La Quinta Cove

Today begins a series of nine interviews of the candidates for mayor (three) and council members (six).  The Steering Committee of the Cove Neighborhood Association is in the process of interviewing all the candidates.  The opening four minutes of each interview will be posted beginning today, and ending at the end of October.  They will appear in the order that we happened to schedule them, which was pretty random.  The Cove Neighborhood Association does not endorse any candidates, but posts these videoss to give the public a glimpse of each one.  For more complete information, attend one of the candidates forums the first of which is today (September 30) from 6-8 p.m. at City Hall, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. 

Here’s our first candidate for mayor, Robert Sylk: 

Fire Captain Anthony Katami takes us through the 60-year old fire station, located on Frances Hack Drive.  He is accompanied by paramedic, John Barton and firefighter Mark Skrainar.  The crews have now moved to the new station on Avenue 5o.  This will give you an idea of how our fire personnel lived and operated from the beginning of time.

Come for a reunion with your old friends and neighbors at the Museum on Friday (October 1) from 5 – 7 P.M.  The Boys and Girls Club “Heatwave Jazz Band” will enliven the evening, and light refreshments will be served.  Visit the great exhibitions (PT Barnum and Old Hollywood and the Desert Club) and check out the new additions to the permanent collection.  The gift shop has MANY new and exciting items.  So help us to launch the season…..

Our beautiful new fire station on Avenue 50 will be opening soon for action.  Some preview “tours” were posted on this site in July-August.  The fellows asked that we also post some closing shots of the old station on Frances Hack Drive, next to Fritz Burns Park/Pool. 
To begin this series of three, here’s an interview with an old timer, Engineer Terry Misenhimer, who will share some of his recollections with us.  One story Terry didn’t tell on the clip is how, for decades, the nearest gas station was in Indio.  He said that by the time they got back to LQ after filling up, the tank would already be half empty.  Take a look:

Those wonderful new compact fluorescent light bulbs are terrific.  They use a small fraction of the electricity compared to an old style bulb, and last for ten years.  HOWEVER, should one be shattered, the cleanup process is dangerous if not done properly.  It’s the mercury that’s the problem.  Here’s the official story on how to dispose of a shattered CFL bulb.  Print it out and post it in your garage, JUST IN CASE:

http://www.iid.com/Media/cfl_breakage_facts-rev.pdf

Each household should have been mailed the big and beautiful Activities Guide for this season.  Take a minute to thumb through it, as there are dozens and dozens of activities for young and old. 

Another way to search for activities is the City website www.la-quinta.org.  You can click in CALENDAR (in tiny print at the top of the site) or go to RESIDENTS and select SPECIAL EVENTS or  a whole array of topics.  The City offers a wonderful program at our great facilities.  Let’s take advantage of them!

All residents be on alert, as the person lighting fires in the palm “skirts” is still  on the loose.  Both the police and fire departments need your help.  If you or your neighbors have palms with dried leaves, keep your property well lit, listen and watch for suspicious noises,call 911 to report a suspicion or an incident, and be ready to use a garden hose until the fire department arrives.

If you are driving around town and see anything suspicious or a person in your neighborhood who doesn’t belong there, call the police non-emergency number 760-836-3215 or 911 if the arson seems to be in progress.  WE ALL NEED TO BE WATCHFUL TO CATCH THIS FELLOW!

Last Saturday’s Nature Walk terminated at the home of Katie and Cameron Barrows, two of our own biologists/naturalists.  Their landscaping brings wildlife up close.  Here we see the front yard, that features rocks as an artistic feature.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBXhEC-zTe8

The Friends of the Fred Wolff Bear Creek Nature Preserve and the City of La Quinta are sponsoring another series of Nature walks on the third Saturday of each month.  September’s  Walk was led by Katie Barrows, Cove resident, and biologist who tells of how the Washingtonia Palm attracts lots of critters.  (You’ll have to turn up your volume a bit…)

CERT volunteer, Pat Byrne, discusses home preparedness for future disasters.  (That’s the Community Emergency Response Term, being trained to aid the community in the event of a disaster.)  Listen up: