Domes Look Nice, but Lost Luster
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Monday, 8.3.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net views VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PAGE 4 PRESS&DAKOTAN The Press Dakotan THE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUndED 1861 Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 CONTACT US OPINION OTHER VIEWS PHONE: (605) 665-7811 (800) 743-2968 NEWS FAX: Domes Look Nice, (605) 665-1721 ADVERTISING FAX: (605) 665-0288 WEBSITE: www.yankton.net But Lost Luster ––––– SUBSCRIPTIONS/ MITCHELL DAILY REPUBLIC (July 28): It’s unfortunate the new CIRCULATION Corn Palace domes sat on Sixth Avenue in Mitchell for months before Extension 104 they were actually installed Monday. [email protected] Nestled between the Corn Palace’s south walls and the Scoreboard CLASSIFIED ADS Pub & Grille, the domes waited patiently for their day in the sun. It Extension 108 was about four months after the believed-to-be completion date of the renovation that the domes finally were lifted off the street and onto the [email protected] Palace. NEWS DEPT. Spectators and city officials watched as the new-look Corn Palace Extension 114 started to take form. [email protected] And, honestly, we felt the old domes were out of date. The Palace SPORTS DEPT. needed a new look. Did it need a multi-million dollar renovation? We’ll Extension 106 find out. [email protected] Hopefully these new domes, turrets and updated Palace features ADVERTISING DEPT. attract more tourists to Mitchell. Our city has been undergoing a major Extension 122 self-promotion effort in the past year through endorsing its Top7 intelli- [email protected] gent communities designation, creating a new logo and getting the word BUSINESS OFFICE out about the great things we have going on here. Extension 119 And that’s great. But hopefully the majority of the tourists feel [email protected] Mitchell made a good decision with its new domes and updated Palace. As far as the domes, we’ve heard positive and negative comments. NEW MEDIA: And now that they’ve been installed on the Palace’s roof, we’re actually Extension 136 listening to the reviews. While the domes rested on Sixth Avenue, we [email protected] didn’t feel the judgments were worthy. It was like trying to determine COMPOSING DEPT. the sparkle of a Christmas tree without the star. It was unfinished. Extension 129 We’ve heard some people think the new domes are hideous, while [email protected] some really like the new look. Surely there are always going to be peo- ple who complain about a major decision such as this one. Capitol Notebook * * * What’s our opinion? MANAGERS Well, the domes certainly lost some of their luster while sitting on Gary L. Wood Sixth Avenue. We drove by them day after day and wished they were Publisher in their rightful place, on the Palace’s roof. We realize it probably was tough to keep them hidden because they needed to be assembled, but School Funding Gets More Michele Schievelbein seeing the domes gave away the surprise. Advertising Director But we appreciate city officials ensuring their durability. Tuesday Jim Gevens morning’s early storm, which included 48 mph winds, gave at least an Circulation Director early inclination that these domes will withstand South Dakota’s rough Attention, Not Money weather. Tonya Schild Overall, we’re happy with the new domes, especially since they’re BY BOB MERCER He also looked at more than 30 years of Business Manager finally on top of the Corn Palace. It will be interesting how the LED State Capitol Bureau data. South Dakota trailed all of its neighbor- Tera Schmidt lights, which are going to be installed at a later date, will improve the ing states throughout the entire period and Classified Manager domes even more. Hundreds of thousands of people are going to see these domes for PIERRE – Two legislators from different began falling farther and farther behind in Kelly Hertz years to come, so we hope they’re well-received. They’re going to help political parties and different parts of South about 2003. Editor define our city. Like it or not, the Corn Palace is Mitchell’s identity. Dakota have been digging into the intertwined South Dakota hasn’t regained ground in the issues of public school funding and teacher past decade. James D. Cimburek salaries. In comparison to average South Dakota Sports Editor P&D LETTER POLICY Rep. Lee Schoenbeck distributed a think wages and salaries, teachers’ pay gradually Beth Rye piece that analyzes how we reached this point. increased from 1980 to 1995 -- and has steadily Digital Media Director The PRESS & DAKOTAN invites its readers to write letters to One solution the Republican from Watertown decreased since 1995 to its lowest point since the editor. We ask that a few