The Sicatoka

An extention of the sales tax requires a 60% "yes" vote. The "pro" side has been giving absentee ballots forms to their side (to ensure they all vote) was a report on KFGO News last week.

The ND Senate delegation has started a pro-Grand Forks Air Force Base petition. http://www.conrad.senate.gov/gforksairbase.html

KVLY-TV 11 let a cat out of the bag last night. Here's a paraphrasing of that report: The $40 million is to only build the arena. It does not: - buy the existing buildings - clear the block - provide infrastructure improvement needed for the arena - build a new fire station (one of the buildings on the block to be destroyed) That's another $10 to $20 million Fargoans would have to pay for directly (not with the sales tax extention which is only for the building of the arena) or through creative tax financing. PS - The original plan was 3300 seats at $40 million. Now they're going to build 7000 seats for the same $40 million? Someone pointed that out to me and I can't explain it.

The concept presented is consideration of what is sacred to a portion of the student body. - There are Lahkota Sioux heritage students at NDSU so it is appropriate discussion. - However, what is on NDSU's basketball floor is paint, not a (sacred) bison.

I'm pretty sure the response to that is either: Imitiation is the sincerest form ... or Payback's a ...

And that's why UND Basketball is moving all home games to The Betty next season: Packed house atmosphere. Not all of the much-beloved Big Ten (and are we sure they can count?) can claim that.

The next logical retail corridor in GF (after Columbia and 32nd Ave and the Bronson Property are full) is 42nd Street from Demers to 32nd Ave S. I wish I owned some of that land. Another key: That underpass would let industrial development occur west of I-29 and yet have fairly easy access to UND and the rest of Grand Forks.

Close, very close, Jim. It should've said: "... UND's success got under your skin to the point that you felt compelled to write an article reassuring yourself that Michigan athletics are inherently superior to North Dakota athletics ... "

It's too bad that there isn't an easy way to get traffic out of the Alerus Center parking lot and southbound on I-29. Crazy thought (bear with me): - Build the west side of I-29 frontage road from Demers down to 17th Ave. S. - Put an underpass under I-29 at 17th Ave S. - Going south from the intersection of the frontage road and 17th Ave S. you'd be forced onto I-29 southbound or you could take the frontage road north to Demers. You could also maybe set it up such that you could get onto I-29 northbound at 17th Ave. S as well (if you built the underpass anyway). However, I'd say set is up so that you can only get onto, and not exit from, the interstate at 17th Ave. S. (Leave the exit ramps at 32nd Ave S. and Demers Ave.) With that idea you could use the interstate to unload part of the lots. Plus, then you'd have an underpass to get west of I-29 without having to go to 32nd Ave. S or Demers. It might work. All those in favor of someone else paying for it say, "Aye."

The question is "Favorite goals of 2004-05". All goals that go on the Sioux side of the scoreboard are my "favorite goals" of the year.

Folks, NDSU couldn't get it done in Fargo-Moorhead, but could Concordia in Moorhead make the leap from DIII to DI hockey and the CHA? The Spuds have shown the Moorhead Sports Center can hold 3000 or so. (Yes, I know, they'd face all those silly new DIII rules where they wouldn't be allowed to offer athletic scholarships in their DI activities.)

I whole-heartedly agree. Anyone who reads this and cares about the University of North Dakota as a total entity needs to read the draft of "Strategic Plan II". Dr. Kupchella is a driving force behind this effort and it is good for UND. Oh yeah, I witnessed a pretty good faux pax by him in a semi-private setting in Columbus. I was left shaking my head. I suspect deep inside he still has a deeper love for academics than administration which would tend him to not focus on things like athletics. I see that too. I suspect that's the "academic" in him also. I could see that happening as well, but for a different reason: To focus more on his research (academics) for one more period of his life.

Nah, just rotate that glorious "Subway Classic" trophy!

LOI was the commonly used term in the past. Yes, I've seen a transition by some coaches to calling them NLIs. Whatever. The NLI of which you speak, however, does have to do with money: Financial aid is money, right? Cash may not change hands but the monetary bill from the University gets paid: money.

We have a nomination for "understatement of the year"!

Bollinger's public interview.

Another look at NDSU's view of a downtown arena from Gene Taylor: http://board.uscho.com/showpost.php?p=1972763&postcount=392 Moose97 on USCHO is a media (radio?) guy in Bemidji. That interview essentially confirms what mikejm posted. That USCHO thread is about maybe Penn State starting DI hockey and joining a league. (This is where bigmrg74 should say "Big Ten Hockey Conference". )

A lot of people got turned off of Fargo Arena (63% no vote in April 2000) because of the perception of it being pushed by NDSU. NDSU is staying away from this one now, but as McFeely says in the above link, NDSU is consciously staying away from this vote, but a new arena in Fargo sure would help them from a budget and facilities perspective and they seem to realize that.

Notre Dame isn't in the Big Ten today. Forming "Big Ten" hockey with them would be tough. NDSU? Sunday's Fargo Forum reported that they were only 40% of the way to raising the extra $1 million they planned into this year's budget. They have until the new fiscal year (August 1, article says "June 31" whatever that is) to raise the rest. Then they have to start on the next $1 million for the 2005-2006 year. Even with an arena (which hasn't passed a vote yet) they have to get the current budget managed before anything else. Another set of thoughts on this Fargo "hockey" arena can be found here. Key comment in the link: If the CHA were to disband and the other conferences absorb the teams, going to a 12-team WCHA would make sense if the WCHA could "cherry pick" Bemidji State (in the midst of the Minnesota WCHA schools) and Air Force (near CC and DU).

Then your knowledge is incorrect. The Diamond/Emerald/Director's Club seats are right across from the student sections. Go here to see what the equivalent of student season ticket seats cost the general public.

The side-by-side test: I say the Jerry Springer/Craig Dahl resemblance is better.

An LOI does a few things: - defines any money (which as speculated probably isn't much) - forces other schools to stop calling - allows the coaches to say the recruit's name (which means Gene can now talk to his daughter again, right? )

If shields were no longer required you'd have to actually call the high-sticking penalty as written in the rulebook:

A thread titled "Next Year's Schedule, When does it come out?" wasn't obvious enough?