Help shape future of school forest

To the editor,

Since the 1940’s the School District of River Falls has owned about 70 acres of a pristine section of school forest property. This is considered to be the first school forest of Pierce County. Our community has held the decades-long dream for this land to be an accessible place for our students and community to learn, recreate, and cultivate an appreciation and respect for our environment.

This past January, with the collaboration of many individuals and organizations in our community, that dream became one step closer to reality. Through a purchase of adjoining land by the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, the school forest is no longer land-locked. It’s now time to dream big and help shape the future of this land.

Please join us for the Big Dream Event at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2021 at River Falls High School. The evening includes a history of the school forest, the mission and vision for the future, and how we can all work together to achieve the dream.

Help shape the future of our beautiful school forest. I invite you to dream big and join us on Oct. 12.

Jamie Benson Superintendent

School District of River Falls

We are better than that

To the editor, We all want the best for our kids and our communities.

But when Wisconsin politicians from the majority party spend valuable time passing a bill to ban particular words and ideas, such as “equity” and “social justice” and “abolitionist thinking,” from our schools, as they did last week, they are drawing attention away from the needs of our community, such as health care, infrastructure, and justice._Which benefits you more personally: _Your child being prevented from learning about why 91,000+ Wisconsin soldiers fought for the Union Army in the Civil War OR accepting federal money for Medicaid expansion, thus improving the health of our residents?

We can keep our eyes on the important issues and not be distracted by red meat being thrown to make us hate each other._We are better than that. We can come together to demand of our representatives those things that strengthen us, such as fair maps and a fair shake for everyone._

Maureen Ash

Town of River Falls