Discovery Bridge
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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan PAGE 4B Saturday, October 4, 2008 DISCOVERYDedication2008 Discovery Bridge Project A Real Group Effort Committee Created To Oversee Project Brought All Voices To The Process BY NATHAN JOHNSON nathan.johnson@yankton.net Convinced that the community needed a new bridge across the Missouri River, the City of Yankton formed the Building Yankton s Bridge to the Future Committee in 2001 to spearhead the effort. The diverse group of bridge boosters from Nebraska and South Dakota had no idea at the time how long the effort would take to come to fruition, but they knew it was worth it. This community was on a mission to see that bridge was built, said Bob Cappel, a member of the Building Yankton s Bridge Committee (BYBC). Everybody that served on the committee saw there was a need for this bridge. They worked together and learned as they went. Now, we look back and think seven years went pretty fast. The role of the BYBC has evolved during the course of seven years, according to its chairman. First, we were strictly promoting something and trying to raise earmark funds with trips to Washington, Pierre and Lincoln, Jim Black said. They visited with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads and the South Dakota Department of Transportation, who Black said supported the idea of building a new bridge. As far as working with the Nebraska Department of Roads and the South Dakota Department of Transportation, we ve had wonderful relationships, he said. We ve gotten along with them fine. Any time we had anything we had to discuss, we did so and got it resolved. In recent years, the committee worked with the agencies on the design of the Discovery Bridge and held regular meetings with them to track progress on its construction. Of course, the biggest responsibility of the BYBC of late has been preparing for the Discovery Bridge dedication ceremony Oct. 11. Cappel said the diversity of the committee played a large role in bringing the bridge project to the place it is today. You ve got people on there who represent various economic segments of this area, he said. You had manufacturers who understand the importance of a bridge they can take large trucks across, agricultural interests who understand the importance of getting their products to market so many different entities that brought different perspectives. Everybody brought a different opinion as to what the bridge needed to look like and overcoming hurdles, he added. We had great representaBlack tion from both northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. They all had a very important part in the success of this bridge. One of the voices from northeast Nebraska was Tom Noecker, who said he became involved with lobbying for the bridge in the early 1990s. As a city councilor in Hartington, Neb., he said he was convinced a new bridge needed four lanes. Not everyone shared his conviction, he said. I think the most difficult part was convincing people we needed to go with a four-lane bridge, Noecker said. We made trips to Pierre. We made trips to Lincoln. That s what we ve been working for, and that was the biggest hurdle to get over. Of course, the ultimate goal is to convince Nebraska to build a four-lane expressway between Norfolk, Neb., and Yankton, he said. Hopefully, a four-lane highway will one day extend north of Yankton, Noecker added. Once this dedication is over, we ll start putting that push on to get the four-lane between Norfolk and Yankton done, he said. It s going to benefit northeast Nebraska, as well as southeast South Dakota. Committee members shared many highlights from the past seven years getting approval for the location of the Discovery Bridge, securing funding for the structure, having the Department of Transportation agree to maintain the Meridian Bridge for recreational purposes all important steps in getting a new bridge for Yankton. Had Yankton waited any longer to pursue its bridge to the future, the process might have been much more arduous, committee members agreed. Even when we finally secured the funding, with the (War on Terror) and everything else, there was a lot of money going in different directions, Noecker said. That was an effort from a lot of folks across both states working with their state and federal legislators. Today, funding for transportation projects has become even more