Welcome To The New And Improved Jamestown Quick Topic

Camp Jimtown will be making a birthday calendar of sorts for 2010! This will be selling at the JAM Craft Fair in December. If you would like your birthday to be on this special list, please email me by November 13th at sunsetsacrossocean@yahoo.com.

Camp Jimtown would like to give a Thank You to Nancy Edelstein for generously donating her time, talent, and tools to our program! Nancy donated some really amazing art supplies for the kids who will be making mandalas ... look for them being posted within the next month around Jamestown!

Just in case you didn't pick up on it, the map that Colleen sent is posted a couple of messages below hers.

BOULDER RANGER DISTRICT OPEN HOUSE

On Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 4-7 PM the Boulder Ranger District will be having an Open House to unveil their motor vehicle use map that shows the routes on the forest lands that can be traveled by vehicles. On this map there is a new route that will be open around the south end of Gold Lake to connect to 102J, opening that area to OHV use. Please try to stop in at the open house and voice your concern about this new route and ask how it got on the map. - James Creek Watershed Initiative

PS. I will try to upload a map in the next message.

A few observations. ALL the cyclists were IN the road today due to a very thick layer of sand in the shoulder/bike lane. I have already written to road maintenance authorities about this including failing to sweep after mowing (dried grass clippings can be very slippery) and failure to remove road/sign garbage like arrows/directions for a cycle road race after the race is finished (I suggested within 48 hours after completion of race). One of the reasons for frustration is that despite all these discussions and working groups and arguments, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Gravel is not being removed more frequently or decidedly after a snowstorm for one example. On O'B's statements, yes, ALL users of roads should be charged/registered. But better yet, people should use the giant brains we were blessed with. There are appropriate places for all manner of things. If one wishes to go cross-country skiing, there are cross-country TRAILS MEANT for this activity. If one wishes to go downhill skiing, then visit an appropriate ski area. If one wishes to go hiking, the National Forest has many established walking trails for this purpose. It is more acceptable to wear jeans and swear in a local blue-collar type bar or pub, and less so in a five star foo-foo restaurant.

Finally, riding your mountain bike through others yards is illegal and is called trespassing. My parents taught me it was both polite, legal, and respectful to ASK PERMISSION FIRST. When you do this, you can rest assured you won't be shot at because you got proper authority/permission to be there. Even better, you will earn respect for yourself and maintain good neighbor relations, rather than causing a problem you'll have to fix later. ALWAYS ask FIRST, not afterwards!!

There are so many ridiculous activities going on IN the road that it seems car drivers at this point are being discriminated against as the ONLY users, singled out and required to have permits/licenses/registrations and is likely one reason for all the animosity. I see nothing wrong with "separate areas for separate (and SAFE) uses."

At The Merc we strive not to discriminate- (which should be apparent on any given afternoon)
I don't know of there being a bathroom problem, or any other real problems in regard to cyclists at The Merc- save a little rudeness from time to time, which we have gotten from motorists and even locals as well.
We provide water and facilities in order to be friendly, and in order to bring all types into the cafe.
On a personal note- I have found it helpful to remember that it is the behavior that is offensive and needs to be changed, not the actual people. I have had conversations with friendly cyclists who had no idea of either this town's irritation with them, nor what the "cyclist's bill of rights" even is. They were just people out to exercise and enjoy nature in the canyon we all share. After a discussion of the issues, they left educated in regard to our frustrations.
I'm glad and encouraged that Johnathon and the rest of the mediators have come up with suggestions. I read through the agenda and thought there were some great ideas.
I also personally think that the "cyclist's bill of rights" is absurd. I brought a petition down to the Governor's office to ask him to veto- but that doesn't mean I want to bar every spandex wearing person from having breakfast or using our bathroom. It helps our little business and SOME of them are even nice.

Gold Lake map

Lulu - I need your current e-mail address for a James Creek Watershed Initiative communication. Call or e-mail me. 303-441-1143 or mwilliams@bouldercounty.org.
Thanks!

Starting disclaimer: Cyclists have a right to use the canyon, and I admire their sport, and (cheerfully+) share the road with them.

As DavidK points out, Jamestown is, unfortunately, a destination. I'm just suggesting that we do not encourage it. I do believe that having public facilities would encourage more cyclists to come here to use the bathroom. Truly, I do.
DavidK, I (respectfully, and in a spirit of public cooperation and general good) don't want to be forced subsidize your sport, or anyone elses. Let them pay for it themselves. A toilet use fee at the Merc would be reasonable for residents and non-residents alike. I'm certain that when someone was short of change, the enlightened management at the merc would let them slide, or put it on the book. Let Jamestown tax money, and any revenues we collect externally go only to Jamestown road and water improvement. In fact, that might make a nice ballot initiative.

