Bulletin letters to the editor: Walmart, crime prevention board

Talk about it

Walmart could mean more local business

I see several people wrote letters about the Cottage View Drive-In — one from Shakopee, one from California. I wonder how many times a year they attend. For people who go once a year or not at all it’s strange they’re against closing.

If you want to see the future look at the drive-in across from Stillwater at Houlton, Wis. The screen is full of holes and there are weeds out front. It’s not beautiful.

As far as Walmart goes, they attract people and other business. It’s true you can drive to Walmart in Hastings or Woodbury, and people who do probably stop to fill cars with gas or go to a restaurant to eat or do some other shopping. This is all business that could have stayed in Cottage Grove if we had a Walmart here. For those who don’t like Walmart, don’t go. For those of us who like Walmart, let us have one.

Charles Johnson

Cottage Grove

Recycle clothes and help local crime board

The Cottage Grove Crime Prevention Board, with the support of Yocum Oil, will have its first-ever clothing drive on May 5 as part of the annual spring cleanup day at the Cottage Grove Public Works facility. As long as you are doing spring cleaning, why not include your old shoes and clothing and help give back to your community?

The Cottage Grove Crime Prevention Board was formed about 30 years ago to promote a safe community. Some of the projects the crime board has taken on include funding for the Cottage Grove Police Department K9, Night to Unite, Summer Safety Camp, Adopt a Road, rewards for the arrest and conviction of people committing crimes, as well as the Youth Service Bureau’s START Program.

In 2011, a joint project with Yocum Oil enabled the crime board to purchase six protective vests for Cottage Grove Police Reserves. Yocum Oil is a family-owned company with nine Holiday convenience stores around the Twin Cities, including Cottage Grove. Yocum has a clothes drop container at the Holiday store on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and East Point Douglas Road in Cottage Grove. Yocum will donate a certain dollar amount per pound of clothing to the crime board for the specific purpose of purchasing protective vests for our reserve officers.

As with many nonprofit organizations the crime board is only able to complete its mission with the generous support of your donations. In 2012 the crime board adopted a new project and is working to raise funds for a speed monitor trailer. This trailer will be used by both the Public Safety and Public Works departments. The trailer monitors traffic, will provide traffic and road updates to drivers and will be used for special event notices.

The crime board, Yocum Oil, Cottage Grove Public Safety and Public Works departments will be promoting a clothes drop to help support these projects at the May 5 cleanup. So, mark your calendar to recycle household items, hazardous materials, electronics and your clothing/shoes and help support your local community.

If you cannot make the May 5 clothes drop, you can always drop off clothes and shoes at the green and white clothes container located at the Holiday store on East Point Douglas Road and Jamaica Avenue.

For more information about the crime board go to cgcrimeboard.org or contact us at www.contact@cgcrimeboard.org.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jim Neuenfeldt

Neuenfeldt is president of the Cottage Grove Crime Prevention Board

Tags: updates, opinion, letters