difficult to attain because of shrinking tax revenues. We did it at the right time, because now I don t think there s going to be any new bridges built for some time, Black said. The committee members also gave a nod to those who worked on getting a new bridge prior to 2001. Talk of a new bridge began on the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce s Transportation Committee in the late 1980s, according to Cappel. From there, community leaders began grinding the gears into motion, speaking to legislators to gain funding from the project. You ve got to applaud the community leaders when that all started happening, Cappel said. They had the vision to do what they needed to do to prepare for the future of the bridge. That s so critical and vital. This community has always been visionary and forward-thinking. I applaud them for taking that first step to get us where we are. It all comes together on Oct. 11. Black also singled out the work of Don Skip Meisner, who has worked as a consultant to the city on the bridge project. We couldn t have done it without him, Black said. He knew where to go and how to do it. GROUP, Page 9B please RANDY DOCKENDORF/P&D Members of the Discovery Bridge Dedication Committee are shown meeting in September 2008 to plan the Oct. 11 dedication ceremony for the new structure. Many people from both sides of the river were involved in groups that worked to keep the overall vision of the project alive and intact. Home Federal Does CONVENIENCE Living life in the fast lane? Home Federal is the bank for you. We re open seven days a week with extended-hour banking at our Hy-Vee location, and online 24 hours a day. Plus, we have two locations right here in Yankton. With convenience like this, you ll be able to do your banking whenever it works for you. 260-8674 N. Broadway | 665-8205 Yankton Hy-Vee www.homefederal.com With so much to offer, learn what Home Federal can do for you. Personal | Business | Ag | Home Loans | Trust | Investments www.homefederal.com Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender A subsidiary of HF Financial Corp. NASDAQ: HFFC KELLY INN & CONVENTION CENTER YANKTON, SD 1607 East Hwy. 50, 30 Miles West of I-29 or 60 Miles South of I-90 on Hwy. 81 Group Effort BUILDING YANKTON S BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE COMMITTEE Jim Black, Chairman Skip Meisner, Coordinator Curt Bernard, Bob Cappel, Mike Healy, Kevin Kuhl, Terry Johnson, Gary Kimm, Tom Noecker, Frederick Pinkelman, Ron Peterson, Dale Riesberg, Beth Rye, Al Viereck, Joe Vig, Jeff Weldon, Kristine Winter. DEDICATION COMMITTEE Tom Noecker and Don Edwards, Co-Chairs Curt Bernard, George Berndt, Jim Black, Bob Cappel, Mike Healy, Kathy Jacobs, Terry Johnson, Pam Kettering, Rhonda Kneifl, Larry Koranda, Todd Larson, Paul Lowrie, Dave McGregor, Skip Meisner, Tom Moser, Marty O'Connor, Ron Peterson, Mary Pfeiffer, Frederick Pinkelman, Dale Reisberg, Lori Rust, Beth Rye, Kim Sawatzke, Cathy Scott, Dan Specht, Bob Wiebelhaus, Al Viereck, Joe Vig, Jeff Weldon, Kristine Winter TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Vern Arens, Carly Bousch, Mary Pat Bierie, Jim Black, Melody Bonzer, Jon Bos, Jim Cox, Doug Ekeren, Nate Franzen, Steve Frick, Dr. Joe Gertsema, Jim Gevens, Charlii Gilson, Charlie Gross, Kurt Hauser, Mike Healy, Jake Hoffner, Andy Holst, Dave Hosmer, Jean Hunhoff, Patricia Keegan, Don Kettering, Gary Kimm, Mary Klimisch, Kevin Kuhl, Dave Lockwood, Darren Melstad, Murl Miller, Rob Miner, Dave Mingo, Mike Murphy, Tom Noecker, Lois Padgett, Jerry Paulsen, Ron Peterson, Dave Rehurek, Jim Robinson, Mark Rodvold, Doug Russell, Chip Simonsen, Pat Smith, Eric Swanson, Scott Swier, Skip VanDerhule, Jeff Weldon, Brad Wenande, Bob Zylstra. Minutes Away fromYankton s Historic District and the Lewis & Clark Lake Recreation Area IndoorWater Playland & Whirlpool Deluxe Continental Athletic Club, Racquetball Courts & Arcade Breakfast with 121 Guest Rooms including 4 Executive Suites Belgian Waffles Children Under 17 Stay Free For Reservations Call 605-665-2906 800-528-1234 www.bestwesternyankton.com At The Kelly Inn Yankton, SD 605-664-2244 Serving Our Full Menu 11am-10pm Monday-Saturday Sunday Brunch 10am-2pm Casual Yet Distinctive Dining Steak, Seafood & Pasta House, Room Service Full Service Bar Great for Happy Hour from 4-6pm & 9-11pm Monday-Friday Private Dining Room For Up To 32 People Ideal Setting for Families, Businesses & Other Celebrations
