Time For J.D. Granger's Forensic Job Performance Review

What is going on? Is it now a daily thing where the Fort Worth Star-Telegram publishes an embarrassingly inept article about the ongoing debacle now known as America's Biggest Boondoggle?

Today's entry is titled It’s a $1B project, but Panther Island’s head honcho has never had a written job review.

Before we take a look at all of this latest Star-Telegram propaganda let's jump to the end of the article, with its last sentence a bit of defiance delivered by the disgraced Head Honcho, J.D. Granger, responding to demands that a forensic audit take place looking at the twelve years J.D. has been mismanaging the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision...

If the independent review showed the need for organizational change, J.D. Granger said he’d be open reporting to the board or receiving written evaluators. “I’m fine with that,” he said. “I think I’ve done a great job for 12 years, so bring it on.”

Oh, it's on, J.D.

Now, let's just look at one or two other odd items in this latest Star-Telegram article about the Boondoggle...

J.D. Granger, the executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority, said near constant communication with his boss has ensured that his work is up to par during his 12 years on the job. The authority oversees promotion and coordination of the Panther Island project and is a political subdivision of the Tarrant Regional Water District.

J.D. thinks his constant communication with his boss has ensured his work is up to par? What is that par? An extremely low expectation? As in a low bar par? Up to par for 12 years on the job? Can we get some sort of accounting telling us what J.D. thinks he has accomplished during this over a decade period? Let's start with Cowtown Wakepark and go from there.

And what is with this now multiply repeated assertion that the (TRV) authority oversees promotion and coordination of the Panther Island project? This seemingly absurd assertion comes up again deeper into the article where the actual project somehow becomes the sole purview of the Army Corps of Engineers...

The authority has been the public face of the project, promoting Panther Island events, coordinating government agencies and vetting design standards for development of the future island, but the Army Corps of Engineers would manage construction of the channel and other federally funded flood-control pieces.

There we have the new propaganda repeated again. The (TRV) authority's purpose is to promote events, coordinate agencies and vet design standards. Yet, somehow, due to the revelation of email exchanges between J.D. and his mother, we learn it was J.D.'s interference with an Army Corps of Engineer's plan to use the West 7th Street Bridge design for the Boondoggle's Panther Island three simple little bridges. J.D. insisted the now controversial V-Pier design be used, to the consternation of multiple engineers who have called a stop to the bridge building multiple times, hence the bridges being nowhere near completion after beginning with a TNT explosion way back in 2014.

We blogged about J.D.'s interference in the bridge design in America's Biggest Boondoggle Unravels As Trinity River Vision Scandals Grow. The Army Corps of Engineers approved of the West 7th Street Bridge design, included federal funds paying for the bridges, and indicated the bridges would be built in a timely fashion, long ago completed, unlike J.D. Granger's V-Pier Bridge Debacle, with the three simple little bridges being built over dry land now not expected to be completed until possibly, maybe, hopefully, in 2020, six years after starting construction.

But, the bridge building debacle is not J.D.'s fault, because, as we now have learned, he is only responsible for event planning, such as Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, Octoberfest, and other music type events at the imaginary world class music venue at the imaginary island with the imaginary pavilion.That and J.D. is also responsible for vetting design standards.

Let's see how much J.D. has been paid for event planning and vetting design standards...

Granger, son of Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, earns $213,000 a year in his publicly funded position. 

What designs have J.D. vetted one can not help but wonder, with J.D.'s vetting expertise worth millions if you multiply his annual salary by the 12 years he has been busy boondoggling? Did J.D.'s law school training teach him how to be an event planner? Is this why his event planning skills are worth paying him so much money?

This Star-Telegram article brings up a new confusion not seen made mention of previously. Three paragraphs illustrate this...

Fort Worth city manager David Cooke said he asked about evaluations for the executive director’s position when he first joined the authority’s board. At the time, having the position report directly to Oliver, who reports to a separate water district board, made sense and “didn’t raise any red flags.”

