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Time for a Cheer here, a Jeer there

By Chuck Hunt - Editor | Jan 10, 2021

Once again, it is time to give out a few Cheers and Jeers. I’m sure you knew it was coming one of these weeks.

A Jeer goes out to President Donald J. Trump and to all of those rioters who stormed the Nation’s Capitol Building last week.

I am pretty sure we have never given out a Jeer to the President of the United States, but those events on last Wednesday call for it.

Many of us watched in shock and dismay and even horror that such a thing could actually be happening. And President Trump’s part in this calls for one of our most emphatic and largest Jeers of all time.

This was a shocking, sad day for America.

I’m old enough to well remember the protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s. But those, often peaceful but not always, marches and gatherings were mainly to protest the Vietnam War, the killing of students on the Kent State campus, and racial and social injustice.

Sure, there were confrontations with police and maybe an American flag or two was burned in protest.

But attacking the U.S. Capitol? That no longer is protesting. That is an attempted over throw of the U.S. Government. It is an insurrection and an attack on our democracy.

And if that doesn’t deserve a Jeer, then nothing does.

A Cheer goes to the Blue Earth City Council and the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA).

In case you haven’t noticed (and it is hard to miss), those two entities are putting their money where their mouths are. Recent housing surveys have shown a need for more housing in the city. And, they believe that any economic growth in business and job creation is going to need to have accompanying new housing created for those businesses’ employees.

So, the city and HRA are building several new housing projects around Blue Earth. The HRA is building two duplexes – one on Fourth Street and one in the new Prairie View Subdivision, and a four-plex on the corner of Eighth and Rice streets. APX Construction of Mankato is doing the actual construction on the buildings.

Then APX Construction is going a step further and is building another three duplexes of their own in the new subdivision. And, if that isn’t enough, they are purchasing another large lot from the HRA near the tennis courts on 14th Street and will soon be building a 20-plus unit apartment complex there.

The HRA hopes all of this helps jump-start some more construction of single family homes, particularly in the Prairie View Subdivision. It is certainly a good start towards adding more housing in the city.

A Jeer goes out for the loss of two more banks in Faribault County, CCF in Minnesota Lake and Wells Fargo in Blue Earth.

While we quite understand that businesses have to make hard decisions, and that includes closing up a branch office in small towns, it still is a hard blow to take for those who live in those small towns.

Banks are not just a local business, but are financial institutions which can help make progressive things happen in a small town. Losing one can put a big dent into a town’s ability to survive and thrive.

A Cheer goes to all the local governmental bodies in Faribault County who all tried hard to keep the increases in our local property tax levies as low as they could. Yes, you will probably be seeing your taxes go up this coming year, but the increases seem modest in most cases and are warranted.

Looking around at our friends and relatives who live in other places around the state and country, our taxes here seem reasonable compared to most other places.

A Jeer has to go out to all of those who just plain don’t get it. To those here locally and around the country who just refuse to wear a mask, stay put or quit getting together in large groups with no social distancing. They seem to feel the rules just don’t apply to them.

Honestly, it is not that big of a deal to put on a mask and stay six feet away from others. Granted, not getting together with family for the holidays, or not being able to have your business open, is a big deal, but it still can be doable.

But not wearing a mask? C’mon.

A Cheer to all those folks who take the time and effort to assist others who need a little bit of help. You know who I mean. All those who do random acts of kindness just because it needs to be done.

And finally, once again, a Cheer to all of you who support your local, small town businesses. The restaurants, hardware stores, gift stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and, well, dare I say it? Your local newspaper, too.

Thanks for shopping locally on Small Town Saturday, and every other day of the year as well.