South DaCola – Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Bike Trail Public Utilities Public Works Sioux Falls Uncategorized

Sioux Falls is hostile towards bicyclists and peds

l3wis December 21, 2024 0Comments

After riding E-Bike for 4 years I decided this year I would try to ride almost everyday this winter, not quite but I am averaging 6 days a week so far. Studded tires are where it’s at 🙂 I have to admit it is kind of an addiction but once you have the layers on it is actually very peaceful and comfortable. And I am not crazy, on my way to work today I counted 20 individual joggers in a 4 mile stretch. Some people get it. The other day while riding to work I saw this beautiful younger Bald Eagle gracefully flying thru the trees on the bike trail. I should have taken a picture but I was in such awe I didn’t even think about it. I also work late afternoons so the beginning sunsets on my commute are beautiful.

But there is one thing I detest; the way our city’s public works doesn’t properly maintain our streets in Sioux Falls;

While this graphic is from another city, it is pretty much like this in Sioux Falls. It amazes me when we have a mayor who is supposedly into fitness makes it very difficult for people walking or riding bike to navigate this town. I said if most people in Sioux Falls started bike commuting to work at least 3 days a week we would be less fat, and more happy. I lost 100 pounds riding bike and that was my only exercise routine on my 3 year journey. I do other routines now, because I can physically now, but biking is a great low cardio workout, especially an e-bike where it monitors your cadence and keeps you at a consistent pedal speed. Not only good for leg muscles it can also make your arms stronger and helps with balance, coordination and concentration.

Former city councilor Neitzert said to me recently that he pushed hard to get more bike safety measures on our streets and was ignored, he even told me that the city has a fund for this stuff and the Mayor won’t touch it with a 10 foot pole.

I’m not anti-car. Many peeps have asked me if I even own one, I do. I love my 2009 Honda Civic. It’s simple and functional and I have been looking for a used Hybrid. My bro owns a Chevy Volt and he has told me it is the best car he has ever owned (C’mon, the VW diesel pickup was pretty cool, you should have never sold it!)

We need to find a way in Sioux Falls to make peace between cars, bikes and peds. I didn’t even mention all the insults thrown at me from peeps in vehicles and guess who is the worst? Harley riders. You would think my 2 wheel cousins would have my back, hell no. Small pee-pee syndrome.

Speaking of cars, one of my friends is trying to sell his 1961 Porsche Notchback that he fully restored after pulling it from a barn in Virginia. Cars are cool, bikes are way cooler.

David Barranco Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls State Funding State Legislature Uncategorized

TenHaken’s comment about Culture Wars shows his ignorance on how laws are made and his greed

l3wis December 20, 2024 1Comments

He also is a poor leader and a closed government militant. How can you run a city when you don’t even know how a law is made?

Soye (R)-Sioux Falls, wrote a column that said the government has a role to “protect the vulnerable.”

“Any law that is passed is someone’s morality, it is, it’s a moral judgment by the people who are in power at the time,” Soye said.

While I do think things like bathroom bills are wrong, the legislature would be the government entity addressing it. Maybe Paul needs to shadow our REAL mayor for a few days and see how she is running the town (COS Beck).

He also asserts that the only thing Pierre needs to do is send Sioux Falls money. His greed is insatiable, but what would you expect from someone who practices Prosperity Gospel.

Last Tuesday at the City Council Informational (FF 1:30:00) Councilor Barranco sort of addressed this with his commentary about his city representation on the Municipal League. Basically talked about how towns outside of Sioux Falls kind of detest us because of the elitism in City Hall (he didn’t say it like that, but you get the jist). He also talked about trying to mend those fences.

As we watch what is going on in DC and the dysfunctional Republican Party I will say it again; Republicans know how to win elections, especially in SD, but they have no idea how to govern once they win.

Art Music Sioux Falls

The Color of Sound

l3wis December 19, 2024 3Comments

I made this movie about 17 years (I was an artist and producer). I included a description below from 2020 when we released this movie. ENJOY!

Artists Jamie Danz, Scott Ehrisman, Eyob Mergia and Hope Happeny

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, it took over 13 years to put this project out there. I get it.

I could go into long rants about why that is, but to tell you the truth, I mostly forgot.

I also want to remind people this was a first attempt at something locally. We all did not know what the Hell we were doing, but we all knew what we were passionate about, visual art and music.

I think the idea was cooked up one day while hanging out with Eyob. I had done a couple ‘Art of Jazz’ shows at the Touch of Europe (painting while music played) and people really dug it. So Eyob says to me, “Why not film it?”

Okay.

So we pitched the idea to a videographer friend Chris who worked at a local TV station at the time, she was cool with it. She recruited some of her colleagues to help with the filming.

