Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, January 03, 2008

New Zoo Director Lisa Tate

GO HERE to review her personal lawsuit.

Then there's this article!

Zoo Boise tiger exhibit nearly impossible to escape

05:40 PM MST on Friday, December 28, 2007

Boise tiger exhibit is very secure BOISE -- After a deadly tiger mauling, zoo officials in San Francisco admit the wall around the tiger's enclosure may not have measured up.

Zoo officials say the wall is 12 1/2 feet, lower than they first reported and about 4 feet shorter than the minimum height recommended by the tiger species survival plan.

There was also a moat in front of the exhibit with no fence. The moat was 33 feet wide, but only 12 feet deep -- enough room for a tiger to possibly get out.

NewsChannel 7 talked to our local zoo director today about the tiger exhibit here.

Our tiger exhibit meets the suggested 16-foot high walls, and the zoo director says the design would make it nearly impossible for a tiger to escape.

At Zoo Boise, the two amur tigers, formally known as Siberian tigers were enjoying the winter weather.

Surrounding their cage is a 16-foot high fence, with an open aired top.

Zoo director Steve Burns says the fence is 12-feet high -- going straight up. Then there is a 4-foot fence that makes a 45-degree angle inward.

And not only that, buried beneath the ground is an identical 4-foot fence with a 45-degree angle to keep the tigers from being able to dig themselves free.

"If a cat were ever going to try and climb out, they'd not only would they have to climb straight up but then backwards and then upside down, so it would make it extremely difficult for that cat to climb out," said Burns.

While the tiger's cage is well protected, the Boise bear exhibit is similar to the tiger exhibit in San Francisco, with only a moat separating the animals from their spectators.

Back in August of 2000, Zoo Boise dealt with their own tiger attack.

Jan Gold was attending a zoo fundraiser when one of the large cats walked out an open gate.

Gold tried to back away, but the tiger struck her with his paw, then bit the back of her neck.

An officer fired his gun to startle the animal, which it did, but the bullet bounced back and hit Gold in the leg.


Gold has since recovered and says she has no hard feelings against the tiger or the officer.

More to come.......

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

he's got tennis elbow>>>>

joe albero said...

When's the last time you ever met a man named Lisa? ;-)

Anonymous said...

She wants disability for freakin tennis elbow? Wow, maybe she and Louise can use their handicap permits all over Salisbury together! What a joke, who the heck doesn't have some degree of epicondylitis--not really a disability.!!!!

Ray said...

If she's disabled with that elbow problem, then the city has to make sure she don't sue them for the same problem. She won't be able to hose down the zoos exhibit areas here either.

WatchfulEye said...

Anonymous said...
She wants disability for freakin tennis elbow? Wow, maybe she and Louise can use their handicap permits all over Salisbury together! What a joke, who the heck doesn't have some degree of epicondylitis--not really a disability.!!!!

6:29 PM

I had surgery for the same thing about 10 years ago. I was out of work for 8 weeks because of the type of work I did. I was able to get temporary disability for it. The surgery was called ulnular nerve transposition surgery. It can be EXTREMLY painful, when the cartilege pushes against the nerve and causes sharp pain and loss of surgery. I'm not criticizing you, nor defending her, but I would like you to get and know the facts before coming out with something that is a little uninformed.

Anonymous said...

Does this mean that she can't lift herself up high enough to pee on employees windshields?

Anonymous said...

Will they make fun of her suing her own city the way Comegys tried to do to Cohen at that last meeting?

Louise Smith let that go on. Both she and Comegys looked like dirt for it.

BTW, children, the city was found to have committed an illegal act.

Game, set, match.

WatchfulEye said...

It can be EXTREMLY painful, when the cartilege pushes against the nerve and causes sharp pain and loss of surgery.

Sorry, I meant to say loss of FEELING in the hand.

Also, 8:20, hopefully this Director will conduct herself like an adult.

Anonymous said...

Did Tate have more impressive qualifications than other applicants? Did the City administration properly check her background?

