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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 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;

  1. University of Notre Dame
  2. Peabody Museum of Natural History (Yale University)
  3. Institute for Natural History
  4. Grand Rapids Public Museum
  5. Coburn Grand Resort
  6. 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!

Downtown Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken Riverline District SF City Council Sioux Falls Zoo

Is the President of Downtown Sioux Falls running for Mayor?

l3wis 6Comments

Well, that is what my exploding phone told me today (it’s not Hungarian 🙂 the phone . . .

President of DTSF, Joe Batcheller announced today he was stepping down in December for personal professional development. The rumor is he is running for mayor.

I am relieved to hear this. I was a bit worried we were going to have the same slate of grifters running for mayor. Joe, as an urban planner, would be an excellent candidate and would make a fantastic mayor. I know the last few convos we have had about city issues told me he wasn’t going to be warming the seat at DTSF for much longer. Good for him, surprised he lasted this long.

If you are NOT running for mayor Joe, I apologize for the rumor mill, but I blame you for the burned hole in my pocket, because half the town seems to think you are running, and if not, YOU SHOULD! (I also like that he is not very good at keeping a secret. WOOT! WOOT! Open government baby!!!!)

BROCKHOUSE PETITION DRIVE

I was told today that Mike Zitterich is heading up a petition drive to save the Brockhouse Dusty Monkey collection. I wish him luck. I will post the petition once it is certified and circulated. I encourage people to sign it, even if you are opposed to keeping the collection. Let the people of this city decide if they value it not some anti-science pumpkin recycling administration.

RIVERLINE STACKED DECK

Oh the things I could say about this committee. So laughable. Why didn’t they just make up some AI characters and have them on the committee? Probably more trustworthy. They should call the committee the ‘Grifters Social Club’. And who let former city councilor Rick Kiley out of his cage (or should I say wet paper bag)?

Downtown Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls Zoo

Say good bye to the Brockhouse Collection

l3wis 7Comments

City officials are soooooo chickensh!t to tell the public in person they already gave away Lenin’s Tomb of Dusty Monkeys they are telling the public in a webinar;

This is the informational meeting on the future ownership, preservation, relocation, and utilization of the Brockhouse collection.

Representatives from the City of Sioux Falls and the Great Plains Zoo and others will be on hand to answer questions about the next steps for the collection.

If you go to this LINK then to this LINK you will see you can sign up for this meeting ONLY online, so NO public meeting where the public can intervene. This is also a Q & A for interested parties. Don’t make me laugh. The collection has already been chosen to go somewhere, this is a formality to make it look like they are going thru the proper steps.

If the ZOO, it’s board and director, the Mayor and his devious staff, really wanted the best interest of the public on this, this meeting would be in a public forum like Carnegie or the Convention Center, hiding behind your little web cameras doesn’t cut it, but doesn’t surprise me from the spineless individual who had to call in security to defend his po(o)p cooler at city hall.

Since the media rolled over like an old (dead) dog on this matter, don’t expect them to come to your rescue, this collection is as good as gone, as I predicted, because no one will hold our mayor and the person running this city, his COS, accountable. And that folks is sadder then a dead dusty monkey crying arsenic tears.

I do believe the night of the first reading of the ordinance tossing the tomb out of town will be one for the record books. I think I will watch from the SAFETY of my home 🙂

Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls Zoo

UPDATE: Forget about the dead animals, Mayor TenHaken threw open government in the dump years ago

l3wis 17Comments

UPDATE: Paul is trying to make up for lost time in this interview with Belfrage. Sorry, too little, too late.

During the presser yesterday, PTH brought up he didn’t want to tell the council in executive session about this because information from those sessions tends to get leaked out. Anything within the laws governing executive sessions cannot be discussed. But any hypothetical legal discussions or policy discussions need to be in the public. Councilors CAN talk about policy and hypotheticals with the public, and he seems to be confused about what an executive session is for.

I also have heard several Sioux Falls area legislators reached out to the City Hall saying they would assist in changing the state law, they are awaiting a response.

In defense of PTH, maybe he is correct, maybe the only option we have TODAY is to dispose of the animals . . .

But, state law and city ordinances COULD be changed that could possibly save them.

That is what ‘leaders’ do. They work with the public and the stakeholders to come up with a compromise that everyone can be comfortable with instead of a poutfest presser after 11 days of dead silence.

*Note to MisTaken’s communications staff; milk, cookies and a brief nap before the next presser will work wonders, and remember to wipe those eye boogers away before the cameras are rolling!

It starts with bringing the public along in these discussions. When you look at the poison report (the only document they provide with NO recommendation) it was presented on July 21 and official on August 1. The city did not make an announcement for another 18 days. Wouldn’t the smart thing to do is hold a press conference about what options the city may have before we throw it in the council’s lap?

I would also agree with PTH that is is his responsibility to work thru the minutiae of this deal with the Zoo, but he should bring the city’s policy body along in the process instead of hurling spitballs at them at a press conference.

I could rant for days about all the crap said at this presser today (like when he kicked someone from the public out of the presser and said it was only open to the media) but at the end of the day, you can’t get all poopy pants about your laxity, have the CEO of the Zoo in almost tears, and claim others are spreading misinformation.

When you keep the public and the council in the dark, that is when rumors and speculation begin to grow, and PTH gave them 432 hours to grow that mushroom, so don’t be surprised the public is trippin’ ba!!s over this.

I don’t give two rips about who the mayor ‘thinks’ is causing issues for him, if he wants to find the real culprit, he can just look in the mirror.

Mayor TenHaken Sioux Falls Zoo

Mayor TenHaken to hold presser about Zoo Bunker Mounts

l3wis 11Comments

The media was informed today that the administration will be holding a presser Tuesday morning at 9:30 AM to put a hold on the timeline for the Delbridge Museum Mounts disposal.

It seems somebody has been listening. Councilor Neitzert did an interview on Belfrage this morning, and it was NOT a glowing review of city hall.

They CAN be saved, but where will the money come from?

I think we should do something like this to make them more interesting 🙂

Maybe instead of a mural on the Bunker Ramp, they could project a giant fireplace on it at night with all the mounts reduced to just head mounts surrounding it. We need to get creative, but don’t ask any experts outside of Sioux Falls, because they make us look like a bunch of rubes, oh that’s right, because we are.

I’ve been telling people recently if there was something I could change about the demographics in this community it would be making people more culturally aware. I can almost guarantee most people don’t know or don’t care about those mounts, which is unfortunate.

Trying to come up with a reasonable solution to this problem will be difficult enough, but when you are dealing with people who don’t want to have a cultural understanding of the significance of these mounts, it makes the lift even harder.

*Rumor was the mayor tried to get the Parks Board to have a special September meeting this week (they only meet once a month) to approve the destruction and disposal of the mounts. Oh the irony, we have an E2 ordinance on the books for 5 years that isn’t enforced and when faced with making a decision they plead ignorance, but somehow they have the expertise to approve disposing of invaluable mounts when the mayor snaps his fingers.

Place hand on face, shake head from left to right.

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Sioux Falls Zoo

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