Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway


Editorial


Eagan Sun-Current
Thursday, November 25, 2004



"Eagan Has Much to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving"

by Joshua Nichols, Eagan Community Editor


As Thanksgiving approaches, is it too late to still be thankful that the election season is over?

Actually, Thanksgiving shouldn't really dwell on the negatives of the past, so with that let's take a look at what Eagan has to be thankful for.

To many people when they think of Eagan they think of mini-mansions and airport noise, but to me the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Eagan is green space.

I've yet to find any place else in the Twin Cities area that gives you quite the same feeling that areas like Patrick Eagan Park and Lebanon Hills Regional Park do.

There are some beautiful woodlands and nature areas in the metro area, but I always catch a glimpse of a car or a building in the distance that never really lets you forget where you are.

I've never had that problem with Patrick Eagan Park or Lebanon Hills. You venture into those parks and it's easy to believe you are in the middle of nowhere. It's trees and water and nature as far as you can see, something that isn't frequently associated with Eagan and suburbs in general.

Eagan also has other reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. Residents can be thankful that they have a City Council that is determined to keep taxes low while providing excellent services.

Most of the farmland that originally made up what has become Eagan may be gone, but Eagan also cherishes its history and won't ever let it die. As other suburbs have developed, they have lost that connection to the past.

Not many other suburbs have their original town hall preserved or a place like Holz Farm Park, which keeps alive farming for today's younger generation.

Eagan has great schools, good police and fire services and a business community that continues to bloom as the city grows. Residents can take advantage of new amenities such as the Cascade Bay water park, the Community Center and Central Park and old, cherished amenities such as the Caponi Art Park and Patrick Eagan Park.

Eagan can also be thankful for having such a dedicated and active group of residents who are always seeking the best for the city.

In other communities, actions by the city happen with little fanfare and very little notice, but Eagan rarely seems to have that problem. I think it says something about a community when its residents care so much about the city they live in and Eagan should be proud to be such a place.

I know I will be thankful for several things about Eagan this year but especially the recipe for green tomato pie I secured following the farm festival at Holz Farm Park this fall.

As Thanksgiving dinner is beginning to grumble in your stomach and the first slice of pumpkin , or green tomato, pie is cut this year, think about the city and what it means to you. Think about what you have to be thankful for when it comes to Eagan.

Whether it be the open spaces or Cascade Bay, the Community Center or growing sense of comunity pride, Eagan provides a lot for people to be thankful about.




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