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America, Liberty, Local Government

The Municipal War Against…Vegetable Gardens

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In America, and places beyond, homeowners’ vegetable gardens have become a target of municipal officials.

They’re beautiful, offer fresh food, conserve water, and are peaceful uses of homeowners’ private property: yet for it all, vegetable gardens still offend officials’ laughable sense of what’s appropriate.

That appropriateness in this case is little more than a dull person’s sense of propriety scarcely matters: the regulations trump good ideas.

Here’s a link to a fine story about misguided municipal badgering of vegetable gardeners: City officials are waging a war on gardens.

Hat tip to the Wisconsin Happy Farm for the link.

Posted originally on 7.26.12 at Daily Adams.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 7.26.12

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Good morning.

Whitewater’s Thursday forecast calls for a partly sunny day, with a high of ninety, and northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the post office:

‘Fearless Felix’ Baumgartner jumped from a balloon 96,000 feel above the earth, using a pressure suit, and set a personal best for having done so. He’s easily earned his nickname:

‘Fearless Felix’ falls far fast: krqe.com

Google’s daily puzzle asks about the value of art, during an artist’s career: “How much did Vincent Van Gogh earn from selling his paintings during his lifetime?”

Agriculture, Walworth County, Weather, Wisconsin

USDA declares 23 Wisconsin counties disaster areas

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Walworth County among them. Neither ordinary nor easy times:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Federal officials have declared 23 counties in southern Wisconsin as natural disaster areas, making farms in those areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

The counties have been baked by recent heat waves in which temperatures sizzled into the 100-degree range and left severe drought conditions that took a major toll on crop production.

The disaster designation was announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Via WQOW

City

About ‘Citizen’ Reps on Commissions

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Whitewater’s boards and commissions sometimes have politicians, city employees, the privately-employed, or retired residents as members. The mix between these categories is often fixed: there must be so many citizen reps, council members, etc.

In a technical, but disingenuous, way, all of the members of a commission are likely to be citizen-resident representatives. If the term citizen rep is to have any reasonable meaning, however, the definition describes those not in office, those with a private position and perspective different from bureaucrats, politicians, etc.

How very odd, then, to think that a long-term city manager, having just left that post a month ago, would find his way back to a board on which he served while city manager, now as a ‘citizen’ member.

It’s technically correct to appoint him that way, but an insult to private citizens who might wish a spot on a board.

(It’s even odder when the city manager, while about to leave, proposes an expansion of the number of citizen spots on the board, just in time for him to take a newly-created citizen’s spot after he can no longer have a bureaucrat’s spot.)

That’s just another perk on the way out. So instead of giving a departing bureaucrat, say, a gold watch or Red Pin Oak, the bureaucrat gets watch or tree plus a citizen’s spot on a commission.

Even if one assumed that the bureaucrat were the best possible candidate from among all applicants — and in this case that would be just silly — it’s still a spot that belongs to a different member of the community, to provide balance and diversity rather than group-think and back-patting.

That diversity of membership will produce a better result than a rigged game of musical chairs.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 7.25.12

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Good morning.

It’s a hot Wednesday for Whitewater, with a high temperature of about 100, and a heat index as high as 104.

This morning at 8 AM, Downtown Whitewater’s board meets.

On this day in 1978, “Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown”:

 

The Wisconsin Historical Society marks today in 1999 as a memorable one for Brewers fans:

1999 – First Brewer Inducted into Hall of Fame

On this date Robin Yount became the first player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a Brewer’s jersey. Yount entered the major leagues at the age of eighteen and spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers as number 19 at short stop and center field. His awards are numerous, including being selected as an all-star three times as well as American league MVP twice. [Source: Milwaukee Brewers]

Google’s daily puzzle asks about a planet’s size: “You’re looking at a planet in our solar system that could float on water, despite its enormous size. How many times bigger than the Earth is this planet?”

City

The Common Council’s positive vote for the Field of Dreams

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Whitewater’s Common Council voted 6-0, with one member absent, to select a bid for artificial turf for the Treyton’s Field of Dreams project, and to authorize down payment on the project.

It was a sound decision, for three reasons.

First, it advanced a worthy project.

Second, a thorough discussion took place, affording time for questions and residents’ comments.

Third, but no less important, the discussion brought to the fore the importance of a diligent, early examination of the environmental, health-related, and economic aspects of future efforts, of whatever type. That’s a standard well worth adopting.

