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Letters to the Editor

Supporting local foods

OWATONNA This time of year, the farmers markets are rich with local vegetables, berries, meats, breads and jams. It’s a visual testament to the abundance of our region and the ever-growing local foods economy that is sustained by consumers who want to buy directly from area farmers. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, we have been supporting the local foods economy in our 20-county region through a variety of initiatives over the years. In 2013, the FEAST! Local Foods Network was launched with the purpose of supporting local food producers and food-makers by boosting ...

Readers’ Views

Thank you, golfers and sponsors To the Editor: Rose Lake Golf Club and the Susan G. Komen Foundation would like to thank all the golfers, volunteers and sponsors of our 12th Annual Rally for the Cure Golf Outing. I would like to personally thank all of our members who, besides all their other support, loaned their carts to golfers for this great event. One hundred twenty-four golfers participated in the event on Aug. 1. The golfers combined with the sponsors of this event brought our total this year to $6,333, bringing the combined 12-year total to more than $79,953. Your ...

Readers’ Views

Office acted diligently To the Editor: On July 29, the Martin County Attorney’s Office obtained a conviction of Tyler Richard Byers on the felony charge of criminal vehicular homicide stemming from the tragic death of Myra Guzman. Our office wishes to clear up some misconceptions about the plea agreement that was reached in that case. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mr. Byers received a stayed prison sentence of 72 months, as well as a six-month jail sanction. As part of that agreement, Mr. Byers was placed on probation for a period of 15 years, supervised by an agent from the ...

Readers’ Views

Get citizens approval To the Editor: Community center or recreation center? The increased sales tax of 6.26 percent approved by Fairmont citizens in 2016 was to support “trails, recreational amenities and/or a community center.” It did not specify an elaborate and expensive ($24.7 million) recreation center managed by the YMCA. Polls taken by the Sentinel and other indicate the majority of Fairmont citizens do not favor a costly facility that is primarily a recreation center. They would undoubtedly approve a smaller, less costly community center that includes meeting rooms, ...

A lack of punishment

To the Editor: The front page headline — “Fatal crash case: Driver gets 6 months” — in the Sentinel on Thursday disturbed me greatly. Six months? Drinking (and getting high) and driving isn’t very wrong in Martin County. Public service announcements we see state that drinking and driving are enforced in our state, and when a life is involved and lost, people will do some serious time. Not in Martin County. My mouth is still agape in befuddlement as I re-read the article. A beautiful young woman is dead, and two little children no longer have a mother. The driver did a ...

Readers’ Views

Some clarifications To the Editor: The crisis that had taken over the Fairmont City Council has been resolved, and its members are moving on. I am thankful for the decisions that were made, but do want to clarify a few statements that were made by me and others. First, it was stated that I had been recruited to speak at the council meeting. I want to make it clear that there was NO recruitment. No one at City Hall, no council member, not any group or individual ever contacted me or asked me to speak. I attended the meeting because a letter to the editor suggested that anyone who ...