To the Editor,

Mr. Williams’s headline for his recent editorial states, “Leave the business of the newspaper to the newspaper.” The City of Frazee police department and crime report are business of the City of Frazee, not the Frazee-Vergas Forum. “What right do these two city council members have to censor the police chief in the first place?” 

The Frazee City Council, of which Mr. Flemmer and Mrs. Froeber are members, are elected as our representatives by the citizens of the City of Frazee. Chief Tyler and the police department are under the direction of our City Council, not the Frazee-Vergas Forum. I don’t believe that the Frazee Forum is paying Chief Tyler for his creative writings? He could write a column on his personal happenings on his personal time, not on the City of Frazee’s time.

I’ve heard some people say the crime report, with personal news, is funny (meaning humorous). Other people have stated that it’s funny (meaning weird or strange). I’ve been told that other towns’ police departments post Chief Tyler’s column as funny, (weird and strange). Mr. Flemmer and Mrs. Froeber are far from the “only two” in the city with a problem with the Chief’s writings. In fact, three of the four complaints named by the newspaper are not residents of the City of Frazee. Robert Williams stated, “The city council has adversely affected our product for more than a month now…” The staff and owners are not residents of the City of Frazee. Ms. Frober and Mr. Flemmer are doing the wishes of the City of Frazee residents. The city residents want our town cleaned up to make it a safer and more attractive place to attract residents. We want more time spent on efforts to enforce city ordinances for junk, trash, waste and garbage in the city limits. Also, we want the rental ordinances enforced. Many people in our area and many parts of Minnesota and North Dakota currently have a very negative view of the town of Frazee.

I firmly believe that if we don’t clean up our town and change the perception of Frazee, we won’t attract residents and places like our new downtown business center will sit empty and have to be paid for by the City of Frazee residents.

Judith DelMain Brennan says, “I looked forward to sharing highlights from his column with my extended family. It was reassuring to know that the community I grew up in has remained largely unchanged and continue to be a safe and secure town.” Frazee is not that town now, Judy. I’ve lived in Frazee for 76 years. Ask the families of Mrs. Iten, Pontos, Matsons, Lawrences, Al Wothes, Leon Beyers about their former beautiful and well kept properties. Frazee town currently is not “a place where their was no need to lock doors.  There are now three full time police officers instead of one. Read the DL Newspaper crime reports and court proceedings and you’ll see Frazee isn’t “largely unchanged and continue to be a safe and secure town.”

Jim Nelson, 

Frazee