Thanksgiving Week - A Good Start

Hi there.


I know it's been a while, and I'm almost done with a post that will hopefully fill in some of the gap of the last few weeks. That will be here tomorrow, I hope.

Yesterday's sermon at Canyon View Vineyard highlighted the work of Convoy of Hope, a non-profit group that specializes in providing water, food, supplies, and personnel to people in need. Their work appears to be responsive, effective, and efficient. You may want to consider them in your end-of-year charitable giving.

Yesterday also marked the end of the NASCAR season, which means I am thankful (and hopeful) for the end of those ridiculous NASCAR Raceday ads on nearly every Bresnan channel I watch.

That was the start of what I hope will be a good week of giving thanks in a simple, direct way. I hope to have more examples as the week progresses, and while I bear no ill will toward the retail sector, it seems appropriate for me this year to hope that this Friday's convocation of the First Church of My Stuff will be smaller in size and bad craziness, and that we can enjoy something akin to what Father Guido Sarducci called a "Little Christmas".

Today's installment of The Writer's Almanac included the excerpt below, which touched me as one reason to give thanks for the stability we enjoy in this country, regardless of who is in charge, or how much we make of the comparatively small problems and issues we may encounter each day.

Today is the 29th birthday of Ishmael Beah, (books by this author) born in the fishing town of Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone (1980). He's the author of the book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (2007), published when he was 26 years old and chosen as No. 3 on Time magazine's list of 10 best nonfiction books of 2007. That year, Starbucks chose Beah's memoir as its Featured Book and displayed it at thousands of coffeehouses around the country.

When Beah was 12, Sierra Leone was in the midst of a brutal civil war, but his town seemed far removed from it, and he was busy memorizing Shakespeare and performing in a dance and rap ensemble. Then the rebel army came into his town and started shooting. His parents and brothers were killed. He recounted: "I ran away, along paths and roads that were littered with dead bodies, some mutilated in ways so horrible that looking at them left a permanent scar on my memory. I ran for days, weeks and months, and I couldn't believe that the simple and precious world I had known, where nights were celebrated with storytelling and dancing and mornings greeted with the singing of birds and cock crows, was now a place where only guns spoke and sometimes it seemed even the sun hesitated to shine."

The Sierra Leone government army conscripted him; by the time he was 13 he was carrying an AK-47 and constantly high on drugs — speed pills and also "brown-brown," a mixture of cocaine and gunpowder that the child soldiers were given to sniff. For two years, he fought constantly in bloody battles.

Then, there came a directive to disarm child soldiers, and he was chosen by the army to go to a UNICEF-sponsored rehabilitation center, where he spent eight months.

He got in touch with a woman in New York who worked for an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), whom he'd met when he'd been invited to speak at a UN conference earlier. He asked her if he could live with her. She agreed and sent him some money and clothes. He narrowly escaped from Sierra Leone into Guinea, and then went on to New York, where the Brooklyn Jewish woman officially adopted him. He finished high school in New York, graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio with a political science degree in 2004, and wrote his memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.

Ishmael Beah, who said, "I believe children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance."

Enjoy your week ahead.

Back..to the Future?

San Jose - When I first started into public safety communications, I wanted to learn and see as much as I could. Being in my 20's and on a budget, I went to my first two trade conventions largely on my own dime. I took the Greyhound to Milwaukee in 1986 and drove myself and a colleague to Baltimore in '87, staying in less expensive hotels on the fringes of the downtown, and taking public transit to the convention areas.

After finishing Aircraft Dispatcher school, I found an opportunity to do kind of the same thing, while getting the latest information on an industry that has long been of interest to me, and made up a good portion of the best part of my career.

The Air Medical Transport Conference, here through this evening, is the annual gathering of the Association of Air Medical Services. Back in the 80's, the organization was known as ASHBEAMS (American Society of Hospital-Based Emergency Air Medical Services), and changed their name to AAMS in the early 90's. It's certainly more reflective of the international scope of the profession, as well as the varied ways that these services are delivered around the world.

