by TaLeiza Calloway – news@thenewsleaders.com
Plans continue to take shape to bring a winter community event to St. Joseph next month.
St. Joseph Park Board members voted at their last meeting to host Joe Town-Snow Town, a fun-filled outdoor event aimed at bringing the community together and getting people in the parks. The date of the event is Feb. 16. Times of scheduled activities are still being determined.
John Anderson, chair of the park board, said festivities are set to include sledding, silver-skate races for various age groups and a snow-softball tournament. Most events will take place at Memorial and Millstream parks. Joe Town-Snow Town will also include a chili supper, a wine- and beer-tasting event and a medallion hunt for children. Board members hope to get local businesses to distribute clues for the medallion hunt.
The park board also hopes to partner with the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University to host a broom-ball tournament as part of the events. Broom ball is a recreational ice game played in ice arenas and community parks. It’s a game very similar to hockey in its formation and rules but also incorporates some soccer strategies. The game is played on a hockey rink with two teams consisting of six players on each side (a goalie, two defense players and three forwards). Similar to hockey and soccer, the object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team. Players use a stick (a shaft with a molded broom-shaped head) to maneuver a six-inch diameter ball up and down the ice. Instead of skates, players wear spongy-soled shoes to gain traction when running on the slippery surface.
The park board meets every fourth Monday of the month. The next meeting is slated for Monday, Jan. 28 at city hall.