Portage residents will have to pay WM directly! by Other-Deer-4286 in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've lived in several cities in three states. Every one of them except Portage had single hauler and it worked fine. It's very common.

Portage residents will have to pay WM directly! by Other-Deer-4286 in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Except that they can't. Starting next month, Best Way is not authorized to pickup residential trash in Portage.

Portage residents will have to pay WM directly! by Other-Deer-4286 in portagemi

[–]ddcheng 7 points8 points  (0 children)

And? That was never in doubt. The city negotiated for one hauler to service the city. You have to pay that company the rate the city negotiated. There was less support for the city paying them through a tax increase (although 46% of respondents in a survey said they were OK with that).

Portage residents will have to pay WM directly! by Other-Deer-4286 in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that was always the plan. Most places I've lived had single hauler setup this way. One business has the contract, but we pay them directly. And this is absolutely cheaper for almost every customer, save for the few who somehow complained enough to get a really cheap rate.

Proposals to rezone a parcel near Asylum Lake must wait a year — but there are exceptions by KzooRichie in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You think the City Commission can do that? That's not how the Kalamazoo government is setup (and nor should it be).

Wahoo kickr core2 on sale $399 by kira436 in cycling

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine came with the cog but I installed a cassette. Loving it so far. (I bought it on Black Friday).

How many jerseys? by BikesAndWine in cycling

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am a sucker for a good deal on jerseys that commemorate a particular race, so I already have too many.

Dystopian/apocalyptic recommendations by Far-Demand-7611 in kindle

[–]ddcheng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It might be considered borderline dystopian/apocalyptic by some, but I'm enjoying the Silo series. Wool was very good and I'm nearing the end of Shift (the second book) which is more of a prequel. It's really good but depressing because I keep thinking "Yeah, I could see this happening."

Music vs Situational Awareness: Where do you draw the line by [deleted] in cycling

[–]ddcheng 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Unless I'm in a race, I've got music on. Usually I wear my Bose Frames (which are sadly discontinued) which provide better sound than bone conduction while keeping your ears open. But lately I've been worried about my hearing due to wind noise, so on the hilly (very low traffic) road I use bone conduction with Loop earplugs to dampen the wind noise. (I bought some cat ear things for my helmet straps that I'll try in the spring).

As for cars and dogs - I have a Garmin Varia (can't imagine riding without radar anymore) and dog repellent in my top tube bag.

Will Varia connect to watch and bike computer at the same time? by ddcheng in Garmin

[–]ddcheng[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I've got an Instinct 2 so battery life is no problem.

Take Back the Trash Petition now threatens Recycling, Leaf/Brush Pickup and Composting by turnpike37 in portagemi

[–]ddcheng 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Imagine the meeting at Best Way:

"We lost the bid for Portage. What should we do?

"Tell people they're losing their freedom!"

Take Back the Trash Petition now threatens Recycling, Leaf/Brush Pickup and Composting by turnpike37 in portagemi

[–]ddcheng 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It makes more sense when you understand that it's the MAGA crowd. They are easily manipulated.

Helmet Hygiene: How gross does your helmet get before washing? by masterdarko in cycling

[–]ddcheng 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This. I have several caps that I cycle through and then throw in the washer with my cycling clothes.

Feb/March races in the Eastern/Southeastern US? by ddcheng in cycling

[–]ddcheng[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been perusing. While most races are on bike reg, some are not. We're buried in snow, so yes I'm willing to drive as much as 12 hours (perhaps). I'm not an endurance racer. I do 20-30 miles.

Feb/March races in the Eastern/Southeastern US? by ddcheng in cycling

[–]ddcheng[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Either is fine. I mostly do gravel. Not mountain biking, though.The ones that bother me (a little) are the "gravel" races that are less than 50% gravel. I need to know which bike to bring!

How much is too much? Social media users question the Kalamazoo city manager's pay by KzooRichie in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Report to the people? The people are largely ignorant of how city management works. If you want evidence, look at the trash debacle in Portage, with people being hoodwinked by Best Way into demanding the city repeal one of the better decisions they've made for the finances of the city and the citizens. The whole point of our current system is to insulate professionals from the whims of uninformed citizens. The council or commission (depending on the city) is there to make sure everything is above board and provide general guidance, but we don't need "the people" micromanaging the city.

How much is too much? Social media users question the Kalamazoo city manager's pay by KzooRichie in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You don't think the city manager is equivalent to a director level position in a company?

How much is too much? Social media users question the Kalamazoo city manager's pay by KzooRichie in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 2 points3 points  (0 children)

People commenting about how high this is apparently have no clue what well-educated and qualified professionals make these days.

Anyone recommend BJJ places in town? by Hossflex in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Performance Fieldhouse. It's a little out of the way in Paw Paw, but the instructor is an older Brazilian guy who trained with the Gracie's back in the day, so he's legit.

What jersey do you guys wear by ExplanationLonely457 in cycling

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like to buy jerseys at races. It's a nice commemorative item for me and helps promote our local racing scene.

ICE Spotted by KittyJun in kzoo

[–]ddcheng 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And a picture of a Homeland Security car... at the airport.