editor: fred miller September 20, 2021 #16 September /2021
Hello,
Isaac Asimov once inadvertently summed up the essence of right-wing talk radio when he wrote about what he called “the cult of ignorance in the United States.” There is “a strain of anti-intellectualism” in our culture and politics that is “nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
That leads to the following: To get to herd Immunity do all of us have to take horse medicine? and it looks like some of the anti-vaxxers are half-vaxxed. Or just maybe this new word and definition covers those refusing to get vaccinated; Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole. (see way down below for more new wonderful words)
Wither Art in Bisbee? One answer is to check out the minutes of the Bisbee Arts Commission in the agenda background document below. It will give you an idea of the scope of the committee as well as some of the things they are working on. For instance, the lil art/cig machine in the convention center brought in $1100 in August. Go See! Deposit Coin! Buy Art! Be Happy!
October lotsa stuff going on. First weekend the great Los Lobos, mid month the 1000 Stair Climb and in late October, the BRATS will be rolling down Main street.
A BSM update....The Bisbee Saturday Market in Vista Park has done remarkably well in the two Saturdays we have been open. Tracy, Doug, and myself, the BSM team, give a big thank you to Public Works director Haro, City Manager Pauken, and Mayor Budge for helping out where they could! City workers have done a remarkable job of spiffing up the park: Cutting grass, trimming tree limbs, and putting in a new broad sidewalk.
Last week, twenty six vendors sold their goods in the shade/sunshine of Vista Park. This past week among many vendors, Poco was selling breakfast burritos and coffee, Zumi juice was on hand with their delightful blends, Arevelo Farms offered delicious looking produce, and Mystic Eatz had tasty breakfast goodies. The Exbats provided lively music for browsers. And the Bisbee Library had a table touting their services!
We are trying to making it easier for vendors to come to the park by offering free space for the rest of September. A few of the things we are working on; talking with Public Works about providing a portable recycling trailer every Saturday (if a staffing issue can be resolved), seeing if the Friends of the Bisbee Animal Shelter has enough volunteers to staff an adoption area (call them at 520 221-7647 to volunteer!), and talking to a few other food outlets to offer goodies. This is all to provide a community market for residents that offer not just good food and craft vendors, but a place to see friends, renew acquaintances, listen to music, all the lovely Vista Park. Ending on a very corny note...maybe if we build it, they will come.
fred
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 AT 7:00 PM ,915 S. TOVREAVILLE ROAD, BISBEE, ARIZONA.
Background here:
Of Interest from the agenda background notes:
Lots of buying stuff going on at this meeting.
#1...If you are interested in how the city spends your money, check out the accounts payable report for a department by department listing of money spent.
#3...Art in action!
Agenda
INVOCATION: A Moment of Silence
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
MAYOR’S PROCLAMATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CALL TO THE PUBLIC
1. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE: Subject to availability of funds
2. Approval of the Consent Agenda
Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Session of the Mayor and Council held on August 17, 2021
Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Session of the Mayor and Council held on September 7, 2021.
Approval of the Minutes of the Work Session of the Mayor and Council held on August 24, 2021
Approval of the Appointment of Mary Gomez to the Civil Service Commission
Approval of the Park, Facility and Right of Way Use Permit for the Use of Howell Avenue in front of the Copper Queen Hotel for a Halloween Block Party Friday, October 22, 2021 from 8:00pm to 12:00am.
Approval of the Special Event Liquor License Application submitted by St. Patrick’s Church for an event to be held at St. Patrick’s Church Hall located at 100 Quality Hill, Bisbee, AZ on Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 11:00am to 8:00pm; Maria Pitzlin, Applicant.
NEW BUSINESS
3. Discussion and Possible Approval for the Bisbee Arts Commission to Sponsor Central School Project Plein Air Festival 2021 in the amount of $900.00.
Leslie Johns, Council Liaison Bisbee Arts Commission
4. Discussion and Possible Approval of Resolution R-21-09; authorizing the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Grant for a 2021 Highway Safety Plan Grant in the amount of $4,586.66 for the purpose to enhance Traffic Records Enforcement and appointing Albert B. Echave, Chief of Police, as the agent for the City of Bisbee.
