TO A POINT: Why do we expect handouts from the Feds?

Why do we assume the government can solve all our problems?
Instead of exercising better business practices, America's auto dealers have turned to the federal government for a handout. Yes, times are tough. But perhaps they should have started offering alternatives to gas-guzzlers years ago. The technology has been around for decades; it just didn't go very far very fast because those in power didn't see the need for it. It was a lot easier to stick with what they knew and to bury their heads in the sand. But that attitude didn't get them very far, and now look. We taxpayers are going to end up bailing them out of the mess they made. That's no way to run a private business.
The attitude is catching on. "We want a bailout" was even the refrain heard at the Harris city truth-in-taxation hearing in early December. Some citizens there don't think the local government should pay its own bills, but should instead default on its loans and wait for the Feds to swoop in and fix things.
How far is this going to go?
We bailed out the financial industry because they were too greedy to make wise choices. Now it looks like on top of all that we're going to bail out citizens who also made bad financial decisions. Where does it end?
When do we demand that people be responsible for their own choices? When do those people who do make wise choices and go without sometimes get a break?
I'm going to say something that isn't necessarily popular. I don't want my tax dollars going to bail out private businesses or private citizens. I live with the choices I make, and I think everyone else should too.
Does that make me uncompassionate? Does that make me a miserly grinch?
I don't think so. I still donate to those less fortunate because I think people should look after people; I don't think that's a burden for government. I think that's what churches are for. I empathize with those in financial trouble, and hope I can help led them to resources that will pull them out and help them avoid such situations in the future. There are many agencies out there that offer financial counseling, such as Thrivent, to point people on the right path instead of rewarding bad decisions.
The simple truth is we put ourselves in this mess, and we need to work out of it. We need to stop spending what we don't have. We need to tear up our credit cards. We need to make sure money is in the bank before we spend it. We need to lower our expectations. At 25, there's no way a person can afford the payments on a $200,000 plus home. Our parents worked up to what they have now; why do we think we can get overnight what they took 25 years to achieve? It's okay to live in a crappy apartment until you can save up for a house. It's okay to buy furniture from a garage sale and dishes from a thrift shop. The added benefit is we're reducing and reusing, and our impact on the earth is a little softer.
The harsh truth is we need to stop being victims. Let's bring back that good 'ole fashion American virtue of picking ourselves up by our bootstraps and making something of ourselves. Stop asking for a handout, and put that hand to work.
I'd love to hear your money-saving tips. Go online to the Star's web site (http://www.isanti-chisagocountystar.com) and post them under the blog section. Let's help each other, and leave the government out of it.

