BrandonInfo.com

My son is getting married next week. I hope everything goes smoothly at the wedding. There’s no reason to think it won’t, but in any situation, things don’t always go as planned.

I remember at my wedding (back when I was just a pup of 18 years), the pastor was supposed to hit the “on” switch on my cassette tape recorder at the top of the service. We’d hidden it under the pulpit so it could pick up the sound. This was back in 1975, before all the cool electronics we have now. Anyway, the pastor almost forgot. Luckily, he turned it on after I whispered to him about it.

Our “friends” totally filled our car with wadded up newspapers. Later, when we were emptying the car into a dumpster, my new husband’s new wedding ring flew off his finger. He had to get into the dumpster and empty it out before he found the ring.

Of course there are a lot of amusing memories also, like when the groom and groomsmen posed for a picture before the service. They were supposed to be checking their watches, anticipating the wedding. Well, out of three of them, only one was wearing a watch. I still chuckle when I think of that picture.

Have you had mishaps or other, special memories of your wedding or any that you’ve attended? We can always use a good anecdote, so please share. Thanks.

Today let’s talk about pet peeves. What is your pet peeve today? Here’s mine:

Toilet paper dispensers, in public restrooms, that are hung so I have to reach darn near down to my ankle to reach the paper. And then if a paper tail isn’t conveniently hanging loose, I have to try to bend my hand back upward to reach the roll. I can’t count how many times I’ve scratched my wrist on the serrated edge of the paper dispenser.

Why do installers put these dispensers so low? Do they think I have long ape arms? Is it some kind of twisted joke? I’m guessing most of the people who install these things are men. Are the paper dispensers in men’s restrooms hung down next to the floor also?

Anyway, that’s my pet peeve. If you ever have occasion to install one of those big, round toilet paper dispensers, please hang it waist high, not knee high.

What is your pet peeve today?

The Beijing Olympic Village officially opened on Sunday. Athletes are pouring in, ready to take on the 2008 Olympics, which begins Aug. 8.

I’m guessing most people watch at least some of the Olympics on television. How about you? My favorite events are mens gymnastics. Those guys look like they defy gravity.

What are your favorite events? What is it you like about them?

Let’s have some discussion on the Olympics. How do you think the United States will do in this Olympics? Who are the top U.S. athletes competing?

Have you ever attended an Olympics in the past? Do you know anyone who is traveling to Beijing to attend? If so, let us know.

Did your basement get flooded last weekend? How bad was it? What did it take to clean it up?

Damage occurred in a number of homes in the Country Club Second Addition on Saturday after torrential rains. Some residents are blaming the city for the flooding, citing bad drainage. The city engineer has confirmed that.

But who should pay for any damage that occurred last weekend?

The Brandon City Council is considering starting a quarterly city newsletter. This would be a paper document that would be sent out to residents.

About 4,000 newsletters would be produced quarterly. Assistant City Administrator Lanning estimates the quarterly cost between $1,500 and $2,000. The cost would cover postage, printing and staff salaries, for example.

Content would include updates on street and other building projects, for example. I imagine it also could include contact information for various city offices, times and dates of council and committee meetings, and other general information.
What do you think of this idea? The school already sends out a newsletter called the Up Front. Do you read that? If the city sent out a newsletter, would you read that?

All city information already is online at www.brandonsd.com. Do you ever look at that?

If the city does make a newsletter, what types of things would you like to see in it?

The four soccer fields at McHardy Park will be named Alliance Communications Field, Taco John’s Field, Home Federal Bank Field and First Premier Bank Field. Each of the businesses donated $20,000 to the Brandon Area Soccer Association.

How do you feel about naming rights? Will donors get their money’s worth of advertising for their $20,000 gift? Are there any names you would pass on even if the gift were great? How big would the gift have to be to name a field “Acme XXX Video Field,” for example?

Do you have sidewalks on your street? I live in Richland Park, and I think it was one of the first neighborhoods in Brandon to have sidewalks. They are nice, but are too narrow. These days, sidewalks are wider.

I grew up in Brandon Park, though, and we didn’t have sidewalks there. (Actually, we didn’t have paved roads back then either.) We played and rode our bicycles in the street all the time. Of course, Brandon’s population was less than 1,000 back then, not 8,000 like it is now.

