Yess! My Preciousss!

I just HAD to pre-order this today, I've been waiting and waiting for this to come out - I've held out buying any of the other DVD's to get all the extended versions together! AWESOME! This is my "Christmas present to myself", I guess, seeing as it comes out Dec. 14.


Lord of the Rings Extended Version DVD Trilogy

More on the Venetucci Legacy

Well here's a family that was into marrying late. I doubt I'll be driving past the Venetucci farm on my way to work every day in a few years. I hope the Catholic church that they dedicated their land to makes it a nice place. I wonder if they are waiting until Bambi passes away? Apparently none of the other sons had children or at least not boys to carry on the family name?

Venetucci family ties still bind

By BILL VOGRIN - THE GAZETTE


When the bronze statue of Nick Venetucci is dedicated Saturday morning amid speeches and song, missing will be Mary Ann Feiring — the last Venetucci.

The ceremony Saturday will honor five decades of generosity by Venetucci, who became legendary for giving pumpkins to area children who visited his Security farm. He died Sept. 7 at age 93 of a massive stroke.

His death leaves only Feiring, 81, the youngest child and sole survivor of Nicolo and Marguarite Venetucci, a pioneering Italian immigrant farming couple who both died in 1961.

Besides Nick, Feiring had a sister, Nina, and four other brothers, Rocco, Mike, Joe and Tony. All are dead.

Feiring wants to attend the ceremony and represent the family. But she said her health is too frail to travel from her home in San Marcos, Calif.

“I’ll be thinking about the ceremony,” Feiring said. “Definitely.”

Truth is, even if she could travel, Feiring isn’t sure her presence would be appropriate after years of strained relationships within her family.

The cause of the rift?

In 1957, at age 34, she ran off with her boyfriend, got married and moved to Texas.

She said her family couldn’t accept her husband, Duane Feiring, because he was a non-Italian, non-Catholic, divorced man.

Strike one. Strike two. Strike three.

“They never would have approved ” Feiring said. “They had a feeling that I deserted them. But I wanted my own little girls so bad I could scream.”

She said it was expected within the family that she’d stay and work on the farm alongside her brothers, cooking, cleaning and taking care of them and her parents.

Feiring wanted more. She said she realized that, at her age, her chances of getting married and having a family were dwindling.

Then, like a fairy tale, Duane Feiring entered her life.

The memory is vivid in her mind.

In fact, decades seem to melt away, and she is instantly back in the 10-room farmhouse along U.S. 85-87 where the family moved in 1936 after farming for years in Papeton, an enclave of Italian coal miners. The area now is the Venetian Village neighborhood near Fillmore Street and Nevada Avenue.

Feiring recalled that her Singer sewing machine had broken as she patched a pair of her brother’s overalls.

So she went to town to the Singer Co. store, on Tejon Street at Colorado Avenue, on a Saturday evening to buy a belt for the machine.

“Duane came out of the back room and asked: ‘Have you seen our new sewing machine and vacuum sweeper?’” she said. “He was quite a salesman.”

Feiring wasn’t interested, though, and left with her new belt.

“On Monday, I’m doing the family wash . . . and he showed up with that new sewing machine and vacuum sweeper,” she said. “Duane said it gave him an excuse to come back and see me.”

A year later, in June 1957, Singer promoted him to district manager. But the district was in Texas.

“It was either I join him or forget I ever knew him,” she said.

So she married him and went with him to Texas.

Eventually, they bought a restaurant in Seattle in 1974 and retired to California in 1982. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Before she married and moved to Texas, Mary Ann introduced Nick to her friend, Bambi Marcantonio, who was teaching at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.

After a 27-year courtship, Nick and Bambi were married in 1984.

Feiring is uncomfortable talking about family issues. Despite the rift, she stayed in close touch with her parents, sister and brothers. She said they even reconciled as the years passed.

“I saw them when I came back and talked to them on the phone,” she said. “I saw Tony at the retirement home before he died, and there were no hard feelings. I was still his little sister.”

She last saw Nick in 1997 when she came for a long visit. She said her memories of the family are happy.

“I have fond remembrances,” she said. “We had lots of family gatherings. I think of those good old days. I live with those memories.”

