popular rodeo, to the Springfield Nativity pageant in December. “We bring in camels, donkeys, and goats, and narrate the Christmas story,” Luense adds. The small town hopes to reach a wider audience.“We’re currently working on creating videos to promote the city’s amenities and parks,” Luense reports. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Business continuity occupies a central place in Springfield’s development strategy. “We received a grant to start a program helping entrepreneurs,” Ryan shares, “A lot of our business proprietors are getting to retirement age, so we’ve been working on succession plans to ensure that these businesses keep going.” The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has proven instrumental in nurturing Springfield’s entrepreneurial spirit. “We had a 23-year-old gentleman that wanted to buy an auto mechanic dealership,” Wersal explains. “To connect him to the SBDC was instrumental in securing funding to buy the business.” The childcare sector is another key area of focus for community development. “We were awarded a grant to help find innovative ways to secure more childcare providers and help support our existing providers as well,” Wersal explains.“As a result, we’ve brought in two new providers in the last six months.” Additionally, the newly formed daycare association, Springfield CARES, is bringing together parents and 225 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 SPRINGFIELD, MN
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