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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan PAGE 4B Saturday, October 4, 2008 DISCOVERYDedication2008 Discovery Bridge Project A Real Group Effort Committee Created To Oversee Project Brought All Voices To The Process BY NATHAN JOHNSON nathan.johnson@yankton.net Convinced that the community needed a new bridge across the Missouri River, the City of Yankton formed the Building Yankton s Bridge to the Future Committee in 2001 to spearhead the effort. The diverse group of bridge boosters from Nebraska and South Dakota had no idea at the time how long the effort would take to come to fruition, but they knew it was worth it. This community was on a mission to see that bridge was built, said Bob Cappel, a member of the Building Yankton s Bridge Committee (BYBC). Everybody that served on the committee saw there was a need for this bridge. They worked together and learned as they went. Now, we look back and think seven years went pretty fast. The role of the BYBC has evolved during the course of seven years, according to its chairman. First, we were strictly promoting something and trying to raise earmark funds with trips to Washington, Pierre and Lincoln, Jim Black said. They visited with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads and the South Dakota Department of Transportation, who Black said supported the idea of building a new bridge. As far as working with the Nebraska Department of Roads and the South Dakota Department of Transportation, we ve had wonderful relationships, he said. We ve gotten along with them fine. Any time we had anything we had to discuss, we did so and got it resolved. In recent years, the committee worked with the agencies on the design of the Discovery Bridge and held regular meetings with them to track progress on its construction. Of course, the biggest responsibility of the BYBC of late has been preparing for the Discovery Bridge dedication ceremony Oct. 11. Cappel said the diversity of the committee played a large role in bringing the bridge project to the place it is today. You ve got people on there who represent various economic segments of this area, he said. You had manufacturers who understand the importance of a bridge they can take large trucks across, agricultural interests who understand the importance of getting their products to market so many different entities that brought different perspectives. Everybody brought a different opinion as to what the bridge needed to look like and overcoming hurdles, he added. We had great representaBlack tion from both northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. They all had a very important part in the success of this bridge. One of the voices from northeast Nebraska was Tom Noecker, who said he became involved with lobbying for the bridge in the early 1990s. As a city councilor in Hartington, Neb., he said he was convinced a new bridge needed four lanes. Not everyone shared his conviction, he said. I think the most difficult part was convincing people we needed to go with a four-lane bridge, Noecker said. We made trips to Pierre. We made trips to Lincoln. That s what we ve been working for, and that was the biggest hurdle to get over. Of course, the ultimate goal is to convince Nebraska to build a four-lane expressway between Norfolk, Neb., and Yankton, he said. Hopefully, a four-lane highway will one day extend north of Yankton, Noecker added. Once this dedication is over, we ll start putting that push on to get the four-lane between Norfolk and Yankton done, he said. It s going to benefit northeast Nebraska, as well as southeast South Dakota. Committee members shared many highlights from the past seven years getting approval for the location of the Discovery Bridge, securing funding for the structure, having the Department of Transportation agree to maintain the Meridian Bridge for recreational purposes all important steps in getting a new bridge for Yankton. Had Yankton waited any longer to pursue its bridge to the future, the process might have been much more arduous, committee members agreed. Even when we finally secured the funding, with the (War on Terror) and everything else, there was a lot of money going in different directions, Noecker said. That was an effort from a lot of folks across both states working with their state and federal legislators. Today, funding for transportation projects has become even more difficult to attain because of shrinking