Feiring takes pride in the way the Venetucci family is honored across the city with an elementary school and a boulevard, and now with a statue of Nick.

There is comfort knowing the farmhouse where she cooked over a wood and coal stove, its walls lined with family photos, still remains — hardly changed from when she packed her bags and left to follow her heart.

Even the sewing machine — which led her to the love of her life — still sits where she left it 47 years ago, kind of like a statue of its own, honoring the struggles of a farm family.

Which brings her back to Saturday’s ceremony and her pride at the honors being bestowed on Nick.

“I’d be there if I could,” she said, her voice trailing off. “I sure hope you have a nice day for it.”


THE DETAILS

The bronze statue of pumpkin farmer Nick Venetucci will be unveiled and dedicated at 11 a.m. Saturday on the north lawn of the Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St.

The public is invited.

There will be a flag presentation, singing, and speeches by Vice Mayor Richard Skorman, Widefield School District 3 Superintendent Mark Hatchell and Bambi Venetucci.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Today and tomorrow we're having parent teacher conferences. Today from 7am to 7:30 pm with a break from 11:30 to noon and another from 3 to 4. Tomorrow, 7:30 to 11:00 am. I think I've had maybe a dozen parents come in so far today, mostly AP Statistics, but a few from all my classes. It has been pleasant. Not having freshmen helps with that a bit, and so far I haven't encountered any "unreasonable" adults - but I've also had mostly positive news to share with the ones who have come and that always helps. I like to meet some of the parents.

I'm on Chapter 79 in the Da Vinci Code - yes 79 - the chapters are short; about 150 pages to go so maybe I can finish it this weekend. Update: I finished it!

Well it looks like Laylatul Qadr nights are election night, the fourth and the sixth - all next week. Our union board meeting was cancelled for election night so I hope to get something accomplished that night, but not stay up that late because of work the next day, and then ditto for Thursday. Thursday is the biggie though, so I'll see if I can stay up more, but if I get my act together insha'allah I might be able to get the major a'aamal accomplished all three nights.

My toilet isn't flushing well and my tub isn't draining well and I think I know why. This is so silly.... Last week I opened the bathroom cabinet while the toilet was flushing and knocked a little bottle of lotion out of the cabinet accidentally and I bet you can guess where it went. I couldn't retrieve it. I am hoping the problem works itself out so that I don't have to spend any money or more embarrassment on it. :)

This month of Ramadan I decided not to read the usual Qur'an translations. I've had a poetic one translated by Fadhlullah Nikayin on my shelf that I'd never read cover to cover so I decided, having read Puya/Ali, Yusuf Ali and Pickthall many times and parts of Irving and Shirazi and Light of Holy Qur'an that I'd like to do something different. I don't know if Nikayin's translation is as "scholarly" as the others, but I felt I was familiar enough with the meaning that a unique rendition wouldn't be a problem. It has been really nice, actually, to read it and enjoy the meter and rhyme. And I haven't noticed any big problems with his translation - obviously it isn't word for word in order to accomplish the poetry, but the meaning has been remarkably consistent. I am, however, well behind schedule to accomplish the task of completion by the end of the month. I'm on Surah 8 - The Spoils - so I'd better get going. I think the poetic version is longer (word count) than others, but that's alright.

meeting day

Yesterday I had two union meetings back to back - the association representative meeting and then the board meeting that had been originally scheduled for the week prior. I was feeling tired yesterday so I don't think I was at my best for the meetings.

The AR meetings are getting long because of the Human Resources component - I need to remember to bring that up at the next board meeting to see if there's anything we want to do about it. Basically, some of the people from the district human resources department kindly come to the meetings to address questions. Well, this year the school board has mandated that everyone in the district be trained in CQI - one of those total quality improvement Baldrige system business model thingies - by December. The training is rather poor - it has no application and so people are getting frustrated, feeling like it is being shoved at them and they aren't being given the tools for success, and then at the AR meetings the HR folks gets tons of "questions" complaining about the CQI stuff. Honestly, I'm frustrated with it, too. I have more CQI experience by virtue of being on the union board but I still essentially have no clue how to use it appropriately in my classroom without wasting my time. We get mixed messages - "You must have class mission statements if you want to pass your evaluation." "Mission statements are a waste of time, just use the district mission statement." and so on. CQI has potential to be good, but not if it is top-driven. These kind of things only work if they are driven from the workers, not the other way around.

