Please do not worry about spring as I have taken care of it. I went out and did my yearly spring dance, and I can assure you those warmer temperatures and sunnier days are ahead soon. I will go out on a limb here and actually say that within two to three weeks we will start to see the 40s and 50s.

Hockey picks

I am so proud of the Albert Lea girls’ hockey players who were named all-conference last week. Congratulations Lauren Klick, Lauren Draayer and Sophie Jepson. I am also so proud of Sam Stanley and Sydney Conley for making honorable mention all conference. Way to go, Tigers.

One amazingly glaring omission I will have to say was made, and that was leaving Maddi Passingham off this team. When I went over the statistics and saw that Passingham tied for the lead (on her team) in goals with 20 and had 11 assists, I thought that our own paper had made a misprint. It was not a misprint, and that disappoints me.

The coaches who select the all-conference teams did an injustice to Passingham. Her statistics alone should have placed her on this team. To not have made her all-conference or at the very least an honorable mention is an absolute shame.

Passingham had a great senior season and should be honored by the very conference in which she dedicated many years to playing. I realize that politics sometimes comes into play at certain levels, and that there is never a perfect system to choosing players in any sport.

This is why I have never questioned choices in my six years here as publisher, nor have I ever interfered with my own editors and sports writers when they are making tough choices about the Tribune’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors, but this omission is really quite mind-boggling. Hang in there, Maddi Passingham, as your hockey skills have definitely been noticed by many fans, including me, who will tell you that this too shall pass, and you will be stronger for it. I guarantee it.

Wrestling

Good luck to all of the individual wrestlers at state this weekend! Make us proud.

Class act

Jill Jensen is 18.

Jill Jensen is a senior editor for the Albert Lea High School Ahlahasa monthly school newspaper.

Jill Jensen wrote a column that ran in the Ahlahasa last month as well as in our paper on Tuesday.

Jill Jensen wrote about homosexuality and marriage.

The courage it took for this young lady to not only have such strong convictions but to then place them on paper for the entire world to see and comment on is admirable.

The issue of same-sex marriage has been a hot button over the past few years. It takes on major, complex issues, such as the definition of marriage, the direction of church denominations, sexual orientation, love, the role of government and discrimination.

Jensen tackles a subject that has been avoided by political parties because of its pure divisiveness. No matter what side of this debate you happen to be on, it is clear that Jensen should be applauded and commended for taking a side that supports her position as well as supports a family member.

The world needs more people like Jensen. In America, we stand up for our beliefs. The only way any compromise or decision is ever made is through debating an issue. Jensen understands this and stands up for her side of the debate.

Jill Jensen, I am a big fan.

Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s column appears every Thursday.