Session stumper

THUMBS DOWN: The Minnesota Legislature’s one-day special session passed most of the important legislation facing it, but stumbled on the agriculture and environmental bill.

The DFL-controlled Senate failed to pass the bill by one vote, largely over the bill’s elimination of the decades old MPCA?citizen oversight board. Critics of the bill feel this goes too far in deconstructing Minnesota’s long-held support of environmental issues in favor of fast tracking the government permitting process.

The bill includes some much needed aid for the poultry farmers who have been hard hit by the avian flu epidemic.

It’s a sad situation when much needed assistance for a hard hit sector of the ag economy has to be held up for a backward step in Minnesota’s environmental practices.

On the web map

THUMBS UP: New Ulm is getting some splash on the world wide web this week. Instagram photographer Pei Ketron, who is well known among Instagram followers for her scenic photography, has been brought to Minnesota by the state tourism promotion office, and part of her 10-day tour brought her to New Ulm on Wednesday.

We’ll be interested to see what she posts, and if it draws people to look at New Ulm in person instead of on Instagram.

Hermann Heights

THUMBS UP: It should be an interesting discussion when the New Ulm City Council takes up the Park and Recreation Commission’s recommendation to spend $250,000 for a playground replacement project at Hermann Heights Park.

The project, which includes at $50,000 donation from the New Ulm Medical Center, will feature a poured rubber surface in the fall area, making it more accessible for the physically handicapped.

It is a lot of money for a playground, but creating an all accessible playground area is a worthwhile project. And Hermann Heights Park is one of the busiest in the city, making it a good spot for this kind of investment.