Celina, Grand Lake, Ohio, Self Destruction or Reds/Cardinals Basebrawl?

I just looked outside and here it is 8:45am and it looks like a half hour after sundown...almost pitch black outside.  Looks like we are in for a good downpour and more to follow this first salvo. 

I was first going to write about our twin "issues" in the Grand Lake area...those being the destruction, or supposed destruction via pollution of Grand Lake, and the bold destruction of the finances through incompetence of the City of Celina.

Yesterday I headed over Nick's, it was hot, humid, and hazy, with some thunderstorms pushing through the area....I stopped took a couple of nondescript photos of the "street repairs" going on downtown.  A mass of repairs that, thanks to the city leaders and the mayor's hired henchman, masquerading as "development directors".  The city leaders seem intent to stepping on dollars(i.e. wasting tax payers money) to pick up dimes(grant monies).  Layoffs(which are needed) to save a few thousand bucks, while spending more to purchase overpriced property and useless building to tear down and put in parking lots, that won't be used because there will be no businesses left downtown for people to shop at.  Large cities have their corrupt politicians, Celina has incompetent leaders, that will fall for any BS the State of Ohio and/or the Ohio EPA mandates.  Meanwhile the heart and soul of Celina slowly is destroyed.

A few years back the Celina decided to put all their eggs in one basket...that "basket" was the pursuit of grant money(with matching taxpayer contributions of course), for the glory of the West Bank at Grand Lake.  No need to go into details...suffice to say, it was a simple minded folly to say the least.  It was never going to work, but the real estate agents and lake development folks loved it...after-all, it lined their pockets, and the dupes running the city were more than willing to fall into line....and a line of BS it was!

Now the lake is dead, at least for the time being.  Polluted by the green Algae, in the pursuit of green money, by area mega-farmers that are content to destroy a 13,000 acre landmark.  That landmark, Grand Lake, has become a huge cesspool of animal manure, farm chemicals, and bad management from the state.

Those were the items I was going to write about this morning...and I probably will expound more on them after this weekends Bar Stool Open.  Yes, despite the scares and claims from citizens, with accompanying cheerleading from the state officials, the Bar Stool Open will go on.  Oh sure, they are advising not to travel by boat this year...instead they say, drive it by car, and use a 'designated driver".  Some will to that, some have cancelled, but Nick and Company, we will go out on his pontoon, and take our chances.  It will be interesting to see how many will follow our lead and join us on the boats, and how many will buy what the State BureauRats are selling.

Anyway that was what I was going to write about...the city streets, Main and Buckeye basically rendered useless for who knows how long?(Buckeye has been shut down for over a year, and is still not near completion)  The Main Street repairs will be done by next Memorial Day, so the "city leaders" say....anybody want to make a bet that doesn't happen?  The Lake may be re-opened by next Spring....any bets on that?  Not much the average citizen/voter can do, except defeat the 1/2% income tax increase on November's ballot, then vote out every single local politician that is voting for these projects and increases.  What Obama is doing on purpose to this country, is what our local politicians are doing to this city...I hope it's by ignorance and not on purpose.  That was what I was going to write about...I think I said that a few times already?  But instead I'll talk about the Reds vs Cards "Brawl" last night.

I've never been a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals....think they are a bunch of whiners and over hyped wimps.  No, I don't hate them like I do the Yankees or Cubs, but never liked them...especially since they came into the Central Division of the National League with the Reds.  The manager, who I call Tony LaWussa, the steroid suspect Albert Pujols, and the she male Chris Carpenter especially rub me the wrong way.

Well the Cards came into Cincinnati a full two games behind the upstart Cincinnati Reds....the Redlegs were on a roll, having taken 5 of 6 on the recent road trip, including 3 straight from the Cubbies.   To SL's credit, they bashed the Reds 7-3 in game one, and came into last night's contest just a game behind.   Cincinnati second basemen Brandon Phillips has stated after game #1 that the Cardinals were wimps and crybabies, and he "hated" them....that set up this confrontation when Phillips came to bat in the bottom of the first inning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf52e2X0Rgk 

Too bad the Cards won again, this time 8-4 to tie the teams for first place, the Reds need a win to gain the top spot back, as they play again today in Cincy at 12:30 EST.

This kind of stuff is great for MLB and the Reds and Cardinals in the pennant race. It takes the talking heads on ESPN and elsewhere off jock sniffing the Yankees and/or Red Sox. 

Go Reds!  For more on the Reds-Cards, stop by my alter-ego Riff Reff...click on the blind ref>>>>

back later>>>>

Photos-Looking out across polluted Grand Lake St. Marys with Safety Island in the distance...Some Green Algae washing up against the north shore.  US 127, Main Street, will be a business killing mess for the next year or more.  And the Reds/Cardinals "Brawl" was the highlight of last nights Major League games.