We were told they didn’t finish the ribbon in time for this winter season because it was too cold to pour concrete. This ‘can’ be the case with certain pours when you don’t want to use chemicals to dry in the cold weather. But that’s not what happened.
Well, the rumor is that the contractor that was supposed to pour the ribbon bailed and since he was the owner he was the only one who really knew how to pour it. So now they are trying to figure out how they are going to finish it, you know, the project that costs 4x more then expected and that NO ONE ASKED FOR, except for some rich folks looking for a tax write-off.
It’s also a specialized industry pouring ice ribbons, so finding a contractor locally to finish it may be difficult. Is it safe to say we will have cost overruns on this project? You know it! It wouldn’t be a city parks project without having major cost overruns.
Doesn’t surprise me the Parks Department lied to us, that’s all they are any good at.
I also am getting some rumors about another city project that the contractor finished but really screwed up. Once I get more details I will update. If true, the irony is unbelievable.
I often assumed that the event was going to be FREE like JazzFest or at a greatly reduced price. If you would have opened it to the masses you would have made up the entry fees in beer money. Also, this is supposed to be some kind of anniversary celebration for the Pavilion, and after heisting millions from taxpayers over the years in taxes and subsidies you would think they would put on a backyard party for us for FREE. But that is not how it works at the WashSnotty Pavilion, we can only reward those who supported us, you know, families that can afford to drop $1,000 a night watching a Broadway Musical. Can’t wait to hear what they charge for a 12oz. Monday Light? I wonder if the Pavilion will have ‘Event Funding’ so you can pay for your beer and ticket with monthly payments? Just don’t take the bike trail to the event, you will end up in the river
I get excited for new trails in Sioux Falls, as well as my bike riding crew, so we attempted to see this past weekend where the new bike trail addition goes and where it ends. It’s weird. As you can see the trail abruptly ends at a rural bridge on Bahnson only a block from Rice Avenue (FULL DOC);
It really is in the middle of nowhere. But, there seems to be a plan to extend it to Veteran’s Parkway, which is great, but with another 4 miles to go, it could take years and millions of dollars. Many folks have asked me how one mile of bike trail can cost almost $5 million. Look at the design. A bunch of private land needs to be purchased and apparently an elevated trail is needed (it is not). Oh, and a rich donor needed a tax write-off, so this was our best plan for the money? My suggestion to make this trail worthwhile and accessible quicker would be upgrading the bike lane/trail along Rice Avenue to Great Bear and extending to Veterans. This would require a small investment since a half ass bike lane already exists and just needs repaving and marking which should include a medium between Rice and the path;
I would also make this NEW extension pea rock and on natural footings which would save us millions. When the bike trail extended from Russell Avenue, around the airport to Falls Park it was pea rock for years, and was just fine. I was actually disappointed that they paved it. This is what happens when we let rich donors have a ‘VISION’. Their only ‘VISION’ is a tax write-off, and to Hell with what peeps really want, need, or even envision. I hate to say it, but the wealthy in our community and country really control what we get. And wants.
I have been thinking about throwing parties at the end of this trail under the bridge. Themes?
Well it took a lot of hand wringing, two city councils and over a year to figure out the pool bonds;
An ordinance of the City of Sioux Falls authorizing the City to issue bonds backed and repaid by the City’s existing 2nd penny sales tax to utilize for $68,000,000 in parks and recreation improvements at the Westside Recreation Center, Kuehn Park, and Frank Olson Park.
They could have just put it to a public bond vote last spring, but that would have taken vision and leadership two attributes this current city government can’t wrap their heads around. I’ve told people it likely would have passed by over 60% of the vote. The argument for the new expenditures is about as laughable as it gets. If you were to put it to a bond vote you would get the answer you are looking for instead of speculating we are short (public) indoor recreation facilities. We are NOT short. We have more indoor (private) recreation then any city our size probably in the nation. Just do a google search, with new places being built every day! The new hobby lobby will be a gigantic indoor rec facility, privately owned and operated. It reminds me of the building permit argument, ‘Look! Look! We are over a Billion on permits, oh, and half that money is coming from you.’ We have plenty of private indoor rec space we don’t need to compete with them.
