BrandonInfo.com

Let’s consider for a moment combining Brandon’s city celebration with the Pigskin Classic. Not as competing celebrations, but as partners.

Think about it. Brandon’s identity is mostly tied up with the school. The events that draw the biggest crowds in Brandon are the school events.

The Pigskin Classic can still be the Booster Club’s biggest fundraiser. Maybe Brandon Days, or Hometown Days, or whatever it will be called, could include events that blend with the Pigskin theme, or school theme, or kids theme. Maybe Brandon’s celebration could be a big back-to-school celebration.

It’s just a thought that might be worth some consideration.

What do you think of the Valley Resident? If you subscribe to the Brandon Valley Challenger, the Resident is tucked inside of it. If you don’t subscribe, you get the Resident by itself, for free.

Do you look through the Resident?

Do you like the stories that are in the Resident? Are the ads helpful to you? What other kinds of things would you like to see in the Valley Resident?

On Aug. 6, the city council will consider a conditional use permit for Sneakers bar.

Right now, Sneakers is in the Brandon Plaza, above Family Floors & Furniture. Sneakers’ owners want to build a new Sneakers just to the south and rear of Splitrock Square, near True Value.

Some folks who live on Kirkwood Boulevard oppose this move because they say the noise from the bar, and proposed beer garden, will disturb them. Others say the proposed location is a better place for a bar than a second-story location across the street from the high school.

What do you think? The council will hear public comment at the Aug. 6 meeting. You can show up and say how you feel, or you can contact your council person, or City Hall, ahead of time. Or you can post your comments on this blog.

Should Sneakers move or not? And if so, is the proposed location a good place for them to move? The meeting will start at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at City Hall.

This is the latest news from Brandon Lutheran Church:

Greetings from Brandon Lutheran Church!

There is an update from the road construction crew that is working on
Holly Boulevard.

Beginning Monday, July 23, Fourth Avenue is CLOSED. It will remain
closed all week for paving.

Traffic to BLC will be detoured to 5th Avenue and will have to come
through the middle school parking lot to get to the BLC parking lot.

Fourth Avenue will re-open on Saturday, July 28.

If you are coming to the church for any reason this week, you will have
to enter through Fifth Avenue.

God’s blessings on your day and weekend!

Wednesday the planning and zoning commission will sit down with a group of landowners with property surrounding Brandon to hear the direction they would like to see development on their land progress in the next decade.
What are your hopes for development in Brandon.
Want to see more homes, a bigger commercial area, more industrial space or something no one has thought about?

We learned this week that supporters of a new ambulance ordinance for Brandon didn’t file reports of how much they spent on the April election.
A change in state law means that from now on that won’t be required.
Seems like people should know how much is spent on elections, regardless of your position on the issue.
What do you think?

Unlike most communities in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, Brandon doesn’t have mandatory watering restrictions. The city is asking people to voluntarily cut down on their water use. Have you conserved this summer or have you regularly watered your lawn?

Here is the most recent Holly Boulevard update from Stockwell Engineers, dated July 10:

“First Rate has completed storm sewer and water main work on Phase II (1st Ave to 7th
Ave). Terin Corp has nearly completed the storm sewer boxes on Phase II. Terin also
completed paving the north side of the intersection at Sioux and Holly, poured concrete
sidewalk along the elementary access road, and began pouring concrete curb & gutter at
the middle school. Soukup began to cut the south side of the intersection at Sioux and
Holly to dirt grade. Soukup also graded the middle school site and the church parking lot.
Dakota Road Builders hauled gravel to Holly Blvd, the middle school, and the church.
Action Electric installed conduit across Holly Blvd on Phase II. ASCO paved asphalt surfacing
at the intersection of Sioux and Holly and at the elementary school. Traffic Solutions
maintained traffic control as necessary.”

At a recent public meeting to get ideas fdor a community festival, folks talked about calling the event Hometown Days. “Brandon doesn’t have a community feel, because we don’t know everybody,” Brandon resident Jim Heronimus said.