But Cooke said the independent review should address whether that command structure works.

“It’s an appropriate question,” he said. “You’ve got the director of the TRVA reporting to the TRWD director, who reports the the water district board, not (the TRVA) board.”
So, apparently we have a Trinity River Vision Authority board of directors (unelected) whose director, J.D. Granger, reports to the Tarrant Regional Water District director, who then reports to the TRWD board of directors, who are elected.

And somehow this mess of nonsense has mismanaged itself into being America's Biggest Boondoggle....

More Star-Telegram Panther Island Propaganda Nonsense

America's Biggest Boondoggle really does get to be exhausting.

Now that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has finally gotten around to sort of noticing that something is dire wrong with the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision more words have been printed in the Star-Telegram about the subject in the past couple months than in the past dozen plus years this embarrassment has been limping along.

And yet, the Star-Telegram still does not seem to be able to bring itself to print words which one would think a responsible newspaper of record would print.

As in print the truth. And question the nonsense.

Many have long wondered if the Star-Telegram is crippled in its coverage by the fact that the Trinity River Vision Authority headquarters take up the ground floor of the Star-Telegram building. This might explain why the Star-Telegram seems to be a propaganda cohort for the ongoing debacle.

Let's just take a little look at this most recent Star-Telegram article about America's Biggest Boondoggle, titled Officials say Panther Island is on track. But it needs a lot of money soon.

Just the article headline is ridiculous. Needs a lot of money, but the project is on track? Yes, that headline makes a lot of sense.

Entities the Star-Telegram deem to be "officials" said Tuesday the project is on track for completion in the next decade.

But, this project has been propaganda-ized as a vitally needed flood control project. And yet, with that flood control supposedly vitally needed, in an area of Fort Worth which has not flooded for well over half a century, this vitally needed flood control project awaits federal handouts.

And then there is the fraudulently worded ballot measure, passed last May 5 for $250 million purported to be for flood control and drainage, but with those same supposed "officials" later admitting the funds would be going to the Panther Island debacle. A truth which caused Fort Worth Mayor, Betsy Price, to call for an audit of the entire Trinity River Vision mess.

An amazingly hubris laden bit in this article from J.D. Granger's fellow philanderer, Jim Oliver...

Jim Oliver, general manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District which has partnered with Fort Worth and Tarrant County, said Panther Island has always been seen as a long-term project. It is expected to be completed by 2028.

Really? Completed by 2028? Way back when this ridiculousness was first foisted on the public, way back near the start of this century, with a HUGE headline in the Star-Telegram proclaiming something like "TRINITY UPTOWN TO TURN FORT WORTH INTO VANCOUVER OF THE SOUTH" there was no mention made that this project would take multiple decades to come to fruition.

I remember reading that headline and thinking to myself what moronic idiocy is this going to be. I had already become wary of Star-Telegram propaganda, way back then. Who could have guessed this Vancouver of the South thing would get so absurd. morphing into things like Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

Trust me, in neither of the Vancouvers of the North do they do any River Rockin' in any polluted waterways.

Which leads us to the bizarre J.D. Granger part of this latest Star-Telegram Boondoggle propaganda...

Oliver spoke Tuesday during the water district’s monthly meeting where J.D. Granger, executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority charged with coordinating the project, gave an overview of the authority’s responsibility.

Granger said he believes that the community is confused about the authority’s role. It is not to develop the land. Its main role is vetting developer ideas and promoting a tax district through event programming, he said.

“We’re not building anything,” he said.

Well, for once I guess J.D. Granger speaks the truth. They really have not managed to build anything worthwhile in well over a decade of boondoggling.

Granger is claiming his main job is to vet developer ideas and promote events? Really? I sort of remember J.D. touting at a TNT explosion, way back in 2014, that now the public would finally be able to see some vertical construction, with those three simple little bridges under construction over dry land.

And did not J.D. Granger tout the now failed Cowtown Wakepark pond as a Trinity River Vision Authority production, providing the coveted sport of wakeboarding to a longing urban population?