The proposed supplemental appropriation provides South Dakota Trade $100,000 to support its operations in 2025.
Well, I saw this coming a mile away, a lobbyist shows up to an informational, cracks a few jokes with the councilors and the next thing you know they have $100K in their pockets. I find it ironic we have to give an organization money that essentially represents importers and exporters in our state that are transferring millions in goods each year . . . maybe they need to be asking their members for the money instead of the taxpayers of Sioux Falls? Just a thought.
I joked with someone that even though a convicted felon can become president they still couldn’t pass a Federal background check required before you could become a janitor in a government building. That’s right folks, the guy cleaning your toilet has more integrity and government clearance then the man in the corner office. Kind of reminds you of the public sector.
DUSTY MONKEYS AND THAT HUNCHBACK
It seems the city is ready to send most of Lenin’s tomb to Notre Dame. I contacted the department that would be taking on the collection and told them to request the origins of each of the animals before taking them. Since many are endangered I told them it would be ethically wise to see if any of the animals were taken illegally or poached and it would be a bit embarrassing for them to be displaying animals that were taken in this way.
The Federal Railroad Administration is giving the South Dakota DOT $1 million for an analysis and crossing safety study in the Sioux Falls area.
Hopefully this will result in many of the crossings DTSF to be closed and rerouted. We have far too much train traffic DTSF and I’m glad to see the agency in charge of regulating them will actually be regulating them.
I used to be against Winter Wonderland at Falls Park but I have to admit, the pics on my bike this year have been good, so I guess I am okay with the city spending the same amount of money on this as what it would cost to refurbish the Brockhouse Collection ($850K). Speaking of that, saw an email this week from an influential party wanting to help save the collection and the city council and mayor have ignored them for over a year. I know, shocker.
Anyway, down to business. Instead of me wasting my time and a 12 pack of IPA’s this year with the year in review I am asking on my readers to paste in the comments their favorite post, OR, just tell me what was the best DaCola gem of the year.
Moving on, Merry Christmas or whatever weirdo holiday you celebrate. Believe it or not I will be sitting in a church pew on Christmas morning pretending to be a Christian (I do that a couple times a year). I do like Christmas and all the Kuchen I can eat!!!! (and it better have fried eggs floating on top!)
So this year was Detroit’s year of Laziness. If I didn’t have to do it, I did not do it. In fact I have been studying minimalism this past year but I can’t even do that right. I call myself a lazy minimalist. I refrain, half of the time
Here are some basic rules;
• If I can walk or bike, I do that
• If I can cook at home (for less), I do that
• I turn my heat down to 68 degrees
• I turn my AC to 75
• I only use lights in my house in the room I am in
• I only take 2 showers a week during the winter
• I only buy clothes and other stuff at thrift stores (books, music, appliances, art supplies)
• I enjoy the company of good friends and conversation over casinos
• Beer instead of wine (cheap liquor is ok)
• Personal hair clipper (I still get my hair cut from a barber, but I only go about every 4 months because I trim it everyday)
• A pet (I don’t have one now, but have been thinking about it again. They can actually save you money because you find yourself hanging with your bud instead of farting around at the bars and friends that talk back)
• Pay it forward. (this is the most important principal of minimalism and the hardest one you will ever do, but totally worth it.)
I wanna give a big shout out to my partner in crime, uh, I mean, not crime, my web developer. Some know him, most do not, but he has been with me since the beginning including getting me into blogging in the late 90’s. Let’s just say my previous moniker ‘Fat Midget’ was not loved. Let’s keep killing it Bro! What else do we have to do on a Wednesday at 11:18 AM? Oh, that’s right . . .PPPPPPIIIIIIIIEEE!!!!!!!!
l3wis 
