Where is the best place in town for authentic Japanese ramen?

The mere mention of the word "ramen" in a college town conjures images of red plastic pouches of noodles for pennies. For some it's a rite of passage every bit as important as freshman biology and dorm pranks.

But we're talking authentic ramen. Tender noodles in delicious broth, ramen is more than a college meal of frugality. So where do you find it in Fort Collins? I'm no authority on this subject, so I asked 13,000 of my closest friends. Here's what they had to say.

The short answer is that it may be on short supply. The consensus Gohan Time was the best in town. But heavy on the was...they closed down. Some folks head to Niwot Market on Sundays. Others mentioned Okole Maluna in Windsor if Hawaiian style is your thing. But as for Fort Collins, those who responded have been left wanting.

Except for those making it at home, that is. If you're interested in taking a shot at it in your kitchen, this may be helpful.

Where do the trains in Fort Collins typically come from and where do they go?

Trains are seemingly omnipresent in Fort Collins, but I figure you're asking for one of two reasons. 

Either A) You are looking to join the circus and are planning to jump a train.

Or B) You're at your wits end with the train traffic, are thinking about ramming on with your car.

But listen, you aren't Robert Pattinson and everyone gets frustrated with the trains. Even Captain Kirk.

And remember: In car versus train, train always wins. 

Always. 

But since we're here, let me dive into the answer anyway. The trains passing through Fort Collins haul a wide variety of goods, from Canadian lumber to molten sulfur to crude oil and coal destined for the East Coast. Because train companies are private companies, they rarely disclose publicly exactly what they’re hauling at any given time. 

But as far as I'm aware, there's no Super 8-style alien transports happening.

The vast majority of the cargo passing through Fort Collins is destined for other places, but some cars do stop here. Among those are the cars carrying grain to the Budweiser plant off Interstate 25 (the plant’s construction here 1989 meant the railroads killed a plan to bypass the city most of the time) and the cars hauling new Vestas wind turbine blades to customers all over the country.

The BNSF track on Mason Street is part of the Front Range Subdivision that operates from Denver to Cheyenne, linking customers here to BNSF's 32,000-mile network in 28 states and two Canadian provinces, and to ports for export. BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said the "vast majority" of the railway's north/south traffic from Denver to states north runs out on the Eastern Plains, not through Fort Collins.
For more on where those trains might go, check http://www.bnsf.com/customers/where-can-i-ship/.

Fun fact: a modern diesel train can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel, and the average train can carry the equivalent freight of 280 or more trucks.

What legitimate sources are available to find rental properties if I don't live in the area yet? Is the rental housing market still tight?

The rental housing market remains tighter than Scrooge McDuck on the day before payday. Largely, it depends on whether you are a student or not and if you're looking for an apartment or a house. 

There are several property management companies in the city that can help you find a place (I included a short list of some of the bigger ones below). Fort Collins Craigslist is another place to look, but beware of scammers.

The two best sources for this sort thing are the Coloradoan's classifieds (http://www.coloradoan.com/homes/) and NorthernColoradoRentals.com. You'll find listings, photos and contact info. Everything you need to find your next home.

Good luck out there! 

The following is not an endorsement any of the companies, but a sampling of those that are in the city. Armadillo Property Management, www.rentfortcollins.com,  (970) 416-7368; Touchstone Property Management (www.touchstone-property.com), 970-223-5000; Mountain-n-Plains, 970-221-2323; Peak Property Management, www.peakproperty.net, 970-377-2717.

What should be considered the anniversary date of Fort Collins - when the military post moved down river, when the State gave the colony a charter, or when the "City of Fort Collins" was incorporated? Bonus: what celebrity name is in the sidewalk at College and Mountain and why?

If it were me, I'd stick with three birthdays. The party! The presents! And I will look amazing for my age.

But if you can only have one, I'd go with the day the city's charter was signed by the military, August 20, 1864. But I'm just agreeing with the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery at this point.

As for your celebrity, I'll defer to the Choice City Native blog as far as why Jack Benny's hand prints are at College and Mountain.

With winter closing in are there any coat drives in the area? My wife has a couple she'd like to donate.

Well isn't your wife just the sweetest? Good for her.

I haven’t been able to track down any official coat drives yet, but if that coat's just burning a hole in your pocket, there are a couple organizations that are always looking for coats to help their clients. 

Homeless Gear’s street outreach delivers survival supplies (coats included) to homeless men and women on the streets of Fort Collins. Learn more at www.homelessgear.org.  

Mary’s Closet, a ministry of Saint Joseph Catholic Church, is also in need of winter coats, jackets and vests (mostly mens), men’s jeans, sleeping bags, mats or pads and backpacks. Donations can be dropped off at Parish Center, 101 N. Howes St., or be deposited in the single red bin by the back door in the church parking lot after hours.

