Thumbs up to the leaders, volunteers and partners working to build up the Carnegie Art Center as a primary art space for the Greater Mankato community.
The Carnegie has added live music programs, more exhibits and is now renovating its classic building to be another gem in the Mankato regional arts scene. The center, led by Charlie Leftridge and an engaged Board of Directors, has boosted its visibility and offerings that include a gift shop, classes and social gatherings around art.
The Carnegie recently remodeled its main gallery and rotunda spaces with distinctive luxury tile that looks like marble and is reminiscent of what original Carnegie flooring may have looked like more than 100 years ago.
One of its largest juried art exhibitions opened Friday and included 106 pieces from 81 artists. It also will host an Art Brunch fundraiser today and hosted an Underworld Exhibit and a block party with Mecca Tattoo on Thursday. It has regular fiber shows and even a yoga meditation session.
The Carnegie Art Center, established as a Carnegie Library in 1901 with a grant from industrialist Andrew Carnegie, has long been a hidden gem in the city. It is starting to shine brighter as a centerpiece of art and culture.
Vietnam vets served country
Thumbs up to Vietnam veterans whose stories were retold recently when The Free Press did an in-depth story on the end of the Vietnam War with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
Local veterans talked about their experiences and the war and the hardships brought on in the cases of very young men, often 18- and 19-year-olds. About 58,000 U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam.
Many vets came home suffering from hearing loss and diseases from exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange. Memories come back loud and clear for some as they are spurred by exploding fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Others suffered from PTSD recalling the horrible things they saw and duties they had to take on like piecing together their comrades’ bodies so they could be sent home.
Of course, South Vietnam was taken over by the Communist north as the U.S. exited the conflict. And many a soldier probably knew little about the orchestrating of war and lies by the mostly white men running Washington, D.C.
It’s important to hear the stories of the Vietnam vets and all veterans again and again, so we will never forget their sacrifice.
Keep Fed independent
President Donald Trump has backed off his threat to fire the Federal Reserve chairman.
Trump has railed against Chair Jerome Powell, saying the Fed chair needs to lower interest rates. But Powell and the Federal Reserve always have been treated as an independent agency, free of political pressure.
The agency is the central bank of the United States, responsible for managing the nation’s monetary policy, supervising and regulating financial institutions, and promoting the stability of the financial system.
Powell has aimed to maximize employment and keep the economy stable. Part of that strategy has been to not lower the interest rate too quickly or too low because of concerns about Trump’s tariffs and fear of fueling inflation.
It appears Trump has backed off his threat to take the dramatic action of firing Powell as those around the president warned him of the backlash and problems that would ensue, including continuing to harm the stock market that so many people rely on for their retirement savings.
Trump’s retreat on his threats is good news, but as everyone knows, he can change course quickly with his erratic policies.
Journalists under attack
Thumbs down to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for recently rescinding a Biden administration policy that protected journalists’ notes, records and phone calls from unwarranted searches in cases of White House leaks.
Bondi, in her zeal to stop administration officials from leaking information to the media that would “undermine president Trump’s policies,” opened the floodgates to secretly seizing reporter phone records during leak investigations.
The new regulations say news organizations must respond to subpoenas and other court orders to compel information and testimony from reporters in court actions.
Journalists have long been protected by various laws and court precedents that call for the government to have extremely compelling reasons involving health, safety or national security before having to reveal confidential sources, notes or records.
Bondi has declared open season on journalists and has created a chilling affect for news coverage critical to the operation of a functioning democracy.