Sunday, March 9, 2014
Monday, March 9, 1914. Surprising news on Mexico.
Jesús Salgado, a lieutenant of Emiliano Zapata, surrounded Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, with s force of 5,000 men.
Other news of the Mexican Revolution hit the front page of the Laramie Boomerang, including some surprising "facts" about Pancho Villa.
The story on the fire in St. Louis was tragically accurate.
Mexico figured in the headlines of the Cheyenne paper as well.
Prime Minister H. H. Asquith proposed to allow Ulster to vote on whether to join a Home Rule parliament in Dublin.
YMCA Convention, Salina Kansas:
Last Prior:
Sunday, March 8, 1914. International Women's Day, Berlin.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Finds in the Week: Vintage Poster on Food, 1917
Finds in the Week: Vintage Poster on Food, 1917
We've posted on this topic in the past, but here's one we haven't posted
This particular one is sort of oddly contemporary, combining the current points of folks like Michael Pallin, the paleo diet folks, and even Pope Francis, here and there.
We've posted on this topic in the past, but here's one we haven't posted
This particular one is sort of oddly contemporary, combining the current points of folks like Michael Pallin, the paleo diet folks, and even Pope Francis, here and there.
Y Cross, UW, CSU, Donations, Money, and Lost Opportunity
About 14 years ago the Denver owners of the Albany County Y Cross ranch donated it to the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University. A clause of the accepted donation was that the schools could sell it after 14 years. They now intend to do so.
I don't know much about how the ranch was used in the 14 years the schools have owned it. It was supposed to be used for the purpose of teaching agriculture, but from what I read, it wasn't used much. The former owners now say that they regret donating it to the schools, and frankly they should regret it.
This is hard to understand. A 50,000 acre ranch, situated near both schools, should have provided a variety of opportunities for both schools to both teach practical agriculture and, in this day and age, perhaps also experiment a bit with "sustainable" agriculture, a topic which has been hot in agricultural fields in recent years. Now those opportunities will be lost, and the ranch will simply be sued to generate money.
On that both schools would be well advised to note the history of the results of ignoring the wishes of donors. Potential donors to both schools are now on notice that the schools feel free to sell donated assets as quickly as they can. Not all donations are suitable for long term keeping and preservation, of course, but if that is the wish of the donors, they now know that neither UW or CSU can be depended upon to do any more than accepting the donation requires. That may give such potential donors pause, or at least put them on notice that a restrictive clause in any donation may be necessary. For some it may mean no donation at all, something that at least UW, which is under orders to cut back financially, may wish to rethink
Postscript
This matter remains pending in Court. But, with the new University of Wyoming President emphasizing the land grant nature of the institution, and with a huge amount of turnover going on at the upper levels of the school, I wonder if its too much to hope for that the decision to depart with the Y Cross might be reconsidered? .
Postscript II
This is the Y Cross which UW and CSU jointly own: Y Cross Ranch | Wyoming Ranches for Sale
I've posted an earlier thread, well really a compliant, on the plan to sell this facility. This listing, I suppose, shows why the universities are so tempted, or rather have yielded to the temptation, to sell the place. Quite a nice location.
Well, the answer to this question; "I wonder if its too much to hope for that the decision to depart with the Y Cross might be reconsidered?" appears to be "yes, too much to hope for."
The Wyoming Supreme Court issued its decision yesterday concluding:
Postscript II
This is the Y Cross which UW and CSU jointly own: Y Cross Ranch | Wyoming Ranches for Sale
I've posted an earlier thread, well really a compliant, on the plan to sell this facility. This listing, I suppose, shows why the universities are so tempted, or rather have yielded to the temptation, to sell the place. Quite a nice location.
Well, the answer to this question; "I wonder if its too much to hope for that the decision to depart with the Y Cross might be reconsidered?" appears to be "yes, too much to hope for."
The Wyoming Supreme Court issued its decision yesterday concluding:
I'm not surprised and I'm sure the Court is correct, but it's disappointing anyway. That disappointment must be directed at UW however, which still has the opportunity to behave correctly here, along with CSU, but which probably isn't going to.The district court correctly concluded that the donation from the Davis Interests to the University Foundations was a gift, that the MOA did not create an implied trust, and that only the attorney general has standing to enforce the terms of a charitable gift. We thus affirm the court’s dismissal of the complaint and amended complaint for lack of standing.
