The Mayor’s Corner 04/18/2018

A special thank you to the Weiser High School Class of 2018 for their day long volunteer work for the City last Tuesday. Kids were painting, raking shoveling, pulling weeds and much more to help spruce up the community. It was a great way to give back to the community. We hear lots about the kids who are marching in protest or causing problems in their communities but forget to recognize and thank the kids who are giving back.

While driving around with our Street Supervisor, Pat Malay thanking the kids, he pointed our some areas of concern as spring blossoms. Along with the flowers and trees, we are seeing a large number of noxious and invasive weeds blooming throughout the City, on private and public land. One of the most invasive ornamental plants we saw are sold in many garden centers for rock gardens. It is the Myrtle Spurge also know as donkeytail, blue or creeping spurge. All plant parts species contain a poisonous white milky sap that can cause serious skin irritation. It many seem beneficial because it is drought tolerant and easy to care for, however there are better alternatives that are less harmful to our environment and safer for our kids and pets. The leaves are fleshy, blue-green with flowers that are a yellow-green. They grow from seeds or root fragments. Look them up online or contact Extension office. If you have them, be cautious and keep them away from children and pets.

During a discussion about the burned garbage truck in a nearby town, our driver Greg Phelps shared a story of a recent experience with gas that was placed in the garbage and thus dumped in the back of our truck. Some one had emptied gas into three milk containers and placed in a garbage container instead of finding a safe way to dispose of it. One of the containers became crunched and the gas began to drip from the back of the truck. Thankfully, Greg noticed it and contacted the County so he could immediately take the load to the transfer site. At that time the other two full containers of gas were discovered. If any spark had occurred it would have ignited the truck. Please, folks, think about what you are placing in the garbage cans and dispose of items safely and according to regulations. This was a very dangerous act.

Irrigation season is also here. Water is flowing into the main ditches and will be working down into the systems in the neighborhoods. Just a reminder: the City has no authority over the irrigation systems for the residences. There are independent irrigation districts throughout the City that are overseen by boards. Each organized district has a ditch rider that monitors the system. If you are having difficulties with your system, contact your district. If you do not know who that is, call the City and we will try to connect you to the right district.

The restrooms in all the parks are now open during the day. The WWTP crew opens them in the mornings and the WPD locks them at night so they are not open 24 hours a day. The new restroom at the soccer complex is finished and open. There are also drinking fountains at the soccer complex now.

Happy 101st birthday to Evelyn Upton on Thursday, April 19. Evelyn has always been a wonderful friend and neighbor. Hope you have a wonderful day, Evelyn. Happy Birthday!