tax revenues. We did it at the right time, because now I don t think there s going to be any new bridges built for some time, Black said. The committee members also gave a nod to those who worked on getting a new bridge prior to 2001. Talk of a new bridge began on the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce s Transportation Committee in the late 1980s, according to Cappel. From there, community leaders began grinding the gears into motion, speaking to legislators to gain funding from the project. You ve got to applaud the community leaders when that all started happening, Cappel said. They had the vision to do what they needed to do to prepare for the future of the bridge. That s so critical and vital. This community has always been visionary and forward-thinking. I applaud them for taking that first step to get us where we are. It all comes together on Oct. 11. Black also singled out the work of Don Skip Meisner, who has worked as a consultant to the city on the bridge project. We couldn t have done it without him, Black said. He knew where to go and how to do it. GROUP, Page 9B please RANDY DOCKENDORF/P&D Members of the Discovery Bridge Dedication Committee are shown meeting in September 2008 to plan the Oct. 11 dedication ceremony for the new structure. Many people from both sides of the river were involved in groups that worked to keep the overall vision of the project alive and intact. Home Federal Does CONVENIENCE Living life in the fast lane? Home Federal is the bank for you. We re open seven days a week with extended-hour banking at our Hy-Vee location, and online 24 hours a day. Plus, we have two locations right here in Yankton. With convenience like this, you ll be able to do your banking whenever it works for you. 260-8674 N. Broadway | 665-8205 Yankton Hy-Vee www.homefederal.com With so much to offer, learn what Home Federal can do for you. Personal | Business | Ag | Home Loans | Trust | Investments www.homefederal.com Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender A subsidiary of HF Financial Corp. NASDAQ: HFFC KELLY INN & CONVENTION CENTER YANKTON, SD 1607 East Hwy. 50, 30 Miles West of I-29 or 60 Miles South of I-90 on Hwy. 81 Group Effort BUILDING YANKTON S BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE COMMITTEE Jim Black, Chairman Skip Meisner, Coordinator Curt Bernard, Bob Cappel, Mike Healy, Kevin Kuhl, Terry Johnson, Gary Kimm, Tom Noecker, Frederick Pinkelman, Ron Peterson, Dale Riesberg, Beth Rye, Al Viereck, Joe Vig, Jeff Weldon, Kristine Winter. DEDICATION COMMITTEE Tom Noecker and Don Edwards, Co-Chairs Curt Bernard, George Berndt, Jim Black, Bob Cappel, Mike Healy, Kathy Jacobs, Terry Johnson, Pam Kettering, Rhonda Kneifl, Larry Koranda, Todd Larson, Paul Lowrie, Dave McGregor, Skip Meisner, Tom Moser, Marty O'Connor, Ron Peterson, Mary Pfeiffer, Frederick Pinkelman, Dale Reisberg, Lori Rust, Beth Rye, Kim Sawatzke, Cathy Scott, Dan Specht, Bob Wiebelhaus, Al Viereck, Joe Vig, Jeff Weldon, Kristine Winter TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Vern Arens, Carly Bousch, Mary Pat Bierie, Jim Black, Melody Bonzer, Jon Bos, Jim Cox, Doug Ekeren, Nate Franzen, Steve Frick, Dr. Joe Gertsema, Jim Gevens, Charlii Gilson, Charlie Gross, Kurt Hauser, Mike Healy, Jake Hoffner, Andy Holst, Dave Hosmer, Jean Hunhoff, Patricia Keegan, Don Kettering, Gary Kimm, Mary Klimisch, Kevin Kuhl, Dave Lockwood, Darren Melstad, Murl Miller, Rob Miner, Dave Mingo, Mike Murphy, Tom Noecker, Lois Padgett, Jerry Paulsen, Ron Peterson, Dave Rehurek, Jim Robinson, Mark Rodvold, Doug Russell, Chip Simonsen, Pat Smith, Eric Swanson, Scott Swier, Skip VanDerhule, Jeff Weldon, Brad Wenande, Bob Zylstra. Minutes Away fromYankton s Historic District and the Lewis & Clark Lake Recreation Area IndoorWater Playland & Whirlpool Deluxe Continental Athletic Club, Racquetball Courts & Arcade Breakfast with 121 Guest Rooms including 4 Executive Suites Belgian Waffles Children Under 17 Stay Free For Reservations Call 605-665-2906 800-528-1234 www.bestwesternyankton.com At The Kelly Inn Yankton, SD 605-664-2244 Serving Our Full Menu 11am-10pm Monday-Saturday Sunday Brunch 10am-2pm Casual Yet Distinctive Dining Steak, Seafood & Pasta House, Room Service Full Service Bar Great for Happy Hour from 4-6pm & 9-11pm Monday-Friday Private Dining Room For Up To 32 People Ideal Setting for Families, Businesses & Other Celebrations
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