Monday, March 3, 2014
The Moving Picture: San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake
Film from San Francisco, after the 1906 earthquake.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
There's not an App for that. WYDOT
Dear Wyoming Department of Transportation, you need an App.
There's nearly an App for everything, but not for Wyoming road conditions. I know I can sign up for email alerts and the like, but an App is what I really want, and what you really need.
With an App, I could worry just the necessary amount, without having to turn the email on, on my phone, and hear the "ding, ding, ding" stream of emails as every road in the state turned cruddy, save perhaps for the few I care about.
Come on WYDOT, give us an App.
There's nearly an App for everything, but not for Wyoming road conditions. I know I can sign up for email alerts and the like, but an App is what I really want, and what you really need.
With an App, I could worry just the necessary amount, without having to turn the email on, on my phone, and hear the "ding, ding, ding" stream of emails as every road in the state turned cruddy, save perhaps for the few I care about.
Come on WYDOT, give us an App.
Putting the Bond Issue in Prospective. Comparative costs.
Here's another Natrona County School District graphic that helps put the bond in prospective.
As this graphic nicely demonstrates, other Wyoming school districts have also had bond issues in recent years, and the proposed Natrona County one is the most conservative really. Other districts, including Carbon and Albany Counties, are funding much more of their recent construction via bonds. And in our case, the overall amount is naturally higher, as we have four schools, as opposed to just one. Albany County's bond, as we can see, nearly rivals ours in amount, with a much smaller population base and a single school.
As this graphic nicely demonstrates, other Wyoming school districts have also had bond issues in recent years, and the proposed Natrona County one is the most conservative really. Other districts, including Carbon and Albany Counties, are funding much more of their recent construction via bonds. And in our case, the overall amount is naturally higher, as we have four schools, as opposed to just one. Albany County's bond, as we can see, nearly rivals ours in amount, with a much smaller population base and a single school.
Friday, February 28, 2014
The Wyoming Lawyer February 2014: Technology and the pace of practice
Just below, I have an item on Jack Speight's recent article in the The Wyoming Lawyer. In that, I only addressed his comments on the dress code of the 1960s, which was no doubt much like the dress code for the entire history of the Wyoming State Bar at that time, but not so much now. He also had a very interesting comment on technology and the pace of practice, which was:
One of the main differences between now and last century in problem solving is the pace of law practice. We have gone from manual typewriters, carbon paper, onionskin, Dictaphones and ditto machines, to the electronic revolution and the related social media platforms and unlimited websites. We are in the realm now of instant communication, instant crisis, and instant problem solving compared to the good ol’ days of reflection and analysis. Gone are the days of the black rotary phone on the edge of the desk and the IBM electric typewriters. Now we have handhelds of various sizes, shapes, and functions and apps from Smartphones to iPads to tablets. Regardless of how we communicate and represent our clients, our role as problem solvers has not changed in providing service to the clients obtaining satisfactory results and handling their problems successfully.
This is very much the case, and I'm frankly not too certain that the practice of law hasn't suffered as a result.
What the author notes about instant communications is very true. I was an early adopter of computer technology and use it a great deal. Perhaps I shouldn't applaud myself on that, however, as the computer had just arrived when I started practicing law, with the internet arriving on the scene almost at the same time. I'd been taught to use the new technology of Westlaw at law school, although we did did not concentrate on its use for research. When I was first practicing law, almost no firm had a Westlaw account and we went to the county law library in order to use their Westlaw terminal. We were always very careful about using it, and typically sought permission from a client to use it when we did, as it we were charged by the minute to use it. Now, every lawyer everywhere has Westlaw access and younger attorneys can't imagine a world in which it isn't the first thing that a person turns to when researching the law.
I was slower to adopt smartphones, and I've only had one so far. I went to a smartphone so that I could check my email anywhere, but like most busy lawyers, I even use text messaging in practice, albeit carefully.
The revolution in technology certainly has changed this aspect of the practice of law. It must have been the case that in earlier eras lawyers had more time to ponder, if you will, any one legal topic. Chances are high that they call carried more of a variety of legal topics as well, so the list of things they pondered was probably fairly large. But the need to respond within hours, or even minutes, was no doubt relatively rare.
