By Bruce Karnick

The city of Hastings utilizes a variety of Commissions to help with planning, economic development, housing, public safety and parks. These commissions are made up of volunteers that want to be part of the solution when it comes to many different aspects of local government. It gives folks a chance to see local government in action from the inside without having to go through the expenses and time of a campaign. The Parks and Recreation commission typically has the more fun side of things to work on. PARKS! Recreation is built into the commissions name, so it must be fun right? It is, but it can also be a lot of work; fun work, but still work.

For transparency purposes, I feel it is important to include that I am on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Is this an opinion piece? An Editorial? I’m not sure how you want to classify it, but being directly involved, I felt that needed to be put there, and this won’t be your typical “news article” The PRC had a few goals this year, one of which was to be out in our parks more, engaging with community members. (Mark another thing off your list that COVID messed with for 2020.) Since we are unable to do that in ways we would like, we opted to use our outdoor time to help the Parks Department knock something off their ever-growing checklist. Our target? The revitalization of the Monarch Friendly Demonstration Garden installed in 2017, as part of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge proclaimed back on February 6, 2017. The purpose of the garden is to demonstrate landscaping that is both environmentally friendly and attractive to pollinator species. The garden unfortunately did not sustain the way it was intended, and our goal is to revitalize the pollinator patch. Fall is the best time of year to address this pollinator patch in time for stem and ground nesting bees to have habitat for winter.

Recreation Programming Specialist, Paige Marschall Bigler coordinated the needed supplies, locked down the times with the volunteers and we were set! September 15th 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jaycee park, the turn around for the Mississippi Boat Launch.

Upon Arrival, Paige was already hard at work cutting out the dirt to make the new edge of the mulch circle. Shortly after I arrived, Hastings City Administrator Dan Wietecha arrived and ‘dug right in’. Over the next few minutes, the remainder of our PRC commissioners trickled in ready to work. 10 volunteers on a beautiful night in Hastings rebuilding a Monarch / Pollinator Friendly garden.

The first step was removing all the old mulch and weeds that had crept into the space. That was the most difficult aspect of the whole thing and it took the most time. We will not talk about the accuracy of the “circle” that Dan, Paige and I tried to cut with the help of fellow Commissioner Ben Spader, but it was fun trying to get it round. Commissioner Nicole DePalma was our “Plant/ Not Plant” expert, and Commissioner Craig Santelman was the muscle. We even had a surprise visit from new City Communications Director Dawn Skelly! She came down to cheer us on and take pictures. Ben had his two kids come with for the project, Khyler and Harper and PRC Chairwoman Chelsea Piskor brought her daughter Avery. “I think it is important for kids to see us doing the things we talk about. Doing community service, setting that positive image of people working together for a common goal.” Piskor said. Spader agreed, “My kids love doing this kind of stuff, plus it gets them out of the house and moving to burn off some energy from schooling at home.”

After the circle was cut and all the not so good materials removed from the garden, the fun part was upon us, PLAYING IN THE DIRT! We moved a few of the plants that were still there and still viable from the 2017 season and added in nine more plants. Part of this process included mixing in brand new, nutrient rich black dirt to help all the plants survive the transplanting process. Once the plants were in place and the new dirt mixed in, we topped it off with fresh mulch. Paige looked at her watch before the group photo and proclaimed “ARE WE GOOD OR WHAT?!?! WE’RE DONE AND IT’S NOT EVEN 5:30!” To be more accurate, it was 5:28 when she said it. Of course, we had to get in half a dozen group photos and air high fives for a job well done.

City Commissions are about doing good in and for the community. We did some good that night and we had fun doing it. Commissions are made up of some very wonderful people and you build new friendships on them while serving the community. If you would like to learn more about the various commission opportunities in Hastings, check out www.hastingsmn.gov. If you have a group that would like to get out and do some of your own volunteering in Hastings area parks, contact the Parks and Rec Department at 651-480-6175.

City Administrator Dan Wietecha works on cleaning up the edge of the circle for revitalizing a pollinator garden that was installed in 2017. This before picture gives a clear image of how desperately it needed some help. Photo by Bruce Karnick

(Left to right, Front Row): Khyler Spader, Harper Spader, Avery Piskor, PRC Chair Chelsea Piskor, (Back Row): Programming Specialist Paige Marschall Bigler, Commissioner Craig Santelman, City Administrator Dan Wietecha, Commissioner Ben Spader, Commissioner Bruce Karnick, Commissioner Nicole DePalma. Don’t forget the main attraction, the revitalized pollinator garden. Photo by Bruce Karnick and Chelsea Piskor