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I’m an Engineer
October 31, 2004
I forgot to mention on this site that I have a new (part time) job. I am now an Assistant Engineer at Ayres, Lewis, Norris & May - Engineers, Planners & Surveyors. I work in the so-called Watershed Group, which is more of a water resources group, because we design and analize water, wastewater and stormwater systems, along with developing watershed management programs and low-impact-design projects. I am currently working on a brand-new project to ALNM, a Watershed Management Plan for the River Raisin Watershed. It’s the largest watershed management plan they’ve worked on to date.
So far, I’m having fun in the office. I’m not used to sitting at a computer for my only work, but I’m getting there. The people in the office are quite fun, and there are actually more women than men, which I was slightly surprised by. All in all, I think this will be a good thing for me.
Posted by paul at 06:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What’s the real problem with Holland Public Schools?
October 28, 2004
Last week, Holland Public Schools announced that they were considering a switch to private janitorial services, which could save them up to $700,000 a year. Holland Public has recently had to close a few schools and lay off many teachers, so they see the outsourcing as a tool to keep more money in education, not upkeep. With the pains of the Holland Public Schools lately, one would think this idea makes some sense.
No one wants to cut jobs and current employees, and this is no exception. The HPS system would have to release 30 staff members, not a small number. And, of course, the MEA (Michigan Education Association) has placed this issue as a top priority, according to a recent Holland Sentinel article. They decry the possible cut in HPS staff, and want to keep these employees in their current jobs.
This is all fine and dandy, but I don’t think they see the real issue here. Holland Public Schools are in trouble. They have lost students and large amounts of revenue. The quality of the programs has been diminishing over the years, and they are no longer considered one of the better public schools in the area. They need to keep as much money as they can in the educational system itself, with the teachers and the students. If they can save $700,000 a year by using private janitorial services, they should do it.
What do we want our public schools to be? Social welfare agencies, or educational systems? I argue that public schools are meant to educate, they are NOT meant to provide work for as many people as possible. Who are we really focusing on here? Certainly not the children.
Posted by paul at 08:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Take the A Train
October 24, 2004
Every Friday as I walk to class I am pleasantly reminded that passenger rail is not dead in the United States. My walk to school takes me over the Norfolk Southern rail line and Amtrak station here in Ann Arbor. Each and every Friday, the long-term Amtrak parking lot has been riddled with cars, parking on the grass, parking across traffic lanes… the parking lot is always overflowing. Now, I know that an overflowing parking lot may not mean much when analyzing the state of passenger rail in the United States, but these cars are an indicator of how people continue to use Amtrak.
Elsewhere in Michigan, just take a look at the passenger numbers for the Pere Marquette, that goes from GR to Chicago. Its numbers have been increasing the past few years, and are indicitive of how Michiganders really respect rail transportation. Maybe, just maybe, someday I’ll be able to report on Michigan’s (and the Midwest’s) high speed rail network… oh, a boy can dream, can’t he?
Posted by paul at 09:17 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The District
October 21, 2004
I don’t know if any of you have ever watched The District on CBS, but I find it a good watch. The show is about the Metropolitan Police Department, (MPD) the police department of Washington DC. The show itself is not that impressive, but their use of current technology is. The show is centered around the new police chief, and his new weapon to fight crime - GIS. Urban planners use GIS all the time, but it’s funny to see it on a network tv show. I’ve even seen the ArcView name on the screen, so they’re using real software.
In case you’ve never heard of GIS, here’s a short primer. Geographic Information Systems are comprised of maps. They map cities, towns, townships, etc. (geography), and the data they map can contain building footprints, land uses, utilities, etc. They can also be linked to utility usage, building plans, as-built plans, crime statistics, and on and on. It is powerful software that I barely understand, and it’s exciting to see it used and respected on TV.
Posted by paul at 06:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Light Rail in GR!
October 19, 2004
No time to really post right now… but, read this Woodtv.com blurb! Yay smart transportation planning!
Posted by paul at 10:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
JCI to Cut More Jobs
October 14, 2004
JCI is cutting more jobs. This is different from the last round of job cuts, however. These are salaried, technical positions. These losses may end up hurting Holland’s economy worse than the last round of cuts, even though fewer jobs will be lost. These professional positions drive Holland’s middle class economy. The large, new housing developments across the area, the new retail centers, the outlying schools etc. If these people cannot find work around here in short order, they’ll end up leaving and causing a large economic void… It’s a scary thought.
However, I have faith in the entrepreneurial spirit of West Michigan. We are a resilient community, one that has always been known for its successful small business. While these JCI cuts may hurt for a while, I think we can bounce back; it’ll just take time and initiative.
