Happy Wednesday! Megan here.
Weather check: Sunny today, more snow possible tomorrow
A programming note: Friday's newsletter will be the last of 2024 as I take a little winter break before coming back in the new year. I'm so grateful for your readership this year, and I cannot wait to celebrate FOUR YEARS of Sioux Falls Simplified in early February.
- What I really want for Christmas? For you to share this local news resource with a friend (or 12).
BINGO winners! I am so grateful to everyone who participated in our inaugural BIN-GO Shop Local game – and especially grateful to Voyage Federal Credit Union for their support in sponsoring this fun, holiday activity. All told, this game was responsible for 217 visits to downtown local businesses. That's a HUGE win in my book!
Without further ado ... drumroll ... the winners are:
- Nicole Samuels: $250 DTSF, Inc. gift card
- Kylie Chesley: Two tickets to the Sunday (12/22) performance of "A Christmas Story: The Musical" from the Good Night Theatre Collective.
- Kate Friesen: Two tickets to the Thursday (12/18) performance of "A Christmas Carol" from The Premiere Playhouse.
- Respond to this email, and I'll hook you guys up with your prizes!! (Or expect a call from me later this morning. Any prizes not claimed by 8 p.m. today will roll on to the next person in line.)
This week, I'm keeping stuff as "super simplified" as I can this week because, if you're anything like me, the attention span for this week is fading fast. That said, there is quite a bit of city news, so make sure you're reading those little tidbits. Plus, I've got a story about a historic neighborhood association that's in its rejuvenation era. Plus, find an event guide to take you through the end of the year!!
And now, news:
COMMUNITY
Why this neighborhood group is making a comeback
Simplified: Residents of the Whittier neighborhood in central Sioux Falls are coming together with a focus on creating a collective voice moving forward as new developments pop up around them.
Why it matters
- The Whittier neighborhood was one of the first – if not the first – in the city to have a neighborhood association, but the group disbanded for a variety of reasons during the pandemic. Now, lifetime Whittier resident Lim Bun is taking over as president of the new Whittier Residents Association.
- It joins about 20 formal neighborhood associations and about 50 neighborhood watch groups citywide, according to Neighborhood & Preservation Planner Diane deKoeyer.
- While not a direct response to plans for a new Whittier Middle School and potentially a new convention center, Bun hopes the new association will help the neighborhood get a seat at the table in and have a unified response to ongoing discussions about future developments.
"I'd like to see what voice we can bring together again," he said. "It really starts with one, and talking to people very meaningfully and purposefully with no other intent outside of trying to make the lives that we have around this neighborhood better."
Tell me more about the association
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
How the zoo keeps animals (and visitors) warm year-round
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium.
Simplified: Many of the animals at the Great Plains Zoo are well-suited for winter weather, but even so, there are a number of ways zookeepers and staff work to ensure all animals are comfortable regardless of the outside temperature.
Why it matters
- Several species can tolerate cold weather well, according to Great Plains Zoo Director of Animal Care Joel Locke, but even then there are indoor habitat options and heaters available.
- For animals that aren't as acclimated to cold weather, there are options to keep warm both inside and outside. The lions, for example, have a heated patio so they can still enjoy their outdoor habitat even if it's colder outside than they'd prefer.
- In addition to the resources to keep animals warm, there are also a number of spots for guests to get inside and warm up on the zoo campus, including the new lion building, as well as the various buildings that house primates, giraffes, rhinos and red pandas.
"The winter brings some of the best times to come to the zoo," Locke said. "If you can bear the cold, we have a lot of species that are super active come winter time."
Tell me more about how animals stay comfy in the cold
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- City set to buy Riverline District property. City Councilors gave the green light for the city to purchase a little more than seven acres of land just east of downtown as the site for a new convention center – if voters approve it.
- Why it matters: The land purchase was $8 million, money that has already been set aside in the budget for next year. Before the council vote, the Riverline Steering Committee worked to add a few updates to the contract – including extending the amount of time the city has to break ground on a project.
- Worth noting: The contract does not require a convention center to be built, but instead an "anchor facility" with surrounding mixed-use facilities aimed at "providing significant economic impacts," according to Mike Gray with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.
- Additionally, if the city doesn't build on the land by 2030, the seller, State Partners, LLC, can buy the land back for $8 million.
- What next? The steering committee will next figure out a more solid vision for the property, as well as determine a timeline for a public vote on whether it should be a convention center. More on the project history here.
- 'Vicious animal' definition gets an update. Sioux Falls City Councilors voted on Tuesday to update the city ordinance related to what it takes to declare an animal vicious. Patty Beckman, Animal Control Supervisor with the Sioux Falls Police Department, said the city has seen situations where an animal caused serious harm, but was still allowed to live and return to its owner.
- Beckman shared the example of children who were bitten in the face and had severe injuries. In those instances, now, the police department will be able to declare the dog vicious and have it humanely euthanized (unless the owner appeals the "vicious" declaration successfully.)
- Councilor Curt Soehl shared during Tuesday's meeting that this issue hits close to home for him because when his son was 2 years old, he was attacked by a dog and still has scars to this day.
- "We're not looking to euthanize more animals – just to make it a bit easier (to declare a dog vicious) for situations that are more severe," Beckman said.
More Super Simplified Stories
- Catch and release kitties. Councilors also approved an ordinance that would allow people and organizations approved by the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society to trap, sterilize, vaccinate, eartip, microchip and return a feral cat. Councilor Ryan Spellerberg noted this change gets Sioux Falls' rules in line with what's already allowed statewide.
- On ice. The City Council voted Tuesday to approve a liquor license for Jacobson Plaza – the new park/ice ribbon/warming house going up between the Levitt and the Falls. Food and beverage services will be managed by Washington Pavilion Management, Inc.
- Taxidermy talks. The city work group focused on figuring out the future of the Delbridge Collection of taxidermy animals is meeting this morning to look at six different nonprofits who've expressed interest in taking on the collection. More to come on that in Friday's issue.
EVENTS
Stuff to do between now and 2025
- See Scrooge.* The Premiere Playhouse is presenting its fourth annual production of A Christmas Carol continuing this week. You may know the story, but that's nothing compared to the experience of seeing it in-person. This year's show features new casting, stage direction, musical arrangements, and choreography. Get your tickets here. Discounted tickets are available for students, seniors and large groups.
- See Santa. Our friends over at Hood Magazine have a comprehensive guide to Santa Sightings in the area. You can find that here.
- Be Santa. Sioux Falls "SantaCon" – a pub crawl where you dress up like Santa – is happening Saturday starting at 4 p.m. at Pave. Full schedule and details here.
- Sing some carols. The Sioux Falls Beer Choir will be singing at 7 p.m. Thursday at Altered Species Ale (who, by the way, just released their first original brew). Wear your holiday gear and get ready to belt out some carols. Details here.
- Go to the zoo (for free). Get free admission to the zoo on Zoo Lovers Day this Friday starting at 10 a.m. You can also catch zookeeper chats on the snow monkeys, snow leopards and lions. Details here.
- Get fancy for NYE. A number of downtown restaurants are pulling out all the stops for fancy dinners to ring in the new year. Get a four-course cocktail dinner at Dada Gastropub, a Yucatec inspired five-course dinner at BibiSol, or dress fancy AND eat fancy with a Top Hats & Tiaras dinner at Harvester Kitchen.
- Take a hike. Start the year in nature with a First Day Hike at the Big Sioux Recreation Area organized by the state Game, Fish & Parks Department. Details here.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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