Sanford Hospital

Coincidence?

l3wis November 25, 2014 4Comments

Hotel Sign from the new Sanford Hospital Hotel.

As I was watching the press conference for the announcement of a RFP for a new downtown mixed use parking ramp, Darrin Smith presented several projects that have been done DT and around town. He also brought up the proposed hotel at Elmwood golf course, you know the one that for some reason taxpayers have to help build (still don’t know why the city needs to be in the lodging business, I guess probably for the same reason we are involved in indoor tennis, indoor pools and indoor hockey.)

The proposed Elmwood Hotel

What I found curious is that the same ‘brand’ is going to be at Elmwood as at Sanford. Is this just mere coincidence, or does Sanford have their hands in the hotel deal at Elmwood, and maybe that is why the city is going to be an investor?

See, Sanford runs the hotels at the Sanford Sports Complex and at the Hospital. Will they have a partnership at the golf course to offer some kind of golfing perk to visitors at their ‘other’ hotels?

Not sure?

I also find it a bit odd that the city has to invest in this project. I think a better approach (especially for the taxpayer’s wallets) would to have the hotel built and ran privately and they can lease the land from the city. Why do we need to be involved with building and investing in a hotel?

Am I missing something here?

What’s wrong with this picture?

l3wis July 25, 2014 10Comments

Follow me to the Pentagon, who doesn’t like to watch a good ol’ cock fight?

Of course when Kelby and Sanford are involved, nothing should surprise us;

One of the most popular, and most controversial of extreme sports, could been finding a home in Sioux Falls. Next week, members of the South Dakota Athletic Commission will decide whether to allow ultimate fighters to enter the ring at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Resurrection Fighting Alliance wants to hold bouts at the Sanford Pentagon on August 22. Supporters see ultimate fighting as a financial boon to Sioux Falls, drawing big crowds of fans. But critics think ultimate fighting is too violent of a sport and shouldn’t be embraced here.

I won’t get into my feelings on people calling something a ‘sport’ while they are beating the shit out of each other, but am I the only one that thinks this probably won’t be helping Sanford’s image? You are a healthcare institute. I don’t have an issue with promoting Sports Medicine, basketball can be a grueling sport on an athlete’s body. But is ultimate fighting really a sport that Sanford wants to promote their Sports Medicine division? Apparently so.

Who makes these bonehead decisions anyway?