By Jason Smith

Many people in Omaha are very concerned about the future of our well known baseball icon – Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Not only has it been a part of Omaha’s history for nearly 60 years, but it has been home to the College World Series since 1950 and has hosted many famous players, coaches and teams. While it has grown with the CWS and seen many physical changes, Rosenblatt retains a great spirit of the past. This stadium has rightfully been compared to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park because of its classical styling, and its important place in the heart of American baseball.
Currently a group of community leaders are working to save this honored place. With the blessing of a unanimous vote from the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance (an alliance of over 30 South Omaha neighborhood associations), and initial spurring by the Deer Park Neighborhood Association, the group has formed the Committee to Save Rosenblatt Stadium. The committee has begun with a petition drive, and has already compiled well over 3,000 signatures of those who “oppose the demise of Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium”. Also, an informational website (www.SaveRosenblatt.com) has been created where an online petition can be signed as well.
While the committee and its volunteers have been getting signatures, handing out fliers, planting yard signs and talking to the community it has clearly noted the high percentage of people that support the cause. Likewise, based on a June 2007 Omaha World Herald online poll, 81% of the 2,355 respondents answered NO to the question: “Do you think the College World Series should leave Rosenblatt Stadium?” Many people have even been heard saying “You’re kidding me! They are actually considering getting rid of Rosenblatt?” There is shock and anger, as some have oddly joked about standing in front of bulldozers. Though the committee does not advocate anything illegal, it has made picket signs that it plans to use at future rallies and public events.
The comments to save Rosenblatt for CWS are pouring into both the Save Rosenblatt Committee and College World Series Inc. websites. A steady flow of input, from thoughtful logic to deep emotion, has been offered in an apparent attempt to stop any change from the current venue. Some plead and plead again, while others offer stories of history and generational pride. Some commenters have legs of concrete and minds of steel saying things like: the Series would not, and could not, be as good as it currently is with Rosenblatt, or that they will not return if Rosenblatt is destroyed.
The option to build a ballpark in North Downtown and demolish Rosenblatt is being driven by the development possibilities that are defined in a master plan for the “NoDo” area. The plan was designed by the HDR Architecture and Planning firm, supported by the Mayors office and paid for by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. The Omaha Royals, Creighton University and big money land owners would like to see a stadium be built on the south-east corner of 16th and Cuming Streets. They say that it would be good for business and would create an “anchor” for more rapid growth of the space just west of the Qwest Center. Some feel that other anchors, such as a museum or residential/commercial development, which are proposed in the HDR study, would serve the area better. Others simply contend that even if a ballpark deal can be ironed out among the three potential users (Royals, Blue Jays, and CWS) then it is still wrong. They say that important local and national history would be lost and a major aspect of one areas long-standing identity would be stolen only for the benefit of another.
The Save Rosenblatt Committee has had recent discussions with Mayor Mike Fahey and communications with Dennis Poppe, the NCAA’s director of baseball and football. The group believes it is making headway, but there is a long road ahead. It hopes to continue working with Fahey and Poppe to help find a solution for the future of CWS that includes Rosenblatt. Both the Mayor’s office and the NCAA have said that the option of saving and improving Rosenblatt is on the table; the Save Rosenblatt Committee simply wants to see other options worked off. The committee would advocate for spending more than a proposed $25 million “Rosenblatt CWS Plan” – so long as it’s all used in and around Rosenblatt, America’s home field for CWS.
(Editor’s Note) Jason A. Smith is an active community leader in Omaha and is currently a student of Architecture, Sociology and Urban Planning at the University of Nebraska. He holds positions in many civic and community based organizations including President of Deer Park Neighborhood Association and Vice President of Omaha Streetcar.

