Latest Blog Posts
One More Step
The paperwork is done. The court date is set. The Wilsons will officially be a family of five on December 22, 2011.
When I first saw the email from our attorney it felt like just another step in the process. But now that it has settled in for a few minutes I’m not sure whether I should smile, cry, or go to the bar down the road and buy a round for everybody. I was awfully nervous we wouldn’t be able to wrap things up in 2011.
It has been a long, difficult journey for the two boys; for Robbie, as he went from only child to middle child; and for The Missus and me as parents and spouses. There’s a lot of road ahead, but there’s light at the end of *this* tunnel and that’s what I’m thankful for right now.
So far I haven’t said a lot about the boys here or in other public venues in order to protect their privacy as foster children. I will introduce them—complete with new names—on the 22nd.
The Greenway is the Right Way
Imagine a prairie greenway all the way from Pioneers Park, through Denton, and down to Spring Creek Prairie. It could happen. It should happen.
For a relatively plain little city in a not-particularly-scenic (by most folks’ standards) part of the country, Lincoln has some fantastic park and greenspace resources. Wilderness Park is one of our gems. Imagine, if you will, adding a six-mile-long corridor along Haines Branch within the same spirit as Wilderness Park, but with fewer trees. The idea gets me excited. Even better if we could get a similar strip of open space around the entire city—Stevens Creek, I’m looking at you! But one step at a time.
I occasionally fantasize about what I would do if I won the lottery.The BIG lottery, giving me a couple hundred million bucks to work with. I always come back to how I would establish a legacy. What could I do with the cash that would really leave an impact? One idea I’ve always really liked is buying up land encircling Lincoln to establish a giant parkland and recreational loop. Can you imagine? It would be fantastic. Seeing a project like this gives me hope that some variation on my dream could actually happen. It probably won’t turn out as grand as my dream, but hey, I’ll take it.
Food Rumors
Some buzz suggests that Misty’s is due to open today just south of 40th and Old Cheney. At one point I had heard the 17th (tomorrow). Their website still lists “two locations”, but many joints don’t keep their websites updated very well. Let me know if you drive by and see the doors open.
In more certain news, PepperJax Grill, a philly joint based out of Omaha, has opened south of SouthPointe next to Chipotle. The opening comes after two false alarms, but this time their own website confirms it right on the homepage.
El Sitio appears to be getting ready to open at 48th and Pioneers. I had heard they were going to sit back and take their time, waiting for the intersection of 48th and Pioneers to reopen before they open their doors. Based on what I’ve been able to see over the past couple weeks, that’s exactly what they’re doing. Smart move.
Any other new food news we all should know about?
Dear LPS
Dear LPS,
We had an agreement. We agreed that our boy wouldn’t be permitted to [activity redacted]. This morning you allowed him to [activity redacted] without our permission. What part of “No” was unclear? Why did you deliberately undermine our parental authority? I’m unhappy.
Sincerely,
Mr. Wilson
This is My Brother Darrell and This Is My Adopted Brother Darrell
Jeff Korbelik has written up a nice story about ESPNU (and former KLKN) anchor Dari Nowkhah’s fundraising efforts to honor the death of his infant son. The rant in which I’m about to engage doesn’t have anything to do with the overall topic of the article, but does involve something in the article. Please go read it and, if you are so inclined, chip in. Then come back here and watch me be cranky.
Back?
I want to draw your attention to this paragraph:
A month later, he and his wife, Jenn, whom he met in Lincoln, welcomed their third child, Hayden Michael, into the world. The Nowkhahs have a 6-year-old son, Nicolas, and 2-year-old adopted daughter, Nahla.
Unremarkable, right? For most people that’s probably the case. For me it features an all-too-frequent sin that I wish would go away. See it yet?
The paragraph describes a family’s three children: an infant and two older children. The oldest is described as “a 6-year-old son”. The middle child, on the other hand, is a “2-year-old adopted daughter”. She’s not just a daughter, she’s an adopted daughter. The author wants you to know that she is different in a very important way.
I asked Mr. Korbelik about his word choice:
@LJSjeffkorbelik Is his “2-year-old adopted daughter” less his child than his “6-year-old son”? If not, why the implied pejorative?
And he replied:
@MrWilson Nope. Just wanted to make a (good) point about adoption.
