FBurgNews

4 inches of rain this past week

Chris White — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

It's certainly NOT official, but our backyard rain gauge recorded 4" of rain for this past week when I emptied it this afternoon. (It was too "squishy" to trudge out there yesterday!) Considering that our average rainfall for the entire month of November is 3.3" the recent nor'easter was quite a rain event. Meanwhile, I'll take today's weather anytime!

Law enforcement officials in Thurston County, WA still a little confused ’bout those Internet tubes.

COD — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:26:07 +0000

If this wasn’t posted on a .co.us domain I would assume it was satire. Let us have some fun.

The “Information Super Highway,” which is made up of commercial online services such as Prodigy, America Online, CompuServe, and the Internet, allows millions of people around the world to communicate anonymously in a virtually uncontrolled electronic world. If your child has a home computer, uses a computer at school, or has access to a friend’s computer (particularly if they have an internet connection), please take some time to review this guide.

Prodigy? This must have been written sometime in the mid 90s I’m guessing?

What we are concerned about is giving personal and credit information to people you meet in chat rooms, via sites like MySpace, or email / instant messaging.

So they’ve updated this page since MySpace came into being, but it didn’t occur to them to update the bit about Prodigy and Compuserve? Your tax dollars at work…

The warning signs of computer crime are hilarious.

Use of a new, unusual vocabulary, heavy with computer terms, satanic phrases, sexual references or a sudden interest in related hard rock or satanic oriented posters, music, etc.

Remove the reference to computer terms and that is a stock parental warning of drug problems from as far back as the 70s. Did they take a 30 year old document and just replace “drugs” with “computers?”

Look for related doodling or writing using of words such as: Hacking, Phreaking, or any words with “ph” replacing ‘f”

So homeschooler Phat Mommy is really a computer hacking drug lord something or another?

Lack of interest in self and appearance, grooming and hygiene, or indications of lack of sleep, sudden drop in school grades, and unauthorized absences from classes.

I think every teenage boy in America hits at least two of these at some point of their teen years. Who knew they were all criminals?

The computer and modem are running late at night, even when unattended.

I’ll give them this one, I’d be worried if I saw my kids with a dial up modem.

Computer files ending in GIF, JPG, BMP, TIF, PCX, DL, GL, FLI, MPG, AVI, MOV – these are picture or graphic files and parents should know what they illustrate. Image files may be pictures of a sexual nature and can be of very high quality, moving pictures, and even include sound.

They can send pictures and stuff over them Internet tubes? Wow, those crazy kids. What will they think of next?

Names on communication programs that seem satanic, pornographic, rude, or vulgar in nature

My son’s Xbox screen name violates this. I’m a bad parent.

An obsession with fantasy adventure games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Trade Wars.

Trade Wars? Are they fracking kidding? Has anybody played trade wars since about 1996?

Now that they’ve scared both parents in town that are dumb enough to think that this is helpful, they offer their advice.

Talk to your kids about their use of the computer and the dangers online. You are already talking about school, sex, drugs, strangers, gangs, and violence. Computers can involve all these problems and they can happen in your home without your knowledge.

They forgot the satanism boogie-man in that laundry list of parental fears.

Control all internet activity. Monitor the times and the numbers dialed.

I have no doubt that today’s teens would happily turn over the list of numbers that they are dialing from their computers.

Closely monitor your long distance telephone bill for unexplained calls. With online services and bulletin boards all over the world, it is easy to start calling long distance for special systems.

So apparently the unlimited long distance meme has not yet hit Thurston County?

Check the screen of an unattended computer. If the computer is showing a series of changing numbers, the computer may be running a hacking program trying to identify calling card “pin” numbers, long distance access numbers, or be attempting to validate credit card numbers.

Or, you aren’t looking at the computer screen, you are looking at TBS running a late night rerun of Hackers starring Angelina Jolie.

Who am I kidding? These people probably don’t have cable yet.

BTW, the county web site is running on active server pages – so it is not a circa 1996 web site. In fact it appears to be relatively well maintained, and the web server reports that this particular page was last edited on Oct 29, 2009.

