Last Monday – a crisp, sunny day in all of its October glory – was a celebration of public lands and their importance to all of us who spend time outdoors.

The day started by meeting up with Kristi Coughlon, an information officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Bemidji, and her hunting dogs Cokie and Bennett.

Cokie, a yellow Lab, is named after Cokie Roberts, the American journalist, author and commentator who died in 2019; Bennett, a griffon, is so-named for Detective Joan Bennett from the “Bosch” TV crime series.

Kristi Coughlon, an information officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Bemidji, Minn., fastens a bell onto the collar of Cokie, her yellow Lab, on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, before a morning grouse hunt on a Hunter Walking Trail in the Beltrami Island State Forest. (Brad Dokken / Forum News Service)

The first leg of this October celebration brought us to a couple of Hunter Walking Trails in Beltrami Island State Forest to try to flush up a ruffed grouse or two. The second leg – and the real reason for our Northwoods rendezvous – was to venture even farther east to mark the dedication of a new wildlife management area along the Rainy River between Baudette and International Falls, Minn.

The 280-acre Lessard-Anderson State Wildlife Management Area is named after former state Sen. Bob Lessard of International Falls and Bob Anderson, former mayor of “The Falls,” who died unexpectedly in 2019. Good friends, the two men were leaders in northern Minnesota conservation circles. Lessard played a vital role in passing the legislation that created the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, which Minnesota voters approved in November 2008 to provide dedicated funding for fish and wildlife habitat, parks and trails and the arts. Anderson served as chairman of the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which allocates Legacy Amendment dollars through the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The new WMA, just off State Highway 11 about 35 miles west of International Falls, includes 1.6 miles of Rainy River shoreline that is now available for public use and wildlife habitat.

Pheasants Forever purchased the land for $800,000 from the Molpus Woodlands Group, which managed the site, and sold it to the DNR to establish the WMA.

Critics might wonder why an outdoors writer from Grand Forks, N.D., ventures all the way over to the Rainy River to attend the dedication of a wildlife management area. Fair question, that, but the main reason was to pay tribute to Lessard, now 94, who was on hand for the celebration, attended by upwards of 50 people.

I’ve known Lessard for years, first during his tenure in the Minnesota Legislature, while writing stories about such issues as wolf management, right to hunt and fish legislation (which he also spearheaded) and dedicated outdoors funding.

More recently, I’ve fished with Lessard at his camp on Otukamamoan (Trout) Lake in northwestern Ontario on a number of occasions. He guided right up until his late 80s and still spends summers at the camp with his son Brett, who now oversees the place.

It seemed only fitting that I make the trip to pay tribute to a man I also consider a friend.

Plus, you can do a lot worse than a crisp October day in northern Minnesota.

The Hunter Walking Trails that Coughlon and I explored to start the day were new to both of us, but we didn’t have to worry about trespassing or being somewhere we weren’t supposed to be. The trails were signed and mowed and offered what looked like good ruffed grouse habitat.

The birds apparently thought so, too. Even though we didn’t end the morning with any birds in the bag, we flushed one ruffie (and may have heard another) on the first trail and flushed five more birds on the second.

For the first time all year, the woods actually smelled like fall. To me, the earthy aroma of decaying leaves is the smell of October.

The dedication, which didn’t start until 4 p.m., included representatives from Pheasants Forever, the Minnesota DNR, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and other partners. Lessard and Anderson’s wife, Carol, along with other members of their families, also attended.

Sabin Adams, Minnesota state coordinator for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, said people might wonder why Pheasants Forever is involved with a project in northern Minnesota, where there are no pheasants, but the conservation group’s mission statement says “we conserve pheasants and other wildlife,” he said.

The Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program, which provides state funding for conservation work, also played a key role, Adams said.

“Pheasants Forever buys this property, (and) the Minnesota DNR then buys it from Pheasants Forever,” Adams said. “Well, where did this all come from? If you look around at all the license plates on all the vehicles in here, there’s a whole bunch of them that have a loon, a pheasant, a deer, etc.

