I would also like to send a blossom to Bill and Shirley Blumer >for being the Outstanding Dairy Couple. You and your family have worked hard and farmed the right way all your lives. There's not a lot of joy in Dairyfarmville right now, so it's nice to see people recognized who have persevered. Farming is like life, it runs in up-and-down cycles. So, I guess it's like Grandpa John used to tell me, Tomorrow is a better day. - Brian A. Brugger>
A huge blossom to our Monroe Police Department >for trying to keep our streets safe by writing tickets to the illegal immigrants who choose to drive without a driver's license. A huge barb to our lawmakers, >who have decided to give illegals a special driver's license! I suppose we should pay for their auto insurance also. Send the illegals home. Wake up, America, before there is no America to wake up in! - Anonymous>
A huge blossom to all of my friends and clients >that donated money for the Relay for life. This Friday I will walk and I know it is for a great cause. I met my goal and beyond of $500. Thank you all so much for helping me make it. This is all in memory of both my parents who have passed on from this disease. - Lynn Zimmerman>
I would like to send a huge blossom out to Matt Urban and the Balloon Rally Organization >for the fantastic balloon rally event. The balloons were quite remarkable and the "glow" was spectacular. My fiancé and I were quite impressed, and we definitely look forward to next year's. - Sue Bocklund>
A huge blossom to The Monroe Times. >Thank you for helping us promote our 2009 Brat Bash, the ads that you printed and ran for us were wonderful and you helped spread the word. We apologize for missing you in the thank you ad. Thank you for helping us support such a wonderful organization, Monroe Clinic Hospice. - Cheri Riddle, Twining Valley, and Kelly Severson, Monroe Manor >
A big barb to the City of Monroe >for not forcing the owners of vacant lots in the city to keep them mowed! I understood that weeds had to be under control and lots mowed. On 12th Avenue behind the Y, the weeds are more than four feet tall! On West 6th Street, the weeds are overgrown. Some homeowners take it upon themselves to mow the vacant lots, it helps improve the look of the property. I would think twice about buying a home next to a vacant lot if it wasn't kept up. - Monroe Homeowner>
I would like to send out a blossom to the governor, state Senate and Assembly representatives >of Wisconsin for showing us just what clowns would look like if they worked on the state budget. This three-ring circus where you sit and complain how each party is doing this or that and yet don't have the guts to discuss the budget with your constituents unless you're bashing the other party is a sham. You have Jim "Dandy" Doyle and the majority leaders talking up the cuts in state funding to help ease the "supposed" $6 billion deficit as the way to go on this process. Then they have audacity to brag that they didn't raise taxes. No, no they didn't. What they fail to tell us is that all they're doing is passing the buck to the local municipalities. These local municipalities are then left with the task of having to raise property taxes to keep local schools and government functioning at an acceptable level. But the crowd in Madison didn't raise taxes, now did they? This is trickle-down economics, but in an ugly way. Why not institute a sales tax increase of 1 percent on a temporary or full-time basis? Wisconsin residents and tourists would pay this alike, as tourism still is a leading industry in the state. So why not capitalize on that aspect to help lessen the burden? - R. McCarthy>
While I am a big suppporter of the Monroe Police Department and the work they do for the community, I am sending a barb to the Police Department. >I received a ticket for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign before I turned right. I would argue heatedly that I did come to a stop, albeit a quick one, but did stop and looked to the left before pulling out. There was no one in any part of the intersection or even coming down the street. When I asked why I was being given a ticket, he said I did not come to a complete stop and this has led to a rash of accidents lately. Also, the nose of my car was over the white line. Pleeaaassee! The nose of my car was over the line? I said I did stop, but I guess it wasn't for enough seconds. I have a clean driving record, no accidents and did not even get a warning. I can understand if I did not stop at all, or I pulled out in front of another car (remember ... no other cars in the area), or swerved into the oncoming lane of traffic. This was a harrassing, petty stop and ticket. Not only did it waste my time, but now it will waste the time of the judge who will have to deal with this, as I am going to take the time to contest this. I would think, with the rash of drug problems lately, our police department would have something better to do! - Thoroughly Disgusted>
A blossom to the police department >for ticketing drivers for rolling stops! I have often wondered if I'm the only one who actually comes to a complete stop and looks both ways before proceeding through intersections. It doesn't matter that there is no one else around or you have a clear driving record; stop means stop, not yield or slow way down to an almost-stop. Now, if the police department would start pulling people over for failing to yield to pedestrians, I'd be really happy. I've actually had people speed up as I walked across the street. I'm assuming they were annoyed I'd be cheeky enough to do such a thing that might possibly inconvenience them. - Devil's Advocate>
