Lincoln’s Cops Will Be Busy This Week

By: Mr. Wilson on June 29, 2007
LPD will be busy over the next week with Independence Day-related law-breakers. Keep an eye on the number and types of police calls the officers get to deal with this week. Seriously people, don't bug the cops with little crap like "Little Johnny is playing with lady fingers!" Try to resolve it yourself first. (Hint: Try playing the same Raffi tune -- any Raffi tune -- over and over and over again as loud as you can make your stereo. The troublemakers will be forced to go elsewhere.) And if you're the type who just haaaaas to celebrate American independence by blowing up overpriced Chinese noisemakers, don't be a prick to your neighbors, mmmkay?

Evaluating the Competition: Internet Edition

By: Mr. Wilson on June 29, 2007
I have really had enough of this Time Warner cable television talk -- the latest news is that the Cable Television Advisory Board wants to study how to bring competition to town -- but it got me thinking about competition in the internet access arena. Most people think the only two high-speed internet access options are DSL through Windstream and cable through Time Warner. But there is at least one other company that offers both: Internet Nebraska. As I understand it, Internet Nebraska basically resells services offered by Windstream and Time Warner, but for a cheaper price. The downside, from what I hear, is that customer service can be a pain because you essentially have to work through two companies instead of just one. Have any of you used Internet Nebraska's internet services? What was your experience? I have always wanted to give them a try, but honestly, one thing more than any other has caused me to hold back: their website. It is outdated in all sorts of ways, and it has been outdated for years. The content seems reasonably current, but the design and communications methods scream 1998. A company that does its business on the internet should "get" the web better than that.

Who is Your Idol?

By: Mr. Wilson on June 28, 2007
We now know that American Idol will be holding auditions in Omaha, Do you know any Lincolnites who should audition? Do you know any who deserve to make it all the way to the competition? I don't know Lincoln's music scene very well, but I do know one person I would love to see given a chance: Anna DeGraff. Can I get a second?

News Flash! Downtown Needs Retail, Parking

By: Mr. Wilson on June 27, 2007
Here's a shocker: a study has shown that Downtown Lincoln needs more retail -- specifically homegrown retail -- and improved parking coordination. Raise your hand if you didn't see that conclusion coming. Anybody? I didn't think so. I know there is a lot of cynicism surrounding the push to "renew" Downtown. (Why, did it expire?) Why mess with the hassle of going Downtown when there are so many more-accessible options elsewhere? Why pay for parking when you can get it free at the mall? And so on. The cynics make some good points. What many of them fail to realize, however, is just how popular the "back to Downtown" movement is all across the country. I was floored by how much new development was going on in downtown Des Moines when I was there this weekend. Omaha is just a couple years behind them. Similar development is happening in big and little cities everywhere. The market for this stuff is booming, and it would be a huge mistake for Lincoln not to take advantage of it, both at the public and private levels.

Does Money Buy Votes in Lincoln?

By: Mr. Wilson on June 27, 2007
Chris Beutler outspent Ken Svoboda by $200,000 and Beutler was subsequently elected for the low cost of $21.03 per vote. Svoboda spent $13.71 per vote. The question I have for you is: does money buy votes in Lincoln? I always think that's an interesting question to ponder after each election. My general opinion -- and my opinion in this specific case -- is no. Do you think otherwise?

One Administrator Equals Five Teachers

By: Mr. Wilson on June 27, 2007
There's a lot of buzz over Susan Gourley's $228,591 salary -- and most of it isn't positive. The griping is understandable. For one thing, that money would cover salaries for five or six teachers. In addition, Dr. Gourley has been all but invisible to the community. When the only thing we hear about her is that she's pulling in nearly a quarter million, well, folks aren't going to jump up and down in jubilation. Dr. Gourley's pay seems too high to me, but of the superintendents' paychecks I've been aware of over the years, they have all seemed too high. I suspect we are paying approximately what we "have" to pay for quality administrative leadership. If anybody has data to the contrary, I'd love to see it.

