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Letter to Mayor Francia

Grace Meeth | Cave Creek Councilwoman
In October 2007 the Town Council approved “Grading and Drainage” guidelines bought forward by staff. Many of the “Grading and Drainage” guidelines were extracted directly from the current zoning ordinance. While many municipalities create stand-alone documents to supplement their ordinances, they generally place the ordinance itself as chapter 1, and flexible guidelines to implement the ordinance as subsequent chapters. In approving “Grading and Drainage” guidelines, we did not delineate what is ordinance and what are the flexible guidelines. We merely removed parts of our ordinance, such as “Grading, Hillside, Retaining Walls, Re-vegetation and Landscape” and moved them into a separate document and relabeled them guidelines.

Ordinances are defined and governed by ARS. The only way that a policy document, such as the Town’s zoning ordinance, can be re-interpreted as a flexible guideline, subject to change by the Town Manager, is if the Council takes action to rescind the ordinance. That was never the intention of creating the technical manuals, nor should it be.

I support the concept of stand-alone technical manuals supplementing Town ordinance for all of the reasons the staff gave years ago when the concept of technical manuals was presented to the Council. Still there has to be a clear delineation between what is actually ordinance and the guidelines created to implement them. The “Grading and Drainage” technical manual of October 2007 supports this intention by stating that the “design guidelines would not supplant the Town of Cave Creek Zoning Ordinance and Sub-division Ordinance provisions and requirements.” Yet, by intermingling actual ordinance verbiage with guidelines verbiage, and declaring them all guidelines, that is exactly what has happened.

Although the term “guideline” concerned me when we approved the “Grading and Drainage” guidelines in October 2007, the technical manual did not contain any other language that seemed problematic. Now that we have created the policy that “all guidelines provided are subject to change or variation at the discretion of the Town Manager” it becomes a huge concern that ordinance language is intermixed with implementation language. We need to discuss this.

I respectfully request that an agenda item be added to the August 2008 or not later than September 2008 meeting to discuss this issue of maintaining our ordinance while establishing implementation guidelines.

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On ElectroData, the watch and Petroff

Bob Hoss | Cave Creek
I have some interesting information for you that might complete your article on Petroff and will fill in the real story regarding Electro Data and the world’s first electronic watch and Petroff's role in all that.

Your article caught my attention because I began my career at Cape Kennedy and knew many of the folks at Radiation and Harris and indeed Petroff crossed my path as well. After the space program I became one of a small number of engineers who made up the company called Electro Data in Richardson, Texas.

In 1970 Electro Data did build the world’s first digital watch, the Pulsar – for Hamilton Watch company – BUT the development had nothing to do with Petroff who didn't enter the picture till after 1971. It was developed by the then President of Electro Data and an engineering manager from Technology Incorporated (unfortunately I can't recall their names).

After reading your story it may be no surprise to you that Electro Data was doing quite well until we were forced to merge with Care Inc. – which took us both out of existence. The story in the press was that Care was in financial trouble, so bad that it had already been refinanced several times and had built up "such a tremendous amount of debt that it was unattractive to its investor." So their board, which had some common investment interests with Electro Data, forced a merger in 1971 (we understood that it was to use our good cash position to shore up Care). But in doing so they voted the president of ElectroData out (the one who had championed the digital watch effort) and put president of Care (Petroff I assume) in as chairman over both companies!!

Indeed he must have been quite the salesman! A year later they reversed this and sent him back to president of Care, but by then the damage had been done – we were both now in the red. So no, Petroff had nothing to do with developing the watch which was done a year before he took control, and the only contribution of that merger seemed to be to destroy the company that had achieved that marvelous goal.

Side note: Interestingly the Pulsar site credits a guy named Wuischpard with designing the Pulsar – but he only designed the case! The true invention of the watch itself was by two unsung geniuses at Electro Data (one who was pushed out when Petroff took over) – two names unfortunately I can’t even recall after all these years.

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A thank you

Laurie Hilsabeck | via e-mail
I do not live in Cave Creek, nor do I get your newspaper, however I would like to thank you kindly for protecting us U.S. citizens and publicizing the plate numbers and pictures of people who are picking up illegals.

It seems like most of our political officials and news outlets desire this state to be a sanctuary state. When most of the constitutes are tired of paying for all the freebies offered to these folks who sneak across the borders. Not to mention all the other ramifications associated with this HUGE issue.

Again Don, thank you for caring!

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You rock

Jonathan Davis | Apache Junction
Don, saw the story about you on Channel 3. Just wanted to say keep up the good work. There are plenty of us who agree with you 100 percent.

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New Talk Show

Tim Richardson, Webmaster | Sierra Vista Herald/Review

Aimed at Illegal Aliens and Smuggling
A new Internet talk show has been launched from Cochise County, Arizona, America’s gateway for illegal aliens and smuggling of all types.

The host is Al Garza who is the Executive Director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
It has a wide range of topics and a good variety of guests besides e-mails being read and voice mails played.

Give it a listen: www.cochisetalk.com.

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Smoke and mirrors

Bob & Joanne Hartle | Phoenix
It isn't the GOP that has turned on Rep. Pearce, it is some members called the Rich and Greedy that support criminal alien activity for a profit that are attempting to stop Rep. Pearce from representing the will of the people.

These greedy people provide the means for criminals, criminal aliens, and terrorist of all kind to commit Felony ID theft in employment and live and work in our country as if they are US Citizens, hiding their criminal histories as well. This is known as Organized Crime.

Thanks to Rep. Pearce the will of the people are being heard loud and clear. And Organized Crime is forced to do the right thing, not provide the means and hire criminals, criminal aliens and terrorists that are using Felony ID Theft in employment. (All at the expense of the US Tax Payer and Consumer).

