Budget Subcommittee Meets At Noon Today

Today is TUESDAY, May 31, 2011. Here's some breaking news that kind of breaks my heart - the World Health Organization has announced that cell phones may cause cancer. This is after many, many months of speculation that cell phones are perfectly safe. Now that they are ubiquitious, it turns out that they might be dangerous. All this brings to mind the potential perils of technology and the rate at which it moves. It wasn't that many years ago when cell phones were considered exotic -- cool little toys that we used to supplement our "regular" phones. Now there are not that many "regular" phones left, as we shift to a society that uses our phone for portable computing devices. Look at the kids -- the cell phone is as much a part of their culture as music and TV used to be part of their parents'. Texting is a more important form of communication for those 25 and under than email. Older adults are also wedded to them, thanks to the growing convergence of phones as platforms for all forms of communciation. So much of our lives are spent consulting the device; I received the alert about the WHO findings from. . . yes, my iPhone. If there is truly a health concern from cell phones, and we have to readjust to a society that no longer uses them, then we're in for a cultural shift the likes of which we've not seen before. They will have to pry my iPhone out of my cold, dead fingers - but now it's the iPhone that's going to kill me? Let's hope the science on this one is wrong.

1. The city, facing an $800,000 deficit, is proposing to make up the difference through freezing positions. For example, two police positions won't be filled this year, and the City Manager's administrative assistant, Edna McKinley, is retiring in June - she will be replaced with a part-time person. These and other budget issues will be discussed by the Budget Subcommittee (Lara DeLaney and Mark Ross) today at noon in the City Manager's office. The meeting is open to the public. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the final budget at its meeting June 15.
2. The circus is in town! The comes to the Martinez Marina parking lot today, tomorrow and Thursday. Showtimes are 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. all days. 
3. Interested in quilting? Today is quilting day at the , beginning at 6 p.m. There was a great story by Nicole DiGiorgio on this class last week.  
4. Get your tickets now for the Main Street Martinez Speaker Series guest, , on June 6. Marc began his storied career as a reporter at the Martinez News Gazette from 1984 to 1986 (we worked together there), where he covered the Board of Supervisors, crime, and whatever else popped up. He went on to become the Washington Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Chronicle, and now teaches journalism in Maryland. This is a rare chance to hear from a guy who can draw a link from local politics to the national stage. 
5. Finally, speaking of technology, don't miss Martinez Unified School District Superintendent Rami Muth's blog entry today on the use of technology in schools, and how it is going to change the way we educate our kids. Look for it this afternoon.