I wanted to see how the industry has changed, how it compares to other segments of EMS that I've been more familiar with from recent work experience, and what challenges exist from a financial, regulatory, and operational perspective. This is of particular interest, given some significant changes in business models, service delivery modalities, and the attention of government to the manner that the industry operates in the wake of one of the worst years for accidents and fatalities in recent memory.

I had a pretty good time here; it was about par with most conference trips I've taken since that loss leader tour over 20 years ago. I'll have much more about what I saw and found out over the next few days.

In the meantime, I'm glad that I'm not flying back to Denver tonight. I would likely not be getting there. It looks like when I do return early next week, the snow flying tonight will be melting like crazy, as temperatures are forecast to be in the 60's.

Have a good rest of the week.

An End to a Beginning

Last Friday I completed the Aircraft Dispatcher course at Jeppesen Academy. I decided to stay and take a two-day International Flight Planning course on Monday and Tuesday. Some of my classmates (pictured at right) stayed as well. They are from, among other places, Luxembourg, Australia, and Singapore. Other classmates have returned home to places like Missouri, Ohio, Montana, Germany, and Nigeria.

Due to scheduling issues, my FAA oral and practical exam was moved from last weekend to yesterday. Despite having to slug my way through the manual flight plan from hell, things went very well, and I now have my FAA Aircraft Dispatcher license. I drove back to Grand Junction last night.

There's lots to get caught up with, and I'm going to have a very busy few days before getting on the road again next week. School was an interesting and fairly intense experience, considering the body of knowledge and the need to be able to combine all of the study areas into the ability to exercise what is known as Operational Control in some segments of the aviation industry.

There are some segments of the industry in which I have an ongoing interest and considerable experience, and I'm going to try to pursue those avenues as much as possible. The location of those opportunities will probably play a big role in where I go, but for now I'm interested in getting into an aviation-related business somewhere close.

It's the beginning of another interesting road. The journey is what makes it worthwhile.

Have a great evening.

G.J. Confidential

Glenn Coyne probably picked the first motel sign he saw, eastbound on I-70 coming out of the foothills, entering the western fringe of Metro Denver along its longest surface street, and ironically just a block or two from the city limits of Lakewood, where the interim Chief that fired him normally plies his trade.

That's about as far as I'll go into speculating about the sad end to the life of a husband, father, police officer. The loud headlines and reporting told everything else that will sell newspapers and boost the almighty ratings book, but told precious little about what was going on with this man, and what his real story might have been.

I knew this man, not well enough to say anything profound about his final days or his motives. I certainly did read enough about his missteps, alleged and otherwise, under the byline of the Daily Sentinel's new crime dog, Paul Shockley. He has certainly taken the bull by the horns in reporting on numerous stories of late involving crime, prosecutors, and the court system.

In recent weeks, Mr. Shockley explored the alleged criminal activity of Mr. Coyne and former officer Courtney Crooks with a fervor and diligence that calls up something between a James Ellroy potboiler and the latest exploits of Nancy Grace. I was riveted, I tell you, by the sordid account of then-Deputy Coyne of the Santa Rosa County (FL) Sheriff's Department crashing his patrol car. Wow....

I believe that the jury is still out on whether this latest reporting will contribute to substantive improvements in our community's impression of law enforcement. In the meantime, I'm visualizing Mr. Shockley hunched over an old Underwood portable, clacking away like Danny DeVito, "on the Q.T, and very hush-hush".

To his credit, Mr. Shockley has also taken an approach to crime reporting that I haven't seen in a long while. When a member of the media mentions the "recommended bond schedule" that judges follow when deciding how much bail to assign a defendant for release from jail pending trial, it's a unique occurrence. Considering the largely unreported number of outstanding warrants in our court system, this line of reporting could definitely be some interesting reading, especially when judicial retention elections are on the horizon. Keep it up.

