02.02.08 Mongo’s Friday Edition

 Todays weather: Sunny and continued colder than, ok it’s just damn cold……Might warm up next week.

Tomorrow we see if that furry forecaster see’s his shadow. Guess what, it’s still going to be 6 more weeks of winter.

I’m in for Bugs who is under the weather by the way. I think that was code for a ski trip but who am I to judge.

An Elmwood park neighborhood resident has files suit against the city over the placement of the Sounding Stones Sculpture in the park.

Gregory Searsons suit claims the Mayor allowed the placement of the concrete eyesores without the approval of the City Council as required.

Searsons suit also uses a 1973 Nebraska Supreme Court Ruling that prevented the City from allowing UNO to put a parking garage in the park saying the was not the intended use of park property. Searsons suit says that the Mayor has in effect attempted to create an art gallery and destroyed Searsons Pastoral view of the Park.

Greg I couldn’t agree more.

City Attorney Paul Kratz says the Mayor has done nothing wrong and placing the sculpture in the park is no different that say putting in a slide or teeter-totter.

Hey Paul you expect to see a slide or teeter-totter in a park. You don’t expect to see the ground littered with something that looks like an unfinished sewer project. And some places have removed their slides and teeter totters because of the safety liability, oh wait nobody can get hurt on these, I forgot.

Again all this goes back to the arrogance of this administration. They don’t care what the residents of the area want. I have not talked to one person that thinks these hunks of concrete are art and belong in the park. Most had no idea what they were at Turner Park and many thought they were using the park as a holding area for items used in the Interstate work. It looks like some crap we used to put out in the 70’s and have since disposed of. But the Mayor and his staff owe somebody for something and that somebody wants the sculptures out of their neighborhood and they had to dump them somewhere.

I think if Mr. Searson wins his suit not only should these concrete slabs of crap have to be removed but the Mayor should be sited for violating the “No Dumping” law and have to pay the fine.

Greg were cheering for you.

Two separate shooting sent victims to the hospital.

Around 6:15 a man knocked on the door of a home on South 5th, pointed a gun and demanded money. Apparently the amount given wasn’t what he expected so he shot the man and fled.

Another man was shot in an apparent drive by across the street from Miller Park at the J-N-D Grocery. A 20 year old was leaving the store why he was shot from a passing car.

An Omaha woman was arrested for suspicion of prostitution, keeping a house of prostitution  and operating a massage parlor without a license, all misdemeanors. Police discovered her operation from an ad on Craiglist. Where is this house of ill repute you ask. Why look no further than Millard and the Stonybrook neighborhood. We will have to follow up on this story and see if it has a happy ending.

The 14 year old illegal alien that made the cross country over the border run with the Lexington School teacher has been granted special permission to return to the U.S.. The family must pay for his coyote, sorry, his travel expenses. The families lawyer is also pursuing a U visa that would extend to immediate family members as well.

I guess I don’t understand that if we knew the entire family was here illegally why were they not sent back South. Funny how we enforce some laws and not others.

County Attorney Don Kleine says that the shooting of Brittany Williams may have been racially motivated. Kyle Bormann who is charged with the shooting apparently made some racial remarks when he was being arrested.

Friends and family members have said they have never seen signs the Kyle was a racist in his past.

This case has taken on some frightening twists as the investigation progresses. There was a story the Bormann was motivated because he was enraged at the poor play of the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs as well.

It was reported that Bormann had been drinking alcohol and watching football alone at his fathers house 2 miles North of the shooting scene when he dressed in all camouflage, took his rifle and drove down to the shooting scene where he took the life of an innocent young woman. Frightening.

And a 10 year old girl was reportedly abducted near 27th and Burdette and taken to a home near 56th and Parker where she was sexually attacked by a 51 year old man. The girl found an opportunity to escape when she saw an MUD worker and she ran screaming to him for help. The worker, who is trained to be aware of such situations, called police who then arrested 51 year old Michael Zimmerman of suspicion of sexual assault of a child.

Make sure this guy gets left behind down at the City Jail when the move everyone else over to County lockup.

And Sunday is the grand finale of the NFL season. Then my TV’s go dark for about a month till March Madness begins.

The Patriots take on the Giants in a rematch of a game that went to the wire just a few short weeks ago. Brady vs Eli, I have to go with Brady. I’m picking the Pat’s but not sure if they are going to cover. This could be a close one.

