If anyone said "It couldn't be done," they don't live in Adams.

The city will get its new multi-purpose building and Adams Township will have its first-ever township hall. The proof is in the groundbreaking which was held Tuesday afternoon.

Brendhan Wagner, project manager for Wagner Construction Company, supplied the shovels and city and township officials posed for the cameras.

Mayor Leroy Swanson, Adams City Council Member Sarah Pitzen,

Fire Chief Dan May, Adams Area Ambulance Service director Dave Lagerstedt, Adams township Board representatives Curtis Krebsbach and Tom Mullenbach, City Clerk Jim Kiefer and Byron Huseby were involved in the event

The latter, a long-time supporter of the project as a private citizen, gave the new multi-purpose building project his blessing. "This is a great day for Adams" Huseby said.

Wagner Construction Company of Austin submitted the low bid of $401,300, which was exactly the amount the Adams City Council budgeted for the building.

The firm's project manager expects to have the building finished by mid-October. That means the first official events to be held in the combination city building and township hall could be the November general elections.

The building is being constructed on city-owned property along Minnesota Highway 56 at the east edge of Adams. The site is where a privately-owned bowling alley burned to the ground. The city acquired the property by tax forfeiture.

Residents of Adams approved a $250,000 bond referendum to help fund the project. Other monies are coming from the Adams Area Ambulance Service and Adams township, $50,000 each; plus $12,000 from Marshall township and $6,000 from Clayton Township. Another $2,000 was donated by the Adams Booster Club.

Fire Chief May said the department will gain a state-of-the art headquarters with adequate space for fire trucks and equipment, plus department training.

Lagerstedt said the new building will allow the 14-member volunteer ambulance service to purchase a long-needed second vehicle to help cover the 110-square mile district it serves from a "great location."

Krebsbach and Mullenbach said the building will, at least, give the township a home.

Previously in the 144 tear history of Adams township, board members met in homes on the Minnesota prairie, the Freund Store at nearby Johnsburg and most recently the home and business of board member Steve Pitzen. Meetings were held in the homes of early

generations of the Mullenbach, Krebsbach and Gene Smith (township board president) families, among others.

The township effort was aided by a $5,000 award won by Mullenbach for outstanding community service work from the Wal-Mart Foundation in 1999.

After Mullenbach designated the money toward a new township hall, the township board members set aside $45,000 for the new building.

A paved parking lot was among the items deleted from the building's design when original bids exceeded the budgeted amount.

Already, Mayor Swanson is putting township board member Mullenbach to work on a fund-raiser. "We'll need some fund-raisers and Tom Mullenbach is working on that."

"The community is very supportive of this project. We'll get

it done," he predicted.