Well, I am bordering on feeling optimistic about our chances to win the bond/mill levy for some new elementary schools and capital improvements. I feel more positive about it than I did a month ago, but I am still afraid to get my hopes up.

We are starting now trying to find quality, viable school board candidates for '05 since Eric Christen has 'promised' to fill the board with others of his ilk so strongly that he becomes a 'moderate' by comparison.

Something really nice happened last night; Irma Valerio, our VP, suggested that CSEA nominate me for the CEA Johnson award; it is essentially a $1000 cash scholarship for an active CEA member working on an advanced degree. But the application is not just a form, it is a portfolio - lots of work. Anyway, they're going to try for it. If I got it, it would be at the Delegate Assembly in April and there'd be a very short speech involved. Well anyway I thought it was really nice of her to think of me at all, even if I might not really deserve it or get it, it is the thought that counts. Sometimes I think I am really not a very thoughtful person; I can get absorbed in my little world and be rather oblivious to other people sometimes. I mean I'm not an extrovert really, so I'm not always keeping up on everyone's life as much as I should be.

I'm enjoying Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. A co-worker, Hinson, suggested the more cerebral Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell. So maybe I'll go for that one later, or another Dan Brown one. But this is still the month of Ramadan after all and there's other more important, worthwhile reading I should be doing. The Da Vinci Code is just fast fun if you like thriller/spy/mystery/intrigue kind of stuff, which I do.

Yesterday at the AR meeting I was sitting with Fisk from Doherty as I often do, and he said, "So how's the d going?" I was surprised. "How'd you hear about that????" He didn't divulge it immediately, and so I was pondering how many people at work know about stuff I had only told to like two people at work. Then I found he heard it from Tom Watson, another Doherty Spartan, who had happened across my blog in a search on Eric Christen one time and still reads it occasionally. Fisk said the perfect thing, "Well I offer my congratulations and my condolences." I don't realize sometimes who might be hanging around my blog unless they comment. So wow, sometimes I'm writing this and I know it is public and all but it doesn't feel like it, it feels like my own little semi-private corner with feedback.

Well, I gotta go, have a nice day.

stay tuned

Insha'allah in a few days I think I'll have some "big" news to share.

Until then, some "little" news. I didn't finish grading all the tests but they were mediocre from what I could tell. Some kids haven't been paying attention and should have been in to see me. But, I NEVER went in to see a teacher for help, ever. I didn't need to in high school, alhumdooleluh, but in college I was scared out of my wits to. The only courses I ever found not easy were my major courses - physics and math - and I felt if I went for help that meant I shouldn't be majoring in that subject and the profs would think I wasn't good enough. I know now that is stupid, but well, you know.

We were on assembly schedule today. The Air Force Academy rock band called Blue Steel came to perform. Good use of time, eh? It was really a bit of a recruitment gig. Several of the kids seemed to enjoy it though. It was really amusing. These two kids on opposite sides of the gym got into a pop and lock contest (dancing) during the songs - they were really impressive. But it became such a riot that it was pretty much distracting from our guests' performances so admin went up and stopped it I guess. I found out the kids still like Queen. A lot.

But I'm sitting there fasting, trying to find that balance between my job as a teacher to monitor the kids and be there and all this music going. Music is hard for me because I've always really liked music, I grew up with all kinds of music training, etc. If it is there, it is virtually impossible for me not to listen and enjoy it. I tried to focus on what the kids were doing, which was rather entertaining. but again do I need to be watching kids dance and stuff?

I can't remember the last time we had a worthwhile assembly. Oh wait, I don't think we have. Ever. Not that I mind wasting time once in awhile. It is healthy in this CSAP every second on standards era....

books

Well I finished The Handmaid's Tail. Very "interesting" book - almost sci-fi in nature. My friend Laura said it is also a movie, so maybe I'll check for it on Netflix. Kind of open-ended ending; love/hate relationship for me with those.