Other than having a day-long introduction party, what are some ways a hometown festival can get people acquainted?

I remember years ago, there was some talk in the Chamber about holding a city-wide block party. These days, with Brandon’s population at about 8,000, that could be impractical. Maybe a series of neighborhood parties would work, though. I have to admit that the only people I know on my block are those who have lived there 15 years or longer.

What are other ways Brandon residents could get to know each other?

Does Brandon have enough child care? When you are looking for daycare for your children, what amenities do you look for? Do you prefer a commercial child care facility, or do you look for in-home care?

Is it important to you that your provider is state registered/licensed, or is that not a priority?

What can child care providers in Brandon do to improve?

In recent years, Brandon has added some amenbities to the municipal swimming pool, located in Aspen Park. Pictured here is the wading pool, which last year was made into a zero-entrance pool, with spray jets and a blue elephant added.

Before that, the city added a couple of tube slides to the big pool. Picnic tables also were added to the grassy area near the pool.

Wayne Fletcher, Brandon’s director of public works, says the pool has been at near capacity this summer. Kids take swimming lessons there, and there are water aerobics classes for adults in the evening.

Have you been to the pool this summer? What features would you like to see added?

How do you feel about the upcoming execution of Elijah Page? He’s 25 years old.

Do you think it’s possible to rehabilitate murderers such as Page? He has said he wants to go through with the execution. Does that influence how you feel about it, or about capital punishment in general?

Sanford Health plans to build a 6,500-square-foot clinic next to First National Bank at Holly and Splirtock boulevards.

Work on the site already has begun. The building should be done by Dec. 31.

Do you think it’s a good idea for Sanford to build its own building instead of being in the business square of Sunshine Foods, where it is now?

What would you like to see go into the business square building after Sanford moves out? My dream would be for a full-menu Greek restaurant. The nearest one is three hours away, in Omaha.

Another suggestion would be a ladies dress shop. We’ve had various ones in Brandon in the past, and they’ve done well. We could use one again.

What ideas do you have?

A public forum is set for 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Brandon Valley Middle School media center to talk about a proposed $20 million school district building project.

A Facilities Needs Planning C ommittee is recommending a two-story, 26-classroom addition to the high school, an indoor activity center, a new elementary school and the creation of an intermediate campus with sepaerate buildings for grades five an d six, and seven and eight.

On Monday, the school board will make a presentation and then will take questions from the public.

Do you plan to attend the forum? If so, what questions do you have?

I’m wondering if the high school foundation was designed for that much extra weight.

Where might the new elementary school be located?

What might happen to Valley Springs Elementary?

Where would the intermediate campus be located? On the middle school property? If so, would it have its own separate gym and such?

Would the indoor activity center be open to the public, or would it be for school use exclusively?

The school plans to put together a bond issue committee. Who would be on that? Regular community members? Students?

In order to keep the list of upcoming events on www.brandoninfo.com as complete as possible, please let us know about your event.

If you think your event would be of interest to Brandon people, you can post it here on this blog or on the “get published” section of www.brandoninfo.com.

If you think your event would be of interest to the greater Sioux Empire, you can email it to editor@argusleader.com or resident@argusleader.com.

Be sure to include the name of your event, date, time, location, cost (if any), and if possible, a phone number to call for more information.

Thanks much.

How are you all holding up with part of Holly Boulevard closed? When I come out of the grocery store parking lot, for example, I automatically turn onto Holly before I remember that I can’t get to Aspen Boulevard from there. It’s ok, though, because I can go down 7th Avenue to Aspen Boulevard and get to my house in Richland Park that way. But I’m surprised that I forgot so often.

And even though I can get through the intersection at Holly and Sioux Boulevards, my husband wants me to go to Sioux Falls by way of Highway 11 and then Madison, so I won’t have to drive over any dirt or gravel. Keeps the car cleaner, he says.

What alternate routes have you taken to keep out of the way of the construction?