Opinion

October 23, 2012Richmond, Iowa To the Editor:I moved to Washington County from Texas with my husband seven years ago.Now, Texas politicians have always had a very unsavory reputation, and I was hoping things would be better here in Iowa. But after watching how my friends and neighbors in Richmond have been treated by their county government, I have to say that, except for Supervisor Ron Bennett, I am very, ...

As October continues, I have been watching some of my old favorite movies. You find yourself doing that when the weather starts cooling off. I noticed something. In more modern movies, the equipment being used by the characters had no style.In the past, filmmakers seem to have had some kind of signature piece of equipment that the main character could use. It was something that you didn?t see every day. Usually ...

October 17, 2012Washington, Iowa (To the Editor) Dear Christians, I am so very concerned about the logo and name of our school?s mascot. I?m so glad the school board is considering something different. I keep thinking, ?What would Jesus do? if He returns and finds our children are wearing and shouting the name of the ?devil.?Concerned citizens, would you please let your school board know your feelings. ...

I was opening the back door a few evenings ago when I looked to my left and saw a reptilian eye looking at me. I took in the shape of its head. I took in the length of its body. It was a snake and a good-sized snake ? longer than a yardstick. The largest part of its body was about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. It was only about 2 feet away from my head, hiding behind a downspout and very well camouflaged by the shadow ...

October 16, 2012Brighton, Iowa To the Editor:We have never known a town that was so stuck-up and greedy that they couldn?t help out someone who was in bad need. I think that the town of Brighton needs to stop and look back at how they treat people and small businesses. Not just the town but the people also. They want small businesses to come in, but they will not take the time to help when it is needed. Just ...

My current assortment of roommates is among the worst, and this is coming from a guy who once lived in the University of Iowa dorms.My new roomies are only less of a nuisance than my first, a student UI paired me up with freshman year. He was a Chicagoan, openly expressed a desire to be called ?Dan the Man,? and was like living with an unfunny John Belushi character 24/7. Like Dan, my new roommates laze around ...

To the editor:The debate in the Legislatureright now is hot and heavy about theright for a person to defend themselveswithin their home. Thatshould not even be debated.We are given naturally, theinstinct of protecting ourselves,with the added power of the adrenalinehormone that kicks in instantlywhen threatened.Over the years I have taught twodifferent ladies to become proficientwith handguns so they ...

October 15, 2012Richmond, Iowa To the Editor:On Oct. 18, less than three weeks before an election which is likely to change the character of our county government, the majority of our present county supervisors will be holding a public hearing in a desperate attempt to rush the county into a completely unnecessary multimillion-dollar sewer project for the village or Richmond. They want to amend their agreement...

This morning finds me planting Iowa Adapted Pecans into pots placed within a cage designed to keep out rabbits, and located such that squirrels are less likely to find it. Doing so requires creating a hole in the mulch, placing five gallon plastic pots, and then filling them with good black dirt. The pecans are then placed in the dirt and buried, and the pots themselves then mulched.On the flip side of this, ...

October 8, 2012Richmond, Iowa To the Editor:With all that is being said and written about the upcoming election on Nov. 6, it is easy to forget that Washington County?s board of supervisors is very likely to undergo something resembling a complete makeover.Therefore, citizens should be aware that a majority of our present county supervisors are engaged in a desperate and destructive attempt to subvert the ...

September 17, 2012Washington, Iowaand Egg Harbor, Wisconsin To the Editor:I was saddened when reading Steve Anderson?s article titled ?Tracks and Tales: Lessons Learned During My First 2012 Dove Hunting Experience? which I found in the Evening Journal?s Sept. 12, 2012, issue. He said it was ?in search of harvesting the No. 1 game bird in North America ? keying our efforts on habitats that attract them.?How ...

I mean ?Fall? as in the season, not as in plummet. That would be a very short article: ?Splat.? Also would be kind of a depressing one.I suppose I could have said ?Autumn? instead, but really, who uses that word on a regular basis? (And why does this season have two names anyway? The standard answer is that the leaves fall in Fall, but once you start to think about it, it makes less sense. In winter, the snows ...