Lincolnite

Kids all across the city bounced out of bed with enthusiasm this morning as they found out that school is canceled today. I haven't been out of the house yet, but from what I can tell it was a good decision. There was a time I would have been surprised that UNL closed, but over the past couple years -- since the October 1997 snow storm, really -- it hasn't taken nearly as much to cancel classes as it used to. I can't decide if I'm surprised that state basketball is sticking to its schedule. I suppose all the teams that have to drive any great distance are probably already in town. I wonder what happens if a team isn't able to travel -- or flat out refuses to travel? [Edited to add: Now I see that most roads in and out of Lincoln have been closed. I'm really surprised the NSAA hasn't revised its position.] I'm going to be working on the computer all day today. What are you up to today?

Senator Danielle Nantkes was caught driving drunk on Valentine's Day, and her constituents in Lincoln want her to talk about it. So far, however, Ms. Nantkes has been pretty quiet:

A Journal Star reporter made a face-to-face request Thursday for an interview. The senator said she would consider the request and respond that day. She did not. Nor did she return a phone call and e-mail asking her to address the concerns of her District 46 constituents interviewed by the Journal Star.

Politically speaking, her silence is foolish. Rule #1 in crisis management: never ignore the crisis by covering your eyes and pretending nobody can see you. I don't view DUI as a serious enough crime to justify Ms. Nantkes stepping down, nor do I hold any extra grudge against her because she refused to submit to impairment tests. But I do have a problem with a person hiding behind the shield of her office in attempt to ride out a storm. There is no respect in that. Ms. Nantkes is probably very embarrassed right now, and she should be. But she should consider her humiliation part of her penance. The more forthright and graceful she is in accepting her embarrassment, the more likely voters won't hold her crime against her over the long term. Step up, Ms. Nantkes. Give the Journal Star its interview and make an appearance or two on local radio and/or television. It won't be fun, but it isn't supposed to be. It is too late for you to set a good example about responsibility and honesty. But at least you can avoid setting a bad one.

I have to plead ignorance on the mayor vs. city manager debate. I really don't know much about the city manager position. Why is an unelected bureaucrat expected to be a better leader than an elected mayor? I am willing to be convinced that our current system is broken and that a city manager position should be created, but I have a lot of questions first. Mayor or city manager? Discuss.

I just received word that the new date for the Polar Bear Plunge is March 10. That gives me lots of time to keep bugging you to donate to the cause.

There appeared to be some sort of march/rally associated with the Iraq War downtown today. It looked like many of the participants were Iraqi. Participants carried flags (American, Iraqi) and banners, but I couldn't ever get a good look at the writing on the banners. Anybody know what it was all about?

If the City Council decides to put an $11.8 million stormwater bond issue on this spring's ballot, do you think it will pass? A bond issue is the only way to pay for the projects (view a map [pdf]), so one typically appears on the ballot every other year. Do you think Lincolnites' crankiness of late will translate into trouble at the polls for the bond issue?

I'm very bummed to hear that Avant Card is leaving Downtown. I rarely buy cards anywhere else. And why would I, since Avant Card's selection is far more diverse (if less, erm, "appropriate") than the usual Hallmark stuff? And then there's the story of Avant Card's role in Robert's adoption. As if its departure isn't bad enough, finding out that it's replacement will be an expansion of The Watering Hole was especially depressing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-bar. But replacing a friendly, eclectic shop with yet another source of vomiting 20-somethings just doesn't feel like progress.

I love the feeling you get when you plan to stay up late to work on a complex project, and not only do you finish it, but you finish it early. I just wrapped up such a project, adding a crucial (to me) feature to some Javascript. What is especially satisfying is that I really wasn't sure I had the know-how to get it done at all. I wanted to try, though, because the payoff would be huge. Now that I have worked out the solution, I'm positively giddy. This was a huge hurdle. And now I get to go to bed well before midnight. I'm going to sleep well tonight. Unless Robert has other plans, of course. 😊

An article in this morning's Lincoln Journal Star notes the problem of facilities inequality when new high schools get built. Lincoln Board of Education member Doug Evans thinks we should address inequalities by spending money to upgrade every school's facilities to match any new school's facilities: "I'm arguing that it’s really expensive but we have to pony up to be equitable". I agree and disagree, depending on how he intends to use the word equitable. We should not worry about trying to get each school's facilities to be (more or less) identical. For one thing -- and most obviously -- it simply isn't a practical goal, for many different reasons. But neither is it necessary. There is no reason to expect Lincoln's six public high schools to be facsimiles of one another. Indeed, we should not only be OK with the schools being different, we should encourage them to be different. Each high school should be encouraged and allowed to excel in a few specific areas. Students will filter themselves accordingly, and the overall educational experience will be better as a result. LPS already uses a version of that philosophy with the Zoo School and the Arts and Humanities Program to great success. Lincolnites should be concerned with fundamental issues of fairness. But fairness doesn't mean that every school should have equal theaters. Instead, it means that if you get the coolest theater in town, maybe I should be allowed to hire the best math faculty in town, and that school over there should be able to start up the engineering and construction sciences program they've been dreaming about. What is your vision of equality, equity, and fairness in Lincoln's public high schools?

...is what I will be saying some other day. But not today. The Polar Plunge organizers postponed the event due to the fact that the changing tent jumped the gun and took a dive into the lake a little prematurely. Too bad, because the slushy ice on the lake would have been fun to crash through. No word yet on when it will be rescheduled. I'll keep you posted.

So yeah ... it's going to be a little chilly out there this morning. How will I keep warm and dry before I get soaked and frozen? My cameraman bailed on me, so if anybody wants to come take some photos, I could use the help. I'll be the bald guy in either the umpire or referee (basketball or soccer) uniform. And late jumpers-in are definitely welcome!

I love Nebraska. Weather.com says it's 60 degrees, but all of the headlines are talking about an impending blizzard, which will be preceded by thunderstorms. Nice.

Five reasons you should make a donation to encourage me to take the plunge tomorrow:

1. It's for a great cause!
2. Like me you have added a little winter padding. Do you really need another frappuccino on those hips?
3. Your tax refund will arrive soon, and what better way to put it to good use?
4. By sacrificing me in the chilly waters of Holmes Lake, you can help convince the gods of winter weather to be nice to us with this weekend's blizzard.
5. It's for a great cause!

Please make a donation today. Five bucks, ten, twenty five -- however much you like. It will be the best money you spend all week.

As long as I'm going to be freezing my buns off tomorrow for a great cause, I may as well dress well. Participants are encouraged to wear costumes. Well, I don't really have any costumes laying around the house. Two possibilities jump immediately to mind: my soccer referee uniform; or my baseball umpire uniform (itself with the option of base umpire or plate umpire). Which of those sounds better? Any better ideas? Make a donation

It appears that another new coffee place is coming to central Lincoln, this one at 11th and G next to the Davincis. This is excellent news to me because I live about 2 blocks away, and a good coffee place with free wireless (fingers crossed) would be very welcome in the area. They must be going for the near south student crowd as well as city/county people. My only other suggestion would be that they also offer sandwiches. That would be cool - and would make the place more attractive to people who normally don't go to coffee places. If anyone knows more about this place, do tell. It looks like it won't be open for a while however.