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To all Mankato-area dentists for voluntarily purchasing equipment that stops the potential flow of mercury into the wastewater treatment system.

Some 35 area dental offices in Mankato, North Mankato and Eagle Lake installed a device that keeps mercury-containing dental materials out of the wastewater treatment system and potential for ending up in the Minnesota River.

The Minnesota Dental Association deserves credit also for beginning in 2001 encouraging dental offices to install the devices, which cost about $2,000 each. The willingness of the dental offices to install devices shows their concern for the environment. It’s even better the government didn’t have to mandate the devices.

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Motorcycle trip helps March of Dimes

To the Bikers for Babies Mankato Chapter of the March of Dimes for their recent effort to raise money for the organization that aims to prevent birth defects and other health problems that affect small children.

The group organized a 100-mile motorcycle trek through the Minnesota River Valley and marked the ninth year the group has helped raise money for a worthy cause that includes pregnancy research and baby health. About 75 bikers participated in the event.

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Competitive gluttony not a pretty sight

Yes, children actually are starving in Africa. But if you don’t want to deal with their demise, you can watch yet another competition that captures the sport of extreme eating. As if hot dog and doughnut eating contests weren’t enough, now there’s a new competition that Americans can be proud to call their own. On Monday “Humble Bob” stuffed himself with 11.5 pounds of chili spaghetti to become champion and win $2,500 in a eating contest in Mason, Ohio.

Even if children weren’t starving in Africa and elsewhere, this kind of competition has no place during a time when food shelves are struggling to accommodate demand and families are pinching pennies to buy groceries.

Sucking down 2 pounds of noodles in less than a minute just doesn’t have the attraction that it did in better economic times.