David, Theo & Ruby Throwback Thursday To Mesa Arizona

Today is Thursday, the first day of that type in the April version of 2019.

I do not recollect ever previously participating in that "Throwback Thursday" thing which is so popular in some venues.

But, last night I was looking through photos I took last month whilst I was in Arizona, and saw some which caused me to think why not do that Throwback Thursday thing with some of these photos from last month?

The day after the first Thursday of last March, that being Friday, March 8, I had myself the funnest day I have had so far in 2019. I previously made mention of this fun day in David, Theo & Ruby In Mesa's Riverview & Pioneer Parks.

And before we got to those Mesa parks we were Riding Horses With Miss Daisy, David, Theo & Ruby.

Which was the start of that fun day.

Above that would be Ruby swinging in Mesa's Riverview Park. This park is adjacent to Mesa's version of Chicago's Wrigley Field. After we finished with playing on the Riverview Park playground, we went into the Chicago Cub's merchandise store where I was surprised by its size and the variety of Chicago Cubs merchandise.

As who in their right mind would want underwear themed to a baseball club's logo, among other similar silly seeming products?

Along with items which seemed way less silly.

Like t-shirts, jackets, sweat pants, swimming suits, socks, banners, bumper sticker, drink containers of various sorts and other stuff other than underwear.

Back to Mesa's Riverview Park.

Theo is a good climber.

Above we see Theo atop an adobe structure. That would be brother David, in the background, texting his mother with the information that Theo is stuck atop an adobe structure.

After we finished with our Riverview Park climbing and shopping at that Chicago Cub store, we made our way to Mesa's Pioneer Park, which is just slightly to the northeast of Mesa's downtown.

Above you see Ruby pushing a couple kids on a tandem swing, with brother Theo on the opposite side of the swing. I had not previously seen this clever type swing in any of the parks I've visited over the decades. Behind the swing you see part of the enormous, futuristic complex of playground attractions which make this park something the likes of which I had not seen before.

A closer look at that enormous, futurist complex of playground attractions. I believe that is Mama Kristin we see walking on the elevated boardwalk which renders this enormous, futuristic complex accessible to those whose means of motion is sitting on a chair with wheels.

 

And here we see David pointing the way for Aunt Jackie to roll Miss Daisy across a section of that aforementioned elevated boardwalk.

I believe that is the aforementioned Mama Kristin we see above in front of that green doored structure.

Miss Daisy dubbed the above the best of this type facility she has ever used since using a chair with wheels to roll around the world. The ease of the accessible special section was of a design which one would think would be universally used.

Also clever in the above design is the hand washing water supply is accessed from the outside, thus easily used by someone in picnic mode in need of a hand washing, or access to running water.

I had intended to take a photo of the equally well designed restroom facility in Riverview Park, but I forgot.

Those reading this who live in Fort Worth, who have little awareness of America beyond their town's borders, Mesa is a town adjacent to Tempe and Chandler. Both Tempe and Chandler have successfully lured corporate relocations and developments which Fort Worth has unsuccessfully tried to lure.

It might behoove those who delude themselves to think Fort Worth has any chance at luring such to take a trip to some modern American towns and make note of some of the differences between Fort Worth and those towns.

Such as city parks with ZERO outhouses. Towns with multiple public pools. Towns with amenities free of admission charge to the public. Towns without boarded up eyesores at the heart of their downtown. Towns without embarrassing pseudo public works projects boondoggling along for decades. Towns with streets with sidewalks. Towns with landscaped roads.

Well, you get the picture, and now we throw Thursday back to you...

Attending Mary Kelleher Cooper's BBQ Shotgun Birthday Party Fundraiser Plan Thwarted

I was part way on my way to Fort Worth, heading to Cooper's BBQ, in the Fort Worth Stockyards, due north of Billy Bob's, when I learned via a text message that Elsie Hotpepper was going to be in attendance, and contagious.

So, with myself having an irrational fear of being exposed to germs and viruses which can cause coughing, congestion and headaches, I took the first opportunity to turn around and make my way back to a contagion free space.

I was looking forward to helping Mary Kelleher celebrate the latest anniversary of the day she turned 30, at her combo Birthday Party and Fundraiser.

I heard rumors there would be coconut cake. I like coconut cake. A lot.