I just read the first chapter of The DaVinci Code and I can tell already it's gonna be GOOD! So I am excited to read it.

Had to write graduate paper stuff tonight and some more tomorrow night. Stuff I already know - brain research and technology stuff.

AP Stat test and Geometry test tomorrow - I'm worried, because I'm not sure the kids are ready but I've gotta move on, the train is leaving the station. I hope they'll do better than they think are going to. I sense there's been a lack of studying and some procrastinating going on, and generally being busy with other stuff - you know, life.

I raked my back yard yesterday - it was covered with golden orange pine needles, which now sit in piles in the back of the yard. It was a beautiful! day for it.

A lady in my department is out of town the rest of the work for a conference. So, I'm teaching her IMP class and her sub is taking my mastery class since the former requires training to handle well and the latter is more or less busy work/ classroom management stuff. I forgot to tell the kids because I forgot she was leaving today. I don't feel prepared for her class yet, but we'll manage through well enough, insha'allah. I'm more worried about the sub in the computer lab with my class, a few of which can be hooliganish at times....

This Saturday I'm supposed to go to an NAACP dinner - a fancy, dress-up affair that includes the president of the National Education Association (NEA), Reg Weaver
and of course, food. It is late enough for me to eat, so i'm kind of looking forward to it, but I don't know what to expect. It's a union thing that I'm going - the union bought a bunch of tickets. I heard Reg in action when I went to the NEA Representative Assembly in New Orleans two summers ago, in which about 9000 teachers vote the NEA agenda, etc., - thus making itself the largest democratic legislative body in the world. He has a crazy infectious laugh.

A yip-yap dog on the street behind me barked/yipped incessantly last night from when I went into my bedroom at 8 something and was still going at it, without break, when I got up at 5. Went into my room tonight and incessant high-pitched hysterical yip-yapping continues. Wow, it can be hard to ignore and really frustrating when you're trying to sleep. I hope someone doesn't shoot that dog; that's been known to happen around here now and then.

Ramadhan Mubarak!

I hope we can benefit from the holy month so that at the end we are in a better spiritual state than at the state, with sins forgiven and renewed spiritual focus and drive.

I think it is strange now that before I converted to islam I had never fasted. I think it is worthwhile experience that everyone should try for at least a few days, unless health problems prevent it. It really has a lot of benefits. It would be interesting to hear about the reaction from anyone who tries to fast for the first time with no food or water from dawn (about 5:30) to dusk (about 6:45). If anyone decides to try it, please Tag and let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts of the experience. Some churches do fasting solidarity days with Muslims in their community. And some churches have also done hijab solidarity days where the women wear hijab for a day or two and go about their business. I think that is a nice idea.

Well I'm feeling tired so maybe more later.

Observed

The assistant principal came for the obligatory observation yesterday. She came to AP Statistics so behavior problems weren't going to be a problem. I was fortunate that she really liked the lesson. I didn't have a chance to do anything "special", AP schedule is pretty tight so I was just doing what I'd normally do. She liked it so much she said she would probably be sending a few other teachers to my class to observe how to run an active learning classroom. That's cool, because that means I'm probably pretty safe re: getting off the required 3 - yr. probationary status. I just hope whoever she sends in to observe doesn't get upset about the whole thing and that I don't disappoint, either.

I'm still working on getting caught up on grading - that is a never ending chore. But the quarter ends Friday so I need to get to a good stopping point.

Tomorrow that crazy rated R puppet movie is coming out. I'm kind of curious to see if that is what my mom picks for us to watch. Also, the month of Ramadan may be starting tomorrow and if not then Saturday. I've been fasting quite a bit the past few weeks already. Every food tastes sooo good when you're hungry, but then you get full sooo fast when you're fasting, too.

Math Night (IMP) and cool fish and hijab rocks

Just got home from math night. It was for parents of students in the IMP program. I think it went well. Parents seemed to understand how the program works and appreciate it better at the end of the evening.

Got my car back, too. Apparently some plugs needed to be replaced and a valve needed to be cleaned - not too expensive (woo hoo)!



