Editorial: Thumbs

To Area Veterans Memorial Park in Wells.

Despite the cold and the wind of last Sunday, about 250 people turned out for the dedication of the Area Veterans Memorial Park on Franklin Street in Wells, a turnout number we were pleased to see. The dedication of a veterans memorial is a major historical event in any community. It is a landmark to future generations about how thankful the community is toward people who selflessly served their country, a gesture never to be taken lightly. The memorial honors veterans from Alden, Bricelyn, Easton, Delavan, Freeborn, Kiester, Minnesota Lake, Walters and Wells, but we want to honor the people of Alden, Bricelyn, Easton, Delavan, Freeborn, Kiester, Minnesota Lake, Walters and Wells for putting up the memorial. Good work.

 

To former Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum.

The Republican from Kenyon hit the nail on the head when he spoke Monday to Rochester area business leaders. He said the constitutional amendments the Republicans put on the Election Day ballot steered the party away from its core message. Sviggum, as quoted by the Rochester Post-Bulletin, said: “When Republicans get off our message of budget management, priorities, tax/spend, the meat and potatoes of government, that is when we get into trouble.”

Sviggum these days works as the communications director for the Senate Republicans, and he had inherited a communications meltdown in the wake of the Amy Koch and Michael Brodkorb affair. We look forward to seeing Sviggum guide the Minnesota GOP’s away from social issues and back to fiscal matters with a message centered on pragmatism.

 

To the Minnesota Lynx.

They might not garner nearly the attention they deserve, but the WNBA team for Minnesota has a strong team that outperforms all other professional sports franchises in the state. The Lynx won the WNBA Finals in 2011 and lost it in 2012. First in the league in one year and second in the second the next is a really good showing. If the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves or Wild were winning at that level, the fans would have to pinch themselves to see if they were dreaming. Yet with the Lynx, we’ve come to expect success. Best of luck to the women’s basketball team in 2013.