Casper Star Tribune Editorial board: OK the school district bond
The Casper Star Tribune has changed its position (reluctantly, given the pools) and is now supporting the bond.
While I wish the Tribune would more fully endorse the pool, they finally see the wisdom of the bond and are arguing for it. The paper is very much endorsing the CAP enhancements, and essentially indicates that prior to the recent hearings it didn't fully understand the bond proposals. Indeed, it's indicating that its changed its position now that the proposal has been fully explained. It deserves credit for being willing to continue to analyze and to change its opinion, something that takes some degree of courage, but something which deserves respect.
I have to say, I appreciate the Tribune's current editor, even when I disagree with him, much more than the former one. He seems much more careful and thoughtful in his approach to things, and the overall quality of the newspaper has improved.
While I wish the Tribune would more fully endorse the pool, they finally see the wisdom of the bond and are arguing for it. The paper is very much endorsing the CAP enhancements, and essentially indicates that prior to the recent hearings it didn't fully understand the bond proposals. Indeed, it's indicating that its changed its position now that the proposal has been fully explained. It deserves credit for being willing to continue to analyze and to change its opinion, something that takes some degree of courage, but something which deserves respect.
I have to say, I appreciate the Tribune's current editor, even when I disagree with him, much more than the former one. He seems much more careful and thoughtful in his approach to things, and the overall quality of the newspaper has improved.
The Bond Issue: The actual cost
This graphic, generated by the Natrona County School District, nicely shows the actual cost to Natrona County property owners for improving the safety and relevancy of their schools. $100,000 is highlighted, although I don't know if that's the median value of a county house or not, real estate values have been rising here. But as the Tribune points out, even for the owner of a $300,000 home the actual cost is only about $65.00 per year, an amount a person with a home of that value would no doubt spend on a night out here, easily. Going to dinner, for a family of four in Casper, no matter where you go, is nearly always going to result in a bill over $80,00. So the costs for the bond are are quite minimal, particularly given the longevity and nature of the improvements.
For those just entering school, no doubt the scientific and technical additions at CAP will result in their graduating with better options in life, making the bond cost on an annual basis worth it in and of itself. So too with the swimming pools, with the 1923 pool at NCHS, coming down this summer, being a prime example, given that the investment there lasted for nearly a century.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wyoming Lawyer February 2014: Standards of Dress.
Fairly typical office attire for me, shirt and tie.
The Wyoming Lawyer February 2014 issue just came out, and in it there's an interesting article by Cheyenne lawyer Jack Speight. Speight's article relates to the topic of this blog in more than one way, as he discusses his practice dating back to the 1960s. I'll probably come back to another topic discussed in his very short article, but what struck me (and apparently him, even in recollection) was this item:
With fond remembrance of the mid- 1960s,Cheyenne attorneys had a helpful little booklet consisting of about 30 pages in a 5 ½” x 8 ½” format with the relatively shocking title “Minimum Fee Schedule.” In addition to the obvious, the last page of this helpful little booklet spelled out a proper dress code for working in the office on Saturday mornings.Only on Saturday, ties were not required but a sports jacket or suit coat was still mandated. Naturally, the good ol’ boys who created the “Minimum Fee Schedule” and dress code did not give any direction on appropriate office attire for women, even though in the mid-1960s Cheyenne enjoyed the services of two outstanding women attorneys, Brooke Wunnicke and Ellen Crowley
This item is interesting for a variety of reasons (I wish somebody would publish a booklet of minimum fee schedules now). The reason I note it here is due to the dress code.
When I was in law school I remember learning in some class, probably trial practice, that dress in court was addressed by a rule, which it was. Shortly after I graduated a new rule on courtroom decorum came in, which was less specific, in part, because the drafter of the rules were having a hard time handling the topic of female dress. It isn't that female dress was inappropriate, its just hard to describe. When I first started practicing we were told, however, what the rules were, and that there was a "warm weather" exception that allowed lawyers to dispense, in courtroom hearings, with jackets.
In the office, there were no longer any formal rules for lawyers, but there were informal ones that were reluctantly dying. In our office, and older staffer informally enforced rules and what a person could and could not wear. Generally, if we weren't going to court, we could wear khakis and polo shirts. I often, even then, wore jeans but not blue jeans.
