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Zoo

Patrick Starr SF City Council Sioux Falls Zoo

UPDATE: Sioux Falls Zoo announces FREE admission on one of the coldest days of the year!

l3wis 2Comments

UPDATE: I guess there were 192 visitors on Monday with 19 of them with memberships. I believe 2 years ago when they offered a FREE day there was around 14,000 visitors. They need to do a FREE day once a month on a Saturday or Sunday.

While Councilor Pat Starr has been after the ZOO to offer FREE admission at least a couple of days of the year, like they did 2 years ago (you know since we subsidize them with our tax dollars and they will soon be asking to merge with another private non-profit) they decided to do it with very little notice or media coverage on a Monday after Christmas. They made the announcement only 24 hours in advance on Sunday, December 26 on their FB Page the FREE admission lasted all day on Monday from 10 AM-4:30 PM. Not sure who all got the press release, but the Argus made the announcement at 11 AM on Monday and KELO AM made the announcement at 12:30 PM on Monday.

While I will agree that even if it was cold, many of the animals are used to the cold weather and would have been out and active. Would not have Sunday been a better day with family in town and people off of work? And what about announcing it at least 5-10 days in advance? I guess I will have to give the Zoo credit for one thing, they at least keep their doors open all year unlike Great Bear that will close at the drop of the hat and not open until winter is half way over (what is up with this place? Who closes a winter sports facility because of the cold? Dumb.) I wonder if our new $4 million dollar ice ribbon will be closed for cold weather? 🙁

Hopefully Councilor Starr will inquire what the FREE attendance numbers were on Monday. My guess is about 17-23.

Mayor TenHaken SF City Council Sioux Falls Zoo

The Zoo & Butterfly House are considering a merger

l3wis 11Comments

When I saw this press conference yesterday I was confused about this possible merger, Thanks to SF Bizzo for some clarification;

The Butterfly House & Aquarium and Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History might be joining forces.


The boards of both organizations have approved entering formal discussions to determine whether it makes sense to combine.


A joint exploration committee will be working with a consultant to determine whether to recommend the organizations combine. The process was endorsed by Mayor Paul TenHaken, who held a joint announcement with the organizations today at City Hall.


The mayor can endorse this all he wants, but it is the city council that will have final approval. A city councilor told me today that they were not informed about this consideration until last week. However, I do think it is worth exploring and would be a good match. But I do have some questions.

What is the financial strength of the Butterfly House? Are they just struggling so they saw this as an opportunity for a tax payer bailout? What is the financial strength of the Zoo? How about exploring another option like merging and becoming a private non-profit all together and have the Zoo lease land from the city and let taxpayers off the hook?


I have heard since they terminated Ms. Whalen things haven’t been going as well (though the employees may be happier). Why is it that the first option is the taxpayers bailing both of them out? Why create this monster and take on more Capital Improvement Debt? Also, like the Pavilion and Events Center, while we all subsidize the venues with our 2nd and 3rd pennies, we still have to pay to walk through the doors. What percentage of people who pay taxes in Sioux Falls can afford to pay admission at the zoo or even go there? Should we be subsidizing the place?


While this needs a lot more studying, I suggest the City Council get involved and have the consultant look at them merging and become a Private Non-Profit. It’s time we start spending tax dollars on infrastructure instead of bears and butterflies.

SF City Council Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion Zoo

When is the Washington Pavilion going to present the 2019 & 2020 Annual Report to the Sioux Falls City Council?

l3wis 3Comments

The last report to show up on the Pavilion’s site is 2018. If you do a search of city council informational meetings you are unable to find the last time the Pavilion has presented an annual report to the City Council. I guess I’m curious why the 2019 and 2020 annual reports are missing? The Great Plains Zoo will be presenting their annual report to the Parks Board on Wednesday (no supporting docs).

I would also like to see what the financials are for the Levitt from this past season (we may not see those until next spring).

I am often curious how organizations that receive millions in tax dollars to subsidize and provide maintenance to their facilities can just skirt providing financial reports to the citizens or don’t even post them online to at least view. This is what happens when you have a city ran by a cruise control mayor who hates open and transparent government, or maybe he just doesn’t understand it?

CHIEF CULTURAL OFFICER RESIGNS?

In more cruise control government ineptness, the rumor is that the Chief Cultural Officer that the Mayor so desperately needed has resigned and leaving the city this week. If true, I find the timing ironic considering several councilors have asked publicly at meetings when they will get a review about what she has contributed to the city since her position was created. I guess the best way to get out of giving a report is to quit. LOL.

Elections Event Center Gregg Jamison Mayor Hubris Mayor Subprime Mike Huether Mike Huether SF City Council sfmonkey.org Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Airport Zoo

Part III of Jamison’s ‘People (Monkeys) First Initiative’

l3wis 5Comments

1C6354758-tdy-130226-WOZ-flying-monkeys.blocks_desktop_large

Sioux Falls – Jamison, on Monday will announce part III of his People (Monkey’s) First Initiative, which will release the (snow) monkeys at the Great Plains Zoo. Jamison’s plan will be allowing the monkeys to either find a place down by the Big Sioux River on their own, or they can couch surf as long as they like.

Jamison feels it is time to ‘Release the Monkeys’ and give them the freedoms their descendants have (no offense Manny Steele).

Of course, the Huether campaign was quick to respond. Huether said, “I have been planning the release of the snow monkeys for a couple of months, ever since I took them on an ice fishing trip out at my lake home on Diamond Lake. Heck, I would go even a step further, and let them stay at my lake home, of course, if they don’t throw any crap, because, you know, I don’t like CRAP.”

Jamison also said that Huether missed the 2nd and 3rd tier of this initiative, allowing squirrels to maintain several nests on different properties within the city limits.

Huether responded by saying, “I have been allowing the cottontails AND squirrels to do that for several years through an executive order, and you can bet a snowgate tour of the event center for affordable airfares on it that the squirrels and rabbits are happy about it, but the chickens, not so much.”

Stay tuned, Jamison plans to announce his ‘No crying at press conferences’ initiative next week. Don’t bring tissues to the press conference, just your big boy/girl pants.

sfmonkey.org Sioux Falls Zoo

See your taxdollars hard at work this Saturday!

l3wis 5Comments

Monkeys, Magic & More! will have their grand opening this Saturday (29th) at the Great Plains Zoo. FREE Admission from 9-11 AM.

The whole concept of Zamby and sfmonkey.org was based on the city subsidies to the Zoo and the monkey spas. Well at least you can go see your investment for FREE for about 2 hours. After you hit the Zoo, I also suggest you head over to the Pavilion and peruse the galleries FREE for the last time.

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