Short Takes
Arf arf arf arf? Really, Hillary?
THUMBS DOWN:
Hillary Clinton’s barking like a dog Monday during a campaign stop in Reno might have been intended as an insult to her Republican rivals, but we don’t see it that way. We saw it as an embarrassment to herself, a self-inflicted wound, you could say. Clinton is a great politician and a powerful figure in politics, but she shouldn’t do stand-up – not even in a room full of supporters. During her speech earlier this week, the secretary of state was harkening back to an old radio spot that was played in Arkansas during one of her husband’s campaigns to mock Republicans, but in the end all she did was make herself look foolish. Here we thought the Republican presidential candidates cornered that market.
Obama to Cuba
THUMBS UP:
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the chief author of the bipartisan bill lifting trade embargo restrictions against Cuba, on Thursday called President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Cuba historic, as he will be the first sitting president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. The U.S. and Cuba have a complicated history, and While some Republicans are blasting Obama for making the trip next month, we think, after 50 years of failed isolation policy, it’s about time a sitting U.S. president makes this trip.
Way to go, coach
THUMBS UP:
We hear plenty of stories about bad behavior (from both student-athletes and adults) at high school athletic events – sometimes, it’s hard to disagree that sports brings out the worst in us. But from time to time, a story comes along that makes us feel good. Such is the case with a Minnesota cross-country ski coach, who did the right thing at a section race earlier this month. During the section race Feb. 1 at Wirth Park in Minneapolis, St. Louis Park skier Ben Chong hit a patch of ice and crashed, breaking his ski pole. With the senior’s chances of helping his team qualify for the state meet all but doomed, an assistant Nordic ski coach handed him a spare ski pole. In the end, St. Louis Park grabbed second place and a spot in the state tournament. The coach who helped Chong is from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School – which finished two points back for third place. The coach, Doug Hubred, said after that he doesn’t regret his decision to help an opponent. He’s the one who deserves a medal. It would be nice to believe we will someday get to a time in our society when opponents helping each other won’t be news, but the norm.
Short Takes
Good luck, dancers
THUMBS UP:
Best of luck to Marshall, Yellow Medicine East and Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd at the state dance meet this weekend. These teams certainly are no strangers to state competition, and we congratulate the coaches and volunteers who have worked to build up these solid programs.
Welcome to Leininger
THUMBS UP:
New Marshall-Lyon County Library Director Michele Leininger was officially welcomed to Marshall by the public Tuesday. We join that group. The library is one of the best, if not the best, in the region, structurally, but it needs a solid leader. We trust, with her background, Leininger is the right leader with the right vision.
Regular-season final at ice arena
Sideways thumbs:
The Tiger boys hockey team dropped a 7-1 decision to Luverne – one of the best small-school teams in the state – on Tuesday. But that wasn’t the main takeaway from the game. Tuesday’s tilt was the last regular-season game to be played at Lockwood Motors Ice Arena. This gets “sideways” thumbs for nostalgia sake. While anyone associated with hockey is more than ready to get into that new facility on the other side of town, the role the Lockwood arena has played in Marshall hockey throughout the years must not be overlooked.
Oil down – so are gas prices
THUMBS UP:
Oil has dropped to a three-year low, and many say that’s bad news for the economy. But it sure is nice to see gas under $1.50, isn’t it? There’s turmoil on the stock market, too, but it’s hard to say what we should make of that. Even financial gurus don’t have the answers. All we can do is hope for the best – while we fill up those gas tanks with a smile.
Time for more GOP candidates to call it quits
THUMBS UP:
Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina did the right thing this week by giving up their respective runs to the White House. Now it’s time for the other longshots to do the same. It would nice if this GOP field was whittled down by at least two, maybe three, before Super Tuesday. Time to say goodbye, Dr. Carson and Mr. Bush.
Short Takes
Skipping holidays in school?
THUMBS DOWN:
There’s a lot wrong with this country – many more things far more important than what you are about to read – but this is just crazy. A principal at a St. Paul elementary school says there should be no more celebrating of “dominant holidays” there. “My personal feeling is we need to find a way to honor and engage in holidays that are inclusive of our student population,” Bruce Vento Elementary School’s Scott Masini wrote in a letter. The letter led up to the school opting out of celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Christmas, we can see (separation of church and state and all that), but the others? Masini said the decision was made in consultation with his staff. Oh, OK. What? Please. We don’t care if the whole town voted, this is wrong, and, well, just plain stupid. The school seems to be trying to be open-minded, but you just can’t close one door in favor of another. We agree all should analyze holidays because of all the great diversity that is in our schools today, and we don’t want kids to be left out, but to try to eliminate the celebration of major holidays? We’re at a loss for words on this one.
Signing Day
THUMBS UP:
WCCO Radio butchered his name in its sports report Thursday morning, but Marshall High School receiver Drew Hmielewski did his community proud Wednesday when he signed his national letter of intent to play football at the U of M. Congratulations, too, to Marshall’s Jacob Falconer, who signed with SMSU.
Another crash on 14
THUMBS DOWN:
There have been two car crashes on U.S. Highway 14 between Garvin Corner and Tracy in just over two weeks; let them serve as reminders to slow down. The roads may look dry, but chances are, they’re not. Don’t guess – just slow down.
MHS?dancers
THUMBS UP:
Well done, Marshall High School varsity jazz dance team for your second-place finish in last weekend’s section competition and good luck at state.
Taking on student debt
THUMBS UP:
We’re glad to see lawmakers, and high-ranking ones at that, tackle the student debt load issue. On Wednesday, college students, including one from our own SMSU, testified in front of U.S. senators about their plight. It’s hard to believe some incoming college students might feel compelled to stay away from fields because they fear they won’t make enough money to get their loans paid off. Something needs to be done, and Wednesday was a good start.