By Charlie Warner
Argus Editor
Minutes before the start of the August 28 Houston County Board meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face I hadnít seen for some time. Former U.S. Congressman Tim Penny was waiting outside the meeting room visiting with several persons. I waited my turn and then warmly welcomed Tim.

It was good to see the man who served the First Congressional District for a dozen years. I was always impressed with Pennyís politics. Actually, Tim wasnít a politician, but a statesman. The difference? A politician listens to what his or her political party dictates and kisses the backsides of the money people to remain in office. A statesman listens to his or her constituents and does whatís right for his or her district, state, and country. That, in a nutshell was Tim Penny. He put his constituents ahead of party politics and did what was right for his district.

Penny was recently named the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) president and CEO. He attended the August 28 county board meeting to outline a new recovery fund earmarked to help businesses that suffered losses to the floods. While there are low-interest loans available to business people affected by the recent floods, business owners still have to pay the principal and the interest back. With the devastating losses many in this portion of the state suffered, it would be very difficult for a business to start over and have all that debt service.

What Penny was talking about would be a granting program, not a loan program. The grants would be available for equipment, supplies, things needed to get these businesses up and running.

Currently, there is $120,000 available.

Pennyís announcement was good news for the many business owners who suffered significant and/or total losses in the recent floods. Various corporations have donated healthy amounts of money to this fund to help the "Mom and Pop" operations. Itís good to see the "big guys" helping out the "little guys" that make up small town America. And it was very good to see the former congressman in a role that will once again help southern Minnesota.

I met Tim in 1981 when he was running for Congress. I had recently bought the Harmony and Lanesboro newspapers and was a young, ambitious journalist, just a few years out of college. My first reaction of Penny was that he was much too young to be running for Congress. He looked younger than me, and I was just 27!! I later found out he had just turned 30 when elected for his first of six terms to Congress.

Tim used to stop by to visit when passing through Southeast Minnesota during his 12-year stint in Congress. He was so down to earth and approachable.

SMIF made an excellent decision when they chose Penny to lead their organization. A native of this area, Penny has the best interests of Southeastern Minnesota at heart. He told the commissioners the areas with the greatest growth potential and impact on the future economy include workforce development, early childhood development, and economic development with a focus on bio-ag, bio-medical, and renewable energy.

SMIF, which has been around for 21 years, has supported nearly 500 businesses with loans and technical assistance totaling over $19.5 million and securing over 6,300 jobs. It has benefited hundreds of communities and organizations through grants, training, and asset-based community development initiatives totaling nearly $17 million.

The Caledonia School Age Care Program is just one of the many programs that has benefited from SMIF. The local education program received a Young Explorer Learning Center computer system, valued at $2,500, thanks to a partnership between SMIF and the IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program. The system introduces youngsters to computers in a way that is both fun and educational.

According to Caledonia Area Community Education Director Nancy Runnigen, the students truly enjoy using the system. "Theyíre at it all the time. We appreciate having this wonderful resource to help our children have fun while learning new skills," Runnigen said.

SMIF has been very active during its first 21 years of existence. The grant program for businesses affected by the recent floods is just another example of how this organization can benefit the area. With Tim Penny at the helm, I can only envision bigger and better things for Southeast Minnesota.

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