BrandonInfo.com

Do you feel the city water rates are fair? Would you be in favor of higher water rates if the extra money went toward a new water tower?

How high would you go?

A new sign has appeared on West Holly Boulevard, near The Bluffs. It tells eastbound traffic how fast they are going. The speed limit at the sign is 45 miles per hour. Have you caught yourself going faster than that?

Some people might think the sign is pretty dandy as a way to check their speed, and a great reminder. Others might think the sign nags them.

What are your thoughts?

The Argus Leader and neighboring community papers are looking for local people who have connections with Haiti. Do you have a friend or relative who lives there or was visiting there? Are they ok? Were you scheduled to visit there? Have you ever been there before?

Do you have connections with a mission group that will help after yesterday’s earthqueake, the largest to hit Haiti in more than 200 years?

If you have any information of local connections, would you please post here or e-mail me at apthiele@argusleader.com?

Thank you.

Alica P. Thiele

End-of-year building permit totals show that more people are remodeling the homes they already live in as opposed to building new homes.

My husband and I haven’t done any remodeling in the past year. We’ve been in our house 31 years now. Within the past eight years, though, we finally finished off the basement, and we had all new cabinets installed in the kitchen. Both things add to the value of our home, and are nice to live with to boot.

Next, I would like to replace the flooring on the main floor. I’d also like to paint the master bedroom. Actually, I wouldn’t like to do these things myself. I would prefer that someone do the work for me.
What kinds of improvements would you like to make to your home?

Here we are at the end of 2009. As we go into the new year, what things do you wish for Brandon?

I continue to wish for a full-menu Greek restaurant.

If memory serves, last year one of the wishes was to have a stop light at Splitrock and Redwood boulevards. Now, that has been approved. Let’s hope it gets installed quickly and smoothly.

How about wishing all the empty commercial spaces in town would be filled this year? That would bring more income to the city as well as more available goods and services to Brandon residents.

What do you wish for?

My family is going to celebrate Christmas on New Year’s day. We decided with the storm coming up, there wasn’t any point in even trying to travel. And most of us live in Brandon. “This isn’t the kind of storm where you go out to WalMart for a gallon of milk,” my brother said. “This is the kind of storm where you stay home or else you go out and die.”

Have you already changed your Christmas plans because of the weather forecast? Are you making any particular plans for what you’ll do if you get snowed in? Me, I can work from home if I have to. Also, I have three afghans I have to get finished. I’m also in the middle of a good book. (A biography of Paul Lynde.) So I have plenty to do. My husband plans to buy enough milk, bread and other staples today to get us through the weekend.

Stay warm, and keep blogging.

A group of high school kids have taken it upon themselves to organize activities for teens that do not include alcohol or drugs. They have had a roller skating party and have gone to a corn maze. They plan to do some community service projects, too.

Some people might applaud these kids and their can-do attitude. Some folks might think that these kids deserve a hand for promoting activities that involve clean, fun activities.

Other folks might wonder what the world is coming to, if kids are getting special recognition for doing what they should be doing in the first place – behaving themselves, following the law and helping others.

What are your thoughts?

The school district is saving money by using real silverware and plates instead of styrofoam in the schools.

Except at Valley Springs Elementary. There’s no dishwasher there, so they’re still using disposable.

What do you think of this cost savings to the district? How about at Valley Springs? Would a dishwasher pay for itself eventually?

Did you have any trouble in the snow yesterday or today? Have to cancel any trips? Slide off the road?

Last night I had to brake hard a couple of times, so today the knee I recently had surgery on is hurting. I should have carpooled with my husband yesterday. Then I wouldn’t have had to drive myself.

Have you been in the VFW since its remodel? What do you think of the improvements?

In particular, the kitchen has been upgraded and the menu has been expanded. The VFW is calling it the Heroes Grille.

Have you eaten in the VFW? How is the food?

It’s the time of year to reflect on our blessings. What are you thankful this year?

I am thankful that my son is doing the Thanksgiving dinner cooking. I am thankful that my knee is mending well after recent surgery. I am thankful that my family loves me, and that I have such good friends.

I am thankful for the many people who read this blog and who post interesting comments and thoughtful questions.

