by Dennis Dalman
If ebullient charm can help build roads, Leander Avenue in southwest Sartell just might be heading rather quickly in a good direction, toward a fix-up or a total re-do.
At the April 14 Sartell City Council meeting, Sartell resident Andra “Andi” Atteberry, a retired woman, spoke up during the “Public Comment” session before the council meeting’s official business began.
Leander Avenue is a north-south roadway that connects at the north to Heritage Drive and to CR 120 at the south.
During her brief three-minute talk, Atteberry evoked an almost exuberant storybook-style optimism that enchanted everybody in the big room.
She told the council she lives in the South Grandview Estates apartments building on Heritage Drive. She (and many others who live in that building) have to drive or depend upon others or Metro-Bus “Dial-a-Ride” buses to get to where they have to go – especially to health-care appointments at the “Medical Campus” area of the city.
That drive to other areas is usually on Leander Avenue, which Atteberry regards as sub-standard. She contacted Sartell public-works officials who told her Leander Avenue is “shot’ and its road is too narrow. They also said fixing that particular roadway would cost a “lot of money,” she told the council.
Then Atteberry said she had talked with Sartell City Administrator Anna Gruber, whom she said told her a Leander project, at least partly, is dependent upon state funding that Sartell does not have – at least not yet.
Atteberry also emailed State Sen Jeff Howe and State Rep. Tim O’Driscoll to urge them to help get funding for a Leander Avenue project.
She said fellow residents in her apartment building are “thrilled” by her attempts to get Leander Avenue improved or redone.
“Last week, the word of Leander spread fast in my building,” she said. “They (residents) love it when I attend council meetings. They keep wanting to get Leander rebuilt!”
Then she took a breath and told the council with a sudden percolating optimism:
“The sooner it’s done, the better!” she said. “I can’t wait to tell them that Sartell got the money. Whoo!”
During Atterberry’s bursts of cheerful optimism, everyone in the city-council (members and those in the audience) smiled and kept smiling as if under a charmed spell.
She told the council that word of Leander Avenue spread fast in her apartment building.
“Word was that the city was fixing the potholes,” she said in a triumphant upbeat voice. “YAY! That will be much better to drive on it! But we can’t wait to drive on a new Leander so keep it as a very high priority.”
Smiles all around brightened the city-council chamber.
“Thank you!” said Mayor Ryan Fitzthum, still smiling. “And I can assure you it will remain a top priority.”
