Correction:
It turns out I was wrong when I said the city had to return $500,000 to the state's Vision Iowa program for improvements at Schildberg park. It was actually ONLY $100,000.
Yeah, that should make everything ok.....

Planting the seeds of discontent

So I guess it’s not enough that the city is making NO progress on the Schildberg Park development…. Now they’ve actually decided to begin going backward! City officials announced on Wednesday that the city is in the process of renting out just over 20 acres to be farmed in the park. They say the plan is to avoid costs associated with weed control and mowing while making the city around $2,000 a year.

Great.

You know what else makes money… campgrounds filled with campers. And unlike corn and soybeans, campers buy food, gas and other items sold by local merchants.

The fact is the city has shown little real interest in developing that area and this is just another sad episode in that saga.

Plans for the development of the park have been on the books for years, and little has gotten done. So little in fact, that the city was forced to return over half a million dollars to the state’s Vision Iowa fund.

Some dirt work was done, a trail built and a dock donated. Not bad for six or seven or eight years work … It’s hard to remember exactly.

So now the city is returning a part of the land to agriculture. Only for a year they say…. Uh-huh. Sure. I’m sure it’s all part of the master plan!

(Oh and by-the-way I’m not even sure the city is getting such a great deal since according to the ISU Extension Service, cash rent in Cass County is about twice the $100 an acre the city is charging. Did they go out for bids on this? )

Sarah goes to Tivoli

Atlantic Trojann Golfers ROCK!

Congratulations to the Atlantic girls golf team, (Sierra Worth, Kristen Schuler, Pammy Fixmer, (my daughter!) Kaitlyn Walter, Bailey Walter, Brooke Flecher) which will be competing in the state golf meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Adel!
The girls finished undefeated in conference play, (the only Atlantic team to do so this year!) and placed second in districts and regionals to advance to the two-day championship. Atlantic's Sierra Worth also qualified as an individual by shooting an 87 at the regional meet!
No matter how you slice it, that's an awesome season!
The meet kicks off around 9:30 a.m. ( I think) at the River Valley Golf Course in Adel.

Below are the state's class 3A teams that will be competing with their scores from regionals:

Spirit Lake – 372 – State Qualifier
MOC-Floyd Valley – 398 – State Qualifier
ADM – 364 – State Qualifier
Atlantic – 383 – State Qualifier
Clear Lake – 343 – State Qualifier
Charles City – 351 – State Qualifier
Dubuque Wahlert – 343 – State Qualifier
Grinnell – 356 – State Qualifier

Take a virtual tour of the course here:
http://www.rivervalleygolf.com/hole_by_hole.php

Map to Golf Course

View Larger Map

Just wondering... So why did the school district pop for hotel rooms for the boys and girls track teams last week, but refused to do so for the girls golf team....... curious.

Running Update
The Dam to Dam race is next Saturday and tomorrow I plan on running my first double digits run of the year (maybe longer?). Despite the setbacks I think I will be ready to at least complete the race ... though I doubt a PR is in the picture.
Initially I was concerned about doing 12 miles in the Vibrams, which I've gone to now exclusively, but I think they will be fine. Tomorrow will be the real test.
Plantar fasciitis sucks! But the minimalist shoe thing seem to be working. Wearing regular shoes usually results in foot pain by the end of the day. Occasionally I wear the Vibrams to work, but they are not really work appropriate.
My runs are definitely slower in them, but at least I can run. And I think if I could lose some weight that will help boost the speed. All in good time.
BTW - If you happened to see the 5/26, a deckhand on one of the boats was driven to tears by Plantar Fasciitis and had to leave the deck. OUCH!

The plantar fascia is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This band of tissue is what creates the arch of the foot. When the fascia is overstretched or overused, it can become inflamed. When the fascia is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult.

A familiar face takes over P&R
Congratulations Roger Herring on being named the new Atlantic Parks and Rec director! A good man who will do a good job. So much for retirement .....

Life is just one damned thing after another.

Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)

Just Sayin...

"Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. "
Charles R. Swindoll

The Posts Too Hot For KCCI!

"Log in Failed. Please check your login credentials and try again."

That's the message I received after posting three comments on the KCCI website concerning their story ""Students Pulled From School After Pencil Bully Incident."
After receiving nearly 100 comments on their latest story, apparently there were three that crossed the line. And they were all from me! It's true....I have been banned from KCCI!
I guess they're kind of touchy over there. All I did was point out that KCCI had not yet bothered to contact police or review the police report concerning the incident. (If they have, they haven't included that information in any of their stories.) Either way, it's been over two weeks now, don't you think it's about time? It's journalism 101 guys...

Here are the offending posts:

Post 1-

tmyers - the problem is KCCI has never bothered to speak with the police or look at the police report. Of if they have, they haven't reported on what is a really a very different picture.
Channel 3 in Omaha finally got around to talking to police on Monday. Here is a link to their story:
http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13986009

Post 2 (the comment section limits you to 500 characters so I posted in three parts)

From that story:
" Some parents call it "sexual assault". It's an act Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says isn't true. "There's been allegations back and forth about actual entering into a body cavity. We don't have evidence of that at all," says Chief Green.
... only one case involves the sharp end of the pencil and says it punctured clothing. "
http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13986009

Post 3 -

An editorial I wrote after reviewing the police reports and talking to officers:
http://swiowanewssource.com/articles/2011/02/07/atlantic_news_telegraph/opinion/columns/doc4d500f35adf0d183094240.txt

I'm not saying the boy shouldn't be punished, I'm saying the media in Omaha and Des Moines have failed in presenting a complete picture of what happened.

Channel 3 talks to police - finally

Looks like channel 3 in omaha has finally checked the police reports. Maybe it was the email I sent Monday am?

http://www.kmtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13986009&clienttype=mobile&config=H264

"Some parents call it "sexual assault". It's an act Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says isn't true. "There's been allegations back and forth about actual entering into a body cavity. We don't have evidence of that at all," says Chief Green.
Chief Green says only one case involves the sharp end of the pencil and says it punctured clothing. The attack did not leave a mark on the child's skin. One report shows a red mark, about the size of a quarter. After reviewing the case Chief Green does not believe the teen intended to hurt anyone. The accused boy does write a statement saying "I hit the boys in the butt and I just did it cause I want to..."