Gerald Messner
Hutchinson

Webster’s dictionary defines integrity as “a firm adherence to a code of moral values; incorruptible.” I define it as my friend who is a candidate for the Hutchinson City Council — Raymond Norton.

I have known Raymond Norton for many years. He exemplifies a man that almost never takes something by its face value, but rather digs into the workings of it before drawing any conclusions.

This in no way implies that he is not a team player. Quite the contrary, he is not only a team player, he is a team leader.

From Harry A. Spannaus
Midland, Texas

I reviewed Mr. Bob Backlund's Opinion comment about the first Hutchinson High School hockey team and while I believe his start date for the hockey team of 1945 was nearly correct, there are several other facts to be known about the so-called “first hockey team.”

From Kate Steinbach
McLeod County American Cancer Society staff partner

On behalf of the American Cancer Society Minnesota Region, I would like to thank McLeod County residents for their commitment to Relay For Life and their outstanding fundraising year. You have exceeded your goal by more than $15,000, bringing us to over $130,000. Outstanding work!

Cheers to our neighbors who caught our dogs and took care of them while we were at work Wednesday morning. The dogs escaped from our house while we were gone and were running loose. Our wonderful neighbors took care of them until we returned.
Jim McClure, Hutchinson

Cheers to McKenzie Ketcher, Erika and Eliza Smith, Shanel and Carlie Goranowski, Nicole and Ashley Haarstad, Ellyssa Hoversten and Emma Johnson for helping me paint the giant U.S. map on the Park Elementary playground. It looks great!
Brian Tillmann, Hutchinson

It’s time for more Minnesotans to become more European about their grocery shopping habits. Yes, it’s OK to bring your own bag to the grocery store and reuse it again and again.

All three of Hutchinson’s grocery stores now sell fabric reusable grocery bags for about $1. There’s no longer the need to ponder whether paper or plastic is the right choice. There is no right choice other than the reusable bag.

The Hutchinson City Council needs to tell McLeod County Auditor Cindy Schultz by mid-September what it intends to collect in taxes from local property owners in 2009. The council and city staff are still scrambling to arrive at that number.

The council on Tuesday re-examined its budget and tax levy projects. It learned action by the Minnesota Legislature last session helped Hutchinson in one way, but hinders it in another.

By Kim Asche, University of Minnesota Extension

We are at the end of summer but there are still a few very warm days in our area. During the warm days it is important to prevent heat-related illness.

The most effective way to manage heat illness is to prevent it. The following guidelines offer simple steps for the prevention of heat related injuries:

• Recognize that any form of physical exertion, not just exercise, can result in heat related problems.

The first sign that not all was well when B & B Sports owner Butch Hausladen arrived at his business Friday morning was the sight of a door wide open on a camper.

Hausladen discovered 20 camper units, including five, customer-owned ones stored there, had been entered sometime overnight and vandalized. B & B is just north of Hutchinson city limits at 20271 State Highway 15.

By David Nicolai, University of Minnesota Extension

Bruce Potter, integrated pest management specialist of southwest Minnesota at Lamberton, reviews the 2008 soybean aphid problem by illustrating several of the core principles of IPM regarding insect control with insecticides which he lists below:

By David Nicolai, University of Minnesota Extension

Roger Stearns’ decision to run for Seat 4 on the Hutchinson City Council wasn’t necessarily a result of his wife, Rachel, telling the 60-year-old retired businessman to get out of the house. But it was pretty close.

“She said, ‘You need a passion,’” the former head of Stearnswood said.

With that, Stearns, who once was the treasurer of the District 423 Board of Education, decided he would run to replace his friend, Kay Peterson, who is not seeking re-election. He made his decision late in the filing period and opted to run in the seven-person race for Seat 4.

The typical SUV or family sedan driver chokes up a bit at the thought of a $60 tank of gas. Now imagine paying $1,100!

That is what it cost truckers to fill up with diesel fuel this summer. They are hit with the triple whammy — large tanks, diesel prices that typically are about 40 cents higher than gasoline, and skyrocketing prices that have only recently retreated a bit.

The rumor swirling around Hutchinson for months is apparently true — Twin Cities-based Best Buy, a leading retailing in consumer electronics and appliances, has its eyes on building a new store here.

Hutchinson Planning, Zoning and Building Director Rebecca Bowers told the Planning Commission last week that plans for a Best Buy store are likely to be on the group’s September meeting agenda.

WILLMAR — Completion of the roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 15 and North High Drive in Hutchinson is scheduled for about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, weather permitting.

The detour will be lifted. Traffic is currently detoured west to School Road, north on McLeod county road 12 to Meeker county road 14, north to Meeker county road 18, and east to Highway 15.

Three weeks from now the Hutchinson City Council has to let McLeod County Auditor Cindy Schulz know how much taxes it intends to collect from property owners in the city in 2009.

That means the council has to have a pretty good idea what the 2009 city budget will be, too. For that reason, the council plans to review the proposed budget during a public hearing at its 5:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday. In preparation for that, council members will take part in a 4 p.m. workshop.

Jerome Doerr, 86, of Stewart, died Friday, Aug. 22, at Burns Manor Nursing Home in Hutchinson.

