Davenport high school buys property from local university

When the mayor vetoed the building of a sports stadium in a residential neighborhood, SAU sold the property to Assumption High School which was not restricted to the residential zoning regulations.

Mayor Gluba who calls Assumption HS his alma mater lives just a few blocks away and vetoed the project sometime back, citing further urban decay and sprawl in a residential area. Now he is for it.

It's ironic that this valuable property was sold in a bankruptcy by the Davenport Diocese to satisfy lawsuits involving the priest abuse scandal. Then the property was bought by well-funded Catholic St. Ambrose University who proceeded with plans to build a sports complex. Now through the sale of the property, plans can proceed to build the stadium and sports complex. All that is now needed is a sewer upgrade which may fall to the taxpayers and building permits.

It's ironic. A now-deceased bishop's name was scrubbed from St. Ambrose Library over the priest abuse scandal, and the whole thing just becomes a gift that keeps on giving.

Most seem happy by the wheeling and dealing and the neighbors who mostly live in simple houses in a parklike setting are unhappy.

Thanks, I'll take a rain check. You don't know how hungry I get for those sometimes, but the closest one closed a few years ago. Taco Bell moved. McD's built a new one a few blocks closer. The Chinese restaurant that was too expensive finally closed. Hobby Lobby has held its ground. But the local mosque hidden behind Hobby Lobby is thriving. And I can't find the photo I took of the former mosque before they built the new fortress because I can't remember what I named it ;-( Lost my regular grocery store, Joevan's.

Today is Good Friday and although I left the church, I still can't get past the no meat on Friday thing. Especially Good Friday. So I had McFish with extra tartar sauce and some fries.

Then Schnuck's came to town but I can't find stuff as easily there. Also Burlington Coat Factory. And a sushi bar. But I lost my closest gas station where I'd have brief, friendly chatter with the employees. So I made some new friends at another gas station a little further the other way.

We lost my favorite in all the world buffet. Bishop's. My world has never been the same since.

Back to my post, I guess we all have to get used to change. This is not a case of NIMBY for me but I had kind of a sentimental attachment to that property as it was and way before I became a Catholic.

The conflict makes me sad because I found a lovely article in a complimentary copy of "Our Iowa" I received in the mail regarding Sister Ludmilla at St. Anthony's who has been feeding the poor for years. She is 89 now and the story is wonderful. She seems like a living saint to me. But she's gotten quite a bit of publicity over the years for her good works so only God knows. But I can still admire her energy and hard work for no pay for the love of God..

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