“Olde Towne” Bellevue needs rejuvenation, renovation and reinvention

Today’s retail developers are not building enclosed shopping malls with the big anchor stores like they did in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s. Instead, they are building open-aired shopping centers that are designed to look and feel like old town squares.  Main Street shopping areas tend to bring in “Baby Boomers” because it takes them back to their youth, back to an environment reminiscent of the 1950’s and 1960’s. 
An old town square is a great place to stage events such as art festivals, concerts, farmer’s markets, street dances, fairs or other types of attractions that bring people together in one place. If there are stores, cafes and bars around, chances are that people who are out and about will patronize and spend money at the stores and shops in the vicinity.
One way to bring traffic into a retail area that is not doing so well is to put anchor stores at each end of the strip.  In Bellevue’s case, the strip would be Mission Avenue.  However, Mission Avenue must be rejuvenated to keep up with the times. People don’t like to see boarded up storefronts.  If Bellevue were able to convince a few major stores, such as Borders, Best Buy, Gap or a Jason’s Deli to move to Olde Towne, the specialty stores in Olde Towne would greatly benefit and the vacant stores would be more likely to become occupied.
There are plenty of things that the City and the people can do to bring Olde Towne back to life and it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. First, Bellevue needs to change the perception of Olde Towne and make it more inviting to the shoppers. As you go into Olde Towne, the sign that Bellevue has in place now is very plain and it’s smaller than a stop sign. If you blink, you’ll miss it! Maybe the City should try to get some major businesses to sponsor a sign that goes over Mission Avenue, such as the one that Reno, Nevada has. A simple sign can be very inviting, not only to locals, but to tourists as well. Streets should be laced with flowers and foliage; benches should be freshly painted and comfortable; and the lamppost flags should be colorful and changed according to seasons or events. An ice skating rink would bring in winter traffic, outside cafes or a band shell for the other three seasons will bring people back to Olde Town. Yes, this will take money, time and a lot of hard work but Olde Towne is already there, so we don’t have to build it. We just have to fill it back up with excitement and bring it back to life.
If we give Olde Towne a makeover, it will cost less money since the infrastructure is already in place and new businesses will generate revenue for the City of Bellevue. If we don’t, we will probably look back years from now and say, “Why didn’t we keep Olde Towne alive?” Remember, we don’t build ghettos; they are created when things are not kept up.

