Halfast Traffic Count...

Our overpopulated Senior High School...that is an accident waiting to happen in itself already...is trying to close a street that separates the the school from the athletics fields.  The school administration says the street is dangerous and a threat to students crossing it during school hours and it should be closed.  Others say it is a land grab by the school to increase building space while others say closing the street won't solve the problem...only divert traffic to other sides of the school and create an inconvenience to local traffic.   

In their infinite wisdom our Mayor and City Council have ordered the street closed during school hours and a traffic count taken.  Our foot-wide newspaper has been running a daily traffic report...with both sides of the issue taking part.  The school says no complaints...the neighbors say otherwise.

To check things out I drove around the school and neighboring streets to see how the traffic count was being conducted.  What I found was that there appears to be no traffic counting equipment in place...anywhere.  Are they just running the test during school arrival and departure times then pulling the equipment or are they having the Calculus class come in early?  I don't know.  To run a meaningful count one would think that they would have counters on every street within a few blocks of the school 24/7 to note where the increases or decreases in flow are occurring.  Obviously not the case.  This morning a couple union guys were diverting traffic away from the school at State and Custer...after painting the intersection crosswalks.  Why would you schedule this during a valid traffic count?  I think the whole thing is a ruse by the City and School and that there will be a permanent street closing after the "comprehensive study."

A few options the school might have is to build a safe skywalk or tunnel over/under the street.  What I did notice this morning was that the closing of College Street at the school provides a better view of students crossing it where it is closed.  Maybe a permanent ban on parking on College Street south of the school would be a safe and serious consideration?  Passing motorists would have a better chance of spotting little Betty or Bobby as they step off the curb.  One would think a high school student would have learned how to cross a street safely by their junior year.   Another option would be build a second high school on the south side of town and reduce the number of students jammed into Senior High?  That place ever catches fire or a disaster strikes...the present Senior High will be a tragic scene.

One comment in the foot-wide paper also caught my attention.  One local said the traffic problem now extends to the Five Points area...that traffic is backed up.  For about a half hour to an hour each morning it is a busy intersection because of local school traffic...shortlived.  This scene has gone on for years...not just recently.  You would think this is Houston or Denver listening to some people.  If you can't handle the pressure of 5 Points at "rush hour"...leave earlier or later...or find an alternate route. 

 

Fresh Meat...and No Cheesy Suit...With Correction...

The Third District House race just got a little bit more interesting with the addition of Dan Hill running as a conservative Independent.  With the democrat contender holding on with a 17 percent share in a recent "who you gonna vote for" poll...a three-way split still leaves Adrian Smith as the front-runner.  

Hill says he and Smith share similar beliefs...except he isn't reluctant to take on a larger leadership role...something Smith hasn't done.  Smith does get points for listening to his constituents.  

I hope Smith finds time for at least 3 or 4 debates...I don't expect it though.  I think Hill is a viable candidate and deserves a listen...especially when incumbents get too comfortable in their position...you never know. 

Correction 9/10/2010...an email this morning from an anonymous commenter corrected me on Adrian Smith's voting record in Congress and I must apologize for my gross error and set the record straight.  I misread my source.

Again...my sincere apologies to Congressman Smith...and no...I do not "just make up stuff" in my postings.  I strive to be 100% accurate.

Here are the facts...

• Adrian Smith has only missed 31 of 3,385 (<1%) roll call votes since Jan 4, 2007.  This is the 30th best voting record in Congress. 

• Adrian Smith has sponsored 11 bills since Jan 4, 2007 of which 10 haven't made it out of committee and none were successfully enacted.  Smith has co-sponsored 261 bills during the same time period.

The Answer My Friend Is Not Blowin' In The Wind...

An interesting article that provides a nice overall perspective.

Grand A"Fair" - Day One...

Wow...it was packed...automobiles lined both sides of the streets for blocks...filling church parking lots...children filled with excitement...people wheeling in in wheel chairs...I kid you not.  Not on the south side of town...but the north.  Day one of the State Fair...and Skagway North...GI's long-time super market puts on it's annual free customer appreciation barbeque with live entertainment at Abbott Park across the street from their store.  I bet there were over a thousand people served.  Didn't see any out of county freeloaders...it was a majority of hard working Grand Island people.