Northwest Region Football

Mike — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:07:32 +0000

I covered the Northwest Region quarterfinals yesterday at Liberty High School. Because of all the bad weather, the games had been moved from Friday night to Saturday, which made working on a day off a bit more palatable. The first game, Colonial Forge vs Franklin County was one of the better games I have seen in a long while. It was a barnburner – blow-for-blow scoring, great athleticism on the part of the players, great crowds and lots of emotion, all which make for good pictures. I also have to say that usually I can’t stand most high school bands, particularly when they butcher the national anthem but Forge’s band was even good! In the end, with seconds on the clock, all Forge had to do was hold Franklin on 4th down but the Eagles completed a pass, converting the first down. Forge held them off for two downs but Franklin kicked a field goal, leading 37-35 and leaving .8 seconds on the board. Point-eight?!?! As I was working the sidelines, trying to get a picture that showed the proverbial agony of defeat, an assistant coach gave me a hard time, telling me not to take a picture of a kid who was beside himself. I told him I’m trying to work here and he said he’d block my camera every chance he got. It’s funny how everybody loves you when they’re winning but when things get tough, that changes very quickly. I suppose he felt like he was protecting the kid but unfortunately for him we don’t live in a fuzzy and warm fantasy land where everybody is special and a winner. And I had already taken the picture. It gave me a some joy to tell him that.

After that game I was kind of tired – with that much action I found myself hustling back and forth all game long – but I had a second one to cover. I was hoping Brooke Point vs William Fleming was going to be a nice 14-10 kind of game. Initially I was right, the Black Hawks took an early lead. I thought, “Great, it is a nice slow game, they are winning so I won’t get any grief after the game.” And I said as much to a guy on the sidelines. Well, for my sins, the game quickly developed into another score-for-score slugfest. Brooke Point came out on top in the end 44-35 and I was whipped. The party doesn’t stop though – Redskins vs Broncos today and MORE high school playoff ball on Monday. It could be worse – I was originally slated to head to Virginia Beach to cover the state field hockey tournament. Nothing against the athletes but even after years of shooting the game, I am still baffled by some of the nuances of the game.

The Courts–What Next?

Matt Kelly — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Since I last posted my concerns on moving forward with the construction of a new court facility there have been some significant changes. The Post Office site has been abandoned and we are now looking at a new site--the current District Court/Fire Station site on Princess Anne St. The cost for the court project has also dropped to the $35 million range which includes the relocation of the fire station. Unfortunately, the current economic climate has also continued to changed for the worse, with no sign of improvement in the near future. For this reason I still do not believe we are in a position to move this project forward.

I have been privileged to have been involved in moving forward some significant capital projects in the City. Two new schools, a new police station, a parking garage, and the city's first community pool. In each case the support of the community was obtained, to include a tax increase in the case of the schools. In each case these projects contributed to the city's overall quality of life, safety, and contributed to the city's economic vitality. For its cost, the new court facility does not represent a significant contribution to Fredericksburg quality of life or economic vitality.

The reason provided for moving the court project forward is that the city is obligated, under the threat of a court order, to provide for better security and to meet the space needs driven by rising case loads. I do not dispute either of these points. However, the future increase in case loads is not being generated within the city. The 2007 Moseley report states:

"the city’s population is not expected to grow significantly during the coming years, but continued rapid growth is expected in the surrounding counties. As a result, the Fixed Ratio to City Population model would not seem to be a reliable indicator of future case filings. It predicts no meaningful change in case filings for any of the courts, even though it seems certain that increasing regional population has substantially affected court case loads in the past."

The city is expected to bear the sole burden of the cost and operation of a new court facility to meet a regional need.

One aspect of the court project that has not been discussed is the increase in operational costs. In the latest presentation to Council representatives from Glave' & Holmes Assoc. acknowledged that they did not see any significant savings, but rather some increases, in operational costs. In the Moseley report the number of employees need to operate the facility over the next 20 years will rise from 78 to 118.

While I have acknowledged the city's obligation to provide adequate court facilities I would be remiss if I did not point out that the state has some obligation to the localities. But in their case these obligations, related to transportation, education, and public safety, have not been met. In fact funding in these areas have been cut. All indications are that they will continue to be cut. This failure to meet their obligations has increased the financial burden on localities and made it more difficult for them to meet their obligations. Yet Fredericksburg is expected to meet their obligations no matter the cost.

