Opinion - The Timberjay

America’s shameful support for killing in Gaza

Gaza, Palestine has fewer people than does Minnesota. Can we imagine 40,000 of us dead because of bombs made in some foreign country? Houses, clinics, schools, universities destroyed in our state. … more

8/15/24

The U.S. will elect a woman president

Editor’s Note: This column was written in June, before Kamala Harris became the candidate on the Democratic ticket. Claudia Sheinbaum made history this month when she became the first woman … more

Lee Hamilton | 8/15/24

Project 2025

We’re likely to hear a lot more about Project 2025 beginning next Monday, when the four-day Democratic national convention gets underway. The nearly 900-page document, assembled by the … more

8/15/24

Project 2025 would exacerbate climate change

I love my grandchildren, all ten of them. And I want them to have a future where they can prosper and raise their families. So, it alarms me when I read many of the policy actions … more

8/9/24

Tall Timber Days was founded on free enterprise not socialism

I’m convinced the candidates you vote for this November could determine the future of the timber industry, mining, and multiple use of forest land in northeastern Minnesota. This past weekend, … more

8/8/24

Sustainable ALS ambulance service for our region

It’s my belief that the Ely Hospital/SafeTech regional ambulance service plan needs to be fleshed out and pursued because it’s a logical opportunity to modernize the service into Advanced … more

8/8/24

Hello from NYC!

Between your beautiful overview of the arc of your dad’s life in your column, and the sharply written editorial column about the President George W. Bush years, I am now a very enthusiastic fan … more

8/8/24

An open letter to the Lake County Planning and Zoning Commission

I am writing to add a bit more context to your upcoming decision on the development of Silver Rapids Lodge. I am a lifelong property owner and resident on White Iron Lake. My father … more

8/8/24

We won’t let Trump turn back history

We are not going back: • To a time when only white men ran our country. • To a time when women had no control over what happened to our own bodies, as it has already become again in several … more

8/8/24

We certainly have a clear choice now

Our national politics are certainly providing entertainment recently. No sooner does Trump name a vice president than President Biden steps down and endorses Kamala Harris, who steps right in and … more

Betty Firth | 8/8/24

We have enough hate

This week, we report in more detail on a troubling incident in Tower that has shocked many in the community, and rightfully so. On July 22, four young men, all teenagers, lured an adult male to town … more

8/8/24

Don’t be misled by the fear and hate

I have been watching TV today as Republican congressmen, who have all taken an oath when they entered office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, say they want to impeach our … more

8/1/24

Silver Rapids public comment period should remain open for now

I attended and spoke at the open planning and zoning commission meeting regarding the proposed project at Silver Rapids Lodge earlier this month. I was surprised and disappointed that, despite the … more

8/1/24

Why the Silver Rapids proposal demands an EAW

I commend you for your extensive coverage of the public hearing conducted by the Lake County Planning and Zoning Commission on July 18 regarding the Silver Rapids Lodge expansion project. This letter … more

8/1/24

Modifiers in need of modification...

In the old comedy film “Animal Crackers,” Groucho Marx famously declares: “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” Groucho … more

Catie Clark | 8/1/24

The Bush years

It’s long been known that wine tends to improve with age. The same seems to hold true of Americans’ perspectives on their former presidents. Even the most disappointing presidents tend to … more

8/1/24

Born in the Depression, my father watched as the world changed

My father, Richard Helmberger, died this past Monday, July 29, less than a month shy of his 100th birthday, one of the last of the generation that came of age in the Great Depression. He was born … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/1/24

Silver Rapids expansion plan is much too large

Silver Rapids Lodge has been a good neighbor in the past. Upgrading the facility is welcome, and having experienced resort management is a plus. But the idea of expanding the resort to 62 … more

7/25/24

Stauber shouldn’t throw stones

I am writing in response to Pete Stauber’s most recent email in which he asks “all political leaders to take accountability for their words” and to “stop fueling the hatred … more

7/25/24

Heat is also a climate change problem

We think of climate change as causing flooding, drought, physical destruction, wildfires, and hurricanes, blackouts and health issues for humans. Extreme heat, however, is the number one … more

7/24/24

I’m voting for whoever supports Israel

While sitting in our library and reading opinion letters in the Timberjay, I noticed a letter from an Ely resident, who formerly lived among Palestinians, but now wants a two-state, Mideast solution. … more

7/24/24

Skraba is wrong on the sale of school trust lands

Thank you for the excellent and informative news story about the sale to the federal government of Minnesota’s school trust lands located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. State … more

7/24/24

I support a party that shares my values

A Republican friend asked, “How can you be 100% behind Biden last week and now be 100% behind Harris this week?” At first this question confused me, but I think the answer lies with … more

7/24/24

Cellphones in schools

Given the plague of guns and school shooters, parents and kids may want phones in the classrooms.We adults forget that kids these days are like a hive, and see that as a feature, not a bug. Even if … more

7/24/24

A call to action that is as relevant today as in the 1960s

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” The memory is of a young and vibrant newly elected president, John F. Kennedy, standing at a podium … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 7/24/24