Editorial: Thumbs

To the Freeborn County Historical Society, Old Car Co., Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau and the United Methodist Church of Albert Lea.

The entire community is grateful that these organizations pulled together to keep Eddie Cochran Weekend going in Albert Lea every June. Classic cars. Old-time rock ’n’ roll. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. It wouldn’t be June in Albert Lea without our annual tribute to Eddie, a local boy who became an internationally known musician. We look forward to this year’s event.

 

To Gov. Mark Dayton.

While we appreciate the governor touting the jobs aspect of the bonding bill he proposed Tuesday, he gets low marks from us for leaving out a key request for Albert Lea — the $7.5 million request for the $15 million dredging of Fountain Lake. The project clearly has a jobs aspect, too, and it will benefit local water quality, property values, tourism and recreation. This is a good thing all around, and there is no doubt our area has demonstrated strong momentum for cleaning water. Usually, local momentum will garner support from state leaders. We hope the request finds its way into versions of the bill to be produced by the House and Senate. And we hope we can give the governor a thumbs up this spring for signing a bonding bill into law that includes the dredging request.

 

To the snow on Friday.

Sure, we had it fairly easy this winter, but there have been many children just itching to get out there and go sledding. Finally, they will get to do it. And as far as Minnesota snowstorms go, the one we finally had was fairly tame. In any of the past two winters, it would have been just another ordinary January day, probably with fewer school cancellations. We enjoyed seeing children on the local sledding hills this weekend.