Saturday Morning Emerald City News Roundup

Prelude to a weekend kickoff open-topic discussion thread

Emerald City political news has once again slowed to a crawl this morning, so we've decided to set up an other topic thread. Before we turn over the floor to our readers however, there are a couple of discussion items at least worthy of note:

First, we'll break precedent, and provide our readers with an early reminder of the City Council's upcoming Tuesday ( 8/4/09) council session, wherein this long awaited item has finally made its way onto the Council agenda:

10. New Business:
a. FY2010 Budget Veto Reconsideration. Reconsideration of Ordinance #2009-36 adopting the Budget for Ogden City for the Fiscal Year from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. (Reconsider; Adopt/not adopt Ordinance as vetoed)

Although we'll naturally anticipate a strong citizen turnout for what has to be one of the most important council events within recent memory, we will nevertheless provide our readers one additional "nudge." Don't forget to lobby the City Council on this, during the four remaining days prior to this council session. If you're inclined to register your opinions to your council representatives on this, (and we hope you are), here's their contact information:

• Contact Local Officials - Ogden City

For those readers who believe they may need a short refresher course on the Marshall White Center controversy, prior to contacting their Council members, click the label "Marshall White Center" at the foot of this article.

Next, we'll make brief note of this morning's story from the Standard-Examiner sports page. How 'bout dem Ogden Raptors, who last night clinched a "first half Pioneer League South division title, wrapping up a playoff berth in the process":

• Playoff bound: Ogden takes division

Looks like the Raptors have something quite special going on this year, doesn't it?

The floor is yours, O Gentle Ones. Address the above topics, or come up with something all your own, and treat this as a weekend kickoff open thread.

Quick Reminder: Ogden Raptors' Home Opener Set for Tonight

Gobs of entertainment bang for the buck

Quick reminder for Ogden area baseball fans. The Ogden Raptors' home opener is set for tonight at the sweetest little downtown ballpark in the land, Lindquist Field. Just to whet your baseball appetites, we'll shine the spotlight on this morning's Standard-Examiner's Digital (paid) Edition 2009 season preview, along with today's Std-Ex "Live" website profile of the Raptors' new manager, Damon Berryhill (don't forget to click on the excellent embedded slide show). For the full team roster, season schedule and other useful info, check out the Ogden Raptors' website.

For those readers who've never attended an Ogden Raptors' game, we'll just say the Raptors provide gobs of entertainment bang for the buck. Seasoned Raptors fans of course already know what's up.

We'll add that it appears that tonight's weather will cooperate for a comfortable night in the ballpark, and that there seems to be nothing pressing in the way of competition on tonight's boring city council agenda [yawn].

So there you have it folks. Let's hear no excuses. We hope at least a few of your will make it over to the ballpark, to support the home town team, which draws more people into downtown Ogden for a typical single game night, than Boss Godfrey's Salomon Center attracts in a week.

Ogden Raptors Playoffs Start Out Tonight at Lindquist Field

A great autumnal night for Raptors Playoff Baseball

By Dave Baggot
Owner, Ogden Raptors

Hey Friends;

Our boys have turned the season around and have qualified for the playoffs. Our hats go off to the kids for staying focused and ready to play.

We will host Game 1 of the Southern Division Playoffs right here at Lindquist Field tonight. Game time is 7:00 pm. Gates open at 6:00. We are playing the Orem Owlz and we will need to play flawless if we expect to make it through to the championship round. Games 2 and 3 if needed will be in Orem.

Prices are simple. We are treating the game like a Park Buyout. All General Admission Tickets are FREE, so all you need to do is pay the upgrade price to be in the box seats. Upgrade prices are $1.00 - $6.00 pending upon the seating section.

Season Ticket holders will have their same seats but you must come down and pay for them prior to the game. This is the only way I know how to do this since we have no time to promote. You can also reserve them on the phone with a credit card by calling 393-2450.

