Friday, January 20, 2006

Balloon Track or Tract?

We've been over this before some time ago, but the question remains: I say it should be called the Balloon TracT. All the local papers I've read keep referring to it as the Balloon TracK. Eureka Reporter Editor, Glenn Franco- Simmons told me the Times- Standard used to use TracT, when he worked there but that changed after he left. I remember seeing it called the TracT when I first read about it in the T-S.

I'm told it should be called the TracK because the railroad tracKs on the property are laid out in a balloon shape. I say it should be called the TracT because they're referring to a tracT of land, although earlier on I was erroneously under the impression the tracT itself was balloon shaped. Thanks to Hank Sims for setting me straight on that. Nope. It's still the Balloon TracT. When we talk about this issue, we're talking about uses for a tracT of land. We're not discussing turning the railroad tracKs into a bike path, as some have suggested doing for the tracKs between Eureka and Arcata.

Enough said. It's showtime, folks: The T-S' weekly online opinion poll asks whether it should be the Balloon TracT or TracK. A little while ago TracT was winning by 5 votes; 76 to 71. You can cast your vote by going to the Times- Standard web site and going to the Local News page. Poll should be on the right. Poll ends Saturday or Sunday, I believe, so time is short.

8 Comments:

At 10:24 AM, Blogger Hank Sims said...

Keep on fighting the good fight, Fred!

 
At 10:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aerial photos make it look more like Ted Kennedy in the buff. It should therefore be designated "The Mary Jo Kopeckne Track"

 
At 11:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yawn......

 
At 11:28 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

You too, Hank. Ok, let's hold hands and all together now; Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...

 
At 11:48 AM, Blogger Anon.R.mous said...

I'm so glad that the Times-Standard is running a poll to let people change the English Language, in this area. I guess most people who get online can do more then make their mark, so it might be OK, but I doubt it. It seems that the T-S is bent on pushing your buttons Fred, first they bust out with a lame ass blog system, and now they are openly mocking you with a online poll. You pissed them off Fred, and after they are done with the Eureka Reporter, they are coming after you!

 
At 11:59 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Oh, I don't know about that. I think it just shows that anybody who's anybody around this town visits my blog to get find out how they should REALLY feel about local issues.

Yeah, they might well want to do my blog in because of my hard hitting commentaries, but from what I've seen of their blog, so far, like I said, not much competition to worry about, at least not yet.

I did notice they just added a couple My Word columns to their blog. Probably a desperate attempt to one up me on my hard hitting commentaries. Not a problem, though.

I also noticed the comment I made on Leo Sears My Word column showed up immediately, unlike the one I made to Chris Crawford's column, which has yet to show up.

In fairness, the one I made to Crawford was just a "welcome to the blogosphere.." type thing that wasn't exactly anything anyone else would want to read.

 
At 12:18 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Balloon Tack Tract.

The term "Balloon Track" is common to rail in an arc shaped like a balloon to facilitate turning of trains without a roundhouse. Nothing unique about its use in Eureka.

To call it Balloon Tract would be meaningless.

 
At 7:20 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Well, as I said before; If you ask, "What should be done with the Balloon Track?" then the answer should be, rip all the rails up and melt them down and recycle them. All the timber can be given away.

If you ask, "What are we going to do with the Balloon Tract?", answer would be something like, clear it off and build a new state university on it.

 

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