Letter to The Editor

The most dangerous place to drive in Minnesota is not the busy interstates and downtowns of the Twin Cities. It's in rural areas. Each year, 70 percent of Minnesota's total traffic fatalities occur on rural roads. Why are rural roads more deadly? Riskier road conditions: two lane roads mean greater risk for head-on collisions and unsafe passing; narrow shoulders and poor lighting at night. 75% of alcohol-related crashes occur outside the Twin Cities. There is a greater risk of a crash due to wildlife on the highway. Drivers have a false sense of security thinking that it is safer on country roads due to lighter traffic. Seat belt use is lower. Each year, 80 percent of the unbelted traffic deaths occur in greater Minnesota, and pickup truck drivers have the lowest seat belt compliance rate. Properly wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger occupants by 45 percent in a car and 60 percent in a light truck. Seat belts are the most effective means of protecting oneself from injury while riding in a vehicle. From April 2-8, there will be enhanced enforcement of seat belt use in rural Minnesota. Remember to buckle up and make sure kids are secured properly and in the proper child passenger safety restraints.

Jessica Schleck
Dodge County Public Health
Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)

Letter to the editor: Wallin Response

Letter to the Editor:
A few comments about Mr. O'Neill’s letter in response to mine about the condition of the Catholic church:

First I'll point out that at least 70% of my letter was quotes of others who know much more about the church and its crimes than most of us do. The rest was my interpretation of other things said mainly on that NPR program.

Of those I quoted, one is a Boston reporter, Resendes, who spent years uncovering the widespread rape of children by numerous priests and bishops in the Boston area and the Church protection of the priests with no concern for the hundreds of child victims.

Another is a lawyer, Garabedian, who has represented hundreds of victims of priestly rape.
Another was Neil Conan the moderator who created the National Public Radio show, Face The Nation, and another is the former governor of Oklahoma, Frank Keating - a Catholic and head of the "Catholic Review Board" formed in 2002 to investigate the crimes of the church.

Governor Keating, in resigning from the board in disgust after only a few months, compared the church with the Mafia and stated the church was a "model of a criminal organization" meaning that Church officials were doing everything they could to block the "independent" investigation. - to cover up until things cool down, until business can be resumed as usual, as it has been for centuries.
Mr. O’Neill questioned my motive for informing him of his church's criminal activities. He should call or write to Neil Conan instead. I'm just a middle man. He should talk to his clergy and demand reform. I think my motivation is about the same as Conan's - to inform in order to protect children. But Mr. O’Neill invented a motive, assigned it to me, and then criticized me for it. He is sure that I want to keep Catholics from going to their church! Not that wouldn't be a bad idea, but truth won't deter the real "faithful.",

Phony explanations and excuses from the clergy allow the faithful to ignore reality, refrain from thinking and ignore crimes - oh - and the welfare of children of course. Mr. O'Neill demonstrates the kind of thinking that the clergy wants him to think. It is good for clergy job security and continued pedophile activities.

I hope that pew people keep going to church. Instead of being the meek sheep they are expected to be, I hope they speak out and demand reform and quit donating to the hush money funds until there is real reform. The concern should be primarily for the children shouldn't it??? - your children, grandchildren and the children of strangers in other towns. Pew people have no power to change anything in the Catholic church other than to complain, withhold funding or to quit.

Why are the scandals not discussed at church services and why don't the pew people ask why this is? Are they afraid of their clergy? Do they think they have no power whatsoever in the way the church is run? Is it the clergy's church or the pew people's church? Looks to me it is the church and secretive club of the clergy who manipulate their faithful for sufficient hush money to remain out of prisons.
Not one fact in my letter was negated or even questioned by Mr. O'Neill. He did ask questions having nothing to do with the primary topic of child abuse. He obviously loves his church enough (most of his letter) to tolerate mass rape of children and the cover ups and to actually pay hush money to victims ($2 billion so far.) Most families of victims only find out decades later if ever.

How many Catholic pew people would be unconcerned enough to allow their child to be alone with a priest? I'd bet not many. What a large amount of hypocrisy and horrendous crimes must be ignored by the deluded faithful. It's not just "a few bad apples." Do you know of a single priest who tried to reform the church which is supposedly so important to him? There will never be any reform without a mass rebellion from pew people and infusion of women in to the priesthood. So it seems very likely that the Catholic Church is likely forever corrupt - as it has been for many centuries.

                Gary Wallin

Mayors Memo-Aquatic Center

As noted in previous Mayor Memos, this newspaper and others, the City will be holding a referendum on April 3 for a new aquatic center.  This project will replace the existing pool (on the same site).  For more information on the project please see the city’s website (www.cityofkasson.com) as there is an informational piece provided along with a link to view the 3D renderings of the project. 

Mark your calendars and plan to attend one of the following open houses: Thursday, March 15 from 6:30 – 8:00PM and/or Saturday, March 17 from 10:00 to 11:30AM.  City Hall will be hosting an Open House encouraging all citizens to come and have their questions answered in regards to the aquatic center project.  Representatives from USAquatics and the Pool Committee will be on hand.  Please plan to join us at City Hall for this exciting opportunity!

As always if you have any questions, comments or
concerns please contact me. 

In your service,
Mayor Tim Tjosaas
mayor@cityofkasson.com

Letter to the editor: Musolf

Letter to The Editor:

On occasion I am compelled to comment on statements I read.  I feel these particular statements are meant to be disrespectful to the former leadership of the fire department in Kasson. I can only guess that previous leaders and their families are deeply insulted by the insinuations made. I am referring to the remark made recently about getting the fire department “back on track.”

We, the taxpayers, paid big bucks for an investigation that yielded no information to support the filing of any formal charges. In my opinion it was a waste of money and created even more discord in the department.  There were accusations of threats and bullying. It was pure he said/he said. And yes, I did read that report.  I expect that it will be said that since I never attended a meeting I am also part of the he said/he said…and that would be true. It’s a good thing the new “code of ethics” wasn’t in place then, some might be in violation of the concept of “honesty. ”

So now the department is free of the “riff-raff”.  (Oh, that’s a statement overheard made by a KFD spouse in public.) I hear the meetings have changed. Don’t speak out at the meetings or you’ll get written up and sent to the city administrator’s office. Gee, this sounds familiar… bullying? Our way or no way? What makes this new “track” any different than the accused “good ‘ole” way of doing things? It sounds the same to me, just different names. The names the city administrator wanted, the city administrator who does not live in our community, the city administrator that has an interesting history with the fire department in the town he does live in, the town he no longer works for.  I do not oppose change. It happens constantly and is necessary in the natural progression of things. This is not about change, it’s about respect. This whole situation can be traced back to a lack of respect by many.

We continue to be friends with current and former firefighters. Recently we were contacted by multiple members who relayed the following incident to us because they absolutely thought it was wrong. Did they voice their disapproval? No. Why? They want to continue to be firefighters. There is a plaque that hangs in the fire hall. It has brass plates engraved with the names/years of service for each firefighter who has served 20 years or more. The current chief’s father retired this past November. His name is on the plaque. There were four other name plates finally engraved, one of which is my husband’s. He retired in April. When given to the current leadership at a recent meeting the chief said that two of them will never go on the plaque. Each one of our volunteer firefighters deserves respect and recognition for the job they perform and the risks taken to protect you and your families. Who do these “leaders” think they are?

Georgiann Musolf