Washington Pavilion’s Arts Night decided to take everyone’s donation this year

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Surprise, Surprise. After fighting with me about how assanine it was to reject an arts donation, it seems someone at the Visual Arts Center fricking woke up and came up with a great idea on how to accept all artistic donations;

  Arts Night Silent Auction, New this year is a silent auction of original artwork. Exhibition runs March 20 through April 29, 2009, with final bidding to take place during Arts Night on May 1, 2009. The Silent Auction gallery is adjoining the main gallery and bids on artworks can be submitted at the Visual Arts Center reception desk.

I also heard that the artists have a choice whether to receive a percentage of the purchase price or tickets to the live auction, another suggestion I made yearrrrrrsssss ago.

So I wonder who is taking credit for all of these changes?

And why did it take almost 10 years to figure this out?

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During the informational meeting yesterday, Councilor Brown bragged that the (reissue) of First Fridays at the Pavilion was wildly successful, and over 700 people showed up.

Ah, well, Duh.

Anytime you open a entertainment and arts facility during a time when working families can attend it, it’s gonna be successful. What I cannot figure out is why it took so long to figure this out. Just think of the amount of money we have lost and missed revenue opportunities. Talk about ‘leaking money’. When the city requested a review of the Pavilion about 5 years ago, one of the main recommendations was to open the facility at night. So what do they do, wait 5 years.

I’m glad they are ‘finally’ doing it. But what took so damn long?! Geez!

Pavilion windows an investment? Sure . . .

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Of course the Gargoyle Leader has gotten on their hands and knees praying to the Pavilion Gods and praising the City for bending the taxpayer’s over the barrel for another unneeded expense.

The best part of the whole drawn-out scenario is that the winning bid on the project came in last week under the estimated $791,000 price tag. A total of 10 firms bid on the project – a higher number than anticipated. Sunkota Construction, the bid winner, will get started on installing the windows later this year.

Why did so many bids come in? Because the Argus ACTUALLY covered the controversy for once and didn’t do just one tiny story on page 5. When the media actually makes an attempt to cover the news and hold beauracrats accountable, people take notice. I’m sure when construction companies saw that the project was budgeted for almost a cool million, a lot of companies probably said, “We can do it for cheaper than that.” The city makes no effort though to save us money. First they blow money on hiring a consultant to tell them what to do, than they take that consultant for their word.

The price tag on this project is not small. But, in addition to saving some money on energy costs, the windows should be considered an investment in one of the city’s most visible properties.

I agree with the Argus that the windows are an investment, no doubt. But I have long argued that we should ONLY replace the windows that are in need of replacing and weatherize the rest of them. That could have not only saved us a lot of money, we would still be saving on energy costs. I find it ironic that the Pavilion is laying people off and our school system has to feed half of it’s students because they live in poverty, but somehow a city and newspaper think we NEED historically correct windows?

Talk about priorities.

I would like to introduce Senator Drescher

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Kennedy drops out of NY Senate race

Looks like Fran may have a chance. Kennedy says she is dropping out for personal reasons, some suspect Teddy’s brain cancer, but I have also heard she wasn’t going to be asked because Governor Patterson got annoyed by Kennedy’s lawyers (what did I say about giving seats to elitists? Huh? Huh?) Kinda hard to get rejected when you are not in the running anymore. Way to save face Caroline!

Obama retakes oath

Obama’s counsel advises him to retake oath to quell the media about Roberts fumble (mainly FUX News and Wallace). So he retook the oath last night. But only allowed print media, which of course pissed off the TV news, again, mainly FUX News and Wallace.

Obama expected to close Gitmo today

Or at least get the process started. Which has wingnuts up in arms. Who cares where the terrorist prison is, Hell put it in Pierre, South Dakota, there’s a lot of BACKROOMS we could hold them in the Capital and Governor’s office.

Governor (Dictator) Rounds decides it’s ok to give info to anon legislators

Well thank you Mikey! It only took you a few days to realize we live in a Democracy. Hunhoff’s comment is the best;

“It’s the right position and one that should have been in place for the last 100 years,” he said of the agreement. “But it could change the next time we have a new bureaucrat.”

The Washington Pavilion is getting in the Pre-School business

When I first read this story, I thought it was a joke. Nope. The Pavilion has decided that they aren’t wasting the public’s time and money fast enough.

“This isn’t going to be a money maker for us, but my requirement was that it at least be a cost-neutral program,” Wood said Wednesday.

Ah, Gary, since when was the Pavilion concerned about ‘making money’? Is this something new we should know about? Even though they claim to breakeven on the program, other people say it is expensive;

Charging “on the higher end” of area rates can be justified by the services and resources the Pavilion provides, said Lacie Petersen.

Well, I couldn’t agree more, but you also have to consider the Pavilion’s track record . . .

No money for salaries but plenty for fancy-smancy windows

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Oh, the Pavilion continues to amaze and bewilder;

The winning bid, submitted by Sunkota Construction, came in at $779,400. The project had a budget of $925,576 with an estimated price tag of $791,000.

Funny, how all of sudden once the media covered the Pavilion and city hall screw-up over the cost the city decides to be fiscally responsible on a project. See what happens when the MSM in Sioux Falls tells the citizens what are beaurcrats are up to? They become more accountable.