Latest Blog Posts
De-Stimulated
Mayor Beutler has dropped his housing stimulus plan—which may have been illegal—after realizing it wasn’t going anywhere. To that I say: thank goodness. The proposal never sat right with me. It always felt like a pander to the local housing and real estate industries more than any sort of a boon to taxpayers.
Now we can finally put our energy where it really belongs: getting furniture off porches.
Bourdain Visits Lincoln
A closely guarded secret, Travel Channel superstar and author Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations fame was in town this week to film scenes for a future show. No one seems to know if this was for No Reservations or for some other series or special. Guess we will find out sometime later. give a talk at UNL, and unfortunately, did not do any filming according to a commenter (sigh).
Holdrege Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down
It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the City had to close the bridge near 18th and Holdrege to vehicle traffic due to safety concerns. The structure hadn’t seen any maintenance in almost thirty years. The next question is whether we should fix it, replace it, or just settle for an at-grade crossing. My early vote is for the latter, though that’s just a gut call based on limited information.
Kinda makes you wonder how many other pieces of our transportation infrastructure are about to age out.
The Nebraska Derby, Coming Soon to North 84th
Get ready, horse racing fans, a 1-mile track may be coming soon to the northeast corner of 84th and Havelock. The project would include the track, a grandstand and, of course, various commercial activities. It could even host some of UNLs equine facilities. And the name of it all? Goldenrod Downs.
I’m not a horse racing fan so I’m having troubles giving a hoot one way or another about the proposal. The proximity to the Lancaster Events Center makes sense, and the North 84th Street corridor is the happening place to build these days. I guess my only question is about the price tag. Estimates peg the cost at around $50 million. Is there really that much money in local horse racing and related activities?
Wouldn’t You Wuv a Pair of Weasels?
Have you ever wanted a ferret or two? If so, fate is urging you to get down to Capitol Humane Society. C’mon, you know you’re dying to add a couple furry friends to your life.
I have only been around ferrets for a few minutes in my entire life, yet I have wanted one for years. The timing isn’t right on this pair, so no, I won’t be claiming them myself. Perhaps when the kid(s) are older. Or maybe we’ll just stick to the pattern from my youth of one dog, plus one hamster per kid.
If only prairie dogs weren’t illegal. I would totally convert part of my property into a mini prairie dog sanctuary.
Adventures in Policing
Police reports can be a good read. If you haven’t already seen it, be sure to see Chief Casady’s latest collection.
Water Sports on Salt Creek
Today, Deena Winter tells us that at the recent arena open house at Memorial Stadium, visitors were asked to rank various amenities that may or may not accompany the arena project. Some of the items include baseball and soccer fields, a radio control car track, a BMX track, and so on. But one item really caught my eye: kayaking.
Wha?! Kayaking on Salt Creek? That would certainly be amusing to see.
Presumably they’re really talking about expanding water sport options on nearby Oak Lake. If so, the tentacles of the West Haymarket redevelopment project are reaching farther and farther, and the thing hasn’t even gone up for a vote yet.
EDIT: Mr. T tells me he’s seen kayakers in Salt Creek. Huh. That’s not the first body of water I’d want to hop in, for a whole host of reasons.
Inevitable Outcome
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Nebraska’s new “safe haven” law has been put to use twice—for an 11 year-old and a 15 year-old. That’s pretty much what critics of the law expected to happen.
Actually, in my case that isn’t entirely true. As critical as I was of the law when it was passed, I wasn’t sure if this sort of “unintended” outcome was inevitable. I feared it would happen, but was I being overcautious? Apparently not. State lawmakers passed a bad law despite the foreseeable consequences and, well, here we are.
Look for this law to be up for discussion again in the spring Unicameral session.
Unexpected Arrivals
It seems so weird to me that Lincoln’s schools don’t know who’s going to show up until the school year starts, forcing the district to hire new teachers after the school year begins. Are there really that many parents out there who don’t at least call their kid’s school in advance and say, “By the way, I’ll be dropping off my kid on Monday”?
