Tipsline

InformantI pulled into the Avon Center and I saw two Avon police cars, 4-wheel drive SUVs, in the parking lot. I figured there must have been a situation, since one was running and the interior lights were on and the computer was on. So I walked into the China Garden and what do you know, I saw three uniformed police officers having dinner. So I sat down at the bar and ordered take-out and it took about 10 minutes to get my order. They were still there, and I walked out and the SUVs were still running, and they were still sitting there, eating dinner. Thank God the car in front of me just went over the curb and I wasn’t behind him. Gosh, I wonder how much it costs us taxpayers to let those SUVs run out in the parking lot while they have dinner. …TAP not workingWell, look at those test scores. Reading scores fall again. That’s the headline on the paper. It’s obvious that the TAP program in this county is not working for teachers. Not only are teachers not happy with the program and morale is down, but supposedly the TAP scores were going to go up from this great collaborative effort the teachers were going to make, and it was going to improve their teaching skills, and it’s not happening. I think the district office and the school board needs to wake up. We’re TAPPED out.Election talkMr. Floyd Duran’s comments in Tipsline were very touching. All I have to say, Floyd, is we spoke very loudly at our last election. It went almost perfect. All the pieces are in place for our next April election. We will get rid of the clowns off our council, and we will take the town back over. And I’m sure you will be helping us. …Missing him nowWhat a great letter … by Mr. Alan Lanning, the old Minturn town manager. I don’t know why Minturn got rid of him, or why he chose to leave, whichever came first. … It’s hard to say. Selective enforcing of laws, hard to say. But Alan, you’re way better than what we have now. We need you back desperately. Please come back, Alan.Here’s the poopWe have one of Eagle County’s newer residential communities, Eagle Ranch, and that equals dog … and cigarette butts. Hey folks, if you want to live in the slums, fine, but I think it would be a better idea if you lose the rental mentality and start acting like homeowners. … Review of reviewThis is a tip for your editor in chief, if you still have one. Just curious. In Thursday’s edition of the Vail Daily, the film review by Shauna Farnell has a last paragraph that compares a few movies with “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” saying that this has bigtime cult appeal, holding the same random sense of magic as “A Clockwork Orange,” the “Never Ending Story,” and “Labyrinth.” Excuse me, if she’d ever seen “A Clockwork Orange,” I don’t think you would ever put that in the same sentence as the “Labyrinth” or the “Never Ending Story.” One of the jobs of your editor is to keep your writers from putting their feet in their mouths. Have a great day.Vail, Colorado