Over time, this has really changed. I can't say that there are any more real rules anymore, in any office, in so far as I can tell. Many lawyers still wear ties every day, or most days, but many do not. Some routinely wear jeans in about every office. It's been quite a change. In the courtroom the rules haven't really changed, of course, and there's even one judge who made it known that he doesn't appreciate khaki trousers in the courthouse.
The change clearly started coming in during the 1970s. I didn't have any experience with law offices at that time, but I do remember that doctors and dentist always wore ties. Dentists still seem to even now, but doctors often do not.
I can't say if this change is good or bad, but I do know that people expect members of various professions to have a certain look, even depicting them that way in popular media when it no longer reflects reality. Generals in the military are always depicted wearing their dress uniforms, policemen are always depicted in blue. Lawyers are depicted in suit and tie. While I violate this convention frequently myself, there's something to meeting these expectations.
The Bond Issue: The Mike Sedar Swimming Pool
The City of Casper's elected board, the City Council, has just voted to postpone rebuilding the decommissioned Mike Sedar Swimming Pool.
The old pool, which was ripped out either last summer or the summer before, was one of the principal pools in the town. It was a 25 yard pool, and as amazing as it may seem to some, it was used for AAU swimming competitions when I was a kid. Meter pools were rare at the time, and the pool had starting platforms at that time allowing it to be used in that fashion. Principally built as a recreational pool (when most recreational pools were of a conventional construction) it also had a side area for a high dive, which was taken out some time ago based upon some concept of the appropriate depth for that, which it didn't meet.
Now it isn't there at all and now the city is pushing back its plan to rebuild the pool, which was going to be rebuilt in a much more elaborate, recreational pool, fashion. The city noted that costs were going to be higher than what it anticipated but it also noted that it wanted to wait and see how the school district bond issue progressed. In other words, they recognize the need for a pool, but may hold back to see if the school district, whose needs exceed the city's, achieves success in the bond issue thereby giving the city a little breathing room.
This is a distressing development. In an era in which the news media here and all the government entities are telling us that the populations of the county is projected to rise, we seem reluctant to replace and repair (which is all we're really doing) those facilities that earlier generations of Casperites built, with smaller resources. Right now we''re taking out one high school pool entirely and hopefully will be able to replace it. Two others are in distress and need to be addressed. A city pool has been removed and there's some question as to whether it will be replaced. The old outdoor pool at Kelly Walsh was removed some time ago, and it was a city pool, and it was never replaced. A party took a serious run at trying to grossly restrict or take out a local rifle range this past year.
I'm not saying that a city needs to have everything, but in order to be a nice place to live it needs some facilities. And when the ones we have start to disappear and there's questions as to whether they'll be replaced, that's a long term problem.
The old pool, which was ripped out either last summer or the summer before, was one of the principal pools in the town. It was a 25 yard pool, and as amazing as it may seem to some, it was used for AAU swimming competitions when I was a kid. Meter pools were rare at the time, and the pool had starting platforms at that time allowing it to be used in that fashion. Principally built as a recreational pool (when most recreational pools were of a conventional construction) it also had a side area for a high dive, which was taken out some time ago based upon some concept of the appropriate depth for that, which it didn't meet.
Now it isn't there at all and now the city is pushing back its plan to rebuild the pool, which was going to be rebuilt in a much more elaborate, recreational pool, fashion. The city noted that costs were going to be higher than what it anticipated but it also noted that it wanted to wait and see how the school district bond issue progressed. In other words, they recognize the need for a pool, but may hold back to see if the school district, whose needs exceed the city's, achieves success in the bond issue thereby giving the city a little breathing room.
This is a distressing development. In an era in which the news media here and all the government entities are telling us that the populations of the county is projected to rise, we seem reluctant to replace and repair (which is all we're really doing) those facilities that earlier generations of Casperites built, with smaller resources. Right now we''re taking out one high school pool entirely and hopefully will be able to replace it. Two others are in distress and need to be addressed. A city pool has been removed and there's some question as to whether it will be replaced. The old outdoor pool at Kelly Walsh was removed some time ago, and it was a city pool, and it was never replaced. A party took a serious run at trying to grossly restrict or take out a local rifle range this past year.
I'm not saying that a city needs to have everything, but in order to be a nice place to live it needs some facilities. And when the ones we have start to disappear and there's questions as to whether they'll be replaced, that's a long term problem.
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