With France, some states in Germany, Turkey, Tunisia and other places banning hijab and other women having daily struggled to wear hijab and work or not be harassed for it, I just feel like saying to these women, "Right on!" I feel very fortunate to work where I do right now where I feel supported in being myself.



I just thought this fish with license plate scales was sooooo cool - apparently it is just outside of Grand Junction, CO.

Random thoughts:

Didn't you find it odd to go watch the Bond movie "Licence to Kill" with the British spelling of licence (vs. license)? It makes sense I guess but I still found it odd to look at the word. I remember taking a Canadian correspondence course once and being marked off for spelling color as I just did instead of colour or theater instead of theatre. I thought it was pretty funny, especially because the course had nothing to do with spelling.

I've seen two coyotes in the past week around town - neato!

I was driving behind a van with one of those DVD players. I found it really distracting because instead of watching the road I was trying to figure out what was playing on the DVD.

Coronado on MTV

My high school is featured on a show on MTV airing right now. It is about a senior prank to close school two years ago. If you're interested it airs at the following times (all times Eastern): Tue 10/12 4:00 PM Wed 10/13 4:00 PM Thu 10/14 4:00 PM Fri 10/15 12:30 AM Fri 10/15 1:00 AM Fri 10/15 1:30 AM Fri 10/15 4:00 PM Sat 10/16 3:00 AM Sat 10/16 3:30 AM Sat 10/16 4:00 AM Sat 10/16 4:30 AM Sat 10/16 5:00 AM Sat 10/16 5:30 AM Sat 10/16 7:00 AM Sat 10/16 7:30 AM Sat 10/16 8:00 AM Sun 10/17 7:00 AM Sun 10/17 7:30 AM Sun 10/17 8:00 AM Sun 10/17 8:30 AM Mon 10/18 4:00 PM Tue 10/19 4:00 PM

Superman

Oct 12, 1:56 PM EDT

Reeve Championed Spinal Cord Research

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
AP Medical Writer





Christopher Reeve often said he wanted to be known for something other than playing Superman. But it was real life - not another movie role - that gave the actor the chance to star in his biggest drama: as a spinal cord injury victim championing research in hope that people like him would someday be able to walk again.

"He put a human face on the dreams," said Daniel Perry, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research. "He used his star power as a celebrity for a great good that transcends anything that most of us will ever achieve."

Reeve died Sunday after developing a serious bloodstream infection from a bedsore, a common problem for paralyzed people. He went into cardiac arrest Saturday at his home in Pound Ridge, N.Y., then fell into a coma, dying the next day at a hospital.

As an actor and a man, Reeve embodied strength and athleticism and performed his own movie stunts, including his 1978 starring role as Superman. It made him famous but he longed to, as he often put it, "escape the cape" and take on other characters.

Other movies and plays gave him that chance, but nothing compared to the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him with a broken neck. His passionate efforts for science, often as he wheezed from a respirator in his wheelchair, are his greatest legacy, admirers said. Reeve never walked again but his dream of doing so is now a plausible one for thousands of others who are paralyzed.

"The biggest hope is in biological research to allow the spinal cord to heal itself and even regenerate. That's just over the horizon but closer than ever before. Most people feel within the next 10 to 15 years, somewhere within our lifetimes," said Dr. Jack Ziegler, president of the American Spinal Injury Association.

Some even thought it would come in time for Reeve.

"I thought it was going to happen," said Dr. Doug Kerr, a Johns Hopkins University neurologist who works with stem cells - controversial research that Reeve advocated.

"It was Star Wars science fiction, this concept of rewiring the nervous system," but Reeve "thrust this field forward by leaps and bounds," Kerr said.

Reeve endured years of therapy to allow him to breathe for longer periods without a respirator while seeking a cure that would allow him to walk again. He sparked hope even in many skeptics in 2000, when he was able to move an index finger. He thrust himself harder into workouts to strengthen his legs and arms, and electrical stimulation of his muscles allowed him to sporadically regain sensation in some other parts of his body.

As Reeve transformed his body, he also morphed into an advocate, first for better benefits for people with long-term disabilities, and then for science to help the 250,000 Americans who suffer paralysis. The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation has given $40 million to spinal cord research since he merged it with the American Paralysis Foundation in 1999.

