Holidays

Im out of town again, in Tennessee. Ill try to post some while I am here.
I wont be able to make the commission meeting next Tuesday, but Ill get back in the saddle soon after that.
I took the interstate, which is more straight, faster and boring..
but sometimes a boring trip is a good trip.

Heard that the city will be considering a permit to allow a pig statue? in front of the wb meats store in town.
Seems like it would fit the buisness.
Be interesting to see what you all think about that.

santa claus

Here is a link to keep up with santa claus

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

City

Looks like  I picked a bad time to miss a meeting Tuesday night. Had something come up, was unavoidable.
But Ill try to get back in the saddle for the next one.
There are some strange things going on right now around town hall. The chief of administration, Lane Massey, has resigned. Lots of people have quit and there are rumors of others doing so as well.
And the commission wants a new direction with a new city manager.
There does seem to be some discontent in all circles.
Thus the need for more focused leadership.
The commission should be setting policy and not be involved in day to day matters at all.
at least thats my take on it.
Is anyone getting ready to run for commission?????

Eclipse

Here are some pictures from the eclipse last night

Eclipse

Tonight will be a total eclipse of the moon, or in the very early morning hours of tomorrow, depending on how you look at it. Supposed to start about 1 a.m. and last past 3 a.m.
Weather should cooperate. Some light clouds and not as cold as it has been lately.
An interesting aspect is, that tomorrow is also the winter Solstice. This has not happened - eclipse same day as the solstice - since 1638, and wont happen again until 2094. For pagans the solstice is huge, and eclipses are meaningful too, so ... the combination should be even more.

Here is a story from the weather channel about it ..Lunar eclipses are not that rare. They are cool to see. Ill likely be at my hideout near the river watching.

Wise men, or magi ... who were they ?

Here is the story I said I was going to write about the Wisemen, or Magi, from the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. I had meant to do it in a different format, but here it is.

In the gospel of Matthew we see the story of the birth of Jesus, and the arrival of Wise Men, or Magi, from the East. The word “wise men" is a traditional word, but in the original language, the word is Magi, or Magician.

Interim City Manager

Richard Chesney has been chosen to serve as Interim City Manager for Arkansas City, starting January 4, after current City Manager Steve Archer's resignation becomes official.
Commissioners interviewed him and Jay Newton, another candidate, during an executive session, or non-public meeting, Thursday evening. After the interviews commissioners came to a consensus on hiring Chesney. They will vote and make it official at the regular meeting next Tuesday.
Chesney is to start Jan. 4. He will be paid $2,000 per week and will also receive use of a city car, or a car reimbursement. He will stay in Arkansas City during the week, Mayor Patrick McDonald said.
The city will then begin a search for a regular full time permanent City Manager.
Over the past few years the city has had two city managers over a relatively short period of time.

Observation

I thought it was interesting that, a few days ago I posted a link to an article I wrote about the birth of Christ.
Several people were up in arms. There are about 20 comments there, many critical of me "forcing" religion on people, and I deleted several that were of the same type.
Yesterday I posted an article about the Pagan God Janus, which is where the name of the month "January" comes from.
No comments. Nothing. No one was upset about me "forcing" religion upon them.....
Just thought that was interesting and needed to be pointed out.

City Commission Worksession

Origins

I thought this story was interesting about the origin of the month of January.
http://www.helium.com/items/789498-understanding-janus-pagan-god-of-january

Time of change for city

City Commission worksession may not be all that interesting tomorrow night, except that they may interview candidates for interim city manager in executive session (non public meeting). Nothing illegal about executive sessions, and sometimes it is probably a good thing. I just want to point it out when they do it ...
The deeper issue of course is what the city commission is doing. They will be giving current City manager Steve Archer $33 grand plus other bennies in exchange for his resignation. This is in essence four months pay. During those four months the city will be paying another salary for an interim and possibly a new city manager.
The search for a new city manager will take time and money too.
We are probably looking at at least $50,000 to make this change...
Only time will tell if it is worth it.

Three city commissioners will be up for re-election in April. Deadline for applying for the race is Jan 25. at noon. The filing fee is $10. There is cost involved in running a campaign, but I suppose one could spend as much or as little as he or she wanted.
I am still thinking of running. If i did, i would have to quit the blog.
But I would like to encourage other people to run as well.
Public discourse is a good thing. The election campaign is about that.
We need vision... direction.
With the current political landscape of incumbents being unpopular in general and with the state of flux the city is in .. i think now is an excellent time for someone new to the process to run...

Worksession is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and regular meeting is Tuesday at 7.
Say what you like about the commission, but they do welcome people at the meetings. They will let you talk even. Ive been around a lot of commissions in different states. I would have to say that the commission here is as open as any i have seen as far as letting the public speak at meetings.
Their rule that it has to be something not on the agenda does seem a bit odd, but ... if you are paying attention to the issues, there is a time when things are being discussed but not yet on the agenda, so there would be the opportunity.
Hope to have the live blog going Thursday at 5:30..

Signs and wonders in the sky

 According to an email from one of the profs at Cowley College, we are in for a meteor showers the next couple of nights, and a lunar eclipse is coming soon. So some cool stuff happening in the night sky.. Just thought  i would pass this along.

The Geminids are coming!! 

 

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak early Tuesday morning.  You will be able to see them after the sun goes down this evening by finding a dark location and looking toward the eastern sky.  Activity should start picking up around 8:00 – 9:00pm with the best viewing being after 2:00am tomorrow morning when the radiant, where the meteors appear to originate in the sky, is high above the horizon.  The Geminids are pieces of debris that come from asteroid 3200 Phaethon which was discovered in 1983.  Peak rates of 40+ meteors per hour are expected.

 

Weather permitting, we should also be able to see a total eclipse of the moon on December 21.  The earth casts a shadow behind itself in space just as a shadow is cast behind you when facing the sun.  When the alignment is just right and the moon enters this shadow, we experience a lunar eclipse.  At approximately 12:55pm on the 21^st the eastern edge of the moon will start to enter the shadow of earth.  As the moon continues in its orbit, more and more of it will disappear until it is entirely eclipsed at approximately 1:55am.

 

The moon will begin to exit the shadow of earth at approximately 3:15am, and the entire moon will be visible by 4:20am.  Total lunar eclipses are not rare, but they don’t happen every year either.  The last lunar eclipse was two years ago and the next won’t be for another two years.  No special equipment is needed and this is a good astronomical event to take pictures of.

 

Happy Skies!!

 

Todd Shepherd

Social Science Department Chair

Cowley College

City meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday

Live Blog tonight

The Live Blog will be going tonight (Tuesday) at 7. for the City Commission meeting.
Could be a very interesting meeting, as the commission will be talking about the city manager's contract.
Rumor has it that the commission is set to not renew his contract.
May or may not be true, but there are rumblings. This would be a good meeting for you to attend, for everyone to attend.
Far as I know, the City Manager has done a good job, things are going ok with the city - the recent financial audit gave them good marks, and the performance audit that the city spent around 30,000 on not too long ago, said things were basically OK.
Nothing has been said about that study since.
Things could be interesting tonight.

Jesus was born at a relatives home in the guestroom.

Jesus was born at a relatives home in the guestroom.

City worksession