Main Street News: June 27th

What a week! Last week was very busy with both planting at Friendship Park and the annual golf tournament. The weather was absolutely beautiful for the 70 golfers that took part. We had a tie for the winners, Dean’s Bulk Service and Labellken Homes both walked away with a score of 30. I’m sure it was a combination of working up an appetite from all of the golfing and the smells from the grill that made everyone ready for supper. I want to thank Dave Hanson and Becky Stahl for helping grill the steaks and many local restaurants for their help preparing a delicious meal! I also want to thank everyone who sponsored a hole and donated door prizes.

As many of you probably saw, there has been more progress at Friendship Park! One of the final steps of this project was planting. Our Design Committee met a few weeks ago to plant the perennials. This included a dwarf lilac tree in honor of our past director, Karen Hagen, who dedicated so much of her time to this project. We also met last Monday to plant the annuals. I want to thank Ruth and Darrel Thomas for all of their help coming up with a plan. It looks so beautiful!  Our Design Committee has been working with the family of Pearl Davis to create this park in her memory. When we were done planting on Monday, we sat inside the gazebo to rest our feet. We asked the people who knew Pearl if they thought she would be happy with Friendship Park. Their next words were, “without a doubt!”

Like Father, Like Son

Our community is full of some amazing fathers, but on this Father’s Day I would like to recognize two people who go above and beyond the normal fatherly duties. Last week the flower baskets went up on Front Street, just as they do every summer. Last summer, Duane Morey and Pete Larson stepped up last summer and took on the responsibility of watering the flowers downtown, along with their sons. This year, I went straight to these men when it came time to find someone for this task. When asked, it was no question that both of them were going to do it again. To many this might not seem that crazy. Our town is filled with a countless number of people who go out of their way to do something for the community. But the hidden story here is that these men are using this opportunity to teach their sons about community service, while also making some long lasting memories.

When talking to Duane, he chuckled and said his sons enjoy helping because they usually get a treat for breakfast that morning! Although that might be part of it, the boys are taking much more away from this than a sugar high. They might not think about it now, but I guarantee these boys will look back on these times and remember how their dads were showing them to give of themselves for others, and in this case the community. I want to thank these father-son teams for taking time out of their summer weekends to help the community out, especially on this past Father’s Day weekend. 

Main Street News: June 13th

Traditions are a big part of small towns. Some people have their own traditions, whether it’s getting your morning cup of coffee in town or taking the family to join in on the excitement and fireworks at the community picnic every year. Barnesville’s community has many traditions of their own, one of them being the Miss Barnesville pageant. This year marks the 78^th year of the pageant. Year after year, another young female is crowned with the honorable title. We still have many former Miss Barnesville winners with us today, all who are invited to come and be recognized the night of the pageant.

The Miss Barnesville pageant continues to provide an opportunity for high school girls in our community to compete for several scholarship awards while building their confidence, poise and communication skills in a positive environment. The Princess Blue Eagle pageant is also the perfect opportunity for the younger girls to become more outgoing and sociable, both assets that will be useful in their bright futures. Miss Barnesville will receive a $500 scholarship, $200 for the 1^st runner up and $300 for Miss Congenitally. Princess Blue Eagle will also receive $100. This is a wonderful way to also represent your community and build your resume!

This year, we will again be crowning Miss Barnesville and Princess Blue Eagle at the Community Picnic on July 28th at 7:30pm. We are currently taking applications for Miss Barnesville. Any girls that will be an incoming 10^th, 11^th, or 12^th grader that lives in the Barnesville area are eligible to participate. We are also looking for incoming 5^th-6^th grade girls to be contestants for Princess Blue Eagle. If you are interested in this great tradition, please give me a call at (218) 354-2479.

Main Street News: June 6th

The 16^th Annual Main Street Golf Tournament is a great evening for you and your employees or friends getting together for a fun round of golf! This year the tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14th at beautiful Willow Creek Golf Course. Gather a handful of cohorts and come on out for a game of friendly competition and a relaxing event. Whether a veteran golfer with dreams of the PGA or a new hacker, you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself.

The tournament consists of approximately 18 teams, lots of laughs, great food and a good time! Intended to be purely social, this event has brought in a variety of 4-person golf teams each year. If you haven’t put your team together yet, do so. If you haven’t joined us before, you should. We have a great time with new and old players, veteran and novice players, men and women, business people and residents alike. 

We have some great door prizes and awards for the best team! Throw in a few contest prizes and you never know what’s going to happen. This is a nine-hole event and is played in a “Best Ball” format. Tee off is at 5:30 pm. Following the tournament door prizes, awards and a steak dinner are served. Cost is $50.00 per person which includes the dinner.

A number of businesses support this event through door prizes and hole sponsorships. The food is prepared and purchased locally and the steaks grilled by a long time favorite chef! If you would like to get more information on how to sign up your team or to donate a prize, please contact the Main Street Office at 354-2479. Good friends, good food and good FUN are guaranteed! Good scores are optional.  