Heineman was at the State Fair Grand Opening with his toothy cheerleader smile working the crowd...Mike Meister showed up in his Goodwill suit...is it seersucker?...and bad mouthed the Gov. on the 6 o'clock NTV news.  Funny thing was...Heineman followed Meister and although he didn't throw any cheap shots back at Meister...he did go out of his way to make sure he said he wasn't going to lower himself by throwing any cheap shots at Meister like Meister threw at him.  A true gentleman politician wouldn't have even acknowledged that Meister made a cheap shot in the first place.  Sticks and Stones Governor.  Heineman's mistake of the day was not showing up at the Skagway barbeque and hanging out with some real Nebraskans.

One proud moment for GI and the State Fair came when our Mayor proclaimed..."Take a whiff...we don't stink anymore."

Greatest BS Story of the Year...

If you believe this to the degree it is being reported...I have some bridge stock on the Platte River you might be interested in.

Hindenburg Update....

The father of the "Hindenburg Omen" has parachuted from the ship.  Thought the DJI was on a slight rebound early this afternoon then it tanked.  Obama's "Summer of Recovery" continues...tanking markets and housing values in the toilet. 

The Best Way To Get To The State Fair...

Ok...there is no best way...expect traffic congestion and delays once you hit the GI city limits...I am sure the local AM newsradio will be providing traffic updates.  

If you are coming in on the newly finished South Locust "Obama Stimulus Expressway" (paid for with "free money" I might add) expect the first bottleneck at the south Wal-Mart.  There are two poorly placed traffic lights within less than a block of each other at the Highway 34 junction and unless the City Engineer or Traffic Division has a brainfart and realizes this will be a problem...there will be issues.  The next bottleneck will be at the main entrance on South Locust on the west side of Fonner.  On an average day there is lots of local traffic going both ways and with Fair traffic crossing into Fonner from the north it will be jam city.  I wonder if they will close off left turns from the north into Fonner?...or if they will use the traffic light or have the NSP doing hand and arm signals?  It's two lanes each way and unless the locals stay home it will be gridlock.  A story in this morning's foot-wide newspaper tells how the local Chamber of Horrors...er...Commerce will be conducting daily prayer services during the Fair to pray for smooth traffic flow.  Everyone is "hoping."    

If you are coming from the east I suggest taking the east exit on I-80...cruise into town on 34/2...take the free turn onto South Locust and then wait in the mile-and-a-half line like everyone else...keep to the right.  Coming from west or north...you are on your own...everyone knows no one lives west or north of GI.  Don't try parking in any of the surrounding business lots...they are already posting notices in the local foot-wide newspaper saying violators will be towed.  Skagway South and Advance Auto Parts...as well as some other businesses are offering $10.00 parking but it is limited to a few stalls.  Shuttle service will be available from satellite parking areas where-ever they are.     

As a good citizen I promise to avoid South Locust during the Fair.  The key is to drive safely and be patient.  And no road rage...

No Change Here...

Getting back to the serious side of things....the right of our out-of-state and overseas military personnel to vote in local and national elections has been a hot button issue with me for years.  

In 2008, when Nebraska's Democratic leadership decided to be like Iowa and control ballots with a "caucus"...one issue that jumped out immediately was how this process denied our military personnel a fair shot in picking candidates.  I wrote members of the NDP and Ben Nelson pointing out how a caucus would not let our troops be a true part of the process.  All I got back was lip service.  Nebraska's first Democratic Caucus came and went...in utter failure and with record low participation...contrary to their toutings.

Things haven't changed a lick for our troops...their voice remains stifled and our friends in D.C...on the Democratic side for some reason...still turn their backs on the men and women they send into harms way.  Get off your butt Senator Nelson and straighten this mess out.  Our troops have earned their right to vote...and to have their vote counted.

Snub The Tub...

Prince Charles says the Brits...and the rest of us I guess...should rip out our bathtubs and stick to a short 5-minute shower to help stem the tide of excess carbon use that he and "Chicken of the Sea" James Cameron believe is destroying our planet.  The princely comments were more amusing than the article...especially the one from the poet in St. Louis. 

Loose Cannon Alert...

Chuck Hagel tooted his horn again today endorsing Pennsylvania's Joe "Gimme A Job and I'll Leave Arlen Alone" Sestak as his pick for the U.S. Senate.

Political motivation???  You betcha...Hagel is hoping Obama will look his way when he reloads his cabinet...Secretary of Defense...Secretary of Defense.  It's funny in a sickening way how far ego drives politicians.