Monthly Archives: February 2019
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us….” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Boonville and…..
“To solve, or not to solve–that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The indifference and incompetence of others Or to take arms against vexing problems And by opposing, end them.” –(my apologies to Shakespeare) When I entered the workforce forty years ago, I was but a young engineer – fresh-faced and overflowing with the confidence of youth. Like all twenty-somethings, I had little real-world experience, but armed with an engineering degree I was eager to tackle…..
Cities developed as population centers to exploit agricultural products, natural resources, transportation routes, and later industrial production. Historically their first responsibilities were to provide for public safety – law enforcement and fire protection. In time their duties evolved to include essential public works that promoted the health and welfare of their citizens – sanitation, drinking water, streets, stray animal control, street lighting, and power. Or as long-time councilman Blake Chambers says, “plow the streets and keep the lights on.” Later…..