La Quinta Cove

In addition to GOLD at the grand opening, attendees were treated to history lessons and lighthearted stories by an array of enactors: Confederate officer, prospector, cowboy and…..here’s the station master: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eKQrg03gFI

Where were YOU when the lights went out?  When they went on??????

OK, it wasn’t the BIG ONE, but it was a nice practice exercise.  Candles but no matches?  Flashlights with no batteries?  Cell phone and chargers but no cables to connect the two?  Land lines not working because plugged in to remote phones? Battery radios with no stations giving news?

I got my best information from a friend in Seattle…… Yikes!

I had the occasion to drive through LQ several times during the outage, and I was impressed with the civility of our drivers:  stopping at signals even there were no flashing lights; yielding the right of way; driving slowly; City workers out working; neighbors checking on neighbors;  friends making arrangements for the 80-somethings to bunk out in PD or some other spot with A/C, all the earmarks of a community ready to pull together in an emergency.  Ain’t we wonderful??

BEFORE YOU FORGET, make a list of what needs to be done with your family to survive THE REALLY BIG ONE.  This was a great reminder that we need to get organized.  Organize your neighborhood?  Call Paul Hess, Emergency Services Coordinator at 777-7061 for all the info you need!

This from local “Vacationer”:

I just returned from an exytended vacation in the mountains.  I rented in a lovely, friendly neighborhood and felt very much at home.  However, the contrast between that city government and our own La Quinta became very striking.

First of all, city improvements were underway, with the replacement of old natural gas lines with new ones.  This involved trenching the city streets and cutting away areas in front of each home site.  As expected, it was a noisy project, but that wasn’t the worst.  When “completed”, the trenches were left being rough ruts that are dangerous to walk along and annoying to drive on.  The public works department said only one street was to be repaved, the rest would be “patched” if necessary.  Our own Tim Jonassan Public Works guy would not ever allow this to remain so unsightly and dangerous.

Second, a neighboring house looked as if some spouse had given the other the boot, as belongings were strewn along the driveway, the porch of the house and parking area.  Furniture, clothing, toys, appliances, what a mess.  After four weeks, I finally phoned code compliance.  The nice lady said that was an “abandoned” house (maybe foreclosure?) and they had to leave the belongings for 15 days to give the owners a chance to claim what they wanted.  I said it had been at least four weeks, so she said she’d have someone check it out.  After one MORE week, the mess was still there.  Our own Deby Conrad code compliance chief would never allow this to occur either.

Thank GOODNESS we live in a community where awful things like this don’t happen.  THANKS, city hall…..

The new LQ Activities Guide is out, so don’t lose it:  It contains important events in the city between now and March.

Items that occur regularly that you might want to note are:

• Nature Walks along the Bear Creek Trail and Fred Wolff Nature Preserve are on the THIRD Saturday of each month, beginning on September 17.  They begin at 8:00 a.m. and always feature an expert on some outdoor topic.  In January, the Walks for Kids and Families will be on the SECOND Saturday, starting at nine.  It’s FREE.
• The Old Town Farmers Market begins on September 25, 8-12:30.  These will be every Sunday, with music starting at nine. 
• Story Time for toddlers continues at the Museum on the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m.  Parents and kiddies come for free.
• Art under the Umbrellas will have a full season in Old Town on selected Saturdays from 10 – 4. The first one is October 29.
• SilverRock will be closed during the month of October for overseeding.  Have fun in the meantime..
• The City of LQ sponsors some great excursions during the season.  The first is called “Museums Galore” scheduled forSeptember 24 to the museums and attractions in LA’s Exposition Park.  DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS THIS FRIDAY (9th).
• Don’t forget the beautiful and busy Fitness Center open Monday – Saturday in the Community Center.
• The possibility of an earthquake or other disaster always looms: are you ready?  Call Paul Hess at city hall for info on getting yourself and your household prepared.  777-7061.  Classes and written info await you….
• Look through your Activities Guide a hundreds of courses and activities.  Never a dull moment in La Quinta