Ho Hum

I guess someone somewhere thinks that the Beaux Arts Ball is front page news. Not in my universe, however. To me it's more of an "On the Street" entry.

On a positive side, the Sunday editorial concerning airline service was good and strong. You can debate whether the federal government should be subsidizing itty-bitty airports across the land, but as long as it is, then the airlines that are lined up at the trough to get the money should provide service as promised.

Other good stuff

The story on the horrific murders in Iowa was good.

You know what I'd like to see sometime? A review of some more of Quincy's unsolved murders, like the one that happened oh, maybe 13-14 years ago. The kid who went to the Chelsea Theatre, apparently hooked up with someone, and was found dead in a field. Can't remember the details, but at the time it was just such a heartbreaking tragedy......and there was a little whiff of who-cares-about-gays in the event, as I recall.

Chances are not good that someone would see such a story and have his or her memory (or conscience) jogged, but you never know.

Another enjoyable story was the 10 unusual things about Quincy. However, I think there are more than 10......some of Quincy's unusual things got left off the list. Such as.......

11. Ancient little people whose heads barely bob up above the steering wheels of their giant Buicks, creeping down Broadway at 20 miles an hour in the left lane, and slowing down for green lights because, you know, they could turn yellow any minute.

12. Rusted-out hulks with Missouri plates and pissing Calvins in the back glass, which amazingly enough are caught up to by the giant Buicks because THEY'RE GOING EVEN SLOWER. Good thing Missouri has a vehicle inspection law, or I'd think some of those smoking heaps might be unsafe to drive. Speaking of which, if the city passes a smoking ban, will those trucks be let across the bridge?

The QU story

Nice piece of newsgathering......the announcement is made around 10:30 and it makes the afternoon paper.

I especially liked the timeline. Nobody can remember the sequence of events on any subject like that, so it's helpful to have them all summarized in one place. Plus......nothing says "clueless board of trustees" like a collection of all their inane comments and actions--four-year contract extension followed by "excusing" the president a few months later.

And has anyone ever used a lamer euphemism than "excused"?

I miss The Quincy Dump......

Sure, it was a rant.

Ok, it was a one-note howl.

But I still miss it.

O Dump, Where Art Thou? Have you calmed down? Have you lost your vengeful thirst? Is there nothing to criticize in the local media any more?

An Aside.....

Not local-media-related, but just to say--

"Friday Night Lights" is the best show I've seen on television in years, and that includes the much-praised HBO shows. Complex characters with surprising strengths and flaws, a great depiction of an American locale, and gosh! no lawyers, cops or doctors so far. Best of all, high school aged boys portrayed as a widely varied group of human beings, not just jocks or nerds. It's one of those you'll-never-figure-out-the-story-if-you-didn't-start-at-the-beginning types of shows, so if you want to pick it up at this point, you should go to nbc.com and watch all the previous episodes online from the start. And yes, it's about football in a sense; kind of the same way that "Trainspotting" is about trains.

It might be worth 50 cents to read.....

A story that interviews the directors of the YMCA, QU gym, John Wood gym/rec center, CYO gym, Washington Theatre, Oakley-Lindsay Center, and other similar facilities in the area about how having a 500-pound gorilla (excuse me, $40 million Salvation Army community center) in town is going to affect their attendance and programming. "Among the planned features are a worship center, an indoor ice arena, a climbing wall, an aquatic area, performing and fine arts center, a gymnasium, a fitness center, a child care facility, a teen center, a youth fitness arcade and classrooms," says the Whig.

The Kroc donation is an amazing thing. But as the OLC's recent history suggests, Quincy may already be overbuilt with large public spaces. I would expect a couple of facilities to go the way of the YWCA and eliminate or severely cut back some of their programs because of simple economics.