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About that Gravity Group boomerang woodie outside San Antonio

https://youtu.be/8Eb_NIWuzjY

Rumor, up to a 1,000 layoffs coming at Walmart Corporate. 200 VPs may get cut. Teimming the buracracy. Pain off layoffs expected to be short term

Alice Walton is selling off her cutting horse business and Ranch in Ft. Worth. Wants to concentrate on Crystal Bridges

The Scott Children's Museum is now open in Bentonville. I was underwhelmed cause i've seen a dozen of them with our kids. TheY have outgrown this. Figure newer parents love it.


Arkansas Children's Hospital is coming to Springdale, the 6th largest Children's hospital in the US will build a 225,000 facility on land near Arvest Ballpark donated by the George and
Evans Families.

http://www.nwabusinessjournal.com/14335/arkansas-childrens-hospital-plans-new-hospital-near-arvest-ballpark?utm_source=enews_080715&utm_medium=email&utm_content=breaking-news--northwest-arkansas-business-journal&utm_campaign=newsletter



Walton Family Foundation has launched an architecture program:
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - The Walton Family Foundation has announced a plan that will elevate the quality of architectural and landscape design in Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas. The new initiative, called the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program, will promote the highest level of design in the development of future public buildings and spaces.

Karen Minkel, Home Region program director at the Walton Family Foundation, outlined the vision for the project.

"The establishment of a design excellence program in Northwest Arkansas was driven by our strategic approach to preserve our region's sense of place," said Minkel. "Over the last 25 years, the population in Northwest Arkansas has more than doubled, creating opportunities and challenges in planning and design. The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program will encourage quality design of public spaces, while complementing the rich architectural history of our urban fabric."

Through this program, the Walton Family Foundation will provide financial support to entities such as school districts; county, state or local municipalities; and nonprofit organizations that intend to develop space for public purposes. Funds will be earmarked for all phases of design work.

The Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program is inspired by a similar enterprise in Columbus, Indiana, by the Cummins Foundation.
http://news.uark.edu/articles/31971/walton-family-foundation-announces-design-excellence-program

t's an ideal I've tossed about here and I finally got bored and made a couple of copies and did a mash up with the kids today. Took a space that once was for a screen at a local drive in and did this.i've got theming ideas down and will share those later on. I've mentioned this for a CC reuse here as well, but never gave it a visual, a one of a kind Drive and Dive In. Yes, a screen behind the wave pool for movie nights.

Specifically Williams Arizona.

Found this while researching ways to do the Canyon and found the overnight train excursion located here but Google showed results for this and they want SEAS to run it:

2/17/2015 11:10:00 AM
Williams theme park plan unveiled
Granger Group lays out plan to build theme park on the Gonzales Ranch Property located north of Interstate 40 and west of the Quality Inn


Marissa Freireich
Williams-Grand Canyon News Reporter


WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Amusement park rides, an adventure course, a wilderness area, an amphitheater, a hotel and spa and themed restaurants are all part of a proposed theme park plan for Williams.

Representatives from the Granger Group in Michigan presented their initial plans to Williams City Council members at the Feb. 12 meeting. The development group has completed several health care and senior living complexes, but has never developed a theme park.

The Granger Group's Gary Granger, president and CEO, and Greg Markvluwer, senior vice president, discussed their vision for developing a theme park that would drive tourism throughout the state.

"We think it's going to work very well and we think it's going to be a stepping stone to another project in the Phoenix area, and that's going to be a stepping stone to the whole concept of international travel, understanding that this is the Grand Canyon state," Granger said.

In December and January, the Williams City Council, the Phoenix City Council and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the geographic boundaries and governing body of the first Arizona theme park district in Williams. The five-member board had its first meeting on Feb. 13 (see related story on page 3A).

State legislation allows for the Arizona theme park district board to issue as much as $1 billion in bonds to pay for any number of theme parks. The district boundaries already include two properties in Williams, and the board may also add some property in Phoenix in the future.

The two areas within the Williams theme park district are: the piece of land known as the Gonzales Ranch Property located north of Interstate 40 and west of the Quality Inn and a piece of land north of Rodeo Road just east of the railroad tracks. The first area could be a theme park location and the second area is the planned location for Al Richmond's Arizona State Railroad Museum.

The Granger Group's proposal would likely use about 40 percent of the theme park district board's available bonding authority for the Williams project. Nine percent of the revenue generated at the theme park would be used to pay off the bonds required to build the park.

"This is not something that the community is going to pay taxes on," Granger emphasized. "All we are going to do is take the revenue that is generated that you don't have today, and we're going to be able to recapture 9 percent of that revenue and that 9 percent is used to pay off the capital investment."

