Monthly Archives: May 2014

SR 89A project resumes in Oak Creek Canyon’s switchbacks

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adot-logo3OAK CREEK – As the battle against the Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon winds down, the ongoing highway-improvement project along the “switchbacks” section of State Route 89A will resume this weekend.

The previously-scheduled closure of the three-mile stretch of SR 89A between the Pine Flat Campground and the Vista scenic overlook south of Flagstaff will remain in place for several weeks while crews remove loose rocks above the switchbacks, complete other safety improvements and resurface the highway.

SR 89A will reopen to traffic before the Fourth of July weekend.

The full closure of the highway had been scheduled to start on Tuesday (May 27) but crews were temporarily pulled off the project more than a week ago (Tuesday, May 20) due to the Slide Fire.

DETOUR INFO: While the switchbacks section along SR 89A is closed, ADOT recommends drivers use Interstate 17 and State Route 179 to travel between Flagstaff and Sedona.

Emergency Area Closure for the Slide Fire

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640px-sliderockFLAGSTAFF – The Coconino National Forest has issued an emergency closure on all National Forest System lands within the area of the Slide Fire on the Coconino National Forest, in Coconino and Yavapai Counties.

This area closure is implemented as a standard fire operations procedure which helps to protect the public from entering into an area that is still active with fire, so as not to impede the efficiency of firefighters and allow for their safety while they do their job, where snags and rolling rocks will be an issue until mitigated, and during post-fire efforts to abate potential flooding and debris flows. The public is prohibited from entering any trails, roads, or areas within the fire closure area, which will be in force until further notification.

This area, road, and trail closure only affects National Forest System land, roads, and trails within the closure area on the Coconino National Forest. The closure does not affect any private, state, county, or other Non-National Forest System lands within the closure boundary.

Wildfires behave differently in areas where fuels have been previously treated. Fast moving wildfires slow down when they burn onto the footprints of past wildfires, prescribed burns, or thinned areas. As we learn to live with wildfire as a natural part of the ecosystem, we continue to reduce risks associated with uncharacteristic wildfires.

Study says cynicism linked to dementia. I’ll bet.

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By Glen… uhm. Glen… Oh, it’ll come to me.

bloomberg2-550x343I was watching a Phoenix newscast which cited a ridiculous study says that cynicism may be linked to dementia. Right. And comedians tend to have psychotic personality traits.

The study was published by the online Neurology web site of the American Academy of Neurology. Of course you have to sign in to read the full article. Just exactly what are they trying to hide?

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. That’s right. Finland. Can you believe it?

Newsweek had to sound all scientific. They went into this historic rant leading up to Diogenes syndrome. They even cite the British Medical Journal. Well, la-te-da! They add this little gem to the conversation.

For example, the best-known Cynic of the Classical Greece era, one Diogenes of Sinope, slept in an empty wine barrel, masturbated in public and urinated on critics. (Diogenes syndrome now refers to “an older adult living in squalor,” according to the British Medical Journal.) And then there’s philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who at 44 had a nervous breakdown that eventually led to his dementia and death. While deeply influenced by the Cynics, much of Nietzsche’s writing is arguably closer to today’s concept of cynicism—distrust in social systems and, by extension, the people who partake in them.

walter biden

What is laughable is the most cynical people on the Internet, The Huffington Post, had this to say in their article:

If you always think the worst of people, you might be putting your own brain health at risk, according to a new study.

Really? The web site that thinks the worst of everything Republican without referring to Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States?

And FOX News has to weigh in like they know something, but they just link to Medical Daily.

The online journal Shape suggests:

Questioning people’s true intentions is healthy when it comes to telemarketers or politicians, but keep that skepticism up with friends and family and your brain might pay the price:…

They quote some PH.D. who wrote a book Crazy: Notes on and off the Couch. This PH.D. claims:

Negative emotions are a form of stress that taxes the body.

By the way, did you read that article about Obama’s cynical foreign speech?

If you believe this tripe you no doubt believe that CNN is reality TV or the dog-faced boy in the tabloids is real.

That reminds me of a cute story. When my dog was a puppy he was laying with me in bed. I kid you not, it was the first time he broke wind. He stood up and looked at me as if to say Oh, man. I’m sorry. Then he walked to the end of the bed and laid back down. I kid you not. I must have laughed for five-minutes.

But I digress. Or maybe I digress.

What were we talking about?

Disclaimer: The author has had personal and painful experience with a dementia patient. This article is not meant as an insult to those patients and he applauds any effort to find a cure for this or any disease. The links included are to serious articles on the subject for those who might be interested.

Final paving on SR 89 on White Spar Road in Prescott next week

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adot-logo3ADOT is nearing completion of a pavement maintenance on White Spar Road in Prescott which began April 10.

Final pavement will be placed next week on the new roadway on State Route 89 (White Spar Road) in Prescott on Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

As paving activity occurs, drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes. Once paving is complete, crews will return in 30 days for final striping.

The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph through the work zone. ADOT advises drivers and bicyclists to proceed through the work zone with caution. Comply with the reduced speed limit and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Pavement maintenance next week on State Route 89A in Prescott Valley

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adot-logo3State Route 89A in Prescott Valley will be narrowed to one lane toward the top of Mingus Mountain (mileposts 331 to 338) between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 3 and 4 for pavement preservation work.

Flaggers and a pilot car will direct traffic in alternating directions through the work zone. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph and drivers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

Fines for speeding through a construction zone are doubled.

Republicans speak out on Tom Horne-gate

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ATTORNEY GENERALOpinion by Glen Davis

Recent revelations about an extramarital affair by Republican Tom Horne have caused the Republican party to speak out.