If you don’t have sidewalks already, would you like them? According to city officials, any resident who wants sidewalks can go ahead and hire the work done themselves, and pay the bill. If all the people on one street go together, they can have sidewalks any time they want. There are a few regulations on where they’d need to be placed, but the city doesn’t have to be involved in the project itself.

Is this something the people on your street would be interested in?

Or, the city can handle bidding the project and paying the up front costs. But then the city will assess the cost back to the landowners. Usually this happens over a five-year period. But either way, the landowners end up paying for the sidewalks.

What kind of books do you like? The last few years, I haven’t had time to read much more than lots and lots of newspapers. But when I do read for enjoyment, I like books about people’s lives. At one point, I owned about 150 biographies and autobiographies. I had books about movie stars and historical figures. I had some unusual ones, too, like Winston Churchill’s mother’s biography, and the autobiography of the top World War II fighter pilot-for the Japanese.

I’ve given a lot of those books to the Brandon Historical Society. On Friday, they’re opening their book room at the Brandon Area Museum to sell books to raise money for museum expenses. They have thousands of books. They probably have one you would enjoy reading.

And the price is right. Books range from 50 cents to $1 each, with some children’s books going for even less.
The book sale is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is in the far west end of Brandon Elementary. The entrance is on the south side of the building.

When I was a kid, we went camping in the Black Hills every year. We’d always spend a couple nights camping at the river near Pierre, then go on to Nemo in the Black Hills. Some years we’d rent a cabin at Nemo, and other years, we’d camp in our tent.

I haven’t camped much as an adult, but I remember those childhood trips well.

Do you go camping in the summer? Or maybe even in the winter? If you camp, do you stay in a tent? Camper? Motorhome? Have you ever rented a cabin in one of the state parks?

I talked to a woman from Brandon one time who said she and her husband go camping at Big Sioux Recreation Area less than a mile from their home. It’s great, she said. The outdoor experience, and yet they could go home for a shower every morning.

Have your kids ever camped out in the back yard? I never did that as a kid but always thought it would be fun.

Brandon has a main street, but it’s not the main drag in town. Is that the way it should be, or doesn’t it matter?

Usually Main Street is the center of commerce in a town, or at least it used to be. What do you consider to be Brandon’s center of commerce? Is it out by the Interstate? Across from the high school? On Holly Boulevard west of the school and the church? On Cedar east of Splitrock Boulevard? On Redwood Boulevard between Splitrock and Sioux?
Do you think Brandon should try to consolidate its commerce into one area, or is it ok to be scattered around town the way it is?

Recently, I received the proposed 2008-2009 Brandon Valley School District budget in the mail. I bet you did too. The $26.56 million total budget includes a $17 million general fund. Of that, it looks like $9.8 million goes to the teachers.

The district will spend $4,665 per student in the next school year.

The school board will hold a budget hearing Monday at 6 p.m. in the middle school library. I’ll be there. Will you?

What do you think of the coming year’s school budget?

Booster Days is coming up this weekend in Valley Springs. Have you ever gone to it? There’s a picnic dinner Friday evening with entertainment. Later, there will be fireworks.

You might like the mud volleyball Saturday morning. There are activities all day Saturday, finishing with a parade in the evening.

There’s an outdoor community worship service Sunday morning.

I’ve been to Booster Days many, many times, both as a participant and an observer. Back when I was in school band, I marched in the parade. I even have a scar on my elbow that always reminds me of Booster Days. It happened one year when I was photographing activities for the Brandon Valley Challenger. I tripped and fell. Yes, I’m a clutz.

I know a couple who met at Booster Days now have been married more than 30 years. So maybe Booster Days holds some romance too, yes?

Will you go to Booster Days this year? Which activities do you plan to attend?

Jake Meeker died Monday morning in a car accident near Valley Springs. Did you go to school with him, or work with him?

He was known as a friendly young man who was always willing to help. He worked at the True Value in Brandon.

What are your memories of Jake?

How long does it take you to get to work? I split my work week between Brandon and Sioux Falls. With gas prices the way they are, I’m grateful for the days I can work within a mile or two from home.

And yet, I can get to work in Sioux Falls in about as much time, or faster, than some of my co-workers who live in Sioux Falls. It’s a pretty straight shot from Brandon. Even getting to the south or west part of Sioux Falls is easy via I-229.

Brandon’s getting so big now that there are hundreds of jobs right here. If you live and work in Brandon how often do you get out of town? There’s practically no reason, unless you need to buy shoes or something.