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Letters to the Editor

Tribute to a bur oak

An arborist from ISU recently reminded me of the vital lifesaving importance of trees, a fact that is frequently underestimated. This is especially true of long-lived oak trees and the most majestic of the oaks, the bur oak. Consequently, it hurt to see a stately and healthy bur oak removed recently by FD workers. The tree was killed by a torturous cutting off of its limbs one by one over a period of several days. In its place is a small concrete parking pad at a trail head. When my parents built their new home, the concrete driveway was laid around a beautiful oak tree. When an ...

Back to school event succeeds

To the editor: Back to School event was a Success! This being our 16th annual Back to School Bash, we were pleased to partner with the Fort Dodge Middle School on the location this year. It was the perfect place to bring the families together before school starts for a fun evening of games, food, children and families getting to know community partners and kids receiving a backpack with school supplies to start their year off right. The support from our community has been overwhelming. We are grateful for all the help, donations and volunteer time given to make this event happen. ...

Thanks donors and golfers

To the editor: On behalf of the Fort Dodge Athletic Department, I would like to thank all the individuals involved with our FDSH Athletic Booster Golf Outing. It is the generosity of the donors and golfers that make events such as this fantastic. With your support we can provide our students with so many opportunities they may not otherwise have. I cannot thank the community enough for the continued support of Dodger Athletics. Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of the volunteers who helped organize and run the event. You deserve all the credit for the success of ...

Candidates need to address the issues

To the editor: On Sunday’s (8/11) Opinion page, Mr. Bill Horan comments on the lack of discussion regarding agriculture and science by the Democrat presidential hopefuls during their recent debates. His thoughts are informed, timely and valid, but do not go far enough. I am 87 years old, have been an observer of political debate all my adult life, and cannot remember a more lemming-like, shallow, ill-informed, single issue, I’m-more-politically-correct-than-you group than the current slate. The present and future state of our country, either socially or economically, did not seem ...

Who deserves more from their representative?

To the editor: U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-WY, reacted to U.S. Rep. Steve King’s question, “If not for rape and incest, would there be any population” by tweeting, “ ... it’s time for him to go. The people of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District deserve better.” King, R-Kiron, has been stripped of his House committee assignments, and many of his comments have been criticized by both parties. Cheney is almost correct in her assessment. King has won each election since 1996. It would appear that these majority voters support their candidate and agree with his positions. With ...

Neither party has a monopoly on shaming

To the editor: In “The Shaming of America” in the Opinion section of The Messenger on Aug. 13, Kathleen Parker writes of how shame has become part of the 2020 presidential race. Even though Parker suggests some Democrats contribute to the shaming, I believe Democrats look at Trump and his supporters, and Republicans in general, as having a monopoly on shaming. Such a monopoly is not true. Parker quotes words Trump used when talking about illegal immigration as a presidential candidate over four years ago and connects them to the recent mass murder in El Paso. The murderer in ...