In another of the continuing archival series of Ginger Baker related footage, we have Clark Burch meeting Ginger Baker at the Parker, Colorado polo field. Burch had roped me into running camera, as you will hear. Clark talks about his dream jazz music video starring Ginger, to be shot later that summer. Related video here and here.
“…or we would actually go through the process to get approval to remove that landfill material, if we have to, in those areas.” This is the first time I have heard IRG state that they would remove any of the “landfill materials” from the proposed “Lowry Vista” project site. If you are not familiar with the myriad details go here, here, here, and the index to the right. I recently learned that the water table on this site is just 2 feet below ground level. That makes sense when you think of the wetland just to the north, and the dam beyond that. What Marcus is trying to cover here is the fact that Urban Drainage said NO to the entire project, so IRG is proposing to dig out the north and build up to the south, to get the whole thing above the flood plane. Nonetheless, this is the first time I’ve heard IRG mention the possibility of actually doing what should have been done in the first place – dig up the landfill and haul it to a “safe” place, which I presume is in Nevada.
Sebastian House, a local non-profit founded in 1974, gives away thousands of new clothes items every year to the needy. This year we are adding a canned food drive. This is local local action, and will help your neighbors. Take a few cans of soup, tuna, or vegetables with you the next time you visit:
Hairworks – 2201 Lafayette St.
D’s Daily Dish - 1426 E 22nd Ave.
East Denver Liquor – 1434 E 22nd Ave.
On the Run Eatery – 1432 E 22nd Ave.
Full disclosure: My partner Pat Manning and I are on the Board of Directors of Sebastian House, Inc.
Seedco is back before City Council this evening, asking for a continuation ($3,000,000) of the Federal money Denver turns over to it for distribution as small business loans. As I understand it, Seedco is a not-for-profit out of New York which claims to “leverage” the money we give them. I think they are misusing that term and would advise that, in this over-leveraged financial environment, they use another word. What they actually do is “attract” additional private loans based on the credibility they get from receiving the Denver money. Apparently they haven’t been doing a very good job at their Denver office. Denver’s Office of Economic Development has been keeping track, and published a Monitoring report last week. There are many problems listed, but I’ll quote just one that seemed the most egregious to me. They don’t know how to create a filing system: Condition: Overall, the loan files appear to be disorganized, with no order or consistency. There are many files with a variety of documents inconsistently filed. Therefore, it is understandable that some documents are present in some files but not in others. Technical Asisstance offered: The Contract Administrator will provide the agency with a sample file and template to allow the agency to set up their files in a manner consistent with the way in which the City and County of Denver sets up their files in accordance with the direction of our HUD monitor. Recommendation: SEEDCO should purchase legal sized files with 6-8 compartments in order to facillitate file organiation to ensure compliance. The Contract Administrator will put together a sample file and provide technical assistance identifying the preferred method of organizing a file in order to assist SEEDCO in organizing their documents to facillitate a more comprehensive approach to establishing support documentation. All files should be reorganized in the prescribed method and missing documentation should be inserted by November 30, 2008. City Council voted last week to proceed, even though the Monitoring report was not yet available, and I’m guessing that Council will approve the continuation (another $3,000,000) tonight despite the seemingly incompetent manner in which the organization has been run.
Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive! Sir Walter Scott, 1771 - 1832 Last night’s (11-25-08) required public meeting for International Risk Group (IRG)'s submitted General Development Plan was another in a seemingly endless series (18 in 2008 and a total of over 60, they say) of public meetings concerning the “Lowry Vista” redevelopment project of the former Air Force toxic dump on Alameda. As usual, Marcus Pachner, the talented PR person for IRG, presented a slick, time-consuming slide show for the approximately 300 people in attendance. Essentially, he says, the project is an “idea” that will change over time, as IRG works through repeated official “no” decisions to forge ahead on the $10 (ten dollar) deal. Having attended and videotaped five of these meetings, I am aware that most of the presentation, and even the Q and A afterward, is repetitive and probably boring to the general reader of this blog. So I try to find a pivot point in the discussion, something I can cut out of the 2 ½ hours of blah, blah, blah. YouTube has a 10 minute limit, and readers have about a 2 minute limit before they get bored and click away. This requires me to review the entire meeting, looking for the gem, a moment that will crystallize the truth. I thought I had such a “moment of truth” from Tuesday’s meeting. In the Q and A, Adrienne Anderson, an expert on environmental radiation hazards, states, with regard to a California lawsuit brought by workers made ill from alleged radiation from an IRG project: “… and what was IRG’s response? They sued the workers to silence them, and, they also sued a website, a citizen-based website, that was posting documents about the workers allegations." "IRG took them to court to try to silence them, and a Federal judge, just about two weeks ago, ruled in favor of the worker’s right to speak up about the hazards of what he alleges is associated with his exposure on that site. So the liability, is to sue the people who are concerned, to shut them up. And that is their pattern….” So, to summarize, IRG sued the workers to shut them up, but a judge ruled in the workers’ favor and dismissed the lawsuit. Next comes Brent Anderson, attorney, with International Risk Group. “…as to suing, er, trying to chill