This and That

The wind began to blow yesterday afternoon around 2 o'clock, and it's still blowing.  The National Weather Service station here says we'll have sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph all day, with gusts of 45 to 75 mph.  We still have snow and ice from the two snowfalls (more than 10 days ago) in our parking lot, and snow is clearly visible on the Flatirons and Front Range.  And in the last few days, the high temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s.  So it seems incredible to also read that we are under a Red Flag warning for extremely high danger of fire...  Current temperature says 34 degrees, humidity is 23%, and the wind is blowing at 25 mph.  It's a day that weather means I'll stay inside....
 
   Almost finished with Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen.  I had to look up the story about Ed Watson and Belle Starr to see what was "really" what.  Ed was a sharecropper on Indian lands he leased from Belle Starr.  At a dance, she refused to take the floor with Ed.  He had been drinking and was angered by her refusal, according to witnesses.  She was found dead the next day.  Ed Watson was arrested, but, as there was only circumstantial evidence against him he was tried and acquitted.  He left, returning to Florida soon after his acquittal.

  I think that the 45th President is not sleeping well...  It seems that Special Investigator Robert Mueller's team is getting closer to naming him as a defendant each day...

  Had my taxes done by AARP-IRS volunteers at the Boulder Senior Center on Thursday.  I don't owe anything to either the federal or state government, but I'm not getting back either.  Since my birthday is in June, I'll have to wait for another 2 years before I can apply to the City and County, and get my food tax refund.  Last year they paid back $62; this year it's $83...  Since I need a crown for a dead tooth, and it's going to cost $700, it would've been nice to get a little bit of cash back!

  Still working away on my family tree, and my room-mate, Beatrice's.  I'm lucky that there are so many church and tax records for most of my family.  I have to admit that I've divided my family tree into three parts, not four.  That's due to the scarcity of Swedish records for my mother's paternal side.  I have over 4,000 entries for my father's paternal Nocks family; and I have over 2,000 for his maternal Lancaster/Mobley/Washburn side.  I have about 1,500 for my mother's family, in entirety...
   For Beatrice, I started with her parents names, her maternal grandmother, and her paternal grandfather's names.  As they are African American, and the families were slaves on plantations in Louisiana, I am very happy to have found more than 1,100 hundred relatives so far.  Her second-great-grandfather was the son of the plantation owner, and I have been able to trace the owner's family back to the late 1500s in Europe.  But we're still stuck at her grandfather Bell - we don't know his parents' names, and I've found 12 different Henry Bells that were born around the same time and near the right place....  I'll continue to look, and hope to have a break-through.

 

Eleven Inches of Snow And It's Still Falling

The weather forecast for yesterday, Saint Patrick's Day and Saint Gertrude's Day (the patron saint of cats), called for a high of 45 and a low of 31 (degrees F).  It was supposed to be partly cloudy in the morning, with clouds coming in from the northwest in the late afternoon.  There was a 20% chance of rain or snow, with snow predicted for today, Friday.  It was below freezing when Nedi and I were on the balcony yesterday morning just before 7 - and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw several snow flakes float by my nose...  Well, we never got above freezing yesterday - and eleven inches of snow fell.  The last weather forecast I saw said we'd have another 3 to 6 inches of snow fall before this system moves out of the area late this afternoon.  I'm scheduled to be at Rosie's this evening; guess I'll bus there, and take a taxi home...
   The early snow yesterday and last night was a thick, heavy wet snow.  What's falling now looks like powder, so I'm hoping it will be easy to clean the balcony later.  Why bother to clear the balcony?  Both the cats and I like to step out onto it.  The only problem is the young lady who lives above us doesn't clean off her balcony, so when we get warm, my balcony gets all the snow melt from hers, raining down upon us. She also does her plant re-potting out there, and the cats and I have frequently been caught by surprise with a muddy, mulchy shower from above...  Bea and I are thinking of getting a large sun umbrella to protect the area next to our sliding glass door (and us) from things that pour down from her place.
  I filled out all of my University of Florida retirement forms yesterday - but I need to make a copy of Jeff's Death Certificate to send them, along with a copy of my drivers license.  I guess, besides working on cousin Patti's genealogy, I'll be doing my IRS taxes this weekend.  Since I received payment for participating in the County Grand Jury for a year, I just might owe the government this time around - but I don't think I do.
  Tomorrow I'll walk Charlie and Tess, and spend the evening with Rosie.  Sunday, it's just walking Tess and taking Christine to her flight at DIA. (Which reminds me - I need to find out her flight's time and when she wants to leave...)

