EDITORIAL: Softball tournament boosted regional economy
Jul. 9—Thumbs up to the organizers of the Mankato Peppers Classic girls softball tournament last weekend, which drew nearly 100 teams and their fans to Mankato.
The tournament filled local hotels and restaurants and brought an estimated $1 million in tourism to the area. The tournament brought about 4,000 people to the area with an average family spending $750, according to John Considine, chairman of the board for the Mankato Area Girl's Fastpitch Association.
Visit Mankato officials estimated hotels were at 97% capacity.
Mankato and North Mankato with its Caswell Park facility have become premier destinations for softball tournaments. Softball facilities are a great amenity for the region and one in which we can take pride.
Henderson flood fix
Thumbs up to the work to make Henderson less vulnerable to flooding.
The quaint town that is a destination for many in southern Minnesota has repeatedly been almost completely shut off from the outside world when water overflows the banks of the Minnesota
Low-lying highways to the east and north become impassable during many floods, leaving residents forced to use the highway to the west, adding long detours for them and deterring visitors vital to the local economy.
After years of lobbying, money was finally approved to protect the highways from future flooding
With increased precipitation and more extreme storms, Henderson has repeatedly been cut off by flooding in the past couple of decades. In a few years, residents, business owners and visitors should have a much easier time getting into and out of the community.
Festivals flourish
Thumbs up to the full-speed ahead pace of summer fun and community connection in the form of town festivals.
From Fourth of July celebrations that included parades and fireworks displays, to annual town festivals that offer kids' activities, live music and parades, life finds it sweet spot when the weather cooperates and friends and family can share in the fun with one another.
Just this weekend alone, Park Days in Madelia, Giant Days in Blue Earth and Fun Days in North Mankato are going on.
Today the North Mankato Fun Days parade begins at 11 a.m., but before it starts, there is an opportunity to support ECHO Food Shelf with monetary donations of non-perishable goods as volunteers walk the route to pick up donations. No better way to support a community than to remember others who might need some extra help.
Enjoy those outdoor gatherings and dive into summer with gusto. It never lasts as long as you think it will.
Geopolitical sports
Thumbs down to the plight of basketball star Brittany Griner, imprisoned in Russia after being arrested for entering the country with cannabis oil — and to the mystery about the whereabouts and status of Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, who returned to his homeland this summer after the Wild were eliminated in the NHL playoffs.
Griner — described by the State Department as "wrongfully detained" — on Thursday admitted in court to inadvertently bringing contraband with her as she returned to Russia, where she plays professionally. The admission is believed to be a necessary step for a potential prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, but such a deal is far from certain.
It's been a long time since relations between Moscow and Washington have been this frosty, and Russia's genocidal assault on Ukraine deserves to be a higher priority for the Biden administration.
There is never a good time to run afoul of Russia's version of a judicial system. But this might be one of the worst, at least for Americans such as Griner or former Marine Paul Whelan, also caught in the Kremlin's web.
As for Kaprizov, the Wild on Thursday denied a report that he had fled Russia after another prominent Russian player was arrested for avoiding military service. But nobody knows when, or if, the scoring phenom will return to the U.S. to resume his career.