According to its proposal, the Granger Group projects the theme park to cost between $300 million and $500 million to develop, see between 2.5 million and 4 million visitors annually, and generate $100 million to $125 million in gross revenue.

In his presentation, Markvluwer compared plans for the potential Williams theme park to the operation of Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. The piece of land set aside for a theme park in Williams is 488 acres. Busch Gardens is located on 335 acres of land, and receives 4.3 million visitors each year.

Max Biegert, who started the Grand Canyon Railway, bought the 488 acre property that is now located within the Williams theme park district 26 years ago.

"It was purchased for that reason," he said. "I felt a theme park, done properly there, would really work. And it will."

The Granger Group believes a theme park could convince tourists to plan longer trips and explore more areas of the state.

"Our goal here is by using these theme parks as a catalyst to extend the stay and bring the Grand Canyon to be known as the Arizona destination by creating say a three or a five day pass where people can fly into Sky Harbor, they can buy that pass and have the opportunity to stop at a theme park in Phoenix, travel up, hit a number of the venues on the way up, whether it's Bearizona, whether it's the Williams theme park, whether it's the Grand Canyon, and they can spend a five day tourism stay right here in the great state of Arizona," Markvluwer said.

The theme park plans call for an additional interchange off of Interstate 40 to facilitate access to the park, as well as a spur from the Grand Canyon Railway leading to the park. The park would likely be open nine months out of the year and employ a couple thousand people to start with.

The Granger Group's initial plans for the theme park include Route 66, wild west, mining and Navajo Nation themed areas. Activities could include rides, interactive exhibits, animal encounters, stunt shows, gold panning, archery, rock climbing, kayaking, ziplining, mountain biking, and hot air balloon rides.

The Granger Group is currently conducting a feasibility study for the park, which should be complete at the end of April. During the month of May, the group plans to refine the scope of the project. From there the group will work on finding an operator for the park, such as Six Flags, Disney and Sea World. After that, the group will create design drawings and take out bonds. The group hopes to start construction in April of 2016 and finish in September of 2017.

"This is an aggressive schedule, and we know this is an aggressive schedule," Markvluwer said. "We're very excited for the opportunity, and we want to get this moving as quickly as possible."

After Granger and Markvluwer made their presentation, they fielded questions from Williams City Council members and the audience.

Councilman Lee Payne asked how the developers would work to preserve the historic downtown area.

"People have worked years and years to make this downtown a cool little spot that people travel from all over the world to come check out being that they like the small town atmosphere," he said.

Markvluwer said the group would work with the chosen park operator to develop plans that the community supported.

When Mayor John Moore asked the developers how they would help the city with infrastructure, especially in light of the city's ongoing water crisis, Granger said the company would have to find the right consultants to determine would be needed and then go from there.

"We're not here to say that the water issue is going to work out automatically," Granger said. "We understand that there's challenges and we'll work through that. We will get the right study work done, we're going to figure out water issue and we will solve it. At the onset we realize that this is not a project that's going to be a walk in the park."

Moore said that the theme park development would create additional needs within the city in addition to water.

"While you're working on a theme park we'll have to be working with somebody else on housing and all that type of stuff," he said. "It's a big undertaking. I'm sure that as we get into things there's going to be a lot more questions."

That's the tv spot in the Fayetteville area which are basically last year's promotion of the new slide with  this thrown in at the end.

Seems to be a season long price promotion.

Darth Chittlins sez : Impressive

https://vimeo.com/119460678

As I have noted, NWA has passed 500,000 in population. Here is a report based on the current growth factors and "average" predictors.



Many feel it will be above average as it is now and closer 900,000 in just 15 years. look closely at the growth of folks in their 20's to upper 40s and here's where this is important for SDC and Branson. It's families. It needs to gear to younger clientele ASAP. That certainly doesn't bode well for most music theaters but presents growth family- centric attractions.

To put the rapid growth of NWA in perspective. Springfield's MSA sets at over 500,000( about 20,000 more than NWA) and in 2030 using the "average" model will hit just over 700,000.

Put those two together and SDC's back yard has over 500,000 more folks in it in 15 years.
I haven't played with Tulsa, Little Rock, Ft. Smith and KC numbers yet.

Summer Music

Well it's that time.

