“Hey, Mathias, I have a job for you,” said Kathy Mattson, one of the city’s dedicated Jordan Art Festival volunteers.

I’m up for anything, I told her. Just say the word.

Usually, Mattson, Maureen Carlson, Beverly Ripley, and countless other Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce diehards ask me to volunteer to lift something, to hand out freebies, make phone calls, come to a meeting, talk to somebody, retrieve something from across the festival grounds, drive somewhere, pick up signs, or any number of menial tasks.

I’m a grunt, you see. I can follow directions. I’ll do any of that stuff.

Mattson’s first request on Sunday was different than the usual.
You see, she’d noticed that some cones used to close off Water Street had been thrown aside, probably by deviants. For fear of hurting her back, she didn’t want to climb down a hillside to get them – in Sand Creek!

It’d been a hot day on Saturday and I was expecting more heat, so I readily agreed to the task, seeing a brush-lined path of loose gravel and rock leading to the shallow river through downtown Jordan.

I meandered down to the riverbed, slipping a little on gravel and tearing up the back of my leg on a thorn or two. No problem. I barely noticed.

I like to climb on rocks and around water, so this was fun for me. I easily retrieved two of the cones from near the rocky shore under the railroad bridge alongside Rice Street.

The other two cones were well into the creek, and I didn’t hesitate to take off my shoes and socks.

Sadly, there is a lot of garbage in the creek under the railroad bridge. Beer bottles and pop cans are under the dark water. Once, I even saw a bicycle junked there. Please don’t litter in your creek, by the way. Not only does it serve no purpose, but it’s dangerous for tiptoeing waders like me.

I was a little nervous about what I might step on, but I waded slowly out to the middle of the 2-foot-deep section of creek. A few mucky steps, and one tiny slip and splash later, I had the last two cones in tow.

As Jordan Jaycee John Olson had reminded me earlier last weekend, helping out is what building community is all about.

So I happily oblige to do even the silliest and most necessary of tasks. We all band together and give what we can to make things that are good for the town go off without a hitch.

Most of you don’t draw attention to your efforts (thank you so much!) like I just did, but I blame this on Mattson. She asked me to get the cones, and she asked me to write about it.

Wading in the creek was a small adventure during a weekend full of fun. And I’m glad I did my small part.

REPORTER’S NOTES

A few other notes from the Jordan Art Festival:

- My job this year was to work with Jessica Barnd Bauer and the Jordan Red Hatters greeting the artists and accommodating them in any way that we could. It’s important to keep the artists happy, to cater to them, because they are the reason there is an art festival. We want them to come back, and we want them to tell other artists and clientele about our festival and our town. We want Jordan to become known for its growing community of artists. We want people from outside of Jordan to flock here, to enjoy our historic downtown, and to spend money making our businesses successful.

- Water was the hot item of the day. Reported temperatures of higher than 90 degrees had artists, volunteers, businesspeople, and festival-goers alike sweating and smiling. Bauer’s hospitality crew provided water and fruit to many thankful artists. It was a rewarding job.

- Owners of businesses that were open along Water Street said they were doing well. Why not take advantage of all of the people in town for the weekend?

- Pork in the Park, normally reserved for its own festival in Lagoon Park, brought pulled pork to the art festival again this year. It’s the second time the Jaycees have done so. When I went to get a sandwich Saturday, Olson corralled me and I ended up staying and serving sandwiches for a good portion of the day.

- I served sandwiches with Sara Hanson and Marsha Wolf for a while, and so, of course, they got questioned by me about the busy end of the summer for the Miss Jordan royalty. They have a parade scheduled for most every weekend until Heimatfest, when the incoming royalty will be crowned. They are looking forward to other events, where they represent Jordan throughout the Twin Cities.

- Pork in the Park thrived, and the Jordan Valley Bike Tour again had a good turnout. The nice, hot weather on Saturday undeniably helped the events.

Fellow volunteers, you did a great job. You’re building togetherness through volunteerism, the giving of a little of your time. For all of your hard work, Jordan is better.

Here’s to a lovely weekend! Let’s plan another one.

Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.