Thumbs Up and Down – Views by the Echo Press February 10

Talk about it

Plunge challengers

Thumbs Up: All those planning to take a dip into the icy waters of Lake Darling on February 26 deserve a thumbs up for helping Special Olympics Minnesota. So do all those who donate to the Polar Plunge. Special Olympics Minnesota offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and competition. Through the program’s athletic, health and leadership programs, people with intellectual disabilities transform themselves, their communities and the world. Plunge participants are asked to raise a minimum of $75 per plunger. As in year’s past, challenges from participants add some fun and intrigue to the plunge. This year, emergency room workers at the Douglas County Hospital are issuing a challenge to law enforcement personnel and North Ambulance over who can raise the most money for the event. “We’re just hoping to boost some more interest in the event and we thought this would be a fun challenge,” Missy from ER told the newspaper. Check-in and registration will begin at Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center at 10:30 a.m. on February 26. Last year, 306 people took the plunge into Lake Darling, raising more than $48,000. For more information on the event, visit the website www.plungemn.org.

Kindness to long-time employee

Thumbs Up: A “pay it forward” experience was reported by Myrdene Borchert of Alexandria. It happened on January 23 while she was shopping at Ben Franklin. She heard a young man at the checkout talking about his grandmother, who used to work at the store. “I joined in the conversation and told him that I was one of the first employees when the store first came to town,” Borchert said. “When I got ready to pay for my purchase, the young man said he wanted to pay for my purchase and he did! I hope he felt as good as he made me feel.”

Fairgrounds slowdown

Thumbs Down: Vehicles exiting out of the Runestone Community Center or Douglas County Fairgrounds and onto County Road 82 or 22 are still not getting it. If the light is green and they’re going straight or turning right, they have the right-of-way over traffic coming from County Road 22. What’s happening is the vehicles from the RCC are stopping, waiting for the traffic to clear while the traffic is waiting for them to proceed through the intersection or turn right. All the hesitating is causing delays and increases the likelihood of an accident.

A slice of history

Thumbs Up: For many, Washington’s Birthday or Presidents Day, which is coming up on February 20, is just a day off. One Alexandria resident has a piece of history of how grandly the holiday was celebrated back on February 22, 1918. He brought in an original menu of a meal that was served to soldiers stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Items on it: oyster stew, oysterettes, sweet pickles, dill pickles, olives, roast turkey, giblet gravy, oyster dressing, mashed potatoes, creamed peas, french dressing, apples, oranges, bananas, assorted pies, assorted cakes, ice cream, bread, butter and sweet cider. It was interesting to see such a slice of history lovingly preserved for 94 years.

Wrong way to paint the town

Thumbs Down: News that 19 incidents of paintball vandalism were reported in Alexandria last month is cause for concern. That’s 19 too many. Some may argue that it’s not really vandalism because the paint can be washed away without much effort. That doesn’t excuse the behavior. It shows a blatant disregard for other people’s property. Those using buildings or vehicles for target practice should know they’re breaking the law and face the consequences of a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor charges. The public can help this kind of crime from escalating by reporting if their property is targeted, or better yet, if they spot a paintballer in the act, call police.

Academic achievements

Thumbs Up: We hope readers took a little time to look through the newspaper “Extra” in Wednesday’s issue that saluted academic excellence. It’s the first in a series of eight academic salutes that will be appearing in consecutive Wednesday issues. It contains photos and information about the academic pursuits of local students in grades seven through 12 – extra-curricular activities like A Club, National Honor Society, singing, music and more. Young people’s achievements and participation in activities like this help set them on the path to success in their career and life after high school.

Tags: opinion, editorials