Some of that has been for embryonic stem cell research, a promising but contentious field of medicine that the Bush administration has severely restricted because it involves destroying embryos. Scientists think these early, all-purpose cells can be coaxed to form nerves and specialized tissues to repair a host of woes.

Reeve and fellow actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, have helped make stem cells a major campaign issue between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry. Kerry even mentioned Reeve during the second presidential debate on Friday and praised him Monday in remarks before a speech in Santa Fe, N.M.

"He was an inspiration to all of us and gave hope to millions of Americans who are counting on lifesaving cures that science and research can provide," Kerry said. "In part because of his work, millions will one day walk again."

At Hopkins, research a few years ago demonstrated that stem cells could allow paralyzed mice and rats to do just that.

"This is one of the most difficult tasks you can ask a stem cell to do - to rewire, to extend axons and to form new connections at great distances to restore function," said Kerr. "We're clearly getting there."

Reeve "appropriately brought a sense of urgency to this issue," said Perry head of the research coalition, which favors stem cell science. "On Capitol Hill he was such a highly regarded figure and was so focused on the message."

A research center on paralytic spinal cord injuries, the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, was established in Reeve's name at the University of California, Irvine.

"He was such an immense personality, such a force in the field," said Dr. Oswald Stewart, the center's director. "He created an enthusiasm for what we do in the lab."

Reeve also reached out to people beyond those with spinal cord injuries.

"He was able to inspire hope in patients with diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease ... tragic and life-threatening conditions that face tens of millions of Americans," Perry said.

© 2004 The Associated Press.

Cars

Occasionally the engine light comes on in my Saturn. Normally this is nothing to be concerned about because it comes on every so many miles automatically or it can mean I got a bad tank of gas, etc. Well, Saturday I drove to the post office and it acted funny, it almost died as I pulled in and I had to push down the gas when I pulled out to get it going. So, something is up seeing as I never had to do that before. I didn't drive it the rest of the day because I was worried about it dying on me.

Laura came over Saturday evening and we ate at a Vietnamese restaurant and watched Spellbound. My brother walked in to the restaurant coincidentally and bothered us for awhile waiting for his take out order.

Sunday I went up to his house and worked with him to replace the alternator on my old car that we're now sharing. It was really hard to get out - we had it totally disconnected but it still didn't "fit" out until we started to take it apart into pieces. It was mildly fun to replace the alternator but man it really helps to have the right tools and man strength.

Then we had lunch for my dad's birthday - egg noodle soup and sourdough bread.

Afterwards my brother wanted me to go with him to look at trucks. That took up the rest of the afternoon - including eating a fish taco - much better than I thought it would be. Watched Enterprise in the evening - it was "ok". Brent Spiner will be on it in a few weeks - kind of looks like he is playing an evil dude, so we'll see perhaps.

Month of Ramadan starts this weekend so trying to get psyched up for that.

Supposed to be observed today for teaching but we'll see on that too....

I have a cache less than a quarter mile from where her body was found....

Fountain police want more help from tipster





By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD - THE GAZETTE


FOUNTAIN - Someone knew what had happened to Lynn Marie Morris.

Two-and-a-half months before her decomposed body was recovered from a back yard in Fountain, police there were receiving anonymous calls suggesting they check on her.

It was another tip, an anonymous caller to Crime Stoppers on Sept. 7, that led to her body. That discovery led to first-degree murder charges against her son, Joseph Daniel Morris, 27, and his wife, Rebecca Dawn Morris, 22.

Now police are asking the unknown person who called Crime Stoppers, likely the same who called police twice earlier, to come forward and help them with their case.

“Every once in a while we run into a situation like we have here when we really need someone to come forward and give up their anonymity,” Fountain Police Chief John Morse said in a news conference Thursday night.

Morse said police have positively identified the body as Lynn Morris, and he laid out events that led to the arrests.

Police received calls about the 46-year-old woman July 22 and Aug. 25. Both times, an officer went to the home she shared with her son and daughter-in-law and was told Lynn Morris was in rehabilitation and couldn’t be reached.

