A Bridge in Phalen Park

There is a bridge in Phalen Park just north and east of the picnic pavilion. When it was reopened in 1992, it was dedicated to the memory of the late City Councilmember, Karl Neid, jr.

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the dedication of that bridge. A plaque on the west side inside announces that and explains a little about Mr. Neid. Hundreds of people cross the bridge every day as the running/walking and bicycle paths that surround the lake pass over it. I doubt if many of them ever notice the plaque, much less read it. And after fifteen years, given varying maturation and migration factors, there are probably quite a few who do not even remember the man for whom the bridge was named. A few may be aware that each year a city employee receives the Karl Neid award.

Maybe one reason that so few people ever look at the plaque is that it sits on the bicycling side of the bridge, so that to read it most people would have to put themselves in harm’s way to read it. And maybe it is just that there are plaques on bridges and other public works everywhere are so omnipresent that we just don’t notice them.

I won’t eulogize Karl Neid, jr. right here right now. If I’m still doing this in May when the anniversary of his passing or on his spring birthday which I don’t know right now, I will likely say a lot more.

But I do wonder how many ever notice that bridge or speculate on how some of our municipal public matters might have turned out differently were he still with us.

And if you get around that bridge sometime soon, take a look.