I appreciated the editorial which was published in the 11/22 Citizen and wanted to add another thought. Instead of spending $4 million on a master plan could the city make better use of the same $4 million dollars to help revitalize downtown and bring the county fair to Becker?

 

Wouldn’t this make Becker more diverse and user friendly to attract new businesses to the city and encourage expansion of existing businesses to increase the tax base and generate new interest in the community? Drive by Clubhouse Lane until next spring and ponder how it is benefitting the entire community now.

 

Imagine year round multi-use facilities that could accommodate hockey, swap meets, rodeos, car, horse and sportsman shows, 4-H events, concerts and of course the county fair! Maybe even race track? Something for everyone, not just a few. I would pay more for that.

 

Supported by expert opinion, the feedback I received going door to door was that over 80% want the city to have nothing to do with golf. An asset huh? A vision for the city should be about it's citizens and not political cronyism, (unfortunately I heard a lot of “its not what you know but who you know”).

 

A citizen vote on golf would clarify if it is an asset and would send a clear message to city hall what we as citizens want instead of the other way around and it won’t matter to the city council if it is truly the citizen’s vision they represent and not their own.

 

 

Thank you Liberty Paper Inc in Becker, also Packaging Corporation of America in Golden Valley (donation requested by Adam Maskowski) for your generous cash donations again this year.  The Becker Area Senior Center (BASC) Board and our many BASC members are so very grateful for your support of our area Senior Center.  Through your generosity we are able to offer programs, exercises, entertainment and social activities for our senior residents. Because of businesses like Liberty Paper and Packaging Corporation of America our residents are able to remain active and socialize with others in our community. Thank you for helping BASC remain a viable community asset.

 

 

A state governor’s chief task is to ensure the smooth operation of not only government, but also industry and society to the benefit of its citizens. That’s why I was disheartened last summer to hear Gov. Mark Dayton say he wanted to eliminate coal-fired electricity from Minnesota’s generation mix. Electricity from Minnesota power plants, such as Sherco, Boswell and King, powers our lives affordably and reliably. The utilities and customers have also invested millions of dollars ensuring these plants stay in compliance with stringent state and federal rules.

 

Due to these same power plants facing a possible fuel crisis this winter because of railroad congestion, Gov. Dayton did an about-face last month and recognized how crucial electricity from these power plants really is. He noted the need for “adequate supplies of coal to utilities we rely upon for heat and electricity” and held a rail summit to find a solution. I couldn’t agree more: Minnesota is a leader in clean coal, and helps keep energy bills affordable for Minnesota families. Eliminating coal from our energy portfolio would mean higher costs for families and businesses, and the loss of hundreds of jobs.

 

So which direction will our governor turn to next? I hope it’s the one that recognizes coal as an important component of our energy mix, not only now but for the foreseeable future. With the Legislature ready to convene in another month, it would be wonderful to see the governor pushing for an “all-of-the-above” energy policy, include coal-fired electricity.