Thumbs up to Downtown Partnership of Mankato/North Mankato, Greater Mankato Growth, the city of North Mankato and others who put together the Hard Hats on Belgrade, inviting families downtown for hands-on events such as sand play and construction-themed giveaways.
The idea was to generate a little traffic closer to businesses on Belgrade Avenue in North Mankato that have been hurt by reconstruction of the main drag.
Merchants say business is down by 35% to 50% in some cases. And while regular customers know how to get to these businesses during construction, the foot traffic from casual passersby has declined.
One event invited kids down for a “construction” play event where they got to wear hard hats and engage in other activities. In another case, volunteers are painting murals on the backside alley entrances of the businesses to draw attention.
CityArt in the Alley offered hands-on activities, public art and music in the alley behind NaKato Bar & Grill.
Reconstructing streets is an unavoidable activity in civic life, but it’s good to see neighbors and local customers supporting these businesses during challenging times.
AM Exchange Club efforts enhance zoo experience
For decades the AM Exchange Club in Mankato has volunteered to provide animal feed and vending machines for Sibley Park farm visitors who wanted to provide a little treat to the sheep, goats and fish of the park.
The 25 cents per handful needed to buy the animal food eventually raised some $10,000 a year that would go to charities or even park maintenance.
But lately, vandalism has kept member Ken Saffert busy trying to repair the old vending machines, and parts are hard to find. Still, Saffert persists along with the moral support of the remaining eight members of the club.
Unfortunately, should the Exchange Club discontinue its efforts, the city of Mankato would not be replacing the machines or feeding opportunities. There’s some liability in the city handling it, as children’s fingers can be mistaken for food.
Such concerns are reasonable and expected in today’s modern liability world, and it will be a loss to the park and its visitors should the food machines go away.
But the Exchange Club and Saffert deserve recognition and thanks for their years of keeping the feeding stations operating. It certainly is a unique feature to Sibley Park. And the animals were likely happy, too.
Madelia baseball takes first state tourney
Thumbs up to the Madelia High School baseball team for its impressive season leading up to the school’s first-ever championship.
The Blackhawks finished a 26-1 season with an 11-1, 6 inning, 10-run rule game over defending state champions Red Lake County. The small Watonwan County school drew a good portion of its entire community to the game to watch their team make history.
Small-town championships seems special in that the town is almost the entire team fan base, while friends and family fill up the stands. These kind of games also counter the myths that small towns and small schools don’t have the resources or the players to compete.
Bravo to the Blackhawks!