I'll add more to this list as they come up. If anyone is running a coat drive, leave the info in the comments section.

And seriously, how big are your pockets that you can fit a coat in them?

I read that $30,000,000 in maintenance to Hughes Stadium was deferred. What maintenance needs were deferred? Why was maintenance deferred while they built luxury boxes?

Listen, if you're going to watch a rebuilding football team in a stadium needing millions in renovations, wouldn't you want to do it from a state-of-the-art luxury box?

The luxury boxes were added during the last expansion and renovation of the Hughes Stadium in 2004 as part of an expansion and renovation that also included 4,000 new seats.

Do you remember 2004? 

We didn't even have Twitter then.

The entire $30 million doesn't necessarily represent "deferred" maintenance. It's more like $30 million in stuff that CSU believes needs to be done including maintenance, code compliance, upgrading, etc.

Some of it is required. For example, the restrooms don’t meet current building codes, and there are problems with ADA compliance in some areas. There are also elements that now are coming to the end of their life and need to be fixed or replaced: goal posts, steam boiler, scoreboards and seats to name a few. 

CSU officials argued that adding the luxury boxes would allow them to generate additional money from the premium seats that could be used elsewhere. And the university has been spending money on Hughes since that 2004 renovation, from new artificial turf on the field to $574,000 worth of new scoreboards, which were installed this fall.

You can check out the full list of what's on the $30,000,000 list here: http://www.colostate.edu/stadium/aug9/hughes-addendum.pdf.

And regarding the team, I kid because I care. Congrats to Coach McElwain and the team on a big improvement so far this season. Just two more wins and they'll be bowl eligible. Good luck, Rams!

Why didn't they leave the train tracks on Mason flat instead of building that trough they are in? Will cars be able to use Mason once MAX arrives?

Why not leave the tracks flat with the road? Because it's safer, obviously. Just look.

Despite an early rash of cars getting stuck on the tracks along Mason St., BNSF railroad tries to minimize, in all cases, any location where a pedestrian or car could cross the tracks. The construction on Mason provided an opportunity for the city and the railroad to work together to save both time and money.

And seriously, who doesn't love saving time AND money?

There will still be plenty of opportunity to get that car stuck. Vehicles will still be allowed on Mason even after MAX service begins. So drive carefully out there.

If you're thinking it's still a pretty easy thing for pedestrians to hop over, you're right. The city is currently considering adding a decorative fence for the tracks that would place an even larger barrier between the street and the tracks.

Do immigrants take there oath of citizenship in Fort Collins?

For those not born in the U.S., it takes a lot of effort to become a U.S. Citizen. And the further away you live from Denver, the more effort it takes.

Immigrants attend their naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Centennial. It's the only USCIS office Colorado, according to the official website. Regardless of where you are in the state, that's the place to test and take the oath. According to the website, Judicial Ceremonies occur two times each month and Administrative Ceremonies weekly.

Immigrants must pass both an English test as well as a Civics test. Want to give it a shot? Here's an example test used for study on the USCIS website: Sample test.

I can't find an affordable rental and need some financial assistance. Who should I contact in Fort Collins?

Ask anyone trying to rent in Fort Collins and they'll tell you: Finding housing in Fort Collins can be tougher than Chuck Norris in an Old Town bar fight.

But add the need for financial assistance and it can feel pretty overwhelming. Thankfully, there are folks who can help.

You might start by calling 211 – the United Way help line that connects people to a variety of services. They can point you in the right direction for you.

Larimer County Department of Human Services (www.larimer.org/dhs/) provides services which assist individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency and social well being. Services can include financial assistance for shelter, food and medical care.

Fort Collins Housing Authority (http://fchousing.com/) provides a variety of affordable housing services and education. There are waiting lists for government subsidized housing, but FCHA offers other housing assistance programs and can direct residents to state and federal aid.

Neighbor to Neighbor (http://n2n.org) is another good resource, offering 126 affordable apartments and support to residents. 

And if you're in need of temporary help paying rent, you may want to contact Catholic Charities (http://www.uwaylc.org/ncesf/recipientagencies/catholiccharitieslarimer.html).

Good luck out there. I'm rooting for you.

Why are they dragging their feet on moving forward on the Foothills Mall?

The process is certainly taking longer than expected, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are dragging their feet. You try spending $53 million dollars of public money and see how long it takes you.

This is a very large, complicated and expensive project with an awful lot of back and forth. When council approved the financing package back in the spring, the final details had yet to be worked out. Mall developers wanted more money, the city was reluctant. The city wanted the Foothills Activity Center repositioned on the site, that meant different designs and a delay. Negotiations on where to put Sears also delayed things. And, either because of the cost of the project and the city’s unwillingness to give any more money in tax incentives, the project was redesigned with more one-story buildings than two. 

