OUR VIEW: Week in review: the best, worst

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OUR VIEW

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CHEERS to The Daily Republic’s Player of the Year award recipients. Taylin Alm, of Mitchell, is this year’s volleyball awardee, while Jaden Bartling, of Gregory, won the football award. Both were impressive performers this season, and are very deserving of their honors. Unfortunately, not everyone can be so acknowledged, although we know many people combine to make a single athlete great. Whether it’s a coach, parents or, most often, hard-working teammates, top players often are just the shining star atop a tree of great support. Congratulations to our award-winners, and also those area athletes who earned all-conference and allstate accolades. And today, we hope people remember all of the others who helped make these great awards happen.

CHEERS to the local teachers who are going the extra mile to promote learning and citizenship. Last week, The Daily Republic published two photos of teachers who sacrificed a bit of their own dignity for the sake of classroom betterment. In one photo, local fifth-grade teacher Luke Norden posed in his classroom in a dress, which he wore as a result of a wager with fellow teacher Walt Moody. The idea was to see whose classroom could get more Accelerated Reader points last month. Norden lost and thus was relegated to the women’s wear. Also last week, we published a photo of seventh-grade teacher Dustin Wheeler, who shaved his beard into the shape of a bat after students collected more than 1,000 food items for the Salvation Army. The great efforts of these men aren’t necessarily unique among local teachers, since we’ve seen such promotions before by other teachers. But we appreciate their work and hope they, and others, continue their push for student improvement.

HISSES to news that water levels are quickly fading in the Missouri River and its twin sister, the Mississippi. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for heavy snowfall in the Rocky Mountains this winter, which is needed to once again replenish the thirsty Missouri.

CHEERS to news that Groveland Park, near Tyndall, has been inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The recognition was announced last week.

CHEERS to the kids’ shopping event that’s held in Mitchell each December. The event allows children to shop for Christmas gifts for their parents, through the aid of cheap prices and chaperones who guide the youngsters. This is fun, and anyone who has had kids go through the program knows how exciting it is for the young shoppers.

Tags: opinion, updates, editorials