Happy Friday! Megan here.
First things first: This newsletter is brought to you by the Good Night Theatre Collective.
- The Good Night Theatre Collective is bringing classic literature to the stage this month with a production of Pride & Prejudice. Join the Bennet sisters as they navigate sisterhood, society and dating in the Regency era. The show runs March 19-22. Get your tickets here.
Weather check: Time for a good ol' fashioned spring blizzard
✅ Can I get your thoughts on something? I want to know more about the issues you care about most, so then I can make the most of the limited time I have with mayoral and city council candidates. I'll be doing interviews in the coming weeks, but before I write questions, I want to hear from you.
This week, it might not be ideal golf weather just yet, but the new Elmwood Clubhouse is ready to go. You'll get a look inside the brand new facility. Plus, you'll learn about a cool program giving kids real-world experience of what it's like to be a citizen. Plus, catch a couple Super Simplified stories to take you through the weekend (and stay safe out there – the snow is comin'!)
And now, news:
CITY
Get a look at the new Elmwood Clubhouse
Simplified: Elmwood, the city's flagship golf course, is celebrating a century in operation this year, and the festivities kicked off this week with a ribbon cutting for a brand new, $7.5 million clubhouse. Here's a closer look.
Why it matters
- The city has seen an increase in demand for golf in recent years, and with more golfers, Elmwood's old clubhouse – built in the '60s – wasn't cutting it. Talks of replacing it first started in 2021, and surplus cash during the pandemic ultimately helped fund the project.
- The new clubhouse is twice the size as the old one at 10,000 square feet. With more space, the city also hopes it can serve as a source of revenue for event rentals, weddings, anniversaries, etc.
- In addition to more space, the city also added a new, indoor cart storage facility after the previous one burned down in 2019. That building also houses the new headquarters for the state's First Tee youth golf program, as well as offices for the South Dakota Golf Association.
"Essentially, what you have here is the home of golf in the state of South Dakota," said Justin Arlt, Sioux Falls Golf market manager. "This is the mothership for golf."
Tell me more
COMMUNITY
This program lets kids practice running their own town
Simplified: Junior Achievement of South Dakota is bringing a new program to give kids a chance to experience what it's like to participate in a local economy. Here's what you need to know about JA BizTown.
Why it matters
- Junior Achievement is all about setting kids up for success in the future by teaching them practical skills about managing money, working together and accomplishing goals.
- With BizTown, fifth- and sixth-grade students get a chance to run their own pop-up town for the day. They're assigned a role – for example, mayor, CEO of a business, employee at a local business, etc. – and they have to work as a team to keep the community functioning.
- BizTown is the nonprofit's second immersive learning experience of its kind. The organization also runs JA Finance Park, a program where older middle- and high-school students get a chance to build a budget within the constraints of circumstances assigned to them. For example, they might be someone with student loan debt, kids and a mortgage to pay, and they have to figure out how to budget.
"It really takes our impact to the next-level," President and CEO Kayla Eitreim said of the immersive learning experiences.
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Homeless point-in-time count shows progress. An annual point-in-time count of the unhoused population in Sioux Falls showed a slight decrease for the first time in five years, according to data released by the city earlier this week. It's just one metric, but it shows that some of the programs – including street outreach and setting aside some Section 8 housing vouchers for chronically homeless people – are having an impact.
- It's time to register for camp.* Give your kids an unforgettable summer camp experience at YMCA Camp Leif Ericson. Kids ages 4 to 15 can participate in these two-week camps, and campers this year also have a chance to enjoy a new partnership with the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium. Learn more and register here.
- Fall 'Head Over Heels'.* The Premiere Playhouse is bringing the latest in its Underground Series to the Icon Lounge this weekend with "Head Over Heels," a campy, laugh-out-loud jukebox musical featuring songs from the Go-Go's. Learn more and get your tickets here.
*Denotes a paid partnership.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including SafeSplash Swim School, Wayne & Mary's Nutrition Center, Startup Sioux Falls, Encompass Mental Health, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, the Washington Pavilion, The Premiere Playhouse, The Good Night Theatre Collective and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
Oh, by the way
Your feedback is extremely helpful – hit the reply button and send any news tips, typos, complaints, compliments or cups of coffee my way. ❤️
Special thanks to the Good Night Theatre Collective!
Don't miss their production of Pride & Prejudice, running March 19-22 at the Belbas Theater at the Washington Pavilion. Get tickets here.