Holiday traditions around the world

Foreign exchange students share their Christmas memories

Holiday traditions vary across the globe. Foreign exchange students spending this year at Cambridge-Isanti High School share their favorite holiday memories.
Hungary
Timea Dianovsky expects to feel right at home while celebrating Christmas in Cambridge this year.
The Hungarian native pointed out that the traditions in her homeland and in the United States are similar. In both countries, people decorate inside and out. And there is the gift exchange.
“We cook Hungarian foods, and after it the whole family comes together to eat and talk,” Dianovsky noted.
Afterwards, the family often plays games.
One Christmas memory stands out clearest toDianovsky. It was the year that she lost her dog two days before Christmas. She was devastated and cried a lot. On Christmas day, her neighbor came over – with her dog. “It was the biggest present for me,” recalled Dianovsky.
Kyrgyzstan
In Altynai (Tisha) Kamchybek’s native Kyrgyzstan, they don’t celebrate Christmas. But their New Year’s celebration is a cross between America’s two holidays.
Families erect trees, decorate them … and wait for the new year.
The entire family comes together to celebrate the holiday. Shortly before midnight, the president gives a televised New Year’s speech. After it, everyone counts down the seconds to the new year, and then they toast. Next they head outside to view the fireworks.
Then it’s time for the feast. “We come back to the house and eat, eat, eat,” said Kamchybeck. “That’s fun!”
The thing she’ll miss the most this year is her “big, noisy family dinner.”
But she’s excited to see all the homes decorated for the holidays in America. She’s also looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with her host Margaret Hemmingson and family. And she can’t wait to hear Christmas singers.
When Kamchybek looks back over the years, she recalls one hilarious memory: that of her father and uncle dancing for the family wearing wigs on New Year’s Eve.
Brazil
Deborah Ribeiro is used to a hot Christmas. In Brazil, December falls in the middle of summer and is one of the hottest times of the year.
While the cold may take some getting used to, there are many things she’s looking forward to about Christmas in Minnesota.
She can’t wait to see the local church’s musical. Participating in the Christmas musical at her church is one of the things she enjoys most about the holiday and will miss this year.
Ribeiro is also excited to taste the foods and desserts specific to a Minnesota holiday. Spending time with her host family, the Huffs, is also on top of her list.
In a way, her Christmas here will be much like her one at home, filled with family and food.
Each year in Brazil, her large family gets together to pray and eat. “On Christmas, we also have karaoke to sing with friends and relatives,” Ribeiro said. “My uncle gets dressed up like Santa Claus for the younger kids’ entertainment.”
They decorate a tree, and hang up lights.
Two Christmas memories stand out for Ribeiro: the year her cousin’s boyfriend proposed in front of the whole famly, and the year she took high scores in karaoke.
Vietnam
Christmas isn’t an official holiday in Vietnam and is treated as a day like any other by the government. Students must attend school, and workers go to work.
But citizens still decorate the streets, hang lights on their buildings, and put fake snow on the windows, according to Chau (CK) Huynh. “Enter city hall, and you’ll see so many beautiful things … constructions with lights all over, snowhouses, Christmas trees,” she said.
“It’s not cold – there’s no snow, but we can still feel the spirit and excitement of Christmas in us all.”
On Christmas day, Huynh and her family decorate a Christmas tree, gather together for dinner, and then go out for a walk until late at night to view all the decorations. After taking pictures of the beautiful things, they return home to open gifts. The next day will be a regular day. That’s why this year, Huynh is excited to experience a Christmas break from school.
She’s also delighted to see snow, and to “feel the real Christmas time in America.”
Germany
This year won’t be the first that Pauline Hein has spent Christmas in a foreign land. When she was six, her family and relatives spent Christmas in Mexico. “It was very hot, and I had sunburn on my nose,” recalled Hein. “My cousins had nice costumes: one was an angel and the other one a Santa Claus. Finally, we were singing together and got our gifts.”
She’s excited to spend the holidays in a new way, although she knows she’ll miss her traditional celebration.
In Germany, nearly every family puts up a Christmas tree. Santa Claus is a prominent theme. They begin counting down the days on Dec. 1 when they get a Christmas calendar.
On Christmas Eve, her family drives to visit her grandparents in her old hometown, Eisenhuttenstadt. At 7 p.m., they attend the concert of her former trumpet teacher. One person always stays home to “welcome the Santa Claus.”
When the family returns home, they dine together and then open their gifts. They listen to Christmas music and watch films like “The Last Unicorn.”
At 9 p.m., they go to church to listen to her sister’s choir concert.
On Christmas Day, the family feasts on goose. “We eat many oranges, peanuts, gingerbread and platzchen, a traditional cookie,” said Hein.
Laura Fritsche, also of Germany, points out that Germans decorate their homes with garlands and lights. Decorations also spill down the streets. “We also have Christmas fairs where you can buy decorations, jewelry and a lot of food,” she said.
Her entire family comes together to celebrate the holiday. “On Dec. 24, my grandmas and grandpas come to our house, and we have a big dinner together,” Fritsche said. “On Dec. 25 and 26, we visit my uncles and aunts, or they come to our house.” She will miss that connection with family members this year.
But she’s looking forward to spending Christmas with her host family, Mary and Brian DeVries, and learning about how Americans celebrate.

Board expels student, fires custodian

DISTRICT 911 – On Thursday night, Dec. 18, 2008, the District 911 School board expelled a student for one year and fired its head custodian.
Neither were easy decisions, according to Superintendent Bruce Novak.
Expulsion
A middle school student was expelled for one year (Dec. 11, 2008 to Dec. 11, 2009) for brandishing a pocket knife and threatening other students with it on a bus ride home Dec. 12.
Novak noted that in deciding to expel the student the district weighed the intent of the student and how it affected other students.
The parent(s) were brought in to discuss the issue, and agreed to the expulsion.
An alternative schooling option has been found for the student, Novak stressed. “We’re about trying to get help for the student and not cost him/her into the streets somewhere,” he added.
Custodian fired
Jerold P. Gambino was terminated as head custodian on Dec. 18.
Details surrounding the termination are not being released and were discussed during a closed session.
Gambino can choose to appeal the decision. If that occurs, it will go through arbitration. This process may take up to three months. If the termination is upheld, the reasons will be released.
Gambino has worked for the district over 12 years. He has been disciplined in the past for conduct issues and supervisory/management type issues, noted Novak.