Walmart AMY has anounced
Dave Matthews Band
Kenny Chesney
Chicago

They are seeking 17 million in TIF relief to put in a 26 acre amusement park with lots of it under the covered area.

http://nextstl.com/2014/11/70-million-amusement-park-project-next-phase-union-station-redevelopment/

The optimist in me wants to see this, we love City Museum, often take in Cards/Cubs games and my wife and I ate at the Hard Rock there on our first non honeymoon trip after we were married. I still wear a barn coat I bought at the Eddie Bauer that was in the mall there that floundered later.

Got back mid week from a weekend and early week trip to the Texas Gulf Coast. We knew going into it that not everything was going to be accomplished and that's alright as there's always the next time but the things on our radar were:

Kemah Boardwalk
Downtown Aquarium
Galveston Pleasure Pier
Shlitterbahn Galveston
Moody Gardens
Houston/Johnson Space Center
Free Ferry to Bolivar Island
Other area attractions like those on the Houston City Pass.

We hit the Downtown Aquarium around noon on Sunday. It's nice, maybe I've hit too many cause I'm kinda numb to them these days but I will not exclude them cause it seems each one is the kids' new favorite. The glass tunnel feature of this place is the train ride through it instead of a walk through. There's other attractions like a white tiger and a few other non water creatures and some rides outside.  The standard touch a stingray upcharge. There's a county fair sized ferris wheel, a carousel, a frog bouncer and a smaller shot tower themed to a light house. There's water spouts to get wet in and if you want some expensive food surrounded by even more fish behind glass there's the Aquarium Restaurant part of the place.

Spent about two and half hours and had fun.

Next, we got to Galveston before check in so we toured the downtown Strand area. Two Cruise Ships were at the terminal, a Carnival Magic and a Royal Caribbean. Kids saw the ropes course and water slides on the Carnival and that convinced them they wanted to do a cruise. A sidenote on this, Galveston is in the process of doubling the boarding capacity of it's existing terminals for the larger ships and possible add a third. I believe Disney sails out of there as well. Houston's terminal up the shipping channel that it built right at the beginning of the recession and sat there empty for years is now hosting Norwegian and Princess lines. Considering the economy and growing size of Texas this all makes sense. We ate the Joe's Crab Shack down there where my wife and I shared a good sized shrimp platter and the kids split a slider plate. We have expensive tastes but are cheap. While here I noticed the fresh fish markets with the fresh gulf shrimp and found the place to make sure the cooler didn't go back empty on Wednesday. Here's the kids from the patio of Joes with the Offshore Platform museum behind them



Hotel called and the room was ready. Stayed at Best Western Plus. It's right across from Stewart Beach. It's nice for what it is and had the breakfast included. We had stayed at another BW+ in Corsicana te night before and it was nice as well. We had a good stay at the BW+ in Village West last fall(that one has an indoor pool with a slide). Tripadvisor didn't steer us wrong here.

From there, we got settled in and things in order and set out to the Pleasure Pier. We had buy one/got one free coupons for ride bands so it was 50ish for us and we had a buy one, get one free funnel cake coupon. Those were about 8 bucks for two. It's 10 dollars to get on without the rides, I can see why they do this, to make sure there's no just hanging out and it's a confined space. It's laid out well. Kids rode about everything. There's a CC like fireball  ride, another frog jump, a Himalaya type flat, a swinging ship, a swing and the star flyer on the end of the pier is a blast. Iron Shark is the coaster, It's a very compact Gerstlauer Eurofighter with lap bar only restraints. It has the beyond vertical drop and several inversions It's very quiet and my rides in the front and the rear were smooth for the most part. It's intense for it's size. I can see one that size easily fitting into a building for a complete dark coaster experience. The drop almost screams a silo or feed mill theme. My daughter has a good commentary video from the ferris wheel on my facebook page. If it interests you PM me and I'll invite you to watch. They had both small kids bumber cars and big kids bumper cars. They had a live band playing 80's synth rock at the end of the pier. nothing like some Journey Separate Ways, Aldo Nova Rock n Roll Fantasy, and LoverBoy where riding the Ferris Wheel.




After the sun set on the Pier, we went to the Rainforest Café down the road to use our wristbands for it's boatride but we didn't eat there. We ate a Jack in the Box for the first time and called it a night after a little swim at the hotel pool.

Tuesday was slow to start but we got going to Kemah Boardwalk, again we had coupons for 1/2 price wristbands, here there's no entrance fee at all so the wife just shopped and watched.  There's some repetition of rides here, with another Pirate ship and looper, ferris wheel, frog hopper but the drop tower is taller than the Downtown Aquarium and the observation tower is a must because....air conditioning.