Adrienne, I know the website, I guarantee you we haven’t done anything to chill it, AT LEAST NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, second of all, AS FAR AS I KNOW OF, any litigation that International Risk Group is involved in, in California, we were sued, we haven’t sued anybody. And I think its really important to make that clear”. Here is the lawsuit. Scroll down to 32(h) and (i) for mention of Adrienne Anderson. Note that 1000 "Does" are named. Ok, this looks fairly clear cut. Did or did not IRG sue the workers in California who were suing them? Well, not so fast, it turns out there are two different IRGs being referred to here; International Risk Group and Industrial Realty Group. Both of their websites claim Lowry Vista as one of their projects. The citizen website in question, KaiserPapers.info, details the web of interlocking IRG LLCs (as in Limited Liability Company), in Colorado, Nevada, and California. There is even a patent on the process of turning "brownfields" into money. Two hours later Wait, wait... oh no, there are at least 21 IRGs in Colorado alone. For more, check out California and Nevada Secretary of State offices. So when Adrienne says IRG (Industrial Realty Group) sued the workers, she is correct. And when Brent says IRG (International Risk Group) hasn’t sued anyone, he is correct(but he really isn't making anything clear). And by the way, if you want to get really creepy, the Kaiser Papers website was recently hacked and completely destroyed by what is alleged to be the “Russian mafia”, and the Downey Studios project in California caught fire just hours after the judge ruled against them. This is getting really IRGsome. My head is hurting from IRGness overload. As they say at the Kaiser Papers website “The Justice Department needs to sort this out.”
Welcome aboard to Cathy Calder of BlondeDesign, who brings local neighborhood news and upcoming events to our eclectic mix. Sunflower Market The Cole neighborhood is working with surrounding neighborhoods in hopes of attracting a Sunflower Market to Northeast Denver. They would like to gather signatures by January 10th which will then be submitted to Sunflower markets along with a request for a meeting with Sunflower. If you are supportive of this effort, please sign the petition linked below and include your comments. WNA will keep the Whittier Neighborhood updated on the status of this effort. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/NEDenverSunflowerMarket/ Also, feel free to share this information with other neighborhood associations if they would like to join in the effort. All suggestions are welcome. Please email Jules Kelty at cna.denver@gmail.com. _____________________________________________________________ Pick It Up Project A class at Manual High School is currently participating in a service project to try to help with the litter problem at their school called "Pick it Up." Their class has done a lot of research at their school and in the community; they have found that Manual does not have enough trashcans and the ones they do have are not visible enough. Their goal is to place 12 new trashcans throughout their school campus in highly-trafficked areas as well as to paint them so that they are more eye catching. They are also going to do an awareness campaign to try and promote a litter-free community. They believe this will not only benefit Manual High School, but the greater community as well as it teaches students to be more respectful and responsible with their trash. They cannot do this project without your help. Would you like to support the project? If so, you can make checks payable to the Cottonwood Institute. This is the non-profit organization sponsoring the class. They are happy to pick the check up, or you can also mailit to: Manual High School Attn: Leslie Douglass & the Cottonwood Institute 1700 E. 28th St. Denver, CO 80205 Do you need more information? Someone from their class can come by and speak with you or you can contact the teacher, who will let then know when and how to get back in touch with you. Her name is Leslie Douglass. Her phone number is: 303.570.3716 or her email is leslie@cottonwoodinstitute.org _______________________________________________________________________ NEIGHBORHOOD VITAL SIGNS Building Inclusive, Effective and Connected Neighborhoods in Denver • Tired of trying the same things year after year in your neighborhood but not seeing results? • Are you interested in helping your neighborhood develop a shared vision and clear goals? • Would you like to learn how to use data to strengthen your neighborhood efforts? • Would you like your neighborhood to be more connected and engaged? Community Learning Exchange Sat., Dec. 6 Breakfast @ 8:30am . Learning Exchange from 9am - 2pm Manual High School - 27th Ave. & Williams St. (Childcare is Available) Join us as we learn about the Neighborhood Vital Signs Project--a new effort to promote strong neighborhoods by giving residents, businesses and other stakeholders the tools to create a shared vision, measure progress on what matters most, and work together to achieve their goals. Keynote Speaker John Stern, Executive Director of the Nashville Neighborhoods Resource Center and Chairman of the Nashville Neighborhood Alliance will discuss his extensive experiences using data and indicators to strengthen neighborhood activism and outcomes. Please respond to LaDawn @ 303.996.7350 or email lsullivan@denverfoundation.org by Dec. 4th! THE LEARNING EXCHANGE IS FREE, BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED Presented by: The Strengthening Neighborhoods Program of The Denver Foundation, The Civic Canopy, Piton Foundation, City of Denver's Office of Community Planning, CiviCore, OMNI Institute, Athmar Park Neighborhood Assoc., Northeast Park Hill Coalition, and Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods. ______________________________________________________________________________ Home Installation Rebates Greenprint Denver has partnered with the Smart Energy Living Alliance and the Governor's Energy Office's 2008 Insulate Colorado program to offer cash-back rebates* to qualifying Denver homeowners who make energy efficient improvements to their homes. The rebates will be issued for the installation of either attic or exterior wall insulation and basic air sealing measures, performed by an approved contractor. To learn more visit: www.greenprintdenver.org. If you have any questions, contact Smart Energy Living Alliance for additional information at 303-216-2026 or email kelsmore@SELAlliance.org. * The rebates cover 20 percent of the total cost of insulation and air sealing upgrades or $300, whichever is less. Rebates will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until program funding is exhausted. This is a limited time offer so rebates are not guaranteed. ________________________________________________________________ Rejoicing the Roots PREMIER Screenings: Mon. & Tues., Nov. 24 & 25 . 