That redesign has now occurred and the project has to go back to the Planning and Zoning board (Thursday) for approval and then back to City Council for reapproval of the financing package. The process is going slower than I suspect either side is happy with, but the delays were more logistical than feet dragging.

But if you're going to spend $53 million, you might as well do it right.

Right?

Why are County Commissioners full time paid positions and not regular citizens like the city councils?

The short answer: Because we, the people of Colorado, said so.

County commissions are unusual beasts – elected by voters, commissioners serve both executive and legislative roles. 

In Larimer County, even though the county has a full-time county manager, the three commissioners help directly run the government and also attend public meetings on behalf of constituents. They also make county regulations themselves.  In Weld County, there are five commissioners, who directly run the government with the assistance of a finance and administration director. And in Boulder County, the three commissioners run the county themselves, with assistance from appointed staff. 

Supporters of this system say the amount of day-to-day work that arises in managing a geographically large area like a county is best handled in partnership between the commissioners and their professional staff. In some smaller counties, like Mineral, the county commissioners consider themselves part-time, and as such only take a part-time salary. 

But the long and short of why comes down to this: Because that’s what the Colorado Constitution says they are.

The city Police Chief is appointed based on skills, but the Larimer County Sheriff is elected based on political activity. Why isn't the sheriff an appointed position?

Thinking about taking a run at Justin Smith's job, are you? There are definitely perks, like driving around a giant S.W.A.T. truck. But winning a public election is no easy feat.  

In all seriousness, both jobs are tough and carry a lot of responsibility. The reason for allowing voters to pick the top-ranking law enforcement official in their county, supporters of the elected-sheriff system say, is that it's an important check on law enforcement. By picking candidates they ideologically support, voters have a say in how much emphasis will be placed on topics such as traffic offenses or drugs. Our current sheriff, Justin Smith, says being directly elected helps keep him accountable to the public he serves, rather than acting as a bureaucrat.

There are two counties in Colorado where the sheriff is appointed, not elected: Broomfield and Denver. In Denver, the sheriff is also the city’s public safety manager. In Broomfield, it’s the police chief who holds that title.

What does the health district do? And why does it need an elected board?

People ask the same thing about me all the time. Which is a little redundant once I answer them. "What do I do? I answer questions." You can see the awkwardness in that, right?

Thankfully, no awkwardness in this answer. The health district of Northern Larimer County provides dental, mental health, prescription assistance and health promotions services in Northern Larimer County. It also owns Poudre Valley Hospital, which it leases to University of Colorado Health.

It is a special tax district, like the school district, Poudre Fire Authority and water district, created by voters in 1960. As such, it is governed by a publicly elected board.

Is there a fort somewhere in Fort Collins? If not, how did the city get its name?

The Choice City. The Napa of Beer. Fort Fun. FoCo. There's no shortage of nicknames for Fort Collins.

But why do we call it Fort Collins in the first place?

Fort Collins began as Camp Collins in 1862, named for the popular commander at Fort Laramie, Lt. Col. William O. Collins. Camp Collins served as a base for patrolling and protecting stage and emigrant trails.

On Aug. 20, 1864, Col. Collins issued Special Order Number One, calling for a "permanent post on the Cache la Poudre River." This moved the installation from a camp to a fort, which was ready for occupancy in October of 1864. Two and a half years later, the fort was ordered abandoned. The name stuck as civilians who had been allowed to settle on the military ground stayed and formed the nucleus of the fledgling town's population.

Will they ticket you if parked in the post office parking lot on Sat. night or Sun. afternoon while attending a Lincoln Center performance?

It's 6:57 p.m. You've got front row seats for The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center. The closest spot you find is at the Post Office at 301 Howes St. You pull in, grab your tickets and head for the door. You make it just in time, but as ballerinas pirouette across the stage you can't help but wonder if you'll have a ticket on your car.

The good news: You won't have a ticket.

The bad news: You might not have a car either.

The Post Office parking lot is federal property, for Fort Collins police won't issue a ticket. However, it's possible the folks at the Post Office could have it towed. Not saying they will, or have in the past, but it's possible.

My advice find another spot and enjoy the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy without a care. If you need some hints on good parking spots, here's a map the folks at the Lincoln Center put together.

What are your recommendations for things to do for New Year's Eve in Fort Collins?

So you want to party like it's 2013, huh? Whether you're hoping to end 2013 on a high note or set the pace for 2014 with something amazing, here's your guide to Fort Collins.

