Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that I get to relax as a legislator. Most legislators, including me, have other jobs. After the legislative session, the transition back to our regular jobs is challenging because so much work was delayed from session months to June and July.
This summer has been particularly busy dealing with constituent services. Maybe the most significant is the water problem experienced by citizens in Webster, Mn. About 50 residents in Webster shared a common well. Several years ago, a now defunct Ag-Cooperative caused a petroleum spill which contaminated the Prairie du Chien water table which was the primary source of water in Webster. Officials recommended that new wells be drilled, and they were. Unfortunately, the new wells were worse than the old. The water was black, high in manganese, iron, cyanide, radium, and Hydrogen Sulfied. The water from the new wells stained hair and tubs and smelled like rotten eggs. Pretty bad stuff.
A new coop purchase the property that caused the problem in the first place, and agreed to participate in the cleanup with the assistance of the State Petro Fund. After spending lots of money, the water was still bad, and things were moving slowly.
Citizens contacted me for help. About two months ago we reassembled experts from the Minnesota Pollution control Agency and the Health Department. They answered questions from citizens in the old town hall in Webster and promised to find, and pay for, a solution.
This week we met again for the third time to discuss 3 possible solutions. The implementation will still take some time, depending on further water test results. But, at least the people of Webster have the attention of State Officials. The MPCA and Health Department Officials have to be commended for their work. They spent much time and some late nights to address the concerns of people from Webster. I was glad to do a little “pushing” on behalf of my constituents. Hopefully, the solutions will come quickly.
In addition, I had to hire a new Legislative Assistant. His name is Peter Wienicki. When you see him, he’ll make quite an impression since he is 6 ft.9 in. tall. My former L.A., Ruslan Bocancea left to begin law school and because his work visa ran out. Ruslan does have a school visa so was able to stay in America if he attended school full time. I’ve learned much about our immigration laws working with Ruslan. I enourage people to get to know Peter as he now begins to learn more about District 25. He is a Political Science major from Hamline University.
There have been the parades, the county fairs (see pictures with the Sibley County Princesses below)
But, the Big event of the summer was my daughter Anne’s wedding. The wedding was in Northfield on July 7, 2007 ( Yup, that’s 7-7-07). Here are just a few pictures of the Big Event:
Two weeks ago, I attended the Annual Meeting of the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislators) in Boston. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet other legislators from around the country to discuss criminal justice, public safety, health care and other issues. Marilynn came along and we even had time for sight seeing a few of the Historical places in Boston.
Last week, Marilynn and I took some time off to travel to the Boundary Water Canoe Area (BWCA) in Northern Mn. with friends Tim and Sandy Morisette. The fishing was amazing. Marilynn won the fishing contest and provided plenty of “shore lunch” for everyone. Here are some pictures of our two trips.
