Opinion

To our city administrators and city government for providing a brush dump for our citizens to use.   To our city crews who work tirelessly and quickly to clear our streets and city parking of debris.   To all the people who haul their own branches, limbs, etc.  to the brush dump to lighten the load on the city crews and to get our town cleaned up asap.

Dear Editor,In these days of pandemic because people are staying home more, there is reason to be even more cautious, especially those of us over 65, of whom some are not as discerning as others. Scammers are having a heyday, so be aware for your elders and warn them not to give any personal information to strangers, unless they instigate the call to a reputable organization or someone they know.

Dear Editor, I own my home here in Vinton. I was born and raised here...taught school in Kansas until 2006...and returned home in May of 2007. It's a shame that a person who believes strongly in something cannot display a flag on their own property without it being stolen. My Black Lives Matter sign and holder was recently "stolen" from MY yard. I was in high school when Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Pastor Matt HantzBlessed Hope Community ChurchSeriously.  Knock it off!  At some point I’m starting to feel like a frustrated parent who wants to send 2020 to its room with no dinner. Covid-19, quarantines, missed school, cancelled sports seasons, demonstrations, riots, violence, fights over masks.  You name it – it seems to be going wrong.

There are times that I don't even know what to say. Today is one of them. For those that know me, you know that words are usually something I don't have trouble finding. As I drove through Benton County yesterday, I was shocked at the damage I saw. The further south I went the further my heart sank. The damage is devastating. Today I pulled into the gas station to see cars from Johnson and Linn County.

Dear Editor,I was very pleased to hear that Councilman Brian Parr expressed his concerns about the future of Vinton Veteran's Memorial Airport.  Brian truly understands the importance of a local airport for a community our size.  Most do not - or they haven't really thought about it. The Vinton Veterans Memorial Airport was founded in the mid-1960s by the City of Vinton.

I tend to trust, probably too much. I trust the elected officials to do the right thing, I trust the doctor to know what they are saying is best for me, I trust the mechanic, I trusted, well I'll stop there. This year there has been a push for everyone to vote by mail. Now if I were a conspiracy theorist, which I don't think I am, I just think sometimes believing everything I'm being told takes more faith then being an atheist.

Last week I had the unfortunate experience of walking out the door to see my car had been hit. An hour later, police report in hand, information exchanged I finally headed home. A day or so later I'm looking at my police report only to see that I was driving a Land Rover, yippee for me! It sounds like a decent car and I hear they are expensive, but I figured that perhaps I'd better put a call in and say, umm.

This was shared with Vinton Today in dedication to our Vinton-Shellburg Educators. Teachers, thanks for all that you do, for making the best of this new year. ---I believe in Iowa Educators!On behalf of the educators out there...this next quarter (and probably longer) starts a new chapter in public education. There is a huge learning curve that students, teachers, and district administrators will be navigating, yet again, together!As we embark on this thing called “eLearning or blended learning”, we are asking our Facebook friends to refrain from publicly scrutinizing their children’s teachers/schools/district for the way they are teaching, the lessons they’re assigning, or the decisions the districts are making.

Dear Editor,These are trying times for a lot of people.  There are families in our town wondering how they’re going to pay their rent/mortgage.  There are people wondering where their next meal is coming from.  Local businesses are wondering if they will ever reopen their doors. Even those that can make it through this week/month/year have no idea what is to come.