The big hurrah is First Night Fort Collins. Put on by the Downtown Business Association, the multi-venue event features activities for the whole family. You can find more information here: http://downtownfortcollins.com/events/first-night-fort-collins

For those a little more athletically inclined, KRFC’s 29^th annual Resolution 5K Run is scheduled for 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve at Colorado State University. Information:  http://www.krfcfm.org/run

And as always, Old Town will be alive through the evening with live music spread throughout. Various bars, hotels and restaurants will announce their plans as the event grows closer, so keep an eye out for announcements.

Enjoy! And stay safe out there.

Why do natural areas require a permit for purposes non-disruptive to nature such as photography?

How gorgeous is Northern Colorado? I'd put it up toe-to-toe with any other area of the country in terms of beauty. And we get to live here. Who needs selfies when you see this kind of scenery?

Photo by Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan

As a way to try to keep Fort Collins beautiful, the city requires permits in natural areas for activities deemed to be disruptive, such as bringing in large groups, accessing at night, gathering seeds or leaves, or landing aircraft. 

Note to self: No landing a DC-10 at Legacy Park. Got it.

Nothing in the regulations mention restrictions on photography specifically. However, a permit is required for all commercial activities, regardless of their actual impact. Why would that be? According to the city, the idea is to:

• Avoid and/or minimize the impact of the approved activity on natural and cultural resources.
• Ensure that commercial use operators comply with City Municipal Code, Natural Area Regulations, and other state and federal laws. 
• Avoid the impact of the approved activity on the safety and quality of other visitors’ experience.
• Direct commercial use to appropriate sites and at appropriate times in the interest of avoiding real or perceived impacts to visitors and resources.
• Ensure that participants of commercial activities are outfitted/guided by qualified operators with appropriate insurance. 
• Promote practices related Leave-No-Trace ethics, zero waste (recycling) and carbon neutrality ethics to permittees and activity participants. 
• Outline a fee system to recover full costs of permit processing, oversight, and management of commercial uses.

For specifics costs and obtaining a permit, as well as a whole host of other fancy details, I'd refer you to this document on the city's website. http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/permit-commercial2012.pdf?1335390033

Happy photographing!

There's no upcoming rain or snow forecast. Should I water my trees? If yes, do I water all of them or just the evergreens?

Look at you taking good care of your trees. Often overlooked, but as essential as they are beautiful, having healthy trees is a win all around. 

John Denver would think you're swell.

With our fall moisture, only trees planted in the last year need winter watering, although it doesn’t hurt to water others. Both deciduous (drop leaves) and evergreens need watering. From now into spring, water about once a month on a day when the temperature will reach in the 40s. This way the water will soak in. The amount of water depends on the size of the tree or shrub. Slowly pour the water in the planting hole so the water will absorb into the rootball as well as the surrounding planting hole. Keep pouring until the planting hole no longer absorbs water.

If you're interested in a bit more info on keeping your plants happy all winter and into the spring, check into these tips from Fort Collins Nursery.

I've always wondered about the cemetery on Harmony. Are they old, old, old graves?

Back when Fort Collins was still Camp Collins and when Old Town was just called town, there was a farming community called Harmony, centered around Harmony and Timberline roads. 

The Harmony Cemetery is one of the last visible signs of the community, along with the original school and store which still stand near the intersection. The now inactive cemetery is home to about 50 graves dating back to the 1870s.

I don't have any photos of Harmony Cemetery handy but if you want to take a walk through history, check out this set of photos from the early days of Fort Collins.

Downtown Fort Collins was used as a model for Main St. USA at Disneyland. What buildings remain in town that were copied to any recognizable degree?

Disneyland: The object of children's' dreams, invader of parents' pocketbooks, world champion athletes' victory speeches and Fort Collins downtown.

Say what?

In my humble opinion (or IMHO for you whippersnappers who refuse to speak English) one of the neatest things about Fort Collins: our connection with native son Harper Goff, who helped design Disneyland's Main Street USA. Goff, who died in 1993, said he drew inspiration from multiple Fort Collins buildings in sketching out Disney's vision. 

But are there exact replicas of buildings from Fort Collins in Disneyland? That's a bit unclear. Goff said he copied parts of buildings in Fort Collins that became Disney's courthouse, firehouse and bank building. The Disney firehouse, in our eyes, bears obvious similarities to the old Fort Collins firehouse, now Old Firehouse Books and Happy Lucky's Teahouse. But it's also smaller and shorter. The old courthouse (depicted here) was replaced in 1950, but looks pretty similar. The Avery building housed a bank which is said to have been the model for the bank on Main Street.

To help settle this question, I'm proposing a trip to Disneyland. My boss said he'll spring for it as soon as I win the Superbowl.