In my last blog I talked about the upcoming Maple Grove Days. How time flies as our community celebration is now a wonderful mark in the history books. The parade was fantastic with people staking out their viewing spots days before the Thursday evening event. It was great to see the excitement of thousands of residents!
Again this year I was honored to help narrate the parade with Northwest Cable 12 star Dave Kiser. Dave is such a pro and made my role in narrating the parade’s “play by play” a fun time. Seeing the enthusiasm and excitement was so up lifting in our difficult times. Many thanks to MGCO President Deb Syhre, the MGCO committee and hundreds of volunteers who deliver a wonderful City celebration. With so many events and activities, there is always the possibility of lost parents, lost kids and other incidents, but this year all went very well.
A warm welcome to our three new Maple Grove Ambassadors Courtney Aydt, Laura Fisher and Danielle Rudin. The Ambassador program was started many years ago, and we have been blessed to have such wonderful, vibrant young ladies representing our community. The Ambassadors are super active in promoting Maple Grove.
A brief update regarding ongoing transportation projects — Weaver Lake Road from Main Street to Jefferson Highway is moving along very well and (maybe I should not say this) appears to be ahead of schedule. The street reconstruction projects in various parts of our City are also progressing well. Bass Lake Road upgrades, which are certainly a major improvement, will be completed this year. The City continues to work with state and federal officials for the completion of the last 2.5 miles of Highway 610, a long overdue major east to west highway corridor. It is frustrating to be so close to the goal line and yet so far out of reach due to funding.
The hot, dry weather has helped move us along in various road projects but certainly has had a negative impact on lawns and farm crops (Yes, we really do still have some farms in Maple Grove.) Our City is fortunate to have a tremendous water resource, and we have been pumping around 20 million gallons per day with a capacity of 30 million. However, I encourage our residents and businesses not to water during the heat of the day, that creates a big loss of our water resources.
Finally, gosh what a nag I am, right? I ask all residents and businesses to keep vehicles and doors locked during the night. There have been a rash of burglaries from garages where doors are left open as well as unlocked vehicles parked in the driveway, some even with keys in the ignition. Make sure everything is locked up. Our City has a low crime rate but do want it lower. If you see any unusual behavior, do not hesitate to call 911. We all need to continue to be proactive.
Have a great August and enjoy our wonderful City. Be safe.
Al Madsen, City Administrator