As the other paper in town opined recently, in GJPD we still trust. Having been part of that department for a lot of years, and having spent my share of that time in management's doghouse, I can appreciate the extraordinary amount of diligence and effort that goes into assuring that whoever represents the department as an employee is capable of that role from all manner of perspectives and requirements. Due diligence in these areas makes a lot of sense, and Chief Camper's request for an outside audit can certainly help sharpen those processes, and/or bring some of the realities of trying to find qualified people into sharp perspective.

Here's to success in those future efforts, along with a wish for measured, careful, diligent reporting of crime and punishment in the local media.

I take my FAA oral and practical examination this weekend, and if successful I will walk away a licensed Aircraft Dispatcher. Then the real fun will start.

Have a good week ahead.

Happy Campers...Well, Maybe Not

Everybody wants to change the world.
Nobody wants to change themselves.

- Leo Tolstoy

Denver - I said I was going to spend this past weekend prepping for the Final Exam and FAA written exam at the end of this week, and I have started, but I'm probably not where I should be. Nevertheless, I did get laundry and grocery shopping done, as well as begin resolving an issue regarding lots of items stored over here. So I wasn't technically being unproductive. I'm building my flash card index (thanks, Leslie) for this week's finals while studying regulations for the first of four tests this week. Anyway, here's what caught my eye over the last week or so:

*******

You kind of have to feel for Grand Junction interim Police Chief John Camper. Less than a month into his tenure, he has to deal with the public fallout of having two officers accused of criminal activity, as well as have a spat with the Daily Sentinel over the release of information concerning one of these officers. The Sentinel's latest editorial contained a little more of a conciliatory tone, but nonetheless puts the weight of the public eye into a significant mandate for credibility and trust. This tempest has made its way from the GJPD's teapot over to the Sheriff's Office, as one of the accused officers started his local policing career there.

I'm not going to delve into the particulars of the individuals accused, and subsequently separated from the department. The mainstream media will handle all of that very well. My concern lies with the remainder of the employees of the GJPD, and how the culture of that organization functions as a mechanism of support for those trying to ply the trade in the wake of another wave of negative publicity.

Ralph D'Andrea had a thoughtful post yesterday on the nature of the investigation. He brought up the idea of a civilian review board, and increased transparency when it comes to these types of investigations. It's worth a read.

From my perspective, I think that you have to have the ability to laugh at yourself to survive some of the stressors of the job. One factor that affects communications people is maintaining readiness when all the work is caught up, and you're just manning the phones and radios waiting for the next call.

Early on in my tenure at GJRCC, I once compared a dispatcher's cross-stitch project to a black velvet Elvis painting. The following shift, the inside of my locker was plastered with magazine photos of "The King". I kept those up until the day I left for good, in part to laugh at myself, and in part to remind myself of the need to express myself judiciously and carefully.
It worked...sometimes.

Here are some pictures of the Fruita Police Department's entry in the Bed Races at last month's Fruita Fall Festival. Pig noses, pink pajama bottoms, and an exquisitely decorated chariot with the team's name on the side.

To quote the Fruita officer's Facebook page where these pictures came from, "I think we cover almost all the cliches we could think of". And yes, that appears to be a donut on the end of a fishing line.

This is what I mean by being able to let loose a little bit and laugh at yourself. Public Safety is a serious business, but the human factors need to be addressed as well, perhaps over and above tangible items like compensation and benefits.

I can certainly see not only the public relations benefits of these types of activities, but also the positive effects on those doing the job, perhaps to keep them from taking themselves too seriously. Well done.

*******

In the community relations arena, one particular incident was brought to my attention last week. I'm mentioning it with a little more depth because it received ZERO coverage in the Grand Junction mass media.