City staff deserves credit for bringing forward the current option to use the District Court/Fire Station site which meets the courts needs, provides options for expansion, and brings the cost down to around $35 million dollars to include relocating the fire station. Staff has stated that the $35 million represents the high end cost of the project. Also, because the fire station relocation will need to be completed prior to the court construction the debt can be spread out. However, our financial situation has continued to deteriorate.

In the Moseley report released in 2007, before the financial collapse, staff made in clear how much the City could afford when they made the recommendation to only build space for (2) new courts on the current Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court site--

"City staff has indicated that a cost of more than about $30 million for new court facilities is not affordable for the City at this time. As a result, any of these three options are cost prohibitive."

Since the staff has made the above recommendation the economy has collapsed and we have had to reduce the budget over the past two year, leaving positions open, and putting off needed infrastructure improvements and repairs. In the Budget Transmittal Letter submitted by staff with the FY2010 budget they made it clear that there was no sign of an end to this trend--

"In spite of the progress made in closing the gap between revenues and expenditures in the FY 2010 budget, the outlook for FY 2011 is extremely difficult. The City continues to call upon its dwindling fund balance reserves, and the City has reduced total personnel and deferred maintenance and capital outlay replacements in order to reduce overall expenditures. The City will need to invest in the deferred maintenance and capital replacements eventually, and still needs to maintain service levels in accordance with community expectations. Without significant new revenue growth, the current austerity climate for the City will continue for at least the next two or three years."

During our Council retreat this past week the staff presentation on the budget pointed to even more significant challenges in the coming years--

• We are already using $1,296.290 of General Fund Balance to balance the current budget.

• Additional state cuts to localities are probably forthcoming during the current fiscal year and it is a certainty that local funding from the state will be reduced again for the FY2011 budget.

• Because the state has reneged on the agreement to help fund the Cowan Blvd extension we are looking to use local revenue in FY2011 in the amount of around $137,000.00 to cover the debt service. For the next few years that amount will rise to $437,000.00 a year.

• It is expected that the City will face an rate increase in Virginia Retirement System from 3 to 5 percent resulting in an increased cost of between $600,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 a year. The School system will also see an increase. A 1 percent increase to the schools totals $190,000.00.

• The City is expected to also see an increase in the cost of insurance. The amount will not be determined until after the bid process is completed.

As for new revenue sources we are looking at the new Free Lance Star printing plant, and the commercial component of Eagle Village Phase I. Also our Local Composite Index (LCI) has dropped a bit from .7943 to .7763 meaning a larger percentage of state school funding. However, the amount of funding provided by the state has decreased and will likely continue to do so. Similar cuts from the state, cost increases, noted above, will probably more than offset any gains from new commercial development.

It should also be pointed out that economists are telling us to expect a further declines in commercial property values which will place added stress on our commercial tax base. A reminder that we reassess property every two years. The Kalahari project is on hold due to the a tightening credit market which is also affecting area businesses.

I will acknowledge that there will be savings in construction costs if we proceed now. However, continuing to put off needed capital infrastructure improvements also comes with increased costs. Adding 6 to 10 cents on the real estate tax rate just to cover court debt service does not give us a lot of room to find resources to meet our infrastructure or service needs. Under the current fiscal constraints building the courthouse will affect funding to other city services, including schools, and other capital projects.

We are facing the worst economic climate in generations and no one is predicting when it will turn around. Some have said the economy is beginning to turn but unemployment and housing foreclosures continues to rise and business continue to close. It is this uncertainty in the economy that also justifies the need to wait on the court project until we get a better handle on where the economy is going. The return to the city with this project does not warrant the gamble.

We do need to build new court facilities. However, under the current economic condition the city faces, and the fact that this project does not contribute to the city's overall quality of life or economic vitality, it needs to wait. Our focus right now needs to be on maintaining city services.

Should we move forward with the court project and, if so, why?

Sunny Saturday, just not in Fredericksburg

Chris White — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Yes, this was taken today. And yes, this was taken near the Blue Ridge where the sun was out in all its glory...at least that's what I think that bright yellow orb in the sky was. With almost no wind and amid bright sunshine today felt like a mid-October day near the mountains. Unfortunately I re-encountered the annoying cloud-deck-that-won't-depart by the time I got back to Lignum (east of Culpeper) on Route 3. The good news is that we should see an abundance of sunshine the next few days.