I also was hoping to have the winning raffle ticket getting me a Mossberg 410-500 Pump Shotgun, including a box of shotgun shells. And a case to carry it all.

I was looking forward to mounting this on my pickup window. If I was able to get the appropriate licenses, permits and what not needed.

A lot of tickets have been sold to the Mary Kelleher Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar B Que Happy Birthday Party.

Cooper's is a large venue, with plenty of outdoor space for the crowd to spill into, what with the outer world heated to an extremely pleasant temperature, sort of a Mother Nature birthday present for Miss Mary after the recent bout of unseasonable chilliness...

April Fools Miss Daisy Desert Drive On DFW's Denton Highway

It seems like every time I return from spending time in Arizona, within days, I find myself driving to the Dallas/Fort Worth version of America.

When I am in Arizona, or other states to the west of Texas, I always note a thing or two seeming so different from what I see, for the most part, in Texas.

Such as the size of people.

And the quality of amenities, such as what one finds in public parks. Amenities such as running water and modern restrooms.

And the existence of multiple public swimming pools.

And roads and freeways which are landscaped at multiple locations, such as exits and through populated urban zones.

Has Fort Worth managed, finally, to landscape the two freeway exits to the town's only semblance of a tourist attraction? That being the Fort Worth Stockyards. I exited one of those exits within the last year, and even with the freeway re-build it was still a littered, weed-infested eyesore not worthy of a town with pretensions of wearing Big City pants. Or attracting new corporate headquarters to town.

I rambled off point for a few paragraphs.

So, as I was saying, soon after returning from a location such as Arizona I will find myself driving to the DFW zone, where I quickly find myself freshly appalled at the rather, uh, tacky look of the main roads I drive on to get to my final Haltom City location.

Exiting the I-35 freeway on to Western Center Boulevard is not too bad for the first couple blocks. And then the road begins its march back in time. By the time the road name changes to Watauga the quality level of most of what I see has dropped to bordering third world status.

Or worse.

From Watauga Road I cross railroad tracks to take a turn right on to Highway 377, also known as the Denton Highway. At that point I time travel back over a half century to what looks worse than the worst of North Aurora Avenue, way back long ago. Those familiar with driving to Seattle way back then, will know what I am talking about.

When Miss Daisy's temp driver was driving me to the airport for my return to Texas, a couple weeks ago, I snapped some photos from my vantage point behind the driver, hoping to show what the roads I see in Arizona look like.

I had planned to turn those photos into some sort of April Fools joke, making some bogus claim that this was the 377 Denton Highway we were looking at, totally landscaped and upgraded to modern America quality since my last trip to DFW.

But, such was such an obvious unbelievable April Fools joke I opted out of even making an attempt at it.

Last week on my return to DFW I had intended to remember to take a photo of what the Denton Highway looks like, for comparison to modern America purposes, but I forgot. So, I went to Google Earth and made a virtual drive to DFW, and took the "photo" you see below.

Looking south. Six lanes, no median, little landscaping, occasionally a few feet of narrow sidewalk.

I also took a Google Earth snapshot looking north from this location.

What is the excuse, or explanation for what you see in the two photos of the Denton Highway?

How can towns in Arizona's Valley of the Sun, a desert, manage what looks like lush landscaping? Well maintained? With broad sidewalks.

I think at the top and above Miss Daisy's temp driver is driving north on Alma School Road, in Chandler. Note how well the lanes are marked with white stripes, compared to that Google Earth look at Highway 377.

I don't know if above we are still on Alma School Road, or Dobson, or Pecos, or Baseline, or Queen Creek, or Warner, or, well, you get the point, I hope.

Most of the main roads one drives on look like what you see in the photos above, and below, well, except for the photos above of the Google Earth look at the Denton Highway. If you want to see something like the Denton Highway 377 in the Phoenix zone you can sort of find a road somewhat similar in Apache Junction. And maybe in a few other locations. But not to the level and length of the Denton Highway, and other main roads in the DFW zone.

In addition to the expected desert flora, such as cactus and palm trees, one also sees pine trees, and other similar type trees one would not expect to find in a desert. That and a lot of color from various blooms, not not much in evidence this most recent Arizona trip, due to spring blooms not yet arriving. Though we did come upon some wildflowers patches whilst driving in the desert.