J.D. Granger is being paid over $200 K a year for developer vetting and event planning? How's that developer vetting going? See a lot of developments being developed on the imaginary island?

If that forensic audit of America's Biggest Boondoggle actually takes place it will be interesting to learn how much money had been spent over how many years for salaries and perks of the TRVA employees, starting with J.D. Granger.

How much has been spent on junkets to supposedly look at other town's water projects. A lot of people went along on those junkets, according to our inside the TRVA source known as Deep Moat.

How many dollars have been spent via TRVA expense accounts, for lunches, dinners, hotel stays in Dallas, and other similar wasting of public funds.

And yet these nimrods don't seem to understand why those who dole out federal funds are now asking for a detailed analysis of this lame project's financial feasibility?

Will this perplexing nonsense ever come to an end?

Is This Photo Documentation Of J.D. Granger's Final Boondoggle Beer Party?

Yesterday we talked about Hotpepper Deep Moat Search For J.D. Granger Junket Shenanigans.

And now today let's talk about some more J.D. Granger shenanigans.

But first I have a sort of embarrassing confession to make.

Somehow, in October, whilst I escaped Texas for a month in Arizona, something went awry with Google emailing me comments made to various posts on my various blogs and websites.

I discovered this lapse yesterday when I saw there were 258 comments awaiting moderation just for this blog you are reading right now. Most of those comments awaiting moderation I delete when I see them in incoming email, due to them being spam, stupid or not hitting the publish button worthy. The comments can show up for something like 11,000 blog posts, spanning something like 12 years. It's a daunting task keeping keeping on top of it.

Anyway, the number one comment maker, named Anonymous, made a comment back in October, which I only managed to get around to publishing yesterday....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fort Worth Weekly Sees Trinity River Vision Sleigh Sleight Of Hand...":

JD Granger & Matt Oliver celebrating Oktoberfest before finding out about the Boondoggle losing its federal funding. The pertinent photos are #68 and #81.

Oktoberfest Fort Worth 2018 at Panther Island Pavilion

_________________

The # 68 photo to which Anonymous refers is the one above, which makes the one below # 81.

The loss of Boondoggle funding, which took the smile off J.D. Granger's face, along with the smiles on the faces of his fellow grifters, I did manage to blog about whilst I was in Arizona, most notably in With Federal Funding Cut Will Fort Worth Finally End America's Biggest Boondoggle?

That is the notorious J.D. on the left side of the # 81 photo, mouth open. No clue if the guy reaching towards Granger, with the stein of beer is about to pour beer down J.D.'s gullet in some sort of Octoberfest frat boy type ritual.

I have been told that in addition to losing federal funding J.D. and his fellow grifters in the Granger Gang are nervous about the recent demands for a forensic audit which would look into how many public funds have been spent on things like this Octoberfest beer party.

Such as how much was spent to make the Octoberfest beer hall?

Were public funds used by J.D. and his girl friend/fiance, Shanna Cate, for their multiple trips to Germany to check out how the home country of Octoberfest does their festing?

Inquiring minds, and lawyers, want to know...

Hotpepper Deep Moat Search For J.D. Granger Junket Shenanigans

Last week someone asked Elsie Hotpepper to ask me if I could remember any specific details, such as precise dates, about junkets led by J.D. Granger on ostensible TRVA fact finding missions.

Such junket details would have been blogged many years ago, back when someone inside the TRVA, calling him or herself Deep Moat, was sending me details about various things eye witnessed, or known about, which disgusted Deep Moat.

Including being disgusted by married man, J.D. Granger's office affair with Shanna Cate. I was told about this inappropriate office shenanigan years ago, as in many years ago, and yet recently the guy who is J.D.'s boss, Jim Oliver, claims he only learned of this compromising relationship two years ago, admitting this when details of the affair recently came to light,in NBC TV reports raising questions about nepotism being rife in the TRWD and TRVA, causing disgruntlement in the TRWD/TRVA employee ranks.

