Weather choosing not to cooperate

It is still early in the summer but it is looking like the weather has already chosen not to cooperate with outdoor activities and construction work.

Dodge Center celebrated Dodger Days last weekend and while the rain did not cancel the celebration, it did put a damper on some of the activities especially the rain on Saturday afternoon.

The rain was forecast to continue off and on throughout this week and there certainly was some nasty weather in Dodge County on Monday. There were some scattered power outages in Kasson, 61 mph winds reported at the Dodge Center Airport and heavy rain throughout southeastern Minnesota.

The continuing rain is certainly not something the folks in Mantorville want to see. Last week MnDOT closed the bridge over the Zumbro River so construction crews could work on the storm water pipes being installed along Highway 57. Closing the bridge meant that no longer could local residents cross the bridge and get to downtown using some temporary roadways. The bridge closing was only supposed to last a week but that did not happen with last week’s rains. Monday, MnDOT announced that the work had been delayed. With the heavy rains we saw on Monday and the continuing showers, I’m thinking itis unlikely that the work will be done by this weekend. I’m writing this on Tuesday, so I hope I am wrong.

And this weekend is, of course, Stagecoach Days in Mantorville.

Stagecoach Days will not be as big an event as in the past but there are still things to do.

Friday night there will be live music by the Poor Boy Ramblers from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Mantorville Saloon.

Saturday there are activities scheduled at Riverside Park, including Rookie the Clown and Bounce Houses from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and food trucks will be at the park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is also a Cornhole Tournament scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. at the Mantorville Saloon.

And, of course, the Mantorville Theatre Company will have the second weekend of summer melodramas at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Also on Sunday there will be Purse Bingo at the Saloon from 1 to 4 p.m. and the Duck Race at 7 p.m. at Riverside Park.

Despite the inconveniences of the road construction, Mantorville is open. This is a good time to show support of the local businesses in the community and stop by, not just for the Stagecoach Days activities, but also during the remainder of the construction project.

Everyone is hoping that the construction will be completed by the middle of August.

And just another reminder, when visiting Mantorville follow the detour signs, keep the speed down and be aware of the construction equipment. In short, keep it safe for everyone.