Our future is alive and well.

Last Friday I went to Albert Lea High School and spoke with teacher Riley Worth’s Ahlahasa and yearbook students about media trends and let me tell you that our kids are very well-informed and brighter than most. We spoke about how teenagers learn about news and how they consume all the different media that is presented to them.

We spoke about Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, AlbertLea-Tribune.com and the Albert Lea Tribune newspaper. What I found was a very intelligent group of overachievers of whom every parent should be super proud. If this is a small slice of the future of our country, then I will say that we are in good shape and I trust they will make darn good decisions.

I will list the young adults because I was so impressed with them all. Parents, be proud: Katelyn Anderson, Erika Blickenderfer, Mikaela Broderick, Liz Burnett, Annmarie Caporale, Tara Chirpich, Noah Christopherson, Drew Claussen, Sarah Estes, Stephanie Ferguson,Alec Grangruth, Ally Herbst, Lana Howe, Sarah Hundley, Jared Jensen, Jill Jensen, Chloe Johnson, Janet Lawler,Chelsea Lebrun, Liz Lukas, Chelsie Luna, Dalton Pagel, Andrew Schrad, Morgan Stadheim, Parker Stanley, Jeff Thorstad, Kaitlin Walker, Whitney Walker, and Ashley Wieland.

I sure was.

Relay for Life

The Freeborn County American Cancer Society Relay for Life is right around the corner, and I have found out some important dates coming up. The Freeborn County relay has become almost like a holiday in my book, and hopefully it will be in yours as well. Let’s all help take down cancer again this year.

Mark the calendars for the following dates:

March 31: Team Meeting

April 28: Team Meeting

May 5: ALMC Kickoff

May 12: Kickoff

June 27: Mall day

July 9: Team captains meeting (registration)

July ?: Ice cream social

Aug. 10: Bank night

Aug. 14: The Relay-Yippee!

My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Hanson Tire team that just went through a bad fire. Kudos to all of you for staying open and battling on!

Also great job by the Albert Lea police and fire department as well as emergency medical services for how fast they contained the fire and blocked off traffic, preventing any other problems to arise.

Flood concerns

Please everyone keep your friends and loved ones in the flooding areas of Fargo, N.D., and western Minnesota also in your thoughts and prayers as this weather is just not giving them much of a break.

Golf season is near

Get ready to golf!

The United Way Golf outing is right around the corner and sign ups are already being taken by Ann Austin and Corrine Applegate at the United Way offices.

June 1 at Green Lea Golf Course is the date and to sign up just get your team together and call (507) 373-8670.

What is better than having fun, hitting a golf ball and helping out United Way!

Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s column appears every Thursday.