Maybe on this month's trip to DFW I will remember to photo document what I see. But, usually I get distracted...

Mountain Out With Ruby Rocking The Tacoma Pump Track

I had just finished watching the latest episode of NCIS: Los Angeles with part of this week's plot having Callan discovering the fun of being an uncle, which had me thinking about the fun I had being an uncle a couple weeks ago with David, Theo and Ruby whilst I was in Arizona.

I turned off the TV and woke up my phone to see an incoming text message from my Favorite Sister-in-Law Kristin with the text message saying...

"Ruby Rocking the Tacoma Pump Track with a HUGE Smile."

The text message had a video attached which then had me connecting the phone to my computer so as to turn the video into a YouTube video.

The Tacoma Pump Track Ruby is Rocking is this well done mountain bike rock and roll track in one of Tacoma's many extremely well done parks. I can not remember the name of this particular park, but when I was in Tacoma the summer of 2017 I had myself a mighty fine time in that park, rocking and rolling the track, and then doing some further exploring on our bikes with Ruby and Theo, whilst David had an injury which needed attending.

Wondering if I can easily find the blog post I made that day. I shall see if I can do so, before adding the YouTube video of Ruby mountain biking.

Found it.

Swan Creek Blackberry Mountain Biking With David, Theo & Ruby

I am thinking the name of this park, whose name I can't remember, may be Swan Creek Park.

The photos you see on that blog post give you a good idea of what the Evergreen part of the Pacific Northwest looks like, with giant trees smelling like Christmas.

I'm hoping, sooner than later, to make it to Tacoma with my mountain bike so as to ride those Swan Creek Park trails with Theo, Ruby and David.

I can't remember the last time I mountain biked on an actual mountain bike trail on an actual mountain. This century? I don't remember.

Anyway, here's is that aforementioned YouTube video of Ruby Rocking her mountain bike...

Can't Bike Like The Mountain Is Out In Texas Today

Winter has made an unwanted return to my location on the planet, with a cold front blowing in on this last Saturday of the 2019 version of March.

A few minutes past noon a strong wind blows, making those barely in the 40s degrees feel way colder.

As in freezing.

I will not be rolling my bike wheels today. Or tomorrow. Probably not til Tuesday when a heat wave is scheduled to arrive.

Speaking of bike wheels, well, mountain bike wheels. Whilst I was in Arizona I was given a mountain bike related t-shirt, hand-picked for me by David, Theo & Ruby, with help from their maternal parental unit, Mama Michele.

This morning I took a photo of that t-shirt and cropped out the shirt's message, which is what you see above.

When I  first saw this t-shirt, whilst in Arizona, in the Valley of the Sun, that being an area surrounded by mountains, I said that back at my Texas home location no one will get what the message on the t-shirt means, what with there being no mountains of the real mountain sort for hundreds of miles in any direction.

That fact became reality when I was wearing the t-shirt whilst in ALDI. In the checkout line a local asked me "How do you bike like a mountain is out?"

I explained that this was a reference to Mount Rainier, and that in the Puget Sound zone the phrase "The Mountain is Out" means the sky is clear and you can see Mount Rainier hovering HUGE over the horizon to the south.

"Oh" was the response to my explanation. I could tell the concept of a mountain appearing when the cloud cover lifts was a foreign concept. And that the phrase "Puget Sound" had no meaning. I did not feel the need to elaborate on my explanation and thus alleviate the local's confusion.

Anyway, I wish I could bike today like the mountain was out. But, even if there was a real mountain to see, it is too cold. That and rain is predicted to fall at some point today...

Searching For Fort Worth Indoor Plumbing, Sidewalks & Public Pools

Prior to leaving Texas for my recent two week Arizona visit I had resolved to myself that on this Arizona visit I was going to photo document the excellent road landscaping, the streets with sidewalks, the multiple public swimming pools, the parks with modern restroom, running water and zero outhouses, and then compare what I photo documented to what I do not see in some Texas towns which pretend to be modern American cities with hopes of hooking a corporation to move its headquarters to town.

Yes. Fort Worth. I am talking about you. A town with parks without modern facilities, but plenty of outhouses, miles of streets without sidewalks, zero public pools, roadside landscaping which is shoddy, if it does exist, and, well, you get the point.