Thank you.

Alica P. Thiele

What do you think are Brandon’s strengths? What improvements would you like to see Brandon make?

No matter how good a city is, it always can get better. For example, I personally think Brandon would be a much better place with the addition of a full-menu Greek restaurant. An outdoor amphitheater. An airport. I’d like to see Huset’s incorporated into the city limits. But that’s just me.

Recently, people have been asking for an improved swimming pool. The city is now looking into that. People have been asking for better traffic flow on the west side of Brandon, near The Bluffs. Traffic studies have been done, and financing is being sought. Perhaps you wish these things would move along more quickly.

How long have you lived in Brandon? How does it compare to other places you’ve lived? How likely are you to stay here?

Did you attend last weekend’s Brandon Expo? If so, did you discover any Brandon goods or services that were new to you?

Brandon has many more businesses than people realize. Because of Brandon’s layout, the storefronts aren’t all concentrated in one area, so sometimes they don’t make as big of an impact. In addition, there are many home-based businesses in Brandon.

Would you like to see the Brandon Expo repeated next year?

It looks like the Brandon Volunteer Fire Department got to put its newest fire truck to work the night it was unveiled.

The fire truck was to be unveiled at last night’s city council meeting, which began at 6 p.m.

By 9 p.m., several fire departments were at a home on S. Splitrock Avenue, where a detached garage burned.

As I write this, details of the fire aren’t available. Stay tuned to brandoninfo.com and argusleader.com to learn more. Or post here anything you might know, or questions about the fire.

The recent shootings at Fort Hood in Texas are a tragedy. Are you following the story?

We are looking for anyone who has ties to Fort Hood or ties to anyone who was killed or injured in the recent shootings. If you do, would you please post here or e-mail apthiele@argusleader.com. Or call the Brandon Valley Challenger office at 582-6025.
Thank you.

Alica P. Thiele

The Brandon Volunteer Fire Department has a new chief, Robert Dykstra. He earns his income as a Sioux Falls firefighter, but for Brandon, he is a volunteer chief.

Do you think Brandon should have a paid chief? Some might say that it’s too much to ask a person who has a full-time job to take on the responsibilities of chief, especially if that person’s full-time job is in Sioux Falls. Others might say that the fire department seems to be doing fine, so why fix it if it ain’t broke.

What are your thoughts? If you believe a volunteer chief is fine, then under what conditions would you think a paid chief is necessary?

Brandon Valley football will play Washington in Sioux Falls this Saturday. If we win, we go to the Dome to play the winner of the O’Gorman-Aberdeen game.

What are your predictions for the outcome of Saturday’s games? Of course we predict the Lynx will beat the Warriors, so who do you think we’ll end up playing in the finals?

Have you been following the health care debate? What are your thoughts on it?

It seems the older I get, the higher my medical bills are. Even the preventative checkups such as mammograms and colonoscopies are pretty expensive, even when insurance covers most of the cost. And nearly everyone I know in my age range is on some kind of daily medication.

Where will it end? Do we just tell ourselves that even if better care exists, we can’t afford it and will have to go without? Or do we tell ourselves that we deserve the best care available no matter how much it costs?

We are looking for an idea for a good story with a Thanksgiving theme to put in the Brandon Valley Challenger. Do you know of someone in the Brandon/Valley Springs/Garretson area who raises their own Thanksgiving turkey, or who spends every Thanksgiving serving food to the needy, or who has something significant and special to be thankful for this year? If so, we would like to meet them and write about them.

Please post your ideas here or send them to me at apthiele@argusleader.com.

Thanks very much.

Alica P. Thiele

Brandon Valley Challenger

Did you use the free city leaf drop off Saturday? The city hires Marv’s Sanitary to take away leaves that people bring to the garbage truck. I’m not sure what Marv does with the leaves. Do you?

My husband mowed over our leaves. Chopped them up into little pieces and left them on the lawn. No raking, no hauling. Eco-friendly. Do you know of any other eco-friendly ways to take care of fall leaves?

If you like the leaf drop off, you may be interested to know that the city has another one scheduled for Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the grocery store parking lot.