Thumbs up, thumbs down

Published 5:21 pm Friday, January 24, 2025

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Thumbs up for progress. There may not have been any dirt thrown, but the sentiment was clear when Austin Area Arts broke ceremonial ground on the Historic Paramount Theatre’s renovation and expansion project. There’s been a lot of excited conversation around the project in the last couple months and that excitement is guaranteed to carry forward throughout the length of the project’s duration. It also cements the overall support for arts within the community.

Thumbs up for due process. It might have taken a while, but the Austin City Council finally passed its cannabis ordinance on Monday after several delays in accepting it, which was the right thing to do. The complicated process of the state’s roll out of legalized cannabis use has been rushed and at some points seemed ill-conceived and in response, the City Council made good use of due process to formulate what it has deemed a good approach to the subject as it appeals to Austin.

Thumbs up for another successful year. By all accounts, it was another successful year for a successful cancer benefit, with the Lyle Area Cancer Auction raising nearly $249,000 over the course of the two-day event and edging it closer to the $4 million total mark. It’s another example of what a grass-roots effort can do when so many come together for a common cause.

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Thumbs up for common sense fun. In last Saturday’s Herald we presented a story on Main Street Pinball, a business dedicated to offering up fun through an assortment of nostalgic pinball machines. It’s the business nobody knew we  needed, but we all know now that we wanted.

Thumbs up to perseverance. The Westfield wrestling team’s Bo Zwiener is a fine example of what a high school athlete should be. He overcame a football injury with the Blooming Prairie football team and has returned to wrestling where he is seeking to set the all time win record. And of course he is looking to win it all this year, but he also displays what it’s like to be humble and in a sport that is often measured in individual stats, he shows what it means to be on a team.