All in all, a good night.

Charity, City, Sports

On the 7.24.12 Special Council Session: Supporting Treyton Kilar’s Field of Dreams Project

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Tonight, at 6:30 PM, there will be a special session of Whitewater’s Common Council to consider whether to select a bid for artificial turf for the Treyton’s Field of Dreams project, and to authorize down payment on the project.

Council’s decision tonight may determine whether the project meets the continuing requirements for a Pepsi Challenge grant.

I believe that the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams project deserves particular municipal support because of its chartiable nature (beyond contrasting, ordinary projects), and that no action the city takes should result in a net loss of financing for the project. Additionally, the city needs a better, more systematic way to consider projects’ environmental impact.

Before beginning, I’ll be very clear: I’ve no special knowledge by which to assess the supposed environmental impact of artificial turf.

Significantly, I believe that whatever decision the council makes, they should assure that their action causes no net loss in funding, or reduction in likelihood of completion, for this charitable project.

Because this is a community-based, privately-backed, charitable project, it deserves more, not less, deference than an ordinary municipal one. There is neither a principal economic nor personal advantage sought in this: it’s a sincere, charitable, good-hearted community effort. We’ve had many projects that were either more expensive or more useful for political advantage; the Field of Dreams has neither of those unfortunate attributes.

There is no selfish striving in this; it’s a hopeful project in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. We have too little of projects like these. There’s no politics in it, no career advancement in it. It came about not through politics or ideology but through the efforts of a family and the many that they have inspired. Politics will never matter as much.

If Whitewater’s Common Council should now act – however sincerely – to impede this community-backed private effort, then they should assure that there is no loss of net funding nor impediment to the project’s timetable. This project did not originate with government, or a single business, but within the community.

As a community-based, charitable effort, it should not be hindered. It should mean more to this city, not less, than an ordinary government or commercial project.

Finally, and most significantly, Whitewater needs an orderly, routine process for addressing environmental concerns. They should be considered – I would not fault anyone for his or her sincere concerns – but considerations like this should be part of a routine city process, addressed early on. We have had far larger municipal projects in the past (in size and area), and ones yet to come, that have received less consideration.

That’s simply a substandard practice. Other projects (with fanciful economic claims) have been rushed at every turn, with little or no review at all. Now this simpler project is held up at the last minute. It’s below a proper, professional standard to react this way. Municipal review should be orderly, early, and thorough.

I support this project, and would hope that Whitewater’s Common Council tonight assures that whatever action it takes leaves the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams on track, and on schedule, for funding and successful completion.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 7.24.12

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Good morning.

Much-needed rain continues today, on a day with a high temperature of eighty-five.

This afternoon, Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 4:15 PM.  Later, at 6:30 PM, Whitewater’s Common Council meets in a special, open session to consider the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams project (“Discussion and possible action on award of bid for artificial turf provider for Treyton’s Field of Dreams and request for authorization to issue down payment”).

On this day in 1911, American archeologist Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu, the  ancient Inca settlement in Peru:

Google’s daily puzzle asks about nineteenth-century childbirth: “The use of anesthesia to relieve the pain of childbirth became widely acceptable after I delivered the Prince in 1853. How many children did I have without an anesthetic?” more >>

Animals, Science/Nature

Can office dogs reduce stress?

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Perhaps they can —

According to a preliminary investigation published in March in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business, employees who bring their dog to the office can cap the amount of stress experienced during the day, and improve job satisfaction for all….

Those who had their dogs with them had low levels of stress throughout the day, and about half of that group felt that dogs were important to their productivity. Of the two groups without dogs, 80% felt that the dogs in the workplace had no negative effect on productivity.

Via CNN.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 7.23.12

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Good morning.

Whitewater’s week begins mostly sunny and hot, with a high of 99, and a west wind of 5 to 10 mph.

If you’re living in an undersea habitat, how will someone get dry goods down to you? Live Science has a video with the answer:

On this day in 1914, the ultimatum that led to a world war: “Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia following the killing of Archduke Francis Ferdinand by a Serb assassin; the dispute led to World War I.”

From Google’s daily puzzle, a question about supposedly magical plants: “This plant from the nightshade family was believed to have magical powers. A person who uprooted it was said to die from its scream. To pull it, people would tie the plant to what before running away to safety?” more >>