The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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June 3, 2011

Our View: Let the Senior Games proceed

The Free Press

— Thumbs up

To the seniors in Mankato this week participating in the Minnesota Senior Games.

The games feature athletic competitions for those 50 and older. Events include archery, basketball, pickleball, swimming, running, cycling, track and field, softball ... and the list goes on.

Watching and hearing the participants talk about the importance of staying fit is inspiring for people of all ages. But you don’t have to be a 65-year-old tri-athlete to play in these games. The games are for anyone who can get up and move and wants a bit of competition. The games reinforce the concept of lifetime fitness.

Mankato, with Minnesota State University hosting most of the activities, is lucky to have the games come to town, not only for the economic impact but for reinforcement of how beneficial and fun physical fitness can be for everyone.

Thumbs down

Messing with the record

To Republican Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers for attempting to rewrite history by deleting mention of the horrendous opening prayer by controversial preacher Bradlee Dean.

Dean broke with longstanding tradition of opening invocation to be non-denominational. He used the opportunity to intimate Christian faith was the only faith and the President Obama was not a Christian.

Zellers, clearly embarrassed and angered by Dean’s unwarranted actions condemned him in public and apologized. But then he struck Dean’s name from the official record of the day in the House Journal.

He contends he had a right to do that because Dean spoke before a House quorum was established. He may have had the right, but what he did wasn’t right. The action is a blow to public confidence in the official record.

One could wonder, what else has been deleted from the official record?

Editorial board

Thumbs up

Crossing paths with Mankato

students was a pleasure

On May 15, my wife and I spent a perfect spring afternoon hiking the trails of William O’Brien State Park. Minnesotans share ownership of our state park treasures, but in the last 10 years, we have seen fewer teenagers and young adults during our park visits.

Young people were hiking in the woods May 15. It seems two busloads of Mankato East students and a few from West High School were on a school field trip. They had spent time canoeing on the St. Croix River and were setting up camp and hiking the trails.

We stopped and chatted with a couple of kids and smiled and said “hi” to others on the trail. These energetic, clear-eyed, young adults were enjoying the developmental gifts the world of nature bestows on humans lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience.

There was not a cellphone or Ipod in sight and the conversations, wonder and laughter were all face-to-face, with wind blowing in our hair.

Although we did not meet any of the adults, it was surely through the initiative of  one or two of the Mankato teachers who had the vision and perseverance to make this spring trip possible. I am sure it was a lot of work to coordinate.

The students were immersed in their science, geography and history lessons.

We applaud the students, teachers and parents of Mankato schools.

Keep on walking in the woods.

Bill Holden and Louise Reid

Minneapolis

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