They did WHAT?

Surprises at candidate’s meeting!

A couple days before the panel discussion introducing the two candidates for sheriff was held, I was informed that we had no moderator.

Not good.

Actually, I had tried to get about seven different people to be the moderator and all had excuses. (Some of them were really lousy excuses in my mind.}

So… since I have interviewed many people over the years - I could do this.

And then I decided it’s not going to be a debate.  Reason?  I hate debates. I have a short attention span and lose concentration easily!  So their responses were limited to two minutes. And not every candidate is good at debating.

  Plus, it was “my party”!  That’s what I call it when I have to do all the planning.

Candidates accepted.

Anyway, I had already invited the two candidates for sheriff to participate at a meeting of the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD.  It would be on Cable TV and Youtube.

The night before the presentation I was told that there was a problem for one of the candidates. He had just been put on administrative leave from his police department and had his gun taken away.  (That last part seems a little dramatic but that’s the way they play it.)

The problem was that neither the candidate nor the public could know what he was being accused of.

Didn’t we just go through something like this out in Washington, D.C.?

What do we do with this?

So I thought it would be best if I mentioned the situation to the audience before the program began.  Both candidates agreed to let me do it.  One wanted to express his understanding of the problem and the other one wanted to say that he had nothing to do with the accusation.

My problem was that I couldn’t think of any words that weren’t sensitive to the issue!   I asked a couple other folks and we were all stumped.

So it was suggested I just let someone in the audience ask it.

And I did.

Googled the questions!

Now I had already “googled” other questions and run them by members of the TRIAD board.  

We came up with some real “stoppers”!

Example.: Why do you want to be sheriff?

OK.  The other questions were a little better.

Then came input from the audience…

First was the question about the administrative leave.  That was handled as mentioned.

Then another member of the audience had brought a sign to emphasize his point.  He wanted to know when the deputies were getting body cameras.  

This got to be a little tense as he had his own concerns and was vigorously defending them to local police.

I was getting a little uncomfortable with the situation and got up from my chair as moderator to be prepared for… I didn’t know what!  

And I didn’t know what I would do since I liked both of them and also realized that they’re both bigger than me!

But everyone settled down and the “party” went on.

Vote for…?

So… now do you know who to vote for?

More than one person said… either way we’ve got a good candidate for sheriff!

The most beautiful 
Christmas tree... 

I wish I had never seen!

Many 30-40 foot pine trees 
went down at our farm. 

This is the top of one of them. 

It was shorting out the fence line 
and endangering the critters.

It’s fresh pine boughs 

and perfectly shaped cones 

make it a beautiful Christmas tree… 

but one I wish I had never seen. 

I would like it to still be alive.

It’s all lit up now. 

Like a sentinel… 
to the many trees and dreams

that were lost in the storm...

that dark and windy night.

(See it lit from 7-9 p.m. for a while.)

.

After the tornado...

                              You never know...

         At a meeting the night before the tornado hit the Cannon Falls area, I was discussing a situation with a friend.  He didn’t see my point of viewl.  No problem with this except I was feeling “squirrely” and couldn’t let the topic drop!  He had every right to his opinion, I told myself. But I still fussed.  

The next day I was home alone when the storm hit. Afterwards I went out to count animals but in the dark I couldn’t see all the damage until the next morning. 

Then I started sawing through branches and vines to get to the trunks of all the trees that were smothering my fence lines.  Hour after hour I kept on.

I was bushed.

All of a sudden I received a call that a group of adults and teenagers would come out if I needed help.

And later that day I looked up and saw that the first man to arrive was the very one I had been fussing with! 

That’s the best part of a small town!

 ***

Share your notes of thanks 

to the helpers you’ve seen working relentlessly 

during this devastation in next week’s 
Ripples column. 

  

Drop them off, call them in, email, 
use pigeons, etc.!  

Thanks so much!

Along the way... with Rosie

Hideout needed!

A place to hide.  It’s not just for law breakers or bandits you know.  

Good ordinary folks may need a place to get away.  Maybe their family asks them to solve every little problem.  Or they just need a change of scenery for a break.

But I have decided it could help me too.

You see, I’ve been hearing snatches of conversations that my family would like to celebrate my coming birthday.  It’s kind of a landmark occasion…at my age of 80… at least to them! 

Kind of a surprise to me too.  (And it’s the “new 60” now, you know!)

It’s kind of cool actually because many years ago I had health issues that made me dread the thought of living on.  

But back to the present time… now I’m concerned that since I said I didn’t have any plans to celebrate, and didn’t want to… these folks might decide to have a surprise party for me.

Been there… done that.

My husband tried that once.

It was my fortieth birthday.

Somehow I caught on to the plans and wouldn’t leave the farm when everyone was trying to get it decorated.

Finally, one friend took me aside and explained the situation and got me out of there.

But I was steaming mad!

The roles are reversed.

Keep in mind that I love planning surprise parties for others!  But I don’t know why I thought they would like it any better than I did!

I had better remember that.

But being sneaky and doing something nice is really so much fun!

History shows…

Oh well.

