The latest threat to federal funding for Minnesota's public schools shows the biases of President Trump's administration, but isn't binding on Minnesota school districts.

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and I’m writing today to celebrate someone who has spent the last four years supporting our students.As an AmeriCorps member with Math Corps, April Iverson has focused on providing Montgomery area students with extra practice and support to improve their math skills. Over the past four years, she has given a total of 3,375 hours to help students succeed!

To the residents and property owners of the City of Montgomery. I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you that were able to attend at least one of the town hall sessions and/or reached out to city council, staff, or myself for additional information or feedback. Most sessions were well attended, residents shared their thoughts and your voices were heard.

Donald J. Trump was sworn in this week very peacefully. I look to four years prior and the opposite was true. To say otherwise would be to lie. These days, I wonder how much lying or searching for a lie plausible enough to believe that many people have been doing.

November brought with it the spirit of gratitude, reflection and anticipation of the holiday season. It is a time when many of us turn our attention to giving. When we think about where to direct our charitable donations and volunteer efforts, I believe we should first consider the places where we live, work and raise our families: our local communities.

This weekend was my first stop in Minneapolis. I had been around the fringes of the cities a few times, but this was my first time smack in the center.
    As far as traffic goes, I would rank it better than Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

For those of you who are not a part of social media, you may have had a quieter election season among friends. It’s possible perhaps that you even lost a few within your circle or that they associate differently with you now — whether quietly or known.

The first column I wrote in Montgomery was a year ago, around the three-year anniversary of moving to Minnesota.
The fourth year snuck up on me, which I suppose means I’m having a good time.
Indeed, I was unhappy a year ago. While moving to Minnesota was not a joyous occasion, moving to southern Minnesota from the West Central area was much worse. I had established a life in Benson, was putting down roots, and suddenly had to pull them up again.

This past week I saw a literature piece that I assume was sent to almost all households in Lanesburg Township. It was a hit piece about candidate Liz Krocak who is running for a county board seat. The authors of this mailing did not have the courage to sign their names,  which tells me a lot about what I need to know about their character. An unsigned letter isn't worth the paper it is written on.

Editor:
 
I just got done reading the Messenger. Guess what? We will have a tobacco shop for tobacco products and some cannabis items! And — our grocery store is closing!
I don’t deny these pleasures to the people that enjoy them. It’s their decision and their health.
But some of us — especially the elderly (I’m 87) — need fresh produce, canned and frozen foods, and need to be able to get them nearby. I wonder how many people that didn’t support the grocery store will visit the tobacco shop.

Dear Editor:
I’d like to start off saying I have been very disappointed with the grocery store Molter’s.

The content of public words and actions combined with a person’s/organization’s overall words and actions in private matters in the political realm, whose words and actions affect the lives of every person within that country.

Two of the things I dreaded most when we moved to Minnesota was the prospect of more snow and the potential for tornadoes.
Snow was no stranger to West Virginia. We received plenty of it in some years. But I am not a fan. Trace amounts are plenty for me. I do enjoy those evenings when the snow is falling and the sound mutes out all other things. It’s just that those evenings are also the ones where you have some place you need to go.
Tornadoes, or the threat of tornadoes, are a new experience altogether.

I can recall a number of naughty things I have done over my earlier childhood years when left to my own devices. Usually, these instances of mischief would come from being with the company of another friend in the same boat. Both of the following stories come from about the same age period of about 12 years old or so — give or take a year or two. It’s been about 30 years since then so forgive me if I don’t remember.
 
Flame broiled

Attributable to American Legion Department of Minnesota’s 10th District Commander Kristy Janigo and Department Service Officer Ray Kane
 
Thieves are working aggressively to steal from veterans, veteran service organizations, veteran nonprofits and government agencies that work with veterans.
It’s a numbers game. If they get one success out of 100 attempts, that’s worth their efforts. Don’t fall prey to their predator tactics.

When I first heard about jumping worms a couple of years ago I was freaked out. I thought I would never buy another plant again — I did not want them in my yard. I thought the worms were fatal to all the hard work I had put in my yard. They are not.
I have learned a lot about the jumping worms since that day. I have seen them in a yard, that had beautiful plantings. It was not hurting them up to that point. So, I will share what I have learned about them.