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“That’s your RIM dollars at work supporting this effort, and so we used those RIM funds with the Minnesota DNR to purchase this property and make it happen. This didn’t just happen because of Pheasants Forever and the Minnesota DNR, it happened because the citizens of Minnesota care about this sort of thing.”

As a result, everyone now has access to 1.6 miles of riverfront property along the Rainy River. That, in itself, is remarkable.

So it went on a crisp day in October, a day of enjoying – and celebrating – public lands.

Helping a little girl get home

I was walking with my granddaughter on a recent Friday evening when a police vehicle pulled up. Two large and meticulously uniformed officers exited the vehicle along with a tiny girl wearing a white tutu. As if they stepped out of a Norman Rockwell illustration, one officer took the girl’s hand and continued down down the street while the other officer walked over to me. He asked if I knew the girl, whom they found wandering alone. “No one has reported her missing,” he said. “But she keeps pointing down this street.” He then drove the car down another block and then another while his partner caught up with the little girl in tow.

My granddaughter never took her eyes off the little girl even as the trio became a blur. Later, she breathlessly told her dad that policemen were helping the girl find her home.

I couldn’t help but think about all the abuse police officers must endure doing a job that I could never do; in an environment of constant confrontation. And yet these two men were focused on a very simple act of kindness — helping this little girl get home.

Tom Collins. St. Paul

 

Bikes, bikes, bikes. What about business?

I attended the St. Paul mayoral election forum on Monday evening. It was great to be able to put a face with a name when thinking about the candidates. Sadly after seeing and hearing the candidates I do not feel very hopeful that St. Paul will be moving forward in a better direction come Nov. 5.

Tane Danger did a good job trying to get the panel to give concrete answers to questions on how they would solve the issues that seem to be on the minds of people — taxes, crime and the homeless. Strangely, the topic that three of the five candidates all had strong feelings about was the Summit Avenue Bike Trail.

Adam Dullinger seems to be a one-issue guy. He seems to think life will be better when we are all on bikes. I am guessing he has never packed up a few kids with hockey gear and put them on a bike to get to practice. He also used bad language to spew out a snarky comment.

Mayor Carter thinks kids don’t care about getting their driver’s license anymore.The teens I know and their parents are all thrilled to have a driver’s license. Of course there are the 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds who prefer more of a grab-and-go system of car-jacking and crashing. Kaohly Her brought up the race issue — where the bike trails are. Mike Hilborn and Yan Chen both said more important issues need to be dealt with.

Hilborn was the only candidate to talk about the business climate in St. Paul, the empty buildings and what we need to do to attract and keep businesses in the city to help with the tax burden on our citizens.

At the end of the evening I felt like we will probably have a great bike path out to the suburbs so we can visit all the smart people who have left the city for lower taxes and less crime.

Joan Barrett, St. Paul

 

A whopping $436,000

Recently, officials from the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County were busy patting themselves on the back as they announced the construction of 11 new homes in St. Paul. The price tag for these 11 homes is $4.8 million. For those who don’t do math, that’s a whopping $436,000 per unit. For that price, you may be wondering if these are single family homes with lakefront views and sprawling back yards. Nope. These are 11 highly subsidized, “deeply affordable” townhome units being built in the St. Paul public housing projects. I guess $4.8 million doesn’t buy as much as it used to, especially when our government is the one spending our tax dollars.

Cheryl Hanzlik, St. Paul

 

Try earnest money

We who walk the streets of Lowertown, and see the dearth of merchants, have a suggestion which would bring back businesses to our city.  We see one of the reasons stores move out is that stealing is too lucrative for thieves and the homeless. The following ideas are presented for businesses like grocery stores, drug stores, hardware stores, etc., businesses in which a buyer has in mind at least one certain thing to buy.

Consider this: The buyer enters the store and gives $5 to the employee at the window, who then gives the customer one ticket which is good only for that day for that store. Then the employee lets the customer go through the turnstile. Upon leaving the store, having something to buy, he presents the  $5 coupon and it is credited to the total purchase price. If the customer does not find what he is looking for, and therefore does not bring anything to the cashier, the customer gives the ticket to the cashier and is given a choice of something from the store which is less than $5 in value. The $5 is not returned to the customer. But note: The $5 must be cash, not credit card. We believe that the $5 earnest fee, the turnstile, and the knowledge that if you don’t buy something, you won’t get the $5 back will separate thieves from dedicated shoppers. And businesses will come back to the downtown because their profit margins will increase.