But, my best laid plans went awry, for the most part, once I was on the ground in Arizona, relegated once again to driving Miss Daisy way too many miles to way too many locations.

However, on my last day in Arizona, whilst being driven to the airport, I was able to do a little photo documenting of some of the roads on the route to Sky Harbor. I will likely soon get around to blogging about those landscaped roads.

One more thing. I was also planning to photo document, and take video, of some of the multiple waterfalls I see when driving around the Phoenix metro zone, particularly in Chandler.

I do not understand why the town I am currently in, named Wichita Falls, with no actual waterfall, but one well done fake falls, does not install realistic looking waterfalls at the town's entry points, and other locations around town. It must not be too cost prohibitive, with with the myriad of manmade waterfalls I see in Arizona. Or is that state just way more prosperous? Or more aesthetically imaginative?

Back to Fort Worth and the town's love of outhouses.

Years ago I recollected photo documenting signage in Fort Worth's only actual sort of unique tourist attraction, that being the Fort Worth Stockyards. With that signage, on multiple business venues, proudly boasting they had INDOOR RESTROOMS with INDOOR PLUMBING.

It took a little looking but I found the webpage I made of this, titled FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS INDOOR PLUMBING.

It has been several years since I have visited the Fort Worth Stockyards. Maybe the signs touting Indoor Plumbing no longer exist...

New Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Propaganda Source

Early this morning Elsie Hotpepper text messaged my phone with a message telling me she had emailed me a link to something downright terrible.

What fresh hell is this gonna be, I sat and thought to myself?

Checking my email I found the email from Elsie Hotpepper, with the email consisting of a link and a message saying...

"It must be something in the water. Lead? Total BS with one of the worst articles ever in the Fort Worth Business Press."

I clicked the link to the During hearing, Army Corps officials express Trinity River Vision support article and soon understood what was appalling Elsie Hotpepper.

The Fort Worth Business Press usually does not spew Fort Worth Star-Telegram type propaganda. Usually the FWBP asks cogent questions of the responsible journalism sort.

Let's look at some of what is in this article, but to get the full picture, click the link and read the article in its entirety.

First paragraph...

During a hearing in front of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on March 27, officials from the Army Corps of Engineers testified to Congress about the Central City project, also known as the Trinity River Vision project in Fort Worth.

Also known, in all its multiple names glory as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, or more commonly as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

So a couple officials from the Army Corps of Engineers did some testifying. And in the following two paragraphs we learn the basic gist of what the officials are testifying to...

Responding to a question from Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, two Army Corps officials voiced support for the project and for other projects that have yet to be funded.

“I very strongly support the project and I’m not sure the administration doesn’t support the project,” said R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “They’re trying to elevate projects based on their priorities, economic return to the nation, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera."

So, the official is not sure the administration does not support the project? That sounds definitive, something you can really bank on. And they are trying to elevate projects based on their priorities and economic return to America?

Well, that criteria alone should doom this hapless project which has been limping along most of this century.

And then there is the statement released from Rep. Kay Granger regarding her commitment to the project...

“The Central City project is my top priority, it is vital to the future of Fort Worth,” she said in a statement. “Assistant Secretary of the Army, R.D. James, expressed his strong support of the project and the Army Corps of Engineers committed to completing Central City.”

An accurate statement from Kay Granger on this subject would be "The Central City project is my top priority, it is vital to the future of my son..."

And then there are the final three paragraphs in this article...

James said he had talked to Granger about the project.

“I have talked with Ms. Granger before and intend to do so again to see if there are other ways or other authorizations this project needs. At this time I don’t know of any.

"It’s a good project. There have been misunderstandings about the project.”

Now that is earth shaking news. James, he being the Army Corps of Engineers official who testified in front of a house sub-committee, reveals he has talked to Ms. Granger, and will do so again. Because talking to Ms. Granger is the avenue to finding other ways or authorizations this project needs, while at the current time he is unaware of any needs.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Maybe someone has not told this James person that this project has never been fully funded, that it has limped along for years, with little to show for the effort. And that Ms. Granger's son, J.D., was given the job of being the project's Executive Director, a job for which years of embarrassing incompetence have made clear J.D. was not qualified.