Posted by paul at 09:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sticking with the Master Plan
October 12, 2004
Woodtv.com has an interesting story about a planned development for the northeast corner of Knapp and the East Beltline. The developer would like to build yet another massive commercial development at that corner - don’t forget Knapp’s Corner on the Southwest corner and Celebration Village on the Northwest corner. However, the Master Plan and current zoning are for multi-family residential. Right now, it seems like the City of Grand Rapids is going to stick with their zoning and tell the developer to go away.
The developer claims the traffic in the area won’t support residential development. I think having a residential development in this area would support the retail in the area and promote less driving around the “life style centers” already in place. This is another case of a developer trying to threaten a city into doing what it wants, but, you can’t push against Grand Rapids. Lately I’ve heard statewide planning officials laud GR as one of the most progressive smart growth cities in the state, and it looks like they’ll stay that way. Good.
Posted by paul at 06:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
No News
October 10, 2004
Well, sorry to report, but there is little new lately in Holland for me to talk about.
The Holland Sentinel has been reporting that the New Holland Brewery, once it begins distilling, will be the first micro-distillery in Michigan. I stopped by Leopold Brother’s Brewery (here in Ann Arbor) yesterday to ask the owner about this. Why? Because last year I began enjoying their micro-distilled gin! One of the Leopolds told me that NHB will be aroung the 10th micro-distillery in Michigan. I’m quite unimpressed with either the Sentinel’s reporting or NHB’s blatant lying. Sad dudes, sad.
DeZwan Windmill has been in Holland for 40 years. Impressive. Did you know it’s the only original Dutch windmill in the United States? The Dutch public, after sending this one to us, realized that they had few left in their own country, and banned the export of any more original windmills.
The windmill’s anniversary reminds me of the failed Windmill Island residential/commercial project of two years ago. The city continues to lose money on the Island to this day. Something needs to be done, and I hope someday we can revisit the plan put forth a few years ago.
Finally, the one bridge/two bridge fight should end this week. The OCRC will not have the money to support two bridges, which hopefully will force the few city council members and the mayor to realize that one bridge will be the best choice in the end. Go County!
Posted by paul at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Moore
October 08, 2004
I suppose my past couple posts have moved away from West Michigan issues, but, in a way, anything involving the Republican Party is an issue in West Michigan.
The state Republican Party is asking four county prosecutors to file charges against Michael Moore for bribing students to vote. He gave away underwear and other various gag gifts to students who pledged to vote, be it their first time or not. Certain Republicans therefore called it a crime, vote-buying.
Don’t we have bigger fish to fry at the moment? Underwear is not too much of an incentive to get people to vote. Maybe if it was election day I’d care more, but we’re a month from the election. Republican Party leaders in this state are disconnected from the real world. Betsy DeVos is always complaining about Granholm - it’s a media bitch-fight sometimes. The leaders asking prosecutors to file charges against Moore are only increasing his political power, not diminishing it. Why can’t they see that?
The Republican Party needs a drastic change.
Posted by paul at 10:06 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Republicans for Environmental Protection?
October 05, 2004
Lately, I’ve become more aware of classmates and acquaintances who think that being a Republican and an environmentalist cannot match. They only see the current Republican administration’s pro-business stance, rather than the stance of a majority of Republican voters, a conservation stance. I beg to differ. Being Republican should mean not only being fiscally conservative, but conservation-minded. And, being a Republican environmentalist is not without precedent. Take these former Republican leaders for instance:
- President Ulysses S. Grant created Yellowstone National Park in 1872.
- President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation allowing the President to create Forest Preserves. He ended up creating 9 Forest Reserves, as well as signed orders ending the hunting of sea otters and fur seals.
- President Teddy Roosevelt signed the legislation to create the U.S. Forest Service. He added nearly 150 million acres of reserve-land to Federal ownership.
- Senator Barry Goldwater was often known as the most conservative Republican of his time, but he was still a staunch conservationist.
- President Richard Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
- President George H.W. Bush strengthened current laws, especially the Clean Water Act. In a speech to citizens of Montana in 1989, he was quoted as saying “We hold this land in trust for the generations that come after. The air and the Earth are riches we simply cannot squander.”
This is something his son has definately not followed through with. How? He has softened rulse on mercury emissions. He has allowed more logging of publicly owned lands out west. One of his more recent policy movements is to end national protection of 58.5 million acres of roadless land in National Forests… allowing even more logging to happen.
Republicans need to get back the their conservationist legacy begun just after the Civil War. We’ve come too far to allow one President to break it all down in the name of business. Once again I must quote Teddy:
“I do not intend that our natural resources shall be exploited by the few against the interests of the many.” - President Theodore Roosevelt
Posted by paul at 06:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack