NOW THIS IS A BIG DEAL - LIVESTREAM FROM COLORADO SUPREME COURT - COATS v DISH NETWORK

As of 10:19 am, Tues. Sept. 30



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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S METHADONE DISPENSARY TO RELOCATE TO 1620 GAYLORD ST. DENVER, CO - Updated2

Surrounded

by Gerald Trumbule
(Full disclosure: I own the property across the alley from 1620 Gaylord)
Yes, it's true. The US Federal Government, through funding to the University of Colorado ARTS Program, provides METHADONE to registered addicts. (ARTS in Denver features Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using Methadone, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, Vivitrol, and Antabuse in combination with counseling, addressing specific addictions such as opioid dependence or alcoholism.)
Methadone is now primarily used for the treatment of narcotic addiction. The effects of methadone are longer-lasting than those of morphine-based drugs. Methadone's effects can last up to 24 hours, thereby permitting administration only once a day in heroin detoxification and maintenance programs.

As explained here, the goal of this and similar programs is to help people rid themselves of addiction and pain. We might all agree that these are lofty and perhaps even attainable goals. But I have grave doubts that plopping this dispensary down in a predominately residential neighborhood will improve the quality of life for those living nearby. This dispensary was formerly located at 18th and York but forced to move due to impending development of that block into 300 apartments.

What I've heard from neighbors:

- The dispensary opens at 5:00 am
- The clients must consume the drug on site, and then leave.
- The dispensary will serve 200 clients a day.
- The clients will enter thru the new door being installed on the north wall of the back part of the building.
- There seems to woefully inadequate parking.
- Gaylord on-street parking is usually full.
- Church in the City's school is less than a block away and East High less than 1000 ft. (The principal of East reportedly phoned the Mayor as soon as she was made aware of this plan.)
- No posting is necessary because in legal terms the property is zoned for office use, and a dispensary equals an office (legal precedent).
- General construction permit was pulled 9/24/2014, but does not appear to be posted.
- No neighborhood involvement needed or sought.
- The owner is Victor Kolouch of Kolouch Properties, LLC, who has been the owner of the ARTS administrative building next door at 1648 Gaylord since 2005.

To be fair, one observer told me that the patients are well-behaved because they are paying for their drugs and don't want to screw up and lose their daily fix. She has watched them come and go at 18th and Gaylord for 5 years.

The tentative meeting set for 7:00 pm on Thursday, Oct. 2 has not yet been verified. As soon as I hear I'll post it here. I'm going even if I don't hear back. See you there.

Update: The meeting time and place have been confirmed.
Update2: I have confirmed the ARTS Methadone clinic managers will be attending.  Jan Morgan (clinic manager) and Angela Bonagudi (director).  The office # where they can be reached is 303-388-5894

PLATFORM FOR DENVER PLANNING AND ZONING 2014

Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC), a volunteer network of approximately 100 Denver registered neighborhood organizations (RNOs), was organized in 1975[i] to ensure that:  (a) residents of Denver be fully informed of proposals, policies and actions of the city government that affect the quality of life in all neighborhoods, and (b) all city departments and agencies solicit and consider opinions and ideas from citizens and neighborhood organizations.

INC and the Denver city government must work together to ensure that the residents of Denver individually and through their RNOs and other similar groups, most of which are volunteer-based and do not have lawyers and lobbyists, have the opportunity to engage in meaningful participation with access, standing and influence in all decision-making by the city in planning and zoning matters.  The quality of planning and zoning decision-making is improved when residential neighbors have early and meaningful involvement.

The purpose of this INC Planning and Zoning Platform is to provide a proactive position and collaborative framework in which residents of Denver and city officials discuss public policy pertaining to planning and zoning which deeply affects the future and the quality of life in all Denver neighborhoods.  Accordingly, to ensure that residents and neighborhood organizations are included as stakeholders in public policy and decision-making processes, INC proposes the following principles be adopted to ensure that residents and neighborhood organizations are included in all policy and decision-making processes.

I.  ACCESS TO COMMUNICATIONS

            1.1       RNO Notification -- Denver’s neighborhood notification ordinance, adopted in 1979[ii] must be implemented in a consistent, effective, accurate and timely manner by all city departments.  All of the required notifications related to planning and zoning must be given with adequate time for neighborhood organizations to meet with their residents and take positions before city hearings, recognizing that some RNOs do not have regularly scheduled meetings and it will take some time for them to schedule a special meeting.

Read more »

Organic Consumers Association blasts General Mills acquisition of Annie’s foods

Adapted for Denver Direct 

by Dave Felice

National Writers Union, Local 1981

Dave Felice

The company whose mission it is to “cultivate a healthier and happier world by spreading goodness through nourishing foods, honest words and conduct that is considerate and forever kind to the planet” has been sold.  The buyer, according to the Organic Consumers Association, is “a company whose mission it is to keep consumers in the dark about what’s in their food.”

The Organic Consumers Association calls on consumers to tell Annie’s CEO John Foraker that they are boycotting Annie’s until General Mills pulls out of the Grocery Manufacturers Association and supports state GMO labeling laws.

Annie’s products are sold in Colorado at Sprouts grocery stores.  Sprouts Farmers Markets are owned and operated by a company based in Phoenix.

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Methadone dispensary set to go in at 1620 Gaylord

Building on the left is the proposed site of the methadone dispensary

(Information as of 9/27/2014)

Neighborhood meeting tentatively set for Oct 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm at The Church in the City, 16th and Gaylord.

Chy (720 337-8882), who is the Chief of Staff for our City Councilman Albus Brooks, is helping by finding out some basic information about the clinic so that we can have a foundation that includes what issues/problems have neighbors encountered with the clinic at its former location at 18th and Gaylord.

The goal is 

...to have a community meeting attended by neighbors, Councilman Brooks, the clinic operator, and the person associated with the clinic that made the decision to move the location to 1620 Gaylord.

The objective

...of the meeting is to make sure that people have a chance to ask questions and understand what is going on with the property and the impact that it may have.

I'm not sure

...if anything can be done to stop this as my understanding is that the property is a "right by use," and others/realtors can explain this better than I can. At the very least we can learn from Councilman Brooks what options are available to us; and, we can learn from the clinic staff what the dynamics are.

Frank Locantore

2145 E. 16th Ave.

Uptown on the Hill Neighborhood Association President

Up to 200 people a day are anticipated to go to this clinic to receive their daily dose of methadone.

See up to date details

Abolish Weapons of Mass Destruction

Sisters Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert who were arrested for their action at N8 in 2002
will be with us for a potluck Friday 6:00 pm, Oct. 3, 2014 at Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church 1100 Fillmore, Denver, and for a vigil at the missile silo on Sat., Oct. 4 at noon.

We still have 49 nuclear missiles on ready alert in northeastern Colorado
Under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we are obliged to get rid of our nuclear weapons. But the present administration is planning to develop new and more destructive ones. The weapons manufacturers will be richer, but we will not be safer.

Vigil October 4, 2014
12:00 noon
Missile Silo N8 in northeastern Colorado

Carpool from Denver, Boulder or Colorado Springs. For carpool locations or directions to missile silos: Judith in Boulder – 303-447-9635; Bill in Colorado Springs – 719-389-0644; Mary in Denver – 303-807-2109

Opportunities to make a public comment tonight & tomorrow night at CDOT hearings.

Sadly, last night, at the first of the three public hearings, there were only six people who stood-up to make comments.  But five of the six were in opposition to the planned expansion and four of the six specifically asking for an I-270 & I-76 re-route to be studied.   

The guests attending last night were outnumbered about four CDOT people to one guest [our tax dollars at work]. We need more people to attend these hearings and speak-up about why it’s not OK for CDOT to triple the width of the freeway through the middle of communities.

We MUST get people to make good comments.  Tonight’s meeting is in Commerce City and tomorrow’s is in Denver. There will be an open house between 5-6 pm, followed by a formal presentation by CDOT and public testimony between 6-8 pm.

Wednesday, Sept 24, 2014        
      Kearney Middle School         
      6160 Kearney St                           
      Commerce City, CO                      

Thursday, Sept 25, 2014
       Bruce Randolph Middle School
       3955 Steele St
       Denver, CO

Read more »

DOWN THE MISSING AUDIT RABBIT HOLE - NOTES FROM THE NEW DRUG WAR by JESSICA LEROUX

Hi Skyler,
I really do appreciate your following up on the Audit questions Ive been asking for months. I want any info we can get about both MED & CDPHE and why exactly they are over 120 days late… I know you mentioned something about legislative mandate not bearing upon the audit committee, and Im curious why the legislators can "mandate" something they have no authority over, sounds like more empty CO political promises from the perspective of me the people!
Jessica

Jessica:
Attached are the 2013 performance audits for MED and CDPHE vis-a-vis marijuana. Can you clarify if these are what you're looking for, or is there a more recent audit? I don't mean to split hairs – I'm just relatively new at my job and want to make sure you get the exact information that you're looking for.

Best,
Skyler

Thanx Skyler,
Its the fact that I've read these 2013 reports with a fine toothed comb (and attended the hearings), that makes me hanker after the promised follow up 2014 audits of BOTH MED & CDPHE. These follow up audits had a legislative mandate that they should be completed prior to the end of the 2014 session (may 7th) so that legislators would have adequate time to react and legislate appropriate changes if necessary.
But just to cite one very simple straight forward example in the audit of the MED/DOR, the state audit board in 2013 found in finding #3 that state mandated "badging" for employees was wasteful of both time and finances for both the MED & Licensed Employers and the MED agreed to correct the problem by March 2014 or drop the badging process, here we are fully 6 months later, and the badging process is still several weeks to complete for new hires (or longer for some rural areas).
Tuesday you and I discussed the "loop holes" that allow the Audit board not to be completely "enslaved" to a legislative time table… so I'd like the data you told me you had about that, Im sure part of the problem concerns embattled former Audit Board chair Steve King… as well as any status reports from the audit board about the status of both of those follow up audits at this time.
I appreciate your looking into this most disturbing matter, I know its a rabbit hole, Ive been following up on it since mid-April or so when the time to react was running out, with out a single answer.
Jessica LeRoux

THEY GOT US IN A TRAP

Opinion by Gerald Trumbule
As a filmmaker, I always analyze the political ads for value as short films. This one is pure genius. As I predicted, the lab rat anti-mj cages make great backdrops/themes. Go Dunafon!

Notes from the New Drug War by Jessica LeRoux - Sept 17, 2014

ONE of the things that really has the panties I should be wearing in a bunch from yesterday's demoralizing CBOH/CDPHE hearing is that the transfer of the medical marijuana registry database from CDPHE's 1/2 hearted HIPPA control, to the do-nothing DOR (who openly admit they share their data with law enforcement) was not objected to more vigorously. I did get my discomfort with that fact into my comments, but the caregiver access issue overwhelmed the day.
the DOR only has jurisdiction over business & taxes, not private individuals exercising their constitutional rights...
WHAT THE FUCK DOES "REVENUE' HAVE TO DO WITH MY MEDICINE?

I had an epiphany last night, Why did the CBOH/ completely ignore the will of a chamber full of protesting parents? Because they are eugenicists. Look at history, CDPHE is steeped in a culture of hating the medical marijuana registry & its patients going back to the previous director... They actually have the audacity to veiw the very citizens they are supposed to serve as genetically flawed, or so stupid we've critically injured ourselves to the point were we arent worth saving, much less passing our genetic material forward... Wolk has a life long indoctrination of viewing a variety of people as lesser and undeserving, currently the company he founded prior to his job at CDPHE (and he's still involved with CHC) Correctional Healthcare Companies is being sued in serveral states and for the 3rd time in denver alone for negilgence toward the Inmates (64% on drug charges, mostly pot) he is Responsible for. Wolk has made a tidy profit off of locking folks away and has a long term co-dependant relationship with private for profit prisons... If we thought the LEO collusion from Burbach & Urbina was bad, CDPHE merely doubled down when those two were forced to resign....