A portion of the blame undoubtedly falls on an increasing number of parents using kindergarten as free daycare for kids who really ought to wait another year. Did you know that four year-olds can start kindergarten? Yikes. That feels way too young to me for most kids, even if they are “almost five”.
Parking is a Bear at State Fair Park
Robbie and I went with my parents to Friday night’s Husker volleyball match at the Devaney Center. The match was great—even if we were sitting in the rafters—but the post-match exodus was a pain. Not that we were surprised, what with all the Antelope Valley Project-related road construction going on.
As we sat, unmoving, in the parking lot, I began to wonder if our parking spot just east of the Grandstand hadn’t left us destined to wait longer than most. That leads me to ask you folks: Where are the best places to park when attending events at Devaney? Which are the spots to avoid?
Apple News
I’m not even an apple fan, but for some reason I’ve had apples on my mind lately. For example, KOLN’s report on the region’s bumper crop of apples got me wondering about the best places to buy apples. Which local growers typically have the best crops? Do any local orchards offer a good picking and eating experience?
I have also seen commercials recently for Nebraska City’s Applejack Festival, coming up this weekend. Is anybody headed down the road for those events?
And last, my dad reported that he almost accidentally spent $14 for a relatively small bag of apples the other day at Hy-Vee. Apparently the bag he picked up was priced at $4 per pound. Ouch! He opted to skip the apples that day.
Where in Lincoln is this?
Edit: Grill maniac and chowhound West A Dad correctly pointed out the location of this Lincoln classic.
Belated Summer Vacation
I’m on a late summer vacation and had a few photos to share.
Above: Washington State Ferries at dawn.
Hurricanes coming to Nebraska
Nope. Gustav is gone. Ike will turn east after it makes landfall (or at least that’s what they’re projecting)
Nope, this is of the Miami variety.
http://www.huskerextra.com/articles/2008/09/11/football/doc48c9d0c91b8f4308280916.txt
Hardly unfamiliar with playing big games against one another, Nebraska and Miami have agreed to meet in 2014 and 2015.
The agreement has the Hurricanes coming to Lincoln on Sept. 20, 2014, and the Huskers going to Miami on Sept. 12, 2015.
This comes a day after it was revealed that Nebraska and Fresno State have reached a deal to play in 2011, 2014 and 2016.
A formal announcement of these games — likely along with another series — is expected soon, Husker officials say.
At this point, Nebraska’s nonconference schedule for 2014 has Miami at home and a road trip to Fresno State. The trip to Miami in 2015 is joined by a home game against Southern Miss.
Miami and Nebraska have four times met in bowl games that have determined the national champion, most recently in the Rose Bowl after the 2001 season that was won by the Hurricanes 37-14.
It was Miami that denied Tom Osborne a national title in the 1984 Orange Bowl, a 31-30 game decided by a failed Husker two-point conversion in the final minute.
And it was Miami that Osborne triumphed over 10 years later in a 24-17 comeback that gave the former Husker head coach his first national championship.
The all-time series between the programs is knotted at 5. The programs met four times in the Orange Bowl, once in the Rose Bowl and once in the Gotham Bowl.
The four regular-season contests between the schools came in 1951, 1953, 1975 and 1976. The Huskers are 3-0 against Miami in Lincoln, winning 20-16 in 1953, 31-16 in 1975 and 17-9 in 1976.
I find it funny that people are cheering this scheduling. Its always been Nebraska’s policy to schedule one big name opponent a year. The Fresno State games are an interesting one. Fresno State is a team that is always willing to play anyone anywhere. They’re a real feisty team, it won’t be an easy one. Hopefully Miami gets itself off the mat in time for the game.
Trouble for the Treasurer
You knew State Treasurer Shane Osborn’s run of positive PR couldn’t last forever. The question is, was somebody in his office really fired for refusing an allegedly illegal assignment? It’s pretty much impossible to say at this point since nobody at the State is talking due to the lawsuit. I’m looking forward to seeing the facts on this one.
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