BrandonInfo.com

Thank you to all the service men and women who have fought to preserve our freedoms in the United States.

If you have any loved ones in the service, possibly stationed overseas, feel free to thank them here or give us an update on them.

I see Mr. Bendo is all spruced up with a change of clothes and is standing tall again in his usual spot.

I remember when I was a kid, Mr. Bendo was holding a piece of pipe so big that he held it in both hands. These days, he’s holding an exhaust pipe in just one hand. I understand the significance of holding an exhaust pipe in front of a muffler shop, but to me it sure looks weird that Mr. Bendo’s other hand is empty. I’d almost prefer that he be holding a big piece of bent pipe in both hands.

Can you think of anything Mr. Bendo could hold in his other hand so he doesn’t look like he’s just grasping at air?

For those of you who don’t know, Buck’s Muffler was owned for many years by Brandon resident Dale Rothenbuehler.

Estimates for turning the Pace property into a City Hall and community center are more than $12 million. Do you think it’s worth it?

The Pace building looks like it has big spaces that would make a good gym, but architects say that a community center would have to be an addition to the building. It’s possible the ceilings in the existing building aren’t high enough for a gym.

Architects say that the Pace location wouldn’t be a good place for a city shop because of residences nearby - noise and outdoor storage would bother them.

City administrator Bryan Read said the police department could use more space. How about the rest of the city offices? Do you think they have enough room?

It might be cheaper to tear down the Pace building and start from scratch.

Do you have any ideas that city leaders might not have thought of already?

Are you going to the meeting tonight to learn more about planned increases in our water and sewer rates? What questions do you have? (A story about the proposed rate increases is on this Web site, www.brandoninfo.com, under the headline “Public invited to learn about proposed water, sewer rate increases.”
City administrators are saying that the rate increases are needed for the city to save up money for future improvements.

As the population of the city grows, more water and sewer lines are needed. Eventually, the city will need a second water treatment plant. Is it wise for the city to increase rates now to save up for that stuff, or would it be better to just find the money for it once it’s actually needed?

If you’re going to the meeting tonight, why or why not? If you read this after the meeting and went to it, what did you think of it? Were all your questions answered?

I recently bought some orthopedic shoes. They were expensive, but by golly, my knees don’t hurt so much when I wear them.

Do you have foot/knee/hip/back problems? Have you tried orthopedic shoes? Doctors have told me I’ll need knee replacements eventually, for sure. Do you think wearing these special shoes will help me postpone that?

What experience have you had with joints? Any recommendations on other things that might help?

Sucks getting older, doesn’t it.

Brandon Valley has been asked to help found a Metro high school sports conference. It would consist of the Sioux Falls schools, plus Brandon Valley. If our school decides to join, we still would belong to the ESD Conference. Most Brandon Valley sports play Sioux Falls schools anyway, so dual conference membership wouldn’t add too many games to the schedule, according to school officials.

What do you think? Some might think that dual membership might just further crowd the schedules of students who are over committed in the first place. Some might think the extra conference might cost the school too much more money.

Others might say that eventually Brandon Valley will get too big for the ESD Conference and will have to join the Metro one anyway. They might say that playing Sioux Falls schools might actually save the district travel expenses.

What are your thoughts?

Does anybody want some iris? We have some pretty dark purple ones at our house. The things spread over time, though, and it’s time to thin out the bulbs. If you’re interested in receiving some bulbs, e-mail alicapthiele@argusleader.com.

The other day, a co-worker was talking about how his raspberry plants have spread and that he needed to thin them out. I’d be interested in receiving some raspberry plants.

Do you have any plants that you need to separate or thin out? Maybe we can get a little plant exchange going here.

The local Chamber is offering plastic gift cards now in addition to the paper gift certificates they’ve had for years. Have you ever bought Brandon Bucks in the past? Will you be more or less likely to buy a gift card than the gift certificates?

One of the advantages of the cards is that they’re easier to use at the cash register. Cashiers are more used to plastic than they are to paper these days, I guess. One of the disadvantages of the gift cards is that there is a $2 handling charge to buy one. Also, the bank starts deducting $1 a month from the card after six months. But why wait? If you receive one, use it promptly.

Can you think of any other advantages or disadvantages?

What do you think of the cost estimates for upgrading Aspen Boulevard? They range from $250,000 to $1 million, depending on how extensive the work is.

The drainage at Aspen Boulevard and Main Avenue is bad. There is deep water there every time it rains.

Would you be willing to vote for a $1 million bond if that’s what it takes to avoid flooding at that intersection?

Do you plan to take part in any or all of this year’s Tour de Kota?

The annual event begins June 6 in Elk Point. Cyclists will go through Tea, Salem, Arlington, Clark and Webster before finishing their trek at Sisseton June 11.

Test scores at Brandon Valley have shown that medium and high income students who had all-day kindergarten scored lower on tests later than their half-day kindergarten counterparts. The opposite was true of low income students, though. Those who had all-day kindergarten scored higher on test scores a couple years later than their half-day kindergarten counterparts.

What could cause this? Maybe more affluent kids are involved in so many outside activities that they get too tired being in school all day when they’re 5-6 years old.

Do you think there are benefits to all-day kindergarten? One benefit to parents might be that as long as their kids are in school, they don’t have to pay for daycare.

Maybe all-day kindergarten forces too much on children too soon. Maybe they should just get to be kids for another year.

What are your thoughts?