Albert Echave, Police Chief
5. Discussion and Possible Approval to allow the Bisbee Police Department to purchase 15 VHF P25 F7000 portable keypad radios from Leavitt Communications for Public Safety Department, to include charges, antennas, 3 year extended warranty using Police Special Fund Account in the amount of $18,193.31 (State Contract Pricing).
Albert Echave, Police Chief
6. Discussion and Possible Approval to lease three pick-up trucks with GM Financial for the Public Works Department.
Jesus Haro, Public Works Director
7. City Manager's Report:
· Other Current events (No Discussion)
COUNCIL COMMENTS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM SUGGESTIONS: (Council members may suggest topics for future meeting agendas, but Council will not here discuss, deliberate or take any action on these topics.):
ADJOURNMENT
BISBEE
WARREN BALLPARK GETS A NOD
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ON THE VEDGE CLOSES With "a thank you to Bisbee for 8 months of support", and On the Vedge is gone from the dining scene. The popular restaurant at 105 Main has closed their doors for good as the phone message states.
&&&&&&&&&&& JAGUAR FITNESS OPENS in SAN JOSE (Next to Safeway Foods) 520-263-4506 http://www.jaguarfitnessaz.com/contact-us.html &&&&&&&&&&& BISBEE COURTYARD OPEN TO THE PUBLIC A not so secret place, the courtyard at the mouth of the Gulch is a sweet spot, with a handsome bar, outdoor space for events, often music, with guest quarters available. https://www.thebisbeecourtyard.com 917 664 8353 friday/Sat 3-9 or 10ish Sun 2-7 ish &&&&&&&&&&&
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in partnership with The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona and the Healthy Cochise Initiative has been offering community leaders, students, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and more the opportunity to participate in the Cochise Leadership Academy for the past 3 years. The focus of the academy is to train citizens in community leadership. Participants finish the 9-week program gaining leadership skills and applying them to community projects and engaging with the issues affecting their community. We encourage you or anyone you know with the desire to get involved in community leadership to join our academy by registering using this link: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezobIjgDwqTMR0i For more information contact Charlotte Taylor at charlottetaylor@arizona.edu &&&&&&&&&& PETITIONS FOR ARIZONA WATER DEFENDERS Bisbee is within the Douglas Basin Boundry, as is Elfrida and other towns. The Water defenders need petition circulators as well as signers in order to form a groundwater Active Management Area (AMA). They need about 1450 signatures of registered voters that live within the Douglas basin. An important fact is that although an election won't happen till 2022 an immediate freeze on new irrigation in the affected basins will go into effect the minute the signatures are accepted and an election is announced. This new irrigation freeze will stay in effect, pending the results of the elections. If you are interested in helping enact this freeze on new irrigation by getting these AMAs on the ballot, please contact us and volunteer to circulate a petition. Under Arizona law, if you are a resident of the state and are eligible to be a registered voter in the state (have not had your rights restricted and are a resident), you can circulate these petitions. Basin maps are available on the homepage of our website, arizonawaterdefenders.com. If you are interested in donating or signing a friend up to our mailing list, please visit us at arizonawaterdefenders.com &&&&&&&&&& OCTOBER 1 PIT FIRE FEST Oct 1 5 pm at Cochise College/Douglas https://www.facebook.com/PitFireFestival/posts/4471991599529647 The free event will feature live music, performances, art displays, vendors and savory soup. Juniper Djinn and Hypnotist Derek Ostovani will provide entertainment on the main stage. The headliner band will be Chris Kane Trio . Bring a non-perishable food item for the college food pantry. &&&&&&&&&&& OCTOBER 2 LOS LOBOS SHAKING THE STANDS AT THE BALLPARK October 2. Get your tix at https://www.songkick.com/concerts/39647296-los-lobos-at-historic-warren-ballpark?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=microformat &&&&&&&&&&
OCTOBER 3 KIRSTEN ENGEL TO VISIT BISBEE: MEET DEM CD14 CANDIDATE
Kirsten Engel is running to replace Ann Kirkpatrick, who is retiring, as our representative in the U.S. House. She is an environmental attorney and recently resigned her seat in the Arizona Senate to concentrate on the race for Congress. She will be at High Desert Market on on Sunday October 3 to meet folks in Bisbee and to raise money for the campaign.
