GI Independent Newsdogs Asleep At The Wheel...

Well maybe...it could just be selective news reporting by our local foot-wide parakeet cage liner.  I find it odd that NTV and KHAS both picked up on the report yesterday and the crimebeat crew at the Independent remains majorly "scooped."   

The little voice in the back of my mind says the Independent suffered a "Chamber of Commerce" moment and chose to ignore the story...but then again you can only fit so much news into a foot-wide newspaper...especially when the County Sheriff is taking away our fishing and crane viewing rights.  The funny thing is...well not funny...they dumped the body next to the bridge so the signage should also restrict the area around the bridge. 

 

Putting The "Spill" Into Perspective...

The Grand Generation...

VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945 from Richard Sullivan on Vimeo.

Rocky September???...

Never heard mention of this predictor before...the question is do we sell now or just wait and watch it come and go???  Stay tuned.

Nuff Said...God Bless Our Troops...

Best Places To Eat During the Fair...

For Those With a Death Wish...The Fair Food.

For a Steak...Lulu's Prime Steakhouse in Chapman - 308-996-2244.  On Highway 30 just east of GI...great steaks but the prime rib and dinner salad are a little anemic.  Their specialty Chicken Fried Steak will serve 4 full grown lumberjacks easily...bad part...I think they are only open on weekends.  Number Two...Texas T-Bone on South Locust...I would have given them the #1 honors but their steaks have slipped in size and quality lately although their dinner salad is still probably the best in all of Nebraska and most surrounding states...a meal in itself.  The guy down the street to the south requires two forms of payment with his high dollar menu and you don't get what you pay for in my honest opinion.  

Chinese and a pleasant atmosphere...Hunan's on North Webb...catch the lunch menu or the evening menu...you won't regret it.  Other than the Tokyo Express near the north Wal-Mart...save your money. 

For a sandwich and cool refreshing beverage...Bullwinkle's on North Webb.  They have the best burgers...club sandwiches and by far the best french fries in town...they are actually served hot.  You may have to wrestle a local to find a place to sit...the place fills quickly in the evening.

Traditional Mexican...Rafa's - hands down.  While the owner is hedging on paying his share of the newly assigned food tax the city has imposed...their food is outstanding...but be ready for traditional.  There are other places that claim to be traditional in town...but in reality are no different than Taco Hell.  If you are really brave you might hit one of the Roach Coaches parked along South Locust *

*  See Fair Food.

For an cheap impromptu picnic...Hit Skagway and load up with a bag of your favorite chips...a bag of your favorite hamburger buns...a couple of cool drinks...a can of Bush Beans and utensils.  Then head to Schroder's at the Conestoga Mall Food Court...and pick up a pound or two of their beef brisket.  It melts before it reaches your mouth...best around.  If you are into instant gratification...just go directly to the Mall and do a sitdown in their store next to the big screen. 

Best donuts in town...Skagway North at Five Points...get there before 8 am and you can practically steal a dozen.

Restaurants in Hastings...none...nada...don't waste your time. Ok...Murphy's Wagon Wheel downtown. 

Kearney...None worth driving the 80 mile round trip for...ok...the Cellar Lounge on North Second for a large order of their onion rings.

 

Coming in from the east...you might catch a good meal at Chance's R' in York.  Coming in from the west...Ole's in Paxton...especially for Sunday Brunch...they serve a royal feast and you can watch the taxidermy look back at you while dining.   

Worth the drive and a GPS may not find them unless you have their Lat./Lon...catch them on the weekend...The Speak Easy southwest of Funk near the booming village of Sacramento.  The last mile may prove a challenge if it's been or is rainy.  Even on a dry day the last mile makes you think you have reached the edge of the universe...still worth it though if you are after a good steak.  For those wanting a waypoint...Lat./Lon.= 40 24 29.68 North...99 16 30.78 West... or the traditional phone number...308-995-4757

Coming next...the best way to sneak in and out of GI.

They Still Don't Get It...

Grand Island's City Council and Mayor continue to show little sincerity in reducing city spending and holding property taxes at current levels. They continue to come up with nickel and dime cuts here and there but nothing with teeth.  