“We weren’t really all that happy with the answers,” Morse said. “The officer doing the investigations felt there was something that was not fitting together.”

But, he added, “We did not get any indication on those calls that she’d been killed and buried in the back yard.”

That came with the Sept. 7 Crime Stoppers call, and police immediately got a warrant to take cadaver dogs through the yard behind 11 Sunnyland Loop.

“We didn’t have enough (evidence) to start digging, but we did have enough to walk through the back yard,” he said.

The dogs turned up nothing, so police began to trace the woman’s Social Security checks. They noticed the signatures changed in July, and when the October check arrived, they followed Joseph Morris as he went to a bank to cash it, Morse said.

He and his wife were arrested Saturday, the same day Lynn Morris’s body was recovered.

Morse said they don’t know the motive for the killing, and police hope the anonymous tipster can help with information.

Crime Stoppers operates under strict guidelines to keep tipsters’ identities secret.

“If that person elects to remain anonymous, we’ll do the best we can with what we have,” Morse said.

Morse said investigators do not believe the tipster is involved in the crime. Though both Joseph and Rebecca Morris told police a third person strangled Lynn Morris, Morse said investigators believe there was nobody else involved.

Remnants of a methamphetamine lab were found with Morris’s body.

A step in the right direction

I've been seeing signs on the interstate for this all week. I doubt it will be much success because it still is pretty steep in price and way under advertised. All week people have been wondering what the heck FREX is.... But I think we need more things like this.

Come on and take a free ride

By ELENA BROWN - THE GAZETTE


The signs stretch along I-25 from as far north as Briargate and as far south as Fort Carson. They announce FREX.

FREX?

It’s the Front Range Express commuter shuttle, which begins service Monday. Officials expect the buses to complete the journey from Colorado Springs to the RTD light rail station on Denver’s 18th Street in one hour and 45 minutes.

To encourage ridership, rides are free the first week. Beginning Oct. 18, it will cost $12 round-trip from Colorado Springs to Denver.

“We hope they give it a try,” FREX assistant manager Ryan Hiatt said.

The commuter service comes as the Colorado Springs City Council is considering cutting some bus routes outside city limits. The FREX program, underwritten by a federal grant, is a three-year project trying to lessen traffic and pollution along the Front Range.

After the three years, FREX must prove it is able to run without the subsidy.

FREX will serve Fountain, Colorado Springs, Monument, Castle Rock and Denver. The buses will begin at 4:55 a.m. and run until 8:45 p.m., making no more than two stops to pick up passengers.

Round-trip ticket prices range from $4 to $12. Prices range from $27 to $180 for ticket packets of 10, 20 and 40 rides.The 13 buses will offer bike racks, luggage space and wireless Internet services.

Dr.

Well I was a good girl today and went to the doctor for the first time since January 2002 - at least that's what my doctor said. When I took bcp it was easy to get in every year at least for a pap or else you wouldn't be able to keep up your prescription. My doctor moved and she is now waaaaaaay up on the North end of town. But I guess it is worth it - I like her as my doctor. She's a DO and I'm partial to DO's as opposed to MD's, having grown up going to one.

I had the usual tests done and got a tetanus shot and a prescription for new shoe lifts because one leg is shorter than the other and as I age the problems that causes me are increasing - lots of bone/joint/muscle problems. So we'll see what I can manage to afford and wear when I take that prescription in. The blood test lady managed to do it relatively painlessly; I was impressed. The doctor was a bit surprised I had fasted all day so that they could do the blood tests after work but I just explained to her the month of Ramadan is about a week away - I'm just getting ready!

I participated in the dress up for today at school because I actually had clothes that work. It was Western day and I wore a Wrangler plaid button up shirt with a tan/brown skirt and goat roper boots with a country-ish scarf and my silver scarf slide. This one boy came in this morning wearing TIGHT Wranglers for the Western look - it was hilarious - the poor kid could barely sit down! But I guess he has plenty of school spirit. :)

Homecoming Week

Well it is homecoming at Coronado High School. Yesterday was flashback day so students dressed up in previous era fare. The '80's and '60's seemed particularly popular. Today is sports day. These two boys in my first hour class are wearing old track uniforms with those short shorts and head bands - it is pretty funny. Most kids are wearing jerseys. Tomorrow is Western day, Thursday is rap and rock star day and Friday is school color day. The parade, dance and game are Saturday. I gracefully bowed out of dance duty this time around - last year I had to chaperone the Luau dance - wow in just the 10 or 11 years since I was in school the dancing has changed a lot - it is all bump and grind now mostly - it looks pretty much like MTV. I don't need to see that again this year, I think I've gotten my fill for awhile.