Local Jockey Thompson on Track

By Jackie Shindo-Kaya

Jockey.  What’s in a name?  The answer we find falls under the: “a person who rides horses professionally in races,” definition in the Random House dictionary.    This month, we feature Terry Thompson, one of those.
Thompson, a 1990 graduate of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln High School, was active in soccer and wrestling in school when a family friend, Steve Brown of Brown’s Music, suggested he might try his hand at riding.  The Browns owned racehorses, and thought since Terry was athletically inclined, and at 5’3” and 110 pounds, should maybe look at a career in the racing world.  Thompson’s mother arranged a meeting with Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame trainer, Jack Van Berg, and through that meeting, Terry went to work for Van Berg’s farm in Kentucky.  After two years of learning the “horse trade”, from mucking stalls, to grooming horses, to breaking yearlings and eventually riding, Van Berg said Thompson had learned all he could teach him.  So, in 1992, Van Berg suggested Thompson go with a stable of horses he was sending up to Omaha after the Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas race meet had ended.  Thompson spent that summer in Omaha, riding his first recognized race at Ak-Sar-Ben.  Later in the year, he also rode in Oklahoma and Kentucky, and won his first race at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky in 1993.  Since then, he has ridden over 2,000 wins, number 2000 coming in January of this year at his favorite racetrack, Oaklawn Park.  “It’s a lot of fun there, and it’s like races used to be around Ak-Sar-Ben.  Big crowds come and a lot of people from that town enjoy the races”, he says.
His most memorable win came in the Arkansas Derby in 2003, aboard Sir Cherokee, a long shot that paid over $100 to win.  The horse was also entered in the Kentucky Derby, but 24 hours before the race was injured, and had to be withdrawn.  “It was the high of my career, and probably the low”, he says, of almost making it to the Derby.  Thompson has ridden in a “Breeders Cup” race though, a feat only a handful of jockeys can lay claim to.  He lists as one of his favorite horses Sure Shot Biscuit, who is the only Iowa-born Thoroughbred to earn over $1 million in purses.
Married, with four children from 11 to 5 years old, Thompson recently purchased a home outside of Des Moines.  With racing at Prairie Meadows racetrack in Altoona, Iowa, running from April to September, it gives him an opportunity to spend more time with his family.  In addition, it’s closer to relatives—his mother is in Omaha; his in-laws in Council Bluffs.
What does he think about while riding a race?  “Every horse is different”, he says.  “Every race you ride is a different race.  Just trying to think about having a clean trip, saving horse for the end, and just making the right decisions.  They’re split-second decisions and you don’t have much time to think about it, just hope you make the right ones.  Just like in every job, there’s times that you mess-up, but you forget about it and go on to the next one.”
While the rewards of riding racehorses are great, the risks are even greater.  Workers Compensation insurance, which provides a wide range of coverage, is extremely expensive for jockeys.  Thompson carries private insurance that will at least take care of doctor and hospital bills.  “As far as getting a paycheck if I’m hurt”, he says, “Lloyds of London will do it, but it’s so expensive that it’s almost better if you can put money away and hope you don’t have to ever get to it, but if you did, it was there.”  He adds, “One thing about our business:  it’s not if you’re gonna get hurt, it’s kinda when you’re gonna get hurt.
The racing industry has given thought to increasing the riding weight limit, to try to curb bulimia and anorexia among the riders.  A recent HBO special, “Jockey”, addressed the issue of bulimia.  Thompson doesn’t have a weight issue, but views both sides of the hot topic.  “You could go both ways”, he states.  “If they did up the weight, you’re gonna get the exercise riders now coming in to try to lose weight just like some of these riders are now so they can make the weight.  So you’re right back in the same boat as what you might be now.  Everyone has always said from day one it’s a small man’s sport.  It would help some riders if they’d up the weight, but then again, you’re gonna get the guys that think ‘oh well, I can get down to that’, and you’re gonna get the same deal as you have now.  A lot of riders have a strict diet and they maintain their weight like that.  And then there’s probably 40% of the riders that are little guys like myself and Pat Day, (retired Racing Hall of Fame rider).  There’s a lot of little guys in our business, so even though the bulimia does happen, it’s not as much as the special played-out to be.  But it does happen, and that’s the choice that those riders make.  Instead of eating healthy, they’d rather do it that way.  They know the consequences and they choose to do it.  So it’s hard to say—it’s 50-50”.
A typical day in the life of a jockey has him or her arriving at the track at 6:00 A.M. to work horses.  Hopefully, the trainer will give that rider the mount in an upcoming race.  About 10:00 A.M. they go home to rest, and return to the racetrack at least an hour before the first race runs.  They ride their assigned mounts, go home, and do it all over again the next day.  No weekends off, and definitely not your 9 to 5 job.
At 35, you would think that Thompson is in the prime of his career, but an often-asked question, “how long do you plan to ride”, brings a very unpretentious answer.  “It depends on the horses I’m riding.  If  I’m winning races and doing well, I’ll keep on going if my health permits it.  But if it gets to where I’m riding long-shots and going out there just to fill the race, I won’t do that.  I’ve had a great career.  As long as the horses are winning races, I’ll keep on knocking at the door”.
Thompson has no interest in training horses after he retires from riding, as do some jockeys.  “I think a rider is at the top of the chain here in the horse racing business”, he admits.  “In my perspective, trainers work hard to get the horses to the races, owners spend a lot of money buying the horses, and we’re in a great spot to go out and have the most fun out of all of it and get to ride them.  I just think when I’m done, I’ll be done with the races, and hopefully I’m smartly invested and just be able to enjoy retirement”.
Terry Thompson, Jockey, has a large fan following in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, due in part to his unassuming and approachable personality.  “I appreciate all their backing”, he says with a big smile.  Moreover, I, for one, have become another one of those fans.

