A great big blossom for all the help we get from the college kids to our part-timers and everyone in between during summer cleaning at all the schools ... You don't know how much you have to do until you dig right in there ... So, I say thanks. - A big thank you
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A blossom to Dwayne Garrison and Dave Geitzel of Monticello for their time and commitment to the softball programs this summer. Also a huge thanks to Dwayne for his involvement throughout the years putting together a much needed sports program for girls of the Monticello Community. Thanks to both you - Patti, Jordyn and Alyssah
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An awesome blossom to Coach Buvid and all those who helped with girls 5- and 6-year-old t-ball. You have the patience of a saint. You were so positive and worked with each of those 50 little girls. We really appreciate you taking the time to coach them. Looking forward to next season. Thank you. We are so lucky to have such a great Parks and Recreation Department with all the programs they offer. Thanks to everyone for making such a fun summer for a lot of kids. - Lorie Peterson
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A barb to the Monroe City Council. I can't believe how reactionary they were in the case of downtown parking versus crosswalks. After millions of dollars and years of planning, and tons of praise and high favor, we have a beautiful downtown. Then, a mere 34 residents, out of 10,000, complain that there isn't enough parking (or parking right in front of their store), and some members of council panic, go digging into state laws and look as if they are setting the wheels in motion to dig up the square and start over. Is that what it takes to get the council into action? And if so, why don't you move that fast on economic development, the recruitment of new businesses and finally, finally, finding a way to get the bicycle trails downtown. Big shopping bucks for downtown. For Pete sakes council, be leaders, not followers, and lead this city into the 21st Century. Burnham, the great city planner from Chicago, once said, "the only good ideas are big ideas." So, think big, be bold and take this city where it deserves to be, first place. If you can't do it, well then, thank God we are getting a city administrator. Maybe they will. Just don't waste your time, and our money, on the whines of a privileged few. - Outside the box, take a risk or two.
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This is a barb to all schools. We as grandparents don't understand why the kids need to take enough school supplies for the whole class. And then they don't even use the items they brought. When we went to school we got to take what we needed and use it ourselves. People are on a limited income. It seems like the same kids need help. Look at the parents, maybe they have bad habits they need to stop. Schools are asking too much and the taxes are getting to be crazy. They don't need all that high tech stuff you don't use all in life if you do then go to college for further education. - Upset grandparent
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A barb to the 34 merchants downtown who want to take our beautiful, new Square and turn it back into a parking lot. In signing a petition asking for four stalls to be put into crosswalks, you've forgotten one major detail. You do not own and control the Square. Downtown belongs to all of us, all 11,000 residents of Monroe. We like our new Square. We like that it is open and pedestrian friendly, with easy, safe access to the Courthouse. Our visitors compliment us on the spaciousness and beauty of our town square. For the first time in years, people are gathering downtown and using it as a people spot, for concerts, shopping, eating and entertainment. What is bring us back downtown? The look of the Square, it is people friendly again, and there are always plenty of empty parking stalls. I think we can walk one half block to your store if there isn't a stall right in front of it, give us more credit than that. If you really want to bring even more us to your shops, give us Sunday hours, work together and give us one night a week you are all open, ask your upstairs tenants to park off the Square. Those are all things that citizens of Monroe have asked for for years - yet you can't get your act together and deliver. Frankly, you're sounding whiny and selfish in light of that. We like the look of our new Square, turn it back into a big box parking lot and we might was well stay at the big box. Keep the cars off our family friendly crosswalks, keep it safe for all of we citizens, young and old. - Downtown, we shop with our feet, not our cars.
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A barb to the Monroe Fire Department for letting the chiefs who are being paid salary go and do volunteer work while on the clock for the city. We build them a new fire station, give them a raise and pay them for volunteer work separate from the city on city time. Way to use the system guys and taxpayers dollars. - Concerned taxpayer
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A blossom to Dwayne Garrison and Dave Geitzel of Monticello for their time and commitment to the softball programs this summer. Also a huge thanks to Dwayne for his involvement throughout the years putting together a much needed sports program for girls of the Monticello Community. Thanks to both you - Patti, Jordyn and Alyssah
•••
An awesome blossom to Coach Buvid and all those who helped with girls 5- and 6-year-old t-ball. You have the patience of a saint. You were so positive and worked with each of those 50 little girls. We really appreciate you taking the time to coach them. Looking forward to next season. Thank you. We are so lucky to have such a great Parks and Recreation Department with all the programs they offer. Thanks to everyone for making such a fun summer for a lot of kids. - Lorie Peterson
•••
A barb to the Monroe City Council. I can't believe how reactionary they were in the case of downtown parking versus crosswalks. After millions of dollars and years of planning, and tons of praise and high favor, we have a beautiful downtown. Then, a mere 34 residents, out of 10,000, complain that there isn't enough parking (or parking right in front of their store), and some members of council panic, go digging into state laws and look as if they are setting the wheels in motion to dig up the square and start over. Is that what it takes to get the council into action? And if so, why don't you move that fast on economic development, the recruitment of new businesses and finally, finally, finding a way to get the bicycle trails downtown. Big shopping bucks for downtown. For Pete sakes council, be leaders, not followers, and lead this city into the 21st Century. Burnham, the great city planner from Chicago, once said, "the only good ideas are big ideas." So, think big, be bold and take this city where it deserves to be, first place. If you can't do it, well then, thank God we are getting a city administrator. Maybe they will. Just don't waste your time, and our money, on the whines of a privileged few. - Outside the box, take a risk or two.
•••
This is a barb to all schools. We as grandparents don't understand why the kids need to take enough school supplies for the whole class. And then they don't even use the items they brought. When we went to school we got to take what we needed and use it ourselves. People are on a limited income. It seems like the same kids need help. Look at the parents, maybe they have bad habits they need to stop. Schools are asking too much and the taxes are getting to be crazy. They don't need all that high tech stuff you don't use all in life if you do then go to college for further education. - Upset grandparent
•••
A barb to the 34 merchants downtown who want to take our beautiful, new Square and turn it back into a parking lot. In signing a petition asking for four stalls to be put into crosswalks, you've forgotten one major detail. You do not own and control the Square. Downtown belongs to all of us, all 11,000 residents of Monroe. We like our new Square. We like that it is open and pedestrian friendly, with easy, safe access to the Courthouse. Our visitors compliment us on the spaciousness and beauty of our town square. For the first time in years, people are gathering downtown and using it as a people spot, for concerts, shopping, eating and entertainment. What is bring us back downtown? The look of the Square, it is people friendly again, and there are always plenty of empty parking stalls. I think we can walk one half block to your store if there isn't a stall right in front of it, give us more credit than that. If you really want to bring even more us to your shops, give us Sunday hours, work together and give us one night a week you are all open, ask your upstairs tenants to park off the Square. Those are all things that citizens of Monroe have asked for for years - yet you can't get your act together and deliver. Frankly, you're sounding whiny and selfish in light of that. We like the look of our new Square, turn it back into a big box parking lot and we might was well stay at the big box. Keep the cars off our family friendly crosswalks, keep it safe for all of we citizens, young and old. - Downtown, we shop with our feet, not our cars.
•••
A barb to the Monroe Fire Department for letting the chiefs who are being paid salary go and do volunteer work while on the clock for the city. We build them a new fire station, give them a raise and pay them for volunteer work separate from the city on city time. Way to use the system guys and taxpayers dollars. - Concerned taxpayer