This is a good project? Really? Then why is this project progressing in ultra slow motion? There have been misunderstandings about the project? Such as what? Not understanding why it was not scandalous nepotism to give Kay Granger's job a high paying job to motivate her to secure federal funds? Misunderstanding why it is taking so long to build three simple little bridges?

Maybe if that sub-committee meets again, with this James guy testifying, he might be asked why the project did not go along with the Army Corps of Engineers design for the Boondoggle's three simple little bridges, with the Corps design mirroring the design of the West 7th Bridge? A design we learned a few months ago was thwarted by J.D. Granger, for what seemed ridiculous, unfounded reasons, because the J.D. engineering and design whiz thought bridges supported by V-piers would really be something cool.

The design mirroring the West 7th Bridge design was approved by the Army Corps. The Corps was slated to cover the costs. Costs which were estimated to be way less expensive than the three simple little V-pier bridges, which have turned into a construction nightmare, beginning construction in 2014, with a then astonishing four year project timeline, which has now been stretched into the next decade.

It would also be a good idea for the members of that sub-committee to ask why, if this project is a vitally needed flood and economic development project, why has it been developed at a snail's pace?

If this project is so vital why was it not sold to the Fort Worth public, asking for support long ago in the form of approving of the project via a bond funding vote, in the manner towns wearing their Big City pants get projects done. Particularly projects touted as being vitally needed flood control.

And one would also think it would behoove that sub-committee to ask why this is a vitally needed flood control project, in an area of the Trinity River which has not flooded for well over half a century, due to flood control levees which have worked ever since they were installed.

Why should money be wasted on flood control where there has been no flooding, while other areas of Tarrant County have serious flooding issues, deadly, property damaging flooding issues, which are not being addressed, while those who will financially benefit from this bogus flood control project continue to drag this Boondoggle along, underfunded, begging for federal dollars?

Yeah, I can see why Elsie Hotpepper was offput by this article and what appears to be the FW Business Press's dereliction of their journalistic duty...

Hank Frank Happy Six Month Birthday Today

Six months ago today, on September 26, 2018, Spencer Jack's Grandpa Jake got the best birthday present ever.

That being the arrival of the newest Jones boy, Henry Francis, known also as Hank Frank, or HF.

Hank Frank was born at United General Hospital*, located between Burlington and Sedro Woolley, the same hospital in which Hank Frank's dad, my Favorite Nephew Joey, was born, way back in the previous century.

Grandpa Jake was in Washington at the time of the arrival of Hank Frank, and so grandpa and grandson were able to celebrate their first birthday together.

And now it is already a half a year later, with Hank Frank in Happy Birthday mode, which you can clearly see via the red 6 Months tie HF is wearing in the first photo.

In the second photo Henry appears to be getting ready for his birthday lunch. It is not known what Henry had for his birthday lunch. The photos you see here arrived this afternoon, sent by Henry's dad, with no explanatory text. It was left to Henry's great elderly uncle to detect the details of what he was seeing.

In the following photo that aforementioned great elderly uncle's best guess as to what we are seeing is Hank strapped into his car, heading to Grandma Cindy's for his Six Month Birthday Party.

Back when Hank Frank's Dad and Uncle Jason were at the age of birthday parties their Favorite Uncle would get quite elaborate with what Joey and his big brother would have to un-wrap at their birthday parties.

I remember after one of these events Mama Cindy complained she was finding glitter for the next month.

Soon after Joey's first nephew, Spencer Jack, was born, Joey called me and told me that he would need to consult with me regarding making complicated to un-wrap birthday presents when Spencer Jack got old enough for such.

But, there has never been a consult in all the following years.

Maybe Spencer Jack has not had epic birthday parties of the sort his Dad and Uncle Joey had.

And on another note. A couple days ago Joey told me he was hoping to fly Henry and his mom to Arizona next fall, after the heat of summer dies down. We are going to try and coordinate this Arizona visit so that I am there at the same time.

By then Hank Frank likely will be walking. I know a couple fun parks to take him to in the Valley of the Sun...

*UPDATE---Hank Frank's Uncle Jason has corrected our erroneous location of Hank Frank's birthplace, saying "I know with much certainty that your great FNHF was born at the Mount Vernon hospital."

Safe Bike Landing On Lake Wichita Park Airstrip In Shadow Of Mount Murphy

Looking at what you are seeing here you may be thinking it looks like a plane may be going in for a landing in front of a big green mountain.