Some have attempted to blow it off with a comparison to South America. That happens all of the time in Brazil. Or the same caparison to European politicians. If a European politician doesn’t have a mistress there is something wrong with him. Oh, it’s so cosmopolitan they cry.

What a man does in the privacy of his own room is his own business, Republicans are quick to add.

The Republicans are stressing that the Federalist Papers make it clear that a misdemeanor is not impeachable unless it violates our national security.

clinton-lewinskyOh, I am sorry. I got my stories confused. The same people that are running ads encouraging people to call Tom Horne to urge him to drop out of the race are the same people that used those statements to defend the extramarital affair of Bill Clinton with Monica Lewinsky in 1996.

And the media—especially in Arizona—is loving to hate. The same media that defended Bill Clinton’s extramarital affair is going after Tom Horne like he was investigating the death of four Americans in Africa.

AZfamily.com did report that Horne paid the $300 fine for the misdemeanor hit-and-run. The article quotes Horne as saying,

The vehicle’s owner stated the car already had a dent that the federal agents who noted the incident wrongly assumed I caused. Had I known there were scratches, I would have left my name and contact information so that I could have taken care of this personally.

He apparently pleaded not guilty to the affair (pun intended) back in November of 2012, however.

The intent of this oped is not to defend extramarital affairs by anyone. They are wrong.

I do have a problem with the States’ Attorney General not leaving a note no matter how small the accident might seem. The one thing that the Federalists of old assured the people is that everyone would be obligated to follow the laws that were passed by Congress—including Congressmen. Except, of course, for the Obamadoesntcare mandates.

Of course Arizona politicians from Flake to Salmon (and of course Democrats) are asking Horne to step aside. If Horne does not step down it could impact the party which McCain and Flake have so carefully maintained as the bastion of Republican ideals which our founder espoused.

The problem is that people cannot seem to see the hypocrisy of the position of the media because the media apparently does not deliver historic context to their iPads. Voters cannot be bothered by anything beyond the latest episode of Twilight or latest scripted reality series.

Tom can always apologize to his mistress in 17 years, or so.

Mystery flight MH370 wins over Benghazi at CNN 239 to 4

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Opinion by Glen Davis

Photo from Business Insider

Photo from Business Insider

Jeff Zucker is moving from MSNBC to head this nation’s last bastion of television journalism—AKA, CNN. The new head at CNN will not be shamed, however, into covering what the fine folks at Media Matters calls “the Benghazi hoax.” The answers, according to them, can be found in a report by an “independent” investigation convened by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (PDF).

The Washington Post agrees.

Select committees make for good theater and often uncover important facts. But in the national security arena, the independent commissions that have probed the most shocking security lapses — including the 2001 attacks and several devastating bombings of U.S. embassies — have a better record of conducting impartial investigations and bringing about landmark reforms.

The report does not mention a YouTube video that had about ten hits prior to being linked as the cause of the 911 attack in Benghazi.
Continue reading →

Coconino Community College district to raise your property taxes.

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COCONINO COUNTY – The Coconino Community College district will raise your taxes on the next property tax cycle based on public input today. Elisha Dorfsmith of the Flagstaff Liberty Blog noted that a Truth in Taxation notice appeared in the May 4th edition of the Arizona Daily Sun for the Coconino Community College. A public hearing was held today on the CCC campus in Page. There is nothing on the web site of the Coconino Community College about the proposed tax increase.

The notice read:

TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING

NOTICE OF TAX INCREASE

In compliance with Section 15-1461.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, Coconino County Community College District is notifying its property taxpayers of Coconino County Community College District’s intention to raise its primary property taxes over last year’s lever. The Coconino County Community College District is proposing an increase in primary property taxes of $140,690 or 1.98%.

For example, the proposed tax increase will cause Coconino County Coummunity College District’s primary property taxes on a $100,000 home to increase from $46.95 (total taxes that would be owed without the proposed tax increase) to $47.88 (total proposed taxes including the tax increase).

This proposed increase is exclusive of increased primary property taxes received from new construction. The increase is also exclusive of any changes that may occur from property tax levies for voter approved bonded indebtedness or budget and tax overrides.

All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing on the tax increase that is scheduled to be held May 27th, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in the D10 classroom at Coconino Community College, 475 S Lake Powell Blvd, Page, Arizona.

John Moore, Mayor of Williams, said that he was not aware of the proposed tax increase, but he opposed it. His opposition, however, was not specifically targeted at this proposal. He opposes an increase in taxes anywhere in the government in this economy.

We spoke with Gioia Goodrum, elected District 3 board member who could not comment on the issue and referred us to Coconino Community College.

Scott Talboom, of the public relations department of CCC, informed the Gazette that the statute cited in the notice allows College Districts to increase taxes by 2.5% per year. This increase is allowed to be automatically generated by the College District independent of voter intervention according to the statute cited in the ad. Apparently even the elected Coconino College Community board has nothing to do with the increase.

It is when they ask for an increase of more than the 2.5% that they must make a proposal to voters as with the failed initiative last November. The Arizona Daily Sun reported in January that Coconino Community College lost its bid for a hike of $4.5 million in the November 5, 2013 special election. Only four of Flagstaff’s 10 voted districts supported the override and it was defeated by Williams voters.

The questions that Mr. Talboom could not answer are why the comments are being taken in Page and if there are any other alternative means of making public comments. This is one of the issues raised by The Flagstaff Liberty Blog. Reaching the Page campus is difficult even under the best of conditions. With highway 89 impassible it creates even more of a burden.

The college could not confirm if there are alternative methods of public input, but they do have a contact section on their web site for Faculty and Staff.