Judith Lagowski, St. Paul

 

Step up and pay attention

So much of what is taking place today is rooted in our history. This country has been divided by many issues in the past, but, I believe, this is the first time the division has progressed to a point where there is no longer any civil discourse to resolve differences. We see a Congress that is weak, a Justice Department that is becoming an arm of Executive Office bullying, and a president who is bent on revenge for perceived wrongs.

In FDR’s first inaugural address, he stated “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Dwight Eisebhower, in his farewell address to the  country in January 1961, warned us to beware of placing too much power upon the military/industrial complex in our country because “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist”. Ronald Reagan, in his inaugural address of January, 1981, stated “in this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem”.

Thus we have arrived at our present state of strife. We have lost our common values and life has become survival mode for a lot of people. The fact that the Executive Branch of the U.S. government has made the other two branches totally ineffective should make us all weep. Where are our leaders? Where are all the good people when we so desperately need them? I am old so my only form of protest is writing letters. I beg everyone to step up and pay attention. When U.S. troops are sent out against U.S. citizens, when the president uses the government shutdown to fire people, refuse payment of congressionally approved funding, using the power of his office to personally enrich himself and attack perceived enemies, we are in danger … all of us, of losing everything this country used to stand for. God help us.

Carole Mulcahy, South St. Paul

 

What’s the truth?

The American Rescue Plan enacted in 2021 eliminated the income cap for those whose income was between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. A family of three making $103,280 and a family of four making $124,800 were now getting subsidies for healthcare. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act extended those subsidies through 2025.

We were told these pieces of legislation were passed to protect people during Covid. Democrats passed these bills with little help from Republicans. Are we now being told these subsidies should be permanent? Are the people now on these subsidies not able to get insurance through their employer?

Also we are being told no undocumented are receiving healthcare benefits. During Biden’s first three years, 197,000 asylum seekers were brought into the United States. These asylum seekers are allowed to receive benefits including Medicaid. Until June of 2025, undocumented aliens were able to access Minnesota Care; this state program as of June 15 will no longer enroll new undocumented adults. Do we or don’t we use tax dollars for these programs?

Ramona Jwanouskos, White Bear Lake

 

Flawed reasoning

I found the Bloomberg editorial (Oct. 9) regarding the government shutdown well-written, highlighting the issues on both sides of the political spectrum. However, the suggested solution is seriously flawed. To believe that President Trump would commit to good-faith negotiations over the health-care impasse is quite naïve. The definition of good-faith is “honest and sincere intention.” These are not personality traits seen in our current president. Until our elected politicians agree to compromise on the issues our country faces, no solution can be achieved. Compromise is essential in a representative democracy.

Doug Heroff, Shoreview

 

Making us pay

Let me get this straight.  China has been buying billions of dollars worth of soybeans from U.S. farmers for years. President Trump put large tariffs on China, so they took their soybean purchases elsewhere. Now Trump is spending billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to offer subsidies to our farmers (but not nearly enough to compensate for their losses). This is about as illogical as anything else this administration has done.

Alan Miller, Eagan

 

Time for a change in St. Paul

Thanks to Fred Melo for his recent article, “Some prominent groups are sitting out mayor’s race.”

As someone who is constantly asking St. Paul neighbors and friends their thoughts on the mayor’s race, the overriding response relates less to Melvin Carter’s performance but rather focuses on the need that after eight years, it’s time for a change in leadership.

For the past several years, there has been a slow drip of challenging news coming out of St. Paul, much of it related to downtown’s central core and the Midway area. There are voices saying the downward spiral is slowing down or getting better. The problem is that many of us are not feeling that the city is getting better.

