Editorial: Thumbs

To the Teacher of the Year for Albert Lea Area Schools.

Applause for Kathy Niebuhr, the library media specialist for elementary schools. She was named Teacher of the Year on Wednesday in a ceremony at Albert Lea High School. We in the newspaper business have a fondness for libraries, as they are about learning through the printed word, just like we are. Niebuhr no doubt has seen many children discover the joy of reading, and then grow to become informed adults who consume news regularly. We are especially glad a librarian won the honor.

 

To threats of violence at schools.

Last week, New Prague Middle School experienced two threats, both of which turned out to be false. On one day, a 12-year-old boy was arrested for calling authorities about a shooting, which turned out to be a hoax. On the next day, 21 staff members received an email about a bomb threat at their school. Both events disrupted classes. This week, at a high school in Pella, Iowa, a 16-year-old girl was charged with threatening to set off a bomb. Her threat allegedly came over Facebook and was directed at a staff member. In Albert Lea on Wednesday, one teen allegedly flashed a knife at another teen at the high school. Similar headlines appear daily across America. Teenagers are children, and many don’t understand that threats big or small, in person, over the phone or online disrupt many, many lives in the community, not just classes. Many teenagers also fail to realize that high school is temporary, and for many who suffered during those years, life got better afterward. Hang in there, students facing social problems. Someday, you might laugh about what once seemed so very important.

 

To Bradley Horecka.

It’s wonderful news that this 11-year-old hockey goalie from Albert Lea will be the flag bearer Monday at the Minnesota Wild hockey game in the Xcel Arena in St. Paul. The arena has a seating capacity of 18,568. That’s a lot of people who will see Bradley skating the State of Hockey flag to center ice. Congratulations, kid! Thank you for representing Albert Lea and our proud hockey heritage.