I’m Back

By: Mr. Wilson on June 26, 2007
I'm back! You're all giddy, I can tell. I'm still a little behind this morning so I'll just go with a couple quick items before resuming my usual posting habits tomorrow:
  1. JournalStar.com got a refreshed look, I see. I'll have to explore the new features a bit.
  2. The Journal Star canned Paul Fell? That's too bad.
  3. Are we still talking about the cable TV bruhaha? Sheesh.
  4. Congratulations to Lincoln Industries!

Mr. Wilson Speaks

By: Mr. Wilson on June 23, 2007
Good evening, y'all. Sorry I went AWOL for a couple days. I got taken down by some sort of virus or demon or something on Wednesday, and it pretty much wiped me out. Fever of 103, fatigue, aches, all that good stuff. Now I'm in Des Moines preparing to referee at the 2007 US Youth Soccer Region II Championships. What? Referee right after being sick as a dog? Yeah, I'm an idiot. I may have some things to write about Des Moines. I can't say much about the town as a whole, but I'm fairly impressed by the downtown area. Now it's time for me to hit the sack. I have reffing to do tomorrow!

King Jimmy’s

By: Mr. Wilson on June 20, 2007
Meatball reported that King Taco is now open on Highway 2 in the former Taco Inn location. Be sure to let us know if you stop by. One of these days I should offer incentives for the first person to patronize new businesses and bring back photos. Hmm... Also, word is in that Jimmy John's will be one of the tenants in the nearly-complete building at 33rd and Pioneers. People tell me that JJ's makes Teh Bestest Sammiches EVAR!!1! but I've never been a huge fan. Maybe I'm broken. Add YAMJ (Yet Another Mexican Joint) and YASJ (Yet Another Sandwich Joint) to your scorecard.

Front Porch Flags

By: Mr. Wilson on June 20, 2007
I recently noticed that several of the new houses on Vine Street east of Antelope Valley are really into flags. The first time I drove past I thought perhaps I had stumbled onto a parade route. I wonder if the flags -- a combination of U.S. and other nations' flags -- are required by a landlord or homeowners association contract or something. The flags give the stretch a nice, "cute" look. Now if they could just make sure there are always children outside jumping rope and blowing bubbles, it would be impossible to drive by and not say "Awww!"

Deena Winter is a Liar!

By: Mr. Wilson on June 20, 2007
OK, OK, she isn't really a liar. But she is a tease for headlining her column "Big news from Antelope Valley". (Yeah yeah, she may not have even been the one to come up with the headline.) Here I got all excited, when in fact the "big news" is just hypothetical news about some hypothetical projects. Harrumph. Y'all know I'm just ribbing Ms. Winter, right? I enjoy her City Hall Notebook column. I probably learn more from her weekly column than I do from all of the rest of the articles in the Wednesday paper combined. Such as: Crandall Arambula, the Portland, Oregon, consulting firm that headed up the Downtown Master Plan, wants to write the design standards for Antelope Valley. To that I say: bah humbug. Maybe that's too harsh. I'm not anti-Crandall Arambula. I'm just not excited about them. I don't want Antelope Valley to look like the vision held by some group from Portland, and I don't want Antelope Valley to look like every other project Crandall Arambula works on. I want Antelope Valley to look like Lincoln.

Why Now, Journal Star?

By: Mr. Wilson on June 19, 2007
I can't say I understand the Journal Star's timing with their ongoing report on stem cell research issues. The Unicameral isn't discussing it; the Unicam isn't in session. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents isn't discussing it; they aren't likely to discuss it as long as federal policy doesn't change (i.e. until at least 2009). The topic won't really be important to the presidential candidates until January. So why is the LJS spending so much time talking about it now? Their efforts seem almost wasted relative to other windows of opportunity they could have taken advantage of.

On the Market

By: Mr. Wilson on June 19, 2007
Three identical houses for sale. Charming, early 20th Century architecture. All-new interiors and exteriors. Each is worth over $200,000, but you can get yours for only $130,000! Buy now!
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