Thumbs Up and Down – Views by the Echo Press June 1, 2012

Talk about it

Failing to yield

Thumbs Down: Here’s a reminder to drivers traveling to North Nokomis Street from County Road 42: Yield. A sign has been in place for several months now. Remember, a yield sign means to slow down or stop, if necessary, and give the right of way to all other vehicles or pedestrians until it is safe to proceed. “This means you have to stop for traffic coming in on Highway 29,” said a driver frustrated with those who fail to yield. “Traffic on a state highway shouldn’t have to stop for you; it’s a yield sign not a merge sign!”

Cartoon with a message

Thumbs Up: On the topic of driving, a reader sent us an editorial cartoon from her hometown newspaper, the Richland County News-Monitor in North Dakota that delivered a meaningful message. It depicted a conversation a couple was having in a car. The passenger said, “Look! The sign says, ‘Honk if you love Jesus. Text if you want to meet him!’ ” The driver answers back, “You just remember to pray with your eyes wide open while driving!”

Helpful signs

Thumbs Up: A reader sends a “thumbs up” for the new directional signage for city parking lots and the dog park. “With easily visible signs on 6th Avenue, they make these nice features of the city a little easier to locate – for both locals and visitors,” she said.

Way over the limit

Thumbs Down: Here’s some outrageous news from the Department of Natural Resources: An Otsego fisherman was busted for being over the legal limit of fish. Not just “over” but “way over.” He had 413 sunfish and 30 crappies too many. The news goes to show what kind of an impact one wayward angler can have on a fishery. He faces a stiff penalty of up to $3,000 fine, a year in jail and restitution of $2,015 for the value of the fish. His boat, motor, trailer and fishing license were also seized. The DNR can always use more eyes looking for this kind of illegal activity that robs our lakes of precious resources. Anyone witnessing a fishing or wildlife violation is encouraged to contact the nearest conservation officer, law enforcement agency or the toll-free Turn-In-Poacher (TIP) hotline at 1-800-652-9093. Also, #TIP is available to most cell phone users in Minnesota.

Moms who shine

Thumbs Up: Here’s a heartwarming note we received around Mother’s Day from a former Alexandria resident, Robert Mullen, who now writes a monthly column, “RAMblings,” in Carefree, Arizona. He recalled a time in 1927 when he was 5 and living three miles outside of Alexandria. His mom heard about a unique contest the St. Paul Daily News was staging, challenging readers to place as many “8s” as they could inside the wing of an airplane with none of the 8s touching each other or the border. His mother made 5,685 such tiny, precise careful 8s. “That was 85 years ago but I remember vividly how I would watch her sit at our modest dining room table with a magnifying glass, a hard-lead penny pencil and a straight razor, which she used to keep the pencil extra sharp,” Mullen recalled. “She worked diligently, day in and day out, and won third prize, which was $75. With that money, my father brought electrical power in from the country road that ran by our home and had the house wired, complete with fixtures. And for the first time, we had electricity and electric light rather than a kerosene lantern. Literally, she had brought a new kind of light into my life.”

Tags: opinion, editorials