The Boardwalk Bullet was why we were here. It's had some recent retracking and it's an intense little booger we rode about 10 times. It's a bit rough but it's a minute worth of woodie on an acre of land and I've been on much worse. May the Rocky Mountain Gods visit this one in the future for a complete retrack.


Finally, the kids won out and we actually ate at an Aquarium Restaurant. The boardwalk is a collection of Landry's Restaurants and touristy shops as well.

Now that we are done with Landry Properties, I think there's a bit too much repetition with the rides between the three we visited. It did advance my theory that any redo of Celebration City should be an open concept of eateries, shops, entertainment attractions other than rides and rides with ala carte or wristband pricing. The Boardwalk Bullet was 6 bucks on it's own for a ride.

Tuesday was Shlitterbahn. 6 hours spent there, this is one that partially open in the winter month so 1/3 is geared to be enclosed to it tended to have lots of shade structure and the torrent river is part of the inside section and mostly shaded or filtered light during the summer, the whitewater rapid river is completely in the sun. most slide structures offered good shade for most all of the climb to the top. the water coaster are ok, a bit short, there's two that are twins.

We didn't get to Moody Gardens, that place is an entire day 12 hr day and we are saving it for the next trip.
We planned on the Space Center on the way home on Wednesday but it was monsoon season that morning.
If Adventure Pointe  at Texas City comes together in the next couple of years, thats a good cluster of activities for another visit along with the Wet and Wild in Houston and possibly the Grand Texas thing.

And for goodness sake if it's not the weekend when it's an hour or longer wait, take the free ferry and watch the dolphins swim along side you and take in the Fort Travis and the lighthouse

Oh we did hit the beach a couple of times

From Orlando Attractions magazine.

http://attractionsmagazine.com/exclusive-worlds-largest-theme-park-planned-texas/

Exclusive: New global-destination theme park and resort under development for TexasBy Matt Roseboom on July 17, 2014 | in Resorts, Theme Parks, Travel By Simon & Susan Veness They call themselves DreamVision, and they dream big – very big – like bigger than the Magic Kingdom and Epcot combined big. And the team behind the vision is ready to start putting some serious flesh on a project that has only been hinted at previously. The DreamVision Company was started 17 years ago in Orlando by Rick Silanskas and joined in 2009 by Disney Legend and former Executive Vice President and Executive Producer for Walt Disney Entertainment Ron Logan. Together, the duo have set the ball rolling on a massive undertaking of film, theater and – most importantly – theme park development, that aims to redefine the family entertainment genre with the essence of Walt Disney himself. It is an immensely ambitious vision, too, as plans call for a massive $4 billion theme park in North Texas with the kind of detail we usually only see in the very best that Disney and Universal have to offer. But Silanskas and Logan insist it will actually go beyond the current scope of the world's grandest theme park experiences, as well as turning the clock back to the typical family values espoused by Walt when he first created Disneyland in 1955. Logan in particular is steeped in the traditions of the Disney ethos and wants to be instrumental in re-inventing the emotional appeal of yesteryear but with the technology of tomorrow, hence the DreamScape park intends to be the biggest and boldest theme park to date. Silanskas, himself a highly acclaimed producer and composer, believes the project will be "the essence of what Walt would do. From the time I was seven or eight years old, I would watch everything that he was doing and what was coming. I was fascinated by what he created and the way he presented it. I am humbled by Walt. He is truly a great inspiration." Now, with Logan assembling a heavyweight team of experienced park designers and artists from among his own generation of creative talent, they are putting the final touches to the plans for DreamVision Mountain, DreamScape, a 10,000-acre development that will encompass the main theme park, hotels, retail and nightlife. While much remains to be confirmed, we can reveal that the park will have themed lands featuring elements of both the East and West Coast of America. An iconic central mountain attraction will be on a truly vast scale. DreamVision is already in the process of setting up animation and motion picture production studios studios in North Texas and Utah, and their highly advanced but classically-styled CGI short features "Hooked" and "Unsung Hero" have already gained critical acclaim. It all points to a movie company in the innovative style of Pixar Animation Studios, but with a separate theme park division and their own theatrical production company. We sat down with Rick and Ron recently to learn the full story of their inspirational drive to create DreamVision, and especially DreamVision Mountain, DreamScape, and we will have much more to share with readers in the Fall edition of Attractions Magazine, available in mid-September.

Rumors and photos have appeared on Screamscape. It would be an interesting stop on the way to Dollywood.
Has some of the elements I've wished for Celebration City and Mud Island in Memphis, particularly Mud Island.

