Sunday, April 17, 2016.

Although you may never know what is generally going to happen in life, there are situations whose variables are stable enough that specific outcomes will repeat themselves with such frequency that one might successfully anticipate future results.  In other words, there is a sufficient consistency or pattern of events taking place upon which a person could reasonably predict what will happen in the future.   Naturally, recognizing and appreciating such patterns at the time they occur in “real time” is the key to being prepared for what is likely going to happen.  Failing to recall at that precise moment will only result in the “I should have known better”, “why didn’t I see this coming again?”, “this is the same thing that happened last time”, “why happen now?”, etc.

FAST PICK UP

Some friends were going to be stopping by yesterday, so, considering the fact young children are rarely on Tarantu-Rattle (name obviously derived from two of the very common indigenous species living here; Tarantulas and Rattlesnakes) I was engaged in the traditional “mad-dash safety check” for potentially injurious items within reach of possible curious little hands.  This routine is especially difficult for me because, to my chagrin, I must admit to leaving tools and equipment at numerous project sites resulting in the well deserved observation/expression “spending more time looking for a tool than actually using it”.

AGAIN?

ANYWAY, I’m walking around the place picking up shovels, rakes, hedge shears, screwdrivers, and land mines (just checking to see if you were paying attention), and was opening the translucent fiberglass panel garden shed door to properly store some “found tools” when …………..why does this seem to always happen at the most inconvenient time?

Soon as the door swung open and I had started inside – something dark, about the size of a wadded up paper towel, dropped only inches in front of my face to the dirt floor below – once again reminding me why I prefer to wear a hat while working around this place.  (Ticks, spiders, etc.)  Yes, it was one of the many bats that hide out during the day until their bug eating acrobatics at night.  I had suddenly disturbed the poor thing during its beauty sleep nestled between the top of the door and the frame.  The opening door was its “rise and be blinded” wakeup call.   (Thinking I might construct/install some other “hide out” immediately above the door that might be safer for both of us?)

LIFE IS INDEED A GAMBLE

The little creature (as always) was apparently uninjured, probably just as startled as me as it “played dead” on the dirt floor……   Ahhh, but the eyes – the eyes tell all – and they were attentive!  I quickly grabbed a commemorative Black Oak casino beer glass full of miscellaneous nails and screws that was sitting on a shelf and dumped the contents in a bucket.  I thought about cleaning the glass first but this wasn’t my first “bat rodeo” and knew from experience as soon as those little beady eyes understood I was occupied doing something else – it would do a fast “bat walk” to the nearest vertical structure and  quickly climb and disappear.  I placed the dusty glass on the dirt floor and gently escorted the little thing into the glass and covered the top.

Figure 1   BAT IN BLACK OAK CASINO BEER GLASS (LOOKING STRAIGHT UP)  What happened to my Bat videos?

 

I kept the glass covered with a towel to obstruct the bright light from further irritating the animal but briefly displayed the visitor to my friends and their children.  Later I released it inside the shed on a shelf by the door.  My only regret is not recording just how quickly the bat crawled to a vertical 2×4, straight up that stud, maneuvered around another shelf, then straight up that stud until reaching the rafters and “POOF” it disappeared into the darkness.  You know, I forgot just how fast those little animals can move on solid objects when not darting about snagging flying insects at night!

SMALL PEPPERS REQUIRED SMALL TACOS

Figure 2   A NEW LOOK FOR LUNCH?   MINI TACOS WITH A TOUCH OF HOME GROWN VEGGIES

Never said I was a great cook – these were quick and easy, utilized some garden produce, and provided the opportunity to prove the “don’t play with your food” admonition no longer applies when you get old.

OKAY, looks like another beautiful foothill Sunday morning with clear skies and a slight breeze from the north.  I read where there is a chance of rain for late next week.  The over-growth is calling once again!

NEXT LDPCSD MEETING

Tomorrow (Monday) is the LDPCSD Board Meeting at 1300hrs where Directors will consider approving a fulltime GM contract submitted by Pete Kampa and Kampa Community Solutions, llc.  I guess some would say it is merely a formality since Kampa had obviously been using the title General Manager anyway since appointment as Interim GM in October 2014.  Others could also argue that Pete Kampa should at least be required to wear the title of “IGM” for a while (as intended) before being “promoted” to full GM.   I fall into that later category I suppose, especially in light of the massive spending and behind the scene maneuvering done in regards to providing further water service outside the Place of Use issue under L11395 while using government grant money to do so.   That reminds me, the outside MIDPOU report was in the meeting packet once again.  Good job Board of Directors.

I should probably note once again that my references to “Kampa & Kompany” only refers to those particular individuals who support Pete Kampa and his expansion plan of further outside place of use water service using district ground water production as the substitution method for Merced River water transfers.  It does not necessarily mean the LDPCSD Board of Directors, although there are certainly individual directors who have supported this endeavor, or employees who are traditionally apprehensive of not being considered “a team player” with whatever IGM or GM may be the “mover and shaker” at that time.

PREVIOUSLY A CUSTOMER COULD READ AND DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS

I also noticed that once again Pete Kampa refers to correspondence the LDPCSD received from the USDA and a resulting affirmative LDPCSD reply, yet these letters are not included in the packet like in the past – why?  I understand the reason for not including all advertisements or routine announcements that were also included in past packets,  however, specific communication regarding financial and/or operational issues should not be concealed from customers.  Was there something confidential that customers should not know?  Do customers need/require the IGM/GM to explain such matters?  Are the subjects too complicated for us to understand?  Can we not read and draw our own conclusions from correspondence?  Come to think of it, do directors even receive such communications or do they also receive all information via the IGM/GM’s perspective?

Please recall how our engineers clearly indicated that a past outside Place of Use property project (another adjacent subdivision to the LDP subdivision) would have to secure their own water supply, yet when that same information was reiterated to Directors via a former GM memo it somehow had transformed into “existing or additional wells” which clearly implied the District would furnish the water.

BAT GUANO!

(Bat excrement and a great fertilizer)

Such incorrect interpretations, and resulting assertions and proposed/completed activity, etc., will not occur with as much frequency if customers are aware of such information.  (aka “more eyes = less lies)  An impolite and crude way of expressing this concept might be:

“Don’t piss on me and tell me it is warm rain”

Seriously, why should customers intentionally be exposed to only a “special interest revision” of information concerning the operation of their district that may not even be in their own best interest as an entitled Merced River water user?

Anyone who owns property in the Lake Don Pedro is subdivision is a MANDATORY CUSTOMER OF THE LDPCSD and therefore ENTITLED TO and SHOULD BE PROVIDED relevant public information as to their Community Services District operation.   Pete Kampa is skillful at avoiding and dancing around particular subjects.   He is practiced at providing only sketchy answers to exact questions he would otherwise prefer not to address at all.   He even continues his past history of district expansion with the LDPCSD due to behind the scene duplicity with a sitting director who arranged a successful noncompetitive recruitment process.  Kampa is quite proficient in operating in a multitude of environments which provide their own “grey areas” for ethics or legal compliance.

Such activity illustrates and exemplifies even more why pertinent government correspondence with our district should once again be contained in the monthly board packet, because otherwise, we just wait for the next surprise bat to fall.

 

Later, Lew