This election is a great opportunity to start with fresh energy to manage our many challenges. For many, Kaohly Her is a great option based on her leadership background, her existing relationships and her collaborative management style. Her strong ties to the State Capitol are certainly a hopeful piece in solving some of the many challenges facing the city.

And lastly, a Kaohly Her mayoral term would be making history by electing our first female mayor in our 170-plus-year history.

Ron Zweber, St. Paul

 

Don’t run again, Gov. Walz

As  one who has supported, donated to, and voted for Gov. Walz twice (three times if the vice  presidency is counted), I would urge him to retract his decision to run again for an unprecedented third four-year term and allow some other, better-situated Democrat to seek the office.

The governor has, in my opinion, done an admirable  job over the past nearly seven years, notwithstanding a number of flaws  and setbacks, some of them endemic  to the governmental  process. However, it is feared that neither he nor his party fully appreciates the deep resentment that exist toward them and the difficulty he will have overcoming some of the cutting-edge issues, particularly the massive fraudulent losses the  state has experienced. Recent polling reflects his approval rating equal to disapproval, and outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area his esteem is dismal and might not be overcome by traditionally low turnout in the metro area in non-presidential election years.

If the Republicans, contrary to their recent experience, put forward  a candidate without excessive MAGA baggage, the party stands a better-than-even chance of recapturing the governorship for the first time in 16 years and, perhaps, winning some other state constitutional offices and majority positions In both houses of the legislature as well.

The DFL will be best off with a new aspirant leading the ticket, like the highly competent Secretary of State Steve Simon, who seems eager to replace Walz. He’s got some name recognition, having won convincingly in multiple statewide races and is not tainted by the pervasive and perverse fraud that may be central in the campaign.

Another possibility is R.T. Rybak, the former three-term Minneapolis mayor who has been capably heading the huge charitable Minneapolis Foundation.

But the DFL might put its best-foot forward with a non-government candidate with substantial and successful experience in the business world, if any such candidate exist.

Since Walz probably will not step aside now that he tossed his hat in the ring, it’s getting late for a strong, credible newcomer to mount a challenge in the caucus process coming up in four months and the ensuing endorsement convention this spring.

Incidentally,  Gov. Walz and his two-term DFL predecessor Mark Dayton both were initially selected in primary elections after not receiving the endorsements at the party’s conventions, which might be the path to follow for a fresh, telegenic, down-to-business face in order to avoid the significant possibility  of a Republican victory and, perhaps, an electoral sweep next November.

So many choices, so little time.

Marshall H. Tanick, Minneapolis

 

Exhilarating, beautiful noise

I feel compelled to taint Ross Raihala’s negative review of “A Beautiful Noise.” I saw it the other night and couldn’t disagree more strongly. Ross reluctantly admitted that it was worth going to the production for the songs. All of the music was incredible and the singers and dancers had the audience electrified. But Mr. Raihala dwelled on what he referred to as “gloomy, morose therapy scenes.” I felt that thread wove the whole story together perfectly and explained Neil Diamond’s struggles with childhood, loneliness and superstardom. Without the insightful therapy scenes, it would’ve simply been a fabulous Neil Diamond concert.

The entire package was a wonderful Neil Diamond love letter. I, and the entire audience, left the theater singing “Sweet Caroline,” completely exhilarated by “A Beautiful Noise.”

Laurie Platt, St. Paul

 

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The worst thing

The worst thing that happened to the Twins this season was when the Pohlads decided NOT to sell.

J.G. Corbett, Forest Lake

The Gophers football program picked up a commitment from Wisconsin prep athlete Lamont Hamilton on Sunday.

Hamilton, who is listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds, plays receiver and defensive back at St. Catherine’s High School in Racine, Wis. He visited Minnesota for the 27-20 win over Purdue on Saturday.

“I would like to thank Coach (Nick) Monroe, Coach (P.J.) Fleck and the rest of the Minnesota staff for this amazing opportunity,” Hamilton wrote on X. “I am extremely excited to announce that I have committed to the University of Minnesota.”

Hamilton, who does not yet have a star rating, has other offers from Illinois State, Kent State, Northern Iowa and Western Illinois. The Gophers offered Hamilton a scholarship in January, while the in-state Badgers have not offered.