Kirsten Engel Bisbee Meet & Greet
Saturday, October 3rd 2:00pm
High Desert Market https://secure.actblue.com/donate/e4a1003
*event will be outdoors on the patio and masks are required*
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GARBAGE/SEWER/RECYCLE FEES
I wrote this and posted in nextdoor to give a brief (very brief w/o the controversies) history of the fees..
A shortish history of why garbage/sewer/recycle fees are what they are...In the early 2000s, the city was under an order/decree from the state of Arizona to fix the 100+ year old sewer system, including the wastewater treatment plant. A bond issue was passed and the loan payments were based, on population growth projections for Bisbee. The 2008 depression hit, populations shrunk, but the loan payments were set and could not be changed; prices were hiked on a yearly basis to pay for the sewer system, and wastewater treatment plant. A few years back, China stopped accepting all recycling which crashed the recycle market. The city was stuck with loan payments and then nowhere to sell recycling. A former public works director ran the recycling program at a loss for a few years before it was audited to show the loss. It has been finally righted to pay for itself, but does not, as yet, generate income. The city pays the county a tonnage fee for dumping our garbage into the transfer station which is then trucked to a landfill. If recycled stuff (which has mobile collection in various parts of the city during the week in addition to the transfer station) were put into the tonnage dumped at the transfer station, likely fees to the city were be increased by a significant amount. When there was recycling bins throughout the city here was another big problem of people dumping garbage into them in addition to the cost of the truck and workers to pick up the recycle and take it to the transfer station. Trucks broke down frequently. The city recently bought a new garbage truck and a lot of individual mobile bins so garbage pickup has improved. Phew! Jeez this is long...Like it or not, this is a relatively poor city with not a lot of excess money to make needed upgrades in many areas.
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BISBEE SCIENCE LAB
This summer, the Bisbee science lab was able to finally reopen it’s spaces in the annex at 519 Melody Lane. With masks on, over 200 kids enjoyed science related activities in the maker space and in the VR lounge. Due to a generous donation, high school students from Bisbee were paid as interns and managed activities for the visitors. In addition the interns have been working on an exhibit that will provide more information about Bisbee’s minke whale that is hung in the outdoor learning center. As students return to school, we want to remind everybody that the lab is still open on Fridays with both weekly activities as well as specifically designed Science Friday programs.
Funding from ARPA will allow the high school students to remain active interns - involved in the community as educators of a variety of STEAM subjects to visitors and other students alike.
A couple of more fun facts: The Sky Island STEAM Express, the BSL mobile lab rolled out this spring and traveled throughout Cochise county - over 3500 kids have participated in educational programming delivered to their communities.
TEXAS LAW; IRRESPONSIBLE WOMEN BLAMED FOR ABORTION LAW! The architect of Texas' unusual abortion ban — which delegates law enforcement to private citizens — is former Texas solicitor general Jonathan Mitchell. In a recent brief filed with the Supreme Court, Mitchell revealed a radical ideology that extends far beyond the issue of abortion.
Mitchell filed an amicus brief on behalf of Texas Right to Life in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health. The Supreme Court will hear the case, which challenges the validity of a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, later this year. Existing Supreme Court precedent protects the right to abortion up to about 24 weeks.
In the brief, Mitchell argues that abortion is the product of irresponsible behavior by women. Mitchell asserts that women can "control their reproductive lives" without "access to abortion" by "refraining from sexual intercourse." Mitchell claims that today women choose "to engage in unprotected (or insufficiently protected) sexual intercourse on the assumption that an abortion will be available to her later." He encourages the court to fully repudiate Roe v. Wade and asserts that women can "change their behavior."
WORDPLAY
Well I may, or may not, have ran these a few years ago, but they bring so much delight am putting them in here. I mean how can I go wrong with this wonderful descriptions of so many politicians?
Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are the winners;
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafhalon (n): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The colour you turn when you discover half a worm in the fruit you're eating.