John Eggers

Can we say the winter is winding down? Let’s think positive and say that it is. You know what that means? All of us have been bulking up over the winter to fight off the frigid temps. That extra layer of fat is beginning to show and our pants have been telling us that for a few...

I’m looking at this black-and-white photo of 40 young African-American girls ranging in ages from 4 to about 18. Each girl has a pail, book or box on her head. A date on one of the boxes reads 1836. The photo is not that old, but it probably dates to the latter part of the 19th...

I would like to see someone invent an easy open package, which can be opened by someone other than a golden retriever. Whenever I see boxes and bottles and jars that are labeled “easy open,” I think of an episode on the old Jackie Gleason Honeymooner’s TV show where Ralph (played...

As ridiculous as this may sound, we can learn something about improving our schools by watching the Bemidji Axemen indoor football team. Yes, I was at the first Axemen game and I was pleasantly surprised. It was great and, yes, it was even better than the Super Bowl. I enjoyed watching...

We are experiencing one of the coldest winters on record. The groundhog saw his shadow, which means at least six more weeks of winter. Ice fishing has been terrible. The Vikings didn’t make the Super Bowl — again. And, the price of propane has skyrocketed, which makes those people...

How can there be anything better than Super Bowl Sunday? It’s become as American as apple pie. It’s bigger than the Fourth of July. Everyone including President Obama will be watching. Even if we can’t attend, it’s great entertainment. The commercials, the halftime program,...

It disturbs me to even suggest that Giacomo Beltrami did not have all of his marbles intact when he left his home in Bergamo, Italy and set out on an adventure that would eventually result in the naming of our county after him. (This would occur in 1866 by Governor Sibley.) Unfortunately,...

Three significant people were lost in 1968 and their last names all begin with the letter “K.” Can you guess who they are? One you would probably never guess. It was Helen Keller. We also lost Robert Kennedy and the third is someone most everyone would know — Dr. Martin Luther...

It was a bitterly cold Sunday when I was returning to town driving north on Irvine a few miles south of Buena Vista. I noticed a very nice looking black lab wondering in the middle of the road. It seemed a bit confused; as if it weren’t sure where to go. What should I do? Should...

It was 40 degrees in my office today. I hesitated to turn up the heat because I had plenty of work to keep me warm. So what brings you warmth during this stretch of cold, I mean cold, cold weather? There was an episode of “Prairie Home Companion” where Garrison Keillor told about...

I recently gave my public speaking students an assignment to speak about what they would be doing five years from now. All of them talked about how they were going to find a good job, do some traveling, settle down with a family, and buy that neat car or house they have been dreaming...

The older we get, the more prone we are to eating out. How about you? My parents never seemed to be reluctant to eat out. They had a group of friends who also enjoyed trying different supper clubs and this was in the days when there were no fast food places. When my parents ate out,...

I don’t know about you, but I try to make each Christmas better than the last one. I’m not sure why. It’s a special time of the year and I want it to be extra special. You might chalk it up to a youthful spirit. What will I do this Christmas to make it the best ever? Maybe...

One of the best pieces of advice we received from friends was “You know, you really should get two dogs. That way Simon would have someone to play with.” One of the worst pieces of advice we received from friends was “You know, you really should get two dogs. That way Simon...

Have you read enough about former President John F. Kennedy? If you read one or two books, you have several more hundred to read. What is it about JFK that grabs our attention?I first became aware of John Kennedy in 1960 when one of my high school classmates gave an oral report about...