Well this is a relief. I think it is funny that after posting the original plaque the Parks Department ripped it off and changed it. This is how petty they are or maybe the family was not thrilled about being compared to a whackadoodle crowd. What I don’t understand is if you want to honor someone in this way, which I think is wonderful, why be so mysterious about who they are? If you want it to be a mysterious, just buy a bench with NO plaque and be done with it.
Modesty is bred of self-reverence. Fine manners are the mantle of fair minds. — Amos Bronson Alcott
There are 2 of these about 300 feet apart from each other on poles along the bike trail downtown about a quarter mile east of the viaducts. Not sure how long they have been there but I think I noticed them last Fall? I am honestly asking the question, What are they?
The front part looks like a surveillance camera but not sure what the other part is. I’m also curious why 2 of them are so close to each other?
If it isn’t the warm weather and lack of snow, it’s a bad chairlift, a flat tire on the snowcat, cold temps (isn’t it a winter sports facility?) or lack of employees. One year they even lost the keys to the lodge and couldn’t find them for 3 weeks. Or who can forget when we left the snow making machine at the car wash by accident and it showed up at a pawn shop 2 weeks later.
The city’s naming commission has decided to push through a name change to ‘Great Excuses’ so we can lower expectations of patrons
“We just figured since Great Bear is only open about 7-17 days during the season we might as well clarify why,” said GM Don Grinder. “Good thing we are heavily subsidized by the taxpayers, otherwise we would have gone bankrupt years ago.”
The Washington Bazillion and The Butterfly Zoo have mentioned their resentment on many occasions. Darwin Spite with the WB said, “We have tried to cancel art and science exhibits in the past when it dips below 10 degrees but somehow the furnace continues to heat the building. Covid was amazing for us though, we basically got to close down for a year. I haven’t had such great nap time during the day since I was in pre-school.â€
If the naming commission successfully changes the name to Great Excuses, they have some other name changes in mind. The Premier Center will be changed to the What & Who Center, the Public Safety Center will become the FEED US FOR FREE Center and the Levitt to the $7 Bud Light Theatre.
As we saw this past year, CountCilor Alex ‘$127K’ Jensen tried to slip by a deal for one of his business friends to allow electric foot scooters on DTSF sidewalks. They are already allowed in our city, but sidewalks, not so much.
I do agree with one aspect of the Count’s attempt, E-vehicles for recreation like skateboards, One-Wheels, bikes and foot scooters are the fastest growing industry in the country and because it is growing so fast, it is constantly changing. But we are being held back.
A few years ago the city council decided to wring their hands over this (they do piss around a lot with stuff that will be obsolete in a few years, you know, like $26 million dollar bunker ramps to no where).
They decided the problem with the bike trail wasn’t strollers going down the middle of the trail, dogs running about off the leash or people training for the Ironman do 30 MPH down the trail they decided it was those evil E-2 bikers. Well they are a problem, but there is a better solution.
Since the passage of only E-1 vs. E-2 (nobody can really tell the difference) the real issue on the trail is SPEED, courteous behavior and awareness and not classification. As I have mentioned in the past, there are all kinds of E-Vehicles on the trail, I am not sure we can control that.
So what is the solution? It can be accomplished by 3 simple changes to the ordinance;
• Repeal the current ordinance in it’s entirety, or at least certain parts;
§ 95.031 BICYCLING.   Bicycle and e-bicycle riders in the parks and upon recreation trails shall abide by the ordinances governing the operation and equipment of bicycles except bicycling and Class I e-bicycling need not be limited to paved areas. Bicyclists and e-bicyclists shall operate their bicycles or e-bicycles in a prudent manner and with due regard for the safety of others and the preservation of park property.(1992 Code, § 27-16.13) (Ord. 49-99, passed 4-19-1999; Ord. 118-18, passed 12-18-2018; Ord. 66-19, passed 6-18-2019)
§ 95.031.1 WHEELED MOTOR VEHICLES PROHIBITED ON RECREATION TRAIL.   It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate any motorized or motor driven, wheeled vehicle except a Class I e-bicycle on any of the recreation trails. This section shall not apply to or limit authorized vehicles on the levees for maintenance, patrolling, and flood emergency purposes.
• Create a speed limit on the trail. (I am not sure what that should be, but research would probably suggest 15 MPH. We could also put up speed signs about ever 1-2 miles with a solar detector telling your speed).
• Allow ALL E-Vehicle transportation (prohibiting gas/electric motorcycles, ATVs and scooters)
One of the main reasons to support this is because of what Jensen said, TOURISM!
Also, the bike trail is one of our greatest assets in Sioux Falls. I constantly shake my head with all the money we dump into concrete along the river greenway when we could be spending this money to improve this gem instead like solar lighting, 24/7 commuting, and dual trails for walkers and bikers. We could make this asset even better.
It’s time to start again and simplify our recreation trail rules and regulations.
• 2021 Crime Trends & Statistics by Police Chief Jonathan Thum (So now the City Council is finally getting a presentation yet still NO links to the Power Point presentation).
Sub Item #7, RR Crossing Improvements, $82K (I would assume this has to do with some of the development going on with the RR Redevelopment. I recently had a few beers with a business fellar who works closely in this industry that flat out told me any major changes to rail traffic through this area MUST go thru the FEDS.)
Sub Item #11, Zoo design for Lion exhibit, $482K (I find it curious this is going thru Parks and Rec. So now our parks budget is being used to ‘Design’ things for the Zoo. Just think of using this money for actual improvements to our FREE parks system?)
Sub Item #17, (you will notice this has to do with a payout to the Chamber for BID taxes since the separation from the CVB that NO ONE in the media wants to talk about. There is also NO mention of the dollar amount).
Item #40, 2nd Reading, the mysterious alcohol licensing fees.
Item #47, 2nd Reading, Fire sale for parking lot for UN-affordable housing DTSF.
Item #50, 1st Reading, approving new districts in Sioux Falls
Item #53, Resolution taking money from streets to the Facade Core Revitalization Program, $120K, but who is it going towards?
Ironically, this meeting is being held at the Overlook Cafe at the same time as the CRC meeting. How convenient? There is one item on the agenda that sparked my interest under ‘New Business’;
Sanford Parking Agreement – Don Kearney
Not sure what this is about, but maybe it has something to do with the soccer and ball fields they are building right now?
Well, well, well. It seems the CRC has decided to move this meeting back to 4 PM instead of 3:30 PM like last month. I wonder why? There seems to be a lot more agenda items this time around . . . this will actually be a really interesting meeting. While I support Kirby’s ideas about the mayor, I don’t support rank choice. But it really doesn’t matter because the CRC will KILL all of these proposals anyway.
