Editor's note: The following is an open letter to Congressman John Kline, in response to an article Apple Valley/Rosemount Patch ran on Dec. 17 titled: Kline Calls Connecticut Tragedy 'Unthinkable,' But Stays Mum on Gun Legislation. To the editor, and Congressman Kline, I am writing today out of deep concern for the safety of fellow citizens, as well as my family and children. I sincerely hope, in light of the recent shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that you will seriously re-consider your stance on banning assault weapons.  There is no hunting rifle that …

To the Editor: I am writing to let you know of my support for our district’s candidate Anna Wills running for House of Representatives. Given all the issues we have locally one of the biggest is education. This issue is very important to me as a father. I was home-schooled for part of my education and Anna Wills was home-schooled as well. My oldest son is in public school in Rosemount and as a father I am very concerned about what is being taught to him so I decided to talk to her about it. After speaking with Anna I was reassured by how thoughtful she is on education. Even though Anna was …

In many ways this November the very quality of life, which we Minnesotans enjoy, will be on the ballots. Our newly elected state leaders will be guiding us through economic and social challenges, which will impact our community for generations to come. We need men and women in state government who can be trusted to be honest, fair and open. I have known Greg Clausen professionally and personally since 1981 when I moved to Apple Valley to begin teaching at Apple Valley High School. Greg’s service to our community as assistant principal and principal at two of our district high schools has …

To the editor, I value citizen input on legislative issues and welcome district residents to provide their opinions on key issues by participating in an online survey I am conducting. The survey only takes a few moments to complete but the responses will be of great help to me as we face some rather difficult decisions in St. Paul. The survey topics range from reforming taxes to K-12 education funding, health care, unions and whether Minnesota should participate in funding construction of a new Vikings stadium. Some of the questions pertain to proposals being offered as part of our Reform 2.0…

Gov. Mark Dayton, on Nov. 15, ordered a vote of thousands of family home day care providers on whether they want to form a union.  Family child care providers are self-employed business owners. As independent contractors, they develop the terms and conditions for the enrollment of children in their child care home and are able to individually set their fees, tuition and operating hours. The local economy dictates the appropriate fee structure for a provider business. Grants such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program are used by providers to augment their revenue stream. Continuing …

There are two reasons to vote for Rob Duchscher for District 196 school board: 1) his sharp focus on long-term planning and 2) his open, honest communication with the community. First, the school board is responsible for the long-term roadmap that empowers the district's students, teachers, parents, and broader communities to maximize each student’s potential in the most cost effective manner possible. Over the past 11-plus years on the school board, Mr. Duchscher has proven his ability to recognize, prioritize and address key long-term issues. For example, Rob spearheaded the creation of the…

To the Editor, We, along with more than 1,000 Minnesota residents, signed a petition in July 2011 addressed to House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline (R-MN), asking him to renew his commitment to TRiO programs in Minnesota. We signed because we are concerned for the future of thousands of low-income students in Minnesota and across the nation. We signed because we were worried that Congressman Kline, like many others in Congress, was forgetting about the critical importance of TRiO to low-income students across the country. As supporters of the Federal TRiO Programs…

Public schools are under attack in Minnesota and across the country.  Without engaging in the political discourse, teachers and parents throughout Minnesota continue to work hard every day to support their children, teachers and schools. The Eastview Community Foundation was established shortly after the opening of Eastview High School to support academics, arts and athletics for the students, teachers and public schools in the Eastview attendance area. We are a volunteer nonprofit organization, governed by a board that parents, teachers and alumni of Eastview High School comprise.  Shortly …

As a resident of Northfield, I enjoy the occasional long bike ride up to Minneapolis, and I am very distressed at the state of bicycling in the southern suburbs. Some weeks ago, after many miles of cornfield, I was greeted in southern Apple Valley by an SUV driver who felt a sudden need to share his opinion as to proper place of bicycles. I believe it went something like, "Get on the bike path, m-----f-----!" Any resident of Apple Valley knows what the driver was referring to—those asphalt sidewalks you see on the sides of bigger roads. "Bike path" is an insidious and all-too-common term for …

To the Editor:With the 2011 legislative session in full swing, I am committed to effectively representing the concerns of Senate District 37. It has been helpful to meet with many residents at the Capitol and to receive information through the process of committee hearings. I appreciate the ideas shared in the hundreds of letters and emails constituents have sent to my office expressing their opinions on a variety of issues and bills.Another simple way to make your voice heard is to participate in my online constituent survey. To take the survey and leave your comments, visit my website at …