I need to bring in my camera - I forgot two days already.

In AP Stats this morning I gave a quiz that had the key attached. Actually I forgot to take it off and it was pretty funny watching the kids take the quiz once they realized the key was on it. No one wanted to ask me if I meant to do it or if I knew about it. Call it a homecoming gift. :) They had a big sigh of relief when I made the comment to them at the end of the class, "Well, everyone should have a really good grade on this quiz, right?" Ha ha ha. I don't know that I should bother grading them really, I'll probably just give everyone the A.

Weekend Events

Friday mom and I saw Ladder 49. It was actually a very good movie, I was impressed by Joaquin Phoenix's acting. It has quite a bit of humor in it, but it is definitely a heavy movie, so be forewarned. I watched another heavy movie Saturday - I watched Cold Mountain. It's been sitting at my house from Netflix for months and I finally watched it. It was good. I wasn't quite convinced by Jude Law's take as a southerner or the whole relationship anyway and I suspect the book is better than the movie.

Saturday morning I had breakfast at the Waffle House with a lady from work and then we did our walking for the bond/mill levy campaign. The neighborhood we had to distribute literature was a nice, peaceful neighborhood. I've done this in lots of kind of scary neighborhoods so this was nice for a change.

Saturday evening my nephew came over to watch Star Wars - my friends Laura and Byron gave it to me because they bought the DVD. I took him home after it ended. But it was funny watching him watch it - he liked all the fighting scenes best.

Sunday I did a few house things after walking with mom - crawled under the house to change the filter on the heater (icky), cleaned the gutters (icky again), closed up the swamp cooler for winter and stuff like that.

This morning we had a power outage at school for about half an hour. We were hoping it would last long enough to get to go home, but that didn't work out. :)

I had a nice quiet birthday, alhumdooleluh. I got two cards in the mail from friends, plus some e-mail/blog Happy Birthdays, too. I got clothes, a coin, cool coasters and flowers. And I slept in! I really appreciated the thoughtfulness of my friends and family just thinking of me/ remembering me. A lot of them are more thoughtful than I am.

My foster father is anti-birthday. He always says to me, "Why should anyone be happy on a birthday, it is just a mark of being closer to death." He thinks it should be a reminder of Hereafter and not a cause for celebration. I can see his point, but I tend to be a little more moderate and look at birthdays as a chance to remember your friends and family, too.

I had spaghetti dinner at my mom's with mom and dad and my brother and his family and Laura and Byron. I'm glad we all got together. Any event with all of my brother's family is kind of a wild affair with his three kids and my brother and his wife's personalities. It is unlikely to be a quiet thing with them around. The dinner is my excuse for not watching the presidential debates although I probably wouldn't have watched them anyway.

I need to get going off to work so that if any disasters happened with the sub I have a few minutes to try to pull things together. But I'm glad its Friday. For some reason this year at school has been pretty tiring - more so than last year. I think it is that I am teaching all new classes, perhaps. But I am enjoying the AP Statistics although it is a bit rough sailing the first year - no one in our district has ever taught it before so these poor kids get all the "Sorry I didn't know that wouldn't work" mistakes. A few of the students told one of the counselors some really nice things about that class though and apparently they like my teaching so that's good and was nice to hear about. Sometimes, a teacher does some things better when she doesn't know what she's doing because she understands better where the needs of the students are. When a teacher knows everything super well sometimes she can be unaware of the needs of the students as individuals seeing everything for the first time. It takes experience and practice.

Last night a friend sent me a link with this picture. I am fascinated by Mars and so I thought this was a really cool picture - in it you can see the evidence of our human presence on Mars!



Have a nice day!