Hamilton is the 25th overall commitment in the Gophers 2026 recruiting class.

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A cosmetic, magnifying mirror isn’t necessary to see the blemishes on the face of the Gophers football team’s two Big Ten wins.

They come with two ugly sore spots: blocking breakdowns continue to hinder the running game, and a plague of missed tackles routinely has set back the defense.

But Minnesota improved to 2-1 in Big Ten play on Saturday with a come-from-behind, 27-20 homecoming win over Purdue. The U did it primarily by taking care of the football (plus-three turnover margin) and being more disciplined (six fewer penalties) than the Boilermakers.

Minnesota defensive back Koi Perich (3) takes an interception into the end zone for a touchdown against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Purdue outgained Minnesota by nearly 200 yards, and possessed the ball for nine more minutes, but the U’s 10 points off turnovers were instrumental at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck was asked postgame about the stat imbalance making for an odd game.

“(That’s) college football,” he replied. “You check the scores today? Gophers won, right? That is all I care about. It was a pretty crazy day in college football. We were 1-0. We found a way to win.”

Fans don’t have to leave the Big Ten to have their eyes grow wide over some of the scores this weekend. On Friday, Rutgers — the Gophers’ other conference win — gave away another game in a  38-19 loss to Washington.

Then on Saturday, preseason national title contender Penn State fell to 0-3 in conference play with a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern; USC ran past then-No. 15 Michigan 31-13; UCLA continued its resurgence from an 0-4 start with a 38-13 win over Michigan State; and then-No. 7 Indiana went west to beat third-ranked Oregon 30-20.

Yet the most lopsided Big Ten game of the weekend was Wisconsin’s 37-0 homecoming loss to Iowa on Saturday night. It was the Badgers’ first home shutout since 1980.

There are plenty of ways to discount the Gophers’ 4-2 start. Its two conference wins are against teams with a combined 0-6 Big Ten record, and its nonconference loss to California on Sept. 13 looks worse as the Bears lost two of its next three. But things in Dinkytown are nowhere near as bad as what’s going on in Madison, Wis.

Purdue tight end Rico Walker, top, leaps over Minnesota defensive back Jai’Onte’ McMillan (24) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

“That’s as low as it can be,” head coach Luke Fickell said as the Badgers fell to 2-4 overall, 0-3 in Big Ten play. “I apologize. I apologize to our guys to not be ready, to not have them ready. I’m dumbfounded in a lot of ways, but that’s my job. This is a game that we’ve been talking about since January.”

Members of the Badgers defense were reportedly doing 42 pushups after every spring practice to remind them of the Hawkeyes’ 42-10 win in Iowa City last season. The Hawkeyes then trolled Wisconsin on X after Saturday’s game with a video of Bucky doing a pushup and the caption: “37 more.”

Back in 2023, Fickell was considered a great hire after taking Cincinnati to the four-team College Football Playoff after the 2021 season. But his Wisconsin record has fallen to 15-17 overall and 8-13 in Big Ten games. And it’s going to get tougher for Wisconsin, with No. 1 Ohio State and Oregon up next.

Given the gloom, Fickle was asked Saturday if he can still do the job.

“I don’t fault you for asking,” Fickell responded to a reporter. “I don’t think people should think anything different. But the truth of the matter is this is not an easy fix. We’ve got a hell of a long way to go.”

If the Badgers determine Fickell is no longer the coach to lead them, they will owe him a buyout around $27 million, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That would be one of the biggest buyouts in the history of college football behind Texas A&M shelling out $77 million to Jimbo Fisher in 2023.

While it might be easy for the Gophers to feel a little schadenfreude over what is happening next door, the only Big Ten result the Gophers should really care about is Nebraska’s 34-31 comeback win at Maryland. The Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) will come to Minnesota as a 5.5-point favorite for the Friday night kickoff.

If the Gophers don’t create more in the running game and tackle better on defense, Nebraska will likely snap a five-game losing streak in the series.

And there’s still five more games apiece for Minnesota and Wisconsin until the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Nov. 29.

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