Friday, June 9, 2017
Monday, June 5, 2017
Good Stuff
Poldark and Monk
By John Brown, The Man
For all of you longing for just one more season of Downton Abbey, I’ve found a new series from the BBC I think you’ll enjoy (thank you Duane Robinson for the recommendation).
It’s called Poldark and is set in the late 1700s in Cornwall, that little southwestern leg of England that juts out into the Atlantic. The dark-haired and handsome Ross Poldark returns to England after having fought in the American War of Independence and finds that his father has died, and he’s inherited the estate. Except the estate is in ruins.
The house, which is a long way from being anything grand, is a mess and being inhabited by the deceased father’s last two servants. A man and a wife who are equal parts louts and lushes. The land isn’t producing. The mine is closed. And Poldark has very little money.
By the way, when we think of British aristocracy, we most often think of dances and fine clothing and large tracts of lands. We seldom think of mines. But Cornwall has been mining tin for a very long time, and so were its lords. In fact, Cornwall was known outside of the Isles anciently, and some historians suggest that Cornwall was probably selling tin to the seafaring Greeks and Phoenicians many hundreds of years B.C.
So our young and handsome lord has come home to a mess and very little money. But he immediately sets about trying to repair things. And what unfolds is a wonderful story with love, action, humor, injustice, and villains plotting Poldark’s downfall.
We loved Downton in part for the refinement and high society (and Lady Grantham’s hilarious one-liners). However, Poldark isn’t about the top of the aristocracy. It’s about a man almost at the bottom. And many of those of the lower class who are his friends. There’s a refreshing earthiness about it even while you still have scenes of the high society and all that goes with it.
We just finished the first season and are hooked. In fact, I stood up and cheered at the end of the last episode we watched. So if you love English historicals, you’re going to enjoy Poldark.
The humorous detective series Monk debuted in 2002 and ran for eight seasons. It was a huge hit. But because I’m a cave dweller I didn’t get to it until now. But, boy, I’m happy I did.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat. Monk is one of those brilliant detectives like Patrick Jane in The Mentalist or Sherlock Holmes who sees all sorts of details that so many others miss. But unlike those guys, Monk has obsessive-compulsive disorder plus a number of phobias
And so he can’t just walk in and stun everyone with his brilliance because at any moment he might get sidetracked straightening pictures or moving lamps or trying to avoid germs. In one funny scene he’s being chased on foot by someone intent on killing him, and he can’t help but touch the poles as he runs by. However, he’s not all helpless because he’s hired a female nurse, Sharona Fleming, to help him. And the interaction between the two of them adds another enjoyable dimension.
And so you get to experience all the awe of watching someone like Sherlock solve crimes plus laugh along the way. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud during a number of episodes.
If you like The Mentalist, Elementary, or Psych, I think you’ll really enjoy Monk.
By John Brown, The Man
For all of you longing for just one more season of Downton Abbey, I’ve found a new series from the BBC I think you’ll enjoy (thank you Duane Robinson for the recommendation).
It’s called Poldark and is set in the late 1700s in Cornwall, that little southwestern leg of England that juts out into the Atlantic. The dark-haired and handsome Ross Poldark returns to England after having fought in the American War of Independence and finds that his father has died, and he’s inherited the estate. Except the estate is in ruins.
The house, which is a long way from being anything grand, is a mess and being inhabited by the deceased father’s last two servants. A man and a wife who are equal parts louts and lushes. The land isn’t producing. The mine is closed. And Poldark has very little money.
By the way, when we think of British aristocracy, we most often think of dances and fine clothing and large tracts of lands. We seldom think of mines. But Cornwall has been mining tin for a very long time, and so were its lords. In fact, Cornwall was known outside of the Isles anciently, and some historians suggest that Cornwall was probably selling tin to the seafaring Greeks and Phoenicians many hundreds of years B.C.
So our young and handsome lord has come home to a mess and very little money. But he immediately sets about trying to repair things. And what unfolds is a wonderful story with love, action, humor, injustice, and villains plotting Poldark’s downfall.
We loved Downton in part for the refinement and high society (and Lady Grantham’s hilarious one-liners). However, Poldark isn’t about the top of the aristocracy. It’s about a man almost at the bottom. And many of those of the lower class who are his friends. There’s a refreshing earthiness about it even while you still have scenes of the high society and all that goes with it.
We just finished the first season and are hooked. In fact, I stood up and cheered at the end of the last episode we watched. So if you love English historicals, you’re going to enjoy Poldark.
The humorous detective series Monk debuted in 2002 and ran for eight seasons. It was a huge hit. But because I’m a cave dweller I didn’t get to it until now. But, boy, I’m happy I did.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat. Monk is one of those brilliant detectives like Patrick Jane in The Mentalist or Sherlock Holmes who sees all sorts of details that so many others miss. But unlike those guys, Monk has obsessive-compulsive disorder plus a number of phobias
And so he can’t just walk in and stun everyone with his brilliance because at any moment he might get sidetracked straightening pictures or moving lamps or trying to avoid germs. In one funny scene he’s being chased on foot by someone intent on killing him, and he can’t help but touch the poles as he runs by. However, he’s not all helpless because he’s hired a female nurse, Sharona Fleming, to help him. And the interaction between the two of them adds another enjoyable dimension.
And so you get to experience all the awe of watching someone like Sherlock solve crimes plus laugh along the way. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud during a number of episodes.
If you like The Mentalist, Elementary, or Psych, I think you’ll really enjoy Monk.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Bear Lake Marathon
Bear Lake Marathon
June 15, 2017 7:00 am - June 17, 2017 3:00 pm
Water's Edge Resort, Garden City
The Water's Edge Resort Bear Lake Marathon weekend is fast becoming one of America's favorite destination races for those seeking to become members of the 50 State Club. By completing three races in three states in three days (all with minimal travel between races) runners can check off three states at once.
Teachers To Receive Raises
Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. May 17, 2017 The preliminary budget for 2017/18 was discussed at the Rich School Board meeting. There will be a 4% increase in salaries for teachers with a 7.5% increase for health insurance costs. They will also offer 4 additional teacher in-service days. Beginning teacher salary is now at $41,000 plus benefits which is about the same as some Salt Lake districts. Park City is offering a beginning wage of over $50,000.
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. May 17, 2017 The preliminary budget for 2017/18 was discussed at the Rich School Board meeting. There will be a 4% increase in salaries for teachers with a 7.5% increase for health insurance costs. They will also offer 4 additional teacher in-service days. Beginning teacher salary is now at $41,000 plus benefits which is about the same as some Salt Lake districts. Park City is offering a beginning wage of over $50,000.
Certified employees will receive a 4% raise and the district
would make up the health insurance increase differential.
There will be an increase in the voted leeway which will
require truth in taxation notices. But
even though the district will increase taxes the overall rate will not go
up. It is a shift of taxes. In
June the actual estimate of property valuation will come in. If there is a lot of new growth, a primary
home of $200,000 value will have a tax increase of $7 per year and a secondary
home $13. The tax increase will be
larger if there is not a lot of new growth.
Board member Bryce Huefner said that in the audit meeting
the board was informed that the district spent over $200,000 more than funding. One of the reasons for raising fees as well
as taxes is to not make more debt for the district.
Truth in taxation hearings will be in August. The dates of the hearings will be published
in newspapers, and will also be in tax notices.
The June 21 meeting will follow the budget hearing which
will be at 6:30 p.m. in Randolph.
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