Albert Lea, it seems, has always had a handful of people who try to tell the rest how the city should be run. One of the latest groups wants the City Council to adopt design standards for all new buildings. They especially like windows and want the new standards to require lots of them.

Fortunately, there are individuals in our community who realized the senselessness of these proposed design standards and took the time to appear at a council meeting and oppose them.

I remember when the new schools were built called Southwest and Sibley. The walls were mostly windows with a few brick to hold up the roof. The school board received national acclaim for their design of the future. School started with sunny days and above-normal temperatures. The sun beat into the rooms and made life unbearable. The school board had to quickly buy drapes to cover the windows.

Since then at least twice the school board has covered windows with permanent material. They have probably spent more covering windows than the school cost in the first place.

Someday law and order will break down in our country. When that happens mobs will roam our streets destroying and looting. Buildings that have solid walls and heavy steel doors will be able to defend themselves best. Windows will not be an asset.

Roger Fink

Albert Lea