Thumbs up to area players, coaches, parents and fans who supported teams that rose to the top of their classes this year with state championships.
United South Central High School girls softball team took home the Class A state championship in a close 1-0 game, while Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial girls took home the Class AA state title in a come from behind 3-2 win for the first state championship in school history.
Mankato East High School boys track team took the state championship in Class AA, while the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton/Waterville-Elysian-Morristown won the Class A title in girls track and field.
Many other individuals who competed at state track and field took top spots or finished with personal bests.
Athletic achievements like winning state tournaments often take the spotlight, but the hours of work, the building of teamwork and developing attitudes that reflect good sportsmanship are important byproducts of athletic competition. The coaches and players learn life-long lessons about practice, patience and persistence.
Successful, hard-working athletes often become successful people and contributing members of communities. Of course, other high school activities like speech, debate and the arts also help build character among young people and prepare them for success in life.
For that we can thank the parents, coaches, players and fan supporters for helping build the community of young people.
Citizen leaders, protecters get deserved recognition
Thumbs up to the citizens who stood up to protect their neighbors during this winter’s Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities where 3,000 ICE agents descended on the city with unlawful arrests and physical harm to innocent immigrants and others.
Representatives of the groups who helped organize the resistance and who, like citizen journalists, tracked the lawlessness were recently honored with the Profiles in Courage Award. Given by the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, the award usually honors particularly courageous political leaders.
These citizens warned their neighbors of ICE raids and tracked and took video of ICE abusive actions for authorities to use in prosecution and accountability. Many put their lives at risk and faced jailing and injuries themselves. The groups supporting these patriots filed legal actions and petitioned government for change.
The four people accepting the award on behalf of Twin Cities residents included Imam Yusuf Abdulle, co-founder of the Somali American Leadership Table, Natalie Ehret, founder of Haven Watch, Carolina Ortiz, associate executive director of COPAL and Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools.
Twin City residents were also recognized by Minnesotans For Open Government with their highest freedom of the press award in an earlier ceremony. The group was given the John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award, named after the late, legendary editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Operation Metro Surge was considered by the Trump administration one of the biggest immigration raids in U.S. history. The citizens who stood up for their neighbors stopped the lawless raid in its tracks and federal agents later retreated after ICE leaders like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE leader Greg Bovino were removed.
The Minneapolis defenders also succeeded in changing the narrative in Congress about the activities of ICE and won bipartisan support for changes to the indiscriminate ICE raids and a withholding of its budget.
The Minnesota resistance came in 30 below weather and shocked the world into the reality of the government’s attack on its own people, and was a rallying cry for others around the country.