So, what does keeping some place “open” mean? What if one of our local department stores announced that they would no longer be locally servicing customers with their women’s and men’s clothing department, their household merchandise department, their children’s department, their cosmetic and personal care department — but, their shoe department will still be selling shoes, so “we are still open?” Are they really still open? In my opinion, technically they may have their doors open to sell shoes, but they would no longer be locally serving customers in the other specific departments. Mayo can send me all the letters they want, but when they continue to persist in moving needed, life-saving departments of our hospital out of our community, I will turn a deaf ear to anything they have to say. It is a good thing that paper is recyclable because I tossed the letter they sent me out. One hundred percent of the people I have talked to want Mayo to leave our town and hospital alone. I personally want them to just leave — period. And they can take me off their mailing list, unless I can get a letter stating that we will be keeping our full service hospital here in Albert Lea where it belongs and where it is much needed. Until then, “no thanks Mayo, I would rather shop somewhere else!”

Jody Johnson

Albert Lea