It connects the outlet mall with it's Aquarium and Rainforest Café and Bass Pro to the Hotel and the new Orpy, looks like ala carte rides in the main street area and a separate waterpark.



http://www.screamscape.com/html/tn-oprywalk_0.htm

Check out some of the old amusements at Coney Island back in the day, shame this country has become so sue happy these things are now rarely seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syQIDXjGX9E

Maybe the most awesome coaster train yet, in a style that could pass as SteamPunk

http://www.nrk.no/ho/provekjor-denne-berg-og-dalbanen-1.11734961

Read the climb was slowed elsewhere. I imagine that's a way to get rid of the stacking issue at the load station, if true.

new flume ride to check out. highly themed too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i48R3RgzT6Q

With a sick kid, I've been up much of the night so I googled themepark design and found this image on SDC expansion but you can't make much out of it and I'm sure it was just a pitch, but it was interesting none the less.

Can any of you make anything out? It can be found here
http://www.itec.com/More/MasterPlanningThemeParkDesign/tabid/1059/Default.aspx

this once water park/ amusement park closed the dry rides and went all water park.

Was bought by the side of Holliday World Koch family that lost the court battle on control of HW.
Plans to restore the SBNO woodie and add to the dry side and run it much like HW.

Reason I bring this up is that I 22 is nearly complete to Memphis, this would be a shorter drive than to Branson or Dollywood for the Memphis MSA area, closer than St. Louis even.

It will interesting to see what they do with the dry side, Think a kiddie coaster is part of the first order of business for them.

Seems they want multiple parks, wonder what others may interest them. 

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell w/ Steep Canyon Rangers is playing at the NEW Amp in Rogers coming up later this year. Martin won best bluegrass Grammie in 2010 and He and Edie won best roots album last year. It's solid stuff.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXi8C1TvuG8

Good News for SDC as a couple of major markets for it is doing well. We need Ft. Smith to land something though:



NW Arkansas Fourth In Nation In Job Growth; Jonesboro Eleventh

http://talkbusiness.net/2014/01/nw-arkansas-fourth-nation-job-growth-jonesboro-eleventh/

By Steve Brawner

January 28th, 2014

The Northwest Arkansas metropolitan statistical area ranked fourth in nonfarm job growth in the nation in 2013, according to preliminary information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Tuesday. Or 11th, depending on how you look at it.

The Northwest Arkansas region averaged 9,580 more jobs in a typical month in 2013 over the same month in 2012, a "moving average" growth rate of 4.56 percent. That's according to information aggregated by Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business and shared Tuesday by the Northwest Arkansas Council. The Bureau ranked 383 metropolitan areas reporting out of 428 total.

The region includes Washington, Benton, and Madison counties in Arkansas and McDonald County in Missouri.

However, Northwest Arkansas ranked 11th with its year-end ranking comparing the end of December 2013 with the end of December 2012. The region grew by 8,900 jobs over that time period.

Jonesboro's moving average ranked 11th in the country with a 3.69 percent growth rate after adding an average of about 1,880 jobs. Jonesboro ranked 14th comparing December 2013 to December 2012.

Other Arkansas areas ranked as follows in the moving average category: Fort Smith, 110th with a 1.69 percent job growth rate; Little Rock-North Little Rock, 158th with a 1.28 percent growth rate; Hot Springs, 326th after shrinking .22 percent; Pine Bluff, 370th after shrinking 1.74 percent.

Comparing December 31sts, Fort Smith ranked much better at 34th, while Little Rock ranked 191st, Hot Springs ranked 342nd, and Pine Bluff ranked 343rd.

Nationally, Midland, Tex., ranked first in moving averages thanks to a 6.15 percent job growth rate, followed by Odessa, Tex., which grew 5.71 percent. Winchester, Va., was third with a 4.62 percent increase.

Over the first 11 months of 2013, the Northwest Arkansas area added 1,299 jobs in health care and social assistance with an average salary of $48,430; 1,181 jobs in management of companies and enterprises with an average salary of $125,393; and 681 jobs in retail trade with an average salary of $27,763.

Mike Harvey, Northwest Arkansas Council chief operating officer, said the job growth has been "broad-based." The Northwest Arkansas Council is a coordinating economic and community development nonprofit agency.

Harvey said the one area that could be improved is manufacturing, where the area gained 86 jobs after losing 8,570 manufacturing jobs over approximately the last 12 years. "To say we pulled off a year where we held our own is pretty exciting to me at this point," he said.

Looking back over those 12 years, the area gained 58,938 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those include 10,093 jobs in health care and social assistance, and 9,252 business management jobs.

According to the Council, the region has ranked in the top 20 in percentage growth rate seven times since 1991.

Steve Brawner