simple guidelines be followed: offers is an additional 1 percent of state sales 1970. Kathy Larson l Please limit letters to 300 words or less. Letters should deal tax that coincides each year with the During the late 1970s, South Da- Composing Manager with a single subject, be of general interest and state a specific summer tourist season. kota school districts spent slightly Sarah Lynde point of view. Letters are edited with brevity, clarity and newspa- Rep. Ray Ring prepared an analysis more than 80 percent on salaries, Circulation District Manager per style in mind. of South Dakota’s tax revenues used about 10 percent on benefits and l In the sense of fairness and professionalism, the PRESS & for public schools and a comparison about 8 percent on other items. * * * DAKOTAN will accept no letters attacking private individuals or with neighboring states where pay is That balance has shifted, with DAILY STAFF businesses. higher for teachers. The Democrat salaries in the current decade down Reilly Biel l Specific individuals or entities addressed in letters may be from Vermillion showed consequence to slightly more than 70 percent Cassandra Brockmoller given the opportunity to read the letter prior to publication and be of lower taxes. and benefits up to approximately 20 Brandi Bue The two lawmakers have taken percent. Rob Buckingham allowed to answer the letter in the same issue. Caryn Chappelear l Only signed letters with writer’s full name, address and day- different routes to disseminate their Yet South Dakota in 2011- Randy Dockendorf time phone number for verification will be accepted. Please mail to: information. Bob 2012 provided the lowest level of Jeannine Economy Letters, 319 Walnut, Yankton, SD 57078, drop off at 319 Walnut in Schoenbeck is passing his eight- benefits, as a percentage of salary, Rachel Frederick page paper through political channels. among states in the region at 27.8 Yankton, fax to 665-1721 or email us at [email protected]/. MERCER Jeremy Hoeck Ring had a statewide stage last August percent. Next was Montana at 29.4 Nicole Myers at the 2014 joint convention of the percent. Robert Nielsen Diana Smallwood ABOUT THIS PAGE Associated School Boards of South Dakota and South Dakota received more federal David Stephenson the School Administrators of South Dakota. revenue per capita for schools than all of the Cathy Sudbeck The View page provides a forum for open discussion of issues and Ring, now retired, was a long-time profes- neighboring states in 2011-2012. For local rev- JoAnn Wiebelhaus interests affecting our readers. Initialed editorials represent the opinion sor at the University of South Dakota business enue, South Dakota stood in the middle of the Brenda Willcuts of the writer, but not necessarily that of the PRESS & DAKOTAN. school. More than 20 years ago, during the group. For state revenue, South Dakota trailed Alissa Woockman Bylined columns represent the view of the author. We welcome letters on George S. Mickelson administration, he served all, by a wide margin. current topics. Questions regarding the Views page should be directed to as an analyst for the state’s tax study panel. As a percentage of personal income, school * * * Kelly Hertz at [email protected]/. His look last year at teacher salaries found funding in South Dakota was far behind neigh- Published Daily South Dakota was last in the region for 2012- boring states in 2011-2012 too. The state-rev- Monday-Saturday IN HISTORY 2013 at $39,850. Next were North Dakota at enue contribution in South Dakota was last in Periodicals postage $47,344; Nebraska at $48,931; and Montana at this comparison, Ring found, nearly 40 percent paid at Yankton, South By The Associated Press researcher had created the world’s first $49,999. The U.S. average was $56,383. behind the next state, Montana. Dakota, under the act of Today is Monday, August 3, the 215th cloned dog, an Afghan hound named He performed a cost-analysis compari- The Schoenbeck proposal for a summer day of 2015. There are 150 days left in the “Snuppy.” (Although the scientist, Hwang son that looked at each state’s economic sales tax isn’t novel. But it directly addresses March 3, 1979. year. Woo-suk, was later disgraced over faked Weekly Dakotian Today’s Highlight in History: On Au- research, the cloning of Snuppy was inde- conditions. South Dakota remained last but the gap identified by Ring. It shifts some of established June 6, 1861. gust 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set pendently confirmed.) improved to $44,875. Next was North Dakota the burden to visitors. And he might have the Yankton Daily Press and sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that Five years ago: Engineers began at $52,372. credibility to get it into law. took him to the present-day Americas.