So, this question about junket details had me searching my own blog because the search tool works better than my apparently failing memory. This search soon came to a blog post I had long forgotten, published back on Monday, July 29, 2013, titled The Continuing Quest To Find Who Is At The Center Of Fort Worth's Culture Of Corruption.

In light of the growing realization that something is dire wrong with the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, and with many people now calling for the firing or resignation of J.D. Granger, and a forensic audit of this ongoing embarrassment which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, I found what I read in that blog post from over five years ago to be currently even more relevant.

Below are a few lines from The Continuing Quest To Find Who Is At The Center Of Fort Worth's Culture Of Corruption...

Re-reading what Clyde Picht wrote about J.D. Granger being picked as the guy to run the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle is why at this point in time, in the graphic above, I have J.D. Granger at the Center of Fort Worth's Culture of Corruption.

Re-reading what Clyde Picht wrote got me thinking about TRWD board member Mary Kelleher's quest to get TRWD documents available for Mary's, and the public's perusal.

Thinking about TRWD documents got me wondering what sort of documentation exists of the communications between J.D. Granger and Jim Oliver regarding hiring J.D. to run the TRVB project.

J.D Granger was working as an assistant District Attorney. So, what happened? Did J.D. get a call one day, during a break from prosecuting, from Jim Oliver? An email? A personal meeting?

When Jim Oliver suggested to J.D. Granger that he was the man he wanted to run the TRV Boondoggle, what did J.D. say?

Did J.D. say to Jim Oliver I have absolutely no qualifications for such a job? Did J.D. ask Jim Oliver why are you thinking I could, or should, take this job?

What was Jim Oliver's explanation, to J.D., as to why Jim Oliver thought J.D. was the man for this particular job?

_________________

Go to The Continuing Quest To Find Who Is At The Center Of Fort Worth's Culture Of Corruption to read what Clyde Picht had to say, years ago, about the hiring of J.D. Granger for a job for which it is now horribly obvious he was not qualified...

Baffling Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial About America's Biggest Boondoggle

Yesterday we blogged about Elsie Hotpepper's Midnight Fort Worth Weekly Cookin' The Trinity River Vision Books Turkey Alert.

On that same day the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published an opinion piece from the Star-Telegram Editorial Board, pretty much about the same subject, sort of.

With that subject being America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

That being a vision which now, in 2018, is pretty much universally viewed as being an imaginary vision,, with an imaginary island, imaginary bridges and an imaginary project executive director in the form of Congresswoman Kay Granger's boy, J.D., who has zero qualifications for such a project. A fact now painfully obvious to anyway who has watched this sad vision gradually develop a bad case of macular degeneration.

The Star-Telegram's editorial is titled Has Fort Worth’s vision for Panther Island exceeded its grasp?

This editorial is a typical Star-Telegram bit of propaganda misinformation, disguised to seem to be well intentioned.

Rarely does any article in the Star-Telegram generate any comments. This editorial, a day after being published, has generated two comments. The second of the comments we will get to before taking a look at what the commenter is commenting about...

Jim Schermbeck: No quotes from a decade of uncritical S-T's editorials supporting this boondooggle? No acknowledgement of its own complicity? Newspaper, heal thy self.

My reaction to this Star-Telegram editorial was the same as Mr. Schermbeck's. As in the editorial struck me as being bald faced hypocritical. Let's go through what the Star-Telegram had to say...

Fourteen years after its rollout — and just months after this year’s public vote of confidence, in the passage of a local $250 million bond referendum — the $1.16 billion vision has hit a huge sandbar: half a billion in federal funding, approved by Congress in 2016 and thought to be in the bank, was not included in the Trump administration’s current spending plans or Army Corps of Engineers budget.

