Victoria Gazette - Letters to the Editor

Holy Family Catholic High School

Victoria * 952-443-4659

To the Editor:

I went to the Victoria City Council meeting on March 27th as a concerned citizen and had the good fortune to witness, during the Open Forum portion of the meeting, Jim Emmer's passioned appeal to bring the rancor that currently grips the City Council to a peaceful conclusion.

I don't know Mr. Emmer personally, but we both have something in common, that for many, many years we have both lived and raised our families in Victoria.

In my opinion, Mr. Emmer's character is beyond reproach and I think many would agree is recognized as an elder statesman within this community. And I'm acutely aware of the countless hours that he has tirelessly devoted to volunteering to both community and charitable events associated with the City. And along with the generous donation of his personal time, his actions have always been directed at "building up" this community, not tearing it down.

Mr. Emmer's remarks do a splendid job of framing up the issue and appealing to a common sense of decency. Please take a moment to watch the Open Forum part of the video of the March 27th city council meeting on the city's website, www.ci.victoria.mn.us.

Jim, thank you for your selfless service all these years to the City of Victoria and please accept my personal standing ovation for having the courage to step up and deliver a concise and composed message. Very well done.

Gordon Simanton, Victoria, Minnesota

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim's statement appears on page 19 in the paper.

To the Editor:

Hi, Sue. What a gem of a paper! It is the best! Really enjoy your stories from North Dakota. It's a new frontier. Victoria is getting crowded. So many businesses and no place to park.

Kathy Brose, Waconia, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Keep up the good news.

Dr. Kermit Ohlsen, Waconia, Minnesota

To the Editor:

It began in Victoria with the anonymous campaign years ago that touted transparency, yet the cohorts kept it secret for a long time who was filling our mailboxes with accusations. Now one of them is mayor and he has encouraged Victoria constituents to contact him at his personal email address, which has the effect of avoiding the public record. Has he published that for all to see or is that only for select residents?

And I am flabbergasted that at a council meeting he asked our city attorney, "What is city business?" If he does not know what constitutes city business, then I must ask what is he doing as mayor?

Perhaps many of our voting residents had not lived in Victoria long enough to have taken the history of Tom Funk into account during the last election, but I trust they are paying attention now.

Mark Danielson, Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Thanks for a wonderful paper.

Jeanne Millet, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Thank you for all you do to make the Gazette an enjoyable read.

Meredith Kurzhal, Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Hi, Sue. Thank you for all the work you do on the Gazette. It's always a joy to read. Enclosed is a check for two years. Not sure if we paid for last year. We will soon be home so please send the April issue to our Minnesota address. God bless.

Dave and Marlene Speltz, Excelsior, Minnesota

To the Editor:

Enclosed is our subscription renewal check. We certainly enjoy reading the Victoria Gazette, not only for its diversity of stories but also for the way they're written. Thank you for your contributions to this community.

Stan and Jayne Hamerski, Chaska, Minnesota

To the Editor:

You rock, Sue. Keep up this great work!

Greg Kurowski, Victoria, Minnesota