Sharon Dwyer, Sartell
Sartell is the roundabout capital of Minnesota. Sartell is becoming a bad joke. What’s wrong with stop lights? Senior citizens are very angry and frustrated due to the decisions made about roundabouts and more. The powers that be don’t take into consideration the demographics. Fact checking: the 2000 census tells us 8 percent of Sartell residents are 65 and older. I’m quite confident demographics would prove that. In 2016, 65-and-older Sartell residents are 10 percent. Many of the seniors live alone. Senior citizens living in Sartell are not acknowledged. Many seniors can’t navigate the endless roundabouts. The powers that be don’t take into consideration Sartell is losing money because seniors refuse to drive into the city of Sartell due to the endless roundabouts. St. Cloud is gaining an abundance of tax revenue from the Sartell seniors’ refusal to drive to Sartell. I wonder how many people in power care about that fact.
Senior citizens are independent souls. We love to shop, drive, drink coffee or tea, eat pizza, dine out, sing, play music, listen to music, cook, read, be online and more. We do all that in St. Cloud, not Sartell, due to the roundabouts. No one asked us if it was OK to construct endless roundabouts.
P.S. I must commend Dennis Dalman for your always insightful editorials. I look forward to them every Friday. I’m also very impressed with Connor Kockler, guest writer and student at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. As an avid politics watcher and a frustrated writer (keep that in mind!) I read his guest writer opinions with awe. He’s a very smart guest writer. Connor Kockler writes about the future of his age group. Senior citizens need a voice too. I’d love to be a “voice” for Sartell-St. Stephen senior citizens as I’m in this age group. Thanks for listening.
