EDITORIAL: Community band longevity remarkable
Jun. 25—Thumbs up to the Mankato Area Community Band for reaching the milestone of 100 years of playing.
The band and community will celebrate with a concert 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lincoln Park, where it will play patriotic songs in a tribute to the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. The band has been running solely on community support, grants and donations since 2006.
A 100-year run for a community band is a remarkable accomplishment when one considers it began just after the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and continues into the COVID pandemic. It has continued to play on through world wars, terrorist attacks and all the challenges the last century has wrought.
Mankato area residents should be proud of such an institution and be thankful they can hear the sounds of enthusiastic and dedicated musicians wafting through the neighborhoods of Mankato.
Flying chaos
Thumbs down to the growing mess at airports across the country. Last Sunday and Monday alone, airlines canceled nearly 1,200 U.S. flights, leaving passengers stranded and luggage piled up. Delays also piled up.
It's a problem that's been going on for weeks and airline analysts say that without big changes, it's a problem that will persist and likely grow.
Airlines are facing a variety of challenges, including shortages of pilots and flight crew, as well as aircraft.
Many of these problems stem from airlines slashing staff early on in the pandemic, when air travel plummeted. Demand has since roared back faster than airlines have been able to ramp up hiring.
But that doesn't mean airlines should be off the hook.
Airlines got $54 billion in pandemic relief. They owe it to the flying public and the country to step up their efforts, add staff and make the investments needed to reverse the growing problems within their operations.
Protect the state medical board
Thumbs down to Dr. Scott Jensen's plan to retaliate against the state Board of Medical Practice, which has jurisdiction over the Republican gubernatorial nominee's medical license.
Jensen complained at a recent campaign stop in Spicer that he is facing his fifth investigation by the the board and declared: "If I get elected in November, do you think their jobs are secure?"
The board has not publicized the complaints levied against Jensen, and the candidate brags frequently about them. But the truth is that Jensen's unconventional and potentially dangerous approach to the coronavirus pandemic — including discouraging vaccinations, denouncing masks and promoting the use of ivermectin — should alarm the state agencies and officials charged with protecting public health.
Candidate Jensen appears unconcerned with public health. There's no reason to think he would be otherwise as governor.
Great Lakes Authority
Thumbs up to proposed legislation that would create a federal Great Lakes Commission aimed at focusing on the five lakes' economic interests and protecting their resources.
The Great Lakes have long faced environmental threats with progress made on many problems, such as the cleanup of the once heavily polluted St. Louis River that flows into Lake Superior.
But one of the big future threats to the Great Lakes is likely to be the value of the fresh water itself.
With ongoing droughts across the west, states are becoming more desperate to find water where they can.
With the Colorado River unable to provide all the water many states have taken from it, states such as Arizona are drawing on underground holding tanks that have been stored and unused for decades. California lawmakers are suggesting buying water rights from farmers.
And more states are eyeing the fresh water of the Great Lakes. Those states are large and politically powerful. A federal commission that combines the power of several states to promote economics around the lakes and protect the water from misuse or diversion would help ensure the Great Lakes are not plundered.
