Birthdays of Famous People

You probably already know that Lena Horne was born on this day in 1917, and Mike Tyson also shares this day of celebration. But for our family, it's birthday to a couple of people much closer to home: the first matriarch of the family, Leatha Morrison, and our number 2 daughter, the braided blondie in this picture:




This photo was taken at a joint birthday celebration at our house in 1986; it was just family and we had a little cake and ice cream and a few presents, celebrating the lives of two great women.

I'm not sure I've ever heard a disparaging word among the family about Grandma Leatha; she was pretty universally liked and respected. She was the type of grandma that the grandkids loved to stay with, just for fun, even if Mom and Dad weren't looking for babysitting.

I got to know her a little from our early years of marriage, when we would have Mexican food on Christmas Eve at her house (which is now our office), or other family events. I still have some of the quilts that she made - of which there are hundreds around the world! - from whatever cloth was available, from unused men's suits to cottonseed sacks to the fabric we gave her as birthday presents; these are hardy, heavy quilts, perfect for camping. And of course, whenever we go camping and I make biscuits and gravy with all of my high tech Coleman stoves and an old oven that The Mister salvaged from a house trailer, I can't help but think of Grandma Leatha making biscuits in a dutch oven over the fire; now that takes skill!

The First Cousin probably spent more time with her than all the other grandkids, in part because she lived next door and helped out with some of the day to day living. She would take her two young sons and Grandma Leatha grocery shopping, and at the end of the shopping trip Grandma would spring for "freezees" all around in a hallmark gesture of generosity. Leatha would also run out to her garden and pick some flowers to take along to an appointment, like a doctor's office, so the waiting patients could have something nice to look at and smell while waiting.

Bias For Action remembers coming for a visit and hearing the sound of the recliner chair closing up as she got up to greet whatever visitor was there (no knocking, of course, just a friendly "woo-hoo" would do) with a smile on her face. She might have been watching a Phoenix Suns game, since she was an avid fan of the team. And her unfailing goodnight phrase? "Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

One facet of Grandma Leatha's life that was especially meaningful to The Mister and his two brothers was her faith. The Oldest Brother sent an email pondering her birthday today and he included these thoughts:

She was a wonderful woman, incredibly faithful, and singular in her witness in many ways...

But there was great power in the Women's Society of Christian Service in those days. In all my days I have never seen a more dedicated, more sincere, more exemplary group of women or men, and I don't think it is an exaggeration to say it was part of what made Gilbert wonderful in those days.


The Mister also remembers her faith in a tangible way. After spending a night at her house, he would wake up to biscuits and gravy or sugar pie, and she would pull out her devotional, The Upper Room, and read it with him. Her legacy of faith lives on in the family; indeed, our daughter that shares her birthday also shares that faith, and is interested in passing on that legacy.

It's something to ponder, isn't it? These little snapshots of Grandma Leatha merely illustrate the character of her life; her generosity, her good humor, her faith, her dedication to her family and to her fellow man. We are making memories for our kids and grandkids right now; will they be interested in preserving the legacy that we pass on to them? In a very real sense, Morrison Ranch is a tribute to the generations that came before. Profound thought, that.

Lakeview Village Leases

The closing of Albertson's is a fairly major event at Lakeview Village; it is, after all the "anchor" store. But lest you think that all the other businesses in the center are leaving, or that new ones will no longer open, I thought I'd point out some new stores that are on the horizon.

First up will be In The Raw, the juice/coffee bar that will be located on the southern edge of Lakeview Village. If you have driven by the location lately, you will notice that they are working on their tenant improvements. While we don't know the opening date yet, they are shooting for mid- to late-summer.

Across the Oasis from In The Raw will be The Zone Cafe, with some yummy healthy fare. They are still waiting for approval of their tenant improvements from the Town of Gilbert, so they haven't started construction just yet.

In the shops that are just finishing construction, D'Avanti Jewelers will be opening a store; they have their paperwork in with The Town of Gilbert waiting for approval on their permits. The building isn't quite finished yet, so that will take a little longer.

A veterinarian will be opening an office in the yet-to-be-built pad on the very south side of the center. I'm sure his customers will especially appreciate having In The Raw nearby for a juice drink and a doggie treat for their pet.

There are other tenants that are interested, but they want to wait and see what goes into the Albertson's location, which is understandable. I will point out that with Lakeview Trails North under construction within walking distance of Lakeview Village (models going up in December), the location at Lakeview Village becomes even more prime for retail. As The Mister says, just because Albertson's sales are distressed, it doesn't mean that the location of Lakeview Village is distressed. Far from it, in fact. We expect it to be a vibrant, healthy center for years to come.