Blue & Gray Beer Dinner Next Month

David — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Capital Ale Ale Fredericksburg is holding a Blue & Gray Brewing beer dinner on Wednesday, December 2. There will be six beers paired with five dinner courses. The cost of the dinner is $50 and includes a complimentary Blue & Gray glass. You can see the planned menu here. Tickets are available at any Capital Ale House or online. Seating is limited so get your tickets early.

Last Year’s Beers

David — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Winter seasonal beers have started appearing on store shelves and it's time to start drinking some of my favorite beers. But not the stock that is on the shelves now. No, I'm talking about the beers I stashed away last winter. While many winter-release beers are fine to drink right away, they are often even better with just a bit of age on them. Over the past few weeks, we've enjoyed several of these "old beers."

Not surprisingly to regular readers of these musings, one of the first beers to come out of storage was Clipper City Winter Storm. One of my all-time favorites, I've had a case stashed away since last fall. The 2009 release made it to the stores a few weeks ago. I've enjoyed quite a few from the stash already.

Tröegs Mad Elf is one that is eagerly awaited by area craft beer fans. I too look forward to its release. However, I am not a big fan of this beer when it's "fresh." Aging in the basement for a year serves to blend the flavors. I find the fresh version a bit harsh, but I'm certainly enjoying the previous season's batch.

Barleywines are great beers for holding on to. Old Dominion Millennium Ale is one we picked up last year, but saved for later. It seems a touch sweeter than I remember from last year.

In additional to barleywines, imperial stouts are perfect candidates for a bit of aging. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is a favorite around here. Indeed, there's a case from last year waiting to be enjoyed on a cool evening in front of the fireplace.

Of course, many folks store these, and other beers, for much longer than a year. I too, lay down a few bottles to keep for a longer time. But these are just a few that I look forward to enjoying after a short rest in the cellar. As the weather starts to cool, and I start hearing folks on the look out for their favorite winter seasonals, I'm ready. No trip to the store needed.

Naturally, I'll need to restock for next year!

Joshua Tree

Mike — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:48:36 +0000

A few weeks ago I went to visit my buddy Rob out in San Diego. We were headed to Festival 8, the big Phish-fest in Indio, to meet up with more friends and hear some good music. The night before the festival though we decided to head out to Joshua Tree National Park as there was nearly a full moon out and we wanted to shoot some pictures. We rolled into the park after 10:30pm, found a spot along the road, turned on some music, cracked a few oat sodas and set about to work. I would love to get back there to explore the park some more but this was a pretty good taste… Basically they are just long exposures and a little light added with a strobe or painted with a small LED headlamp.

Rob’s mighty Volvo wagon. That’s Rob on the right, by the tree.

Recent field hockey

Mike — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:49:49 +0000

You’ve gotta love nice, fall afternoon light. Now if I could just apply that light to some football…

Politicians

Mike — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:44:30 +0000

This picture is pretty dated considering Creigh Deeds lost his bid for governor of Virginia a couple weeks ago but I wanted to put it up here anyway. He was shaking hands at a high school football game and I like how he is isolated amid this group of people. He seemed a bit ill-at-ease with the public and he spent more time chatting up local pols and the political reporter than meeting and greeting. I didn’t have a chance to photograph his opponent, Bob McDonnell, as I had the good sense to take vacation over election day. On a national scale, people made a big deal about the GOP winning in Virginia. Personally, I think it had to do with the quality of candidates more than a referendum on the president and his policies.

The other night Rep. Rob Wittman came through town to hold a meeting at a VFW post to discuss veterans’ issues. The upside was that nobody unlocked the post so he held it on the steps. Challenging light, but definitely better than fluorescent tubes and a podium! As expected people spent a lot of time griping about, taxes, healthcare and the evil, left-wing media. And by evil, left-wing media, I mean my employer and by extension, me. It was a little scary when one guy started asking Wittman if he was going to hold congressional hearings investigating the infiltration in government of ‘avowed Marxists and Communists.’ What was scarier was that others agreed with him and nobody, including the congressman, tried to talk any kind of sense to the man. Every time I meet these people, the idea of becoming an ex-pat photog in some steamy tropical land is more and more appealing! It’s like the conversation is poisoned by an irrational anger that makes people unable to speak reasonably and respectfully to one another. As if the world was black & white and not shades of the Zone System! For the record, I’m all about zone V!