I love idea of hanging on to those pieces of the past that were awesome and savoring them. A few times a year, I roll through the East Side of St. Paul through my old hood, cruise past Lake Phalen where we used to hang out, past my old house, down the alley where we used to gather for street hockey games, past my high school, and to the ball diamonds of the playground where I grew up.
So please understand that when I say it's time for the current version of Hiniker Pond to go, I do so with a heavy heart.
I'm not from around here. But I've come to think of Mankato as my adopted hometown. While here, I've been to Hiniker Pond a handful of times. And as a father, I've been there enough times to know that it's not exactly the kind of place to bring the kids. Especially at night.
Is it a festering cesspool of vagrants and criminals? No. But I'm more likely to run into trouble there than just about any other recreational spot in the area.
Hiniker Pond has the moniker "the pit." It's a fun nickname and people no doubt made many memories there. But today, I'm doubtful as many memories are being made. At least not as many good ones.
The last time we tried to fish there, a group of thugs decided the use the fishing pier to do some trick diving. Then smack talked me when I suggested the children fishing should -- gasp -- be allowed to fish without some punk cannonballing their bobbers. Other nights, the collection of folks reminds me of arraignment day at the courthouse when I used to cover the cops beat.
Have you been down to Hiniker on a hot July night? A lotta drinkin'. A little fightin'. Who knows what else.
Like I said. I'd love it if Hiniker Pond were still the beloved "pit" I've heard stories about. I really would. But ... It's just not. And I think the city here has a good opportunity to do something good over there.
Good luck!
I moved to the mankato area in1993, I went yhere a couple of times with my son, then he was about 5. All was good with other moms just hanging out . Fast forward to summer of 2010, when I pull up with the mini van with my 4 new additions. As i stiid looking like a crazed mom I noticed a policeman, I walked over to him and asked what happen, he pointed to the other side of the fence and said that was the family location. As i was very hesitate to settle in, my kids just wouldn't let us leave. When it was my turn to change i went to the ladies restroom, as did another mom. Then it came ... someone threw in a smoke bomb! It was horrible, the other mom didn't speak english so i didnt do a good job in explaining what was going on. Imagine trying to get into a swim suit when it is pitch dark, smoke thick, eyes burning , coughing and all you hear outside is cheers and laughter! As i exited i swore Alot! which didnt help anyone but me. Good thing that cop left when he did! Sure made that stay safe for everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to disagree with you. For years, the pit has been a great place to go and relax, set a towel up on the hill,swim , socialize, and maybe even have a few beers. As a Mankato native, the concept of the pit as a "family area" is very new. The pit isn't a kiddy pool; don't go there if you don't want to have to deal with the concept of sharing with people who don't happen to have kids.
ReplyDeleteI used to bike down to the pit when I was 7 years old and I still go there when I can, over 15 years later. Never have I feared for my safety there and while there are always some colorful characters, I'd say very few people there (especially those that use the dock for diving) classify as "thugs" or "punks." But I suppose, those people wanted to use the dock for a different purpose than you, so they must just be a bunch of "punks," right? Oh, the horror, that people didn't agree with what you wanted to do.
You also speculate that there's fighting and all sort of shady things that happen there after dark, but you don't back that information up at all. The pit closes at dark anyways so I don't know why you'd be concerned with going there at that hour in the first place.
News flash to parents, families, etc: take a lesson from your kids and learn to share. If people are diving off the dock, don't think yourself entitled to use it for fishing purposes. It's a big area, find a different spot! If you don't like the drinking or the college kids, stay on your side of the fence! It's there for a reason!
There aren't any other areas in the immediate area that are anything like the pit. To monopolize it for one group of people would be incredibly selfish. If people without kids want to go there and relax, that should be their freedom, and as long as they are staying within the limits of the law, they should be able to appreciate the pit in their own way.
Exactly. Hiniker is the only swimming spot in Mankato that isn't already there ,basically for kids and families. N. Kato pool and "Tourtloute" cater to those demographs. Hinkier is for adult and anyone that has a little composure. Self-assured, the Pit is just as safe as any public beach area.
DeleteAnd a great skinny-dipping spot as I remember a few times!
Deleteagree
DeleteWell ... On the issue of the dock, it's a fishing dock. It was installed by the Department of Natural Resources for fishing. That's why when I'm there, I expect it to used for people who are fishing. We didn't just amble out to a dock in the middle of revelers and expect the entire beach to yield to us because I've got a child with me. Quite the opposite. The dock is a hundred yards from the beach action. And it's a fishing dock. For fishing.
ReplyDelete"Oh the horror" ??? Seriously? I'm a father. My entire life is an exercise in people not agreeing with what I want to do. I'm also very much in favor of maintaining every ounce of personality it can.
Actually ... I think I'm done here. Come out from behind the veil of anonymity and I'd be happy to discuss it.
Ahhhhh.... Hiniker Pond. I grew up in a town close by during the late 70's, early 80's and my fellow friends and classmates spent a lot of time "hanging out" there. Maybe there was a little drinking and a little marijuana. But those who were more heavily into that type of partying usually went to Sibley Park. As Louis Nelson Jr stated "I was told of dead bodies, old excavators, cranes, and other spooky things..." we all believed that to be true! I guess it made the pond much more magical and enticing to us. Those were some fun times. Sure has changed since my days like everything does. Thanks for the story, Robb
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Mankato and went to Mankato Wilson HS in the 70s. Some of my best memories of the mid-late 70s were Summer days at The Pit with buddies and my girlfriend. We were high school jocks but never had a problem with the West & later East High jocks, dopers, flower children, and college students who all shared The Pit without issue. I can't recall a single fight or even argument. A big part of the thrill was that The Pit was posted private property and we were all trespassing, but the cops never bothered us. Not unusual for there to be 100+ people there on a hot sunny day. Somehow, it is somewhat depressing to learn The Pit is now a city park with DNR fishing dock and police patrolling it. Progress sucks...
ReplyDeleteLoved the pit in the early 80s! We did kid friendly stuff at Wheeler and Duck Lake when the extended fam got together every summer… And then my mom and Grandma could occasionally be coerced to join my uncles at the pit afterward (or maybe refuse to be deterred lol - who knows, I was a kid..and just happy to be there). Frisbee on the “beach” and a line for the rope swing across the way. Sure it was mostly older teens and young adults but it was never “rowdy”. As someone else said - - there were (and still are) plenty of other family-centric places to bring the kiddos…Why shouldn’t there be a small spot for older kids/young adults to enjoy themselves? It’s not like it’s some unsupervised back-alley cesspool of moral corruption (lmao). This is MN for Chrissake ;) - SOOOO many other places to take your kid fishing.
DeleteAnd so Few places for young adults to cut loose and take a load off in a fun public space.
DeleteLike I said - a great spot for skinny-dipping and having good old fashioned fun!
DeleteLmao. Sounds like a bunch of Karens that got nothing better to do.
ReplyDelete