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This year I invited Kevin Kopischke, president of Alexandria Technical & Community College, to join me at the State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening.

...in response to City Planner Nathan Johnson's editorial "Taking care of business in Pine City"

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The first time I went to a photo scrapbooking party, I cried. I didn't know what to do with the blank page before me. Everyone else was laughing and talking as they cut beautiful borders and shapes, making their pages come alive with colorful designs. My page remained empty. Noticing my tears, my sister Lu, a.k.a. the Mother of Scrapbookers, came to the rescue, patiently showing me which tools to use and how to cut various borders and place them on my sheet. It was amazing! My fears and tears disappeared as I slowly got the hang of it.

Last Sunday (1/1/2012) in the Minneapolis Star Tribune there was an editorial that was headlined, "Dayton's first-year marks are high."

There is so much I didn't tell you.

Nobody should have to choose between safety and shelter. Yet 48 percent of homeless women in Minnesota have previously stayed in abusive situations because they did not have safe housing options available to them. Twenty-nine percent of homeless adult women in Minnesota are fleeing domestic violence, and more than half of those women are living with children. That simply is not acceptable.

If you've ever not known what to buy someone as a gift, you may have turned to gift cards or gift certificates, or you may have received one over the holiday season. Not all gift cards and gift certificates are the same. Knowing your rights and being mindful of the fine print can help prevent your gift card or certificate from expiring or having its balance consumed by fees. When purchasing or using a gift card or certificate, you should know the following information:

Who wears a bright red robe with white fur trim around the neck, waist and sleeve? Most of us instantly think of Santa Claus, especially this time of year. On ceremonial occasions, the justices of the Supreme Court of Canada wear red robes with white fur lining. Defi nitely a Santa look. Why do American judges wear black robes? Th at is a question I have been asked many times over the years. I usually have responded with a rambling answer that touches upon formality, dignity and tradition. While I was not that far off , I never was very comfortable with my answer. So, I did a little research. Judges have been wearing robes since medieval times. In most countries, judicial robes are black. In many, however, the offi cial judicial costume is very elaborate. Judges in Britain wear robes of almost every color, including red, blue, green, white, purple and pink. In some countries judicial robes have high collars, frilly cuff s, fur linings and all kinds of fancy stuff I wouldn't even try to describe. In others, judges wear wigs or hats, and in a few the judges wear medallions or chains around their neck. Judicial garb here in the United States is pretty plain. I am perfectly OK with that. It is uncertain when the tradition of a plain black robe started. Some historians trace the modern judicial robe to the funeral of Queen Mary in 1694, when all of Britain's judges attended the funeral wearing a black robe as a sign of mourning. Other historians argue that today's judicial robe has its roots in the style of mourning gown worn aft er the death of Charles II in 1685. Whatever the origin, the tradition of the black robe spread around the globe and has continued to this day. Our legal system is patterned aft er that of England, and many of our current traditions are British holdovers. Judges in England still wear wigs. I am thankful that tradition did not survive here. One story is that the wig tradition was discarded due to a disagreement between John Adams and Th omas Jeff erson. Adams, our second president, wanted American judges to look like the judges of England, with fancy red robes and wigs. Jeff erson wanted our judges to dress like businessmen. A compromise was reached wherein judges would wear black robes but no wigs. Still, why the robe? Th e best answer I have found is that the robe conveys the "formal gravity and dignity of justice." In other words, the business of the court is serious and everyone will be expected to conduct themselves in a formal and dignifi ed manner. As a practical matter, the robe works for me. I like to dress for comfort, and would rather not wear a suit all day. Dress slacks, a dress shirt and a tie and I am good to go. Just don't ask me to wear one of those silly wigs. As always, remember it is in your court. Paul Rasmussen is a District Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial District. Th is article was submitted by Judge Steve Halsey of Wright County, Tenth Judicial District.

League of Minnesota Cities

Well, it's here - the time of year we are all supposed to look forward to, but that ends up inspiring about as much dread and worry as it does peace on earth and good will to men.

After the state shutdown and special session to solve the state's budget deficit last summer, many legislators would like you to believe that the budget shortfall was solved without raising any taxes. That claim is troublesome and simply untrue. Due to the elimination of the Market Value Homestead Credit (MVHC), Minnesota homeowners and small businesses will pay the price for the legislative budget deal brokered by the Republican majorities last summer. All property owners are seeing this firsthand with the Truth in Taxation statements currently arriving in our mailboxes.

We lose and we gain something as we get older. Back when I was a kid, I always used to hope and pray for a good snowfall right before Thanksgiving. It just didn't feel right without a good layer of white on the ground, and it wasn't as much fun. We would get together with our cousins every year, and we had a good hill by our house, so if there was snow they'd bring their snowsuits and we'd have a big sledding party out there.

Most of us have a vision in our minds of the perfect Christmas: family gathered around, a clean and sparkling house, a beautifully adorned Christmas tree with piles of lovingly chosen presents underneath, a feast for the eyes and the table, scents of roasting turkey or ham, pumpkin pies, apple cider, everyone marvelously getting along like the end of a made-for-TV movie.

In a recent newsletter from a state lawmaker, there was a declaration opposing the use of state general fund money for a Vikings stadium. However, the lawmaker went on to assume that state tax revenue from gambling activities such as electronic pull tabs and Racino (slot machines at Minnesota's two horse tracks) would not be considered general fund dollars and therefore an acceptable source of revenue to fund a new stadium.

Google the term "National Debt" and you will quickly receive the search results for millions of websites.

Medicare Open Enrollment season has begun.

Halloween was this past Monday night, and for a few hours Pine City streets were taken over by an invasion of monsters, superheroes, princesses, and even a few little Dragons. Hopefully, everyone made it home safe, with nothing worse to report than too much sugar in their bloodstream.

Regrettably, bipartisan consensus has been in short supply in our nation's capital, but one thing we all agree on is that with our ailing economy and with millions of people out of work, creating jobs is the No. 1 priority for the country.

Until a few years ago, Jerry Parks had a successful career with a construction company in Minnesota. But, while still in his early 50s, Jerry had to retire because he was experiencing short-term memory loss.