Mail-In Ballots

We have an important election coming on Tuesday, 4 November.  I have already received my mail-in ballot and will probably fill it in this afternoon and mail it back on Monday.  This ballot contains thirty-nine (39) items - our US Senator, our US Representative, our Governor, other State officers, County Sheriff, other County officers, retention of seated judges, two state constitutional amendments, two state statutory propositions, two County issues, three City issues, and a local School Board issue.  I already know how I wish to vote on the proposed amendments, issues, and propositions, and who I plan to vote for.
   What has intrigued me is the lack of notice, and/or news coverage, regarding several of the City issues.  Boulder is already in the process of making a hostile take over of the local utility company, so the City can own it's own power plant.  (I voted against that, and I'm still against it.)  The one City item that has had some press is item 2A - raising taxes to pay for a new museum, and up-grading facilities at parks and other city-run areas.  My vote? YES.  Items 2B and 2C are not mentioned anywhere - I had to look them up on the City's website to find the wording last month, before I received my ballot.  Item 2B wants the City to be able to hold Executive Meetings regarding the municipal power plant without witnesses, behind closed doors.  We would just be informed of the decisions made, not allowed to comment on what they're talking and/or voting about.  My vote?  NO.  Item 2C  would allow the City to set up it own telecommunications system - specifically to supply high-speed internet - to anyone within the City limits, business or residential.  There is nothing in the item stating that if it is passed, people living inside the city limits would be permitted a freedom of choice in their internet carrier.  This would/could become another municipal utility, and one might end up having to use the City's telephone, internet, and cable services.  My vote? NO.
  We've been pummeled with advertisements for the Senate race and the Governor's race.  We've also been flooded by ads about Amendments 67 and 68, and Proposition 105.  And the negative ads are just so much drivel... I now turn the volume off when ads come on, and get to listen to kitty purrs instead of nastiness.  But I must admit that John Hickenlooper is staying with his continuing policy of  no negative ads within his campaign.  I like that.
   Amendment 67 is another Personhood law.  That it should be law that any fetus, at any stage of life,  from the instant of conception until birth, is to be considered a person, for purposes of prosecution in any court of law.  Proponents say that this will allow prosecutors to charge someone with a double murder, if a mother and unborn child are killed, for instance, in a hit and run accident.  But Colorado already has a law on the books for the death of an unborn child in such incidences.  To me, this seems like "someone" is trying to get a toe-hold in the law books as a precursor to outlawing abortions.
   Amendment 68 is an interesting one.  There is only one operating horse racetrack in the state of Colorado; it is owned by a company based in Rhode Island.  There are already many casinos operating in Colorado in the towns of Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek.  The Ute Nation also has two open casinos in the state.  This law states that up to three horse racing tracks may expand their operation to include casino-style betting on their premises.  In return for being to to do so, the racetracks will pay twice the percentage that the other casinos pay in taxes to the state - and that all of the gaming taxes from the racetrack(s) would go into a fund for public schools, to be divided equally among all public schools.  The proponents claim that, if the Aurora Racetrack can open their doors to the public offering casino style gambling, there will be at least $134 million each year in the new school fund.  I have problems with this also - money for the schools sounds good, but there is nothing written saying that these monies would be spent on the students in their classrooms.  The racetrack at Aurora is a sleepy-seeming place; one can wager on races around the country there, and there are several weeks of live racing - but it's not a large track with a lot of parking.  If this is approved, who will be paying for the upkeep of more heavily traveled roads in the area?  What will the traffic do to the folks who moved out into that area for the quiet?  Will the opportunity to gamble in Aurora affect the intake of the other casinos?  What will happen if their tax revenue lessens, after Colorado has become dependent upon that for other purposes?  And why is it approved for three racetracks?  Do they really expect other new racetracks to open, knowing that they have to pay 34% of their income to the state?  Who is living in a dream world, here?
   Proposition 105 is also getting a lot of attention - especially in Boulder - it's about labeling Genetically Modified Organisms or food. This proposal says that anything that is a product of genetic modification, or has been treated with a genetically modified preparation, must carry a label stating that the item was "Produced With Genetic Engineering."  This is very different from the rest of the United States' labeling requirements, and goes far beyond the U S Department of Agriculture regulations regarding the labeling of GMOs.  For instance, a lot of local farmers grow a old-fashioned  (or Heritage) type of sugar beet; this plant does extremely well in Colorado.  It is not genetically modified.  However, there is a pesky crop bug that loves sugar beets, and has developed a high tolerance for natural pesticides.  Local farmers spray a genetically modified pesticide that kills these pesky critters and keeps their beet crop safe.  These sugar beet farmers would have to label and sale their sugar beet crops as being "Produced With Genetic Engineering." Currently more than 80% of US crops are treated with genetically modified pesticides of some type - no other states require such labeling...  I think this proposition will harm Colorado farmers on the national and international market levels.

