Road construction

THUMBS UP: The road reconstruction project on Broadway is taking advantage of this week’s good weather and seems to be making good progress on the parts of the project that need to be done before the actual resurfacing can take place. Intersections that are being replaced are being ripped out and repoured in a day or two. Storm sewer improvements are also proceeding rapidly. All the while, one lane of traffic has remained open, for the most part, for local traffic, with a block or two closed down for major projects.

The efficiency of the workers has been matched by the patience and care of the drivers. We hope everyone continues to drive carefully and use alternate routes when possible while the road work continues.

Tourism award

THUMBS UP: Dr. Ann Vogel was the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce’s selection for its Tourism of the Year award. It is a well-deserved honor. In addition to her medical duties, Dr. Vogel has a side career as a local folklorist.

She created the legend of the “Heinzelmännchen,” the gnomes who live in town and grow to full size for festivals and special events. She created the story of Gertie the Goose, and helped get a statue of Gertie placed in Riverside Park. Herbie the Hedgehog is another of her ideas.

All these add to the New Ulm experience for visitors.