After more than three years of using blogging to communicate with interested parties, I am moving my comments to my new Facebook page, "Commissioner Don Boggs". The page has already been well received with 450 friends after a week going live. I can reach many more people, especially residents of the precinct, more efficiently than with a blog. I already have received requests from constituants in the first week. So, please go to the page or send me a friend request. See ya there!

It's been two and a half months since I've updated this blog and I can't say anyone has missed anything exciting. I doesn't take long to become bored reading about cutting a jillion trees. We have made a significant purchase along with partners Precinct # 2 and Precinct # 3 of a bucket truck so that we can take down large trees in a smaller area much more safely. By comparison to a tree service, we paid for the cost of the used truck on the third day of use!
Once a month, we are sure to go through the entire precinct and shovel patch each road that shows damage from wear or the rain. Rain damage has decreased significantly after we became focused on the ditches two years ago. Our dig-outs have been few and far between and becoming more infrequent.
The rainy weather has created many calls about installing culverts. We have installed crossings for Mr Koeninger on CR 1540, for Mr. Whitehurst on CR 1432, and we are planning a large install of two, 48inch in diameter x 48 feet long culverts that are badly needed across CR 1362.
The rest of our time has been spent pulling ditches with the motor grader. For the last two years we have been using a leased excavator for this job, but the leasing company SOLD our excavator. How dare them! I guess it is all about the money. LOL The motor grader is doing a good job and we have already finished work on CR 1695, CR 1697, CR 1475, and CR 1670. Again, the Dig-tess marking contractor and ATT are not too fond of Precinct # 1. Oh, well.
By the way, I am itching to get out campaigning but since I don't have an election race until November, I have been advised by some of my supporters to let this primary determine my opponent before I begin. I always heard that only a fool ignores friendly advice.

The campaign season has begun and candidates have signed up to run for the commissioner of Precinct #1. I plan to keep things civil and just talk about my abilities and my accomplishments, not about any real or perceived shortcomings of my opponent. Also, I will use any quotes by my opponent only in the context for which they were intended. As for the road crew, we continue to cut trees. We were fortunate to partner with Kenny Hawkins at AEP and Greg Russell at Bowie-Cass on many trees that were close to or would involve power lines. Their contractors trimmed the trees under the lines and we would then take them to the ground. Many thanks to those who helped us get this done.
We installed a culvert for Mr. Marcentel on CR 1364 and installed a culvert on CR 1317 across the road, replacing a badly corroded one. Much time has been spent on small jobs as we try to negotiate the remaining vacation time for the employees. Maintenance of the equipment, straightening the shop, etc. have been done during December while the crew got in their deer hun.., I mean their vacation time in. We badly need to shovel patch next week if we get some dry weather. We did do some late season scabbing on CR 1360 and CR1361. CR 1695 also had some places that we scabbed due to heavy truck traffic. The rest of the time was spent doing what we've been doing since September; cutting Red Oaks and pine trees.