Rep. Jim Hagedorn

Pointer: 1st District representative Jim Hagedorn died Thursday at the age of 59, after a battle with kidney cancer. The staunch conservative Republican serves as an embodiment of the old sayin, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try againg.” Three times he took a run a Rep. Tim Walz, losing each election, but the last one he lost by a few percentage points. When Walz ran for governor, Hagedorn stepped in, touting his conservative credentials in a district that was ready to embrace them.

He had the misfortune of being a minority member of Congress during the Trump administration, so he couldn’t accomplish as much as he would have liked, but he worked hard for the farmers, and for transportation funding for Highway 14.

We extend our sympathies to his family at this difficult time.

Granlund gift

Thumbs Up: The Grand Center for Arts and Culture unveiled a special gift on Friday, a sculpture by the late Paul Granlund called “La Familia II.” The small bronze was donated to the Grand by the members of the United Church of Christ, who decided after they disbanded to give their Granlund to the Grand so that it could be available for public view.

Granlund, who died in 2003, worked for decades in his studio at Gustavus Adolphus College. He had a gift for turning bronze into floating, flying figures that express excitement, love and joy. La Familia II features the figures of a mother and father, with their children floating overhead, ready to fly but circling back.

It is a grand gift for the Grand, and for all of New Ulm to go and enjoy.

Academic successes

Thumbs Up: We often tout the successes of local high school athletes, so it is good to be able to laud the accomplishments of local high school academic competitors. New Ulm High School and MVL have some great Knowledge Bowl teams, who consistently medals from their competitions. A team from St. Paul’s Lutheran this week won a Math Mania competition in, too. Congratulations to all.