Remember the novels from years ago, where one of the characters was (heaven forbid) a stepchild? The child was usually treated unfairly, used more like a servant than part of the family, stayed in the background while the other children in the home lived a luxurious life. It was the story line in many books and movies. And many times I’ve thought of how my husband felt, when at the age of 5 he was taken from his home, kicking and screaming and put in a orphanage.

Well, that in a way describes how many of us in Albert Lea feel right now! We were not fortunate to have Mr. Hormel, or the brothers Mayo in our city, to lay the groundwork for huge foundations. We are the stepchildren I guess, who have emerged from many setbacks, but never the less worked, scrimped and found ways to become one of the most beautiful cities in southern Minnesota.

Albert Lea is always working to find new industry, listing our great schools and our beautiful hospital as incentive for new industry to come. But with one swipe of a pen, it looks like Mother Mayo has found a way to undermine both of those incentives! How do we extend an invitation to a new industry, but say, “by the way, should your employees of their families find themselves in need of hospitalization, they will have to travel to another city, we have no hospital.” The population will obviously decline, and we know what that holds for the future of the schools.

So, thank you Mayo. It must be wonderful to be so powerful, and so influential, that you hold the future of our city in your hands. It is sad that power and influence doesn’t also include a conscious.

Marlys Webber

Albert Lea