Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune It seems like it has been “spring” for months.  Lake Minnewaska was officially ice free on Wednesday, March 13, making it the earliest ice-out date since records began in 1906. Although we’ve had cooler weather in April, the spring-like weather started in late February and March…. Read More

Reminded of the difference between hero and counterfeit From Todd Guggisberg, Starbuck We tend to throw the word, ‘Hero’ around a lot lately in America. John R. Stone’s editorial about Senator John McCain in the April 22nd edition, should remind all of us of what a genuine person of character, commitment and patriotism looks like…. Read More

Stoneage Ramblings By John R. Stone Most of you probably haven’t been paying much attention to what is going on with professional golf but there have been some changes and more may be on the way. I’m not sure I like them. The Professional Golf Association (PGA) has been the leading organization in professional golf for… Read More

The Outdoors By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist Minnesota fishing opener is just right around the corner. This special day will have more Minnesotan’s out and about than any other outdoor opening day. The season opens at 12:01 on May 11. The season for pan fish stays open year-round but for walleyes and other game fish, there… Read More

View From The Cab By David Tollefson, Columnist While many of us are (or should be) concerned about spring cleaning, Paul Malchow, managing editor of THE LAND magazine, in the April 12 issue, covers a multitude of issues for us farmers and rural area residents. I’ll attempt to highlight a few of what I thought were pertinent… Read More

Growing Green By Robin Trott, Extension Educator Have you noticed circular patches of greener grass in your lawn? It’s not uneven fertilizer but fungi feeding on decomposing matter like old tree stumps, leaves or roots, releasing nitrogen. This phenomenon is called a fairy ring. Fairy rings are circular areas of abnormal turf growth, commonly found in… Read More

View From a Prairie Home by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist I sit here at my desk. I put my desk in front of the window so I could overlook the prairie. No houses or cars block my view. There is nature. Only nature. My dear husband seeded the prairie behind our house to rye last year, because we… Read More

From Where I Sit By Pat Spilseth, Columnist My world is blooming with color! Spring is sprouting blossoms of color throughout the country weeks earlier than normal. The grass is green; the lake is open; bulbs are budding. We’re thinking about turning off our furnace! Temperatures are almost balmy. Recent rain showers are easing the drought we’ve… Read More

Publisher’s Perspective By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune I’m an advocate of community journalism and especially newspapers. Okay, that’s probably from Captain Obvious, but needed to be said. Newspapers, we’re told over and over, are a dying breed.  And those who own or work at them are sometimes referred to as “relics.”  We’re… Read More

Minnewaska Musings By Paul Gremmels  Have you ever wished that someone would have invented  “Clap-on/Clap-off”  Long Johns by now?  I have. Especially for spring weather in Minnesota. I mean, you obviously keep your house warm when the outside temperatures are cold. And you also dress accordingly when going outside in cold temperatures. But the going between… Read More