Does the rest of the state hate us that much?

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I could care less if we get one single state tournament in Sioux Falls. I don’t have kids, and I don’t like sports. I think the only reason sports should exist in public school is for exercise and recreation. Public schools focus should be EDUCATION! But look at our city and how much money we blow on recreation, so it should be no surprise we really want tournaments in Sioux Falls;

“Boy, for the sheer numbers, we seem to be excluded so, I hate that.  We’re the big gorilla at the other end of the state,” Todd Thoelke said.

Sioux Falls, despite accounting for 20 percent of the state’s students, hasn’t had a member voted in since the mid 1990s. Thoelke, a Sioux Falls School Board member, was hoping to end the drought. However, he wasn’t elected to the board.

“I think we need to have our voice heard and to continually be shunned, it’s a little frustrating. But you know, the state voted and the tally was in and I was, once again, not elected,” Thoelke said.

Why has Sioux Falls had a 14 year drought on the Athletic Board? Protectionism is probably one reason, the smaller cities want to protect their territories. Could it also be because their is a hate and jealously towards Sioux Falls? I have often said, if I didn’t live in Sioux Falls, I wouldn’t live in the state. The small-minds in other parts of the state are reality. I think they believe if they allow someone from Sioux Falls on the board, we may suck up all of the tournaments. I doubt that one representative would have that much power, especially a rubber stamper from our school board.

Not sure why we are being snubbed, but I have a feeling, it has a lot to do with mis-trust of our Super and Mayor. And if that is the case, I would have to agree with the skepticism.

What’s up with the ‘Sanford Frontiers’ ?

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sanfordstatue

Hey kids! Let’s play ball while your parents are drinking!

This came to my attention yesterday while I was reading the Planning Commission’s agenda (Item# 13)

Screen shot 2014-01-04 at 11.41.20 AM

 

While I don’t debate the Pentagon having adult beverages at the facility, I wondered why this needed to be hidden under the cover of another organization, called the ‘Sanford Frontiers’. According to this SFBJ article in September;

Pulling it together is Sanford Frontiers, a wholly owned component of Sanford Health incorporated as a nonprofit earlier this year.

Sanford Frontiers was created primarily to help the health system’s researchers bring their work to the marketplace, but its duties are broader than that. President Rich Adcock and his small staff also are tasked with facilitating certain property development, namely the sports complex near Benson Road and Westport Avenue.

They also play the ‘poor non-profit’ card;

Sanford hopes to break even, White said.

“Our overall goal on the entire complex is to just cash flow,” he said. “If we could get to that point, we’d consider it a success.”

While Sanford Health and Sanford Frontiers are nonprofits, that doesn’t mean the property involved in the complex is tax-exempt. Sanford likely will pay property taxes on all of it, said Kyle Helseth, director of equalization for Minnehaha County.

Sanford hopes to break even?! BAHHAHAHAHA! Is this just a way for Sanford to say that while all other hospitality industries in SF have to pay on the altar of entertainment taxes, we are doing this for the common good? As for the property tax statement, why not mention the almost $10 million in TIF rebates?

But what I want to know is why Sanford Health, and the Sports Complex want to create an entirely different entity? So they are not associated with greasy franchise restaurants and alcohol consumption? Or to hide profits? It’s certainly curious, and something I don’t fully understand, but if Kelby and T. Denny are involved with Lloyd, Huether and Smith, ‘Roses’ are not the smell I am getting for the public.

Is the Mayor’s wife on vacation?

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I found it interesting that 1) the city is signing an agreement with the SF Tennis association, before they have even turned a shovel (or brought forth a financial and fundraising report) and 2) Their mighty leader, Cindy Huether, would be absent from the meeting. (DOC: Agenda-ParkBoard102213)

The Park Board has a couple of important items on the agenda for tomorrow.
Sioux Falls Ice Sports Association indoor facility agreement
Dave Fischer, Joe Zueger and Sue Salter to attend
Sioux Falls Tennis Association indoor facility agreement

Dave Fischer, and Bill Townsend to attend

***4:00 at Great Bear
It is also important to note that AL Sports columnist, Stu Whitney’s wife is one of the main fundraisers for the Indoor Tennis Facility. Is this a conflict of interest for Stu when promoting or advertising the facility in the paper he works for?

I just mentioned the other day . . .

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. . . that this spot would be a great place to build an Events Center, and wondered what was going on at this location, sounds like quite a bit here pretty soon;

SIOUX FALLS, SD – One of Sioux Falls’ largest building projects in years could soon be taking place just off one of the city’s busiest streets.

Developer Don Dunham, Jr. wants to build an apartment complex and sports facility in the area south of 41st Street and Grange Avenue. The new development carries a total price tag of $30 million.

As I have mentioned in the past, if sports complexes are needed, they should make money and should be privately funded. Dunham is about to find out.

A South DaCola sports story (H/T – Hos)

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I had kinda forgot about this until Hos reminded me this morning. Over ten years ago I had a couple of tickets to the Legends baseball game at Canaries stadium. I didn’t really care, but I thought it would be a waste to not use the tickets, plus it would be fun to watch a bunch of old geezers hit some balls around. I can’t recall how many were there, but it was a slew, Harmon Killebrew was one of them. I took Hos’ son Tyler, I don’t think he really cared much, but I figured a few hours of sanity away from him was good for her. I also remember the little money me and him had on us we spent on some dogs or something. Well it came around to selling raffle tickets to win a signed Willie Mays ball, and I didn’t have enough dough. This nice lady behind us bought Tyler a raffle ticket, and he won the ball. Turns out she was Harmon’s wife and she got all the guys to sign another baseball for Tyler. It was pretty cool. Not sure if Tyler has either one of the balls still, probably sold them for a geetar or something.