Public vote of confidence? The Star-Telegram actually feels okay with signing on to this bit of Trinity River Vision/Kay Granger propaganda? First off, all the voters in the city of Fort Worth were not allowed to vote on this imaginary vote of confidence. Just like all affected are not allowed to vote on TRWD board elections. The ballot verbiage indicated the $250 million was for flood control and drainage issues. There was no mention in the ballot measure of anything to do with what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle. Many have called this fraud and have asked for some sort of investigation.

Moving on...

It’s important that in our grand vision we don’t lose sight of the fact that the genesis and primary purpose of the Panther Island project is flood control. The Trinity River authority’s own materials tout the need to shore up the 1960s-era levees and bolster them with the “1.5-mile bypass channel, three new flood gates, expanded storm water valley storage opportunities and a new dam.”

Say what? Grand vision? The primary purpose is flood control? In an area of Fort Worth which has not flooded since levees were built in the 1950s. Note, 1950s. Not 1960s. The now disgraced TRV Authority touts the need to shore up those levees which have done their job for well over half a century, by bolstering the levees with a bypass channel, three new flood gates, and some "expected" valley water storage, along with a new dam?

New flood gates? Three of them? Where are the old flood gates? Expected water storage? Isn't that water storage area what has been dug in the area of Gateway Park? Flood storage needed if the bypass ditch is ever dug, with flood waters racing at much greater speed towards Arlington and Dallas. The Star-Telegram forgot to mention J.D. Granger's 60,000 Magic Trees which are also supposedly supposed to help stem a flood.

And then this in this embarrassing editorial...

While it’s an enticing byproduct that we’d be creating “12 miles of publicly accessible waterfront consisting of a river promenade, riverwalk system and a 30-acre town lake as its centerpiece,” and “doubling the size of downtown,” the main mission is to protect the downtown that we already have.

Oh my, how the size of that imaginary lake changes. We have seen it go from 12 acres, to the Star-Telegram's 30 acres. Yes, what an enticing byproduct of this un-needed flood control, creating 12 miles of waterfront able to be accessed by the public who have paid for it. What a concept. And a river promenade, with a riverwalk system. Anyone know what a riverwalk system is? As opposed to just simply a riverwalk. Double the size of downtown? Really? The existing downtown is up a bluff from the Boondoggle's imaginary island.

The main mission is to protect the downtown we already have? Like we just said. The downtown is up a bluff from the Trinity River. And those big levees have long protected any part of downtown Fort Worth which is not high above the river on that aforementioned bluff.

Why does the Star-Telegram continue to spew this type nonsensical irresponsible propaganda?

And then we come to this...

The Trump administration’s decision to withhold funding for the project should be seen as the reasonable, prudent challenge that it is: The feds appear to want an economic study proving the project’s need. This is a hurdle we should want all government projects to clear.

Finger-pointing and recriminations won’t get us anywhere, or get those already-under-construction Panther Island bridges off the ground.

The feds want an economic study to prove the project's need? And now the Star-Telegram agrees such should be the case with all government projects? And yet the Star-Telegram, up til now, has supported this Boondoggle, has never called for any sort of study or analysis. And regarding those bridges, which are now into year five of their slow motion construction, the Star-Telegram has done zero actual investigative journalism into what has caused the slow motion construction of three simple little bridges being built over dry land.

 Like Mr. Schermbeck said in his comment, "Newspaper, heal thy self."

Joining Mount Wichita Summit Throngs After Late Night Washington Apple Cup Blizzard

With what seems like the return of spring, or even summer, what with the outer world being heated into the high 70s, I joined throngs of Wichita Fallers thronging today on Mount Wichita on this first Saturday after the 2018 version of Thanksgiving.

I have no idea what the record is for number of Mount Wichita summiteers on any given day, or if such a record is kept by anyone.

But I do know that today I saw more people heading up and down and on this region's tallest mountain than I have ever seen on any previous visit to Mount Wichita.

Winter type temperatures are scheduled to return tomorrow. I am not fond of winter type temperatures returning.

