South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Golf Course Shed Fire investigation ‘NOT CLOSED’

l3wis 4Comments

In the April(?) parks board meeting, Parks Director Don Kearney told the board that the Elmwood golf course shed fire investigation was ‘closed’.

I asked a city councilor if I could see this ‘closed’ investigation report.

Officials from the fire department told them that the investigation is still open.

I find it a little strange that Don said 2 months ago that the investigation was closed and I think the insurance company has completed it’s review. So is the investigation complete? If so, is it filed with the non-mow list?

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec Theresa Stehly

What’s going on with Frank Olson Pool?

l3wis 5Comments

Councilor Stehly recently sent this notice out;

As we enter into the warmth of summer, I invite you to buy a pass to our outdoor pools. Last year I enjoyed swimming laps at the large traditional Frank Olson pool, located on east 18th street.  This pool is a wonderful addition to our “Water Park” pools. I have encouraged Don Kearney from the Parks Department to develop more activities for adults like lap swimming, water walking and Zumba classes during the noon hour and the evening family swim. Last summer at Drake springs Adults could bring in their own beverage and listen to upbeat music during the noon activities. All pools need to offer the same attractions.

The summer passes are very reasonable and can be purchased at any pool. (Children $30, Adult $70, Senior $40, Veteran, $40, Family $100, reduced income adult $40, Reduced income family $50.)

She has been concerned that Frank Olson pool is on the chopping block. She noticed Thursday night that there are NO extra activities scheduled at the pool.

She had requested extra signage be installed off 18th street and that they add a noon adult time with music, water walking and lap swimming. Hasn’t happened yet.

MIDCO Aquatic Center Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Public Indoor Pool continues to languish

l3wis 13Comments

As you can see, the indoor pool that we ‘NEEDED’ doesn’t seem to know how to grow it’s numbers.

Just look at two numbers below. The yearly passes are only at a little over 400 for a town of 180K. What is even more revealing is that only ONE person seemed to be interested in a winter pass.

You will also see the deficit. At this trajectory, the indoor pool will see it’s greatest loss for the year since it has opened, around $600K.

Let’s face it, we didn’t need an indoor public pool. We have plenty of private facilities offering this. On top of that, the poor children of our community still can’t use the facility unless they have a benefactor, because FREE passes we give for the outdoor pools don’t apply to the indoor pool.

So we stole money from a Federal Levee repayment to build an indoor public pool on Federal Land (that we don’t own) so the swim teams (and not the poor kids) could have a place to go where the taxpayers would subsidize them at a tune of over $500K a year. Another failure of the past administration. They are piling up these days.

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

What’s going on with ash tree removal?

l3wis 4Comments

Next Monday (Memorial Day) ends the time period in which Ash trees can be removed from the city this Spring. I have a tree that has been marked since last Fall and have seen no tree removal trucks in my neighborhood.

Now I understand that they can still remove them this Fall (after Labor Day). I also get it that the weather has NOT been ideal (saturated ground) but why hasn’t the city released a statement basically telling homeowners that have trees marked that they will have to just wait until Fall? I have already received 3 mail notices of the removal and have spoken with the private contractor back in February.

Maybe the city attorney is telling the administration not to talk about it in case someone wants to sue 🙂

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

Golf Cart Shed fire investigation concluded – So what happened?

l3wis 4Comments

So if you click on this meeting you will notice this on the agenda;

Kearney shared updates pertaining to the recent fire at Elmwood Golf Course. The inspectors have concluded their investigation. The damaged area has been cleared, the new fencing is up, and the new carts are being stored in that location.

So I watched the meeting (in which I had to put the speaker to my ear because the audio was so bad) and when this came up on the agenda, Kearney never said what they concluded.

Why is it such a grand mystery the cause of a shed fire? It was either arson, accidental, electrical, etc. Why isn’t the Parks Department or SFFD sharing the details with the public? It was a taxpayer owned shed.

Things that make you go hmmm.

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