Kevin Standlee: Fandom Is My Way of Life

Seen at the North Lyon County Fire Protection District recently:

( Apparently a Sign )

( By the Fire Department )

Sounds like good advice to me.

The North Lyon County Fire Department laments the lack of good writing skills.

( Sign Me Up )

I don't know who writes these things, but I do like them.

Most of the snow from the January storms has melted other than isolated shady spots and places where it was piled up; however, shortly after the snow ended, the North Lyon County Fire Protection District posted a piece of good advice. I remembered to take a picture of it today on our way back from the post office.

( Things to Avoid Doing )

After most of a month with ordinary notices ("Fireworks are illegal in Lyon County"), the North Lyon County Fire Protection District has returned to dispensing free advice.

( They do Have a Point )

I got to take this picture because thunderstorms yesterday afternoon lowered the temperature enough that I could walk to the post office without risking heatstroke. I did get rained on a little on the way back, but it was still so warm that it mostly evaporated by the time I was home.

As we approach Independence Day, the fire department and other agencies are reminding people that all fireworks are prohibited in Lyon County. Given the local conditions, this is a good restriction, but one that many people ignore. I already have heard at least one report on the emergency services scanner of "shots fired" that upon investigation turn out to be people shooting off fireworks. So the North Lyon County Fire Protection District has a timely warning on their sign this week.

( Short Arms )

Fireworks are entertaining to watch, but can also be very dangerous. Don't be like T-Rex.

There was Train Drama yesterday that I was out photographing and recording, but I also put in 8 hours on Day Jobbe for some reports that were urgently required for first thing Monday morning, and now it turns out that there are other reports that they forgot to ask for that will keep me working for a while today as well. It takes time to process, label, and write about what happened on the railroad. (Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but it could have been awful.)

( So Instead, Here's a Sign )

I ended up missing yet another one of their signs, too, because one I wanted to photograph today has been replaced with a congratulatory message for Fernley High School graduating seniors.

The fire department continues to keep the new signs coming.

( Laughter is Essential, Right? )

It's hard to believe, but one week ago it was still (barely) chilly enough to need a fire in the fireplace, which I used to dispose of old records no longer needed. For the past few days, it has been warm enough to keep the windows open and start the fans running to cool things off. I've also started wearing my "summer uniform" of khaki-colored clothes. We got our walking in by going to the post office, where there was a package waiting. While not everyone was wearing masks, there seemed to be more understanding of why we were ducking and weaving to keep our distance from people.

I went to the North Lyon County Fire Protection District board meeting tonight. Unlike some past meetings that have been long and contentious, tonight plowed through a long agenda but had relatively little discussion or debate, and a lot of stuff got approved pretty quickly. I did not stick around waiting for the closed session on labor negotiations, but from the informal discussion I heard, even that didn't seem too controversial.

This evening's North Lyon County Fire Protection District meeting was well-attended (especially considering that the Board often cancels its December meeting). It turned out to be pretty short, too. At the start of the meeting, the Board read out a letter from Chief Huntley announcing that he was leaving the department as of 17:00 hours today (one hour before the meeting, and he wasn't present at the meeting). The Board also read a statement announcing Huntley's departure, and declaring that all matters having to do with an investigation of his management of the department were to be sealed. And that's all they have to say on the matter, as part of a settlement between the district and now former Chief Huntley.

Thud.

After that, the rest of the meeting was rather anti-climactic. One other substantive item (a temporary short-term loan of one of the district's fire engines to neighboring Mineral County while they work on repairing/replacing the one engine they had down in Mina) passed, and they scheduled a meeting for next Thursday where they will tackle the practical matters of keeping the department running while they search for a new Chief.

I'm sad, but not terribly surprised, by Chief Huntley's departure. Lisa and I thought he was a good Chief, interested in not just fire suppression, but fire prevention. But he appears to have made enemies, and when I saw where things were heading, I did tell him that if he had a better offer that he should take it. I hope he finds a new position that can use his considerable talents.