The Mayor’s Corner 11/15/2023

Mayor Randy Hibberd

Well, our grandsons are now experiencing their first basketball season as players. The youngest is playing on a first-grade team even though he is in kindergarten. The older one is playing on the third-grade team. They were each playing two games on Saturday at the same time in side-by-side gyms, so Cathy and I were able to watch one play and then the other.
We watched the youngest one first. Traveling and Double Dribbles were not called because the calls would have been the only action.
Our youngest grandson was very interested in the game at first, running up and down the court, even running backwards at times. When he had to dribble the ball down court, the ball kept getting lower and lower to the ground. When he passed the ball, it seemed that he could only see the teammate who was surrounded by the other team and the ball would be stolen.
But, the interesting thing was that both of these skills improved over the course of one game. By the end, his dribbling was more consistent and he was finding an open man. However, as he became more comfortable out on the court, his personality started coming out and at moments he was just goofy.
The older grandson’s game was much different. Even though the kids were just a couple of years older, the level of play was remarkably better. Traveling and Double Dribbles were called. The fundamentals such as guarding, passing, and dribbling were much better defined. I was amazed at the coordination and skill level difference a couple of years make.
Even though both boy’s teams lost, it was fun watching the development of their skill sets and their understanding of the game that occupied so much time in my school years. I look forward to working with them on some of the finer points.
Now on to City news.
Natasha McDaniel, the City Clerk, would like you to know that the City’s website has been revised. You may now see copies of all documents that the City Council looks at for the City Council Meetings. Just go to www.cityofweiser.com and look for the tab “City Council Packet.” There you will find such things as the Agenda, the Minutes to the Prior City Council Meeting, the Financial Reports, Resolutions, Ordinances, Project and Equipment bids, policy changes, and anything else that comes before the Council. The only items that will not be included will be confidential communications with the City’s Attorney or items discussed in Executive Session.
Posting the City Council documents online is simply an additional way that the City is trying to keep you informed to the extent you want to be informed. For many of you, this may be more information than you wish to see and that is fine. There may be others who want to dig down each month into all of details, or others may be interested in one or two items that pique their interest. Either way, the City wants to be fully transparent in handling your City’s business. And, of course, if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact City Hall or a Council Member.
Also, Bill Taylor, the Water Department Manager, would like me to remind you that with colder weather coming on it would be wise to take care of a few housekeeping items to prevent frozen pipes this winter. If you have a sprinkler system, the first thing to do is to have your system blown out to remove water from the lines. Next, close any vents to the crawl space beneath your home. When it gets COLD, keep a trickle of water running in a faucet to keep the water in your pipes moving. Water movement creates just enough energy to keep the water from freezing. If you travel during the winter, keep the heat on in your home to keep pipes from bursting. If you follow these simple measures, you may just save yourself from a big headache.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope your plans for Thanksgiving are coming together. Have a great week!