Posted 3:06 PM by Robert Ronald Smith

A local hero

I think I've neglected to ever mention here that my friend, author and activist Ed Contoski, has recently gained national attention for his successful lawsuit against the Interior Department to get the bald eagle delisted as an endangered species. As one might expect, the lawsuit shouldn't have been necessary, since bald eagle populations have been growing for a long time. Having a listed species show up on your personal property means that the property can't be developed in any way, which makes the property virtually worthless. That was the case with Ed's lakeshore property. Thus, the lawsuit. Many other property owners will benefit from Ed's crusade.

Mr. Contoski has written two excellent books, The Trojan Project, a fantasy novel, and Makers and Takers, a book I consider a masterpiece. Both are in my own library and are available from American Liberty Publishers.

Ed has been working to rescue liberty for a long time, including being the very first Chair of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota, back in 1972. Ed also serves a great lunch to visiting friends.

Posted 11:48 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

Whew!

For all you thousands of readers who wondered what happened to Bob... I've returned from a 2-week stay at a big resort in the Berkshire mountains of western Massachusetts. All that thanks to a kind friend. We were virtually isolated from the internet, although I was able to access my email. The resort had one PC available for all the guests to share, so writing and posting to blogs was really out of the question. For one who is normally online except when asleep, it was quite a change.

The trip, by car to Iowa, then to MA by car, was difficult, and far more difficult for my friend who traveled 2500 miles each way from Arizona, picking me up in Iowa. I was pleased that my 17-year-old Tempo made the trip to Iowa and back without a hitch.

I left as the massive Crosstown reconstruction was beginning, and returned to find a lot of changes. The bridge across 35W at Diamond Lake Road is simply gone. Crews ripped out trees just to the north of me, alongside the Crosstown, piles are being driven on Nicollet avenue, and a railroad crew is working just beyond our parking lot, rebuilding part of the old rail line. Somewhere, a construction machine seems to be traveling only in reverse, resulting in annoying non-stop beep... beep... beeping.

I'm glad to be back in my home and back to my routine.