Summer of Love, 1967, 40 Years Ago

Summer of Global Warming, 2007, 40 Pounds Heavier

Long hair, Petrolia oil, bell bottoms, incense, Haight-Ashbury, The Beatles, Viet Nam, Pot, LSD, the first heart transplant, the first Earth Day was celebrated. Put all these things and events in a bag, shake it up and dump it out and BANG! You have the Summer of Love, 1967.
That was 40 years ago, the world has changed, but the hopes and dreams, and some of the values are still in place. It was suppose to be a perfect world. “All you need is love” and it was a time when we prayed for peace around the world, especially with Viet Nam at its peak. There was hope for the world, even though marijuana or LSD induced it.
The country had gone through so much in the years leading up to 1967. President Kennedy was assassinated, the Civil Rights Movement was in full force and young men were fleeing the USA into Canada to avoid a war they didn’t believe in. As a country, we needed a break. The break came in the form of the Summer of Love.
The music was changing. The Beatles were not the mop top boys that we had welcomed from Liverpool. They now looked like drugged up hippies and their style and free spirit spread as quick as The Doors song “Light My Fire.” It was different for famous people like The Beatles, they had money to spend to dine at the best restaurants, live in mansions, and drive Mercedes Benz. The Hippies and the Flower Children were mostly panhandling, living on the streets and eating out of garbage cans. Most didn’t have cars, and if they did, it was an old van that more than a couple called their residence.
Life was very colorful, the clothes, the flowers, the pills, and the biggest party to date was about to begin: The Monterey International Pop Festival. Monterey Pop would go down in history; songwriters would write songs about it. The Monterey festival would introduce us to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, even though their lives were cut short.  In 1969, the festival would be overshadowed by Woodstock.
The Generation Gap was widening. The kids did what they wanted. Most dropped out of school and headed for San Francisco. This was the time to try drugs of every kind. Getting high and being with the masses of hippies was a freedom the kids of the 1950’s could never achieve. There were drugs to get you up, bring you down, mellow you out or take a trip to some psychedelic land to get away from the problems of the day. Kids were having the time of their lives, while the parents paced the floors waiting for their son or daughter to come home.
Movies and television was changing the world with the subjects they felt needed to be addressed and sometimes crossed the line in 1967. Movies such as “The Graduate” were bringing sex out in the open for all to see. Television shows like the Smothers Brother Comedy Hour was extremely political and to the Left. After 200 years, the constitution was finally being used for something that was fun.
The more things changed, the more they remained the same. There are still hippies living, most are retired.  They’re not dressing in the colorful clothes anymore, but they probably still have the same mindset they had in 1967. Many of the hippies were just in the life for the moment. They have become the parents and now they are walking the floors waiting all hours for their children to come home.
Free love seems to be around still.  In 1967, the world population was 3.4 billion, and in 2006, the Earth’s population is 6.5 billion.  It has almost doubled. There is still a variety of drugs on the streets, more expensive, more powerful and more deadly. We can still hear the music of that time. California Dreamin’ and Penny Lane are being played on almost every elevator. The language of the day has changed; you probably won’t hear the word “groovy” in a sentence today. The vocabulary used by the children today is as foreign to me and the slang that I grew up speaking was to my parents. People are still marching for something or protesting against something, as it should be, this is America. Every person on this planet should have a cause to march... Viet Nam is no longer an issue, but we have Iraq.
Those of us who were young in 1967 have memories to last a lifetime from that one summer. The parents of 1967 are finally at ease, because their nightmare is over. We have all changed since the Summer of Love, we may not remember all of it, and to most of us, it’s probably a blur. We shared that time with friends that bonded us for life. Get together with them and let them fill in the blanks for you, and you for them. Joni, I will be giving you a call soon. As I said, there was a lot of pot and LSD in 1967. Peace!