Serving Up Highland Groves

I remember being a newlywed and trying to make fabulous meals for my husband; actually preparing the dishes wasn't all that difficult, since I could read and obey the cookbooks. What was hard was getting everything to the table hot. How to keep the vegetables from getting mushy while the entree was finishing its cooking time? And that home-made bread that added 30 pounds to our girth our first year of marriage? It's best served warm from the oven, but if the oven needs to be used for the roast...

I'm noticing a similar trend in community-building. One must time things in the proper order. I have been waiting with bated breath for the turf to be installed in Highland Groves. Okay, actually, I learned long ago not to hold my breath for any part of any project to be completed because it always takes longer and costs more, as you know. But I've been watching for turf, and thought that we might return from our camping trip to an installed verdant green parkway. Well, this is how it looked yesterday:




Trees are good; in fact, they are very good in the Morrison Ranch economy. They have to be installed before the turf, but after the soil amendment and the turf block. By the way, here is a close-up look at the installed turf block. This is not a cracked sidewalk, but the connection of two 2 foot squares of block made up of a zillion hexagonal shapes of hard plastic. Don't tell the cement truck drivers, but when they "accidentally" drive on the edge of the parkway, it won't leave the big ruts in the grass.


But back to my food-serving analogy. We were expecting turf weeks ago, and while I'm happy to see the soil amendment, the turfblock, and the trees, I was wondering about the turf. Apparently, the problem has to do with the power. There are various control boxes scattered throughout the development that contain the clocks to run the computerized irrigation system. These require electrical power, and the connections must be inspected by SRP as well as the Town of Gilbert. The inspections have been ordered, but both SRP and the Town inspectors are very backed up and it can take a couple of weeks to get them both on site for inspections. In the meantime, if our electricians install the required wiring, it disappears nearly as fast as it goes in, stolen every night. So the trick is to have everything but the grass installed and waiting; and then to install the wiring right before the inspections, and then right after the inspections to install the sod that has to be ordered and waiting at precisely the right time. It's a lot tougher than getting a meat dish, a starch dish, and a vegetable dish on the table simultaneously hot. But the attempt is being made, and therefore the trees are being hand-watered right now, and installed as fast as they can, with one eye out for the notification of the electrical inspections. So I'll keep watching for the turf.

The tot lots are being installed however, and here is a picture of one of them at the north lake, looking south:





Apart from my impatience for grass, I have to say that Highland Groves is really progressing nicely.

One More Month Until Dog Heaven

According to this article in the AZ Republic, Gilbert's new doggy park, named after the first canine unit in Gilbert, will be opening in about a month.

Have Fido rarin' to go in about a month.

Cosmo Park, a 17-acre dog playground near Ray Road and the Santan Freeway, will open July 29, Gilbert officials announced last week.

Finishing touches are being placed on the colorful park, which features a lake, doggie exercise equipment, shaded ramadas and playground equipment.

The park is in a water retention basin that was a byproduct of freeway construction. However, Gilbert and the Arizona Department of Transportation worked together to transform the basin into a dog park that Councilwoman Joan Krueger called "fabulous" and a steppingstone for more recreation options in town.

Read the entire article for the details. I'm excited about it and I don't even own a dog!

Say What?!

I received an email this week saying that the writer had heard that an AJ's will be going into the Albertson's when it closes, and how soon might that be? Don't we wish! As I replied to him, the rumors are much more plentiful than the actual information that Albertson's is handing out, so let me state plainly: AJ's Fine Foods is NOT going in to Lakeview Village. We don't yet know what will happen after Albertson's closes.

I went to Albertson's yesterday to take advantage of the half-off prices (The First Cousin's mother and I agree that the 50% hook is slightly misleading since the only thing I could find that was 50% off are the greeting cards, but there are still savings to be had) and as I was checking out, I casually asked the checker if there was a date certain for closing. He shook his head and said, politely but briefly, "No."

"Do you get asked that about seven thousand times a day?" I asked.

"Forty million times a day, " he replied with a smile.

So even the employees don't know the details. We are the leaseholders, and we don't know the details. I'll bet that your neighbor doesn't know the details, unless he or she is an Albertson's executive, and they aren't talking.

No details.

No AJ's.

Just waiting.

Camping Event Horizon

There are some who might say we reached the "camping event horizon" this year. This is a phrase coined by one of the guys who has camped with us for 20 plus years; it defines the point where the camping is better than living at home. But we did find ourselves coming back, so perhaps we'll have to try again next year.

