To the Editor:
Over 18 volunteers from Minnesota, two from Carver County, have been de-ployed to join the 1,000 other American Red Cross volunteers from across the country providing assistance to victims in eight states suffering from ruinous tor-nadoes.
Four Emergency Response Vehicles from Red Cross Chapters in Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester, and Minneapolis raced to the affected areas to join other response vehicles from across the nation to provide on-site feeding and distribute relief supplies.
The American Red Cross has mobil-ized personnel, food, water, and other supplies for immediate disaster relief.  Fourteen shelters have been opened and services are being provided to help families locate loved ones feared missing or dead.
The American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund depends on donations from the American public.
LaVonne Kroell
American Red Cross
Carver County Chapter, MN

To the Editor:
Thank you to Victoria for the beautiful hockey arena.  I'm a Waconia hockey grandma.
Emily Honebrink
Waconia, Minnesota

To the Editor:
In case you have not heard, JoAnn Schulz is hospitalized at Abbot North-western with some rather extensive surgery.  Please add her to your prayer list, and continue to keep Jerry Maas there as well; he's in another round of chemo.  And Thelma Schwalbe, who fell last weekend, has been hospitalized.  Esther Krey's condition can also use prayers, and Don Karg continues heart therapy.  World peace is another great thing to be at prayer about too.
Peace and blessings.
Pastor Frank Jones
Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:
Hi.  I was wondering if anyone can tell me why the grass along County Road #11, from Highway 5 south to at least Deer Run, is dead.  This is the new sod that was laid down after the road con-struction.
Steve Wanninger
Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:
Citing the city's "stable financial operations" and its "sound and growing" reserves, Moody's Investors Service has assigned a rating of A3 to the City of Victoria (MN) $2,720,000 General Obli-gation Tax Increment Bonds of 2003.  Moody's has also affirmed its A3 rating of the city's outstanding parity debt of $7 million.
The city's population has increased by 71% since the 1990 census, while its tax base has realized an average annual valuation increase of 16.% over the last five years.
Moody's rating assignment of A3 reflects the city's strong population and tax base growth as well as its proximity to Minneapolis and St. Paul. 
Additional factors cited by Moody's include:  the city's above average rate of debt retirement, with 66.6% of all public debt retired within 10 years; the median home value of $228,700 is at the high end of the growth spectrum; and the availabili-ty of land readily developed suggests that strong population and tax base growth will continue for the foreseeable future.
Jonathan Heimarck
Northland Securities, Inc.