Code Neon Blue!

(x-posted extensively because we can all use a smile)

My son Sterling snapped this shot of our local Representative Wes McKinley marching in yesterday’s Lamar Days parade.

By the way, sorry for my recent absence. I knew I was falling a little behind because we had so much going on around here, but I didn’t quite realize how badly. Maybe because I often write up posts in my head…my imaginary blog is quite extensive!

Last week the family and I attended the first annual Appreciation Party at the Big Timbers Museum here in Lamar.

I had unfortunately used almost the last bit of juice in my camera batteries earlier that day, but I had just enough to get a shot of some of the attendees, plus this banner which hangs in a place of honor by the door.

The National Civic League started giving this award to 10 cities annually in 1949. Lamar was a winner in 1959. If I’m not remembering wrong, we cinched it by putting in a swimming pool…something like that.

The Big Timbers Museum has some unique and interesting items in its collection. I hope to go on about them more in the future, especially after some visit when I have good batteries in the camera.

Well, you could go to a meeting. Some of the Prowers Dems got together last night to make plans for upcoming events like the Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 3, and then the Lamar Days Parade the following weekend. We’re getting more and more new people active, and I think this year’s parade entry will be our best yet!

Once I got home, I ate the dinner my family saved back for me and then started trying to catch up on my internet reading. Around midnight, a strange noise distracted me — cop car sounds. I thought my son (Big Sterling, not TrainBoyMike) must be playing a new game on his laptop, but then he said, “Hey, what’s that?”

Being closest, he looked out the main living room window. Being a temporarily dirt-side trucker, he instantly recognized the lights pattern of an annoyed officer of the law, coming down our isolated rural road.

Said officer was in hot pursuit of a vehicle proceeding rapidly, without benefit of headlights, right past our house! Naturally, Sterling and I jumped up to find a better viewpoint, particularly since we both know the good part of the road dead-ends just past our neighbors to the east. The next section is a field road. Except when the irrigation water has been running. Then it’s a pond.

Sadly, I forget to grab my camera as we ran for the back porch, so I have no COPS!-like footage to astound you with. It was quite exciting for a little while. There was some shouting for the driver to come back out of the house — apparently making it inside did not count as plausible deniability — and then another flashing police vehicle joined the party. Followed by two more of the non-flashing variety. (Our guess was that those were Sheriff types backing up the municipal cops, since we are outside the city limits.)

By the time it all settled down, I felt like I was too tired to write a good blog post. So that’s why you are seeing Tuesday’s entry today.

I’ve been at the Mildly Toasted stage of Cheesed Off ever since Thursday, because of Colorado Ethics Watch First Annual “Ethics Roundup”.

It’s not that I think it’s a bad idea, or that it was done by bad/misguided people. Definitely not. But on two of the three sites where I’ve seen it mentioned, I am not the only one wondering why the heck Wes McKinley got added to the Ten Most Corrupt list.

Here’s what they got him on: his staff failed to file required campaign reports on time. Twice.

Yes, someone should have done it, and yes, it’s Wes’s responsibility, in the end, to see it got done. But he got fined, so he’s paid his debt to society, as it were. Also, it should be noted there were NO irregularities mentioned in the CEW’s report, just the naughty, naughty lateness.

It has not yet been adequately explained to me how being late with something makes a person corrupt. (If failing to meet deadlines = Evil!, wow, am *I* ever going to Hell!)

I’ll tell you what this reminds me of — school. Did you ever have an assignment that you didn’t get finished on time? I sure did. Some teachers would dock you a letter grade. OTHERS would refuse to take any late papers at all, ever, and give you an F.

I guess if CEW wants to be That Guy, they have a right to make that choice. But it seems to me that being rigid and punitive, equating failures of clerical technicalities with conflicts of interest, alleged bribery and/or physical violence, brings their sense of balance and judgment into question.

If their judgment is questionable, why should the public care about who they put on their list?

So all in all, I’m afraid I have to give CEW a C- for their report. Next time, please show your work.

I read something very interesting in my friend WeatherDem’s blog the other day. My electrical provider, Southeast Colorado Power Association, is one of “22 Solar Residential Program partners … selected to promote the installation of residential solar electric and solar domestic hot water systems statewide.” They will do this by helping the folks chosen to take part in this trial run get rebate grants to offset the cost of the solar power installations.

It’s too soon for there to be any details on SECPA’s website, but they have a good history so far of being supportive of renewable energy. Another plus, they are a co-operative, so they are not being operated to make a profit for distant investors. The customers are the owners, and control the running of the organization through open voting for board members.

I’m going to have my eye out for new info on this broject, and will report on it as soon as I hear anything!