A short news item published in the Hutchinson Herald 120 years ago serves as a reminder of the well-known quote from philosopher George Santayana: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

I recently enjoyed a visit to Freeman to see my family and at the request of my daughter, we toured the Freeman High School. Sophia, who will be entering her Sophomore year in a high school of nearly 1,900 students, was curious about her cousin Ella’s experience in a small-town school.

I would like to address the issue of the traffic on our local roads. I realize there is a lot of work being done on county roads and township roads and I know it’s overdue. I understand the increase of traffic on local and county roads. I wonder if there is not a way to get the word out about the time and use of the engine brake that seems to become a toy for some drivers, in empty trailers, the use of the engine brakes is unnecessary and with the illegal exhausts on most of those trucks it creates a menace.

We have been thrilled to welcome visitors to Heritage Hall Museum & Archives after the year-long lull resulting from Covid-19. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a steady stream of guests, with representation from Alabama to Arizona and many places in-between.

Dear editor, Thank you for the wonderful picture of Trey Maske with the channel catfish in last week’s Courier (5-Minute Interview; page 6A). I have clipped it so that I have a reminder of why Lyle thought it was so important that the Arboretum exists and that it have ponds for both nature and people to enjoy. 

Yes, it makes sense to hold off on a new wrestling facility and youth ballfields until more information can be obtained, but it also makes sense to wait given the change in leadership at Freeman Public that is now just weeks away.

When considering all that the Freeman community is and has to offer, the pillars on which it stands are pretty obvious: Faith. Service. Health care. Agriculture. Industry. Retail. Education. Recreation. Freeman continues to do well as a small rural community because it has paid attention to — and nurtured — those key elements that make for good living, and the future looks bright because of it.

We live in the country and not the fine city of Freeman, so I’m kind of butting in here. I see you are considering an ordinance regarding parking of vehicles on lawns. Since I live in the country, I don’t quite get it, but would have you consider one issue. I have spoken with friends who do live in Freeman and heard their frustrations with snow plowing.

Freeman Police Chief Scott Brewer and the city of Freeman are correct to assess speed control in this town, but it’s also up to individuals to take responsibility to be careful out there — especially during these busy summer months.

Of the 27 amendments to the United States Constitution, none can claim the title of “Most Divisive” quite like the Second Amendment can. Those oh-so ambiguous words — “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”— have spurred passionate debate fueled by personal experience over gun control for decades (U.S. Const. amend. II).