Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To local residents performing on stage.

If you like music and theater, this week and next have a few opportunities in store for you to see some good local talent. 

This week has been the kickoff of Albert Lea Community Theatre’s newest production, “Deathtrap,” a comedic thriller. 

This week is  also Alden-Conger’s presentation of “Shrek The Musical.”

Next week is the annual Tigers Roar production, in which Albert Lea High School students get on stage and showcase their taleents. 

All of these are sure to entertain, and we encourage you to get out and support these local performers. We have a lot of local talent in our own community, and we hope everyone takes advantage of it. 

To the spring equinox.

Sunday marks the spring equinox, the astronomical first day of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.

With that comes evidence of changing seasons, earlier dawns and later sunsets — and ultimately increasing sunlight hours.

Though the forecast this week calls for rain and some snow, we hope we can continue to quickly move into the spring season. Before we know it, there will be flowers blooming and gardens planted.  

Though that is still out a ways, at least for now we can start with more sunlight.

To the kickoff of Major League Baseball.

The boys of summer are finally on the field. 

It should be fitting for Minnesota fans that the Twins own Byron Buxton was the opening batter of spring training when he dug in against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. This game was the first of the belated Major League Baseball spring training after it was delayed by 20 games because of sports economics disagreements between players and owners.

But it’s here now and if we can get by the ugly business side of the game, then we can appreciate that not only is spring here, but summer is right around the corner.

And with these two seasons comes the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, the sound of a ball coming off the bat and the smell of a newly purchased baseball mit.

Is it any wonder then why baseball truly is America’s pasttime?