Last night I watched the Apple Cup. That's an annual football game played in Washington between the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars. The Apple Cup location alternates each year. This year it was Pullman's turn, as in Washington State, as in Eastern Washington, where it is colder during the cold time of the year, and hotter during the hot time of the year than is typical of the west side of the Washington mountains.

Methinks probably Washington State might have preferred playing in Seattle this year, so as to have possibly better luck at beating Washington in what turned out to be playing football in a whiteout blizzard, which Washington seemed to handle better than did the Cougars, who one would have thought had more practice playing in such dire conditions.

Nonetheless, it was an entertaining football game. And I don't even like football. Though this year I seem to be watching a lot of that which I don't even like. Tomorrow it's the Seattle Seahawks I will be watching.

If the Seahawks get into the Super Bowl again I have a permanent invitation request in for tickets to attend the legendary Knappson Super Bowl Party...

Elsie Hotpepper's Midnight Fort Worth Weekly Cookin' The Trinity River Vision Books Turkey Alert

Last night, shortly before midnight, a few minutes after I'd become horizontal, my phone made its incoming text message noise.

I then struggled to get myself back vertical so as to make it to the location of the phone.

And found it was a message from Elsie Hotpepper. With the message being a screen cap from Fort Worth Weekly's Turkey Awards 2018 edition, specifically the lead Turkey Award, titled Cookin' the Books.

Below is that lead Turkey Award in its entirety....

Cookin' the Books

Turkeys are coming home to roost at Panther Island. The $1.1 billion (and climbing) private economic development plan disguised as a public flood control project is bogging down in its own hubris. Critics say the flood control portion could be completed for much less money, say, around about $20 or $30 million. A billion bucks is vital for flood control, at least according to proponents like Jim Oliver, general manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District, which provides water for 2 million people and implements flood control measures for 11 North Texas counties. Nobody can say exactly how much money is or isn’t needed for flood control because a cost benefit analysis hasn’t been done during the two decades that this project has been kicking around. Why? Because Oliver and water district board members don’t want such a study. Why? Why do you think?

The project is drifting now, even after local taxpayers recently approved $250 million worth of bonds for the water board to issue. Still, at least $700 million more is needed – money that doesn’t appear to be coming from the federal government or anywhere else anytime soon. Fort Worth officials are now demanding an audit, even though most of them have been coddling and enabling Oliver and the water district from the beginning.

__________________

It is interesting to me to see how, now that what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle is clearly sinking, that those who might have been accurately reporting this multi-decade embarrassment are only now doing so.

I was not long in Texas, not long in reading the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, before realizing this was not a newspaper of the sort I was used to reading whilst residing on the west coast. I soon realized the Star-Telegram was more of a propaganda organ for the local chamber of commerce, than a legit newspaper of record.

I was not long in Texas before I realized Fort Worth Weekly was the closest Fort Worth came to a real newspaper. That and, at times, the Fort Worth Business Press.

But, it has long seemed to me that Fort Worth Weekly could be more aggressively investigating that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle. Such as way back during one of the Trinity River Vision's early failures, that being the Cowtown Wakepark.

It did not take much common sense to see that Cowtown Wakepark was not going to work. We still do not know how much public money the Trinity River Vision Authority wasted on the Cowtown Wakepark.

Or the TRVA  and TRWD shenanigans which resulted in the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century. Oddly named something Coyote, rather than the Panther Island label the Boondoggle eventually came to slap on anything associated with its multiple shady operations.

Like Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats at the imaginary Panther Island Pavilion on the imaginary Panther Island at the imaginary world class Panther Island music venue.

And, I am more than a little offput that in Fort Worth Weekly's 2018 Turkey Award about the TRV Cookin' the Books that Boondoggle propaganda is repeated, as in...

"The project is drifting now, even after local taxpayers recently approved $250 million worth of bonds for the water board to issue."