A friend had suggested that perhaps Korbelik was trying to make Mr. and Mrs. Nowkhah look more noble so as to help their fundraising, and Korbelik more or less confirmed that theory. Yet in many ways Korbelik’s explanation rings hollow. He says he was trying to “make a ... point”, but how does a single, context-free adjective make a point about anything? It doesn’t. It can’t. As the story was written, Mr. Korbelik merely labeled the daughter in a way that, in many folks’ eyes, has pejorative connotations. He didn’t make a point about adoption and he didn’t try.
In an appropriate context there is not anything wrong with saying that a person was adopted. It’s true, after all, and sometimes it’s relevant to the conversation. In this case, little Nahla’s origins have nothing to do with the story. The story is about a family’s response to tragedy. Inserting an extra adjective into the daughter’s introduction serves only to assert to the reader that she is different from her siblings. And for what purpose? Certainly not one that serves the story he tried to tell.
Imagine having been adopted and seeing youth described as either “children” or “adopted children”. Think for a moment about the consequences that has on a child’s self-perception. How would you like to be constantly reminded that you are an outsider. You aren’t a “real” child of that family. Your siblings aren’t your “real” siblings. You’re still loved, of course! There’s nothing wrong with having been adopted and you’re exactly the same as everybody else! But you get a label that other kids don’t get.
Many of you can relate from a different angle. How many of you have married somebody who was previously married to somebody else? Imagine for a moment that every time you are introduced, you are introduced as your spouse’s “second husband/wife”. At every gathering you hear “This is Mary, and this is Mary’s second husband Bob”. You’re exactly the same as a regular ol’ husband! You’re just as good! But you get a label.
The unnecessary labeling of adopted children isn’t something unique to Jeff Korbelik. Not by a long shot. News media seem to love to describe children as adopted, relevance to the present circumstances be damned. Nor was his mistake as horrible as it could have been. As one example, he could have made things far worse by talking about the Nowkhah’s adopted daughter and “their own” 6-year-old son. I see that a lot and it’s maddening. If you’re the sort who talks about a family’s “own” children versus their “adopted” children, knock it off.
Children who were adopted are, to the family to which they belong, nothing more and nothing less than sons and daughters. To imply anything else—even with benevolent intent—is to insult the family. It’s not that the word “adopted” is bad, nor, of course, is it bad to have been adopted. But words carry weight, and labels are particularly heavy.
I ask that Jeff Korbelik and the entire Journal Star staff think about the burdens they place on individuals when they hang labels around their necks. And don’t forget that labels affect even those to whom they haven’t been directly applied. Is the label relevant? Is it important? Does it advance the story in a meaningful way? In this case of Mr. Korbelik’s use of the word “adopted”, the answer to all three questions is no. It does not “make a (good) point about adoption”, as was his goal.
Who Wants to Ban Smokin’ Chicks’ Butts?
(I apologize for the title. I’m tired and not thinking straight.)
You knew it was coming eventually, didn’t you? Lincoln Parks and Rec is pondering a smoking ban at parks and along recreational trails. Or perhaps just near playgrounds. Whatever the specifics wind up being, don’t be surprised if some sort of smoking restrictions come into play within the next few years.
Those of you who remember my opposition to the city-wide restaurant and bar smoking ban might be surprised to learn that I’m actually somewhat in favor of a Parks & Rec smoking ban. Why the difference? Because parks are truly public spaces, whereas restaurants are private spaces generally (but not entirely) open to the public. The fact that a park is public doesn’t mean that the public can do whatever they want while they are there. You can’t blare music at rock concert volumes at Hazel Abel Park, for example, because of the effects it has on those around you. Smoking in the vicinity of those who wish to avoid second-hand smoke is comparably obnoxious. It is of course permissible to play music at a reasonable volume without harming others. If there were a way to keep the effects of smoking confined to a personal bubble, I should think it would be less of a problem. Unfortunately air currents tend to be tricky little buggers.
I spend enough time at parks, trails, and ball fields to feel like I have a good sense for how big of a problem this is. In short: we don’t need to rush to solve something that’s far from a crisis. Most smokers seem to have enough common sense to stay away from places where kids—well, other peoples’ kids—are hanging around. There are the annoying exceptions, of course, and as with most calls for “There oughtta be a law!” it’s those people who get folks all atwitter. This may be a problem worth solving, but it’s not such a problem that we need to rush in and do the job poorly.
What do y’all think about smoking in parks and near trails? Is it a problem? Is it enough of a problem that we need new rules (or City ordinances) to solve it?
The View From Above
Have you ever played around with the satellite view on Google Maps or another mapping service? I enjoy zipping around Lincoln every now and then to see if I can find anything unusual.
