My mom was over to visit and sent my little boy PJ into the office, where I was loading my iPod, with a card and this message:
If you haven’t gone to Papa’s Pumpkin Patch yet, you really should! It’s bigger every year, and really cool to run around. There are plenty of good photos to be had, too…even if you don’t have the two cutest little boys in the Bismarck-Mandan area like I do.
What would Otto von Bismarck think? After all, our capital city was originally named Edwinton but later renamed after Herr Chancellor in order to attract German immigrants (and investment in the railroad).
Apparently the City of Bismarck once again that someone having fun within their domain could not be tolerated, and went after Midwest Motor Express. They claimed that MME was operating a “racetrack” in violation of City Ordinance 14-02-03.
This trail obviously falls within the definition of a recreational trail, not a race track, and thankfully the court saw this as well. John Roswick of MME emailed me the court’s decision in PDF format. He has given me permission to link to the PDF, since it’s a matter of public record: click here to view.
I suppose I’m still smarting from what the City did back when they redid Sertoma Park. The sandbars used to be filled with people having a good time, and the road through Sertoma was a common place to see people cruising around during the summer. Parking was ample, and people would park along the road to walk to the sandbar. There were football and volleyball games, sunbathing, swimming, and tons of other activities on the sandbars. Then the City came along. I have no doubts that busting up all the activity on the sandbars was a reason for the park’s new configuration, and the new Sertoma Park made getting to the sandbar a hassle. Thus all those pesky kids and their fun-havin’ were forced to go somewhere else. And they did.
This also brings up the issue of the City trying to flex its muscles outside of the normal city limits. I don’t know if MME currently resides in city limits, but in North Dakota the cities have say in what goes on for miles outside their legal boundaries! How a county resident can get hassled by representatives of a city government in which he has NO representation or right to vote is beyond me. Hopefully there won’t be a long line of people like MME, who is simply trying to serve a segment of community, who get hassled by government policy-pushers looking to flex their political muscle.
The cats were lined up along the windows and fence because it was just about dinner time for them. No, not because my two little boys and I were on the other side of the glass. The zoo staff were running around on their golf carts, delivering chow. These cats heard things banging around over at the bear exhibit, and I’m guessing they have been conditioned to expect their meat soon after.
Zoo hours are already cut dramatically, to only a few hours a day on a select few days. Gates are open from 1pm to 5pm, Friday through Sunday, weather permitting. I still haven’t seen the snow leopards. Time’s a-wasting!
The new Memorial Bridge really is cool, despite not having a walkway on the north side for people who want to enjoy the view. However, with the old Memorial Bridge going bye-bye for good, we have only the Northern Pacific bridge to grace the river with its historic appearance and arched spans. Perhaps the sentimentality local residents showed toward the Memorial Bridge will shift toward the NP bridge, although most of Bismarck-Mandan’s citizens have never crossed it. We do love our landmarks, don’t we?
The west span came down in a blaze of glory today, being cut into pieces by shaped charges, and dropped into the drink in 26 large chunks (plus assorted debris).
I staked out a place on the fake riverboat at Steamboat Park early this morning. At 7:30 people were already parked and waiting. I got a great spot, met lots of really neat people, and got some great photos and video. Click below to watch the big bang, both in real-time and slow motion. You’ll hear my camera shutter going mad in the background.
I have more photos from the event, but those will have to come later. I have to get back to work. Span #2 will come down in a week or so, and I’m hoping to be there as well!
This plane is painted in official USA colors, similar to Air Force One. That’s what caught my eye. Of course, this was one of the few times I didn’t have my camera with me, so I had to use my cellphone. I showed PJ the plane, we watched a Basin Electric jet land and taxi, and then it was time to go home and get mommy for a stroller walk to the park.
At home I saw a portion of the local news, and it all clicked into place: the First Lady was in town! Aha. Her upcoming visit was not announced, so most people (like me) found out about it after the fact. Rather than go look for the plane after learning of the visit, I found the plane and then learned that the First Lady was in town. Discovery in reverse!
In addition, the navigable river channel will be closed for 24 hours, from around 9:30 am Monday until mid-morning Tuesday. I don’t know the boundaries, but I would expect them to be from the Grant Marsh or NP bridge to the Expressway Bridge. The good rule of thumb is to just stay clear.
Only the west span is coming down Monday; The additional spans will come down later this month. When these demolitions occur, of course the new bridge will be closed (see the map). Plan accordingly. Road closures will be from around 9:45am until 10:30am.
Want resources? Mike Kopp at the ND DOT was gracious enough to pass them along:
A large copy of the above map, in PDF format so it can be printed;
Construction Update (Word DOC) containing work details;
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about the bridge demolition process (Word DOC).
You can expect plenty of photos and perhaps even video here after I get a chance to parse Monday’s results. After that, we still have two spans to go!
I’ve also heard that a fantastic vantage point is near/in/on the new Energy Center up on BSC hill. I have friends who work in that building who will be glued to the windows when this takes place! I suppose that fancy new building is going to have a lot of noseprints on the inside of its glass exterior.