And I have to give props to Chris, I think she had to go thru 25 hours of footage to get this down to 1 hour. I believe there was 5 cameras for 5 hours.

It’s certainly not a Warhol film. But it was a nice experiment. All or most of the paintings sold, I think there was 14. The main one I believe with the reclined torso is in the bathroom at Zandbroz. And I remember admiring it one day while dropping the kids off at the pool.

I also want to thank our sound engineer, Dave Scarborough, I often tell people the audio from this is a masterpiece in itself. I have the full 5 hours on CD. At the time, these were the finest Jazz and Blues musicians in the city (if not the state), some of them still are, and I think this is more of film about their extraordinary talents than a bunch of hooligans painting.

Sandra and James were also extremely accommodating in letting us use the basement of the Harvestor building. When I asked them if we could do it there, they pretty much said ‘Cool’. They used to own the Riverwalk Cafe which featured local musicians which is now the Market, you know that place that makes prize winning burgers or something.

There were also tons of great volunteers who helped out with many things, including Little ‘T’ and Charles Luden with photography.

I guess I just decided after 13 years or so it was time to show others, because art doesn’t mean a damn thing if you are painting in your basement by yourself (As an artist friend told me once) oh the irony of this being filmed in a basement.

Jesse is actually the one who encouraged me to put it out there (who was super sick with the flu during the filming) but stole the show with so many hot licks. I would also like to thank Cameraman Bruce for rendering it for me.

A lot of people these days are all about promoting the arts in Sioux Falls, which is great, but they talk a lot, I sometimes get bitter, then laugh a little and say to myself, “Yeah, that’s what I have been saying for 20 years.”

The best part (besides the fact that I’m a lot lighter these days) is that I still know most of the people in this project and talk to them on a regular basis, they are friends in art, and those friends I will always hold dear. As I often tell people, “All of my heros are artists.”

Feel free to share.

*Jamie is co-owner with her husband Jeff of Zandbroz Variety, Hope is an accomplished tattoo artist in Austin, TX and Eyob is a national and international professional artist working out of Las Vegas and Sioux Falls remotely.

Cartoon Mayor TenHaken Political Satire Satire

Merry Christmas!

l3wis December 19, 2024 8Comments

Sioux Falls Zoo

UPDATE II: Looks Like Lenin’s Tomb of Dusty Monkeys is going to the East, far, far, far away from here

l3wis December 18, 2024 9Comments

Update II: I attended the meeting this morning and it appears they want to split the collection up to the folks out to the east but the local folks want the entire collection. There is ONLY one local contractor and they have yet to establish themselves as a real organization.

There was also some other things that occurred in the meeting. I was shocked when they discussed public input with myself and 5 journalists in the room with Kelo recording. They basically were trying to figure out when they were going to let the public speak. Under my breath I said, “That should of occurred 2 years ago” Quite a few people heard me. Even though they call it a work session, it is a public meeting and there should be public input. After the meeting I approached Jim David, Council Administrator, and said to him, “This was an open meetings violation” and he kind of agreed. (he did not organize the meeting, Parks Department did). They also have yet to apologize for flat out lying to the public about the arsenic. I also question if some of these Ivy League orgs would want the collection once they find out how it was acquired (several of the animals were killed in illegal poaching) It may go against their ethical standards, I may have to drop them a note about that 🙂 Lastly, Jeff S. who is on the committee (developer of Cherapa) said we should put a plaque at the Zoo honoring the family who donated the animals. Maybe we could also put up Jeff’s bowling trophy collection to? What will the plaque commemorate? Stupid decisions by this committee, the Zoo, the Mayor and the council? They plan to have this ALL BAKED before the public can see it or comment on it.

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First, I will say, that the city missed a huge opportunity here by NOT saving the Delbridge collection. I have even told people we should at least store them until we find a local or state taker. But history is NOT important here for people who don’t understand it.

Here are the orgs in the running;

University of Notre Dame
Peabody Museum of Natural History (Yale University)
Institute for Natural History
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Coburn Grand Resort
Oddities Museum

I was unable to find ANY info on the last two, but I think that ‘E’ is in Harrisburg but not sure what it is? As for A-C all great organizations, but unfortunately on the East Coast. It will be so sad when whoever gets this collection they will fully restore it in it’s original glory and the only way we will be able to see it is ONLINE or traveling there. If I was on the committee I would pick ‘C’ they seem to have what it takes to take care of this collection, it’s just too bad we don’t work out an agreement where we get like 4-5 of the animals back after restored.

I wonder if Poops will have a sendoff party for Lenin’s Tomb? We know he will be personally celebrating!

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