To T.J. Oshie

Here is a guy from Warroad who played hockey against Albert Lea boys during his high school years and now is an Olympic hero following a victorious and dramatic shootout against Russia this past week in Sochi. It’s great to see the attention he and other Olympians male and female have brought to Minnesota hockey. No matter the outcomes, we are proud of our USA hockey teams. They both performed well at the Winter Olympics.

 

 To Old Man Winter

It’s official. We believe there is not a single soul out here in southern Minnesota who remains happy with this winter. Everyone is sick and tired of the snow, slush, ice, wind, cold, freezing rain, sleet, drifts, snowblowers, shovels, scrapers, stuck vehicles, spinning tires, smashes and crashes, fender benders, curb checks, ditched cars, tow trucks, frosted windshields, heating bills, lack of sunlight, power outages, road closures and on and on. (At least there are no pesky mosquitoes.) As soon as the cold weather began to let up and gave us above-freezing temperatures and sunshine last week, Old Man Winter came along Thursday and dumped about 7 inches on Albert Lea and the wind made our walkways disappear once again.

 

To the Albert Lea Art Center.

The makes-you-think art on display during “50 Shades of Red” was impressive, and the red theme was fun. Kudos to the Albert Lea Art Center for pulling off a warming display of art during this frigid cold month. We look forward to more exhibits that push the envelope of normalcy and gives Albert Leans moments to pause and reconsider whatever subjects the artists address. Springing people out of convention bodes well for the direction of the organization. We also liked the promotional postcards that seemed to circulate the city. Well done!