Make a difference by buying Fair Trade gifts

Looking for a way to make a difference with your Christmas shopping?
Consider purchasing a Fair Trade item. A variety of home decor, kids toys, and jewelry are available at the City Center Market in Cambridge.
Choose a red leather purse shaped like a cat made in India. Or, how about a wooden jewelry box from Indonesia? Wooden nativity scenes were carefully carved on the West Bank, or opt for a stone scene from Peru. There are also silk scarves, handwoven baskets and colorful purses.
Shopping for kids? Pick a drum or a unique African instrument, or get a wobbly fish pen from Chili.
With the purchase of these items you are not only buying a gift the people on your Christmas list will love, but you’re supporting workers in Third World countries, noted Gayle Cupit.
As the City Center Market Board Chair, Cupit helped bring the Fair Trade gift items available through Ten Thousand Villages to the Cambridge store.
She’s passionate about the Fair Trade concept. Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by artisans from more than 130 artisan groups in 36 countries. Each artisan is ensured a fair wage, which helps bring their own family out of poverty. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds goes back into the community as a whole, sometimes to construct a well and other times a school.
“When people are paid a fair wage for their products, they’re able to support their own families and the community as a whole,” noted Cupit.
The Cambridge co-op has always supported the Fair Trade concept, and has sought to stock their shelves year-round with items such as bananas, mangos, pineapples, coffee, rice, sugar, tea and spices through the Fair Trade market.
It’s a niche that keeps growing as does public awareness of where food comes from. Cupit also attributes the popularity of Fair Trade items to a growing awareness of poverty levels around the world and a realization that people can make a difference elsewhere by what they purchase at their local stores.
“We may be paying a little more for an item, but that little bit of extra cost can make a big difference in peoples’ lives,” Cupit noted.
And that ties in perfectly with the goals of the co-op, which seeks to support the immediate community, as well as the global community, Cupit observed.
She added that Fair Trade items are grown to greener standards and are often organic. “We need to take care of the earth. It’s the only thing we have,” she believes. “People who are closer tot he earth in Third World countries are able to appreciate that more. We’re not as close to the origins of our food.”
She urges folks searching for that last-minute gift to check out the Fair Trade items available at the City Center Market.
Gifts range from $2 to $50.
“A lot are inexpensive enough to make beautiful hostess gifts,” she pointed out.
“Live the co-op values. Support your local community by making purchases here while at the same time support our global community by sending money to areas of the world where kids don’t have enough to eat.”

Making kaisa grass baskets brings joy to Kalpana Rani in Hazigonj, Bangladesh.

Hazigonj is a small village in a very rural, chronically poor part of northwestern Bangladesh. Most people like Kalpana can only find poorly paid seasonal work during rice planting and harvesting times. They can sometimes earn a little more money by collecting firewood and carrying it for many kilometers in the hope of selling it for a few pennies.

In 1999 Mennonite Central Committee encouraged a group of women including Kalpana Rani to organize into a basket-making artisan group using local wild kaisa grass and their traditional basket-making skills. These baskets are now sold locally and exported to Ten Thousand Villages in Canada and the USA. The income from basket making is greater than rice paddy work, and it is steadier and more consistent throughout the year.

Kalpana says that she can now afford basic healthcare for her family, a good steady diet of nutritious food, and decent clothing. She smiles broadly when she says she can now afford to send her children to school since she can afford to pay for school fees, books and supplies.

* From tenthousandvillages.com

A transforming business

Shepherd's Choice was born out of owner Kathy Pususta's need for soothing skin products.