Playoffs do not draw well, so I need all of you to attend. I also need you to tell everyone you know to get their butts down here and see if we can win a title!.

We need your support so I am asking you to get down here and root for Our Ogden Raptors.

See you Tonight, and Think Blue!

Bags

Ogden Raptors Update: Home Opener on June 19th

If you're not a Raptors fan... you ain't a REAL Ogdenite
Season home opener: June 19th

By Dave Baggot
Raptors Co-owner

Hello Raptor Fans:

Well the season is fast approaching and it seems a bit overwhelming to me about getting everything finished on time. Construction is scheduled to be completed on the 15th of June but they are hoping to get us some areas to set up before that date. There is a new photo gallery of the construction if you care to check out the website.

The players are scheduled to arrive Sunday June 8th with the first workout being Monday June 9th. Host Families should be prepared to take players home immediately upon arrival.

Speaking of Host Families, apparently we are short on meeting the amount of necessary families. We may need up to (5) additional, so if you are interested in becoming a host family, please call Sherry Kessel at (801) 698-1233. Sherry will tell you what the needs are and what perks go with the honor of being a Host Family. Of course you can call me at 393-2400 for more information.

Game Day tickets go on sale to the public next Monday the 2nd of June at 9:00 am. Tickets will be available at the Lindquist Field Box Office at 23rd and Lincoln Ave, all Smith Tix locations, and of course by call the Raptor Ticket Office at 393-2450. All Phone orders will have a $1.00 per ticket handling fee. You can also go to Smith Tix and order tickets on line simply by visiting the ticket page on our website and pick the game you want to purchase. This is a neat little feature and hopefully will work wonders for your convenience.

Mark your calendar. The season opens June 17th in Orem and the Home Opener is
Thursday June 19th against the same Orem Owlz. The home opener should be quite special as we will re-open the New Lindquist Field and following the game will be fireworks sponsored by Amer Sports.

Slightly Nervous in Ogden

The Standard-Examiner's front page was a real eye-popper this morning, with this magnificent aerial photo of Ogden's Lindquist Field. It's the best shot I've seen yet of that quirky little zig-zag out in center-field, which was designed to accommodate the commercial building at the northwest corner of the ballpark. And it provides a vivid graphic demonstration of the creativity of the people who worked together in the planning, designing, and financing which resulted in squeezing such a sweet little sports facility into such a relatively tiny piece of downtown Ogden real estate.

The photo graphic neatly merges into an article under the byline of John Wright, the Std-Ex's newest reporter. Although I've read another John Wright story or two on the Std-Ex "back pages" within the last few days, I believe this story is Mr. Wright's front page debut. If this is any example of Mr. Wright's work, I think we're all going to appreciate his further and future reporting, as he familiarizes himself with the issues and politics or our beloved Ogden city.

The article is essentially a historical piece, although it also has a strong government-subsidy pro-development undertone, as should be expected of any Standard-Examiner story, of course. There's also a pithy Bill Parker quote that really sets the tone for this article, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave it out of this post:

"You should have seen that area over in there. It looked like crap," Parker said of the site of the old Ogden Iron Works, northeast of 24th Street and Lincoln Avenue, where the stadium sits. "Without that ballpark, I really don't think any of that other stuff would have taken off like it has."

All in all, it's a well-written and interesting article, however; and if you somehow missed the hard-copy version, you can read it online here.

One particular detail in the article caught my special attention. According to Ogden City Comptroller, The Raptors ballclub pays a $70,000 annual lease payment for the ballpark. While I don't know much about professional baseball economics, I'd assume that's a fairly easy "nut" to crack, for a ballteam that draws 3,719 fans to the ballpark, on average, during its 36-game home-stands, at an average ticket price of, say, $4.50 per fan. This assumption doesn't take into account, of course, the fairly high operational expenses that a "travelling" ballclub like the Raptors must certainly bear. Still, it would seem that there's an obvious "commercial reality" in the Raptors' situation.

