Meeks Bay Fire District

The mayor's office received a request that the budget of the MB district be closely scrutinized for excessive spending on salaries and benefits. A copy of the 2009/2010 was requested and the numbers will be looked at and analyzed. A report will be made to the citizen who made the request.

Safety Alert
Days are getting shorter and nighttime temps are beginning to approach freezing. Driving habits must adjust to the seasonal changes in road conditions. drive carefully!

FIREWOOD ADVISORY
Residents are stocking up for winter with firewood. Remember: a cord of wood= a tightly stacked load of cut wood that measures 4'X 4' X 8'. This measure is not "nominal". In other words, anything less than these measurements is a "short cord".
Lately, much of the wood sold in the basin, in Truckee, and in South Lake comes from the Valley. Much of it is almond wood that comes from old orchards. Unfortunately, much of the wood is cut short, ie. under 16". The results are a high percentage of pieces that measure less than 16". At 4 feet across, or 3X 16"end to end=48"=4'. It seems it is rare to find a cut piece that actually measures 16". The net result is a high % of smaller pieces in the 12"-14" range. This means that the customer is being shorted 15-25%! This is never balanced by a high % of pieces measuring over 16".
So, use your tape measure, don't accept a"cord" that is short. If you pay $350.+ tax for a full cord-MEASURE IT! If it's short- tell the CHEATER to put it back on the truck or pay them $275+ tax.
A survey and its results will be posted next week. NO SHORT CORDS IN TAHOMA in 2010.