The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Editorials

November 6, 2009

Our View: River Web site should be a gem

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To the Web site that is being created to feature the people who are working to improve, protect or spread appreciation of the Minnesota River.

Done through Minnesota State University’s Water Resources Center, the plan is to talk to about 25 experts and have them tackle 15 or 20 questions each. Users will be able to click on the questions that interest them and get the answer through video responses. The experts will be filmed in their element and some of the questions will come from area school children.

The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, which makes recommendations on spending lottery money, chose this project for $125,000 in funding. If the Legislature approves the project’s funding, the Web site should be up and running by the middle of 2011.

The project shows great promise. It’s one that can reach people, especially young ones, on their home computers as well as any visitors to the kiosks at the Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter, the Ney Nature Center near Henderson and the Regional River History Center in New Ulm.

The river is a multifaceted resource in Minnesota with its importance reaching beyond our state’s borders. Learning to take care of it and appreciate it starts with knowing more about it.

To procrastinating on prevention
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To those adults who have not changed their smoke alarm batteries this year, which fire prevention educators recommend be done in the fall.

The state fire marshal’s office urged Minnesotans to replace the batteries when they turned back their clocks to return to central standard time.

That was last weekend, so if you haven’t put in fresh batteries recently, you should do so now.

Of the 38 fire deaths last year, 75 percent occurred in homes without smoke alarms, according to the fire marshal’s office. The National Fire Protection Association says about 96 percent of American homes have smoke alarms, but a third of them contain dead batteries or no batteries at all.

Local fire departments will often assist those who can’t put in the new batteries themselves. Doling out a few dollars for new batteries could be a lifesaving step.

Casting ballots a civic duty
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To area voters who went to the polls Tuesday to decide on school referendums and city and school board races.

Although turnout is always low for off-year elections, some voters took their civic duty seriously and cast ballots.

Voters in the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Blue Earth Area, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva and Maple River school districts passed operating levies. In St. Peter, voters approved a referendum for deferred maintenance projects on schools.

Operating levies were defeated in Le Center and Waseca school districts.

Farmers markets deserve thanks
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Twas a beautiful sight to behold on Halloween Day at the farmers markets in Mankato and St. Peter with tables of beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, squash, pumpkins and other assorted vegetables. Also, the assortment of pies, cookies, breads, doughnuts and other pastries made the markets seem like Grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving.

It is time once again to express our deepest thanks to the vendors who show up at the markets in St. Peter and Mankato, rain or shine, wind or calm, warm or cold. We who love fresh produce know that we are getting the best food available to us. We also know that we are supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas by buying locally produced food. Thank you vendors, and we look forward to seeing you in the spring.

Ron Green


St. Peter



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