To the Editor:
Okay, the Gazette has been out for a couple weeks now and it's time for you to put your thinking cap on for next month.  I just had a closing with John and Ellen Kerber for the sale of their home and pur-chase of a townhome.  They chose KleinBank as their lender. Jeff Takala came to the closing to make sure all finan-cing was in place.
Ellen and I were talking about how wonderful it is to have the personal ser-vice of a small town bank available to us.  Then I said we should email Sue and thank Jeff in your letters to the editor about how great Jeff was to be there.
Then Ellen said, "Let's write a column," about the benefits of working locals.  So I said, "I'll ask Sue for her thoughts."
So what do you think?  The Victoria State Bank, and all of their other banks, just changed their name to KleinBank so some people might wrongly interpret that to be "big and impersonal."
Have you got any comments about how we could tell this happy story?
Nan Emmer
Coldwell Banker Burnet
Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:
My name is Michelle Johnson.  I will start working at Valley Family Practice with Dr. Willey this April in Chaska and, after reading your paper, I thought I would contact you.  In my hometown, the public health nurse writes occasional articles about various medical topics.
If you are interested in that kind of article, I would love to contribute to your paper.  I thought I could start with some safe topics like immunizations, car seats, skin care for summer, then work up to colon cancer screening or gun safety.
I obviously would be open to any suggestions for topics you thought the community wanted to hear about.  I could probably contribute once a month.
I don't have a lot of experience in newspaper writing, but I have a lot of teaching experience and medical training.  If you are interested, I could put together a writing sample.  I look forward to hearing from you.
Michelle Lea Johnson, M.D.
Chaska, Minnesota

To the Editor:
Hi, Sue.  Congratulations on your new grandson plus 25 years of doing the Victoria Gazette.  Hi to Allan.
Bette Schuldt
Golden Valley, Minnesota

To the Editor:
In response to your remittance envel-ope, I'm broke but hope to get the Gazette anyway.  Had a call from Father Bob White inviting me to the Grand Opening of the new church, but the powers that be nixed the arrangement. 
My best to the Orsens and Norgaards, and the Whole Gang.  God love you all, as do I.
Father Elstan Coghill, OFM
Springfield, Illinois

To the Editor:
Still enjoy your paper and especially the personal life stories of people.
Betty Werner
Delafield, Wisconsin

To the Editor:
I regret to report the death of Thelma Schwalbe about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 10^th, 2005.  She was a fairly long-time member of our Lake Auburn Moravian Church.  Her husband John died several years ago. The funeral was at Lake Auburn, with burial at Zoar Cemetery, which is located just off County Road #10 near Waconia.
Ron Holtmeier
Victoria, Minnesota

To the Editor:
Hi, Sue.  Tonight I was surfing the web and I found a column that you had written for the Gazette back in 2002.  You were describing your experiences at one of Minneota's football games.  It caught my eye because I too went to good old Minneota High School.  I did not graduate from Minneota but went there until the 6^th grade and then my parents moved to Russell.  I seem to remember a Dennis Orsen who either went to grade school with me or Sunday School at Hope Lutheran in Minneota.
I just had to email you because when I read your editorial, it brought back memories of Friday nights in small town America.  It also brought back memories of some of the people that I attended school with in the late '40's, early '50's.  In fact, I got on switchboard and looked up a fellow by the name of Sherwood Hawley who was my best friend when I lived there.  Thank you, Sue!
Tom Rustand
Brandon, South Dakota

To the Editor:
Hi, Sue.  My mother and father in law, Clarence and Dorothy Kelzer, will be celebrating their 60^th wedding anniversary with an Open House at Lakeside Ballroom on Sunday, June 5^th, and I wanted to put an Open House announcement in your May issue of the Gazette.  Is it too late already?  Please let me know.
Barbara Kelzer
Chaska, Minnesota

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