Jun 12, 2024
Have you ever picked up a grasshopper and had it “spit tobacco” on your finger? It usually was not actually tobacco, but it could be as they eat plant leaves and tobacco is a favorite. The spitting is a defense mechanism they use when feeling threatened as in being picked up. The brown liquid is a...
Jun 5, 2024
Seemed simple enough at the time, we’d take a couple of lawn chairs down to the shore of Lake Pepin and if some boats were out we’d watch them. We took books and if the boats weren’t out we’d read the books.
But as we settled in, I was immediately cast back to the Sunday in lllinois in July when...
Jun 5, 2024
Pat did not fall out of the golf cart gracefully, but who does? He did a hard face plant, then instinctively, to save himself, he desperately reached out and managed to snag the moving cart with one hand. After being dragged a short distance, he was forced to release his grip. But he continued...
Jun 5, 2024
It’s the time of year when cottonwood trees are shedding their seeds. With their tuft of cotton, they quietly drift in the wind. Each tiny seed must find its way to bare soil and sprout quickly, before the seed dries out. You see cottonwood seeds are born naked. They haven’t got a coat for...
May 29, 2024
The end of another school year is here. For some it is exciting to think about a whole summer stretched out in front of them, for others, like me, the end of the school year is bittersweet. I love serving students, staff and families. A busy school makes my heart happy! Thankfully, there are...
May 29, 2024
After much reflection and discussion with my family, friends, and advisors, I have decided not to seek a third term as the mayor of our beloved town.
Serving as your mayor for the past almost eight years has been one of the most fulfilling and humbling experiences of my life. The trust and...
May 29, 2024
Murphy’s Law cannot be proven or disproven. It simply states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” And Finagles law adds, “At the worst possible time in the worst possible way.” We all have experienced things going awry. I had a nasty taste of “This can’t be happening” just recently. I took...
May 29, 2024
The Fishing Opener is a special time in Minnesota. Marking the close of colder months with sunshine and open waters, it’s the unofficial start of summer – a weekend I always look forward to. And this year’s Fishing Opener celebration was a standout.
While conditions can be unpredictable, this year...
May 29, 2024
The Memorial Day 2024 city celebration offered all in attendance a reminder of the many attributes that are part of our country and community.
Each facet of the program was meaningful as it involved community organization efforts and collaboration, diverse age and talent participation,whether...
May 22, 2024
When the English three-speed touring bicycle group came through Lake City this year we were prepared.
The group was formed almost twenty years ago when two friends (after a pint or two) decided to ride the Lake Pepin circuit from Red Wing to Wisconsin and back up from Wabasha. The group has...