“The sun is up, the milk is chilled. It’s gonna be a good day. Yeo! Yeo!”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o

Paraprosdokian A paraprosdokian (from Greek “παρα-”, meaning “beyond” and “προσδοκία”, meaning “expectation”) is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4qMGEKFu6g

Here are some good ones:

• Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
• The last thing I want to do is hurt you, it is however still on the list.
• Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
• I’m not saying it is a stupid idea, what I am saying is that if I agreed with you we’d both be wrong.
• We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
• War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
• Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
• The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.
• To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
• A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
• How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
• I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.
• A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don’t need it.
• Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says “If an emergency, notify:” I put “DOCTOR”.
• I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

• Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
• The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
• Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.
• Irish diplomacy is the ability to tell a person to go to hell in such a way that they will look forward to the trip.
• Hospitality: making your guests feel like they’re at home, even if you wish they were.
• Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
• Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
• There’s a fine line between cuddling, and holding someone down so they can’t get away.
• I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not sure.
• I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.
• When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.
• You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
• To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
• Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
• Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.
• A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.
• Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

I don’t know about you, but I feel better now! Have a great weekend.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=353AnezgADQ 

Take Our Poll

1. Attend a Board meeting in Twain Harte, Tues., Feb. 9, at 6:30 pm at the Twain Harte-Long Barn Union School District Office (Telele Lodge – auditorium), 18995 Twain Harte Drive;
2. Attend a Town Hall meeting in Tuolumne on Weds., Feb. 10, at 6:30 pm at Summerville High School’s library; and/or
3. Take a survey online at www.TuolumneCounty.ca.gov.

The Board would like District 3 residents’ opinions on the following:

• What are the greatest needs within the County right now?
• What are the highest priority County services?
• What are the main issues the County should be planning for in the future?
• How should County leaders go about balancing future budgets?

County staff will draft a 5-Year Strategic Plan reflective of citizen input for Board consideration. Citizens will be asked to comment on the draft plan once completed. The Board will adopt the final 5 year strategic plan in 2010.

The Board is preparing a first-ever 5-year strategic plan to guide our direction and management efforts and would like your input.

We’ll post an online survey you can take between Jan. 26 and Feb. 23rd  (at www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov) and hold a series of Board meetings in each supervisorial district to hear from you.

Meetings schedule

Specifically, the Board will ask you to answer a few questions:

1. What are the greatest needs in the County now?
2. On what services should the County place highest priority now?
3. What main issues should the County be planning for in the future?
4. How should the Board go about balancing future County budgets?

For more information, please call the County Administrator’s office at 209-533-5511.

I look forward to hearing from many of you in the upcoming weeks. Thanks for your help as we work together to make Tuolumne County better for our children and our future.

Sonora - The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors wants input from residents on what they feel are the most important things the County should be doing over the next several years. Your input will help staff develop a first ever 5-Year Strategic Plan for the County.

We’ve scheduled a series of special Board meetings in each supervisorial district. The schedule is:

• January 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Willow Springs Club House;
• February 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Chambers;
• February 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Black Oak School/Telele Lodge
• February 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Groveland Community Hall; and
• February 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of the 49er Social Hall .

Can’t attend any of those dates? Some districts (including District 3) will hold additional Town Hall meetings to get further input – we’re planning a Town Hall meeting in Tuolumne, as well.

There will also be a basic survey you can complete any time from January 26 through February 23 online at www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov.

We’d like your opinion on the following:

• What are the greatest needs within the County right now?
• What are the highest priority County services?
• What are the main issues the County should be planning for in the future?
• How should County leaders go about balancing future budgets?

After the special meetings are held and responses received to the survey, County staff will draft a 5-Year Strategic Plan reflective of citizen input for Board consideration. Citizens will be asked to comment on the draft plan once completed, and the Board will adopt a final plan within the next several months.

###

The Summit, put  on by the Cities Counties Schools (CCS) Partnership  (which represents California’s 7,930 local elected officials), is being presided over by our friend CCS Chair/San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon. We are meeting to identify potential solutions to the state’s chronic problems, including deficits, late budgets, and an inability to deal with critical issues such as water, energy, education, and health services.

Local governments, still waiting for the Governor and legislative leadership to announce a budget deal, are extremely concerned about that deal’s impacts on services and local people. We’re hearing that they plan an unprecedented raid on local folk’s revenues – Prop 1A funds, transportation $$, and other “creative” funding responsibility shifts - to partially close the very large budget deficit. That’s not right. So the Summit is about creating a framework for change in the state/local relationship and in how governance and finance work. Reform!

California is ripe for reform. I’d like to know what you think about some of the options we’re debating. None of these have been adopted or embraced by the CCS Partnership yet – they’re all on the table. Tomorrow we’ll get into work groups and see if we can’t prioritize and agree on these and other options. This is by no means a complete list of everything under consideration – but we don’t want to wear you out. Please tell us. What do you think?

http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/129390363DD2B784/

The Tuolumne County RCD, the county, MotherLode Land Trust, and the USFS made their presentations to the Stewardship Council yesterday. The Stewardship Council is the multi-interest stakeholder group tasked with giving away some of PG&E’s land (and funds) under the terms of a bankruptcy settlement agreement administered by the California Public Utilities Commission. Summaries of the proposals can be found on the Stewardship Council’s website at http://www.stewardshipcouncil.org/.

The TCRCD, county, and MotherLode Land Trust collaborated on a proposal that puts forward 3 different ownership/management configurations for local ownership and management of Kennedy Meadows. Despite diligent effort on the part of those organizations and the USFS to collaborate in a way agreeable to all, ultimately the USFS is not legally able to share ownership or management decisions and put forward its own proposal. The local organizations do not feel it is within the best interests of Kennedy Meadows to have the USFS as owner or manager of the parcel and although they were invited and considered it, did not participate in the USFS’ proposal.

The Stewardship Council will meet in committee over the next few months to evaluate the proposals. Their planning committee will announce a recommendation to the entire Stewardship Council at their next public meeting in Redding on April 30th.

Government reform time

And finally, to kick off our new video section, here’s an interesting clip from California Forward, a bipartisan effort to “transform our state government through citizen-driven solutions to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management, and high quality public services so all Californians have the opportunity to be safe, healthy and prosperous in the global economy,” (http://www.caforward.org/).

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKXpvSms6V4

What do you think? Please click on “Comments” below and tell us!

 Is it time to get tough with our state (and federal) leaders? What do you think?

Take Our Poll

When we listen:

1. we have more information upon which to base our opinions, and

2. we validate each other.

We’re hoping you’ll attend a District 3 Listening Session to tell Teri your thoughts on a number of important issues. Given the slowdown in the economy and the state’s shaky fiscal condition, it’s especially important for us to know what you feel county government’s priorities should be.

Hard decisions may have to be made in next year’s budget.

In 2006, over 500 District 3 residents (at 9 Listening Sessions) told Teri their top priority for county services was the condition of our roads. Close behind were public safety services: fire and law enforcement.

Is that still true? Tell Teri!

February Listening Sessions

Tuolumne
Tues., Feb. 19, 7:00 pm
Tuolumne Memorial Hall
Hosted by Tuolumne Township Group

Mi-Wuk Village
Weds., Feb. 20, 10:00am & 6:30pm
Mi-Wuk Village Library

A Listening Session is being scheduled in Twain Harte in March. More information will follow.

To schedule additional Listening Sessions in your District 3 community, please contact Teri at 533-5525.