We have quite a bit of news to share this month and only so much space, so bear with us as we run through some of the highlights.

First, the numbers are in from Phyllis Hoegh and we had 2,408 visitors sign our guestbook in July this year. The top states were some of the usuals, Iowa, Nebraska, California, Colorado, and Illinois. We had 115 foreign visitors including 84 from Denmark, rounded out by a veterans group from Copenhagen.

We’ve been in the middle of some capital projects this month. First, as we’re sure everyone is aware of by now, our southern cottonwood is now gone. We contracted Top Hand Tree Service to cut down the tree and trim some of the low-hanging branches on the western three that will remain standing. This decision was not made lightly. First and foremost, we do not build wind farms in forests because trees block wind. All of our cottonwoods have grown upwards of 25-30 feet since the windmill arrived in 1976 with the southern tree taller than the windmill. The windmill is designed to face the wind, and we need to ensure it does so as much as possible, especially during storms. It was recommended by our Danish colleagues that this tree be removed for this reason. Additionally, there were growing concerns about the welfare of our Vikinghjem. Cottonwoods are notorious for dropping branches, due in part to their rapid rate of growth that produces heavy branches, but weak wood. For the security of the Vikinghjem and the safety of our performers down there in addition to regular visitors, it was best to act now. And sure enough, we found a number of signs during the removal which showed the tree’s years were numbered. We’re sorry to see it go, but it was the best way forward for our organization. We want to thank Dirk Wasson and Scott Jensen of Top Hand Tree Service for their excellent work and creating a nice, new view of Elk Horn from the South.

Our next project has also been a long-awaited move. We want to thank the Shelby County Community Foundation for their latest grant award which helped us fund a new video surveillance system. This new system will be critical for our own use, but comes with some added bonuses for our community. That is because we will have a 24/7 livestream of the windmill from the opposite view of the millcam which will be housed fulltime on YouTube. This new angle will stream alongside METC’s millcam and allows our non-local visitors to watch the mill in real time. We’re very excited for this new livestream to debut and expect it to be made public this week.

Finally, we are excited to announce that we are acquiring Gene ‘Beaner’ Thomsen’s Old Danish Workshop. The i’s and t’s have not been dotted and crossed just yet, but soon we will be adding another building to our complex. The woodshop is a necessity for us and will be rebuilt and maintained as one. The retail space will be transformed into a classroom. The intent is to form a new center for the education and preservation of Old World skills that Danish immigrants brought with them such as woodcarving, blacksmithing, etc. featuring hands-on classes and more.

There’s one more announcement coming soon!