More Bat News

Scientists are close to a solution for white nose syndrome.
http://www.localnews8.com/news/29642758/detail.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Halloween fun

"Being a comedian, Joe Marlotti is always afraid he won't get laughs. But he grows especially nervous this time of year. After all, a comedian doesn't want his kids to bomb when it comes time to tell jokes.
Marlotti hails from St. Louis, where local Halloween tradition calls for children not to say "trick or treat," but to tell a joke in order to earn candy."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/10/31/141861829/halloween-is-more-funny-than-scary-in-st-louis?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Helping Bees

 Bee hives in the US have been in severe decline for the last decade.  But we need them to pollinate our crops.  This can help.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/21/farmers-add-plants-to-help-restore-bee-population/?test=afut

Meet the City Council Candidates

by Allison Jones

Last night the Standard Journal hosted a question and answer session with the candidates for the City Council at the Romance Theater. Questions were gathered from the audience, the Standard Journal's editors and those submitted to the paper on their website. The questions and answers focused on how to help Rexburg grow and deal with the problems that growth entails.

1. The paid parking zone around BYU-I campus
   Garon Bell answered that the school needs to provide more parking for the students.
   Jordan Busby wanted to get rid of the paid parking zones around the school.
   Keith Ferrin wants to use the money from the parking permits to provide more parking.
   Jerry Merrill said that the paid parking zone is working so far.
   Troy Rasmussen's opinion was that it was the only feasible solution currently.
   Sally Smith thought the parking problem would be eased if the students would use the existing parking up by the Hinckley and Ricks buildings.
   Cory Sorensen said that fewer students are bringing cars with them so the parking situation was improving already.
   
   
2. Higher density housing
   All of the candidates agreed that higher density housing projects were beneficial for the city because it would keep the students closer to campus and thus cut down on traffic congestion. Also it would keep costs down and help keep control of development and growth.
   
   
3. Traffic congestion on 2^nd E and Hwy 33
   Each agreed that the proposed Eastern Parkway Corridor was a good idea and would help ease traffic and benefit Rexburg's growth. Other issues addressed were the need to have more crossings over the Teton River and providing more ways to access north Rexburg.
   
   
4. The relationship between Rexburg, Madison County, and Sugar City
   The candidates once again agreed with each other that the relationship between these entities was already good though of course there was always room for improvement in communication.
   
   
5. The candidates' favorite issue
   Jordan Busby and Sally Smith stressed the need to keep the roads in good repair and provide the infrastructure necessary to accommodate the city's growth.
   Cory Sorensen, Garon Bell, and Troy Rasmussen spoke of the need to encourage businesses to come to Rexburg and provide a business friendly environment.
   Keith Ferrin focused on fiscal responsibility and keeping government accountable to the people.
   Jerry Merrill talked about planning for the growth of Rexburg.
   
   
6. Renovation of the roads
   While Jerry Merrill thought the current patching was good enough until the city could afford more extensive repairs, the other candidates wanted there to be a plan and schedule for repairing the cities roads based on prioritizing the most used streets and pacing repairs to what the city can afford without extra bonds. They also spoke on the need for the contractors to be held accountable for the quality of their work.
   
   
7. The candidates view of Rexburg in the next ten years.
   Bell's vision included steady planned growth while keeping the feel of Rexburg.
   Busby focused on growth in Rexburg and getting the community involved in planning for it.
   Ferrin proposed that fiscal responsibility would encourage growth and that the city would benefit from having manufacturing businesses move to Rexburg.
   Jerry Merrill spoke on growing smart so that the small town feel of Rexburg wouldn't be lost.
   Rasmussen's view of Rexburg's future involved high growth with high paying jobs and less traffic congestion.
   Smith focused on planning for growth.
   Sorensen wants to encourage businesses to come to Rexburg that would allow the university's graduates to settle in Rexburg instead of all the young families moving away.
   
   
8. Problems with winter driving and road maintenance
   All the candidates agreed that the city does a good job of keeping the streets plowed and that the newcomers who haven't ever driven in snow before just have to learn how to do so. There is nothing the city can do to make sure that everyone drives safely in winter.
   