That bond issue which the voters approved remains controversial due to the misleading verbiage on the ballot, as in claiming the $250 million was for flood control and drainage. When, soon after passage, the Boondogglers, such as the TRWD's number one turkey, Jim Oliver, in full hubris mode, claimed the $250 million was for Panther Island. And another of Fort Worth's turkeys, Kay Granger, claimed this misleading ballot measure passing amounted to voters approving of the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, after years of criticism that the public had never been allowed to vote for what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Yeah, another Fort Worth Weekly 2018 Turkey Award should have been awarded to Kay Granger and her favorite son, J.D., and Kay's future daughter-in-law, Shanna Cate....

UPDATE: Elsie Hotpepper has informed me I was erroneous in saying Kay Granger also needed a 2018 FW Weekly Turkey Award. Turns out Fort Worth's worst congresswoman did get herself a piece of the turkey for we have lost track now of how many times. In its entirety...

Tur-Kay

Back when Kay Granger was mayor of Fort Worth and considering a run for the U.S. House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans wanted her to run on their ticket. She was considered accessible and intelligent and sometimes even sensitive to the needs of her constituents. 

When she decided to run on the Republican ticket, in fact, some conservatives thought she was too liberal. 

Sometime during the last 20 years, that all changed. She has become a rubber stamp for all things right-wing, has not held town hall meetings for years, and, hell, she doesn’t even respond to most reporters’ requests for comments on issues that affect her own district.

So it wasn’t really a surprise that when Vanessa Adia decided to run against her for her District 12 seat Granger chose not to have a single debate with her. Disappointing, yes, but typical of someone who has been in office so long that she has become insulated and isolated, and the little people, even those running against her, just don’t warrant attention.

Kay, your constituents do matter. Time you wake up and come back down to earth. Meanwhile, since you’re apparently doing so well without our help, you must not need much. Therefore, all you’re getting is one turkey foot this year. Enjoy it. It’s all you deserve.

Thanksgiving In Utah Not Throwing Rocks With Spencer Jack

That which you see here showed up last night, sent by Spencer Jack and his favorite dad, my eldest nephew, Jason.

I saw this photo and had zero clue as to what I was looking at, besides it appearing to be Spencer Jack and Jason on some sort of mass transit device.

Train, bus, trolley, tram, monorail? What? I had no clue.

And then a follow up email arrived, with more photos and a text message from which I could make a slightly educated guess as to what Spencer Jack is taking is dad for a ride on.

First the text message...

Spencer Jack and I had a mighty fine time exploring NV, AZ, and UT.

Spencer had this week off from school and desired a return trip to some of our favorite National Parks.

After a late night on the Las Vegas Strip, we headed north on I-15 and followed the Virgin River to Springdale, UT.

Hiked the Narrows in Zion, before climbing to Inspiration Point in Bryce.

Had my first, and hopefully, last, 'almost ran out of gas' moment.  That's another story.   Nonetheless, Spencer and I coasted into Richfield, UT on fumes and called it a night.

Have a Happy Turkey Day.

Thought you'd enjoy the pictures and video (and of course, we checked for hikers, before rock tossing).

-FUD and FNSJ

So, gleaning the info in the above text, and looking at the below photo of Spencer Jack, clearly in the Zion Canyon Narrows, I am guessing the above transit device, on which Spencer Jack and Jason are riding in scream mode, is a bus taking them into Zion Canyon. But, I thought that that traffic reducing means was only active during heavy duty tourist season. So, I may be erroneous in my transit assumption.

There is a big parking lot at the entry to the Zion Narrows. Every time I have been at that location it has been a bit of a challenge to secure a parking spot.

Moving on...

Above I am guessing Spencer Jack is swimming at the motel he and his dad spent the night in in Springdale, the town at the west entry into Zion National Park.

Continuing on...

Here we see Spencer Jack at Inspiration Point in Bryce National Park. The text message indicates a climb was required to reach Inspiration Point. I do not remember a climb. Instead I remember a walk from a parking lot. I do remember a climb via the Navajo Loop, which, if I remember correctly, has its trail head near Inspiration Point.

