Gondolas are Still Wonderful Part Three -- Good Ole Boys Disappoint Cortez Gondola Zombies

The final installment of Ace Reporter Schwebke's three-part series is available on the web earlier than normal this morning. Yesterday's Std-Ex technical "glitch" has also apparently been cured. We thus incorporate the lead paragraphs below, hopefully in time for our gentle readers' morning lattes:

While a decision to build an Ogden gondola system remains up in the air, a proposal for an aerial tramway in Cortez, Colo., has failed to get off the ground.

For decades Cortez community leaders kicked around the idea of building a tram system that would take visitors from town to Mesa Verde National Park, which has more than 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.

However, in 2004, the plan was dropped when a feasibility study by Denver-based BBC Research and Consultants showed the $13.5 million tramway would be too expensive to build and maintain.

A Feasibility Study? "Hogwash," sez Boss Godfrey! "We don't need no stinkin' feasibility study! All we gotta do is BELIEVE!!!":

However, Mayor Matthew Godfrey believes a gondola — he says may cost at least $20 million and would run from downtown to Malan’s Basin — is just what Ogden needs to distinguish itself as a top destination for tourism and business.

We know our gentle readers are already champing at the bit to sink their teeth into today's article, so we'll post the relevant link now, without the adornment of further narcissistic editorial sniping. Read the whole sad tale here, about the manner in which the "good ole boys" cruelly crushed the gondolist hopes of one mind-numbed Cortez, Colorado gondola-cultist coven.

As an added bonus, we also link an impromptu companion piece, adding unique non-faith-based perspective to Parts One & Two of reporter Schwebke's article series, from the SGO point of view.

Start Chompin', O ever-gentle readers.

Gondola Wonderfulness Part Two -- A Silver-Bullet for an Idaho Silver-mining Hamlet

After some annoying technical spinning of the wheels this morning (don't ask,) we've finally found a way to locate and link the second article in Ace Reporter Schwebke's gondola promotional series, "Kellogg, Idaho's Gondola -- A Wonderful & Exciting Economic Silver Bullet Which Makes Mind-numbed Emerald City Gondola Zombies Swoon."

Kellogg, Idaho, of course, was one of the stops on Boss Godfrey's Flying Amen Circus Tour last month, and INbedded Ace Reporter Scott Schwebke offers his usual probing reporting and analysis of that little Idaho hamlet's now-fulfilled gondola "vision," in this morning's second series installment.

Reporter Schwebke does his usual bang-up job, and doesn't disappoint in providing his typically-cogent journalistic insight this morning, including this marvellous quote from Gondola Cheerleader Dave Hardman, whose already-hot gondola love affair was ratcheted-up even a few more notches, merely upon casting teary eyes toward the Kellogg gondola, which the voters of that little once-dying Idaho mining town reportedly approved by a tidy 80% majority vote:

Dave Hardman, executive director of the Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce and one of those who made the trip, said visiting Kellogg and Telluride gave him insight into how gondolas can drive tourism and provide effective mass transit.

"I gained the idea that gondolas were the catalyst to get people to come to the community and created a transportation system that didn’t disrupt other traffic," he said.

The Kellogg gondola is particularly impressive because it virtually saved the town’s economy when silver-, lead- and zinc-mining operations went belly up, Hardman said.

"Even though the magnitude is much smaller than what is planned for Ogden, the gondola was a catalyst for economic opportunity," he said.

Ace reporter Schwebke's second installment is another milestone achievement in his Standard-Examiner career, we think. Be sure to read Reporter Schwebke's entire story here. It's near-perfect, and certainly destined to win some kind of award in the near future. Perhaps Boss Godfrey will arrange to get him one of those important resume-building awards himself. (Scott Schwebke: "2006 Utah Mother of the Year," maybe?)

Even Ace Reporter Schwebke isn't perfect though; and there is one question we'd like to ask parenthetically:

Are we the only readers who are becoming increasingly annoyed at Mr. Schwebke's constant reference to Chris Peterson as a "Developer?" Shouldn't that label be reserved for people who've actually (and successfully) done at least one development project in the past? (OK... two questions. "Just asking..." you know... rhetorically.)

Have at it, gentle readers. Today's Ace Reporter Schwebke masterpiece has the look of a low & slow pitch, delivered over the outside corner of the plate.

Batter up!

The "Wonderfulness" of Gondolas -- Part One

An Aerial Day-trip with the Amen Chorus

By Rudizink

Our gentle Weber County Forum readers should not complain that Standard-Examiner publisher Lee Carter failed to give us fair and adequate warning. Part One of Scott Schwebke's previously-announced three-part gondola-promotional series makes the front page of the Slavish Boss Godfrey Official Propaganda Organ this morning under the chirpy headline: "Connecting resort towns - Colorado gondola has cut down on traffic, pollution."

Today's story reports on last month's secret fact-finding junket, during which Mr. Schwebke took a long cross-country plane-ride with a cramped cabin-full of rabid and unrepentant Emerald City Godfreyites -- folks like Mel Kemp and Dave Hardman -- for the purpose of getting up close and personal with several actual gondolas, deep within the Idaho and Colorado backwoods.

Ace Reporter Schwebke applies his usual probing style and critical-thinking skill to today's story, of course. And in our incessant effort to be the most useful blogsite in all of northern Utah, we obligingly link Mr. Schwebke's eagerly-awaited Sunday morning masterpiece here.

We pledge to update this article with links to the rest of Mr. Schwebke's articles in this series, just as soon as they become available on the web. We'll also add that we'll be sitting on the edges of our seat with abated breath until next Tuesday, chewing on our fingernails, wondering what went wrong with the gondolist sales-job in Cortez, Colorado.

And who wants to begin this morning's discussion? Who among our gentle readership will chip in their own two cents, prior to departing this morning toward the neighborhood ward-house?