Anonymous said...

Better hope she's a good fundraiser.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like she was an ambidexterous hoser.

WatchfulEye said...

Anonymous said...
Sounds like she was an ambidexterous hoser.

11:31 PM

The hoses are heavy. She probably aimed with one hand and guided with the other. All the repetative motion causes that cartilige buildup and pressure. I don't know for certain, and maybe Jen or Joe can confirm this, but I don't think they use your average run of the mill garden hoses in cleaning out animal cages. If you do the same job every day for 18 years where you are moving the same part of your body the same way for so many hours a day, you would develop that condition. Aleve and Motrin and B-Complex only help so much. IF you read the court documents, you would read she was doing this for between 5 and 6 hours a day. If she worked for 8 hours, that is about 75% of her day. If she worked 10 hours a day, it was about60% of her day. It was not an insignificant part of her day.

Again, like I said earlier, think things through. BTW, Joe, can you let me know if I'm right or wrong about the hoses.

joe albero said...

The Salisbury Zoo uses standard run of the mill garden hoses. There could have been a high pressure system where she was at, I'm not sure.

Jennifer did her job for 18 years and herniated 3 disks in her back on the job at the Salisbury Zoo. Barrie Tilghman fought her all the way on her injuries and did everything possible to keep her from and compensation from Workers Compensation. She even fired her while she was on light duty and forced her to take family leave. They do this to anyone who was injured on the job in Salisbury, ask anyone who was hurt on the job. They simply fire you and don't give a shit because they know most work from paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to fight the City. Barrie certainly learned the hard way with the Albero's, right Barrie!

Anyhow, this woman is just another Pawn. She has no real experience and you just can't WING IT as a Director. There is a ton of real responsibility here and I haven't seen where she has that experience. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and I will do so but Barrie wanted someone she could control and that's why they waited. The MEN the interviewed placed demands on the City, all of which Barrie Tilghman refused to allow. They were NOT puppets and she didn't like that. You'll see later.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Joe, it concerns me that this Ms. Tate seems to have little or no supervisory background. All it appears she did was clean out the cages of animals at the Boise Zoo? We sure got us a winner here it seems. What was the interview committee doing all this time? Looking for exactly the wrong person for the job of director. They should have hired someone that at least was a section supervisor at a larger zoo. I don't believe this young women will cut it for us here, but I hope I am wrong in my judgement there. Also, was Boise's Zoo the only zoo job she ever had? Lots of questions and we'll have to wait and see. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger around here all the time!

A. Goetz

WatchfulEye said...

Joe, thanks for clearing that up. I thought when I read the court documents that she had managed the bird exhibit. Was I mistaken?

joe albero said...

She spent most of her time with primates, (monkeys). I heard somewhere she was working with Waterfowl but it was brief.

Look Folks, we need to give this woman as much support as possible. Although she may not be what the Zoo really needs, I believe the Zoo has one last shot at survival and I'd like to see what plans they have in mind first before I approve or shoot it down.

The Mayor owes it to the taxpayers to explain, are they going through with the Master Plan 100% or are they going to nickel and dime the taxpayers and waste a lot of money on small projects at a time?

I'll tell you one thing too. I want to see this degree in fundraising they claim she has. I personally think that's way too convenient out of nowhere for the City to make mention of that. Once I see and hear everyone's background and intent, then I'll go from there. Till then, she may just be another one of Barrie's Puppets but I'd like to think/believe she'll do OK?

Anonymous said...

Is it just me or does she look like Jim Rapp with long hair?

Anonymous said...

You can get a degree in fundraising? WOW!

I agree, lets give this woman the benefit of doubt. Don't hang her before she sets foot in town. I'd like to think, coming from Missoula, Montana, she can stand on her own two feet. If nothing else she'll enjoy the climate here, for a while anyway.

Anonymous said...

Should a "real" zoo director apply for this job. What would all of you want him to know before taking on such a challenge?