EDITORIAL: Relish winter -- we have no choice
Jan. 28—Thumbs up to the strong embrace of winter by community groups that feature events that appreciate the season, no matter the challenges.
During this weekend of single-digit high temps, the Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic takes place at Spring Lake Park in North Mankato with numerous rinks featuring play time for hockey players both young and old.
St. Peter has kicked off its Winterfest celebration with a plethora of activities, including a medallion hunt, ice skating and snowshoeing.
The Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival boasts more than a month of events, including last year's popular kite festival at Clear Lake, which will be Feb. 19 this year.
Less formal celebrations of winter include organized hikes at area parks, fat tire bike rides, skiing at Mount Kato and sliding on area hills.
The heavy snowfalls and cold temperatures can be challenging as the weeks of winter tick by, but embracing the outdoors — with appropriate winter gear, of course — can make the season more enjoyable.
Chickens, again
Thumbs up to the Mankato City Council deciding to revisit the idea of allowing residents to have some hen chickens in their backyards.
The council this week asked city staff to research how other cities regulate backyard chickens and lay out some recommendations for the council to consider. The issue was debated, often hotly, 13 years ago with the council eventually deciding to do a pilot project. But the requirements were so strict that no resident bothered to apply for a permit to have chickens.
But with several new members the council decided it's an issue worth looking at again. Since it was first debated many more communities have added ordinances allowing for backyard hens. More communities have also relaxed rules for things like having honey bee hives in town and allowing residents to grow native grass lawns.
With the current skyrocketing price of eggs, the idea of owning some hens might be appealing to more people.
The issue will undoubtedly again bring passionate discussion from those in favor and those opposed to the idea, but it is an issue worth revisiting.
Climb for hunger
Thumbs up to the participants and organizers of the Climb 2 Feed Kids fundraiser that recently held a competition for fundraising at Mount Kato where teams competed in a relay race up and down the sliding hills.
Teams from various elementary schools were on of 33 competing to raise money for the Feeding Our Communities Partners' second annual relay. A team from Hoover elementary raised $1,600 by getting kids to dress up at school. The teams of five to 10 people committed to raising $1,500 before the relay race.
Prairie Winds Middle School raised more than $3,000. FOCP aimed to raise $125,000 as a goal.
Food insecurity remains prevalent in the community, and it's good to see people recognizing that and kids getting involved in charity at a young age.
A reporter-free 'newspaper'
Thumbs down to the effective demise of the St. Cloud Times, which as of Feb. 1 will not have a single newsroom staffer.
The last man standing, Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa, was one of nine in the Times editorial department when he was hired last May. Even that would be paltry for covering a metro area of some 200,000 residents. But the bloodletting throughout the Gannett group has been remorseless, and nine quickly became zero.
Forum Communications, which has acquired pretty much all Minnesota print publications north of St. Cloud, on Tuesday announced plans for a web-only news outlet, St. Cloud Live. Gaafarelkhalifa is to be one of Live's initial staffers, and Forum has suggested that a print version may eventually emerge.
How well Forum's digital model will work financially or journalistically is, of course, unknown. What we do know is that "news deserts" create unhealthy governments and communities. There is a genuine value to society in this field; that does not appear to translate into sufficient financial value to its investors.
The Times' demise is bad for newspapering and bad for the community.