Having read this information, I couldn't help thinking of the latest Ogden City sports complex project, the Downtown Hi-Tech Recreation Center. Although the publicly-reported numbers are still a little fuzzy, it has been reported that the co-partnership between Fat Cats and Gold's will be on the hook for between $60,000 and $80,000 per month.

Don't get me wrong. I'll go on record as saying that I'm in favor of proceeding with this project, now that it's reached the final planning stages, after years of public input and planning. The real tipping point for me was a series of conversations I've had with both of the lessee principals, David Rutter and Gary Nielsen. They've both assured me privately that they're eager to proceed with the project, that they believe the project to be economically viable, and that they expect to make serious money through their joint venture in the years ahead. I'm all for letting these two individuals proceed.

Is the Fat Cat's/Gold's business plan viable? Is it based on commercial reality? Will their optimistic business plan survive the harsh underwriting standards of the bond underwriter and the Wells Fargo Bank -- who wlll be ultimately "standing by" with its letter of credit? Will the downtown sports complex experience the same sort of public acceptance and success as have our Ogden Raptors?

We'll know the answers to these questions very soon, I'm sure. But I'm still slightly nervous now, I'll admit. Let's just say that I'm experiencing the same "gut sensation" that I get when I'm standing at the "craps" tables in Wendover with a pair of "bones" clutched in my fist.

Comments, anyone?

Raptors Home Opener is June 25th

I unabashedly swiped this following article from the Ogden Raptors website:

The 2005 Ogden Raptors are scheduled to report on Sunday June 12th. Workouts will begin on Monday the 13th, and will continue daily till they board the bus to Orem on the 21st to play the Owlz. (formerly Provo Angels)

Familiar faces will be returing to Ogden this season. Pitchers Jordan Pratt, Aaron Klusman, David Pfeiffer, along with Outfielders Ryan Carter & BJ Richmond are going to bolster the roster. With new faces coming in, it's nice to have some people who have already been here helping the others with advice and what to expect.

The afternoon of the 12th, after the players have received their uniforms, caps, and lockers, players will be allowed to move in with their "Host Family" If you are a Host Family, contact the Thompson's for more details.

Season Tickets will be ready and picked up the first week of June. We will be calling of of you to come in and sign for your tickets. Unpaid balances must be taken care of at that time.

Don't forget the Home Opener is Saturday June 25th at 7:00 PM vs. the same Orem Owlz. Post Game Fireworks will be sponsored by AOL. Game Day tickets go on sale June 1st at 9:00 am. Don't delay, make your plans now. You can stop by the main ticket office at 23rd & Lincoln, or call 393-2450 for phone orders.

Raptors baseball, "There's Still Nothing Else To Do!"

In addition, it's "the only pro game in town" where young professional athletes compete publicly, and actually "hustle," sprint on and off the field at top speed, and do the same whilst shagging fly-balls in EVERY game -- unlike "hotdog" players in the "Majors" -- I might especially add -- like baseball players are supposed to do in professional baseball. If you haven't taken your family or significant other to watch a Raptors game, you're definitely missing out on one of the best entertainment deals in Weber County.

Lindquist Field has the "Big League Park feel," on a warm summer night in Ogden, without the world-class, ear-searing profane heckling and drunken cheap-seat bleacher-brawling, and the self-centered player egomania -- and the parking problems -- that go along with a ballpark in the "Bigs."

I also think we should rename it "Lasorda Field," for reasons that ought to be ovious to serious students of sports history, and for marketing reasons, but that's just me. Funeral directors and embalmers in Ogden somehow still get first "dibs" on the Ballpark name in the fine print though, I guess, because they put up most of the initial $$$$s, I also guess.

Notwithstanding that fact, naming a ballpark after a family of morticians seems about as creepy as it gets in sports world, dontcha think?

Ogden Raptors Homepage