‘Community’ hurting

Our society’s transformation centered around technology that nearly eliminates the need to leave one’s home is having a detrimental effect on communities, we believe. It is evident in the decline in community groups and difficulty in getting (young) people to sustain traditions.

We note this week that Truman Days is searching for volunteers, despite the fact that many people return for the popular summer festival. Other area festivals, civic groups and veterans organizations also have seen membership slide.

We hope there can be a rebirth of interest in these groups and events. Or the concept “community” will never be the same again.

Providing local services

We believe the Mayo-Fairmont site is to be credited for its investments here and the ongoing efforts it makes to recruit medical providers. Mayo-Fairmont is trying to navigate a changing health care industry. At the same time, area residents have watched Mayo with concerns, about losing local services or seeing them shift to Mankato.

Local Mayo leaders sat down with the Sentinel this week to discuss successes. One, we would note, is the addition of an OBGYN provider, resulting in 17 percent more births here. So one cannot help but wonder if bringing in other specialists, and more than once per week, would also be beneficial to area residents, and to Mayo.

Conserving nature

Ducks Unlimited this week revealed a wetland project in Martin County. The group plans to acquire 147 acres in Fox Lake Township, between two existing wildlife management areas.

Ducks Unlimited deserves kudos for its foresight in preserving nature, and for the way it goes about it. Members are not whiny environmentalists. Rather, they practice their beliefs, utilizing their own pocketbooks. And the result is projects that someone actually cares about, rather than something forced on the public.

Record-setting event

The Martin County Kids Against Hunger food pack deserves a giant thumbs up for its incredible, record-breaking effort last weekend. Gathered in the St. John Vianney gymnasium, more than 400 volunteers packed 139,104 meals, with all but 8,200 of those headed to Haiti. And the timing could not have been more perfect, with news coming from that nation involving food and water shortages.

We extend our thanks and congratulations to the Kids Against Hunger organizers and volunteers for all the good they do.Et Cetera …