Thumbs up
To all Mankato-area dentists for voluntarily purchasing equipment that stops the potential flow of mercury into the wastewater treatment system.
Some 35 area dental offices in Mankato, North Mankato and Eagle Lake installed a device that keeps mercury-containing dental materials out of the wastewater treatment system and potential for ending up in the Minnesota River.
The Minnesota Dental Association deserves credit also for beginning in 2001 encouraging dental offices to install the devices, which cost about $2,000 each. The willingness of the dental offices to install devices shows their concern for the environment. It’s even better the government didn’t have to mandate the devices.
Thumbs up
Motorcycle trip helps March of Dimes
To the Bikers for Babies Mankato Chapter of the March of Dimes for their recent effort to raise money for the organization that aims to prevent birth defects and other health problems that affect small children.
The group organized a 100-mile motorcycle trek through the Minnesota River Valley and marked the ninth year the group has helped raise money for a worthy cause that includes pregnancy research and baby health. About 75 bikers participated in the event.
Thumbs down
Competitive gluttony not a pretty sight
Yes, children actually are starving in Africa. But if you don’t want to deal with their demise, you can watch yet another competition that captures the sport of extreme eating. As if hot dog and doughnut eating contests weren’t enough, now there’s a new competition that Americans can be proud to call their own. On Monday “Humble Bob” stuffed himself with 11.5 pounds of chili spaghetti to become champion and win $2,500 in a eating contest in Mason, Ohio.
Even if children weren’t starving in Africa and elsewhere, this kind of competition has no place during a time when food shelves are struggling to accommodate demand and families are pinching pennies to buy groceries.
Sucking down 2 pounds of noodles in less than a minute just doesn’t have the attraction that it did in better economic times.
Thumbs up
Tent-village display a sight for sore eyes
But then there are learning opportunities that encourage young people to step outside their own limited worlds.
At Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter Thursday, an interactive tent-village display recreated a refugee city. Camp Darfur, a traveling exhibit, educates students about genocide while allowing them to consider what it might really be like to have to live as a refugee.
Face it, few young people spend much time thinking about heavy issues in faraway places. Textbooks and lectures don’t inspire them the way hands-on experiences such as these are capable of doing.
Thumbs up
Many supporters helped Operation Kids fundraiser
The Free Press reported Aug. 15 on The Lost Soles, who were trying to run a 200-mile, all-night relay from La Crosse, Wis., to Minneapolis.
The relay took place Aug. 22-23 and the Lost Soles came in 25th among 167 teams with the time of 28:05:12.
Our team ranged from 23-year-old athletes to a 70-year-old mature runner. If you have any doubts that Boomers and Generation X can work together, our team was the perfect demonstration. We got lost; we got rained on; we passed many runners; we got passed by many runners; we ran under the beautiful star-filled night sky, and most of all, we all had a blast even though we were entirely sleep deprived.
We could not have done this without the support of many people in our community. We would like to thank Jim Rueda, Shane Frederick and Pat Christman of The Free Press for publicizing our story.
Our team was fundraising for Operation Kids. The article helped us raise almost $800 so far.
We also thank Mark Greenwood who personally arranged a rented van and Chris and Melinda Sturm who let us use their van.
Finally, we thank our volunteer team member, Shari Frederickson, for becoming a race course manager who spent over 24 hours on the course without any sleep.
Kuma Takamura
North Mankato
Editorials
Our View: Dentists take bite out of pollution
- Editorials
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Our View: Patriot fans behave poorly
Thumbs down: To Pawngo.com and its CEO Todd Hills for his company’s dumping of hundreds of Butterfinger candy bars in Boston’s Copley Square in a jab at New England Patriot receiver Wes Welker for a dropped pass in the Super Bowl.
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Latest editorial cartoons Feb. 10-11, 2012
A sampling of editorial cartoons from around the U.S.A.
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Latest editorial cartoons Feb. 8-9, 2012
A sampling of editorial cartoons from around the U.S.A.
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Our View: Legislate voter ID proposal
If 80 percent of Minnesota voters favor requiring a photo ID to vote, we’re wondering why it hasn’t happened at the Legislature.
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Our View: Santorum shakes up GOP race
Mitt Romney’s message leading up to Tuesday’s nominating contests in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri was: Vote for me, because I’m inevitable.
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Latest editorial cartoons Feb. 8-9, 2012
A sampling of editorial cartoons from around the U.S.A.
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Our View: Interlock system for DWI works
It’s no stretch of the imagination to argue a new law governing drunk driving in Minnesota is likely having a significant impact on public safety.
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Editorial: Teachers: experience is not everything (Poll)
Why it matters: Teacher seniority protection not the best way to ensure the most qualified teachers are in the classroom.
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Latest editorial cartoons Feb. 2012
A sampling of editorial cartoons from around the U.S.A.
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Our View: A new take on mentoring
Why it matters
Success of youth depends on the number of healthy relationships they have during their years of development. - More Editorials Headlines
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