MY CHIPPEWA VALLEY
    Neil Gaiman isn’t one of the top three area authors? The Ahn Trio wasn’t one of the top three area musical performances? Mancino’s doesn’t make one of the three best subs? Huh. I like my Chippewa Valley better than other peoples.’

– Johnny Devlin, Eau Claire

MOMMY’S NOT DUMB
    I hope everyone enjoyed this past summer. Now the kids are coming back to green lawns at school. Those with the clout to have the lawn-watering stopped at our schools this summer again failed to take this issue seriously. Lake Shore and Sam Davey’s lawns were watered an average of 10 times per month this past summer. How many times did either cemetery get watered? When I and some of you were young, like little, we would sometimes tinkle the bed. Mom could always tell in the morning, because the bed sheets would have a big wet spot, plain to be seen. The new deal with the schools is, “We’ll still waste water, but we’ll just water in the middle of the night, and mommy will never know.” Well, each morning mommy checks to see if anyone has sprinkled the night before, and sure enough, we have those wet spots on the streets and sidewalks. Mommy’s not dumb. Here is hoping those responsible for having our school lawns watered all summer long will have grown-up by next summer and quit sprinkling!

– Ray Dwyer, Eau Claire