Bryce Canyon is at a high elevation. In the 8,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level type high elevation. I remember the Navajo Loop hike being incredibly scenic, with multiple other trails, like Peek a Boo, accessed from the Navajo Loop. I also remember the series of switchbacks back to the starting point being brutal, what with extreme oxygen debt.

Bryce Canyon National Park is my favorite of the Utah National Parks.

And below we have the video mentioned by Spencer Jack and his dad in their text message. I really do not think the boys were so irresponsible as to throw rocks off the Inspiration Point edge. That would be an extremely bad thing to do....

Crossing Galloping Gertie On Way To Wichita Falls Sculpture Of Nature

It had been awhile since I had rolled my mechanized wheels to Lucy Park for a nature walk.

And so, this day before Thanksgiving that is what I did.

Soon after the nature walk began I found myself crossing the Wichita River via the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge.

Today a fellow bridge crosser turned the Lucy Park Suspension Bridge into what seemed like a Texas version of Galloping Gertie.

Galloping Gertie was the nickname given a suspension bridge in my old home state of Washington. Galloping Gertie crossed the Tacoma Narrows. The bridge was poorly designed and so it swayed way too much when hit with winds. And then one day Galloping Gertie galloped out of control and tore itself apart. Now two suspension bridges cross the Tacoma Narrows in Galloping Gertie's place. And neither of them gallop, no matter how windy the wind gets.

After leaving the Wichita Falls version of Galloping Gertie I soon found myself at the Wichita Falls version of a waterfall.

The Wichita Falls waterfall always seems to be falling the same volume of water, when it is in waterfall mode and not in dry falls mode.

Soon the nature walk walked me to the top of Wichita Falls, where a look out had me looking directly over the top of the falls.

Today I saw a historical market type thing I had not noticed on prior visits to Wichita Falls.

A plaque from New York with the following message on the plaque...

TO THE PEOPLE OF

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS

MAY THE PROSPERITY OF YOUR CITY

BE AS LONG LIVED AS THIS

SCULPTURE OF NATURE

PRESENTED TO YOU UPON THE

REBIRTH OF YOUR

FALLS

FROM THE PEOPLE OF

THE CITY OF 

NIAGARA FALLS,

NEW YORK

JUNE 5, 1987

Sculpture of nature? Did these Niagara Falls people not realize this is not a real waterfall of the work of Mother Nature sort? And that it was not a rebirth of the original falls? Which are located about a mile downstream?

Doesn't matter, still was a nice gesture from the New Yorkers. But, how in the world did they find out about the new waterfall in Wichita Falls?

Biking Wichita Falls MSU Finding Mickey Mouse With Head Wound

The outer world warmed up enough this third Monday of the 2018 version of November to allow a pleasant bike ride with only a few extra layers needed of insulative clothing material.

But, I quickly realized I should have worn gloves other than my open finger biking gloves. Hours later my fingertips are no longer numb.

Rolling through the MSU campus I soon saw that the Fantasy of Lights displays are in full fantasy mode, with electric motors whirring, animating the parts of the fantasy with moving parts.

My bike stopped at the spot you see above where I noticed a big hole though Mickey's Mouse's head. I do not believe Mickey was the victim of an assassination attempt, but instead Mickey, along with multiple other famous figures, is providing photo opportunities for someone wanting to stick their face in the hole in Mickey's head.

The background for the Mickey Mouse photo op location has a pair of what appear to be singers singing whilst a piano man plays, with the Emerald City, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Toto to the right. I don't know if you can make out the Old Lady Who Lives in a Shoe and all her kids. Or Santa's Train.

Further along in the Fantasy of Lights I came upon the moving scene you see above, depicting a migrant family finding shelter in a barn where a baby is born, with sheep and what look to be three Africans with camels looking on.

Rolling through the Wichita Falls version of Beverly Hills today I saw many mansions decked out in Holiday splendor. I may try and photo document some of that on another day. Though I do not know how documentable this would be in broad daylight. I guess there is only one way to find out...