RIDE NEEDED WEDS AM!

Any early risers heading to N. Boulder at 5:45 AM on Wednesday? I need to be near Moe's by 6:15. Cell today 3/579-9385. Thanks!

Joyti, point heard. Thanks for the honest feedback.

Directions to Altona Grange Hall from Jamestown (1 mile east of 36 on south side of Nelson Road):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Jamestown,
+CO&daddr=9386+n+39th+st
+longmont&geocode=&view=map&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=42.55308,-101.689453&sspn=0 .003802,0.00751&ie=UTF8&z=12

David, is it possible that we can be a friendly mountain town and angry about the legislation at the same time, and thus not inclined to feel welcoming at the moment? I don't appreciate being lumped into your "angry rural motorist" category. A little anger is
justified in my view (not rage and name-calling), as this legislation went too far and is lop-sided in adding rights for cyclists, making it unsafe for all of us. I hope the meeting tomorrow goes well, and plan to be there with constructive ideas. Hope to see you there! The real work will be getting the legislation changed, or new
legislation written for canyons. The legislation is titled "Bicycle Safety Bill". We need a "Canyon Safety Bill".

On Nov 3, 2009, at 3:23 AM, QT - David K. wrote:

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Three cheers for a Welcome to Jamestown sign! Three cheers for a public toilet and perhaps a water spigot/sink! Two cheers for cycling signage.
 Jamestown is already a cycling destination and always will be. NOT having a Welcome to Jamestown sign doesn't seem to scare away visitors, so why not just be friendly? Frankly, everyone that I've ever met from anywhere in the Front Range who rides a road bike already knows about Jamestown and has ridden here before. So, in my humble guess-timation, I think a Welcome sign does nothing but show we're a friendly mountain town - not a bunch of angry rural motorists who would like nothing more than the rest of the Front Range go away and have the public roadways and lands all to ourselves.
And again, in my humble guess-timation, I think that a clean public toilet and water spigot would not attract hords of new cyclists (hey guys - let's go ride to Jamestown - I hear they have nice bathrooms!). If anything, public toilets and a water spigot might reduce the strain on the Merc's septic and staff. And, being that the Merc is indeed a private business, and not a community center, it seems like they carry the town's burden. Joey/Rainbow, please throw in your thoughts. Do hords of cyclists use the WC and not buy anything? Or does the WC provide customers?
Hurray for the QT, free speech and not saying anything on here that you wouldn't freely say in public!

My heart goes out to the families in our community who have recently lost their beloved pets. I would like to help address some concerns brought up on the QT and through phone calls and emails I have received during the last several days about the possibility that animals in Jamestown have been poisoned.

Right now I would be hesitant to jump to this conclusion. I am familiar with the illnesses of several of the animals in question and they all seemed to present very different types of illness affecting a variety of organ systems. Out of respect to the families who have lost pets I would like to leave it at that without going into more detail.

I would, however, like to briefly mention a couple of the most common poisons that could be ingested by accident or unfortunately, due to malicious intent.

1. Rat poison. This is an anticoagulant that causes internal bleeding. Signs of rat poisoning are labored breathing, pale gums, and a pet that is acting very ill (lethargic, not eating) Cats that eat rodents that have ingested rat poison can also be affected. This type of poisoning is very treatable, especially if caught within 24 hours of when the poison has been ingested.


2. Antifreeze. This contains ethylene glycol, which is toxic to the kidneys. Unfortunately pets don't usually exhibit signs until damage has been done. Signs of antifreeze poisoning include increased thirst, increased urination, acting painful, lethargy, vomiting, refusal of food, and dehydration. Please clean up any antifreeze spills as soon as you notice them. Antifreeze poisoning is treatable, but prognosis depends on how early it is detected.

3. Toxic mushrooms are much less common, and when I spoke with an internist at the Boulder Emergency Clinic last summer, he told me he sees a few cases each year, most commonly from the Evergreen/Conifer area. Mushrooms can either affect the neurological system, in which case signs would be incoordination in walking, head tilt, behavior changes, or less commonly cause severe acute liver failure.

There are many other types of poisons including some very common household items, so for more information I recommend visiting the ASPCA poison control website at:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control

and bookmarking that page. They also have a 24 hour poison control hotline which is 888-426-4435.

I urge you to contact me (303-718-2419) or your veterinarian of choice as soon as possible if you have any concerns about your pet. While I don't think anyone is poisoning the pets of Jamestown, there is no harm in taking extra precautions and being watchful since we cannot know for sure at this time.

I hope this has been helpful.

Dear Karen and Jamestown friends,

The poem speaks volumes of the way we wish to be in the afterlife.

It touches my heart to know we are connected in some way by many small things.

Thanks again