Twenty years ago, Kathy Pususta suffered from dry, chapped hands. After making a batch of soap to give away as gifts, she discovered it had transformed her skin.
"I stopped scratching all the time," Pususta recalled.
Intrigued, she continued experimenting with various recipes, branching out from soap to include lip balm, lotions and bath oil. Her core standard was that the item not dry out skin. Towards that end, she insists on using only natural ingredients and essential oils.
"Synthetic fragrances, colors and preservatives have no place in Shepherd's Choice products," said Pususta.
Sixteen years ago, she opened Shepherd's Choice, devoting one room in her home to a shop. Today she has expanded out to the barn on her East Bethel property that she renovated.
Assisting Pususta is her daughter, Nancy Holt of Pine City, whom Pususta had given up for adoption as an infant when she was 17. When Holt came looking for her biological mother five years ago, Pususta was delighted. She's amazed at how much they have in common. Holt shares her love of natural items, and began fashioning Shepherd's Choice products earlier this year.
Holt's son Miles is asthmatic, and his attacks are triggered by many of the preservatives found in soaps and other products. "So I got into natural soaps," Holt explained.
As an added perk, "I've noticed that I haven't had to use moisturizer in about a year."
Making small batches of soaps and lotions is a lot like making a cake, according to Holt. She begins by melting shea butter, beeswax, lanolin and other various oils. The mixture goes into a Kitchen Aid bowl, where it mixes for about one-half hour. During that time, Holt "babysits it", using a spatula to clean the sides as needed. During the last five minutes she adds the essential oils, turning Pususta's laundry room/work room into a spa. While the moisturizer mixture is still warm, Holt pours it into a plastic bag and cuts off one corner. She squeezes it into jars as one would do frosting, giving it the distinctive curves on top Shepherd's Choice customers expect.
When asked about popular products, Pususta mentions that her lanolin-rich moisturizer sells well in the winter. The bath salts penetrate sore muscles, and she uses it to ward off any cold she feels coming on.
The cinnamon soap is great for gardeners as it includes a pumice to help remove dirt. The body dressing doesn't leave an oily residue. The ear oil keeps ears from drying out after candling. And the laundry spot bar removes most stains, Pususta noted.
KNITTING CLASSES
In addition to selling the skin care products and soaps she is known for, Pususta's shop also includes rows of colorful yarn arranged around a large table. Every Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m. is open knit night at Shepherd's Choice. Classes ranging from beginner to advanced are offered at other times. Pususta adds them as requested by customers. This fall, folks have learned to knit various sweaters and shawls. For one class, participants had the option of starting from the very beginning and dying their own yarn in Pususta's dye shop.
"The last 10 years have been very good for the knitting industry," noted Pususta.
She credits the rebirth to a change in attitude that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001. "People have started picking up more comforting things to do. They stay at home more."
To avoid competing with larger stores, Pususta has established a niche for herself by offering natural fibers, rather than synthetic yarns. Sheep on her farm are sheared each May during a festival open to the public. Alpaca yarn travels a short distance from Blue Sky Alpaca Farm in East Bethel. Materials from five larger commercial yarn companies fill the rest of her shelves.
This business is one that fits well with her values. "My childhood on a Mennonite farm instilled in me a deep appreciation for the environment, and pure, honest and wholesome living," observed Pususta.
Shepherd's Choice is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 763-434-7453 or browse shepherdschoice.com.


VISIT SHEPHERD'S CHOICE
• Annual open house: Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local crafters will be on hand with luxurious hand-made gifts (Hillside Honey, Baskets on 137th, Elizabeth's Handspun, beeswax candles, pottery and more). Bring a dish and a bottle of wine to share at 6 p.m.

• Annual Sheep Shearing Festival: Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CONTACT
Call: 763-434-7453
Email: pususta@cpineternet.com
Browse: www.shepherdschoice.com
Go: Two and one-half miles east of Highway 65 on Viking Boulevard. 3356 Viking Boulevard, East Bethel.

Antique cash registers stolen

Barbers on Main offers $500 reward

The three antique cash registers that have graced the counter at Barbers on Main in Cambridge for over 15 years are gone.
They were stolen during a burglary that was discovered on Monday morning, Dec. 8, 2008.
The perpetrator(s) broke the deadbolt on the back door to enter the barber shop. The only items that were stolen were the three cash registers. The thieves even ignored the money bag.
All three dated from 1901 to 1904.
Barbers on Main owner Harold Yerigan estimates their values at about $2,600 each. Two registers came with the barber shop when he bought it in 1972. The other was a gift from his wife.
“It’s a bummer, that’s for sure,” said Yerigan.
He hopes to recover them, but acknowledges the chances are slim. Still, he wonders what the thieves could do with them besides sell them. In the hopes of tracking the registers down, Yerigan has contacted various auction houses and other places where they could be sold.
He’s also offering a $500 reward to anyone with information leading to the recovery of the three antiques. Call Yerigan at Barbers on Main at 763-689-2133 or the Cambridge Police Department at 763-689-9567.
“All we can do is wait and see if they show up,” said Yerigan.

