Author: Letter to Editor

After reading the story of the Eden Prairie basketball coach’s suspension and then doing a little research on what actually happened, I am extremely disappointed in the overreaction of the school administration and school board. Coach Flom, a very successful coach, who has always had a great rapport with his students, was in the process of attempting to help students understand the long-term consequences of placing improper words on social media. He used the example of a word that a coach from another team had used when that coach was a teenager, and many years later was fired when someone…

I start with the assumption that it is important that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the global economy. From that starting point, it’s natural to wonder whether afforestation (plant 1T trees!) works better than expanding nuclear power or reducing the use of coal. Or how about improving energy efficiency in buildings? Or putting a price on carbon? Or population reduction? One of the most user-friendly computer tools for understanding climate policy is called En-ROADS, developed by Climate Interactive, the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative and Ventana Systems. It’s free. You don’t need to install an app, you…

I was appalled by the baby killing bill that was recently introduced in the Minnesota Legislature, even horrified when I learned that it was introduced by a member from our town, Eden Prairie. Thankfully, Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn doesn’t represent my district, but it’s a little too close for comfort. America has killed over 63 million pre-born babies since 1973, averaging over 128,000,000 per year. Isn’t that enough? Many of those pregnancies were terminated because of “wrong” genders or coming at an inconvenient time. If the doctors determine that the mother’s health is in danger and one of the two lives has…

In 2016, I co-founded the nonprofit Minnesota Firefighter Initiative after seeing too many firefighters confront cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer diagnoses during my time as Eden Prairie Fire Chief. The goal was to help firefighters identify their elevated risks for cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer health issues and to be a resource for firefighter wellness. It’s a mission I believed in then, and one I still volunteer my time for now because we’re seeing so many lives changed. Last year, all that work was translated into the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, the most comprehensive firefighter well-being legislation in the nation.…

Editor’s note: This letter to the editor was written in response to a Jan. 6 EPLN story in which Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann shared his thoughts on the 2022 election and the current political climate. From the EPLN interview: “[David] Hann believes that the DFL won the 2022 election in Minnesota by convincing the undecided voters that Republican candidates, particularly Scott Jensen, the GOP candidate for governor, would ban abortion.” Really? That dastardly DFL tried to “convince” voters Jensen would ban abortion? Let’s see what Scott Jensen, GOP nominee, really said: “I would try to ban abortion …There…

As a mom of two recent EPHS graduates, I depend on my Minnesota state representative to understand the issues of our area and the challenges facing parents.    Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn is a young mom with 10 years in Eden Prairie, has four kids with her husband, and has been very active in community life. There are so few young moms in the legislature, and yet their policies affect parents every day.    Please join me in voting for Carlie. Melanie Willett, Eden Prairie

We are supporting the reelection of Kathy Nelson for Eden Prairie City Council. Kathy has worked to keep Eden Prairie the best place to live with a great quality of life, funding current levels of service while keeping taxes as low as possible. She has been instrumental in supporting an energy-efficient infrastructure. Kathy understands and supports the needed funding of our police, fire and community safety needs to ensure a safe community for all.   We value Kathy’s experience on the City Council. She has provided leadership in a variety of roles in community organizations and understands the needs to keep Eden Prairie a strong,…

I will vote in favor of both ballot questions regarding funding for Eden Prairie schools. My daughter is currently an elementary-age student in Eden Prairie Schools. I want her and her friends to continue to receive excellent instruction from excellent teachers. I want to ensure class sizes do not increase and I want the district to maintain and build on the excellent learning opportunities that are now available to all students. Eden Prairie has a great school district and we should all want to keep it that way. The cost is small – less than a weekly cup of coffee!…

We need help! Hard-working Eden Prairie families are experiencing record inflation, higher gas prices, an unstable economy, rampant rising violent crime rates and have received no answers from our current failed state representative. Clearly, things are on the wrong track. Help can come when Thomas Knecht is elected state representative. Thomas is our hope for helping reduce the partisan divide, re-prioritizing public safety and protecting our rights. Help your friends and neighbors, your community and your state by voting for Thomas Knecht for state representative. Jerry Knickerbocker, Eden Prairie

The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce is releasing its endorsements for this year’s elections: MN House of Representatives – Thomas Knecht The Eden Prairie Chamber is the voice of our local businesses and works hard to ensure we have a strong economy. As businesses are faced with high inflation, rebounding from the pandemic and dealing with issues like worker shortages, supply chain issues and rising costs, the Eden Prairie Chamber knows we need strong leaders with a good understanding of these issues to help support our businesses, their employees and the community. Based on his background, experience and positions on how…