| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 10/15/2005 7:21:57 AM PDT by Sidebar Moderator, reason:
Locked: New thread here. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1502965/posts |
Posted on 08/24/2005 9:50:25 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
New verse:
|
Upon the hearth the fire is red, |
|
|
Still round the corner there may wait |
|
Home is behind, the world ahead, |
The margarita sounds good! I love pineapple and coconut. We're gonna be doing some experimenting here in the days and weeks to come...
This wreck just happened at the store out front here. The little car tried to turn left in front of the truck, which was driven by the dad-type guy. He got pushed to this spot, about 20 feet past the entrance to the store. The driver of the car is still in the car in this pic.
The little car's driver could be worse... the medics had his leg braced but other than that he was ~reported~ to be OK.
I paid $2.89 this afternoon...and it felt good.
~sigh~
Is it higher where you are? It was up to $3.05 for a day or two, but he dropped it back down.
Either that, or she decided to landscape her car.
Well, we buy the middle gas, so we're paying $2.95... but our gas usage isn't very high these days.
It does look nice... not too big, not too expensive. ;~D
My Mom told me last Sunday that it was around $3.50 up there (northern Michigan).
This guy doesn't have the best prices, he's maybe 5-10 cents higher than the stations in town.
Actual Letter to Land and Water Mgt Division, Michigan
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan.
This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter.
Dear Mr. DeVries:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.
A review of the department's files shows that no permits have been issued.
Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.
The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2005.
Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff.
Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David L. Price, District Representative Land and Water Management Division
***** Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries: ****
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.
Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/04 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.
While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose.
I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this state to conform to said dam request? If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.
I have several concerns. My first concern is; aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect.
In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names.
If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2005? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention a real environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears!
Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not careful where they dump!) Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
THANK YOU.
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS
Never got above $2.99 for regular here, and we never saw lines or any other sign of panic. But I hear back home it went as high as $3.65 at one point, and the police were having to deal with drive-offs and folks siphoning gas.
This store has had a lot of drive-offs too. We were at the pump when one happened.
(heh heh heh)
There's a place a few blocks from where I live called "Homer's Coffee." (Doh!) Apparently they have jam sessions - mostly jazz-type I guess. It's also a Christian outreach type of thing too...kinda like the coffee house version of Christian bookstores? Anyway, I was looking at their schedule of jam sessions and they had one listed as "Christian Blues." I've never heard of any such thing before!
Heh...that's just wrong, somehow!
But I guess they do have Christian versions of just about every kinda music.
How does Homer come in, I wonder?
I'da liked to see the reaction when that letter came in...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