You can add the Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, to the list of officials that are for the people and in favor of enforcing all laws for all people.

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From Councilman McGuire

Thomas McGuire | Cave Creek Councilman

The Cave Creek Town Council meeting on Monday evening, Aug. 4 was an especially long and contentious meeting. For those concerned about our numerous 7-0 votes, on Monday evening they had many opportunities to observe differences of opinion on the issues before us. I thank all the citizens who attended and especially those who expressed their opinions.

I am concerned that the reports of some town staff members were criticized, placing those staff members in an awkward position. It’s up to the Mayor to set the agenda. The Town Manager guides staff in preparing reports. I sincerely believe that within this framework, our town staff members presented the facts from a professional perspective.

Criticism directed at these staff reports on Monday was misdirected. The staff reports were well done and fell well within the parameters set by the Town Manager and the agenda set by the Mayor. The criticism in that meeting should have been directed at us, as elected officials. We are responsible to the public in a way that neither the Town Manager, nor most certainly the staff is. Please direct your criticism to us.

Furthermore, personal comments directed against previous speakers are in poor taste and out of line. Opinions differ. That is a fundamental foundation of our form of government. If citizens have a problem with the public statements of one another, Council meetings must not be a forum for exchanges of threats or derogatory comments. Regardless of the opinions of other speakers, comments of the public should address the business of the Town of Cave Creek and the responsibilities of your elected officials.

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Ralph Nader still doesn't get it

Ron Lowe | Nevada City, California
Ralph, Ralph, Ralph! Ralph Nader doesn't like the title of "Spoiler." Hmmm! Wasn't it Mr. Nader who got 97,000 votes in Florida in the 2000 presidential election? Al Gore lost the state by 597 votes and eventually the presidency. Do you think some of those Nader votes were Democratic votes?

You know the rest of the story. The Supreme Court settled the Florida dispute and handed the presidency to George Bush, the loser of the national election. America has received its karma with two terms of President Bush. The economy is tanking under a Republican anti-tax theology, the housing market is causing shockwaves, and Ralph Nader still doesn't get it.

Nader is registering at 3 to 6 percent in the polls, depending on which one you look at; presidential candidates McCain and Obama are in a dead heat. Will Ralph Nader hand the White House to John McCain and the Republicans in his roll as the un-spoiler?

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Just drill!

Roy Thomas | Cave Creek
If you are old enough to remember the gas-rationing days of the 70’s, you probably also remember that the talk at the time included off-shore drilling and windfall profit tax.

The wisdom housed in Washington thought it would be just dandy to tax the “BIG OIL” companies because they had a windfall and made too much money. Didn’t work then … won’t work now!

They also restricted offshore exploration and we sit here today without one additional ounce of oil produced from our own resources.

The Democrats continue to say that we can’t drill our way out of the problem. Their answer seems to be to talk their way out of it. Their talk produces a lot of hot air that doesn’t solve one problem. Offshore drilling will produce oil sooner than the 10-year timeframe so often mentioned.

Will we let another 30 years pass with talk and no action? If we don’t insist, that is exactly what will happen. Your vote has become much more valuable this election cycle.

P.S. I like the new updated paper on the web!

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Yee-HAH – you go, Texas!

C.O. Jones | Desert Foothills
On Tuesday, August 5, Texas executed José Medellín, 33, for the rape, torture and murder of two young female Texans fifteen (repeat: FIFTEEN!) years ago. Medellín, a Mexican national, had been appealing his death sentence to the Mexican government, World Court, the UN and anyone else in the anti-American activist world. It seems that México, and only México, has an agreement that no Mexican felon may be executed in the USA! In essence, this is an open invitation to Mexican felons to commit any heinous crime, including capital murder, without the fear of being executed.

Medellín had been in the USA (illegally, of course) for 33 years, which is ample time to learn that “you should stop messin’ with Texas.” Whether in Spanish, English or that abomination called “Spanglish,” someone should have explained to Medellín that murder is a no-no, and carries consequences. So, Yee-hah, Texas: if you run short of chemicals, or revert to old-fashioned hanging, write to me c/o [email protected] , and I’ll take up a collection for sleep-juice or a couple coils of hemp rope. And for you, México: ¡jódete!*

* Get stuffed!

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Re: The blame game

Name withheld by request
I am writing in response to “The blame game” editorial you printed in the July 30 issue. I couldn’t agree more and am also disappointed in some of the decisions made by CCUSD.

My child attends a school where I see the principal is returning this year despite the many changes. This particular principal spends his/her days “power lunching” from the time the first bell rings until the end of the day. He/She returns in time to be seen right before the end of bell rings so it looks as though he/she has been there all day.

It is really frustrating because he/she is never on campus to address everyday situations like disorderly conduct at the school. This is left for the front desk staff to deal with until the principal returns.

Unfortunately, the five percent of kids who are constantly disrupting class are just sent to the office and sit but are then unleashed back to class without having to confront the principal. As a result the same five percent of kids disrupt the learning environment for my child’s day, on an ongoing basis, because the situation is never dealt with between the principal and the child’s parents.

I would prefer to remain anonymous because there is an atmosphere of preferred “positive thinking” in Cave Creek. The parents who do and say what administrators want to hear, at our school, get their requests for teacher recommendations addressed first.

Then there are the rest of us who want to make suggestions to make the school better. Unfortunately, such suggestions are not always looked upon in a positive manner but rather as “negative discussion” and “bad-mouthing” the school.

I think that is why in part the CCUSD is struggling. Some administrators just want to hear the positive and not address and resolve the real issues at heart. This creates an atmosphere of too much “positive thinking” and not enough resolving.

It is also unfair to the parents and children who support the school but don’t get the teacher recommendations they want because they are direct and honest rather than just telling administrators and staff what they want to hear.

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