When you are talking about revenue shortfalls to the tune of millions the best they can come up with is the elimination of a bad idea round-about and cutting the funding for studies for an overpass that will only lead to traffic gridlock in downtown GI (the council was really sorry to have to cut the study funding because there were millions of dollars in "grant money" available for it's construction - why do local politicians and city managers believe "grant money" is free?)  They also decided not to build the Fire Training Center...after spending over half a million dollars for 20 acres to build it on...I want to know how that property was ever valued at $590K???

If they were serious they would permanently close the Heartland Shooting Park...cut back the overfunded public parks...and close the Library back a few more hours than the token 5 hours they offered.  Instead...they want to close two of the four recently built wading pools that are free to local children while a visit to the Water Park costs the better part of a 50 dollar bill for a family of four...and then terminate the people that actually fix our streets...sewers and water works and provide police safety.

GI's present and past Mayor's and Councils have spent taxpayer dollars like whores on a holiday...a new showplace city hall with major cost overruns...a Convention Center voted down twice by voters and of most recent the grab for the State Fair.  It's obvious that the State Fair was a red herring when other Nebraska cities wouldn't touch the State Fair.  We are now left with a deteriorating infrastructure that can't be funded because of frivolity.  Why didn't they have the foresight 10 to 20 years ago?  I can only attribute it to their own personal greed...that and the good old Chamber of Commerce mentality.

Mitch Nickerson...who has never been a taxpayers friend...must have drawn the short straw and offered up the possibility of a property tax increase while the Mayor clamored she just wanted the budget passed soon...she must have better things to do.  You can bank that our Mayor and Council already have a property tax increase planned and will hit us with it at the last moment because Lord knows we've cut everything imaginable...I call BS! 

Meanwhile our Mayor avoids city taxes on her family business...wants handouts to expand her business...all while making record profits as gun and bullet sales soar by 45 percent across America...all while paying $14.00 an hour. 

So when you pull into town to visit our State Fair...bring lots of cash and be sure to spend it...we need it.  Wear your Kevlar too...City and County Law Enforcement staffing is lean.  Try not to commit any crimes either...our Taj Mahal jail has too many vacancies and it's not generating enough revenue from the Feds...so you might have to cook your own meal before TV time.  Maybe they could cut costs at the jail by turning the air conditioner up a couple degrees.     

Coming soon...the best places to eat in and around Grand Island during the State Fair and how to sneak into town without using what will likely be a gridlocked Obama Stimulus Expressway - South Locust.    

"Recovery Summer"...A Joke At Best...

Gallup just completed a survey of weekly spending that reveals further decline in the average Americans spending during the first week of August 2010...a month where most parents are preparing for the new school year.  Even worse than last years poor numbers.  While the present administration...government officials and economic guru's right down to the local level keep singing the "Happy Song" one can only wonder how much worse it's going to get before it gets better.  To be honest...the way our government spends...all levels...I doubt we will see a "recovery" in our children's or grandchildren's lifetime.  

With "back to school spending" in the toilet...makes you wonder how Christmas sales will go after the seasonal employees get their pink slips.  

We Can't Do It...

The United States obviously is not able to afford legal immigration let alone the illegal influx.  It is time for "change."  I don't think the "change" we will be getting from our President and legislators will be in the right direction.

This Ain't Pleasantville Dorothy...

A story in this mornings GI Independent pretty much labeled GI's citizenry as a bunch of pigs.  According to Betty Curtis and Jack Sheard of the Clean Community System...who are in need of hundreds of volunteers to step forward and put a fresh face on our community...cause frankly GI looks like crap and it's long overdue. 

Why?  Because the State Fair is coming and we don't want to look bad.  According to Ms. Curtis...GI's property owners don't know trash when they see it because they have been buried in it for so long.  Ah...bliss is living in squalor and not realizing it.  So...we need volunteers to clean up other peoples trash...hundreds of volunteers.  

Hey Betty...maybe you can also provide some fresh paint for the ghetto housing along South Locust...and for the ratty looking taco stands working out of peoples front lawns.   Funny she didn't mention that the probabilities of being shot...stabbed or bludgeoned in GI is comparative to Omaha's.  Maybe she and Mr. Sheard can clean that up too...afterall we need to make that lasting impression.  

Why not hire a Hollywood scene crew to come in and build a facade up and down South Locust?  Sorry...I am spending too much time keeping my own yard clean than to worry about other peoples yards or business property.  I consider their comments to be an insult.  GI doesn't look any different than Lincoln or Omaha.