Well, you would be wrong on all counts.

Yes, my bike's handlebars do sort of look like flying wings. Yes, that is a landing strip between the handlebars and the mountain. And yes, that is the closest thing to a mountain for many miles in any direction.

And that actually is an airplane landing strip. It is located in Lake Wichita Park.

The mountain is man made. The inspiration of a man with the last name of Murphy, hence many locals call it Mount Murphy, whilst I prefer Mount Wichita.

A week ago today I flew to Wichita Falls, from DFW. After dark. Arriving shortly before midnight.

The flights between Wichita Falls and DFW always seem to be adventurous. The return this latest time was via a different route than previous times. We were not long in the air before the pilot informed us to prepare for landing, trays up and locked, seats upright.

For a long distance we seemed to be descending. And then there came a point when I looked out the window and realized we were crossing the Red River. Which means we were coming in to Wichita Falls, and Sheppard Air Force Base from the north, as in from Oklahoma. After crossing the Red River it seemed to take a long time to fly the additional short distance to the air force base.

Upon landing I feared the pilot would once again get lost and take us on a long dark tour of the tarmac. But, unlike the time when that happened, last week the pilot seemed to make a beeline for our final destination.

I seem to be repeating this particular flying experience every few months. I am really looking forward to the next instance...

Wichita Falls Roundabout Art & Fort Worth Boondoggle Roundabout Art

Today whilst riding around Sikes Lake I saw a new art installation has been installed in the center of what one might characterize as some sort of traffic roundabout, located at the northwest side of the Wichita Falls Museum and Arts Center.

That would be the art installation we are talking about which you see here, looming over my bike parked in a bike parking stall.

Some of the WF Art Center's art installations have plaques installed nearby which name the work of art and who it was who created it.

Such was not currently the case with this new installation.

I can not help but wonder how much this work of art cost.

Likely not nearly as much as the art installation installed years ago in Fort Worth at the center of a still unfinished traffic roundabout which is part of the HUGE mess of uncompleted construction blighting a large area of Fort Worth courtesy of the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

The homage to an aluminum trash can had been blighting the Fort Worth landscape for years before I finally got around to seeing it in person, back in 2018. Photos do not do justice to how absurd this thing looks when one sees it directly. I blogged about seeing this in Fort Worth Drive By America's Biggest Boondoggle Embarrassment.

Years ago the Boondoggle's Visionaries brought Fort Worth wonders such as an urban wakeboard venue, called Cowtown Wakepark, which was the first of the Boondoggle's visions to fail.

And then around the time Cowtown Wakepark was in obvious failure mode the Boondoggle brought to Fort Worth Rockin' the River Inner Tubing in the polluted Trinity River, located at an imaginary pavilion with an imaginary music venue across from an imaginary island, floating only when the e.coli level was low enough.

Even more ridiculous than Cowtown Wakepark and Rockin' the Polluted River is an absurd art installation installed at the center of that aforementioned still unfinished traffic roundabout.

This homage to an aluminum trash can was foisted on the Fort Worth public years ago.

If I remember right, this was installed even before that embarrassing TNT exploding ceremony celebrating the start of construction of three simple little bridges.

Two of those bridges, still not built, years later, are a short distance from the un-finished, un-landscaped roundabout eyesore with its homage to an aluminum trash can, or what some have seen as a giant cheese grater.

The Boondoggle paid almost a million bucks for this work of art.

Why?

Why was money spent on this years ago, spent before construction began on the related road and bridge work?

Why?

From what source did the funds come to pay for this?

The Boondoggle has been starved for funds. Hence begging for federal dollars which are being denied. Hence a bogus fraudulently worded ballot measure to try and secure funds.

Where is the accounting for the almost million bucks spent on this homage to an aluminum trash can? Is it part of the bridge building funds? The White Settlement Road re-build funds?

Who made the decision to spend money on this work of art and have it installed, years before the roadwork it was intended to beautify was any where  nearfruition?

Who benefited from the almost million bucks spent on this? Who associated with the Boondoggle is a crony of whoever benefited? Friend of J.D. Granger? Friend of his mother? Friend of Jim Oliver? Cousin of Mike Moncrief? Ex-boyfriend of Betsy Price?

Who?

And Why?

Inquiring minds really want to know....