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Minnesota should have four seasons, winter being one of them. So I get irritated when local meteorologists, newscast announcers, talk show hosts and radio personalities put their negative subjective spin on winter weather. Please stop saying that 20 degrees above zero is cold. It is a perfect winter temperature. Snow does not melt and turn into ice. Please stop acting giddy that we will have temperatures in the high 30s or low 40s in December or January.

A radio host stated she was excited that it would be raining on Tuesday, as that would bring the snow level down. Maybe she does not like snow, but many others in the state enjoy winter sports, which are dependent upon snow. Rain in January is very bad on many levels. My local park just completed its ice rink only to have it destroyed today by the rain. Obviously rain turns to ice on the sidewalks and roads, making travel very dangerous.

The Great Northern Festival is a mix of many outdoor festivals in the metro area. Upcoming events include the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the Luminary Loppet. All of these festivals require winter weather, which means snow and temperatures that do not melt snow (or ice sculptures). Hockey requires temperatures that keep ice from melting otherwise the skate blades sink into the ice, making it difficult to skate (and dangerous to maneuver). The Luminary Loppet (cross-country ski racing) has already been rescheduled due to warm temperatures and poor snow. I remember going to St. Paul to view the ice sculptures (part of the Winter Carnival) only to have them destroyed within a day of creation.

The Great Northern Festival also includes many speakers on the topic of climate change. I do find it interesting that local meteorologists will say, "We all know Minnesota weather is changing," but refuse to say the phrase "climate change." These people should be data-driven scientists, not partisan weather reporters.

If you care about the health of Minnesota's economy, then you should care about climate change and how it is impacting our winters. In 2020 the economic impact of travel and tourism in Minnesota was $11.7 billion, $731 million of which went into our state sales tax fund. Almost one-quarter of those funds were obtained from December through March. Winter tourism is very important.

Katherine Schafer, Minneapolis

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I am very skeptical in regard to the idea of the city of Minneapolis clearing snow from residents' sidewalks.

We have lived in our southwest Minneapolis house for over 20 years, and we have seen the decline in snow removal in real time. Our block in particular has usually been a day or two behind everyone else.

Let's look at the last snowstorm. The first day we had over 4 inches, and no snow emergency was called because there was more in the forecast. The buildup was overwhelming as we waited.

I realize that we are a larger city than the first-ring suburbs; however, the lack of preventive snow removal is counterproductive.

In a city where our property taxes have gone up over 14%, our services have declined, one such service being yard waste removal from every week to every other week, and it is noticeable. I highly doubt sidewalk snow removal is going to be on time or efficient. I'm also guessing it will be added to our home tax burden.

Minneapolis needs to watch and learn how other cities deal with snow removal/plowing. Let's take care of the streets and alleys before we take on a new project. I for one do not feel I'm getting my money's worth.

Rocky Olson, Minneapolis

"Part of the news media's role includes context," states the Star Tribune Editorial Board regarding the discovery and recovery of classified materials improperly kept by a former president and vice president ("Biden, Trump both mishandled papers," Jan. 17). That's right, and the context needs to expand. Given American culture's tendency to accept imperfection in every sphere of society, even in matters of life and death, it's highly probable that every former president and vice president or their family has dozens of classified files they should not have kept but don't even realize it because they're mixed in with other papers where they went into storage years ago and haven't seen the light of the day since. I would recommend these people start at least auditing their papers in deep storage to make sure. And maybe other former cabinet members, senators and representatives — and current ones as well — might want to make sure they aren't in improper possession of government papers before they start wagging fingers.

The number of ways in which Hamline University wrongfully acted in the morass in which it finds itself is mind-boggling, and its current milquetoast statements to date are merely consistent with its previous unacceptable behavior ("Teacher sues, Hamline backtracks," Jan. 18).

However, we can fervently hope that, as a previously respected educational institution, Hamline genuinely considers its obligations to all of its students and doesn't just try to defend its indefensible conduct, which has now precipitated a lawsuit. It should use this opportunity as a teachable moment for all of its young scholars, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

The Muslim student who objected to her professor's action is not deserving of any scorn, but of an education. She has every right to her beliefs, but Hamline has a duty to her and her fellow students to, as her teacher attempted to do, contextualize those beliefs and explore the nuances required to be a functioning, contributing member of a free society.

When I was training to be a teacher, I heard a definition of a good teacher that has forever stuck with me: someone whose questions make you feel so uncomfortable that the only way to relieve the discomfort is to think.

This may be an uncomfortable moment for all. But as a school of higher learning, Hamline should honestly ask the questions, as uncomfortable it may be for the school and its administrators, which will encourage its students to think.

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Thank you, Hamline. You have done us all a tremendous favor. As we are having a national conversation about how to be a diverse culture, you have set an example of humility in learning from a conversation about complicated, nuanced issues. We have all learned from this discussion. Thank you for your courage.