14
in other words
may7
2015
God Is My Co-Pruner: Spica In Pluviam Meterentur
Updates from The Institute of the Exploding Mole
By Tom Coughlin
to grow this year instead of other more of you while there, I thought I’d include committed and are encouraged when we
heat-loving edibles. On the ninth, we’ll some highlights from the Updates of recall the early failures of our Vespid
The Growing Season is upon us. pick up some tomatoes at the Community the Institute of the Exploding Mole, Breeding Program, which eventually led
A part of me has been expecting a killing Garden Plant Sale and complete the first taken from April’s meeting, Focus to our delectable, and very popular in the
frost to arrive any night now, ice-roasting iteration of this year’s garden. Things On Slugs. It’s always encouraging Singapore market, Wasp Mustard.
the roses and clobbering the new growth are looking so encouraging that we’ll to receive feedback from those who
Further research into Greek Slug
on the kiwi---tiny promising flower try growing a third variety this year, and share our concern for biodiversity and Yogurt has been discontinued.
buds, pretty red leaf-stems, and all. I like a full-sized one at that. (Persimmon-- sustainability in the Upper Nehalem
We are very pleased to
to think of that skeptical part of myself -a big, fat, sexy, eponymously named, Valley. As ever, we are grateful for the announce we are in the process of
as wisely wary, but I have to admit it’s short-seasoned, indeterminate variety far-seeing support of our supporters.
concluding negotiations with both the
looking like an extraordinary season that has, for reasons yet obscure to
Work continues to enhance slug Swedish Academy of Wholesome Arts
awaits. In fact, other than those two me, sometimes produced magazine tendency toward apophallation. So far and Chamber of Commerce which will
days with hailstorms recently, I cannot scrumptious slabs of tomato in our shady subjecting populations to round-the- clear the way for our most promisingly
remember a day I’ve looked outside and space).
clock episodes of 18 Kids and Counting lucrative endeavor to date: The
didn’t think, Monarchs and milkweeds!-
I have a shift at the upcoming has produced inconclusive results, but reintroduction of the European black
--this is going to be good for the garden. plant sale, with its dozens and dozens researchers remain guardedly hopeful.
slug (Arion ater) as the source of the
Now watch---it’ll be perpetual three of tomato varieties on offer, and in
Taking another approach world’s premier ox-cart axle grease. We
o’clock on a dull afternoon from here addition to familiarizing myself with to slug infestation, we are pursuing have every reason to expect domination
to October now that I’ve written that, said cultivars, I need to work on options regarding slugs as a comestible of the Greater Upper Uppsala market.
but it’s hard not to notice that, so far, conversationally keeping my root rot commodity. Tasting panels at our slug “Slicker than the squeaks---Arion Axle
Invictus Sol has really been invicting.
from my root-knot, my blights straight hatchery have so far been lukewarm Grease!”
There’re flowers on the and my wilts right.
to our caviar efforts, but we remain
strawberries, plums, pears, and apples,
That’s a
green fruit on the gooseberries and task in itself, and
currants and even ripe ones on the since I won’t be
honeyberries. We have peas and lettuce likely to discuss continued from front page
up, but also beets, broccoli and the three such things in
types of runner beans we’ve decided detail with many and keeping their files up to date. We need to make Recruitment/Retaining Officer. The Recruitment/
sure we’re meeting the needs and addressing the Retaining Officer would be an advocate for the vol-
aspirations of our volunteers, so that we can see unteers. They would go out and find them, bring
where they want to go and assist them in getting them in and get them what they need.
there. It’s become imperative—we need another
Volunteers are supposed to be able to fin-
body here. We can’t continue giving the level of ish and be certified as Firefighter I within a year to
service if we don’t.
a year and a half. We have volunteers who have
Measure 5-245 is a bond for equipment. been here for three years and still aren’t certified
We recently purchased a used engine from Banks as Firefighter I. It’s because our training schedule
for a heck of a deal. The last bond we put out was is so full, if a volunteer misses a particular piece of
CC Rider provided more than 125,000 rides last year, many for
in 2000 and it matured and was paid off in 2010. training, it can be a year before we get back around
your friends and neighbors who need stable public transportation
In reality the District should have immediately put to that training section for them to get signed off
to access higher education opportunities outside of Columbia
out another bond.
on it. That can get very discouraging for our volun-
County. For them, CC Rider is not just a convenience; it’s their only
VV:
Why
is
it
so
important
to
have
a
paid
Training
teers.
option for achieving academic and vocational training.
Officer?
By having a dedicated Training Officer we
Measure 5-243 offers reliable, needed funding for Columbia
CS: We’ve used volunteers in that role for a long can open up the drill schedule and be more flex-
County roads and publix transportation, without the need
time. The average time span that a volunteer lasts ible. We can create a more stable and sustainable
for additional loxal taxes. By voting yes, you are ensuring
in that role is about three years. And every train- training program to meet the personal needs of our
continued access to higher education, needed medical
ing officer that we’ve had since I’ve been here, volunteers. If we can do that then hopefully we can
services, and transportation to out-of-area jobs.
has not only stepped down from training, they’ve grow our volunteer base.
resigned from the department completely. They
If we get funding for both those positions I
get so burned out because there is so much extra believe it will make a big difference. I think it will
work. And the worst part is, the people we give help facilitate and speed up the process. It keeps
the training responsibility to are usually some of the volunteers interested and helps retain them.
our best volunteers and then we end up losing VV: Why do you need to purchase more equipment?
them. They’re going to their regular jobs for forty CS: The National Fire Protection Agency( NFPA)
This ad is paid for by the
hours a week and then they are volunteering here recommendations make it hard for small depart-
Committee for Safer Roads,
Bridges & CCRider
and then putting in all this extra work.
ments that can’t afford to meet them, regardless of
Transportation
VV: Why is it hard for you to find volunteers?
the amount of safety or maintenance we put into a
CS: Volunteerism is way down across the board, piece of equipment. If we had an incident and end-
Nick Rohrig
not just in fire service. It’s because society is al- ed up in court they are going to ask why we weren’t
PCC Student
ways so busy. In addition to this levy for the Train- meeting recommended standards. We have equip-
St. Helens
ing Captain, we’re also applying for a grant for a ment that is out of date. The recommendations state
that our first out vehicle should not be any
older than ten years, the reserve vehicle
can be ten more years and then another
Insurance sending you in the wrong direction?
five years for a backup vehicle- so a total
Let us send you in the right direction.
of twenty-five years. We just got rid of
our forty year old rig, our tender/pumper
is thirty-four years old and our first out
vehicle is now fifteen years old.
Our aging apparatus not only
lacks the horse power to go up hills, but
it lacks the safety features that are in
today’s equipment. With our purchase
from Banks we were able to upgrade
from a forty year old to a twenty year old.
It still has its share of issues that will re-
quire continual maintenance on our part.
That leaves us with our pumper tender,
which is also an outdated rig that we’ve
had to do some severe engine work on
2245 Baseline St., Cornelius
just to band aid it and keep it running.
(Across from Fred Meyer)
Open
The idea is to create a succes-
everyday
503-530-8119
Meyer’s
Auto
Body
•
493
Bridge
St
•
503-429-0248
sion
plan
for our apparatus portion of
at 9 a.m.
State Licensed PB-0388
Supporting Local Fire Protection
I need CC Rider
for my future
Please vote YES
For fast
cash!
010412
524038.050115 S
on Measure 5-243
continued on page 15
