Latest Blog Posts
NSAA, NCA, Hall of Fame Geting New Digs
The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA), Nebraska Coaches Association (NCA), and Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame are getting a new home north of Haymarket Park. The $3.5 - $4 million project will be funded in part by raising entrance fees to NSAA-sponsored championship events by $1.00.
The new NSAA and NCA offices don’t interest me all that much, but I think giving the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame a permanent home so close to Memorial Stadium and Haymarket Park is wonderful. Plus, the project’s location near I-180 on what is now an empty field will make for a more welcoming entrance to Downtown.
Lincoln easily could have lost this facility to other cities. It’s great to hear that not only are these groups staying in Lincoln, they’re making a substantial investment into the community, too.
[Disclosure: I officiate soccer for the NSAA and NSAA-affiliated schools.]
Chamber fires Carlson
The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce has fired president J. Matt Carlson after only six months on the job. The Chamber cited a “management style ... not consistent with the goals and objectives of the organization.” There’s no way to know whether that translates to “the guy was a jerk”, “the guy was lazy”, “the guy was a pushover”, or something else. But whatever it means, it’s never good to be canned after a scant six months on the job. Nor is Carlson’s firing good news for Lincoln. Although the Chamber will insist that this little bit of instability within the organization won’t hinder Lincoln’s broader economic development efforts, any bump in the road has the potential to cause problems for a community like Lincoln. Here’s hoping the Chamber is able to get back on track quickly.
Theater Policy Upheld…For Now
The Lincoln City Council voted to stick with the current theater policy for now. The move is laudable in that it makes the Council’s intentions clear (something they typically do a pretty poor job of), but it’s unfortunate in that it prevents some pretty decent economic development opportunities. The Council’s support for the policy is rooted in a misguided—but understandable—desire to “save” Downtown. How is building resentment toward Downtown a viable and sustainable redevelopment engine? That hasn’t been made clear. The Council’s pro-policy stance also helps the Council save face. If they drop the policy, The Grand will be exposed for what it is: the wrong theater in the wrong place built at the wrong time. Lincoln’s theatergoers know it; the Douglas Theater Company knows it; just about everybody knows it, save for a handful of people, such as Polly McMullen of the Downtown Lincoln Association.
I love Downtown, and I’m all in favor of supporting a few screens Downtown. But artificially propping up an inappropriate suburban-style theater with economic development-stifling policies does more harm than good.
Spring is Arriving in Lincoln
Looks like it’s supposed to rain over the next couple days. I know it’s way too early to get my hopes up, but wouldn’t it be great if we could make it through spring and into summer with a nice, solid foundation of moisture in the soil and in area lakes and ponds?
And have you all noticed how we went from virtually zero morning bird noise to a springtime morning symphony in the span of just about three days?
48th and O-No!
I suppose the big news in Lincoln today is closing of 48th & O and the related re-routing of traffic. I’m sure glad I don’t regularly need to pass through that area. It doesn’t sound like much fun at all.
On the plus side, I hope the new and improved O Street means a new and improved area all around. The new shopping area on the southeast corner will get things started, and I suspect other developments will follow.
At least there are other ways to get around the 48th and O area. Imagine the troubles that’ll be caused by the closing of the O Street viaduct leading to and from West O. There aren’t many ways to get across the tracks to West Lincoln. I’m especially concerned for the “limited mobility” folks who can’t easily add a couple miles to their journey.
Starship Troopers
When the new parking garage/high-rise proposal was first announced, I didn’t think there would be much of an uproar about the Starship 9 going the way of the Dodo. The place is grungy and ill-maintained, and nobody goes there any more. Right?
Wrongo.
I’ve been impressed by the Starship Troopers, the defenders of Lincoln’s two buck “dollar theater”. I had no idea so many people were so passionate about the Starship. Unfortunately for them, there aren’t enough of them to halt the Starship’s demise. But based on what I’ve read and heard there ought to be enough of them to justify a replacement sooner rather than later.
Giving Up the Ghost
A few blogs on the Lincolnite blogroll have given up the ghost over the past month or so. It’s unfortunate to see them end, but I thank their authors for trying. I think this is a good time to put out the call for some new blogs to add to the blogroll. I know a lot of new Lincoln-related blogs have popped up lately. Which ones am I missing? Let me know about them in the comments.
Coming Soon: Planet Sub
I noticed today that Planet Sub will be moving into the location vacated by Kep’s Sporting Goods on P Street downtown. It’s an awfully big storefront for what appears to be a fairly simple deli, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fill up all of that space. Looks like they’re shooting for an April opening.
Another Bond
The City Council last night voted to place another bond issue before voters. This time it’s a $2.7 million project to purchase 130 acres of green space adjacent to the South Beltway. The land will resemble the narrow green strip that follows Highway 2 from 17th to 56th Street.
I can’t help but be disappointed. In earlier discussions Lincolnites had set their sights high, proposing to extend Wilderness Park around the city as a massive and unprecedented green belt. The South and East Beltways were the perfect routes for this massive urban woodland. The bond issue that will go before voters in May is a joke in comparison.
The costs of the earlier grand vision would have been astronomical, of course, and it’s nowhere near certain that enough land could have been easily acquired to make the project worthwhile. But boy, wouldn’t it have been fun to try? I think Lincolnites could have latched onto that vision far more easily than they’ve latched onto the vision of a revitalized Antelope Valley, a renewed Downtown, or even a new convention center.
Just Decide
Douglas Theatre Company President David Livingston just wants the Lincoln City Council to make up its darn mind. I can’t say I blame him. I often feel the same way about our noncommittal City Council.
In this case, Livingston simply wants the City Council to say for certain whether the city’s theater policy is going to stick around for good. Councilman Jon Camp’s halfway solution—scrapping the current policy in seven years—has yet to be voted on. Even if it passes Douglas will have no guarantees. What’s to prevent the council from extending the restrictions indefinitely? Ultimately the theater policy is driven by the government’s fear of its constituents’ decisions. It’s all too paternal for my tastes.
More broadly, David Livingston has hit upon a frustration many Lincolnites have with the City Council. The Council, for whatever reason, is terrified of commitment. It’s not that I want seven inflexible automatons, but is it too much to ask for them to make up their minds now and then?
Mayor Seng’s Nicknames
I attended a gathering last night and somehow the conversation suddenly shifted to Mayor Colleen Seng’s many nicknames. Some of the nicknames included:
- Edith Bunker
- Grandma
- Old Mother Hubbard
- Mother Goose
- The Great Ribbon Cutter
What are some of your favorite Mayor Seng nicknames?
Write About
I think it’s about time I gave my readers some say in what I write about. What do you say? What Lincoln-related topics should I cover?
Dinosaurs and Disasters
Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out Dinosaurs and Disasters at Morrill Hall. Or maybe Extreme Weather on the Great Plains at Mueller Planetarium (which just happens to be in Morrill Hall).
Bond Issue Passes
The bond issue passed last night, 63% to 37%, well within my predicted range.
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