It's that time of year when we’re all in the mood for some heartwarming stories, don’t you think? To help, members of the League Board of Directors and the LMCIT Board of Trustees submitted a few dispatches from their own city halls, sure to evoke a few smiles and some city gov pride.
Greeted as Friends
A few weeks ago, the Minnetonka Senior Center organized an afternoon of “Parking Lot Bingo” for our senior residents. Turnout was pretty strong. Chris Egert of KSTP News lives in Minnetonka and was recruited to be the celebrity bingo caller. Players stayed in their cars and were safely socially distanced, and the event was a real success. The proof is always in the pudding, and a week or so later, we received the following email from a Minnetonka resident who attended the bingo event, her first Senior Center activity, and had invited her 88-year-old mother as her guest:
“Not only did she get to see and speak with Chris, she had a ball--and I did, too! What a fun way to gather with others from the community. Zoom is great, but gathering "in person" can't be beat.
Senior Center staff members greeted us like friends, with lots of enthusiasm, and set a great tone for an hour of fun. AND we felt very safe from COVID exposure. After we played our first game, we agreed we'd sign up for February.”
I am very proud of our staff. They have been working creatively to reach out and to safely connect with our senior residents. Very positive.
Submitted by Brad Wiersum
Minnetonka Mayor
A Spirit of Service
Last December, a customer entered the city’s off-sale liquor store, Spirits of Nisswa. Shortly thereafter an employee found the customer on the floor. Another employee came over and determined that the man was having a seizure. Our Spirits staff was able to call 911 and take direction from the dispatcher, care for the customer by rolling him on his side to prevent choking, and assist the other customers in the store quickly so they were able to exit. Our staff was able to remain calm throughout a very stressful situation. The man was taken to the hospital by ambulance. A week later the customer and his wife came to Spirits with three bouquets of flowers and cookies to show their appreciation for the kindness he was shown that day. The customer had no memory of the situation and he and his wife were both so appreciative for the staff at Spirits. I am so proud of their teamwork and commitment to helping others in times of need!
Submitted by Jenny MaxNisswa City Administrator
A Bright 'Like'
A couple of weeks ago, one of our residents was pulled over for driving with a taillight out. Being pulled over is always unsettling and a lot people aren’t excited to add another financial bill to their plates, which really increases the anxiety. The motorist left with a voucher to have her taillight fixed for free at a local autobody shop, but more importantly, she left with a smile on her face and warm feeling in heart. Cottage Grove police officers, as part of the Light’s On! program, have handed out so many of these vouchers that they recently had to order more from program administrators. The resident posted about her experience on a popular neighborhood Facebook page, where it was liked and shared hundreds of times. One traffic stop had one tremendous and far-reaching impact on our community. I think it brings well-deserved credit to all our officers who practice compassionate, community policing.
Submitted by Myron Bailey
Cottage Grove Mayor
Help for the Helpers
Our citizen volunteer Public Safety Volunteer Emergency Response Team (VERT) assisted the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf (CCEFS) with a super-sized food giveaway event on Dec. 12. It was an outdoor, drive-thru event with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. It ended up being the largest single distribution event in the history of CCEFS with 50,000 pounds of food provided to 730 families. An amazing feat but also a sad snapshot of the need in the community. A VERT member who has found themselves a CCEFS customer wrote a kind note about the event.
“Reality is that I have had to go to the Food Shelf, CCEFS, as I am a very very vulnerable senior. … I am so deeply grateful for the CCEFS as I cannot get to a store. Their food has been top of the line, their volunteers sent from Heaven and the drop in the trunk service has been invaluable to me. I honestly do not know how I would have eaten. Waiting for pick up I look at the employees and wish that I was there helping them.”
Submitted by Clint Gridley
Woodbury City Administrator
A Warm Safe Haven
A public works
staffer, John Wirtz, was putting sand and salt down on a bridge when he
spotted a small boy wandering lost by a busy intersection. Despite it
being 15 degrees out, the boy had no jacket, hat, or mittens on. When
Wirtz approached, the crying boy held up his arms to be picked up. Wirtz
scooped up the child, put him in the warm truck cab, calmed him down,
and called police who were able to take it from there.
Submitted by Andrew Johnson
Minneapolis City Council
A Winter Wonderland
The City of Sartell and our community partners are lucky to be able to offer the annual Country Lights Festival around Lake Francis – it’s an amazing 33-acre winter wonderland lit by the glow of thousands of lights! This year we had an extra special touch. Darwin Bonn, a resident of Chateau Waters Senior Living, purchased lights for every balcony at Chateau Waters in honor of his late wife, Rosie, who loved Christmas and Christmas lights. As guests walked Lake Francis and the Country Lights Festival, they were able to see the lights on every balcony – 72 balconies in total. Check the story featured on Kare 11’s Land of 10,000 Stories here if you have not yet. As we were all looking for ways to connect this year, this one topped the list!
Anna Gruber
Sartell City Administrator
