Up until the 1970′s, when a much bigger bridge was built over the Big Sioux River at Western Avenue, southbound traffic on the gravel road heading south out of town went over that bridge. The Yankton Trail Bridge was then handed over to the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department, and saw limited use from vehicle traffic entering & exiting Yankton Trail Park, but years later the park’s traffic flow was redesigned, and the bridge was relegated to strictly foot & bicycle traffic. The bridge remained essentially unchanged from its original Pratt Truss design, but the Parks Dept. added a plank deck over its open mesh deck; being able to see through the deck you’re walking or riding over is a bit unnerving, so the plank deck was a welcome addition.

True, the Yankton Trail Bridge is somewhat useful for bike trail users, but with two other pedestrian-friendly bridges within about 600 yards in either direction, it is a bit redundant. There is little historic significance attached to the bridge, so it’s something of an anachronism.

This spring we noticed that construction had commenced on the bridge, and we watched as it continued through the summer. Work on it was just recently completed; the original stone and masonry abutments were removed and new concrete abutments were built, new decking and railing were installed. It looks very nice.

Last week though, I ran across this little tidbit on the city’s website…

Parks & Recreation

The Parks and Recreation department received $250,000 through a transportation grant for the rehabilitation of the historic Yankton Trail Bridge which spans the Big Sioux River near the intersection of 57th Street and Western Avenue.

The bridge currently functions as a pedestrian bridge.

Talk about things that make you go, “Hmmm…” A quarter of a million dollars to rebuild a bridge that we could easily do without. Then I read this, which will surely taint any enjoyment of the bridge that might have remained with me…

Date: 7/26/2010
From: Parks & Recreation
Title: Historic Yankton Trail Bridge Rehabilitation Nears Completion

Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation is currently rehabilitating the historic Yankton Trail Bridge. The project consists of replacing twisted steel members, replacing the concrete abutments, installing new decking across the entire bridge width, and installing a pedestrian-friendly handrail.

The construction is being fully funded by a Transportation Enhancement stimulus fund grant.

The project is expected to be complete and open to the public on August 13, 2010.

Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation . . . enjoy the experience!

Wonderful. Another project funded by Obama, Pelosi & Reid’s Porkulus Bill. I guess I should be glad they didn’t spend another $10,000 or so to put up a sign proclaiming we have President Obama to thank for the rehab job.

Some people who know me might criticize this post & say that I wouldn’t have a problem with it if not for the connection to the current Democrat-led Congress; oh so very wrong. Projects like this have absolutely no business being funded by the Federal Government, and my position on that is the same regardless of who is in power. In this case it’s doubly insulting to a fiscal conservative, because not only is the money to fund the project coming from a source it shouldn’t, the Government is actually borrowing the money to pay for it. And to top it all off, the project’s usefulness is at best questionable. Of course the Obama Administration would have us believe Government funding like this helps the economy by putting people to work — Bullcookies. The quarter-million dollar project lasted maybe six months; what’s next for the handful of people that worked on the bridge, with the economy in a shambles and getting worse? Government intervention like this does not stimulate the economy; private sector growth stimulates the economy. That seems to be such a simple concept, but so difficult for the current leaders in Washington, DC, to grasp.

Maybe there’s some twisted logic in borrowing money to fund the restoration of the Yankton Trail Bridge; it’s our children and grandchildren that will ultimately be paying for it, and maybe this work will extend its life & allow them to appreciate it well into the future. Provided of course our country is able to survive the Obama Administration.

• Non-Smoking
• Friendly service
• 17 Tap Beers
• Great Patio
• Wonderful Ambiance
• Cozy Fireplace
• Tasty Food Menu
• Sunday Movies
• Art Gallery

I’m no beer aficionado by any stretch of the imagination… In fact I can’t even remember the last time I imbibed any kind of adult beverage, but I do enjoy a good beer, and don’t consider most American beers to be in that category. In my pre-family days, while I was a member of the SDANG (ok, the 114th Tactical Fighter Wing), we did an extended deployment to Waddington RAF Base in Lincolnshire, England. While there, many of us spent considerable time at a nearby pub, The Horse & Jockey (they even have a website!) It was there I developed a taste for finer beers, and lost any respect I had for the likes of Miller High Life, Budweiser, et al. My favorite was a pint of stout with a splash of lime in it. And a pint was about all I could handle!

But since then, I rarely drink. I don’t enjoy going to most bars/pubs because most allow (encourage) smoking. I don’t smoke, don’t enjoy breathing others’ smoke, and detest walking out of a place smelling like smoke. Very cool that Monks is smoke free! And with that many beers on tap, each serving costing $3.50-$6.00, I can make multiple visits and sample one each time. Just one, mind you.

We’re having a cold snap in Sioux Falls this week. Not just cold, but stinkin’ cold. The photo above was taken of the thermometer on the back of our house at about 6am this morning. 14 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (that’s -25.5° C for the rest of the world.) No idea how accurate that old thermometer is — it came with the house — but KELO’s weather page shows -15° F for today’s low, and the National Weather Service has an official low of -11° for today. Tonight should be at least as cold.

Thankfully the wind wasn’t blowing much outside this morning, so starting the Suzuki wasn’t too bad. Not long after snapping the photo I went out to start up the engine & let it warm up a little. It’s always funny how the cold sucks the bounce out of the seats & suspension; hopping in is like jumping on a log. No give at all.

The air on a cold, cold morning like this is crisp and clear, and sounds take on a different character. Aircraft flying overhead sound totally different, cars driving by sound totally different… It’s a very cool experience. And on many mornings like this in years past, I’ve seen light pillars — vertical shafts of light above streetlights, farmyard lights, or car headlights. I didn’t get out before it was light, so didn’t see any this morning, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were around.

The cold is brutal, and makes me not want to go anywhere, but the cold brings out special phenomena that make venturing outside well worth the trouble of bundling up.

A Google search yields some interesting results; Sanford is #117 on Forbes’ list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. Interesting that Forbes’ shows Sanford as one of the top philanthropists in the country, and his goal in life is to “Die broke”. Also interesting is that he’s known by his friends as the “wolt”; World’s Oldest Living Teenager. I think I could like this guy.

He’s a lifelong entrepreneur, having made his fortune himself in the banking industry, more specifically First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard, both based in Sioux Falls.

Philanthropy.org has a nice article on the man and his gift.

Both Yvonne & Emily work at Sioux Valley… I mean Sanford Health. And the campus is only a few blocks from home. On the news last night they showed an architect’s rendering of what the campus might someday look like; I wonder how close it will be in say ten years.