Feedback positive for stimulus

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 03 February 2009 14:00

I appreciate the positive feedback I have received on my stimulus package for Marion County.

If all 5,500 households in our county would shift even $100 per month to a local purchase versus an out-of-county purchase now being made, it would mean an additional $500,000 injected into our local economy, which would benefit everyone who lives here. Double that and it’s $ 1 million.

Let’s give it a shot.

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In the spirit of benefitting the local economy, the Free Press is introducing our Marion County Coupon Savings promotion, which will help make shopping here a very good thing.

Advertisers can qualify to run the coupons for free or at a reduced rate if certain threshholds are met with their regular advertising programs.

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A stimulus for our local economy

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 27 January 2009 14:17

We can’t do much about the bailout insanity going on in Washing­ton. Handing out billions with no oversight is just plain crazy. The mess is already made, so why compound it with throwing money at it without any assurance of it working—and it appears that it hasn’t so far.

We can’t control what is done on the national scene but we can control what is done locally.

I mentioned that I would be putting forth a stimulus package for Marion County and here is how it looks. These words shouldn’t be said out loud but I am doing it anyway.

If we wish to preserve our way of life in these parts there is only one answer: We must all make a pledge to buy everything possible from our local merchants. When there are no local merchants we...

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Stimulus will have to wait a bit

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 20 January 2009 14:09

I was going to write about my stimulus package for Marion County this week but too much happened during the past week. It will have to come later, although the time to put our brand of stimulation into action is right now.

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It was shocking to hear about the death of Norman Abrahams the day after Mom died. Norman and Ethel were good friends of my parents through the years and our families did many things together. Our hearts go out to the family at this time of tragedy.

Norman, an optometist in Hillsboro for many years, was a great person with an outgoing personality. We went on vacation/fishing trips to Minnesota a number of times and often skied behind the Abrahams boat at Marion County Lake.

The trip of all trips was the...

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I already miss my mentor

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 13 January 2009 14:11

This past Saturday was different than my Satur­days have been for nearly 19 years. After my dad died in May 1990, it was my routine to go see how my mom was doing and if she needed anything. It wasn’t duty—I really enjoyed seeing her because she had so much to share and it was fun.

Now that she’s gone, I feel a big hole already. We knew her life was ebbing away over the past few months and, although she was 93, I’m still not ready.

Her life was a journey and we all went along—including my sisters, brother and a host of close relatives and friends. We all have a perspective, and I am giving mine here.

I remember my mother as being strict but lenient at the same time. Strict when it came to obeying the rules but lenient when...

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