The joint is half full. Large screen televisions show various games. ROB PEREZ enters and sees SAM THE SOOTHSAYER sitting on a barstool, nursing a beer and nachos. Sam wears a flowing white robe and closely watches a couple of college basketball games. Rob approaches Sam.
One of the things I love most about our community is the generosity of the people who call it home. Whether it’s supporting youth activities, contributing to community initiatives, or helping those in need, we always find ways to make a difference.
Well, we live in Minnesota. It was subzero for many days in a row just days ago, and now it is like Spring! When seasons are like this, we get mixed up a bit with just how to prepare for the day. Do we wear heavy coats because of a below zero wind chill, or do we wear rubber boots for all the unfrozen puddles we will face as we cross a street?
It’s been cold. An engaged audience might ask: How cold was it? A type of punchline: It was so cold the ice was complaining about the temperature! The reality is more mundane. It was so cold they cancelled school. This has happened before. I grew up in Texas, a geography not known for cold temperatures. One winter day was so cold that they cancelled schools. They were concerned the HVAC wasn’t up to the job. No school administrator wants to take in warm bodied children and spit them out blue. It was 29 degrees Fahrenheit.
As a typical Minnesotan my topic this week is going to be “the weather”. I am writing this on Thursday, Feb. 20 as we start what we are all hoping is the beginning of a warmer weather pattern. As I have had to make a couple weather related calls regarding school this month, I thought I would explain the process and a little bit about the “why” in these decisions in this article.
The drive from southwest Minnesota to the Wisconsin shores of Lake Superior was uneventful. Although the temperatures were frigid at the time, little snow had fallen, so the roads were in good shape for the journey north. We were bringing my wife’s nonagenarian mother home after an extended holiday visit with us. A late Sunday evening stop at the grocery store was necessary so she wouldn’t have to go out the next day and could recuperate after the long ride. She would get home late, but at least she would be home. I would stay overnight and return home myself the next day.
While it’s very hard to convince the blind of the fact, the importance of visual art in this life cannot be overstated. Visual art is as limitless as the human imagination, seen with the eyes but felt in the bones, speaks to the mind but beats with a heart. Some say the visual art of Mark Rothko were made for the soul.
I imagine this is a question, as believers of Jesus Christ, that we ask ourselves from time to time. I often do a self-examination to see where I am on the relationship scale of intimacy with God. Sometimes I find myself lacking and other times - while not where I need or should be - I find myself basking in sanctifying progress. This self examination often leads to change. What can I do better? What or who is present in my life that should not be? What am I doing that I should not or what am I not doing that I should be doing? Here’s another, what am I holding onto that I should let go? Simple questions with honestly simple answers, we just make it complicated.
Plans for the 2025-2026 school year are already underway, and one major focus is the construction of the new Redwood Valley Elementary School. This update will explain the bond process, bid day results, and the current budget for the project.