BrandonInfo.com

No one would argue that children with allergies need to be protected from a reaction at school.
But a story on the total ban on shared treats in Brandon Valley elementary schools has some saying they have gone too far.
They argue that you can protect children and still allow kids to bring treats for their birthday or the Halloween party.
What do you think?

Will you be attending LifeLight this weekend? The free Christian festival begins today and runs through Sunday at Wild Water West. It will include performances on five stages. The festival is in its 10th year.

What performers are you looking forward to most? What performers would you like to see at future festivals?

Have you attended in the past? What were your impressions of the festival? Any anecdotes or special memories?

The first Labor Day in this country was celebrated Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. In 1894, Congress made it a national holiday.

We celebrate the American worker by giving him and her a day off of work. Traditional celebrations included parades and picnics. These days, folks might take a last summer trip during the three-day weekend. Some may simply stay home and rest.

How do you plan to spend your Labor Day weekend?

What was your reaction to Senator Tim Johnson’s speech last night? Did he move and speak as well as you hoped he would? Do you think he will recover fully? Do you think he’s ready to go back to work full-time in the Senate?

Several Sioux Falls schools are not serving peanut butter or peanut products in their cafeterias. Some even have gone so far as to ask parents to not send any peanut-based ingredients in their kids’ sack lunches.

Is this a reasonable request, or are the schools being overly cautious?

Do you, or someone you know, have a peanut allergy? How severe is it? What do you think about banning peanuts from school?

The Brandon Valley School Board records its board meetings, which are televised on the local cable channel.

Should the Brandon City Council do the same? How about the Brandon Planning & Zoning Commission?
If the meetings were televised, would you watch them?

What, in your opinion, are the advantages or disadvantages of televising the City Council meetings?

Construction on Holly Boulevard made the trip to school interesting for many Brandon Valley students this morning.
It’s hard to change at this point, but do you think as the city continues to grow that city planners will regret having so much development on one street in town especially three of the districts schools?

Council member Harry Buck thinks it’s too crowded in the current city council chambers.
He wants plenty of space available for the public to attend meetings, although sadly most citizens never do that.
It would be interesting to see if Brandon residents would support new digs for City Hall at the same time they are being asked to provide more school space.

The carefree days of summer are nearly over for Brandon Valley students as they head back to the classroom Thursday.
I remember always being excited when school started again. Getting new clothes and school supplies and having run out of ways to entertain myself usually made the return to school something to look forward to.
Is that the way Brandon Valley kids are feeling this week?

News of the police chief’s upcoming departure has generated a lot of talk, both good and bad about the Brandon police department.
As the city begins the search for a new police chief what qualities should they look for in a new leader?

A judge has ruled that Roger Hunt does not have to disclose the name of the person who gave $750,000 to the anti-abortion campaign last year.

Do you agree with the judge’s decision? Do you think the state should appeal?

Do you have a garden? If so, how is it doing? We haven’t had much rain of late. I remember working in my family’s large garden when I was a kid. We grew rhubarb, peas and radishes to eat fresh, and green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions to preserve and eat throughout the winter. When my kids were young, I continued the tradition, adding bell peppers to the mix.

What do you grow? Do you freeze, can or otherwise preserve the produce you grow?

If you don’t have a garden, are you enjoying fresh produce from the farmers market, or perhaps Cherry Rock Gardens?

Do you have too much of something you’re looking to give away? Or are you looking for something for a special recipe and would be grateful to find someone who grows what you need?

School starts in Brandon Valley Aug. 23. While I haven’t actually been any kind of student the past few years, I vividly recall the excitement and anxiety associated with “The First Day of School.”

The best part for me was all the new stuff I got: books, supplies and, most importantly, the trendy fall fashion wear. That last one was a must. No self-respecting student could walk into class the first day without wearing an outfit whose tags were torn off the same morning.

I’m not a parent, so I don’t necessarily understand the pressures of what it’s like to spend however much money to prepare for the coming school year. But, it seems to me, gone are the days when hip-hugger pants were the only requirement one needed to meet in order to obtain ‘coolness.’ Now the must-haves are mostly electronic gadgets and dohinkies: i-Pods, laptops, cell phones and other things I can’t afford.

In a district as wealthy - for lack of a better term - as Brandon Valley, I’m wondering at what point all you parents draw the line? Do you feel you’ve gotta keep up with the Joneses? If little Sally Sue has a new iBook, will you buy Johnny one so he won’t feel left out? Are schools any place for cell phones? Does your child have one? Any recommendations to parents on where to find cheaper versions of popular electro-gadgets?

Phil Youngdale is stepping down as Brandon’s police chief.

He made the announcement at Monday’s city council meeting and said he last day will be Nov. 23.

Youngdale has worked for the Brandon Police Department for about 25 years and has been chief for nearly as long, 24 years this September.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Youngdale a number of times over the past year I’ve covered Brandon. Though quite possibly one of the busiest men I know, he always managed to squeeze me into his schedule to talk about new police officers, crime statistics and other police business.

My best wishes go out to Youngdale and to the department he leaves behind.

Good luck to the one who steps in to fill Youngdale’s shoes, and to the department, which has struggled for some time to keep the good, young officers it hires, such as Officer Aaron Bartscher, who also submitted a letter of resignation Monday. Bartscher, the department’s school resource officer, said his last day is Aug. 20.

With two experienced officers leaving the force, I’m wondering: what is the best way to attract - and keep - officers to Brandon?

Are you going to voice your concerns for or against the Sneaker’s issue at tonight’s city council meeting?

Seems like a pretty big issue in Brandon and not just from those of you who have commented on this blog. I think the discussion’s been a great thing, but doesn’t really help the cause one way or the other if nobody’s at the council meeting. Even if you don’t plan to talk, the council needs to know people care about the issue. If you’re for Sneaker’s relocation, show your support and stand by their side. If you’re a homeowner with concerns about noise and safety, voice those issues at City Hall. Send an email to or call council members if you can’t be there.

Alica P. Thiele, who normally moderates this blog, commented in the last post about Sneaker’s that while the proposed location for the bar is in a B-2 Commercial District (meaning they’d need a conditional use permit to operate a bar, which this whole issue is about), another location near the Brandon Body Shop at 1420 Cedar Street is already zoned B-3 to accomodate a bar, meaning a permit wouldn’t be necessary. This location is closer to some residents’ homes than the proposed location.

There’s no confirmation that Sneaker’s owners would build on this B-3 lot if the council denies them a permit tonight, but does this new bit of information change your views at all about Sneaker’s current proposed location?

After a month of having the new ambulance law in effect, Brandon has its first applicant to provide the city with 911 medical service: MED-Star Paramedic Ambulance, Inc.

The newly appointed three-member quality assurance committee has yet to set a date to review the application. Thing is, even though this is a mayor-appointed committee, the review process most likely won’t be public, according to City Administrator Dennis Olson. This is, in large part, due to the fact the committee will oversee the background checks of MED-Star’s employees.

The three members include Dr. Nicolas Van Es, a physician with Sanford Health in Brandon, and residents Mary Brooks and Bonnie Petersen, a certified nurse practitioner at Sanford Health Clinic in Brandon.

While I understand the need to keep things like social security numbers and home addresses private, I’m not sure I agree that the entire review process remain closed to the public. When the final recommendation is presented to the city council, I want to know what the decision was based on, considering the numerous requirements on the ambulance service application form. (Check out the requirements here. Click on “404,” then scroll down to “6-7-23.”)

What do you think? Would you have any interest sitting in on the review process or is hearing the recommendation (perhaps with or without explanation - we’ll hope for the best and assume *with*) presented at city council enough?