Opinion

Congratulations to the Fairfield Hy-Vee Store and The Garden Restaurant for being the first to become designated as a Blue Zones Grocery and Blue Zones Restaurant. Each of these businesses went through the necessary steps to achieve designation by presenting healthy food options to their customers. This is just the beginning of many community-wide initiatives that will help build a wellness culture in our ...

I currently work part-time for the Iowa Cancer Consortium (ICC) and serve as a board member for the Iowa American Cancer Society (ACS). I would like to bring a few points to your attention and to that of your readers concerning the fight against cancer and lung cancer in particular.Do you know how hard it is to quit smoking? Most smokers try multiple times before they are successful. Thanks to prevention ...

The Hawk Eye, June 28Iowa proud: Supreme Court rulings show the Hawkeye State is doing things right. Iowans can be forgiven for feeling a little smug following major U.S. Supreme Court rulings this week.In both the Voting Rights Act and Defense of Marriage Act rulings, the court majority affirmed our state is on the right side of history and interested in treating its citizens fairly and equally.First, the ...

Last week, I put my youngest daughter, Sage, on a plane bound for Anaheim, California where she competed at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference. The way I carried on about it, she might as well have been flying to Timbuktu unaccompanied. She graduated June 2. I shed only a few tears. She turned 18 on June 19. I made it through that relatively unscathed, as well. So the total ...

To the editor:After reading the article entitled ?Videos entice workers, business owners to move to Fairfield? from the Wednesday, May 29, 2013, issue of The Ledger, I became a bit concerned about the paragraph noting a pay raise for City Administrator Kevin Flanagan. Something tells me there should have been a completely separate article regarding the $5,000 pay raise and additional week of vacation.That type ...

I?m writing in regards to statements made by Jack Eddy and others regarding recent city employee pay raises.Jack and I spoke the same day his letter-to-the-editor was printed and discussed several city issues. He was kind enough to say that he doesn?t believe the council members are of below-average intelligence (thanks, Jack); he just fears that we?re being led around by our administration.I?d like to share ...

The citizens of Fairfield have taken on several ambitious projects through the years.We have found creative ways to build extraordinary amenities for a city our size. Our library, indoor pool, downtown streetscape, trails, and civic center all attest to the spirit and confidence of our community and make Fairfield an increasingly attractive place to live.As we move ahead with our latest venture?the outdoor pool ...

To the editor:Iowa?s Legislative Assembly ran a few weeks long this year. However, on the last day of the session, House File 640 passed. This important law benefits every Iowan?s pocketbook, while bolstering opportunities for Iowa farmers and businesses.This legislation guarantees the long-standing practice of blending biofuel products locally. Fuel distributors and retailers championed efforts to pass the new ...

To the editor:A free people will not survive unless they stay strong. Freedom comes through strength. It was the philosophy of our Founding Fathers that this nation would forever be blessed with freedom and prosperity if our nation remained a virtuous and adequately armed nation.This nation leaped ahead of all others in the short time span of just over 230 years, thanks to our Founding Fathers, the Constitution ...

My month of May.This month seems to go forever ? spring is in full force with flowers blooming, gardeners gardening, crops being planted ... well most years at least ... the school year winds down, and a three-day weekend/holiday near the end of May entices us to be outdoors.In my world, May 3 was a joyous day. My first grandchild was born, Colin Vance, son of my one son and his wife, only an hour?s drive ...

To the editor:My mother, Thelma Ridlinger, called me this morning (March 30) to inform me that Denny Kemp had passed away.Denny graduated from Fairfield High School, Class of 1959. Most of us knew Denny from the FHS band and the 34th Division National Guard Band. His mother, Louise, and father, Warren, a dentist, also lived in Fairfield.Denny was a talented trumpet player and played high school football. Some ...

To the editor:I?ve noticed yards around Fairfield are looking good!The RAGBRAI bikers coming to Fairfield July 26 will about double the size of Fairfield and in that group could be potential business people looking to invest or conduct other business which could help our community. They will ride down many streets, not just Main and Burlington.If you take pride in Fairfield, and in your home and yard, this is ...