I remember how much fun it was to celebrate birthdays when I was a youngster.

As a child you had occasions to look forward to - like the first day of school - because your friends were there and you were a big kid now.  Then you looked forward to graduating.  Then you looked forward to a new job.  Then maybe a family.  And then you retired and could have time for yourself.

But…

What is there to look forward to after that?

Seems like we should have something else to think about besides your funeral!

Well… right now I’ve got work to do, problems to solve and roses to smell.

Like this one…

OK - back to my first dilemma… my birthday.

What can I say to folks who ask me how I’m celebrating my birthday?

That I’m taking a trip?

But one where I can get home in time to feed horses?

So - I’m back to my first question: 

Do you know a good place for a “hideout”?

Along the way... by Rosie in the Cannon Falls Beacon.

"Chalk of the Town”

Although tormented by gray clouds and sporadic rainfall last Thursday, volunteers came out to fill in the chalk designs on downtown sidewalks by creative artist Jessi Woken of Cannon Falls.

Jessi explained that the “Chalk of the Town” event aims to be the “talk of the town” by encouraging the community to come downtown and play games like hopscotch or practice your dance steps, etc.

Organized by Woken’s creative services company; Mountain Owl Ink, LLC, participants are also encouraged to share their experiences on the event’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/ChalkCannonFalls and compete for prizes.

Volunteers working on the sidewalk games received a T-Shirt, art supplies and bottled water. (Although the rain dampened the need of the latter treat a bit!)

But the sun came out again!

So… “Let the games begin!”

"Chalk of the Town”

Although tormented by gray clouds and sporadic rainfall last Thursday, volunteers came out to fill in the chalk designs on downtown sidewalks by creative artist Jessi Woken of Cannon Falls.

Jessi explained that the “Chalk of the Town” event aims to be the “talk of the town” by encouraging the community to come downtown and play games like hopscotch or practice your dance steps, etc.

Organized by Woken’s creative services company; Mountain Owl Ink, LLC, participants are also encouraged to share their experiences on the event’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/ChalkCannonFalls and compete for prizes. Volunteers working on the sidewalk games received a T-Shirt, art supplies and bottled water. (Although the rain dampened the need of the latter treat a bit!)

But the sun came out again!
So… “Let the games begin!"

.

“Drug” or “Treatment” Court 

planned to address 

growing drug problem 

in Goodhue County

By Rosie Schluter

 

Trying to find a better way to handle the escalating drug problem in Goodhue County was addressed by Assistant Goodhue county attorney, Stephen O’Keefe, last week at the Cannon Falls Area TRIAD meeting at the Senior Center.

The proposal of a Drug or Treatment Court is being presented for a grant for financing.  O’Keefe’s information stated that these courts are highly effective in lowering recidivism rates, lowering costs to the county and increasing positive outcome.

It proposes to be a practical way to work with the problems that people are dealing with in their lives.  For example, they may have issues with their job… or not having a job… or their family and friends… or mental health issues… etc.

Some people need more help or supervision to manage their issues, O’Keefe explained.

The answer may be having a new type of court program.  Begun in 1989 in Miami, Florida it may be called a Problem Solving or Treatment court or just a Drug Court.

Purpose of the proposed court…

The purpose is to stop the cycle of drug use. Participants relate more closely to the judge and collaborate with other professionals in the field and the community.   

The number of controlled substance crimes is astounding.  It’s grown from 75 in 2010 to 313 in 2017.  Seventy-three percent in 2017 involved methamphetamines.  

According to the information given by O’Keefe, the problem not only affects the person under the influence but the result is that most of the children placed outside their homes are cases involving substance abuse.

Also, more than 80% of crimes committed are drug or alcohol related.

So what about treatment?  It appears that 3/4 of those referred to treatment either never enter or leave early.

The standard method of handling drug prosecution is to: arrest - charge - prosecute - sentence - and then have probation.  

The problem with this approach is that the process can take a long time.  It may be several months after the conviction that the person meets with an agent.

It may not be individualized - or as intensive - as some offenders need.

It may be slow to respond and adversarial in approach.

A new approach…

The new approach of a drug or treatment court will try to deal more effectively with other struggles the person may be having.  Like employment, housing, transportation, family, positive activities and mental health issues. 

Drug or Treatment Courts more closely monitor the defendant’s progress through ongoing treatment, frequent drug testing, regular mandatory check-in court appearances and other incentives to encourage change.

This means that the judge collaborates with other traditional court related personnel… like prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement, educational and vocational experts, community leaders, etc.  

The team approach involves community support with long term treatment, housing, employment, transportation, family, pro-social activities and co-occuring disorders.

The Treatment Court can differentiate on different problems being targeted.  Goodhue County is seeking one for adult drug offenders residing in Goodhue County.  This includes high risk/high need and repeat offenders.  Also non-violent offenders.

A grandmother in the audience shared her anguish when seeing her grandson on drugs.   

Representatives from different organizations were at the meeting like Common Ground, outpatient treatment services in Red Wing area and Angela Sedlicek, outreach representative from the office of second district congressman Jason Lewis.