Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Conduit IV

We can do better.

According to the Pueblo Chieftain...

The conduit originally was envisioned in the federal legislation that created the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. It was seen as a way of bringing relatively clean water out of Pueblo Reservoir to the communities along the Arkansas River east of Pueblo.

However, the conduit ‘originally was envisioned’ back in the 1960s. This was before Colorado Springs started dumping raw sewage into the Fountain. Or, at least, before it became widely know they were doing such, as far as I can tell.

The point I’m trying to make is that if all the cities were to do the right thing in the first place—dump clean water back into their water sources after use—this conduit would not be necessary. Every town would get good wtare in the first place. Not what would be considered an open sewer by any reasonably prudent individual.

Tell Colorado Springs to clean up it’s act. And we should be sure that our act is clean too.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

New Feature—Polls

More fun. More Games. More Polls.

Added a new feature to Pueblog; POLLS.

We’ll be getting a better handle on this in the future, but for now, we’ll just try to keep it simple.

Later, we’ll try to get it to be more functional and serve our various purposes.

The first one is to ascertain where our readers are coming from. So, take a moment and particiapte by checking it out in the left side-bar….

Saturday, March 25, 2006

The Nature of the Operation

Thoughts on the Nature Center’s eatery.

As I mentioned the other day, the Pueblo Chieftain cut off the continued material from page 2C in their on-line version of this interesting article about the Nature Center. The original article, in its foreshortened version is here.

I was disappointed. And a bit put out, as I have to type this stuff in now instead of linking and copying it.

Here’s my impersonation of Paul Harvey, with the rest of the story….

The restaurant space has an advantage with its proximity to the river and viewed of the trail and water.

“We’ve all thought about what we’d like to see and I think it’s a gold mine with its view, but the service has to be quick,” Zarr said. “You can only sell the view so many times.

The restaurant also faces a challenge with winter hours. The center’s request for proposals states that any restaurant operator must stay open year-round, but can have reduced hours from December through March. No specifics regarding the hours were given in the request.

Zarr said the board doesn’t expect a restaurant to keep the same full-time hours during winter that it would in the spring and summer months, but added that he’d like to see the restaurant open on weekends.

Zarr said at least three people have approached the center about the restaurant, which helped trigger the requires for proposals.

The board has no preference for style of food, but is looking for people with experience operating a restaurant.

For those interested in applying, the center will hold a general meeting and tour of the facility at 1 p.m. Monday [Ed Note: 27 Mar 06].

And HERE’s my opinion on what the board might want to consider….

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Friday, March 24, 2006

Never a Dull Moment

Too much excitment.

So. There I was, quietly minding my own business when there was a loud crump followed by a crashing sound outside. There was no need to look. There was only the need to dial 911 and report an injury accident at 18th and Greenwood.

Then…while waiting almost 90 seconds for the Pueblo Police Departments emergency dispatch to ANSWER THE PHONE, give that information to the nice woman on the other end. And, now, hearing cries of children and seeing the Cheve Blazor flipped upside down hanging over my lawn, tell her it’s a rollover.

Out the door to render assistance. People were crawling out of the back end of the car. None seemed to be very badly injured. The youngsters seemed to be more shaken up than anything else. There were three childrens’ car-seats in the vehicle. The driver, a young woman, and her still younger friend seemed to have some bad cuts as they are bleeding but seem cogent and mobile. Get everyone AWAY from the vehicle as there is the strong odor of gas and I’ve seen cars catch fire from electrical shorts after these sorts of things.

Time passes. The police and ambulances and fire trucks all show up and get about doing their respective things.

The occupants of the Blazer are at the hospital getting checked out. The driver of the other vehicle has gone home to contact his insurance company. The mess is cleaned up. The big honking evergreen shrub on the corner has a chunk bitten out of it. The lawn where the car slid over it is going to need to be reseeded. The sprinkler head in the corner there seems undamaged; protected by it’s name-tag defilade position next to the curb.

And I’m wondering…..

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Thursday, March 23, 2006

2010 Discussions

Whole lotta shak’n go’n on.

Had an interesting discussion with various folks today. All about how to wake-up and shake-up the community using the «HORROR!» web.

The situation is that the 2010 Commission seems to have ‘fallen asleep’. Something to do with the idea that the local governments, city and county, don’t seem to think that a citizen overwatch organization can have much affect on what is going on around them. [Note: That’s my ‘personal opinion’.]

However, in light of what the blogosphere has accomplished over the last five years, I beg to differ. And, furthermore, I think that if the 2010 Commission, as well as its subsidiary Task Forces, seize upon this media, we can ALL do a lot of good for the community.

More to follow as things ‘develop”.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Chieftain, My Chieftain V

Copy problems, anyone?

There’s an interesting article in today’s Pueblo Chieftain. Something about the restaurant at the Nature Center. I noticed it in the hard-copy. It starts on page 1C and is continued on page 2C.

However, when I went to get it on-line, I noticed that the parts supposedly in the continuation on 2C were NOT to be found on-line.

What’s going on guys?

Where’s Paul Harvey when we REALLY need him at the Pueblo Chieftain.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Neighborhood Watch, Impromptu I

Girls on the street; with an attitude.

Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds notes some women who are determined to enforce neighborhood watch—with a vengeance.

The 2006 6th Precinct Republican Caucus

Getting the act together.

The interesting thing about this is that the 6th Precinct seems to be ALL inside of OHNO’s area of operation; 14th to 25th and Santa Fe to Elizabeth. Maybe we should talk to the County Clerk to expand it to include ALL of OHNO. It would simplify things from our perspective. However, I don’t think the election commission would say such from THEIR perspective.

