" The Dog says to Jeanette - sounds like you also have a personal agenda at the expense of tax payers. Let me tell you somethng about the cars setting on people's property, not public property. I have one I want to sell to a junk yard, I have called several only one agreed to buy it and they wanted me to sign a blank power of attorney with the DMV, which meant they could in fact fill in the blanks and obtain title to any vehicle I have registered. No thanks what I want to sell is a 1985 not my 2003 vehicle. The second yard I have called is local and I have called three times being told they would come and look at it and to date no one has shown up. So Jeanette it isn't always the vehicle owner's fault that it continues to set there. Funny thing is this vehicle runs has four tires full of air, it just won't pass the ridiculous smog laws you help to pass, when the newer vehicles emit more smog than it does. That diesel train also emits more emissions. "

" The Dog says to Jeanette - however if you do read my blogs, I not only don't want to silence the trains, I want an entire new city council that cares about what you and I both want. Not their own personal agendas and profiteering. Not to mention that hometown boy attorney they just made exceptionally wealthy who didn't even need their help. But I am hoping with people publicly denouncing his law firm and demanding the money he stole from the city be returned that things just might shake up a little and get things back on track, no pun intended. So if you really care submit your request for a complete investigation of the council members, City Attorney, City Manager to the grand jury immediately. Before they spend $3,000,000,00 on silencing the horns on Burlington Northern and Amtrak and someone ends up dead because of it. Those warning horns were put on those trains for a purpose and yes they are loud because it has been determined by safety commissions they need to be as loud as possible to save lives. No one addresses this part of this issue. "

" is the old fire truckloads of school kids they take around town. They encourage these kids to scream their little hearts out at people walking down the street so they will wave at them. It's cute about the first 20 times and then it starts to get annoying - fast. I work downtown and in the summertime it gets especially bad. Also, I worry that this screaming will startle a motorist and cause an accident. But I'm sure I'll get a bunch of responses telling me to let the kids have their fun. To them I say - try working downtown and see how much fun it gets to be day after day. "

" The gentlemen you speak of lives EASTof the tracks. The trains have become worse in the past few years, forget about where you live, its the train heard 'round the community! The nuisance extends to to the emergency vehicles inability to have an available alternate route.
Trains weren't this bad even a year ago---thank you double tracks.
P.S. More than a "few"residents have considered this a quality of life issue.

P.P.S Watchdog...chill out.You sound like a wacky conspiracy theorist. "

" Good luck with the removal of shopping carts. Had one in my street. Soon as I saw it lying in the road, I called the stores 800 number, about getting it picked up. OK they said we are on it.

1 week later and 3 more calls it was still there. Another week, 2 calls and 2 requests at the store to pick it up. Still there.

3rd week it has gone. Don't know if they came and got it, or it the local kids have found a better place to play with it.

Funny it took the store so long to collect the green plastic cart. Wonder if it was because they have just replaced them all with new red metal ones.

Well done Savemart on responding so fast. "

" To Points of clarity wrote on May 10,2008 8:05 P.M. - Wacky Conspiracy Theorist aye, well wacky probably it must be those darn trains making all that noise, I just can't sleep or think or drink. I liken it to Water Boarding Torture. Now does that sound better Mr. Clarity?
I just think all these complaints about train noise are much ado about nothing from citizens who recently bought homes in the area find themselves upside down in the payments versus value and want something to complain about. How is that for a theory, works for me and I'm sure for a lot of long term people who've vested alot more time and work into this little community of ours. if those trains are more frequent, it might be because diesel fuel is at an all time high and companies like JB Hunt and all the others are shipping piggy back by rail more and more because of it. It's that darned old economy theory ship it fast and cheap, you ever hear of that one Mr. Clarity? All your goods now are being provided to you by those noisey trains and trucks. "

