A Bubble Off Plumb

In the stories on the front page there is all kind of information, but let me kick out some in a nutshell.

Garbage pickup is going to consolidate into two days a week. The company bought a bigger truck that handles the polycarts on its own, so it can get through the routes faster and hold more trash. So if your trash used to get picked up on Monday, it will go to a Tuesday pickup. If your route was run on Thursday, it moves to Friday instead. Commercial routes will remain the same. The change took place effect yesterday, January 2.

You might have read that an investigation spearheaded by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office sent a local man to jail for six years on a child pornography conviction. The sheriff was truly gobsmacked, hoping for a longer sentence. The perpetrator confessed to having been involved in his nasty habit for more than 20 years, so the sheriff has a valid point.

Dirt work has begun on the site of the former Watonga Cheese Factory. Plans are to build a new county jail there. I have seen some confusion on social media, wondering if it is the city’s build.

No, the county is doing that, and has been saving its pennies for a long time to be able to afford the construction. Side note, Forrest Street from Second to Main will be closed for the duration of construction of the county jail and the city drinking water treatment plant. This is the last unpaved street in the city limits and is seldom used except for foot traffic. However, for safety reasons, it will have construction barriers placed on it to keep the area cleared for heavy equipment operations. The closure is temporary.

The city also closed out the Zona Verde home build and surplused the home. That means it is now listed with a local realtor and is up for sale. I do not know the asking price, but I bet it isn’t that hard to find out what they want for it. It will make someone a nice home.

Speaking of homes, it is a new year with new goals over at the Ferguson Home Museum. Those plans include a serious fund raising campaign and to that end, a sale. No, not of the house, but some of the contents.

We understand that many of those items were donated and all were given with the best of intentions. However, there are some that do not really fit in with the mission of the museum, are from a different time era, or are duplicates.

If you or a family member made a donation of an item, and would rather reclaim it than have it sold, please contact the museum. Be assured those item that are on loan will not be part of the intended sale items. We would never violate the public trust in that way.

But the old girl needs work, a lot of work, and that costs money. So if you have a gap in your year-end giving, feel free to consider the Ferguson Home. We will appreciate it more than you can know.