Star Herald doles out thumbs for great grads, poor parking, community celebrations, inflated inflation and more

Thumbs up — to our local graduates: given their profile information in the recent Star Herald graduation edition, these kids are going places. Also, this week’s Arts and Academics edition showcases all kinds of student talent worth community accolades.
Thumbs down — to Main Street business owners and their employees who park in front of other businesses. A brief stop is one thing, but we’ve heard from businesses who suffer from repeat all-day parkers that force elderly patrons to take extra steps around a vehicle in the middle of a block.
Thumbs up — to Buffalo Days Chamber staff, volunteers and committee organizers. Despite the dreary weather, the weekend had great participation and a wonderful lineup of attractions.
Thumbs down — to inflation. High prices — especially gas prices — hurt the most vulnerable among us. Our working families finally saw wage hikes but are now hammered by inflation (while corporations post record profits).
Thumbs up — to the local spirit of volunteerism in Rock County. In the wake of our Memorial Day violent storms, we heard countless stories of neighbors helping neighbors to clean up debris from downed trees and damaged property.
Thumbs down — to limited Sunday dining options in Luverne. Lila does a great job at the Pizza Ranch keeping people in town by keeping her doors open, but a dinner-and-drinks option requires an out-of-town trip. We understand the need for company days off, but Monday might be a better day off, especially during summer travel months and weekend community events.
Thumbs up — to Shawn Kinsinger and his Palace Theatre staff and volunteers for their superb work keeping our arts scene alive and vibrant in the community. His quarterly report to the City Council meeting (see related story) is similar to his past reports in that we have a great deal to be proud of in Luverne. We are the envy of community fine arts and entertainment around the region.
Thumbs down — to the weeds and shabby-looking shrubs on the back side of the Rock County Veterans Memorial. The fabulous memorial was built to honor our veterans, and we can do better than this.
Thumbs up — to the Luverne Chapter of Dollars for Scholars, which awarded more than $500,000 to the Class of 2022 qualifying seniors. Luverne is a great district for quality education and student opportunities, but the scholarships are certainly a bonus. Thumbs up also to the hundreds of community members and LHS alumni who donate money to the local chapter.
 
The Star Herald publishes Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down editorials based on tips from our readers. Send ideas for future “thumbs” editorials to editor@star-herald.com or call 507-227-3820.