A time of year to be optimistic

THUMBS UP:

The first full week of January featured newly-elected officials taking their positions on boards and commissions. In St. Paul, Tim Walz was sworn in as the 41st governor of Minnesota. Three elected members of the Marshall Public Schools District board were also sworn in and Russ Labat is the new member of the Marshall City Council. And the list goes on and on in Lyon, Lincoln, Yellow Medicine and Murray counties. This is a time to be optimistic for a productive year.

Adjusting to change in health care

THUMBS SIDEWAYS:

Not everybody is happy over the marriage between Avera Marshall and Carris health ACMC. People in general don’t like change. But pooling resources may not be a bad idea in dealing with the hurdles rural health care faces in a competitive landscape.

Losing local icons painful for many

THUMBS DOWN:

Here we go again. Out with the old and in with the new. Southwest Minnesota lost another icon when the wrecking ball targeted the Red Rooster Restaurant building in Tracy. It was just a few weeks ago that Marshall residents witnessed the bowling alley building being demolished. A video posted of the Red Rooster demolition posted on the Independent Facebook page drew many comments describing fond memories of eating at the popular eatery. It’s painful for longtime residents to see these favorite establishments be wiped off the landscape. The silver lining is that hopefully new buildings with productive businesses will eventually take over these properties where the destroyed buildings once stood. And new memories will be established.