Star Herald doles out thumbs for veterans, artists, volunteers and holiday shopping
Thumbs Up — to veterans and to Veterans Day programs and events. Rock County has a proud tradition of military service, and Veterans Day is the perfect time to honor those who served. The Star Herald covered Veterans Day programs in Luverne and Hardwick and will feature them in our Nov. 19 edition.
Thumbs Down — to high-ranking officials in the Veterans Administration for continued evidence of abuse of power and lack of responsibility to veterans. The VA’s sole purpose is to make sure our service men and women are compensated for their sacrifices. While there are countless dedicated workers within the VA system of care, these high-profile cases of corruption give the entire department a black eye.
Thumbs up — to the local art community and its continued support of the Carnegie Cultural Center. The historic building is a valued part of our legacy, and it’s comforting to know we have city resources to maintain the building and active fine arts groups looking out for its best interests.
Thumbs down — to armchair quarterbacks criticizing the recent decision about the future of the Carnegie Cultural Center. A handful of arts board members took action only after months of inactivity and indecision among an entire board. We’re glad so many people care about the Carnegie, but actions speak louder than words.
Thumbs up — (again) to our local art community. Saturday’s Holiday Studio Art Tour is a great opportunity to sample the high-quality art that is produced right here in Luverne. Our artists have regional reputations for their work, and it’s all here, right at our fingertips this weekend. The holiday shopping season is approaching, and this is where to find beautiful, handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gifts.
Thumbs up — to our local retailers and businesses for their collective push to capture holiday shoppers. It is with great pride that our advertising staff published Sunday’s lineup of Holiday Open Houses and “Love Luverne” pages of ads. There is so much to be proud of in Luverne, and it’s encouraging to see these messages circulating among our thousands of readers. Watch the Nov. 29 Announcer and Dec. 17 Star Herald for the other two campaigns in the “Holiday Trilogy.”
Thumbs down — to rising health insurance premiums. Reasons for rising health care and insurance costs are many, varied and complicated. While many are criticizing the Affordable Care Act, this is only proof that we should now more than ever be seeking ways to further reform health care in order to make it work for everyone.
Thumbs up — to the record-breaking Kids Against Hunger packing event in Luverne Middle School-High School Nov. 5. It was breathtaking to see such an efficient machine of organizers, volunteers and students make quick work of packing nearly 135,000 meals for hungry families in Haiti. It’s proof again that we live in one of the most generous and compassionate communities in the world.
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