‘Commentary’ Archives
Fishing Trip
by Peter Molenaar It is good for an inland worker to visit big water from time to time. My father and I are just now returned from fishing Lake of the Woods in northernmost Minnesota. The curvature of the horizon is discernable to the eye there. So, thank you Smith Foundry for letting me go. As I was not pressed to engage the machine, the promising sunrise then lingered. The inlet bay of our camp offered a calm cold mist among the green cattails. But the big water answered with wind and waves. Several flotillas of cabin cruisers located the walleye far from shore. But we with our smallish boat opted to troll the shoreline for northern pike or maybe a musky. We had paid a high price for a day”'s worth of frustration when, wop, “FISH ON!” I shouted. It made one glorious straight up leap-- “YEOW! It”'s a bass!” Such an extraordinarily handsome specimen of a smallmouth bass it was. I gently removed the [...]
Letter to the editor
Dear Editor, Has the electoral process withered while our legislators balked at compromise? The resignation of Senator Linda Berglin opens a seat to be filled by a special election. The first campaign candidates”' forum at the Mercado Central August 26 brought up some traditional and newfound issues. The citizens of Senate District 61 will decide by their votes which way to turn as we come to this fork in the road. Are the Minnesota legislators to remain in their traditional role of part-time service to the common good? Or are we headed on the path toward professional career politicians using the legislative process as a staging platform by which to create their next higher opportunity? Infotainment has become a business.” Take a look and ask the questions. Are media staff persons really jackals, as Governor Jesse Ventura liked to say? “Is politics as usual ”really dead and buried? Has governor Pawlenty”'s “no [...]
