Jack-o-Vote

Civic-minded pumpkins at the Keeble household this year! We'll be passing out mini-Constitutions tonight. Um, just kidding.

I do love this time of year and especially enjoy my Edgewater neighbors who have decked out their yards with decorations -- Lots of graveyards in people's front yards. We added a few lights and a cat with red glowing eyes in the hopes of attracting more trick-or-treaters. Parents skip the busy streets so we don't get to many kiddos.

At our office Halloween potluck party today we had some great costumes, including a woman in a binder. I dressed as a ghost writer. Nobody could figure out what I was -- I probably looked like the ghost of English teachers past.

Happy Halloween to everyone! Be safe. Have fun. Dress up.

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Edgewater at Random: Civil Discourse and That Darn Wind...

Did the wind keep anyone else up last night?

We get up early. Really early. So when I opened the door to let the dogs out, it was way too dark to see that part of our fence blew down, landing on our AC unit. Thank goodness the dogs didn't venture too far since we live right on 26th Ave. Lucky.

So it was still dark out when we walked our dogs. Anyhow, I wish I had a special camera to capture the wind damage that I saw...Broken tree trunks and branches, an Xcel Energy crew working with spotlights to clear up a downed power pole, a door flung into a flower bed, upside down milk boxes, and political signs all cattywampus.

Anyhow, the Edgewater Fire Department / Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District Inclusion Meeting went really well last night. Both the proponents and opponents should be commended for being such respectful listeners. I think everyone came away from the meeting learning something new.

Attendees opted to miss the Presidential debates, and from what I hear, Edgewater citizens behaved much better than the candidates. There was no posturing or interrupting. It was just a group of concerned Edgewater residents coming together to learn about the issue. Karen Hing, one of the citizens spearheading the inclusion initiative stated it well:

 

"These folks are here because they realize that they can't do much on the national level, but they can educate themselve on this issue and make a direct decision on the safety of Edgewater."

Well said.

For more on why I'm voting for inclsion, check out this website: http://www.efd4inclusion.com/home

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Edgewater for Inclusion into the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District - Ballot Question 2A / 5A

Please join me in voting YES on Ballot Question 2A and FOR 5A - Support Edgewater's Inclusion into the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District

Edgewater neighbors,

Your ballot has two key questions that directly relate to the safety and financial well-being of our community. We have an opportunity to join forces with the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District to provide modern fire protection that addresses the needs of our community.

Just a few reasons to vote YES on 2A and FOR 5A:

• Our current level of service is inadequate for our needs -
• We're set up for 300 calls per year, but we respond to over 900 each year.
• We can't get enough volunteer fire fighters from our area to sustain our Department.
• It's not safe to continue with our current level of service -
• Who's going to respond to emergency calls if we can't adequately staff our Department?
• Our Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating is getting worse. The Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District has developed a comprehensive plan for having a top-rated department in the next few years.
• Inclusion with theWheat Ridge Fire Protection District would be much cheaper than going it alone -
• If we join, our 5.03 mills would go up to 7.5 mills; this amounts to just $39.32 more per year for Edgewater residents with homes valued at $200,000.
• If we don't join, our mill would have to go up to at least 22.65 mills for an equal level of fire protection (equalling about $280.51 per year).
• And if we don't join and don't improve our service, our homeowner's insurance would likely increase due to a poor safety rating.
• We will get a new fire house built IN EDGEWATER in the next few years.
• New, much-needed equipment will be included.
• Our current and former chiefs support Inclusion - Nine chiefs, dating back to 1957 have gone on record in support of this plan.
• Our fire fighters will be able to do shift-work -- They will no longer need to be on-call at all hours of the day and night. They can spend more time with their families!

If you have any questions, please go to www.efd4inclusion.

Thanks,
Myra

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