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ACHD To Install New Style Left Turn Signal

The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is installing the first of several new-design signals with flashing yellow, left-turn arrows at State Street/Bloom Drive/Plantation River Drive Tuesday morning. They replace the traditional green ball with a flashing arrow to tell drivers they can turn left if it is safe to do so with no oncoming traffic. Both the yellow arrow and green ball indicators reduce traffic delays, but research has shown the arrows reduce accidents.

“The flashing yellow arrow is more clearly understood, which helps make it a safer signal,” said ACHD Traffic Engineering Supervisor Ross Oyen. “The solid green sends a message of ‘I can go’ versus a yellow arrow that sends the message that ‘I better be cautious.’”

Arrow-signals will also be installed at State Street’s intersections with Willow Lane, Ellens Ferry Drive, Collister Drive and possibly Pierce Park Lane in coming weeks.

If the new signals perform as expected, increasing safety while reducing delay, ACHD will install the flashing arrows throughout the county. In late 2009, the federal government approved the signals for wide use after several years of testing.

Boise Pays Off In Bum Taser Case

The GUARDIAN has it on good authority the City of Boise has paid off the guy who was Tasered in on or near his bum and threatened by a copper with having an electrical treatment to his family jewels las Valentine’s Day. Gerald Amidon had previously filed a suit against Boise City in U.S. District Court.

Sources tell us a memo went out to coppers last week announcing the pay off. While no figure was revealed and the settlement in Federal Court has been sealed, speculation is the amount was about $150,000. If either party wishes to challenge our estimate, we would be happy to have any documents providing accurate info on the secret expenditure of public money.

The GUARDIAN has filed public information requests for the settlement, but have little doubt the request will be denied. We hope to have the internal e-mail available soon.

In another twist on the same incident which occurred Feb. 14, 2009 the Boise PD sergeant who was identified as being responsible for erasing a taped interview with AMIDON following the use of force by coppers has filed a $2 million tort claim against his boss, Chief Mike Masterson, and several other command staff as well as the city.

Sgt. George Stevens was reprimanded by Chief Masterson, but claims the action was unfair and he was singled out due to the negative publicity surrounding the arrest incident. He also notes he was active in the union and that also led to his discipline.

That claim will no doubt be denied by the City and the matter will then be ripe for filing a civil suit.

View Stevens’ claim.

Governments Fight Each Other With PR Efforts

The last minute “panic attack” to to get the Air Force to locate not one, but two bases of F-35 fighter jets in Idaho brings to mind some the other ill fated government-funded Public Relations efforts we have seen over the years.

If the F-35 follows in the footsteps of most of the other projects we have seen, there is little chance of the thing even happening. The “buzz” is created by proponents of the fighter–whose future is troubled to say the least–seeking to show congress there is a wide support among the states. That “support” is really just simple greed and not based on any military knowledge or desire.

Here is what appears to us to be a well reasoned ANALYSIS. We think this PR campaign could easily be a battle over the F-22 versus the F-35. If Lockheed can go to congress and say, “Folks across the country are clamoring for the F-35,” congress will be hard pressed to deny funding for the plane–a feather in the Lockheed cap!

Oldtimers will recall the Idaho Commerce and Development spending many thousands to attract the GM Saturn Plant to Kellogg. The idea was to build cars in the Silver Valley to replace jobs lost to mining…mining that pollutted the area into one of the worst toxic waste sites in the nation. Never mind the lunacy of shipping materials to Idaho and cars out. GM went elsewhere and now they have dumped thousands of workers on local economies around the nation and don’t even make the Saturn anymore.

Then there was the “Super Conducting Super Collider” that was some sort of scientific experiment to split atoms or something that no one understood, but really wanted in their backyard. As we traveled around the nation it was pathetic to see the way every state with a few vacant acres of land declared themselves to be an “ideal location.” That whole deal never happened.

Of course we can’t forget the space ship launch pad that Lockheed was shopping around. They built a mock up transporter and got folks at Idaho Falls to declare the area to be a “perfect location” because of the elevation being a mile closer to the moon (space) than sea level. That project also failed to materialize, but the PR firsm made money all over the country creating presentations and local governments spent a ton of taxes touting their communities.

Now communities throughout the West are vieing for the F-35 fighter. How sad that local elected officials want the Dept. of Defense to base decisions on “jobs” and politics rather than sound strategic reasoning. Shouldn’t really be a surprise since we fight wars on the same basis.
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GUARDIAN Reader Cheats Death–Repeatedly

This true yarn comes from a guy who loves life and has been a friend for more than 40 years. He was an airman, copper, patriot, parent, grandparent–and we now learn a great story teller. It is a long post, but worth reading and sharing.

By ANDY KIMBRELL

So, Wednesday morning I got up, made breakfast for the grand kids and sent them off to school, took the garbage and recycling bins out to the curb, made my breakfast (omelet with ham and swiss cheese), fed the dog, and parked in front of the TV to eat and watch the pilot episode of ‘Saving Grace’(I had rented the first season DVDs
the day before).

The show had finished and the credits were rolling when I got a sharp pain in the middle of my back. I went to my room and got the high density foam roll that the physical therapist had given me after my last back surgery – laying on it usually takes care of my back twinges. While I was in the back part of the house, I grabbed my daily ration of pills and took them – there was starting to be a hint of indigestion and I hadn’t yet had my daily dose of prilosec. Went back to the front room – by that time a sharp stabbing pain in the middle of my chest had joined the party. I laid down on the foam roll and a couple of vertebrae popped, but not the joint where the pain seemed to be. The chest pain changed from a point source stabbing pain to a burning pain that spread over 6 inch circle. There was also a sensation of pressure, like I needed to belch. I got up and sat in my chair and tried to belch – no luck.
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Mayor Hotline January 23 to 29

SHORT AND NOT MUCH TO REPORT…

1/27/10
James Clark
4325 Hoover St.
Boise, ID 83705
342-2478
Road Work: I’m calling about yesterday – there was a notice on my door that … Hoover St. is a very short street that connects to Roosevelt, and it comes in then there’s another street that’s about a half block long that connects to Franklin; anyway, it was a notice that they’re going to come in and cut up some trees and then next summer come and resurface the road. The road is fine and they need money for education and I think this highway department is out of control. They’re spending money out here on I-84 and all this, and then cutting education. I don’t want that; forget about the road, it’s fine. The money needs to go elsewhere, for education. I would appreciate it if somebody would call me back about this.
ACHD
Action Taken: Left message
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