7 pm ESQUIRE THEATRE: 6th Ave. & Downing St., Denver, Colorado Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, one of the Colorado's most renowned, enduring contemporary dance ensembles, and Jae Ram Arts' Tom Tilton are pleased to announce a new digital film release Rejoicing the Roots. A film unlike any other, uniquely editted, bringing the thrill of live performance to the big screen. Mournin' Son, is an excerpt from Cleo's original Spiritual Suite, an offering from her dance ensemble's early repertoire, featuring Marceline Freeman & Randy Brooks; performed here for the first time with live musical accompaniment directed by Tom Tilton with his Improvisation Music/Theatre Ensemble. A Jazz Suite for Ann is presented here for the first time since the original World Premiere stage production played to over-capacity crowds attending each performance in 1998. Cleo offers tribute to her life long mentor and cousin Ann Henry, who's legacy as one of the innovator's of Jazz Dance, inspired this 6 movement Suite. It is uniquely choreographed, narratively and figuratively blending solos and duets into double-ensemble improvisations in a celebration of the freedom of modern American Jazz Dance! Watch the trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCsjKmVzjVY _________________________________________________________________ Share a Cycle Nov 1-30 Donate your outgrown kids' bikes to be refurbished for youth served by Denver Kids, Inc. Bikes will be accepted at the following locations: The Cherry Creek Bike Rack - 171 Detroit Street, 303-388-1630 Campus Cycles - 2102 S. Washington Street, 303-698-2811 For more information, call 303-377-7086 or visit www.transolutions.org. ____________________________________________________________________ Citizen Emergency Response Training (CERT) Dec. 9 & 10 . 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (both days needed to receive a certificate) When a disaster hits, we can't always depend on professional responders to be immediately available. We would like to have the citizens of Denver trained to help within their own communities. This 16-hour disaster preparedness and response training will include how to plan for a disaster and teach basic response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. At the completion of this training, participants are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in our community. This training is open to anyone. They will accept up to 40 participants and there is no cost. Sponsored by the Office of Emergency Management, Denver Fire Department, and the Denver Police Department. Where: Denver Police District #3, Community room, 1625 South University Blvd, Denver, CO 80210 For More Information and Registration: http://www.denvergov.org/oem; Carolyn H. Bluhm, OEM: 720.865.7600; or email, DenverCERT@denvergov.org ________________________________________________________________________ Mayor Hickenlooper Seeks Suggestions for Naming Justice Center Complex Facilities Mayor John Hickenlooper today invited Denver citizens to submit suggestions for naming the two central buildings of the City's new Justice Center Complex - the Detention Center and Courthouse. In May 2005, Denver voters approved the bond initiative and land acquisition for the Denver Justice Center Complex. Construction is expected to be complete by December 2009. Per City ordinance, public buildings can be named only for "outstanding persons who have been influential in the cultural, political, economical or social life of the community or in recognition of an individual or corporation which has contributed substantial funding for the construction of the public buildings or major component of public buildings." Anyone can submit a naming suggestion if they provide at least 100 signatures supporting the suggestion and a reason why the building should be named after the suggested individual. The City's Office of Human Rights and Community Relations will collect proposals through Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, and submit them to the Justice Center Citizen Naming Task Force, currently being assembled by the Mayor's Office. The Task Force will hold its first meeting the first week of December to review the project and select a chairperson. The Mayor will then meet with the task force the week of Dec. 15 to finalize nominees, which will be presented to City Council the last week of December. To submit naming suggestions, contact Anthony Aragon at 720-913-8462 for complete instructions and a petition form. Once 100 supporting signatures have been obtained, suggestions should be submitted with an explanation of their relevance to Anthony Aragon, Director of Community Relations, Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Department 1102, Denver, CO 80202.
It's been hard to pay much attention to anything other than the economic hurricane, now that it is upon us. I've been writing about its coming for the past three years. People got tired of my ranting and raving over at Astounding News, my other blog. Now that it is here, there is no stopping it. The current action taken by the unconstitutional Federal Reserve Bank in concert with the Treasury Department amounts to the final rape of this country by the Bush administration.
If you want to understand how this happened, read this. It's the best explanation I've seen so far.
Obama's choice of Timothy Geithner, the New York Fed president, is not a good sign. Instead he should be seeking to nationalize the Fed and take the power from this cabal, whose greed is now plunging the world into chaos.
The last person contemplating such an action was John F. Kennedy.
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