In previous posts I've mentioned the activities of Housing First! No More Deaths!, a homeless advocacy group that had its genesis over this past summer. Apparently the group continues to meet on Tuesdays in Whitman Park. According to a post on Facebook and several independent media websites:

"An organizer of the Housing First! No More Deaths! campaign was arrested 09/29/09 during the group's weekly meeting, in an act of politically targeted police abuse of power. Housing First! No More Deaths! is committed to empowering people to actively and collectively work to address root causes of houselessness and create grassroots solutions.

The arrest of Jacob Richards was an obvious act of retribution for his political activities. On 9/28/09, Richards assisted local houseless community members who were being harassed in a public park by two officers from the Grand Junction Police Department. The same two officers returned on 9/29/09 during the publicly advertised campaign meeting, asked Richards to identify himself, and arrested him on an unrelated petty matter."

Mr. Richards' supporters conducted a call-in campaign on October 1, targeting GJPD officials, Mayor Bruce Hill, and District Attorney Pete Hautzinger. Mr. Richards was released the following day. In a comment on colorado.indymedia.org, Mr. Richards admitted that he did have a warrant for his arrest, and also stated that "the way it was handled speaks to political retribution and/or intimidation".

Sounds to me that the police did their job, albeit with a sense of timing and decorum that can best be described as questionable. As I said back in July, this group is probably not going to go away, and it is their stated intent to educate the homeless population as to their rights as citizens, and work proactively toward providing shelter and other services for those that may not otherwise have access to them.

This will likely continue to grate at those who seek to gentrify the south downtown area, and put the homeless out of sight. I've walked the 16th Street Mall in Denver in the late evening, and if they can't put them out of sight there, what chance does Grand Junction think they have?

Regardless of what your opinion is of this segment of our population, it's getting cold and lives are at stake. As CNN and other news outlets across the country are reporting almost daily, this is a nationwide trend, and not limited to large metro areas. The next iteration of this trend is starting to impact those cities; hopefully this is something that the Grand Valley can avoid in the future.

Both sides in this need to continue what I thought was a reasonable attempt at dialogue. If the above account is accurate as to the facts, then Mr. Richards should pay his fines, and the GJPD should exercise their statutory authority with a little more of an ear toward diplomacy.
Now run along and play nice...

*******

Perhaps one reason that this blip on the radar of homeless advocacy was ignored by the GJ media is that one of its better recent practitioners has moved on to something completely different. Kate Renner, formerly of KREX, is in Uganda as a volunteer under the auspices of an organization called Light Gives Heat. Kate did some really good work covering homeless issues during her time in GJ, and is serving as a videographer in Uganda to document the group's work and some of the challenges of life there.

Light Gives Heat's mission statement is "Empowering Africans through the encouragement of economic stability and creative endeavors. Motivating people in the West to 'be the change they want to see in the world'". Those in GJ may remember the group selling necklaces made in Uganda at a few Farmer's Markets this past summer.

The quote at the top of this page came from their website, and it's given me pause as I embark on an unknown path after school is finished. Leslie would like this.

Kate is documenting her experience in a blog, which can be read here. I'll feature it in the Favorite Blogs sidebar as well. I'm thinking that regardless of the trappings of a career path, this experience will likely be more rewarding for Kate than being a weather girl in Albuquerque.
Best wishes and godspeed in your travels, Kate.

*******

In a follow-up to an earlier post, last week the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision, and ruled that the murals on the side of the Headed West 'smoking accessories shop' in Englewood were works of art, and thus exempt from that city's sign code. The court went further to rule that the restrictions attached to the sign code constituted a prior restraint on the exercise of free speech, and ordered the lower court to rule as such.

It's yet unclear if the City of Englewood will appeal. More information is available via the ACLU of Colorado's website. An editorial in today's Denver Post embellished the point even further. Congratulations to the appellants on their hopefully permanent victory.

*******

Now off to the books, for what will hopefully culminate as a crazy, but successful, week of study and preparation. It's still not over yet, though. More about that later. Until then, take care and stay warm.

