EDITORIAL: Honor to the artist of metal magic
Jan. 1—Thumbs up to the memory of Arnie Lillo, who for more than two decades designed and built metal sculptures that brought joy to countless people who visited his Good Thunder farm site.
Lillo, 83, died last Saturday.
Lillo was a genial man who owned and operated a successful metal fabrication business and used his talents and artistic skills to produce a variety of large metal pieces, many of which were erected on his property for the public to come and see.
He built a 95-foot-long replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and a 45-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower made in honor of his late wife, Janice.
Many of his works re-enact history. One area of his farm tells the story of the James-Younger Gang's attempted bank robbery in Northfield and the capture of the Younger brothers in Madelia.
Last year he made his first foray into woodworking to build a 20-foot replica of Noah's Ark.
Lillo will long be remembered for the lasting pieces of artwork he produced and for his welcoming personality.
Touching the sun
Thumbs up to the amazing unmanned space probes that are expanding humanity's understanding of the cosmos, and to the expectation that the James Webb Space Telescope will eventually join that parade.
The Webb, successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, was launched into space on Christmas morning. A few days later it began the complex, and critical, maneuvers to unfurl its sunshield.
If all goes well — a considerable if — the Webb will eventually take its post some 930,000 miles from Earth in a month and begin peering into space looking for the beginning of time itself. The $10 billion telescope is a one-shot launch; unlike the Hubbell, it will be too distant for a manned repair mission.
Another unmanned NASA spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, made headlines last month when it was revealed that in April it flew through the previously unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona.
Parker's exploits are expected to help us better understand the solar wind and the outbursts that can interfere with life here on Earth.
It is incredible that humans have built a device that can enter the searing heat and punishing radiation of the sun's atmosphere and continue to function. We have, in a very real sense, touched the sun.
Flu returns
Thumbs down to the return of the flu in the U.S. after somewhat of a reprieve last year.
Flu hospitalizations and a handful of child deaths deaths were reported earlier in the week, including at least one in Minnesota. In last year's unusually light flu season, one child died in the U.S., according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. But 199 children died from flu two years ago.
Unfortunately, the loosening up of COVID-19 safety measures, such as masking and social distancing, means flu case numbers are more normal this season.
Health experts also say it appears fewer people so far have gotten flu shots. Minnesota vaccinations rates are down nearly 15 percent overall and 24 percent lower for children compared to last year.
It's not too late to get the shot — and like any illness, if you do get sick, stay home so you don't spread it.
U of M milestone
Thumbs up to the University of Minnesota for reaching its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% one year ahead of schedule.
The U set out in 2008 to reduce its emissions by 2021, but a recent report shows it reduced emissions by 51% in 2020. The university looked at everything from how buildings were heated and energy used to capital project planning.
The biggest reduction (10%) came from transforming the Old Main heating plant into a much more efficient one that generates electricity and steam to heat and cool buildings.
The university's efforts put it at second best in the country in a effort involving reducing greenhouses gases at some 450 campus in the Second Nature network program.
Cleaner Ski U Mah!
