Coober Pedy Update.....
How long has it been since you've heard the latest news from Coober Pedy? Well pardner, that's to long.
Coober Pedy, Australia is my official sister city so I keep up with their goings on, but perhaps you haven't. Big things are brewing in CP. Gary has just posted the current edition of The Coober Pedy News where you can peruse the latest. But the big issue facing the citizens there is the referendum to ban "pokies" from the city. Pokies are the government registered poker gambling machines. Gary has outlined how the local folks have always had a game of chance going somewhere but it was usually a friendly poker game at some local gathering spot such as the Italian Club. But now, it seems, the federal government has taken over the action with the pokies. In other words most of the gambling money is now leaving town. The Coober Pedians would rather their gambling money recirculate within the community so a movement has formed to ban the pokies. Stay tuned!
In other news of the week worth reading school board elections were held, not without some voter irregularity and distraction by cell phones [happens even in the Outback], and the dog population of the city is being reined in. In a private converstion, Gary tells me that besides his opal mining operation he has also started a freight handling business. I questioned him about how freight comes to Coober Pedy and he tells me that it is all by truck....about 8 semi loads a week. Seems the new Australian Trans-Continental Railroad bypasses Coober by about 20 miles and a decent siding was not located there.
For those of us that can't wait the week or two between Gary's online edition of the Coober Pedy News, I have set up The Coober Pedy Blog for Gary and he tells me that he'll give it a go shortly. Can't wait!
How long has it been since you've heard the latest news from Coober Pedy? Well pardner, that's to long.
Coober Pedy, Australia is my official sister city so I keep up with their goings on, but perhaps you haven't. Big things are brewing in CP. Gary has just posted the current edition of The Coober Pedy News where you can peruse the latest. But the big issue facing the citizens there is the referendum to ban "pokies" from the city. Pokies are the government registered poker gambling machines. Gary has outlined how the local folks have always had a game of chance going somewhere but it was usually a friendly poker game at some local gathering spot such as the Italian Club. But now, it seems, the federal government has taken over the action with the pokies. In other words most of the gambling money is now leaving town. The Coober Pedians would rather their gambling money recirculate within the community so a movement has formed to ban the pokies. Stay tuned!
In other news of the week worth reading school board elections were held, not without some voter irregularity and distraction by cell phones [happens even in the Outback], and the dog population of the city is being reined in. In a private converstion, Gary tells me that besides his opal mining operation he has also started a freight handling business. I questioned him about how freight comes to Coober Pedy and he tells me that it is all by truck....about 8 semi loads a week. Seems the new Australian Trans-Continental Railroad bypasses Coober by about 20 miles and a decent siding was not located there.
For those of us that can't wait the week or two between Gary's online edition of the Coober Pedy News, I have set up The Coober Pedy Blog for Gary and he tells me that he'll give it a go shortly. Can't wait!
