Hey, Sioux Falls ex-pats! The Sioux Falls Development Foundation wants you to come back, and they’re willing to serve free beer to get you!
Back to SoDak, a new initiate launched by the Foundation, aims to tout the recent changes to the area in addition to a business and family friendly economic environment to lure young professionals back to the area, beginning with JazzFest this July. “For them to get a good look at how Sioux Falls has changed in the last 2-5 years, we just may get some of them to decide to relocate,” said Lon Clemensen with the Development Foundation….
Those attending JazzFest as part of the Back To SoDak program will have access to special food vendors and samples of local beers from Fernson. A brunch will also be held at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Saturday, July 15, with special gift bags for attendees featuring “Explore Sioux Falls” coupon books, t-shirts and surprise gifts [Mike Leischner, “Sioux Falls Development Wants Former Residents Back,” KELO Radio, 2017.06.28].
Snaford Health, Lemonly, Avera Health, Fernson Brewing Company, and Gunderson Jewelers are sponsoring the Back to SoDak event. The Eventbrite ticket registration does not appear to perform a background check asking ex-pats to prove their past Sioux Falls or South Dakota residence… but hey! I’m sure Sioux Falls Development won’t mind if some totally new faces come for beer and hear the pitch to homestead in our prairie metropolis.
What would lure me back to SD? It wouldn’t be beer. If I disparaged the product, I could be sued. So, start with repeal of veggie disparagement laws, or extend it to gays, Muslims and Indians. In other words, love your neighbors at least as much as you love pink slime.
Many young families are moved to the burbs (Brandon, etc) because they don’t want their children going to school with minorities and the poor. They don’t actually own up to that–they say “We want our kids to grow up in a small town.” It’s just code for bigotry.
Background checks?
At least 70% of the kids that I know left because of the policies in this state. The other 30% or so left due to low wages. Until those things change, none of them are coming back.
It would be nice to live again in the state of Dick Kneip, Tom Daschle, and Jim Abourezk. Where did it go?
Sure, Tim! We wouldn’t want a bunch of non-natives sneaking in for free beer. ;-)
Mike mentions policies and low wages—hard for free beer to overcome those disadvantages.
Why not offer decent wages and jobs with a secure future?
The white flight and codewording Randee describes is disturbing.
@Randee Huber: “Many young families are moved to the burbs (Brandon, etc) because they don’t want their children going to school with minorities and the poor.”
Don’t need to move to Brandon to go to Brandon schools. I have friends who just live east of Highway 11 in Sioux Falls who are in the Brandon School district and their kids get bused to Brandon. Harrisburg has three elementary schools within SF city limits. And then there is open enrollment. No white flight in SF.
Coyote, you didn’t refute what Randee said, you just said there’s an alternative if all you want is a different school district. You can go to Brandon etc. without moving out of Sioux Falls, but that doesn’t mean the white flight Randee describes isn’t happening. go look at the houses being built. Not everyone wants to make the long open enrollment drive.
Yellow water?! Instead of thinking locally, they should at least think of and advance statewide initiatives to bring the young back to South Dakota. Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska have
http://www.startribune.com/first-of-its-kind-law-aims-to-help-young-farmers-find-their-footing-in-minnesota/431927333/
Frankly, the best chance South Dakota had to reinvigorate its population was a new immigration wave, akin to that from the late 1800s-early 1900s. But alas, old peoples’ willful ignoring of history and their family history, coupled with unbridled fear of ‘what’s [not-so] new’, and change — dashed SD population renewal for another generation, at least.
Indeed, John, the occasional free beer won’t compensate for the press we’re getting as a place that doesn’t welcome new, different people.
Good news for South Dakota. According to a Wal-Mart study, most states are team burger for July 4th, but South Dakota is one of the few that is team hot dog (i.e. more hot dogs than burgers). Minnesota and both Dakotas have that in common.
http://www.delish.com/food-news/news/a54098/walmart-study-states-team-hot-dog-burger/
Good one, Doc. i.e. ~ A majority of Americans say beef hot dogs are their favorite, with 61 percent choosing beef as their preferred meat in hot dogs– pork ranked second (12 percent) and turkey third (7 percent). Americans seem to like their hot dogs with some snap as 38 percent who eat hot dogs said they prefer a natural casing on a hot dog while 25 percent enjoy their hot dogs skinless and 25 percent have no preference. (100% pink slime dogs not recognized) 🐮 🐮 🐮
If the ready access to hot dogs doesn’t bring them home, I don’t know what else will :^).
I believe that study includes bratwursts and sausages in the hot dog category, and I sure hope people cook me a lot of bratwursts and those fat polish sausages tomorrow with spicy mustards and jams. Happy 4th of July to you, Dr. McT!
Happy 4th to you grudz and everyone else on the blog.
I am surprised that Wisconsin went team Burger. But they may have so many brats during the rest of the year that they want something different for the 4th.
Got me two racks of St Louis ribs and a 5# brisket that I’m gonna smoke tomorrow. If somebody wants a hot dog they’ll have to put it on a torta roll because I don’t believe we have any dog buns. Have a great 4th everyone!