Monday, May 30, 2005

Own an Older Home? Free Masonry Workshop

No, there’s no secret handshake, just information on what to do about your crumbling mortar.

If you own an older building in Pueblo, you might be interested in the FREE workshop on Historic Masonry and Stone Repair to be held on Saturday, June 11, 2005, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at NeighborWorks of Pueblo, 1241 E. Routt Ave. This wil be a hands-on Restore and Rehab clinic for area contractors, city officials, owners of landmark properties, and residents hoping to gain a better understanding of historic improvements. After lectures and lunch on your own, a hands-on product testing demonstration will be held.

The workshop will be led by Chris Koziol, Susan Quinnell (both of CSU—Ft. Collins’ Architectural Preservation Institute),  Dave Woodham (Atkinson-Nolan & Associates) and David Cockrell (Staff Planner, Historic Preservation Commission).

For more information, or to register, call Sandra Daff at Neighborhood Housing Services, 544-8078.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Talking Trash & Rodents

Zest for the ‘sauce’.

Just to make things more ‘interesting’, vis-a-vis trash, rodents and plagues (see previous item here), today’s Pueblo Chieftain carries an article about another rodent-borne plague. This one even more deadly than the good ole Black Death plague mentioned yesterday.

What bears emphasizing here is that hanta-virus is a virus and modern medicine doesn’t have much it can do to cure a viral infection. Antibiotics will deal with the bacillus bacteria that causes bubonic plague. But nothing in the arsenal of the AMA can cure hanta-virus. All they can do is treat the symptoms and hope the human body’s defense systems can overcome the infection before the infection overcomes the human body. With hanta-virus, it’s a better than one in three chance that the body will lose, according to reports I’ve seen. [Note: I chose the Washington state web-site on hanta because it gave a better description, especially of the deer mouse, than did the Colorado site.]

The rodents, particularly mice, are the principle natural resevoirs for the virus. Deer mice seem to be the first amongst these, as they don’t seem to be made sick by the virus. But all mice can carry it. And, as we all know, mice, like trash piles for the same reason rats do. So, keeping a nice big trash pile at one’s house allows for plenty of mice to live and build up a great stock-pile of hanta-infected droppings. Then, when people come by, once a year, to clean it out and haul it off to the annual clean-up effort, it’s like a biological warfare land mine, waiting for someone to ‘step’ on it.

That’s sort of what happened to that poor guy in the Alamosa Valley.

Therefore, again, I say that dealing with the trash problem in Pueblo is a higher priority than recycling.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

City Fathers Talk Trash…

...but not for long.

According to a report in today’s Pueblo Chieftain, the City Fathers have decided to quash an effort to deal with Pueblo’s biggest problem with respect to waste management; the inability to get people to get rid of their trash.

Yeah. I know. They’ve been talking about recycling a lot, of late. But that’s hardly a problem compared to the way some people refuse to deal with their own refuse. A recent Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership (PNP) meeting (see this report), indicated that some people involved with the annual clean-up efforts think a number of people are hording their trash until the event and a getting ‘discount’ on trash removal. From a public health perspective, not to mention property values and getting along with neighbors, unless they are irresponsible slobs too, this is not a good thing.

Why is trash important? More important than recycling? Well…maybe another item in today’s Pueblo Chieftain can shed some light on that.

Plague is indemic in the rodent population in Colorado; prairie dogs, ground squirrels, mice, rats, etc. People contract it in the state every years. But mostly those who live in close proximity to prairie dog towns, or so I understand it. Prairie dogs and rats don’t mix all that much. So, for the most part, there is not much chance of cross communications of the disease from the p-dogs to the rats.

The p-dogs live where people generally don’t live. The rats, on the other hand, do live where people live in concentrations. And, rats like to live in cluttered areas where there are lots of opportunities to hide from cats, dogs and people. So a trash pile is (1) a great place to hide and (2) a potential source of food. A rat can be very happy in such a pile. Raise a nice big family.

The problem will come when somehow the disease makes the jump from the p-dogs in the country and the rats in the town. How that might happen is up to speculation. But it can happen. Especially if the p-dogs move into open lots in town areas where trash allows for rats to have a happy home. Some rat, looking for better pickings could move through a p-dog town and pick up an infected flea along the way. Then, coming down with the disease, its fleas could spread it to other rats it encounters. From there, it’s only a short jump, for a flea, to some unfortunate person.

Recycling might work. But dealing with trash is much more important. And unless the City Fathers deal with matters in their proper priority, they are not going to be taken seriously by the citizens….except, perhaps, during the course of an election.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

More On Highway Projects

As Sherlock Holmes would say, “The game is afoot.”

And here, I thought we had been told that nothing would be done on widening I-25 through Pueblo for ten years. “Silly me.”

Todays Pueblo Chieftain has an interesting article that makes the following comment…

That money would come on top of the $150 million the county recently received for its co-called COSMIX project to widen I-25 through the city. That massive project is set to begin next month.

This strikes me as indicating that the money to begin the project is not quite as ‘unavailable’ as some people [from CDOT and CH2MHill] were saying a short while ago. But I’m not certain. I need to find out what this COSMIX project is. But from the text published in the Chieftain, it certainly looks like it relates to the effort to widen I-25 through Pueblo.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Study Your House

A How-To session on researching your home’s history.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that this Thursday, 19 May 2005, that…

The Pueblo City-County Library District will offer a free class in researching the history of your home, at 7 p.m. Thursday in the computer training room at Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. The seminar will include a demonstration of using Sanborn Maps online. Seating is limited. For information or reservations, call 562-5626.

This looks interesting. Especially in light of the historic survey going on in the Northside area.

So call today….

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Referendum D [November 2005 Election] and Roadways in Southeastern Colorado

And what does Pueblo get out of this?

