IS IT TRUE? June 17, 2011
IS IT TRUE that Keep Evansville Beautiful has some renderings of concepts for renderings of Gateway projects to make the northern entrance to the City of Evansville attractive?…that this is a project that is bigger than most think and long overdue?…that the North 41 entrance to town is so ugly that we KNOW of recruiters who avoid the route altogether for prospective employees and customers?…that one very prominent local institution heads north from the airport on 57 and turns right on Oak Hill Road to bring prospects from the airport into Evansville?…that this is a big and most important project and that anyone who likes can comment on the ideas today at the Keep Evansville Beautiful headquarters at 223 Main Street in downtown Evansville?…that citizen input and approval is vital to projects like this?
IS IT TRUE that some thoughts have surfaced that may obscure some of the ugliness of the buildings on our northern corridor?…that the first thought is that there are too many stoplights?…that an ugly building is not quite as offensive if you are not stopped for two minutes and forced to look at it?…that there is not one redeeming architectural building or feature coming to town from the north?…that the only unique feature is the giant Santa Claus with his arm extended as if doing a “Heil Hitler†salute?…that for that impression alone Santa should be retired?…that a wall or a vine screen tall enough to obscure the view of all of the buildings on the east side of highway 41 from St. George Road to Pigeon Creek would hide the aged and featureless buildings?…that the Whirlpool building although privately owned presents a particular challenge?…that the big blue building always draws questions from visitors?…that the answers to these questions do not reflect well on Evansville?…that the Whirlpool building with is distinctive color and tired corporate logo are a monument to one of Evansville’s biggest failures to adapt?…that Whirlpool Corp. bears some of the responsibility but that we the people of Evansville are the ones left holding the bag?…that if the Whirlpool building is left standing that its image needs to invoke vision for a future and not simply be a reminder of the way we were?
IS IT TRUE that when a solution is found that works on the northern corridor that it should be implemented on the Lloyd Expressway between 41 and Fulton too?…that the 100 year old abandoned buildings in that corridor are a good indicator of what the northern entrance will look like in a few years if something is not done about it now?…that the southern gateway to Evansville is in similar need of some improvement?…that Southlane Drive needs paint for the guardrails and the world’s largest air freshener dispenser to be attractive to visitors and residents alike?…that Ann Ennis and KEB are on the task and that with great ideas and local financial support our gateways really can give a good first impression?
IS IT TRUE that one of our readers has really been unloading on the performance of the Evansville Otters this year?…that the Otters have played 25 games this year and have lost 20 of them?…that Evansville is far and away the largest city in the Frontier League and has the only stadium of significance?…that the Otters difficulty in finding success year after year is proof that talent on the field and talent on the coaching staff are what it takes to win in any league?…that all of the bricks, mortar, history, fans, or even bravado cannot make up for the failure to put talent in the uniform?…that the Otters lost last night to a team called “the Cornbeltersâ€?…that the last time the Otters won a championship that the coach left town over compensation and that the Otters have not been competitive since?…that it is still an enjoyable experience and that the food is good and affordable?…that in baseball and other business we get what we pay for?…that if we as a city are not keeping up with other places it is because we are not investing in talent?…that maybe the Otters performance is a good mascot Evansville?…that would be mass quantities of cheap food, an attraction to the past, and a 20% win and 80% loss record against poor competition?
IS IT TRUE that the Jacobsville neighborhood is starting to get some attention from City Hall?…that the decision to start studying about how to make massive improvements to Jacobsville is a good decision and that Habitat for Humanity is the right kind of partner to engage in the implementation of solutions?…that it is about time that some focus is being given to something other than the Front Door Pride area?…that for each FDP house that loses $100,000 with every sale, 5 or more Habitat homes could have been built?…that the market demographics in the FDP neighborhood are much more suited to Habitat’s size and pricing than they are to the quite nice $200k homes that FDP constructs?…that we hope that the City of Evansville’s next administration has a better sense of appropriateness and practices fiscal sanity?
Otters feedback, first game attended in about four years (date: Sunday, 6/12/2011):
Weather: Perfection, 80 degrees, zero humidity and nice breeze for a 1:05 PM Sunday start time
Tickets: $ 5 each, fair price. 2 minutes after I had purchased ours, a guy comes buy the front gate with four free tickets, and he couldn’t even give them away (a moment of comic relief)
Cheeseburger: $ 3.50, terrible with no flavor, overcooked and lukewarm. McDouble for $ 1.00 any day.
Bratwurst: $ 4.00, worst wurst ever. Didn’t even have onions, good grief !
Draft Beer: $ 6.75 for 32-oz. Bud or Shock Top. Excellent value if you drink fast.
Can Beer: $ 4.00 for 24-oz. Bud: another excellent value.
Bathrooms: last cleaned on the day Nixon resigned, or so it seems, a true ‘wake up call’ upon walking in;
On-the-Field: Win # 5, thanks to the awesome DH Mr. Dalton, all 6’7″, 275 lbs (HR and 2B).
Parking and getaway: Parking free on paved lot. Crawford Door lot is no longer available for parking. Easy getaway after the game onto Maxwell eastbound.
Attendance: 1,707 (and everyone else will wish they went on one of the few low-humidity days of the Summer).
Overall experience was good, not great, some improvements needed. More players like the DH will get fans in the seats, so I agree with the Editor’s assessment that we are not investing in (or at least getting) talent.
The Otters management has been making a lot of roster changes to try to turn the tide, and I wish them luck.
I have been informed that the DH’s name is Durant, not Dalton. Apologies, Mr. Durant, nice piece of hitting last Sunday !
The Kunkel Group should do something to the Whirlpool facility. They should update the facade and rename the facility with some catchy name and new signage. They purchased it with the intent to market it to new industries, it would make sense for them to invest a little in the looks of the facade.
IS it true? That the people of Evansville worries more about what outsiders think than what people who live in town think about our town?
Is it true that this project is the 3rd major project the KEB has done north of the Lloyd expressway in the last 15 years?
Is it true that there are no future plans for anything south of the Lloyd nor has there ever been?
Is it true that the most urbanized area of Highway 41 is south of the Lloyd?
Is it true that more people travel the Henderson, KY to Lloyd corridor than the Lloyd to Hwy 57 corridor?
Is it true that the most blighted area on highway 41 is south of the Lloyd?
Is it True that when Highway 41 was built in the late 60’s, that the City of Evansville Engineers, the State Highway Commission and Mayor Russell Lloyd Sr. recommended to put Highway 41 on stilts from Division to Washington Ave? http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=918725
Is it true that the issues that have since surfaced since Highway 41 has been built south of the Lloyd, are still in causing problems today and the the City of Evansville and the State of Indiana do not take any initiative(s) to make corrective actions on this corridor?
Is it true that if Highway 41 were built today by todays highway building standards that the only major changes to highway 41 would be south of the Lloyd?
CD
The Otters aren’t in the Horizon League, they are in the Frontier League.
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