I mentioned on Thursday that we had a shower par excellence, soft large towels to enjoy that shower, and the internet for part of the week. That would sum up the comforts of home. What we had that you can only get in the woods, however, included mountain temperatures ranging from the high 30's to the high 80's (but even in the hot part of the day if you stayed in the shade with a breeze it was not unpleasant), the beautiful vistas of pine trees surrounding our camp, a gazillion stars at night easily visible from the line at the outhouse, and a plethora of wildlife, including wild turkeys, deer, elk, and coyotes. The first night we were there, at about 3 a.m. we heard what sounded like extremely loud sirens. The Mister surmised it might be kids screaming and playing, and I thought it was the Forest Service warning us of forest fire and telling us to pack up, but after a minute or so we could hear the individual howls of the coyotes in the pack. They sounded very close that night; we heard them again a couple of other nights, but farther away.

We were not allowed to have campfires, but we made do with propane stoves and lanterns - although a lantern hanging in the middle of the camp circle at night doesn't do much to warm your hands and feet - and we were grateful that the forest was still open.

This family tradition has been a source of refreshment for many years; The Mister loves to fix, repair and make contraptions that are useful, and I love to cook, even for 50 people using Coleman stoves. Bias For Action makes some of his best homemade ice cream at Ditch Camp -this year saw peaches and blueberry additions! - and he and his family usually catch enough fresh fish for everyone to have a taste. With every camper helping in the prior preparations as well as the maintenance of camp and the cleanup afterward, it isn't so overwhelming that you don't want to do it again.

A first-time participant remarked to me, "You must be doing something right if the teens and 20-somethings move heaven and earth and to make this event, even for only a couple of days."

I agree.

Word From The Woods

Just a quick hello from Ditch Camp; it's our last day here and I'm just getting around to posting. It took The Mister a few days to figure out the satellite dish, but that he did, and so we can check email and sports scores - you know, the important things.

The Mister is actually able to do a little work, which keeps him from having to go into town to make phone calls or do email business.

The other major improvement to our camping experience has been an upgrade to the shower. Notice the hot water heater, propane powered, behind the shower. The Mister installed a filter, and pumps the water up from the creek, so nobody has to haul it in buckets like we used to do. The water pressure is pretty good, too.

The towel hanging over the side says, "Ditch Camp 2006 Year of the Shower." We always have a Ditch Camp souvenir and this seemed appropriate.

I was going to post more pictures, and tell more stories, but it's taking me too long; first, I couldn't even sign in to blogger because I couldn't remember my password and I'm using The Mister's computer (so you'll note I'm signed in as him as well). Second, even though this is broadband, it isn't quite as fast as at home; and third, it's time for me to go direct lunch preparations. This is where I spend a lot of my time:

We'll be back to posting on Monday; see you then.

A Camping We Will Go

We are off on our annual camping trip in the White Mountains, so don't plan on any posts for a week.

However, The Mister (sometimes known as a Nerd) has rented some sort of satellite getup that will provide broadband internet access, so it's just possible I will be able to post a couple of times next week. We'll see how it all goes.

Back soon!

By Any Other Name...

This might be called "a short black fence" if you weren't familiar with the development language. At least that's what I called it when I asked the Mister about it. I first saw them around Highland Groves, and then when Lakeview Trails North began grading, they sprung up there as well. "What's with all the short black fences?" I asked.

Those are silt fences, I was informed; and they are the latest greatest governmental requirement for developers to keep the dust down. I laughed. "That'll never work!" The Mister agreed with me; if there's a little bit of wind, they are way too short, and if there is a lot of wind, it wouldn't matter how tall they are.

So today I was out in the wind, and next to the grading going on at Lakeview Trails North. I didn't see much dust. Is it possible those contraptions actually work?

Nope; the most effective method for dust prevention? Water trucks.

Home Improvement

The Mister and I have lived in Higley Groves West for nearly six years now, and while most of our energy is directed toward improving and completing Morrison Ranch, we also devote time to improving our own place. One of the minor irritants we have battled from the beginning is hot water.

Physics and engineering are the purview of The Mister; so to understand why this happens, you would have to ask him. (I can, however, produce a fine spreadsheet on the economic outlay of the old system versus savings on water costs under the new system.) The simple facts are that the hot water heater is located in the garage, and my kitchen sink is located as far as possible from that water heater. So, to use hot water when washing dishes, I have to wait a really long time - 5 minutes or more! - for the water to get hot. As a Desert Dweller who understands the intrinsic value of water, as well as an accountant who understands the dollar cost of water, this just seems sick and wrong. We've talked about options over the years; we considered adding another hot water heater outside the kitchen window (not terribly aesthetic, but useful), and occasionally I've tried to educate myself on recirculation systems. The short term solution was to wait until the Number One Son took his shower in the bathroom down the hallway, and then tap into the already flowing hot water. This was window dressing at best, however, because the Number One Son would arise and slam a bowl of cereal while waiting for the shower water to heat up, so we were still wasting gallons and gallons.

