Tara’s
Takes
We’re six weeks into owning four newspapers and you’d be happy to hear that Per and I haven’t tried to kill each other yet. That’s mainly due to our staff and the community support we’ve received.
However, with owning more papers, one of the things that we wanted to make a priority was being involved in each community. Since you all know we have so much free time, this has been a piece of cake.
In actuality, it’s rare we both have time off, so trying to spend time in each community has been a push. But last Friday night, with boys basketball on the road, we made the trip to Tyler. Of course we had to stop at The Kronberg first. I love their chicken nachos and Per is a fan of the wings, especially since they serve all the sauces on the side and bring the six choices to the table.
Per did learn there is a huge difference between sweet chili and mango habanero even though the color is the same.
After dinner, we headed to the RTR High School Performing Arts Center to take in the one act plays. RTR had just returned from the state competition where it earned a star. In addition to their competition piece, they performed two one act comedies as well. They did not disappoint. The comedies were entertaining, the competition piece was powerful and their theater is amazing. It was a great opportunity to experience a hidden gem in Tyler.
Then on Sunday, I had the privilege of heading to Hendricks. The Hendricks/ Estelline Redhawks gymnastics team had won the South Dakota Class A state championship on Friday as well as having firstand third-place gymnasts in the all around competition on Saturday. They had several other individual award winners, too, and were having a welcome home party at “The Barn.”
I had never been to the barn and really didn’t know what to expect. However, when I put it into my Google maps, it actually came up. And as I pulled into this farmsite just outside Hendricks, there on one side of the driveway was a fenced-in area with horses and on the other side as a big barn full of gymnastics equipment. This is home to the Redhawk gymnastics team.
After a parade and stop in Estelline, they made their way through town for a parade and eventually back to the barn for a welcome home party. And it was a party! So many community members and supporters, they had to set up extra chairs. The crazy thing: This was their fourth straight championship. Right there in the little town of Hendricks.
Another hidden gem.
Per and I were discussing my adventure Sunday night and all that each of the four towns have to offer. We were also discussing the upcoming BPA state competition the Tracy Area High School kids would be competing in next week.
I have a little bias as both my boys have been involved in BPAat Marshall. But I know firsthand how much work goes into these projects and how much self confidence can grow. They might not be seen on the court or field, but they are hidden gems in our community.
This has been one of the best parts of our purchase. We are finding hidden gems in schools, businesses and communities. It also has allowed us to take fresh look at the communities we were already covering and the special things that make them unique.
Sometimes when you’ve been part of a community for a while, you take for granted all the specialness of it. The first few weeks of this year, we’ve been fortunate to find these hidden gems and can’t wait to discover more throughout the area in 2026.
