Chris seemed awfully excited about a category called the Black Squirrel Beat. This category is for news, events, and information about the city I live in: Council Bluffs, Iowa. Right after we got married, Tony was transferred to Offutt AFB in Omaha, Nebraska. We lived there for about six years before buying a house here in Council Bluffs. The two cities are on opposite sides of the Missouri River. I work in Omaha, as does Tony.
Council Bluffs is know as the Black Squirrel capital of the US. Many cities claim this distinction, but the only one I've ever lived in is Council Bluffs. There are many black squirrels here. It is actually against the law to agitate a black squirrel in the city limits. Someone was fined something like $700 last year for throwing rocks and yelling at a black squirrel. Grey squirrels are under no such protection.
Council Bluffs has a population of roughly 58,000. It's called Council Bluffs because of the many bluffs in town. We're right on the Missouri, but the bluffs give us great wind protection and provide tons of hills for biking/running agony. I have no idea where the Council part of the name came from.
So, I thought I'd take you on a tour of Council Bluffs. We have three casinos here. They rake in a lot of money. For that reason, our property taxes are low and we enjoy city paid for benefits like a convention center and park improvements without seeing increases to our taxes. Next to the convention center, we have a new Bass Pro Shops. It's big. I don't like fishing, hunting, or camping, so I really can't speak to how cool it is. But it is big.
There are roughy twenty parks in the city. Most are the playground type of park, but we have a lot of baseball, softball, and soccer fields too. We do boast a large recreation complex in the city full of picnic space and fields for sports. There is a park with a baseball field across the street from our house.
There are also half a dozen great trails to walk/run on and the city is in the process of building more trails. The Wabash Trace is the best known as it goes 62.4 miles south from here into northern Missouri. It's a crushed limstone path and is well maintained. The trailhead is about 4 miles from my house and a reasonable walk. It just occurred to me how very short that distance is compared to the Ironman training rides many of you put in on a regular basis.
There's a Renaissance Faire here every year. It's put on by the Bluffs Art Council, so it's more about artisans than games and fun. My favorite part is the band that dresses like pirates and sings bawdy drinking songs. Tony has talked about wearing a kilt and showing off his awesome clan badge next time we go. That would be fun.
Not surprisingly, there are at least three rodeos in the area each year. Also not surprisingly, I have never been to one nor do I have any desire to go to one.
Our county library is really snazzy. It was recently renovated and has lovely stained glass windows, lots of local art, and a great kids area. One cool thing is their website. You can extend your loans, view hours, see upcoming events, and even see what's available for lending. There's also a handy drive through for dropping off books.
You can park downtown for fifteen minutes and only pay a dime. The YMCA is downtown. You have to pay if you go on the weekend or during the day. Early morning users generally do not pay the meters.
We have a mall. Seriously. It's about a mile from our house. It has stores you've heard of too - Old Navy, Penney's, Barnes & Noble, Panera, Target, etc. We go there a lot in the winter to hang out in the kids play area and let Duncan burn off some steam.
There are a lot of summer concerts and music festivals downtown. They're renovating the big fountain in Bayliss Park (which is where all these events are held). It's going to be really nice when it's all done. Right now, it's all torn up.
The bike shop I plan to frequent is also downtown. It's a small, family run place with a live in cat. Their website warns you to roll your windows up on warm days or you may end up taking the cat home with you.
There's also a Lewis & Clark Museum & Scenic Overlook. This gives you a lovely view of the Omaha airport. It's kind of secluded, but they've spent a lot of time and money renovating it. Lewis and Clark crossed the Missouri here.
Then there's the Squirrel Cage Jail. This deserves its own entry, so you'll have to wait until later for that.
Mind you, this is only a little bit about my fair town. I'll be telling you more in future editions of the Black Squirrel Beat. If there's anything in particular you want to know about or if something here interests you, please let me know.
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