While some business owners and managers say their storefronts will look great after a lengthy remodeling project at SouthTowne Square, journalist Adam Kurtz reports they are growing weary of the long-running project.
The façade renovation project at SouthTowne Square, located at the intersection of South Columbia Road and 32nd Avenue South, has been beset on all sides due to the pandemic. Delays in delivery of materials was one problem; another was the discovery of some structural issues that had to be addressed. Kurtz talks to business owners affected by the slow momentum and high anticipation for the new storefronts.
Reporter Pamela Knudson talks to Sadie Gardner, who seemed to be reaching for the right words as she recently described her experience as a volunteer helping to decorate the White House for Christmas – incredible, amazing, unbelievable and magical.
Gardner, a Grand Forks businesswoman and floral designer, spent several days last week adorning the White House interior for the holidays, including rooms that are seldom, if ever, open to the general public.
“There are certain opportunities you would never pass up,” she said. “And being a part of decorating the White House is something I would never pass up, regardless of who’s in the administration. It’s an incredible experience, for sure.”
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Knudson also reports on the Santa Claus Girls, who are facing extraordinary challenges because of the pandemic, but are undeterred in a drive to ensure every child in need in the Grand Cities receives Christmas gifts this year.
Among the most pressing challenges is the decline in financial support from individual donors, said Jen Ekberg, vice president of Santa Claus Girls. Some past donors may be unable to give because they’ve lost their job or were furloughed.
Look for these stories and more online and in print on Saturday and Sunday.