An article in the Pueblo Chieftain today, on improving the road network in the state.

The idea looks interesting, however, I get the distinct impression that all those people who were reputedly “up in arms” over the idea that Denver would get the lions share of the benefits, while the rest of the state bore the majority of the burden, seems to be just about right.

Admittedly, the final talley of what projects would be funded has yet to be released. But looking at what the article reported, there’s NOTHING for Pueblo. And little else for the southeastern part of the state.

We’ll keep an eye on this one….

Friday, May 13, 2005

Storm Warning

How to deal with REALLY ‘hard’ (rain) water.

Anybody remember the flood of ‘21? Probably not very many. And few of them care to use a computer. So, as we approach the century anniversary of the biggest flood anyone, living or dead, can remember in Pueblo, the fine people who get paid to ponder those sorts of things—hundred year floods—have been dutifully working at updating their information and plans for coping with a really hard rain. Possibly mixed with a very serious snow-melt.

Last Wednesday, they held an open house on what they’ve been doing todate. Someone told me about it, so I decided to stop by and see what was going on.

The study being conducted is to be accomplished in several parts; southwest Pueblo, focusing on Lake Minnequa and points to the south and west, Fountain Creek and another part, which escapes me at the moment. The southwest Pueblo/Lake Minnequa area is being worked at the moment. I do not know when they will be getting to the Fountain Creek part of the study. However, I am mighty interested in seeing that part, living where I do.

What I saw of the plans for Lake Minnequa was very nice. And the use of most of the lake for a nature area with paths and trails looked great. The plans for turning the southern end of the lake into a recreational complex were VERY nice. Looking at them I was reminded of several meetings of the Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership where Clark Davis was preaching the need to improve recreational opportunities for ourselves and our youngsters. This looked like a dream-come true for such efforts in the BAND area of operation. I would like to think that Clark et al would be all over this like bees on honey.

As with all projects, money is a key issue. And, according to reports, THERE IS NO MONEY for the recreational enhancements. Well….maybe that could change, if some of us were to guide the City Fathers and re-orient some other activities to focus on that area. Not to mention the possibility of using lottery monies, if we should be elegible for such, to help finance the plan.

We certainly don’t need to do it all at once, but we could start doing it.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

May 2005 PNP Meeting Report

Observations on the monthly meeting of the Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership (PNP).

A number of interesting things were discussed at this meeting. Here is the gist of what caught my attention:

Code Enforcement

We have a new chief of code enforcement in Pueblo. Her name is Grace. And, the department is horribly understaffed. It has only three of the eight people it should have.

She WE need the department for code enforcement properly staffed. It’ll take action on our part to get the City Fathers to do the necessary hiring. So we need to communicate our interest in this department to them in order to have that accomplished.

Bessemer Clean-Up Day

The annual effort to get the trash that tends to accumulate in Bessemer over the course of the year OUT of there by staging a massive effort on the part of the city was a great success this year. Over twice as many trash containers were filled and hauled away. The previous iteration had been 21 containers. This year it was reported to be 45.

This brings up a concern of whether people are taking unfair advantage of the system. If they (1) are not required to use a trash service that they have to pay $13 a month for and (2) know they can have a lot of trash hauled away for $3 a truck-load, why not hang on to the big stuff until the annual clean-up day?

Sounds like a classic example of an ‘unexpected consequence’ or perhaps letting no good deed going unpunished. As the old saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Community Development Grants

Know as Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) grants, these are funds allocated by our rich Uncle Sam to promote coordination of institutions of higher education with local communities—government, neighborhood and business activities—to foment growth and stability. Colorado State University-Pueblo, is contending for some of these funds in order to establish a closer relationship with the people who live and work in Pueblo. I think it’s a great idea. I’m always willing to accept help, especially if its from a bunch of bright ‘kids’ (all things are ‘relative’). I learn so much from them. [As you are, I once was. As I am, you shall become.]

The idea is to have the university campus provide educational opportunities for members of the community who are interested in organizing their neighborhood to do something, starting a small business, reducing crime or a number of other community-motiviation/improvement activities where education is the first major step.

The efforts will focus, primarily on the Y-Zone neighborhoods. But, even for OHNO, this can be a benefit. OHNO is not Y-Zone. But parts of Northside, where OHNO lives and works, is in the ‘zone’. So certain government folks are looking to us to provide assistance in helping those folks. And I can think of some businesses that would benefit from that kind of helping of our neighbors and our neighborhood.

As with many government assistance activities, this is going to require matching effort. However, that does not necessarily mean money. From what I understand, and I am no expert, it can mean some time on our part to provide a helping hand. I hope we can see our way clear to do that, as I think it would benefit our neighborhood.

The details of what the CSU-P is planning will be made available a bit later this year. We’ll try to keep eveyone apprised.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Masonry & Stone Repair for Historic Buildings

A message from Dave Cockrell of interest to anyone who owns or lives in a building more than 50 years old.

Dear Friends of Pueblo’s Old Houses & Buildings—

    Neighborworks of Pueblo and the Pueblo Historic Preservation Commission are teaming up to sponsor a series of technical assistance workshops for those who care about old houses and commercial buildings!  The workshops will be for owners, contractors, city officials, and anyone who cares about protecting our architectural heritage and the quality of our older neighborhoods.

    The first workshop is on Historic Masonry & Stone Repair, with a focus on foundations.  It will be presented by Chris Koziol and his colleagues at the CSU—Ft. Collins Architectural Preservation Institute. 

The workshop will be Saturday, June 11, 2005, 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM at Neighborhood Housing Services (Neighborworks), at the corner of Northern and Routt in Pueblo.  Questions and registration should be directed to Sandy Daff at Neighborworks of Pueblo, 544-8078.

    Please feel free to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested!  Hope to see you there.