Editorial: Thumbs

To city officials.

We are impressed that Albert Lea city staff and councilors decided to hold an informal meeting seeking feedback on the Freeborn National Bank Building and the Jacobson Apartments Building, rather than just relying on phone calls and emails. Speaking in person with Albert Lea residents helps find middle ground on issues and, at times, turns opponents into ambassadors. There are many views on what should be done with the two buildings, which are quite beautiful, architecturally speaking. People care quite a bit about them.

 

To grudges.

We don’t know the details of the feud between two men near the age of 70 that led to one of them being charged with assault, but we would bet they hold grudges against each other. After all, why would a man from the Oakland area drive over to the Clarks Grove area at night to dump his garbage in the man’s lawn? It seems like a scene out of that “Fargo” movie making fun of Minnesotans. And it serves as a reminder of a good lesson. There will be times in life when people are wronged. At that point, it is up to the people in the right to continue to feel wronged by holding a grudge and get revenge — or they can take the higher road and let the matter go. They can forgive and forget. Moreover, the man who ended up being charged with assault stayed up late and indeed caught the garbage-dumping man on camera, but he made the mistake of confronting him. Let the cops handle that job. Frankly, we hope these two men work out their differences, forgive each other and the assault charge gets dropped.

 

To not having a Jimmy John’s in Albert Lea.

A new Jimmy John’s sandwich restaurant opened in Austin last week, and we envy Austin because of it. When traveling, we encounter Jimmy John’s in neighboring cities — Owatonna, Faribault, Mankato, Rochester, Mason City, La Crosse and, in Iowa, Ames and Mason City — but there isn’t one here. Of course, Jimmy John’s is found all over in the Twin Cities and in Des Moines, too. We figure it is only a matter of time until one establishes itself in Albert Lea, but the lunch crowd and freeway travelers wouldn’t mind having one here sooner than later. The more choices the merrier.