Opinion

March 7 marked the end of Northland's mask mandate which has been in place nearly continuously since the arrival of the coronavirus almost two years ago. Northland is now making masks optional for students, employees, and visitors inside campus facilities.

March 8 is International Women’s Day. Don’t ask me how I know this. I just do. So let us speak of Woman, specifically the International Woman. I like her. Very much. In my opinion She deserves much more than a day. But time waits for no man. Or woman, it seems. So… let’s get to it.

This month marks year No. 4 that I built my purple martin house from a kit I ordered from an online company that specializes in wild bird supplies. The attractive looking green and white, all-aluminum two-story house has room for 12 pairs of martins, six holes on each side with each nesting apartment neatly separated from the others. Sturdy and likely very long-lasting, I was excited to erect the house outdoors and wait for occupancy.

As I watched the athletes perform at the Winter Olympic Games, I could only imagine their tremendous desire, determination and dedication, not to mention commitment, enthusiasm and mental toughness. They set goals and prepared. They had discipline. It’s the same in business.

Question: I just moved to MN and heard you talking about not using cruise control in the winter, can you please write about this? Answer: Using cruise control on slippery roads could send you on a winter cruise – straight into the ditch or oncoming traffic! With dry road conditions, cruise control helps you safely monitor your speed, stay within the speed limit and improve driving comfort on long, fairly straight stretches of road. It should be used only when you are able to drive at a steady speed with safe road conditions.

Why is it that the people who make the worst use of their time are the same ones who complain that there is never enough time? The late management guru Peter Drucker, often called “the father of modern management,” said, “Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.” He added: “Everything requires time. It is the only truly universal condition.

I am writing this communication to ask once again for your help in keeping our kids safe as they travel to and from school. This Fall I asked for your help in ensuring safety around our school buses and I am happy to report that people have been using caution around our buses. We have seen far fewer stop arm violations this year compared with previous years. I want to thank our community for stepping up in a big way to keep our kids safe. As part of this focus on school safety, I also wanted to communicate about the school zones that have been established at Highland Elementary School and Crookston High School. A school zone has been established in front of Crookston High School on Fisher Avenue from just east of the railroad tracks to Ag Country Farm Credit Services. The speed between these points is reduced to 25 mph when students are present. A school zone also exists on Central Ave. directly in front of Highland Elementary School and this speed zone is 15 mph when students are present.

Watching wild birds feeding at my feeders is a joy, and an obligation of sorts, especially this winter. The winter of 2021-2022 has been harsh for creatures of the wild. When snow gets deep and temperatures plunge, many species of wildlife experience hardship when it becomes too difficult to move around much less locate food that’s buried beneath over two feet of snow.