TO THE EDITOR:
Over the years, our beloved cemetery has witnessed the usual theft of flowers, plants and stands, and even a small portable generator providing lighting to a grave. We have had issues with unleashed dogs and the deposits they left and their owners’ refusal to clean up. And then there is the ongoing issue of litter and garbage…We can now add “vandalism” to the list of unacceptable behaviors that should never happen on holy ground—the final resting place of more than 1200 people. During a recent graveside service, someone snuck along the vehicles parked on the opposite end of the cemetery from the crowd, and upon seeing valuables visible inside, smashed the side window and grabbed the purses inside before fleeing. The individual has not been caught. The family of the decedent not only had to deal with the grief of losing a loved one but also the hassle of replacing the contents of the purses and sorting out a car repair. Living in a small town like Becker allows us to think that we and our valuables are safe because the people around us are good and will respect property. While most of our neighbors would never steal (let alone from a cemetery!), there are a few that have no issue with taking items that do not belong to them. The members of the cemetery board suggest that you lock your vehicles and remove any valuables during your visit. If you have any information about any of the thefts or recent vandalism occurring in the cemetery, please speak with a member of the board or the Becker Police Department.
Becker Cemetery
Association Board
(Gerty, Craig,
Debbie, Kelly, and Grant)
TO THE EDITOR:
Received my Sherburne County “Connection & Environmental Educator”, in the mail the other day and was more than outraged after reading the article on Permits. We all know one would be expected to pull a permit if you were going to build a home or tear out and replace all of your electrical but the county is now telling me that if I go to Walmart and buy an inflatable pool over 24” deep for $125, I have to get a permit!! This is absurd. It also states that if you want to replace your water heater/softener, a relatively simple process, you need to pull a permit!! As the article didn’t state otherwise, these permits are apparently required whether the homeowner is doing the work themselves or hires out. Can anyone say “government overreach”? How about “liberty infringement“? If the information in this article is true, someone needs to reign in these money/power hungry bureaucrats and start applying some common sense.
Bret R. Collier
Big Lake, MN
TO THE EDITOR:
It’s no secret that the Northstar commuter line has been dying a slow death for the past five years. Pandemic aside, the pathetic management has truly been the real reason for its termination coming soon. Politicians in St. Paul are fast tracking the inevitable mothballing of the rail line with a bill to cut all funds. Northstar has already begun selling their rail cars to Amtrak. There is also no surprise Big Lake leadership has sat idle waiting for the end. No proactive involvement or plans in place. The multi-million dollar repair facility and the train platform have enormous potential post Northstar. But has Big Lake met in person with Northstar officials, State Senators or Representatives? No! Has Big Lake demanded to know what the future is for the Big Lake station? No! Has Big Lake taken strides to contact BNSF or Amtrak to promote an intermediate repair facility or a rapid response facility? No! Has Big Lake taken any lead for potential future use of the site? No! Has Big Lake approached private rail companies to look into use or acquiring the site? No! One thing won’t be a surprise when the site is abandoned and that is this - as sure as the sky is blue the site will be vandalized and become a dump. Soon sofas, trash and garbage will arrive. Graffiti vandalism and crime will show just how uninvolved our city leadership has been. We won’t need a recycling day, we will have our own dump.
George Quinn
Big Lake, MN
