Seventeen years ago, my wife and I bought a home here at the suggestion of my niece, as we had a lot of connection to the area. My wife’s mother graduated from Albert Lea High in 1928, my uncle had been the head of maintenance at Queen Stove and we still had many friends and relatives living in the city and surrounding area.

In the area where we lived I had been active with the city and county in solving parking and traffic problems, as we had no sidewalks for kids to play on or walk to school on or to the bus stops. After I had ridden along with police, the city addressed the problems with enforcement of ordinances and signs, these problems were solved. Also better oversight of speeding in the city reduced that problem considerably!

After living in Albert Lea for 17 years it is obvious the same problems still exist here. Riding bikes, skateboards and skates on downtown sidewalks are overlooked, as well as 12-hour on-street parking of large vehicles are met with a blind eye for some reason, even after weeks parked in the same spot. Refusal by the city engineer to put up watch for children signs where there is a day care, a park and close to 20 kids playing on the street and walking to catch the school buses on the corners. After everyone signed a petition in a two-block area to get a stop sign at a dangerous intersection, we were told someone had to be killed for that to happen! Of course no one would volunteer their kids! There are other glaring problems here in the city that should be addressed, but what is more important: a few signs in the correct places would save the lives of a child or any other of our citizens. Maybe some community meetings and input by the people and some education, plus enforcement of existing laws, would make an improvement where needed. I have always been in favor of safety, whether as a school patrol boy in grade school or 30-plus years as a sports official in amateur boxing or high school and college sports. Also, as the safety director in a large printing company, it helped me to realize the importance of human life!

Jim Jirele

Albert Lea