A milestone anniversary in Mitchell is on the verge of passing by without notice.
Our city this year is 125 years old, a grand age for a town that rose from the prairie to become one of eastern South Dakota's most thriving communities.
But as small towns all around celebrate their 125th birthday, Mitchell has plumb forgotten its quasquicentennial. Last week, the mayor, the City Council president and the president of the Mitchell Area Historical Society all said it appears that the city has let the anniversary slip by unnoticed.
Or has it?
It's not too late. Mitchell could and should organize an event to mark the birthday.
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A few suggestions:
n A program featuring local historians could be held in conjunction with another major event, such as the Corn Palace Festival. Those who know the city's history - Clyde Goin, Garvin Bertsch and Lyle Swenson come to mind -- could speak on how the city was born and tell of its tribulations and successes since. It could be topped by a performance by the local barbershop chorus.
n Make the 125th anniversary the theme of this year's winter carnival, which has become quite an event in its own right. Floats could be fashioned according to that theme, and revelers could begin - or end - the night at the Corn Palace for an evening of speakers and entertainment.
n Plan a weekend celebration separate from other events that could include displays set up at museums and the Carnegie Resource Center, a tour of historic buildings and a pork sandwich or burger feed on Main Street. September sounds about right - the weather is perfect and it's before the rush of pheasant hunting season.
At this late hour, street dances, threshing jamborees and summer parades seem out of the question. That's a bit painful to this city's ego, considering the fun that some area towns are having this summer. And for those who shrug it off and say milestone anniversaries are a small-town thing, consider that Sioux Falls recently celebrated its 150th birthday.
That celebration began with a city-appointed task force last winter and ended this past weekend. It included bike tours, a concert, a family fun day, a mayor's grand luncheon, a parade and a picnic at the falls.
As a city, we missed our chance to put together a party that hasn't been seen since the centennial celebration of 1981. But it's not too late to put something together that's quality if not quantity to officially mark the occasion.