Not long ago I was scrolling along 48th Street when I found this view:
It’s a large open area between 46th and 48th, Hillside and High. As you drive along 48th Street you would never guess that just to your west are huge backyards, or a large common area, or whatever that is. Similarly, many people even within the neighborhood don’t know about this long, north-south common area just south of Zeman Elementary:
What other surprises have you found while looking at Lincoln from above? Or alternately, what other “secrets” can best be seen from above that most Lincolnites don’t know about?
The Burden of Denser Development
There’s a bruhaha at 24th and Superior over a proposed apartment complex. There’s a nice empty lot just begging to be developed. Unfortunately, neighbors aren’t happy about the idea of filling the gap with 94 apartments. The complaints may be nimbyism in action, or they may be based on legitimate gripes. Or both.
Let’s think for a moment about a conflict this exposes in Lincoln’s future. Planning documents such as the Comprehensive Plan have, for many years, talked about the virtues of denser development. Denser development helps keep down certain infrastructure costs relative to sparser development, among other benefits. There are costs as well, and that’s where this scenario comes in.
The area around 24th and Superior already sees a lot of traffic. (Or so I’m told; I don’t frequent the area.) The region feels saturated—there are residences, an elementary school, oodles of businesses, and two major arterials (Superior and 27th) funneling thousands of vehicles into, out of, and through the area. School-related traffic taxes local residential roads in addition to the arterials. So although the lot in question may be zoned for 94 apartments, it’s no wonder area residents question the appropriateness of the development given the existing conditions.
Whether or not the complaints about this specific project are valid, if Lincoln really is going to support denser infill development in the coming years we’re going to be faced with many situations like this where the local transportation network’s capacity will be put to scrutiny. And what if the roads can’t handle the proposed traffic? Do we abort the denser development and instead transfer our problems to the city’s edge? Do we prioritize updating the roads, trails, and mass transit system? Or do we sacrifice transportation convenience and merely put up with more gridlock, longer drive times, lower fuel efficiency, and diminished quality of life?
These aren’t easy questions so it’s tempting to brush them aside. We aren’t really under all that much pressure right now to figure out the answers. But it would be a mistake for Lincolnites not to at least begin processing the costs and benefits of various scenarios. Chances are, one of these days you’ll find yourself directly affected by this sort of conflict. Have you thought through how it might affect you, or how your reaction might affect the city as a whole?
Your No [Kidding] Sherlock Report of the Day
It’s nothing we didn’t already know, but the Legislature’s Performance Audit Committee has slammed child welfare reform. In short, the Department of Health and Human Services, prodded on by Governor Heineman, moved toward privatization too quickly with too little leadership and too few concrete goals. HHS CEO Kerry Winterer’s reaction to the report was no different than it has been all along: Yep, we screwed up royally, but we’re gonna get it right this time, we swear!
Perhaps one of these days we’ll actually see the performance improvements we’ve been promised all this time. The downside of that, unfortunately, is that yahoos like Winterer and Heineman will then crow about how they were right all along.
The Future of Mall Walking
Those of you who have given Centennial Mall more than a fleeting glance over the past decade know that the area, which should be a source of community (and state) pride, is an ugly, blighted mess. There’s hope. New designs are in the works and they’ve been given a thumbs-up by the folks in charge of the inside and outside of the Capitol.
There’s a hitch, naturally: a $9.6 million price tag that will cover the cost of construction and ongoing maintenance. Fundraising begins next year. I wouldn’t think fundraising would be too difficult. Heck, I’d buy a brick if the price is right. We’ll probably know more about our options come springtime.
Did Somebody Say Beltway?
I nearly piddled myself in excitement when I saw the South Beltway on a list of “priority” projects for the Department of Roads. Reality soon set in, however. The beltway has made (and disappeared from) similar lists in the past. And its $158 million price tag isn’t due to be allocated until 2020-2023. If you actually believe it’ll happen then (and at that price), I have some oil-free property in the Sandhills to sell you.
But ... this is progress. Being on the list is better than not being on the list. Still, I can’t help but gripe about the fact that the final pieces of the East Beltway should be put in place right about now. That we aren’t even going to begin the South Beltway for another decade in the best of circumstances is horrible.
The Blogs
-
The blog that covers everything Lincoln
-
The home of the Wilsons
-
In which Mr. T mutters and muses
-
Local and national sports chatter
The Blogroll
The Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004