Talk of the Town: "Now is the time to prepare for droughts"

I'm trying to reach Mr Garfin to check how well the Courier version of his piece reflects his views, but no joy so far. Meanwhile, what leaps out at me is yet another attempt to paint the climate crisis as a political position rather than a real problem, matching VP Al Gore up with twisted entertainer Rush Limbaugh. Maybe that's in there just to set the expected Courier reader at ease about listening to a climatologist. From the looks of the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth Website, I don't expect Mr Garfin is anything but a straightforward scientist, but we'll see.

What's more likely to puzzle the casual reader is the headline. Haven't we been in drought for ten years already? I guess it's time to get on the stick! Check what the Verde Independent editors think about that, plus what Cottonwood and Clarkdale are doing while Prescott sits on its thumbs.

Anyhow I'll let you know if he comes back to me with a reply.

B1: "Touting conservation"

Here's what they could have put on A1 in place of that stupid fluff. (sub required) Another kudo for Cindy Barks. This looks a lot like a City press release, but the info here is good and useful.

I've got one brickbat: maybe it's a pet peeve, but editors, look up "tout" sometime -- there's an unsavory nuance to that word that I don't think you really intend.

A3: "Aspiring firefighter rescues dog from smoke-filled apartment"

Oh great, let's take a numbskull teenager and make a hero out of him. (sub required) Ken Hedler keeps a straight face, but maybe writes it just a bit over the top?

Editorial: "Wal-Mart needs to play by the rules"

Duh. Waste of space.

Letters: Water

Lou Bellesi vs Jim Bunker, nice juxtaposition! Coincidence?

Bunker repeates the growth-must-grow meme, and doesn't like Howard Mechanic. I'm so surprised. Bellesi gives us a solid argument for better coordinated work on real issues. Who is more persuasive?

A1: "State director of liquor license department hears city concerns"

This is hilarious, and as usual Cindy tells it with a perfectly straight face -- good job, Cindy! Our Council tries to call the State Liquor Board on the carpet and they get the wrong number, hauling in the wrong guy to take their flak. What a hoot!

A1: "Students test positive for meth and cocaine"

A slow day leaves space to fill, but you gotta be careful what you fill it with. Mirsada Buric does pretty good work getting all the info into the first draft, but the slot was on break when this went through. Remember that day in Journalism 101 when the prof talked about prejudicing judicial proceedings?

A1: "Czech-ing out Arizona"

Maybe it it was an achingly slow news day, but even so this is an awful waste of space more appropriate to a high-school paper. And that headline, ack! C'mon folks, I'm sure you've got better ideas than this lying around somewhere. Check the spike once in a while.

A1: "Company expanding TNT business"

Paula Rhoden has kindly given us a handy map and description of the security measures for a proposed new storage facility for explosives. Somehow this seems a little over-detailed. That combined with the higher-than-usual typo count leads me to think that the editors may have been asleep at the switch on this one. "Barbwire," huh?

I do appreciate knowing exactly how much high explosive is being stored in our county. I'm not sure it makes me feel any safer, however. You?