Letters to the Editor

A thank you for the light in the tunnel

To the editor: Working for a non-profit Community Action Agency, you tend to see people on their worst days. Days when they truly feel like they have hit rock bottom and there is no way up. They don’t know where to turn, but they know they need help and they find themselves at our door not knowing if there is even anything we can do for them. Upper Des Moines Opportunity sees different issues every day; people struggling to make ends meet, needing help with budgeting, cannot pay their electric/gas bill, looking for housing, in need of baby necessities or supplies for their child’s ...

Blames government for gas prices

To the editor: Of all the newspapers printed in Iowa, there never is anything explaining the oil situation and we who have to buy fuel to get to work, we wondered for years why the variations of fuel in one town and the next one 20 miles away is 20 cents cheaper? But near all the stations pay the same at pipelines regardless of the brand. Now when there are only four stations in Dakota City and Humboldt, they all charge the same. And who controls the price and why crude oil goes up $2.00 a barrel in one day, it is the speculators who you blame. They buy low and then sell high. You ...

Says grocery store key to vibrant community

To the editor: When are these big grocery chains going to back off? Grocery business will never be back to what it was two years ago as shopping from home is really big. They continue to do so much damage to rural Iowa. With the mayor of Manson and his group he assembled a couple years ago to get our store back up and running, they approached two of the chains for help like Rockwell City approached one. Now months later, neither would offer help before the pandemic hit the world. But the owners of the only grocery store left in the county were very helpful from Lake City. They ...

Says FD gas prices are high

Paul Stevens’ Spotlight brings a smile

To the editor: What a great story Paul Stevens did in the Messenger on local Fort Dodge garage bands. So well done. I was smiling. Tom Tourville Spirit Lake

Fond memories of Fort Dodge

To the editor: I was born in Fort Dodge and grew up there. I was one of many in the Class of ‘65 at Fort Dodge High. I’ve been sorting and going through pictures. We loved taking pictures on our acreage on the old Badger Blacktop. It makes me a bit sad that I don’t get back much. My parents – Max and Edna – are not alive now. And a year ago, my brother, Allan, had a heart attack and died. My grandpa worked for The Messenger. I have his wooden printers tray and The Messenger stamp and his letters that marked his tray. I tell people I’m an Iowa child, but after 27 years, ...