

A meal for everyone To the Editor: The Christian Church of Fairmont is once again serving a complete Christmas dinner on Christmas Day as a gift to the community and surrounding area. Christmas is universally celebrated as a time of gift giving, in which people of all walks of life emulate God’s giving of his Son to redeem all mankind. It is in this spirit of giving that the Christian Church invites you to come together with others of like mind to celebrate Jesus ... God’s gift to us ... over a delicious meal and good fellowship with other believers. This free meal is more ...

Readers’ Views

Thanks for the help To the Editor: I would like to acknowledge the Martin County Sentence To Serve program; its supervisors, Kyle Redenius and John McDonald; and the workers for the work they do in our community. Specifically, the crew that did a thorough job cleaning up the grounds of the Pioneer Museum when contacted for help this fall. I appreciate what they have done. Lenny Tvedten executive director Martin County Historical Society We didn’t vote on this To the Editor: So, the latest Fairmont rec center proposal is $20 million (down from the “Santa Claus” $41 ...

Readers’ Views

Time for referendum To the Editor: Recently, it was announced there could be a 6.5 percent property tax increase in Fairmont to support a new community center. This would be in addition to the half-cent sales tax increase already implemented. If this is true, then I suggest the city of Fairmont hold a referendum on the building of a community center. The “vote” that supporters of the project are banking on was a predominantly internet survey. If you know someone who participated in the survey (maybe you did yourself), ask them how many times they “voted.” Many people who do ...

Seeking city’s support

FAIRMONT One year ago, a public meeting on the community center was held at the Opera House. A presentation was given on the status of the project and the public was given the opportunity to ask questions and voice their opinions. Concerns were raised about the cost of the facility, the operating budget, and potential competition with local convention space and fitness centers. Since that time, our committee has taken several steps to attempt to address those concerns. o First, the YMCA has been identified as the entity that will operate the facility. After conducting ...

The season of giving

OWATONNA This season of giving and gratitude continues to inspire me. I am always overwhelmed by the generous contributions from donors to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, our 30 community foundations and to other local non-profits. Nov. 14 was “Give to the Max Day” in Minnesota. This day of giving reminds me how much the residents of Minnesota love where they live, the theme for SMIF’s fundraising campaign. According to GiveMN, this year Minnesota raised $21.6 million on Give to the Max Day, adding to the $240 million given through this day since 2009. Our 30 ...

Readers’ Views

What do you think? To the Editor: If you happen to wander upstairs to the second floor of the excellent Martin County Historical Society on Blue Earth Avenue in Fairmont, you might see something unexpected: A white robe and hood from the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). In the 1920s, the KKK was strong in Martin County. It had more than 3,000 members here. Membership diminished substantially by the end of that decade. Fast forward to 2019. As far as I can surmise, the KKK has not made a resurgence in southern Minnesota. But, surprisingly, a white nationalist is a key adviser to the current ...