I'm happy to say that, prompted by the demise of our water heater, we finally got to the point of being fed up and decided that any solution was better than no solution even if it wasn't the optimum solution. So we called the plumber and he installed a hot water recirculation pump in no time at all, and voila! It really works!

The only downside is that the cold water is no longer as cold as it once was; but I had accepted that quirk of AZ living years ago. In Wyoming, when you turn on the cold water faucet, it is COLD. In Arizona, you might get colder water in the winter, but in the summer the best you can hope for is cool. So I've already adjusted for that.

By the way, I overheard the Mister telling the plumber that the houses in Higley Estates come standard with the built-in version of the hot water recirculator, so apparently we weren't the only ones fighting this battle. You're welcome, Estates residents...

My next home improvement project - because you know it never ends, there is always something - is to figure out how to keep the batteries in the smoke alarms fresh. Those batteries have yet to die in the light of day; they always wait until the dark of night when we are soundly sleeping and then scare the liver out of you when they set each other off. But the alarms only scream for a few seconds, lulling you into the false hope that you can wait until the next morning to change the batteries. Once you are back soundly asleep, they screech again; The Mister then has to drag the tall ladder in from the garage and groggily climb up ten feet to change the battery (assuming we have spares!) or unplug the thing for the night (if we don't). But since we don't really know which one has the dead battery, as they set each other off, The Mister spends the rest of the night in anticipation of another ear-piercing, half asleep and half awake. Does this sound like I have recent experience? Well, if you notice the dark circles under The Mister's eyes today, you might be able to guess why.

One Quick Link and Thought

Yesterday I didn't post because I am preparing for our annual camping trip and spent much of the day contributing to a full-employment economy by shopping for food and other necessities. I do have an eye on the news, however, and the AZ Republic has another article today on the Albertson's issue. (I noticed a spike in readership of The Front Porch as this discussion started, from states all across the nation, so I suppose many more folks are interested than just us folks in Morrison Ranch.) Today's business section says that Albertson's isn't interested in closing all the AZ stores:

Albertsons LLC will close nine under-performing supermarkets in Arizona in early August, but a company official said the chain is not leaving the state.

"We see a tremendous value in the Albertsons name," said Bob Colgrove, president of Albertsons Southwest division in Tolleson. "We have no intention in relieving ourselves."

The article then goes on to present the evidence that contradicts that statement somewhat:

The supermarket chain has not opened a new store in the Valley in more than two years, while other food retailers, including Wal-Mart, Fry's Food Stores, Bashas' and Safeway have expanded in the state. Albertsons is the fourth-largest grocery store in metropolitan Phoenix, with 10.9 percent market share, according to Metro Market Studies in Tucson.

But the grocer's pause in development has made some wonder whether the company would check out of Arizona.

Once again I will disclaim any insider knowledge; I get my information from reading reports around the country, just like everyone else. Albertson's has not made any special efforts to inform us or our partners of their corporate philosophies - and why should they, frankly; we are one store among many, and they pay their lease faithfully - so my musings here are my own. The key paragraph in this article is the short one farther down:

The decision to sell the supermarkets came after a consortium of investors, including Cerberus Capital Management, bought Albertsons stores in Arizona and elsewhere.

This is a point that the original articles in the Republic didn't specify and I chose not to highlight at the time; Cerberus is not a grocery retailer, like Supervalu, which is the company that bought most of Albertson's. Cerberus is interested in land values; they are the partner that bought the underperforming stores, which were mostly in Arizona. It seems only logical, no, it seems like good business, to recoup their investment by doing what they do, which is marketing real estate.

To broaden our viewpoint, let's summarize the chain of events. Albertson's was not doing great in Arizona. They were number 4 out of the big 4 grocers, as the paragraph above asserts. They were not doing great across the U.S. as well. They tried to make some adjustments, but ultimately decided to take radical action. They put themselves up for sale, nationwide. A consortium of investors bought them, including a grocer, a real estate investment trust, and a drugstore chain; and then these partners divvied up the various stores according to their interests. The grocer, Supervalu, took the best performing stores and will continue operating them as grocery stores. The drugstore chain took the Osco's. And the real estate investment trust took the underperforming stores that were sitting on valuable land. So now, the folks making the decisions about various stores are completely different players than the ones that decided not to open any more stores in Arizona (I believe that our Lakeview Village site was in fact the last new Albertson's opened in the state). So when any news article talks about "Albertson's made this decision two years ago" and then "Albertson's is making this decision now" we are talking about two completely different sets of people making decisions.

