The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • Katie Hiller and Brian Thoennes float on Hiniker Pond on yet another steamy day. The weather forecast is predicting a break in the recent string of hot, humid days by Saturday. John Cross

    Hiniker

July 5, 2012

Summer is going swimmingly at Hiniker Pond

Rules are being respected

By Mark Fischenich The Free Press

MANKATO — Mankato picked a sultry summer to ban suds at Hiniker Pond, but police say beach-goers have been following the rules.

"It seems to be going well," said Matt Westermayer, deputy director of the Mankato Department of Public Safety. "We haven't had a whole lot of issues."

The new rules, which also include a smoking ban at the popular north-side swimming hole, went into effect in late May. The weather turned hot almost in sync with the beer ban.

Since June 1, 26 days have hit a high temperature of 80 degrees or more. Eleven of those days have offered highs in the 90s, including Thursday's 91-degree scorcher Ñ the sixth straight day with temps topping 90 degrees.

Police are patrolling the park more heavily than usual because of the new restrictions, which were put in place to create a more family-friendly environment.

Some young adults were upset with the changes, saying Hiniker was one of the few swimming options in the immediate Mankato area where they could drink cold beer without being hassled. Others supported the restrictions, saying the drinkers often created a mess and set a poor example for children swimming at the former gravel pit.

After an initial period of providing warnings, officers are now ready to issue citations for people bringing alcohol or tobacco to Hiniker, Westermayer said. But there has been little need.

More often, officers are seeing violations of another rule instituted this summer -- no swimming from (or jumping off of) the fishing pier just down the shore from the beach, he said.

The pond is likely to continue drawing crowds for the foreseeable future. The National Weather Service is predicting a high of 95 degrees again today and 85 on Saturday. Temperatures are forecast to top out at 80 Sunday through Tuesday before returning to 85-degree-highs on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

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