Everyone have a great weekend. I may pop in here and there is anything good happens and needs the attention.

Mongo Torrey

MongoTorrey@hotmail.com

12.27.07 Thursday Afternoon

With objections to their placement falling on deaf ears at City Hall, the Sounding Stones or better known as The Sewer Pipe Sculpture, has made its way to deface the splendor that was once Elmwood Park.

The so called work of art was moved from Turner Park to Elmwood Park when Mutual of Omaha didn’t like the looks of it near it’s new development and pawned it off on another neighborhood. Mayor Landow and Muppet Mike were elated at sticking it to another part of the city and showing them who’s boss.

At a motion hearing for Roy Ellis, accused of the murder of Amber Harris, a very very large man entered the court room and called Mr Ellis a dirty name. 6′3 295 lb Billy Roy Tyler then sat about ten feet from Ellis and mean mocked him while making fun of Ellis’ lawyers motions for a change of venue.

Deputies removed Tyler from the Courtroom. Tyler was at the Nebraska Correctional Center the same time as Ellis so were guessing he knows what of piece of shit he is.

A 19 year old man was shot in his back by his home near 27th and Leavenworth last night. Police are releasing few details at this time.

And I am sorry for the late posting. I thought Geno had the morning covered however I was wrong and he wasn’t back till later this afternoon. Im learning on the go with this daily posting stuff.

Mongo Torrey

MongoTorrey@hotmail.com

Sounding Stones a Sounding Point for City Arrogance

Residents and a City Councilman talked to the Mayors staff. The airwaves are full of people against it. Jokes continue daily about it and still our city officials fail to listen.

Parks Director Steve Scarpello scoffed at the notion that a kid could climb atop the concrete eyesores and fall to the crushed rock below (he has never seen my neighbor kids scale the side of the school building to retrieve a wayward football) and said the Sounding Stones will be moved to Elmwood Park.

Other concerns were the so called sculptures would attract loiterers as the do in Turner Park. No kidding. Beings as they will be placed in a somewhat wooded area, now the perverts wont have to waste gas headed to the Dam Sites, welcome back to Elmwood park boys.

This Mayor has shoved countless items down our pocketbooks with no care what the people of this city want. Over 90% of the neighbors don’t want this concrete dump in the park, too bad, so sad.

If it is such a epic display of art then why not display them near the other folly of Muppet Mike, the Pedestrian Bridge to Council Bluffs. Lets haul them down to the Riverfront or are they scared the pieces of questionable artwork would be mistaken for rip-wrap for the river bank?

Scarpello made the comment “We will have to agree to disagree.” What a pompous ass. Steve, worry about picking up the trash, mowing the parks, making sure the ice doesn’t melt at Benson or Hitchcock but don’t act like your the art director at the Louvre.

I had the idea to paint the stones in primary colors so at least they would look like a giant children’s toy strewn over the floor. Or find some left over J Doe’s, dress them in orange vests and make it a tribute to road work. Better yet , lets find one of the Big O’s around town so we can call this crap “O what an Eyesore”.

If it were such a delightful work of art the condo people would have wanted to keep it. However it attracted homeless and drunks and we can’t have that near our midtown development. Let’s push them out to a park where they can really get secluded and set up camp. Good thinking Steve.

As for the people of Elmwood Park and Dundee just remember you voted for this Mayor, don’t forget how he turned his back on you and laughed.

Is it just me or do these things look alot like the concrete footings for some really big street lights, just laying on their sides.

Mongo Torrey

MongoTorrey@hotmail.com

Wed 11.28.07

Sorry Late start due to staff meeting.

Looks like things were active here last night.

Yesterday Mayor Landow and Muppet Mike reviewed the pleadings from neighbors but still said the “Sounding Stones” will be moved to Elmwood Park.

That’s listening to the people there Mr. Mayor.

Someone dropped a South African Krugerrand in the kettle for the Salvation Army at the Kmart near 132nd and Maple. That’s right across the street from heartless Target which doesn’t allow the bell ringers. The value is thought to be around $250 dollars but it was in a sealed package so it could be worth more.

And an Omaha activist has announced that Copwatch, a National Organization that monitors police activity, is coming to Omaha.

The group uses police scanners and cameras to monitor how police act in situations. Police officials have no problem with the group as long as they do not obstruct justice.

The group wants $150,000 in city money to pay for the cameras and scanners though. It would have been cheaper to continue to pay the police auditors lunch tab, ok maybe not.