The thing that is different about our Albertson's is that they don't own the real estate, and therefore cannot actually sell the site. Rumors have abounded about "what will happen" next - just ask your neighbor what the clerk at the store told HIS neighbor, and then do it again for a different answer - but one statement of fact is that Cerberus will not be selling the real estate at Lakeview Village. However, I DID hear from the bagger in the checkout line... oh, never mind.

More on Albertson's

The AZ Republic follows up with an article today about the closing of Albertson's. Here is the article in full:

Beck Sayarath opened Guy & Gal Salon in the shopping center at Cooper and Ray roads last month partly because an Albertsons supermarket was there.

Now the grocery store will close in late July or early August, said Jeanette Duwe, an Albertsons spokeswoman.

The Albertsons in Lakeview Village at Morrison Ranch, a shopping center at Higley and Elliot roads, is also closing, as are several others around the Valley. The other three Gilbert locations will remain open, Duwe said.

Duwe said the company will work to market both Gilbert locations for a new tenant. She said the company owns the Ray Road store and leases the store at Higley and Elliot.

Sayarath advertises to help attract customers to the salon, but said the business benefited from the shoppers Albertsons drew. "I thought Albertsons was going to bring me business," Sayarath said. "I wouldn't have opened if I had known Albertsons was going away."

Joe Utley, one of the three owners of Golf Etc. in the shopping center, said he'll likely be less affected by Albertsons closing because of his customer base.

When asked what he'd like to see move into the space, Utley said he was flexible.

"I think just about anything other than a 99 cent store would work there," he said.

Albertsons shoppers Thursday reacted differently to news of its closure.

Marie Curran, 46, of Mesa, said she was shocked and thought the closing would hurt the center.

"They seemed like they were secure," Curran said. "Usually when a big store closes, a lot of the other little ones don't get as much business."

Janet Oliver, 48, of Gilbert, said she didn't think the Albertsons was doing that much business anyway.

Scott Morrison, a partner in Morrison Ranch, said more than 700 homes are expected to be built behind the store, which will help any replacement for Albertsons and the other tenants in the center.

"I think the small shops will probably do just fine," Morrison said. "I hope we can get another grocer in there soon."

Albertsons Inc. was sold last week to three buyers. SuperValu Inc. purchased 1,100 stores, but none in Arizona, Duwe said. Albertsons LLC, a Boise, Idaho, company owned by Cerberus Capital Management, purchased about 661 stores, including all stores in the Southwest. CVS/Pharmacy purchased all stand-alone Osco Drug and Savon drugstores.

"Our plan is to focus on the stores we have remaining and do what we can to make them as profitable as possible," Duwe said.

She said that will include providing more competitive prices and fresher bakery goods, meat and produce.

"Because we will be a smaller company, we can make decisions closer to the consumer," Duwe said.

The Mister mentioned that the paper called him for a response, and I see his quote made it into the piece. And so the saga continues...

Party at the Santan

The storm that blew through Gilbert late yesterday afternoon cooled down the temperatures just in time for the big party. The AZ Republic says there were 12,000 to 15,000 folks there, and I believe it. The Mister and I went early, and cars were already parked for miles. Here is where the ribbon cutting ceremony would take place:



With the winds dying down, the balloons could enter the scene:




I was amazed at the variety of the booths, from restaurants to real estate agents, from radio stations to rodeo queens, and every type of business. There were climbing walls and bouncy toys; this blow-up slide was visually quite impressive:


The sound walls feel pretty high as you drive along, which is nice for the neighbors, though it does block the view of our grain tanks from the freeway, as well as the Dog Park. I can't say enough about Tami Ryall and her staff that worked tirelessly to make this freeway truly usable and aesthetically pleasing. In the first place, it is opening quite a bit earlier than originally planned; when does that ever happen? Secondly, using the retention and runoff spaces for residents is truly brilliant. The Dog Park might have been large concrete slabs; and the drainage for the rainfall from the freeway? Walking/jogging trails:

They won't be as usable when there is really is rainfall, but with our yearly averages hovering around 7 inches, that won't be too often.

I think the party was a great success; my oldest daughter in Tucson thought it sounded funny to have a party on a freeway before its opening (though she was VERY excited about using it to come home next week before we go camping), but the Republic article points out that everybody is doing it:

"Sunset on the Santan" followed in a growing list of freeway-opening parties that have evolved in the Valley over the past six years. There have been more than a dozen similar parties in Chandler, Glendale, Mesa and Scottsdale.

We Gilbert folks love good excuses for a big family-type party; this was a great one.

Yes, It's True

Not much time for this rumor to run around, but it turns out to be true; the Albertson's at Lakeview Village is closing. The AZ Republic has a very brief article mentioning this:

Two Gilbert stores are among the five Southeast Valley Albertsons-Osco stores that will close in about two months as the company plans to concentrate on its remaining stores.