   
9. If the city should build an indoor pool.
   The candidates vehemently opposed the idea of the city building an indoor pool now that we have an outdoor pool. They pointed out that it would be too expensive to build, maintain, and run. Also, Sorensen pointed out that when the outdoor pool was built studies of community pools in the inter-mountain west showed that while outdoor pools were able to pay for themselves, indoor pools always require subsidies to operate. Bell said that there is plenty of recreation available already in the area and that it is not the government's job to provide more.
   
   
10. If the concerns of the public are being heard and how to be accessible to them
    Most agreed that the public is listened to, at least the opinions that are voiced are listened to. Smith, Sorensen, Bell, and Busby mentioned that people need to come to the city council meetings if they have concerns or just want to be involved in the city's planning. Busby and Ferrin said that the city needs to be better about reporting back to the community on decisions and that the city needs to improve on sharing information with the community before meetings. Keith Ferrin also said that there needed to be more time allowed for discussion in the city council meetings and informing the public of the agenda beforehand.

Although the candidates have many similarities there are differences so one should consider them carefully before making a decision on whom to vote for.

Our bats are in danger

White Nose Syndrome: Fungus fingered as bat killer

This is important because bats keep our insect population down.  The Little brown bat is native to Idaho and we have colonies in our area.

Obama's student loan relief plan

"Millions of student loan borrowers will be eligible to lower their payments and consolidate their loans under a plan President Barack Obama intends to announce Wednesday, the White House said. ..." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45039424/ns/politics-white_house/?GT1=43001#.Tqgu_7J-Q8Y

The History of Halloween

by Allison Jones

Halloween is both an ancient holiday and a modern tradition. Many of our customary activities on this day spring from the pre-christian Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-en) while the name of the holiday itself comes from the christian All Saints Day or All-Hallows. But the modern form of our secular Halloween did not begin to take shape in America until the 1930's.

Samhain was the end of the harvest and the year for ancient Celts and celebrated on or about November 1. Because for the Celts the days began with sunset the festival started the evening of October 31. For them this was an in between time, neither summer nor winter, and this carried over into all of the beliefs of this holiday. Samhain was the time when the boundaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead were thinnest and so the spirits, both good and bad, were able to cross over and wander the living world. It was also the time when society's structure and order gave way to chaos. The living would leave food out for wandering spirits while they celebrated with bonfires and fortune-telling. The spirits meanwhile were causing mayhem.

When the Romans conquered the Celtic people two of their holidays were merged with the practice of Samhain. Feralia was a festival to commemorate the passing of the dead that was celebrated in late October. The festival for the goddess Pomona was also celebrated near that time and commemorated the harvest, especially from the fruit trees. This is probably where the practice of bobbing for apples comes from.

With the coming of Christianity the church tried to redirect the festivities into more appropriate activities. While originally celebrated May 13, All Saints Day replaced Samhain on November 1 followed by All Souls Day November 2. All Saints Day was the feast day for all the Christian Saints who didn't have their own feast day and All Souls Day was the time to honor ones ancestors and pray for the souls of those in purgatory. Though the night before, October 31, still ended up given over to mischief makers.

In the Late medieval period a practice known as souling began. The poor and children would go door to door on All Saints Day asking for food in exchange for praying for the souls of that families dead relatives the next day on All Souls Day. They may even carry a lantern made from a carved turnip. (Pumpkins are native to the new world and replaced turnips as they are larger and far easier to carve.)

Irish and Scottish customs involved a practice of guising. The young men would dress up in costumes, collect treats from the community on threat of pranking, and generally cause mischief. The girls would stay indoors and play divination games. These practices were brought with the immigrants as they came to America in the 19^th Century. Costumes were originally worn to avoid being recognized or bothered by the wandering ghosts. The modern practice of trick-or-treating didn't spread until the 1930's but its roots were present before then.

Today Halloween is entirely secular and is a time to celebrate with your community and try to scare each other senseless. It is an excuse to have fun and flout society's standards. With how the modern world seems to keep us all separated it is good to have a time to connect with your neighbors and take a break from the daily grind.

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