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Letters to the Editor

MPS’s playbill gets bad reviews

Michael Bakk, Minot Act I - Schools are overcrowded Synopsis: Let’s build a new high school, remodel and add on to the existing one and convert the downtown school to a middle school. That should take care of it. Taxpayers, “can you spare $100 million to help out?” Act II - Enrollment is declining Synopsis: Maybe we should close a school or two? Oh, and we forgot to tell you we might be short about $3 million to operate that new school we talked about in Act I. We just need to find about $7 million for next year (and maybe every year) and we will be fine. Act III - To be ...

Long road taken to necessary fix

Don Morrison, Bismarck Thank goodness U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter Welte decided to fix North Dakota’s violation of the Voting Rights Act. The remedy will give voters from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the Spirit Lake Nation a fairer opportunity to elect representatives of their choice to the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. It’s been a long road to get here. During the 2021 North Dakota Legislature’s Special Session for Redistricting, the two tribes came to the legislature to recommend district boundaries for their area. The tribes had their proposal ...

Opportunity still exists to observe MLK Day

Denise A. Dykeman Minot Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day that takes on additional significance this year as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. During the last quarter-century, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving our communities. So, this year, I watched to see how my North ...

Put needs of taxpayers ahead of government

Steven Moen, Minot When I hear people asking questions “how is the state going to pay the local subdivisions their portion of their budget once property tax is repealed, especially during an economic downturn,” I am flabbergasted. They are more interested in the government’s well being than the tax paying citizens who will be going through this same downturn. As it stands now with property tax the taxpayers will be hit twice with the downturn because the local subdivisions will raise property tax to cover all shortfalls that threaten to impede their runaway budgets. At least ...

Just random thoughts on life

Bob McNamara, Upham Kind of that time of year again. Colds, flu, viruses, etc. I was in a store recently when I overheard someone greet an acquaintance of theirs. As with many greetings he simply greeted her with a Hi, how are you these days. At which point she told him she’d been sick off and on for about a month. Evidently she just couldn’t shake this “bug” she had. What she didn’t have is a mask. Would seem to me that we would have learned that if you are feeling sick maybe you should put on a mask in public. That way those who aren’t sick are less likely to be ...

MSU men have team worth keeping eye on

Jay Ivey, Minot My circumstances have put me in the position to watch and/or participate in Division 2 basketball at the highest levels consistently since the mid 1990s. This has included observing a variety of teams and conferences throughout the country and I have seen many national championship contenders and winners. If you haven’t seen for yourself already, please believe when I tell you that the 2023-2024 Minot State Men’s Basketball team is exceptional this year and is having a really nice season so far. As a bonus, Coach Murken and his staff have assembled a roster that ...