The closures will leave some strip centers without their anchors and includes a store opened two years ago, the Albertsons at Elliot and Higley roads in Gilbert. The other Gilbert Albertsons that will close is at Ray and Cooper roads.

Albertsons came under new ownership Friday and announced Tuesday that it will close nine underperforming stores in the Phoenix area in early August.

The chain was acquired by Supervalu Inc., which is now the third-largest supermarket chain by revenue.

The remainder of the article talks about other stores in Chandler, and the fact that there will still be 51 other Albertson's in Arizona.

So, of course the question looms large; what will happen to the space that is now the store at Lakeview Village? The honest answer from our office is that we don't know. There are several possibilities, and I'll enumerate a few while stressing that we don't know which direction it will go.

One possibility, the worst in my mind, is that the company will just keep paying the lease and leave the building empty, much like the center at Val Vista and Guadalupe.

Another possibility is that the company will sell the lease to another grocer, and a different store would move in.

Another possibility is that the company would sell the building back to the shopping center partners, of which we are one, and then that partnership would re-lease the space.

Whichever way it goes, we are left with the sad truth that the maneuvering will take some time, probably a year. The gas station, which was one of the highest performing in the state, will be missed, no doubt. The good news is that with Lakeview Trails North being built right behind, and the freeway access to the new Santan and to the 60, that center becomes even more valuable in the commercial world. We may not have much control over Albertson's decisions, but we do have high hopes for the future of Lakeview Village and won't stop trying to realize those hopes.

Everyone is Talking About It

The Santan freeway, that is. The party is tonight, and it officially opens next Monday. The Mister explained to me that to join the party, you get onto the freeway at Val Vista going east; there will be places along the freeway for parking (The First Cousin said they are expecting 20,000 people!). There will be a 5K race, a ribbon cutting ceremony, wading pools for the kiddies, local and state dignitaries, and lots of excitement. When you are through looking at the freeway, you travel on down to Power Road and exit there.

Here is the AZ Republic's article.

Here is the East Valley Tribune's article. This one has the details about what time which event happens.

And even the Gilbert Independent has some articles on the freeway.

See you there...

A Word about Owls

Saturday's AZ Republic had a couple of articles about burrowing owls; I'm sure the timing had something to do with the release of the movie, "Hoot," which has a storyline involving the owls. The article was a tad more realistic than the movie, I think. Here is the article in full:

Arizona burrowing owls and developers have one thing in common.

They both like flat, treeless plains. Predictably, conflicts arise as each lays claim to its property.

On the developers' side is market demand for housing and commercial development.

On the birds' is the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which provides fines up to $10,000 and up to six months in jail for anyone who kills the owls.

Such immutable forces can add up to high drama, as demonstrated in the recent Hollywood movie Hoot, where a kid faces off against greedy developers to save the owl.

However, in Arizona, where the pace of development and owl population both outstrip Florida's, the story lacks a plotline.

The owl, which lives in other animals' burrows, is losing ground in Arizona but has found help among builders and developers in the form of labor and cash.

"Builders have been amazingly good, but we try to make it painless for them," said Sam Fox, who with her husband, Bob, operates Wild at Heart, a Cave Creek sanctuary for birds of prey that is the main rescuer of burrowing owls in the state, according the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, which issues the $100 permit required to trap the birds.

The Foxes remove owls from construction areas and introduce them to artificial habitats. Land owners pay Bob a fee to remove the birds and $300 per bird to temporarily shelter them in the sanctuary until artificial burrows are built in a different area.

The fees can add up. According to a Gilbert town official, the 2004 cost of removing owls from a water reclamation plant operated by Gilbert, Mesa and Queen Creek neared $100,000.

Mesa developer Richard Dobkin, who recently contacted Wild at Heart to clear owls from a 42-acre plot his company, NY Holdings LLC, owns near Queen Creek, expects to pay $50,000 to $75,000.

"I don't want to kill the owls, and it's expensive to remove them. We weren't prepared for it, but it's the cost of doing business and it will be passed on to the buyers," Dobkin said. The property, bought for $5.8 million, is being sold in four parcels, priced at $10 million each.

The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona has been educating its members, who frequently provide backhoes and workers to dig owl burrows for Wild at Heart, according to the Foxes.

"We had inquiries from members about the owls and we were struggling with what to do," said association Director Connie Wilhelm, who heard about Wild at Heart and started referring builders to the sanctuary.

"It seemed to be a natural partnership. We're interested in protecting the owls rather than putting them on the endangered species list," Wilhelm said.

By law, habitat for endangered species cannot be disturbed. Owl protections bring a construction delay while the birds are trapped and relocated.

