The first annual &uot;Celebrate Albert Lea&uot; community festival/fundraiser is almost here. I can almost the taste the delicious (insert ethnic food of choice) and hear the (insert some type of music) now. Let’s hope the weather cooperates so we can all have fun at the (insert large group activity appropriate to season).

Sound too cynical? Too negative? Perhaps. I do know that we have a lot of community &uot;festivals&uot; in this region, and after even a few years they all start to look alike.

I hope people have fun at the activities planned for this coming weekend &045; we might even turn out for something &045; but I have some questions that won’t go away. Why Celebrate Albert Lea now? What’s so special about the end of August? Since it’s been presented as a fundraiser for Albert Lea’s sesquicentennial, why couldn’t it have been incorporated into other, already established summer events, like Eddie Cochran Days or the Doc Evans Jazz Festival?

What would have been really nice is if the community were coming together this weekend to do something more than just eat, drink and be merry. It won’t raise money for an even bigger party three years from now, but with the city poised to take control of the former Farmland/ Farmstead/Wilson site, it’s time for some public brainstorming and planning on what to do with it.

Even though some ideas have been floated here and there, at informal meetings, in letters to the editor, and in coffee table conversations, the basic question remains unanswered: What should we do with all that land? With the city already in possession of so many buildings and building sites around town, what possible use could they find for another big empty lot?

I’ll be bold and offer my own suggestion: I think that the nearby recreation trail is the most important feature. Like most other trails in the state it will become more user-friendly and interesting as businesses catering to trail users locate nearby. Running an extension of the trail along the southern edge of the property, possibly continuing west on a route behind the businesses on Main Street, would make it possible to get trail users even closer to downtown while providing access to Main Street businesses for cyclists and pedestrians.

Some businesses should be encouraged to locate in the redeveloped area. For example, a bike shop would be a good idea, one that sells, rents and repairs bikes (and other things people use on trails like skateboards and in-line skates) in the summer and maybe skis and snowshoes in the winter. Some kind of bait shop might be nice, for those who plan on fishing in Albert Lea Lake (or Fountain Lake, which isn’t that far away). A bistro style restaurant or coffee house would be a nice extra, especially on those beautiful fall afternoons when it’s nice to be out walking, but it’s also nice to sit and sip a tall latte or have a cup of soup afterwards.

I suspect there would be room for public attractions, too, only let’s not build another playground or gazebo. Why not find a way to develop a butterfly garden (or house) or an aviary with birds of the region on display. For most travelers coming to Minnesota from the south, we are the &uot;gateway community&uot;. Why not work with the DNR to create an outdoor &uot;museum&uot; highlighting Minnesota’s natural resources either at the Farmland site or alongside the trail?

Whatever ends up happening, I think the primary focus should be enhancing the life of the people who live here all the time, whether they are single adults, families with children or retired couples. We need to work at building a community that’s a great place to live &045; to move to in search of a good job, to stay in once people finish school, or to retire in &045; not just an interesting place to visit for a couple of days.

It’s easy, of course, to propose ideas when we aren’t responsible for implementing them. But every project starts with ideas, from all sorts of people. This community is blessed with many creative residents. If we all put our minds to it, I’m sure we can come up with something that will be the cause of some real celebrating.

(David Rask Behling is a rural Albert Lea resident. His column appears Tuesdays.)