Main Street News: May 30th

It’s what everyone has been waiting for! The time to recognize all of the beauty and effort in our community. It’s the Yard of the Week!

The Main Street Design Committee has recently endorsed the prestigious award to be given beginning in June. It is also sponsored by the Barnesville Record Review. We want to recognize the many beautifully cared for yards in town. It may be well landscaped, have luscious and perfectly manicured grass, feature beautiful flowers, a well-tended garden or all of the above. It is no secret to those that live here – we do have a number of hard working, fastidious green thumb home owners in town. We want to thank them and recognize their efforts that all of us can enjoy all season long.

Everyone can agree that we are anxious to be outside as much as possible especially after the never ending winter. Everyone’s disposition and spirits are lifted when the sun is shining. Our neighborhoods are full of playing kids, walkers, bikers, grilling and people tending their yards. A celebration of spring for sure.

The Design Committee has a strong emphasis on beautification efforts but can’t do this project alone.  We need your help in recognizing the Barnesville beauty. Nomination forms will be located at Thompson Greenery and Barnesville Drug & Hardware – where you can find gardening and planting supplies. Just complete the short Yard of the Week nomination form and drop it in the box located at those businesses, mail it to the Main Street office at PO Box 550 or call the office with your nomination.  Then watch the Record Review each week for the winner. All yards must be visible from the street for all to enjoy, must be a single-family residence and in Barnesville.

With the hard work of our prize team, a special Yard of the Week sign will adorn the winner’s property for the week. The Yard of the Week will run for the entire growing season – right through the end of September. Many homes look very nice at different stages throughout the season so they shouldn’t be a shortage of nominations. 

So keep your eyes on the lookout for that ‘best’ yard as you drive around town.  Nominating is easy – use the forms OR call my office at 354-2479. You can also email mainstreet@bvillemn.net. Then watch the paper for the ‘winner’!  

Main Street News: May 23rd

Destination: Milwaukee, WI. Yes, that’s right, I’m packing up and heading 545 miles east. It’s an eight-hour drive, but it will be all worth it once I get to the National Main Street Conference. A lot of people think our program is designed to just help our Main Street in town. That isn’t the case! The Main Street Program is designed to work and assist the entire community. The name is from a national community revitalization program active in many states across the nation, known as the National Main Street Center. This is a subsidiary of the National Trust of Historic Preservation. The National Main Street Conference happens every year, but isn’t always this close. 

This three-day conference will take a deep dive into the Main Street’s four-point approach and focus on different ways to improve communities. Some of the topics offered include new director training, entrepreneurship, growing locally owned businesses, vacant storefronts, and how social media can help manage your program- just to name a few. This will also be a great opportunity to network with other directors. I’m sure there will be many conversations about problems other communities face, how they are dealing with these problems, and how they compare to Barnesville. 

I am going to take advantage of this opportunity and hopefully bring back some excitement and knowledge. Then the next step is putingt it to good use in Barnesville!

Main Street News: May 16th

 1.  Trim the trees/bushes,

2.  Wash/stain deck

3.  Replace trim boards on shed

4.  Paint door frames

5.  Landscape block for front flower bed

6.  New tree in back yard

7.  AC services 

8.  Fertilize the yard

Does your spring to-do list look like this? Many homeowners have a similar or even long list and it’s just the right time of year to tackle it.

Not all of these items are fun, but all are necessary. There’s always something to do when you own a home. Upkeep is essential for not only appearances, but in some cases safety as well. Sometimes we get a few great ideas for change – adding something new to the yard, renovating your home or even yard design.

When you get the time and energy to tackle your to-do list be sure to get your supplies or help from our local businesses. Many items and services can be found right here! This includes but is not limited to paint and supplies, landscaping stones and rock, plants, seeds and trees, fertilizer, tools, etc.

A number of services are also available to do it for you. Mowing, fertilizing, weed spraying, carpentry, handy man jobs, shingling, AC servicing, electrical work and more are available for hire. 

We have a great deal of goods and services here in Barnesville that other similarly sized communities have to offer. In visiting with people from out of town, I find they are often surprised to find how much we do have. I would venture to guess that some of our own residents don’t even know all that is available here for them. 

Take a few extra minutes to call or stop by that local business and see if they can help you with your needs. If they don’t stock it, they’ll probably order it for you. They can give knowledgeable advice and help you make good choices so you won’t have to re-do that project. They are eager to help you, pleased to be of service and appreciative of you choosing them for your business. They are your friends and neighbors, parents of your child’s friend, your fellow volunteers, they sit by you at ball games, church and just about anything you do in town. They play a large role in the Barnesville business community.  Be sure to play your role too by shopping with them. It helps everyone – and you’ll be closer to the end of that to-do list!