" To Points of clarity wrote on May 10,2008 8:05 P.M. - I have another theory too, people who use terms like clarity to inspire their columns and posts are usually bogged down in the merky water of all of societies problems and are just looking for an outlet to spout out their opinion. Which is fine that is part of why this blog exists just please be up front about it instead of taking jabs at people who've blogged a little while longer than you have. Now when you are ready to talk about our arsenic infected water and the sulfur smelling showers we all have to take with the smell of garlic and cheese thrown in, I'd love to have a chat with you. The sulfur isn't a treatment it is a result of the additives and manufacturing of diesel and gasoline for over forty years over on third street. God only knows what the result of the water hogging ethanol plant will be in forty years, but I doubt I'll be here to worry about it. Happy Blogging Clarity!!!! "

" To Points of clarity wrote on May 10,2008 8:05 P.M. - Why do you suppose BP closed down the manufacturing facility once they looked over what they had purchased. They saw the environmental impact problems connected with that outdated prehistoric dinosuar. You have a leak in a mini mart you spend millions to clean it up, you have a refinery close you spend nothing to clean it up. I recall coming to work one morning and do to a communication problem thousand of gallons of diesel and gasoline were pumped underground out onto the city streets because the requested fuel for the jobber on the corner was filled twice in the same night. The tanks overflowed and poof their was gas and diesel standing in the streets at llth Avenue and Davis Streets. One of the largest spills in history and nothing was done to clean it up, it drained into the city sewer system and that was it. Fire trucks were called to try and dillute it. Now according to the DOT anything over 50 gallons is considered a hazardous spill and must be properly cleaned up. "

" To Points of clarity wrote on May 10,2008 8:05 P.M. - Spill more than 50 gallons you better get out your check book cause it is gonna cost ya. Just a little something for you to think about? Now see train whistles don't seem so important anymore do they. Oh by the way the first responders to what I told you about, Hanford Police Department. You never even read an article in the paper about it. "

" By the way for history purposes it was called Caminol before it became Beacon, BP, Shamrock, Vallero Bros. "

" watchdog
you are exactly right i can not believe how stupid i was to think that common sense would prevail.i now think that the train horn should not only honk at empty intersections,but any time its moving.you never know when somebody might jump on the tracks.it should be louder too.who cares about the quality of life for the residents of hanford,the city you seem to care so much about.to all the people who live or own buisneses by the tracks dont worry your property value should rise due to the increased safety. "

" Carl.,

Oh now the truth finally arrives this isn't about quality of life it is the ability to sell your home/business that concerns you? You know it's amazing houses and businesses have sold in this community for at least 57 years that I know of and it isn't the Train Whistle that is tearing down the property values.

Carl, there was this little thing back not long ago called creative financing and several dishonest mortgage companies talked people into the give me all the money now you have and I'll raise your interest rates next year, when you have even less money. That set about foreclosures in epic proportion which has driven the property values down in every area of the country, not just your town of Hanford. Everyone is dealing with this sad situation. But the Real Estate people tell me it should all change in about six or seven more years to the way you liked it. So just grab your ear plugs and hang on till then, o.k.

Quality of life is damaged significantly the new book of Carl. Buy two and put them over your ears. "

" Carl,
There are quiet zones coming into being shortly in other towns perhaps you could sell your business and your house and relocate into one of those areas where the property value is gonna sky rocket because they have a better quality of life.

Be sure and send us a Post Card and let us know how you're getting along.

Has he packed his leather bags and put on his fur necked collar and left yet? He probably stamps all his checks with a Save the Whales stamp left over from the 70's. "

" To The Dog,
The truth is I own a home, but not a home or buisness by the tracks. I manage to make my payments on time according to the agreed upon terms. As for the foreclosure crisis, it's not the mortgage companies fault. People surprisingly do not read contracts in their entirety before signing them. Also there are people who make plenty of money to pay their mortgage and choose not to...correctional officers...because their payments and gas prices for their F350 Diesel, motorcycle, and boat are too high. As far as saving the whales, I happen to like the taste of whale... goes great with spoted wood owl. I can't honestly say that I slept better on a ship then in Hanford. I can say that I don't have as much time to continulry write about this around the clock as I do have a life, so this will be my last post. Simply stop the train horn, when it isn't necessary. It doesn't cost money to blow the train horn and it and it shouldn't cost to stop it. "