Some developers have been reluctant to arrange for the rescue, said Kamile McKeever, Fish and Wildlife's permits administrator for Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

"But if we shut them down they could lose thousands of dollars a day. In the long run, it's cheaper than being shut down," said McKeever, who said most of the burrowing-owl removals in the region are done in Arizona.

Megan Mosby, director of Liberty Wildlife, a Scottsdale sanctuary for birds and other wild animals, said the next step to ensuring the owls' survival is long-term monitoring after relocation.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is 18 months into such a study and, pending budget approval, it says research could run as long as eight years.

I included the entire article because I think it is a good representation of the facts. In fact, we just had our first experience with burrowing owls. When the earth moving crew showed up at Lakeview Trails North to prepare for their work, they saw some burrowing owls. Our construction manager then got in contact with Bob Fox, described in the article above, and contracted with him to have the owls removed, re-acclimated, and relocated, at a cost of several thousand dollars. Our understanding is that this is the way most developers handle this situation.

I share this with you because I want you to have an alternative viewpoint, just in case you go see the movie "Hoot." I haven't seen it, and don't intend to, but I've seen the trailers, and read the reviews. The basic gist of the movie is that greedy developers are going to build a pancake house in spite of the burrowing owls that live there; that all adults, including parents and authority figures, are complete idiots and totally clueless; and that kids might need to take matters into their own hands, and that includes lying, vandalism and dangerous (and felonious) activities. The end justifies the means. And apparently the greedy developers have no Wild at Heart options, no Bob Fox, and no way to remove the owls from harm. Even if I weren't married to a greedy developer, I would be offended by the movie because of the values it promotes and its denigration of adults.

Our own film critic, with whom I often disagree, sees it the same way I do. Here is what Bill Muller, the AZ Republic's critic said:

Bad acting isn't the film's No. 1 transgression, however. The movie treats us as if we're all 3 years old, and it belies its supposedly positive message by filling the story with dysfunctional families and a teenager left alone to forage in the wilderness.

What's the real lesson here? If things don't go your way, resort to vandalism, deception and assault? A great example for the nation's youth.

Oh, wait. It's for a good cause, so that makes all the difference.

The environmental message in Hoot is presented like nails on a chalkboard, a sound that's preferable to much of the sugary dialogue.

Despite the film's best efforts to bemoan the inexorable march of progress, by the end of this endurance test, you won't give a hoot.

I feel better now.

Cul-de-sac controversy

My libertarian leanings were stirred up by an article in today's Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that starts off like this:

One of the most popular features of suburbia is under attack.

For many families, cul-de-sac living represents the epitome of suburban bliss: a traffic-free play zone for children, a ready roster of neighbors with extra gas for the lawnmower and a communal gathering space for sharing gin and tonics. But thanks to a growing chorus of critics, ranging from city planners and traffic engineers to snowplow drivers, hundreds of local governments from San Luis Obispo, Calif., to Charlotte, N.C., have passed zoning ordinances to limit cul-de-sacs or even ban them in the future.

In Oregon, about 90% of the state's 241 cities have changed their laws to limit cul-de-sacs, while 40 small municipalities outside Philadelphia have adopted restrictions or bans. Even when they're not trying to stamp them out, some towns are keeping a close eye on how cul-de-sacs are being built. Earlier this year, the city of Pekin, Ill., established new rules to make cul-de-sacs more maneuverable for service vehicles like fire trucks and school buses.

Who knew that there is increasing resistance to the harmless cul-de-sac? Well, The Mister does, and we have talked about them over the years as he has schooled me in the art of community building. There was a period of time many years ago, during the planning phase of Morrison Ranch, when we would be driving along and he would point out various cul-de-sacs to me. "Look at that one," he'd say. "They put a six foot wall around the cul-de-sac to limit access, and the end result is completely blocking the view down the street. It feels more like a fortress than a neighborhood. Plus, it's bone ugly." A little later, he'd point again. "At least that one uses wrought iron rails, so you can see through it. But they've achieved the goal of no access all right; the houses on the end there have no access to that lovely park. The open space is wasted, except for being visually pleasant from the arterial road."

The Mister is a firm believer in making efficient use of the land; he was raised that way as a farmer, after all. He also believes in trying to provide the maximum benefit for the residents of the community rather than what might be easiest for everyone else. This, of course, can cause some tensions occasionally with builders and with the town. Not everyone agrees on who benefits from what. All of the cul-de-sacs in Morrison Ranch can accommodate school buses and ladder trucks from the fire department, but it does require them to go slow and use caution on the turns. The article continues:

While homes on cul-de-sacs are still being built in large numbers and continue to fetch premiums from buyers who prefer them, the opposition has only been growing. The most common complaint: traffic. Because most of the roads in a neighborhood of cul-de-sacs are dead ends, some traffic experts say the only way to navigate around the neighborhood is to take peripheral roads that are already cluttered with traffic. And because most cul-de-sacs aren't connected by sidewalks, the only way for people who live there to run errands is to get in their cars and join the traffic.