Thief steals from non-profit

A catalytic converter was stolen off an Industries, Inc. van. Pete Brown, Industries Transportation and Safety Director, discovered the theft on Wednesday morning, Dec. 10.
To add insult to injury, the thief used the company’s own electric power to remove the converter, and then stole the extension cords that were powering up the company’s fleet.
“We’re a non-profit that serves people with handicaps,” said Brown. “That’s what really hurts.”
Industries, Inc. is located along Cleveland Street in Cambridge.
The cost to replace the catalytic converter is $1,000 – which will not be covered by insurance as the company’s deductible is $1,000. This means the repair work will come from the non-profit’s own budget.
Brown has this to say to the thieves: “You’re not hurting the company. You’re hurting the people with disabilities.”

Are you ready for the digital conversion?

Here is what you need to know about DTV

The biggest switch since color is coming to television on Feb. 17, 2009.
On that day, television stations will upgrade from analog to digital.
This transition will affect anyone who watches free over-the-air television (through a rooftop antenna or "rabbit ears"). To continue watching TV, people must take action, and they should it soon, according to Katrina Kleinwachter of the Federal Communications Commission.
"A lot of people will be affected by the transition," Kleinwachter told the Isanti County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 3, 2008.
Isanti County is the area in the Twin Cities that will be affected most.
"Isanti County has the highest percentage of broadcast-only in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market," said Kleinwachter. The rate of those without cable or satellite is 38%.
Low income areas, seniors, the disabled, and rural residents tend to get their television signals through rooftop antennas or "rabbit ears" more than others.
She encouraged people to take a three-step approach. Apply, buy and try.
First, to assist people in making the transition, the U.S. Government is offering $40 coupons that will offset the cost of purchasing a digital-to-analog conversion box. Each household is eligible for two coupons. Boxes typically cost between $40 to 70. Get them by visiting www.DTV2009.com or call 888-388-2009.
These coupons should be used right away because they expire within 90 days, Kleinwachter pointed out.
Next, buy a digital-to-analog box and try setting it up before the switch on Feb. 17, Kleinwachter urged. To work, some systems may require a little tweaking that includes adjusting the rooftop antenna.
Kleinwachter stressed that this switch from analog to digital does not mean that people need a new High Definition television (HDTV). Rather, HDTV is only one type of digital television.
If a TV is older than five years, it will certainly require a digital-to-analog conversion box. TVs newer than that may or may not need one.
Anyone who uses an antenna or "rabbit ears" does need a digital-to-analog, Kleinwachter stressed.
What is the Digital TV transition?
Currently, many over-the-air stations are broadcasting in both analog and digital TV formats. After Feb. 17, 2009, full-power TV stations will broadcast only in digital.
Why are stations switching?
The switch is required by law.
At the consumer level, the switch will mean better sound and better picture, according to Kleinwachter.
Broadcasters will also be able to offer additional programming. For example, KARE 11 offers regular programming on 11.1, and a 24-hour weather channel on 11.2.
Because digital is more efficient technology, the switch will free up more of the spectrum. The analog stations that are no longer set aside for TV stations will be used for police, fire, and emergency rescue communications. It will also allow for a new generation of wireless devices, said Kleinwachter.

What should you do to be ready?

3 choices:

1) Connect your analog TV to a digital-to-analog conversion box. Boxes have a one-time cost that ranges from $40 to 70. The U.S. Government is offering two $40 coupons per household to pay for these boxes. Get yours by visiting www.DTV2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009.
Note: You should not need a new antenna if you get good quality reception on analog channels 2-51 with your existing antenna.

2) Buy a digital TV (a TV without a built-in digital tuner). You do not need a High Definition TV (HDTV) to watch digital broadcast television. You only need a digital TV (or an analog TV connected to a digital-to-analog converter box).
Note: You should not need a new antenna if you get good quality reception on analog channels 2-51 with your existing antenna.

3) Subscribe to a paid TV service. If your TV set receives local broadcast stations through a paid provider such as cable or satellite TV, it is already prepared for the DTV transition. Cable companies are not required to transition or switch any of their channels to digital.
Note: If you have an analog TV that does not receive local broadcast stations through your paid provider, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to watch digital broadcasts on that TV.

For more information:
CALL: 1-888-CALL-FCC (voice) or 1-888-TELL-FCC (TTY)
BROWSE: DTV.gov