VIEWPOINT | Brockhouse Collection’s value merits relocation, not destruction
Guest column by David Barranco, Sioux Falls City Council member
Like many I was, in August of 2023, dismayed to hear that the Brockhouse Collection would be destroyed. From the jump, I argued “liquidation” was both unnecessary and unwise. We love these animals for many reasons. Friends described visits to a westside hardware store as if it were Sioux Falls’ own Jungle Book or safari cruise. These creatures evoke childhood excursions with grandparents who’ve passed on. Sharing such fond memories, adults’ eyes shine. For a moment, we’re all kids again.
Once the city’s plan became public, citizens donned t-shirts, rallied, and chanted: “Save the Animals!” Mayor TenHaken appointed a working group to investigate solutions. Eighteen months have now passed. After hearing testimony from taxidermy experts, lawyers, and scientists, the group reached its verdict.