   Whew...  I'm getting down from my preaching stump now...  Thanks for reading this, and for thinking about your vote.   Remember your vote counts!!!

Annexation Vexation

Approaching 1 in the afternoon, and the temperature is 77 degrees, humidity is 19%, and there's a light breeze blowing from the west-northwest.  I've walked Rosie and Lucy, and spoken with several people in the Githens Acres neighborhood.  The city of Boulder is again trying to cajole the property owners of Githens Acres (GA) to agree to annexation.  I know of three families that want to do this, out of forty-seven.  The neighborhood is having a community meeting this Sunday at Lynn's house, and a speaker who is knowledgeable about the city's plans for GA will be there for a presentation and question and answer session. The neighborhood is surrounded by city property, and the city has actually purchased two lots in it in the past fifteen years.  One has fruit trees planted on it, and also has a coyote den.  The other property has a house, and the city rents the house and property to a young couple.
   This neighborhood was on Mr. Githens' apple orchard.  There are 47 houses on 58 acres in the subdivision.  The lots range in size from .95 to 5 acres.  It is stipulated that the lots cannot be split, sold, and built upon.  Each existing lot may have one house - no more.  I was here, in Boulder, the last time the city wanted to annex GA.  There were several families then that supported the city, but a much larger majority said, "No."  Most of the lots have their own water well and septic system; a few newer houses are already hooked up to the city water and sewer system. The county taxes pay for street signs and for the lightly traveled road.  (The road is barricaded at one point to prevent vehicular through traffic - pedestrians and bicyclists may pass through easily, but a Smart Car won't fir through.  This is because, when the street was open, instead of the use of only the homeowners, the neighborhood became an excellent "cut through" to reach several new schools that opened.  Traffic on the residential street went from 80 cars a day to over 2,000 - and the wear and tear on the county residential street was tremendous.)
   If the city succeeds in it's annexation plan, everything will change in the neighborhood.  Currently the street is a two-lane black top; there are no sidewalks, no street lights, and no bike lanes.  People jog through this area with their dogs, or just walk their dogs, bicyclists don't have to worry about traffic, children and their pets play in the street.  There is a huge amount of wildlife, and most people speak to one another in a friendly fashion.  The city wants to replace the county residential street with a city blacktop, including streetlights, sidewalks, and bike lanes.  In building the new roadbed, they will cut down into the water table and will contaminate most home water wells, making the water undrinkable - even though they will graciously allow the property owners to use the well water to water their yards.  The Silver Lake Irrigation Ditch, which runs through most of the properties, will become the property of the City of Boulder, and the city will be able to do what they choose with the irrigation water.
   Each property owner will be held fiscally responsible for the building of the new roads and laying of water and sewage lines.  Each owners' assessment will depend upon how much footage they own that abuts the street; if you live on a corner, or have a long, but narrow lot; you will have to pay much more than other owners.  Plus each owner will be responsible for the cost of placing water and sewage pipes from the main line, in the middle of the road, to connect with their own systems.  This small enclave is currently served by the Sheriff's Department, and follows County laws. If annexed, if will be under the Boulder Police Department and will have to learn and follow City laws.
   Then there is the whole can of worms regarding power - a lot of folks in GA have solar panels, and use Excel Energy as their electric and/or gas company.  The City of Boulder is trying to establish their own municipal power station, and they're starting by condemning Excel Power facilities, which they intend to take over and continue using as the Boulder Muni.  There are a lot of small areas that are County owned, but are surrounded by the City, like Githens Acres.  The municipal power board has been talking about not permitting Excel to provide energy or gas to these areas in the County but surrounded by City.  Then the City wants to force annexation on the county properties....
    Githens Acres has a lot of older residents, who purchased their properties well outside of the Boulder City limits, 30, or more, years ago.  At that time, the houses were an investment.  Now, they may end up causing the end of the quiet, laid-back neighborhood.  The last time the city pressed for annexation, the cost for my brother-in-law's road improvement was $525,000.  That was just for the road, not for the water and sewer pipes and their connection.  That was, I think, seven years ago.  My brother-in-law is now a retiree, while my sister still works 40 hours a week.  I know that they cannot afford to pay for the costs of annexation.  I wonder about the 15 other retiree home-owners, and I am deeply troubled.
    Can you tell I'll do my best to oppose, in any way possible, the annexation of my favorite neighborhood?