At any rate, the Republican’s 6th precinct caucus for this election cycle will be held at the Pelto’s, 425 W. 18th St. The gathering starts at 7 pm, Tuesday, 21 March 2006. If you are registered to vote in the 6th precinct, you are cordially invited to attend. Refreshments will be offered. If you want to contribute to the refreshments with your own offering, please contact me at 543-4502 or, better yet, e-mail me by clicking on my name (below).

I understand that the 9th precinct is having a similiar gathering not to far from the 6th.

If our Democratic counterparts would care to have any such gathering they may be hosting mentioned here, please contact me. I’ll put it in here.

And do remember….

A clash of doctrines is not a disaster….it’s an opportunity.

The point being that I learn more from a discussion with someone who disagrees with me than I do from talking to someone who thinks exactly like I do.

I like learning…..

 

Caucus Sites

Republicans and Democrats, attend your local precinct caucus, March 21.

The Republican caucus sites for Pueblo County are here.

If anyone knows where to get the information for the Democratic caucuses, please let us know. It’s not on the website when I searched “Pueblo Colorado Democratic Party.”

Precinct caucuses will be held March 21, 2006, at 7 p.m. at various locations around the County. You can find out what precinct you reside in by calling local party headquarters or contacting the County Clerk’s office. The information is available on the County’s Website Voter Information section by searching on your name and birth date. In the past I’ve discovered the information will not come up if your birth date is not part of your registration information, which is the case for some long-time residents.

The County Clerk has nothing to do with the caucuses, so that office will not be able to tell you anything more than whether you are registered with a party affiliation, and what precinct you reside in.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Promote Global Worming

Stop worrying and learn to love the worm.

Not joking about that. I support global worming. I’m very excited about it. The wormer it gets the better I like it….

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Sunday, March 12, 2006

Neighborhood Watch, Anyone?

Another example.

Seems that someone came home from somewhere to find most everything of value GONE!

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Be Prepared

Welcome to the Boy Scouts!

There is an interesting interesting article in the Pueblo Chieftain today. It’s about plans to prepare for the arrival of Avian Flu, a.k.a. bird flu.

Personal preparedness will be a big part of surviving a possible flu pandemic, Dr. Chris Nevin-Woods of the City-County Health Department told a group of community representatives at a breakfast meeting Friday.

Welcome to the Boy Scouts, whose motto has always been “Be Prepared!”

I’ve been wondering about the ‘bird flu’ business and how the county was planning on preparing for its eventual arrival here. It’s good to see someone is paying attention, as I agree with last week’s reports that we’ll have the virus amongst us with this Fall’s southerly migration of all the birds that will confab above the Arctic Circle this Summer. Lots of birds from Europe and North America will mingle up there this Summer and in the course of that, I’m confident that the heretofore unphased North Americans will contract the virus and bring it south on their Fall migration to warmer climes. Then we’ll be in it like the rest of the world. Barring something about inter-species gatherins we’re not familiar with up there. Maybe we’ll be lucky. But I wouldn’t count on it.

I’d rather be prepared….

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Saturday, March 11, 2006

Vote for Education

The Democrats of Pueblo have a tough choice, but I’d choose education.

Yesterday, Chris Munoz announced she would not run for re-election as Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder. Today, two Democrats announced their candidacy. While full resumes were not given in the newspaper article, one candidate is 54 and is working on a doctorate in management, so I’ll guess he has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. He’s lived in Pueblo about 12 years. The other is 35, is currently serving on the Pueblo City Council, and no educational achievements are listed. He has lived in Pueblo all is life. Both are party stalwarts.

A few days ago, I indulged in a rant on education, pointing out how we all need to act like education is important. So I’d like to ask the Democrats to please vote for Mr. Covens, who has the better education.

This is nothing against Mr. Ortiz, who has done a credible job as a city councilman and who seems to be a pretty level-headed man. But the position of County Clerk and Recorder has primarily executive responsibilities. Mr. Covens has an appropriate education and experience. If Pueblo wants to tell its children that education is important, that education will get them a high paying job (the County Clerk post pays $75,000 a year), then you need to reinforce the message by voting for Mr. Covens and explaining that his education is part of the reason.

Weathering the Phenomena

Phoenix gets ‘rain’!

According to the Phoenix Weather Channel, Phoenix has broken it’s historic 143-day dry spell. Now, according to the weather radar, it’s finally raining in their downtown area.

This might not impress many people who think of the fact that Phoenix is pretty much in a great big desert. However, it’s interesting that this particular event correlates with the latest Master Gardener’s course presentation involving trees.

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Thursday, March 09, 2006

Monthly PNP Meeting

A back-brief on what happened last Tuesday.

The regular monthly meeting of the Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership (PNP) was held at Hyde Park’s Community Center.

The discussion revolved around what objectives we, as a group, wanted to work towards this year. Those neighborhoods that were present all seemed to be interested in traffic issues in one form or another. There was also a considerable undertone of frustration with the city on addressing such concerns.

Based on this, I think one of the goals the organization should set for itself should be addressing these concerns to the City Fathers in an organized manner.

This discussion seemed to fall right into an activity that Heather Norton has been working on regarding Neighboring. She gave a short presentation on the topic at the meeting, after the neighborhoods had addressed what was of interest to them.

Based on what I’ve seen of the Neighboring program, it looks like it could provide useful information on how to get more people interested in working to improve the area where they live in a number of ways. And, considering the frustration I heard, it might also be a means of motivating people and also the City Fathers to do something.

As an additional item, next month’s 2010 Commission is going to want to hear from each Task Force what it’s goals are for 2006. This will probably be one of those goals.

I’d like to hear from other neighborhoods as to what other goals they’d like to see the partnership address this year. This forum is open to comments from them….