Detour lifted

THUMBS UP: The road closure on County State Aid Highway 13 ended this week, thanks to the water on the Minnesota River receding. That is a huge relief to the commuters on the other side of the river who usually use the Beussman Bridge to get into New Ulm. They’ve had an extra 20 minutes added to their drive time by the long detour made necessary by the high water levels.

This has been a frustrating spring for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. Facing a long drive every day is just one of them. We’re happy the bridge is now open.

Glockenspiel glory

THUMBS UP: It is nice that the Glockenspiel in New Ulm has been mentioned on the Explore Minnesota website as one of the state’s top free exhibits to visit. People love coming to see the figurines pop out at 12, 3 and 5 p.m. as the bells play.

It would be nice, however, if all the bells played. We’ve noticed that when it chimes the hour, using the familiar Westminster chime, the bottom note is missing. It would be nice if the city could get that fixed for the summer tourism season.

Menagerie reunion

THUMBS UP: Over 30 years, starting in 1970, The Menagerie singing group provided a fun and creative outlet for kids from all over New Ulm. The founder and long-time leader, Bob Wirtz, is back in New Ulm this weekend, and the old group is getting back together for a reunion concert tonight at the State Street Theater.

We’re sure there have been many fond memories and laughs shared this weekend, and there will be a lot of great music, too.

We’re also sure a lot of those singers will be telling Bob what a great impact he had on their lives through the gift of song.

Congratulations to Bob and all of his crew.