THUMBS UP

Candidate filing for school board opens next week

The filing period for most school districts in the region begins Tuesday and closes Aug. 13. This includes the District 88 school board. The New Ulm board will have four seats open for elections this year. Any prospective candidates who want their names on the ballot this November must register with the district office with this time frame.

In addition to school, any city where a primary is not held must open its candidate filing period on Tuesday for city office. This includes the Sleepy Eye City Council and Mayor positions.

THUMBS UP

Pedestrian safety features return to Garden/1st St.

The pedestrian safety features are back at Garden and 1st North Street. The delineators and striping at the intersection narrowed the lanes and created a pedestrian island to make crossings safer. It is a good idea. This intersection is used by a lot of kids coming and going from Harman Park during the summer months. The width of Garden Street often encourages speeding. Anything to calm traffic down is a benefit. Though these safety features are temporary, it is  likely the features will continue to come back every summer. It is even likely the safety features could become permanent when the road is redone in 2027.

THUMBS DOWN

Adding 924 area code a little inconvenient

We’re running out of 507 phone numbers. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission estimates all 507 phone numbers will be used by 2025. That means new phone numbers in the area will soon have a 924 number. Having an additional area code to remember isn’t that bad on its own, but unfortunately, after July 30 everyone in the 507 region will need to dial the full 10 digit number instead of the seven digits. With a single area code, everyone dialing in southern Minnesota need not worry about area codes, but now we all have to be specific with our dialing. However, most people don’t dial these days. They simply save numbers to their phones. Better make sure your contact lists feature the full area code.