2015 Oakdale Summerfest Hunt

Clue number 1, historically, is used for one purpose: to let those searching for the medallion that they will not need to climb, dig or swim to locate the medallion. The Medallion committee also appreciates your respect for private and public property while you engage in your search. Secondly, this clue reminds those searching for medallion that it is very worthwhile to purchase a Summerfest Button as having done so increases the prize money from $1,000.00 to $1,500.00.

During the past year, the Oakdale Business & Professional Association had made the decision to change its name to become more visible to the community and be easier to locate online. The name was changed to the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce. The OACC is comprised of over 100 local businesses serving Oakdale and the surrounding communities. Please visit www.oakdaleareachamber.org to learn which business are part of this association. Your support of these businesses allows the medallion hunt and other events such as Holiday Helping Hands to take place.  The more significant meaning of the clue “out with the old and in with the new” refers to K‐Mart and Hy‐Vee.

The location of the medallion this year is not in a traditional park hence the clue of “no place to play”. The last line, the Medallion Committee, meant to confuse by suggesting that missing any of them and being a pity really meant the committee indeed did miss them by not hiding the medallion in one of the traditional parks as has been the case in years past.

In this clue, the reference to pizza is a reference to the present day Holiday Gas Station at 10th Street and Hadley Avenue. Some years ago, Brick Hearth Pizza was also located in this building in the present‐day Gator’s Liquor. The south wind (blowing north) indicates the location of the medallion relative to the old Brick Hearth. Furthermore, back in the 1970’s, there was a large sliding hill where the All Family Dental Building sets today. The top of that hill is still present at the northeast corner of the Holiday Gas station building. That hill was unofficially known to the locals as “Big Bruiser” because going down that hill on a plastic sled was a sure way to end up with bruises on one’s body. The progress of The All Family Dental building and The Holiday Gas Station have since “silenced” Brick Hearth and Big Bruiser.

These names are taken from the plaque that is mounted to the rock near Hadley Avenue commemorating the redevelopment of the previous Oakdale Mall sight. Two names that are not on that plaque are Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg. These two gentleman are the founders of Hy‐Vee. Doubting this clue and Thumb, are a reference to Tom (doubting Thomas) Thumb. The present‐day Holiday gas Station eas originally a Tom Thumb gas station. The “two guys” is a reference to the two guy wires that support the electric pole near the rock when the medallion is hidden. The yellow jackets are the plastic pieces at the base of those two guy wires

The far west end of the old Oakdale Mall site is, today a beautiful storm water drain system. There are three concrete walls that serve to regulate water flow through the system. If you have not visited this site, it is worth a 30‐minute stroll to see how nature and technology have been interwoven to create an aesthetically pleasing site. Of course, All Family Dental staff could look out their north windows and see this site. The laughing Manor refers to Minne “ha ha” Manor, the apartment building complex on the west side of Hadley from where the medallion is hidden. The medallion was hidden in a plastic zip‐lock baggie and covered with the mulch that is native to this precise location. We hope all who participated in the search this year enjoyed their time with family and friends and perhaps visited part of Oakdale that was previously unexplored or unknown. See you in June of 2016!