A funeral service is at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug 25, at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Fernando. Interment is in the church cemetery.

Visitation was from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, at the Hughes Funeral Home in Stewart, and will continue for one hour prior to the service Monday, at the church.

Arrangements with Hughes Funeral Home.

Dorothy (Zila) Sahr, 99, of Hutchinson, died Thursday, Aug. 21, at Trinity Health Care Center in Farmington.

A private family service will be in September at Bohemian National Cemetery in Rich Valley Township, rural Silver Lake.

Memorials are preferred to Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hutchinson.

Arrangements are with Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Online Condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

Warner Heller, 91, of Hutchinson, died Friday, Aug. 22, at Burns Manor Nursing home in Hutchinson.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, with interment in Oakland Cemetery.

Visitation will be at one hour prior to the services Wednesday at church.

Arrangements are with Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

Clarence F. Kline, 80, of Litchfield, died on Monday, Aug. 18, at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the Church of St. John in Darwin with the Rev. Patrick Casey as celebrant.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church. Military honors will be provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. A Knights of Columbus Rosary will be said at church before the service.

Interment will be in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Darwin. Arrangements were by Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home.

It just became easier for busy financial, business and development professionals to forward their ideas to The Governor’s 21st Century Tax Reform Commission.

The commission in now accepting input by email at taxreformfeedback@state.mn.us. Public testimony is also welcome at all meetings of the commission, which will deliver its final report and revenue-neutral recommendations to Gov. Tim Pawlenty by Dec. 1.

Cheers to all the participants, fans, volunteers and sponsors of the 2008 McLeod County Autocross for making the event a success.

AJ Forcier, Jon Christensen, Bill Matthews and the McLeod County Fair Board
Hutchinson

Cheers . . . but Todd Sudheimer’s paid ad of thanks has it all wrong. We, the citizens, should be thanking him for serving for us in Iraq. We would like to say cheers to Todd, for the precious time he spent to preserve our freedoms.

Jon and Norma Schwichtenberg
Hutchinson

From Reba Radtke
Hutchinson

Last week I received a letter from Mr. Obama in which I counted the word “change” 13 times.
The Amplified Bible says in Proverbs 24:21,22: “My son, reverently fear the Lord and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change ... For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the punishment and ruin which both (the Lord and the king) will bring upon the rebellious.”

From Mayor Steve Cook
Hutchinson

After reading a council candidate interview concerned about “micromanagement” at the city, I felt I had to respond.

Admittedly, early on in my term there were a few limited concerns raised, but speaking to the city manager that hasn’t been the case for quite some time. You have to remember that I replaced a long-term mayor with a more hands-off style. I am more analytical and involved by nature. In addition, I was coming in pretty green and I had a lot to learn as I got up to speed on city issues.

From Gene Wilenius
Hutchinson

I am writing with great confidence to talk a little about Ray Norton, one of the candidates for Hutchinson City Council. He is very passionate about Hutchinson and considers us all as his neighbors and has our best interests at heart. His desire is to utilize the knowledge and wisdom he has gained over the years to serve the community with the best of his abilities; to serve with honesty, honor, and integrity.

From Nan Crary
Huchinson

I am a candidate for the open seat for District 3 McLeod County Commissioner because I believe in the value of county services and the positive impact local government can have on our community’s quality of life. For more than 20 years I have served the public through my work in county administration, first in Faribault County and more recently in McLeod County. My campaign theme, “Working Together for Open and Inclusive Government” speaks to the positive results that can be reached when good process is used.

From Mary Christensen
Hutchinson

Wow! Another summer is drawing to an end ... where did it go? You know the falling leaves and school buses will return shortly.

For all those who spent time at our great County Fair, I hope you had a nice time. The weather was super. One will always remember the fair fondly. As a kid growing up here, it was the highlight to the end of another great summer. There is nothing more luring than the smell of the corn dogs and mini doughnuts. They transport your mind back to a simpler time, when the gate admission was 50 cents and the rides were a quarter.

From Dave Norem
Hutchinson

I have noticed with antipathy, sympathy or whatever, the rising price of gas, diesel, food and heating or air conditioning. Maybe we could use the example of Chicago, Ill.: “Vote early. Vote Often.” Why not use that for oil? “Drill now. Drill everywhere.” Oh, that’s right, we’re trying to save Mother Earth at the expense of the middle-class Americans (MCA).

The politicians, bureaucrats and the wealthy (PBW) don’t care if gas is $4, $6, $10 or $12 per gallon. If the middle class can’t buy it, that leaves more for the PBW’s heirs.

Some Hutchinson voters apparently are confused about who they can vote for.

Earlier this week we received a call from Hutchinson City Attorney Marc Sebora, who reported that some City Council candidates fear they might not win some votes because of voters’ confusion over political boundaries. According to Mr. Sebora, some voters have told the candidates they’d like to vote for those candidates, but can’t because they live in the wrong district.

Tim Sepulvado has lived in big cities. He’d rather live in Hutchinson.

The 1992 graduate of Hutchinson High School was one of the first of seven people who got into the race for Seat 4 of the Hutchinson City Council.

“I think this is a great community, a great place to raise kids,” the father of two daughters said.

Serving on the council would provide Sepulvado an opportunity to serve the community he loves.