Graduates return to Marshall

Thumbs up: Marshall High School graduates Mitch Maxwell and Elizabeth Odland, the homecoming king and queen of 2000, have returned home to live and teach. She will teach at Park Side, while he will teach at the high school.

Smithsonian in Hanley Falls

Thumbs up: A Smithsonian exhibit on fences and rural areas will be at the Minnesota Machinery Museum in Hanley Falls through Sept. 30. The exhibit focuses on fences and the relationship between the land, people and neighbors and fences.

More vandalism

Thumbs down: Vandals are at work again, this time at Bruce Street garage and the Marshall city watertower. Maybe it's gang tagging maybe not. Maybe it's a gang wanna-be spray painting the graffiti. Whatever the reason, the vandalism is silly. If the watertower has been tagged by a gang or a would-be gang member, does that mean the gang now believes it controls the city?

Bad check in the mail

Sideways thumb: Patrick and Judy VanWinkle received a suspicious check in the mail and decided correctly not to cash it. But what about folks who may not be as suspicious as the VanWinkles? What if someone believes the letter telling the person he's won and believes a fake check is real? The victim could lose money in such a scam. Some folks are just more vulnerable in tougher economic times. It's good the VanWinkles were wise. Hopefully, others learn from their actions.

Box Car Days

Thumbs up: The public still has a couple of weekends to enjoy summer festivals. This weekend it's the annual Box Car Days in Tracy. The Labor Day parade has become an annual outing for many.