Pedestrians are held in high regard in the planning of Morrison Ranch. We recognize that we live in a car-dominated society, and so we must provide for that as well; but one reason that we rely so heavily on parks and interconnected shady trail systems throughout the entire master-planned community is to provide access for our residents by foot (or bicycle or stroller or pogo-stick). If folks choose to walk to the grocery store, they can do so in comfort, without having to battle major roads and traffic. Of course there are major roads to cross; there must be vehicular access as well. And traffic can indeed be one of those tensions, like when the tee ball practice is held in the park next to your cul-de-sac. But that seems to be part of living in community, to me; sometimes my parties also fill up the cul-de-sac with parked cars. We share.

The WSJ article goes on to detail some specific stories of cul-de-sac zoning fights; but I think the salient paragraph is this one:

For all the criticism aimed at them, cul-de-sacs do seem to have one last defender: the free market. Real-estate brokers say that despite the recent opposition by policy makers, homes on cul-de-sacs still tend to sell faster than other homes -- and often command a comfortable premium. Ralph Spargo, the vice president of product development for Standard Pacific Homes in Irvine, Calif., says his company charges as much as 5% more for a home located on one. (For a house that sells for the April 2006 national median price of $223,000, that works out to about $11,000).

In Morrison Ranch, if you live on a cul-de-sac, you most likely also live on a park; and yes, the builders charge premiums for those lots, and yes, residents pay those premiums to receive the benefit. Including The Mister and me. We think it's worth it.

June Already?

I'm not sure quite how it happened, but I woke up this morning and the calendar, my computer and my phone all told me that it's June first. Since they all agree, it must be true; but where did the first 5 months of 2006 go, I wonder? Let's see, getting Lakeview Trails North moving toward building took large chunks of time at the beginning of the year. Preparing the books for tax returns and actually preparing tax returns took another bite out of the calendar. Of course, The Wedding took more time and energy than I thought possible, since I thought I had contracted out all the services required (except for dress-shopping, strategizing and planning, emotionally supporting the bride and others... hmm, okay, maybe I didn't contract out everything.) Add to that some other family and friends' events, both joyful and not so joyful, and here we are with nearly half the year behind us.

June brings the onset of triple-digit temperatures as a steady diet, an increase in the mobility of my neighbors moving in or out or nearby, and the ubiquitous vacationing decisionmaker in various businesses. In the community-building business, which already has the reputation of taking longer and costing more, getting things done in a timely manner becomes a hit-or-miss proposition. Still, those who remain in the valley plug along regardless of the heat, requests for help moving, or lack of ability to close a loop until the boss gets back.

The Mister and I will be out of town some this summer as well (our annual family/friend camping trip is just a couple of weeks away), but while we're all still around, let's talk about the heat and get that out of the way, shall we?

I've posted before on the the fact that I grew up mostly in Wyoming, where the winters lasted 9 months and you could freeze your nosehairs just going out to bring in more firewood. I stored up enough cold in those years to last a lifetime, and so I consider the Arizona summers as just part of my process of thawing out. My eternal quest for shade is not an implicit complaint; it is merely common sense. Anyone who lives in Arizona for any length of time develops that common sense about how to live in the sun. This article in today's AZ Republic codifies that common sense for those newcomers:

With 100 degree-plus temperatures, the only way to stay sane from here until October is to live inside in the AC or in the pool.

If you have kids, you know that staying inside all summer isn't an option, but the baking heat of the Arizona sun is enough to make everyone, no matter their complexion, reach for sunscreen.

The article is titled "Clothes, Shade, Sunblock best protection for kids," but of course that's the best protection for grownups as well. Have you ever noticed that farmers all wear some sort of hat, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants - usually jeans, which is the hottest fabric known to man - even throughout the summer? It isn't due to "farmer chic," as The Mister tried to get me to believe for the first years of our marriage; it's for survival, as one works in those temperatures all day. Hydration is the other key to battling the heat which, oddly enough, the article doesn't mention. Again, we should take our cues from the farmers (and construction workers) who have the big brightly colored water coolers fastened to their trucks, or the half-frozen gallon jugs of water on their front seats. Drink lots of water; that's all there is to it.

Okay, I guess I'm ready for summer now that I've talked it through a little bit. Bring on the early sunrises and late sunsets, the cheap(er than usual) resort hotels and green fees, the relaxed schedules, the flexible visits from my kids, the icy cold theaters and malls, the salads for supper; and yes, bring on the sun. Just give me some shady parking lots along with it.