Posted by Marty ............................... New Grand Island showplace ready for Bush arrival The occupancy permit for the Heartland Events Center arrived about a week ago. "We have a theme in this (special events) industry: Build it and they will come. Wow!" said Hugh Miner Jr., chief executive officer of the Heartland center. Bush's stop is the first visit to Grand Island by a president since Ronald Reagan's September 1988 airport rally for U.S. Sen. Dave Karnes. That occurred during Reagan's trip to dedicate a building at nearby Hastings College. Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek said excitement and enthusiasm were building in the state's fourth-largest city. The Grand Island High School pep band is scheduled to perform, along with swing choirs from Kearney and Hastings. The Republican Party was distributing tickets statewide Friday, Vavricek said. Sunday's rally is an opportunity for Grand Island to showcase its $35 million events center and the extensive redevelopment of the South Locust Street area that was hit by tornadoes in 1980. The 1980 storm devastated the neighborhood of homes and businesses, including the Fonner Park horse track. The area was rebuilt and now features the new events center as part of the Fonner Park complex. "The events center is our shining star and we're very proud that the first time it'll be full is for people from across Nebraska to see and hear the president," Vavricek said. The 180,000-square-foot center can accommodate up to 7,500 people. Grand Island, population 44,500, is 150 miles west of Omaha on Interstate 80. Although the center was not officially finished until recently, 19,000 people have passed through it since summer's Hall County Fair. B.J. Thomas sang there. More than 120 dentists drilled and filled in a Mission of Mercy clinic for 1,750 people on the arena floor in September. Six bands played at a RocktoberFest concert. The Bud Light Bull Riding Challenge hits the arena in two weeks. As mayor, Vavricek may have an opportunity to greet Bush. If results had been different in May's primary election, Vavricek also could have greeted him as the Republican candidate in the 3rd Congressional District. Vavricek finished third in a five-way race to name a candidate to replace Rep. Tom Osborne, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for governor. State Sen. Adrian Smith of Gering, who won the Republican primary with 39 percent of the party vote, now is in a tight race with Democrat Scott Kleeb of Dunning. In June, Vice President Dick Cheney was in Grand Island for a Smith fundraiser. "It's been quite an election year," the mayor noted
on 11/3/2006, 10:20 pm
204.180.201.X
Keep your ultralights away from Air Force I, and you may want to set your avaition radios to scan...you just might might hear
Air Force I as they land or take off form Grand Island.
I assume Grand Island has a long runway???
below is the artice that was in the Omaha news paper.
Published Saturday
November 4, 2006
BY DAVID HENDEE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - The last time a president stopped in Grand Island, the political rally was held in an airport hangar. When President Bush visits Sunday, he'll inaugurate the state's newest exhibition and events center.
President Bush greets military personnel and members of their families after arriving Friday afternoon at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa.
Bush's eleventh-hour campaign stop for Republican candidates will be the first function in the facility since it was officially completed.
"It doesn't get any better than this."
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