The groups first meeting will be at the OPS Tac center at 30th and Cumming on Dec 10th.

Wonder when KIDWATCH will ever come to the No-K coral. Then maybe we wouldn’t need Copwatch. Ever think of that Willie?

That’s what we got this morning, watch for the return of the B-22 team later as we voted the emailer an idiot and plan to reconstruct the season.

Bugs Manderson

Tuesday Afternoon Update 11.27.07

Elmwood park residents meet with Mayor Landow, Muppet Mike was unavailable, about the concern for the movement of the Sounding Stones Sculptures from Turner Park to Elmwood Park.

Councilman Jim Vokal is also against the placement of the so called works of art due to the liability issue the city will have when some kid climbs up them, falls and shatters his noggin on the concrete below. They sit on grass in Turner Park now and make lovely shelters for the homeless at night, thus the reason for moving them. We wouldn’t want homeless 50′ from the new condos now would we.

Mayor Landow said he appreciated their thoughts and would share their concerns with Muppet Mike when he wakes from his nap, sometime in February.

90% of the Dundee/Elmwood park residents are against the movement which goes to show how well our city and Mayor’s office listen to the people.

We are still on the new head coach watch and are happy to report that Dr. Tom did eat lunch today, peed two times and took one good morning dump however we cannot confirm if the dump was interviewed for the coaching job. Tom Shatel was quoted as saying “WWWWWhhhhhheeeer’ss the P P PL PL PLane T T TOo o o Day”

UPDATE: After the players meeting T.O. said nobody has been offered the job yet. He also said he planned to eat dinner this evening.

Word on the street is that Mississippi has gained a Nutt as head coach.

Back after the team meeting is there is anything to report…..

Patches Castelar

11.20.07 Mongo Torrey Edition

Morning everyone, the Boys called in late with the Monday Night Football Flu I think but don’t quote me on that……

Another drive-by shooting in the NO-K coral yesterday afternoon as a 23 year old man was shot while standing in an alley near 36th and Ames. The man was treated at the scene.

And on short notice I couldn’t find any other news worth writing about so I am going to combine this with something I wanted to comment on anyway….It’s a Mongo 2 fer Tuesday.

Our fair city is going ahead with plans to move a modern art sculpture from Turner Park to Elmwood Park despite objections from neighbors. The artwork, known as the Sounding Stones consists of several pieces of concrete each weighing 14 to 17 tons.

I saw this story the other day and I drove by and looked for myself so I could be objective. Once I discovered what I was looking for I realized I had seen this before. One time they were fixing the sewer by my house and these things were laying all over.

Modern Art? More like a tribute to Ed Norton. The neighbors have a right to be pissed. You know all these things are going to end up being is the next graffiti blackboard in the somewhat secluded Elmwood park. I wouldn’t be surprised if it attracted back the pervert parade with promises of getting some pipe in the pipe.

I know art is in the eye of the creator or some bullshit like that, and I guess some art director at UNO put this little monstrosity together but it doesn’t fit into Elwood Park. A concrete Frisbee would have fared better reviews.

Peter Manhart is gathering signatures(add my name to the list Pete) and plans to take them to the Mayor (stop by Landow’s office first just in case the puppet is out getting oiled for the holidays) in hopes he will stop the move. Sorry Pete, we had the Bridge rammed down our throats like a bad porn movie, a new stadium coming through the backdoor and you expect him to stop this? What Mid-town wants mid-town gets. This is like asking the Omaha Housing Authority to put a HUD home in Fairacres. Elmwood park isn’t the cool kid in school anymore, Condo’s rule the halls now.

I have a different option for the residents, wait till they make the move then call and complain they are dumping illegally in the park. Or ask for the “artwork” to be displayed in a better suited location, Heflinger Park. It used to be a landfill and now is home to piles of dog crap so all we have to do is change the name of the sculpture to “Fido’s Feces”. Problem solved.

I’m in your corner, either leave them where they are or rent a jack hammer but this garbage has no place in Elmwood Park. I doubt the Mayor will listen, if he did it would be something completely out of character (He has a recurring role in Pinocico) so best of luck, however the people that will have to look out their window should have a say in whats dropped in the yard across the street. God knows they pay enough in taxes for that view.

I might be back later if anything interesting comes over the wire or I find something worth writing about during my morning meditation.

Mongo Torrey

MongoTorrey@hotmail.com