'Capitalism' at the Tech Center

Living in and around the Denver Tech Center, even temporarily, is an interesting experience. On a Saturday night, it's a little weird.

For those unfamiliar, the Tech Center is a large complex of office buildings, southeast of downtown Denver along the Interstate 25 corridor. It houses among other things numerous media companies that call the Denver area home, and benefit from its location along the 105 Degree Meridian, which optimizes satellite transmission to many parts of the world.

The streets that traverse the Tech Center are largely unlit at night, owing perhaps to its mostly weekday, 9-to-5 population. Combined with the darkness of the streets and the surrounding buildings, driving through it is an eerie, dark experience for an area with so many people and activity around it. This is even true when there are significant numbers within the complex, enjoying a show at Fiddler's Green Amphitheater as was the case last night.

From South Quebec Street, the directional signs to the Village Shops at the Landmark are unlit and difficult to see; once in this large high-end residential and retail area, the subdued nature of it was still evident. Like Fiddler's Green, the complex feels out of place in the sterile environment of the glass box office towers, kind of like wildflowers sprouting between the cracks in a shopping mall parking lot. Among plenty of parked cars, mostly-shuttered retail shops and a few scattered bars and restaurants between two large high-rise condominium buildings, the only discernible noise was the constant drone of traffic on I-25.

I was there to see a movie at the Landmark Theatres complex there, specifically Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. This was a unique experience for me, beginning with the theatre itself; the movie cost $12, but all the popcorn and soft drinks you want are included. There is also a full bar that serves some unique appetizers if you are so inclined. I was reminded of the line in Pulp Fiction where John Travolta's character says that you can go to a movie in Amsterdam and buy a beer, "and I don't mean a cup, I mean a glass of beer".

For long-time readers here it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of Mr. Moore and his work. This latest film is more personal than his most recent movies, as he used many references to his own childhood in the Flint, Michigan area, and included his own father and several catholic priests of his acquaintance.

Some of his antics were overly simple and predictable, but in the end rather effective in delivering a message. He fires salvos at Democrats and Republicans alike, and speaks with the American equivalent of Tony Benn, the former British M.P. who made such a splash in Sicko.
And don't get me started on dead peasants...

The parts that I enjoyed the most were those that lent historical perspective to what has happened in recent months. Specifically, the Flint Sit-Down Strike, and the use of archival, previously unseen newsreel footage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt calling for a "Second Bill of Rights" after the end of World War II, which he did not live to see. My favorite part of the movie was a too-short homage to Dr. Jonas Salk. I'm wondering what Big Pharma was thinking back then...

If you have a vested interest in the financial forces that influence our government (and if you lost money as a result of the near-crash and bailout, you do), I would strongly recommend taking a couple of hours to see this. Many of you will no doubt disagree with some of Mr. Moore's conclusions and assertions, but he does put on a good show, and regardless of how you personally feel about Mr. Moore or his politics, you will come away with a better appreciation of the nature of the beast.

As with most of Mr. Moore's latest work, the enlightenment extends through the credits, so if you do go, stick around for them. His choice of music to run behind those credits is very interesting.

Time for bed.

Busier Week in Review

Wal-Mart, Centennial, CO, 9/28/09

All kinds of "bargains" to be had today...

*******

Denver - This past week at school was as advertised; heavy on math, procedures, and understanding manual processes that have been largely computerized across the aviation industry. Nevertheless, the work is challenging, I understand the reasons behind it, and I appear to be holding my own. All of my test scores have been 90 or above so far.

We get into navigation this week, which doesn't look like a picnic either. While this is going on I'll be starting to review the material from previous weeks in preparation for the class final and FAA written exam in just under two weeks. I'll be here until at least then.

I apologize in advance for having to limit myself in the frequency of my posts while I'm at school, but it's necessary. Here's some things that caught my eye over the last week:

*******

Senator Russ Feingold introduced the JUSTICE Act (Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts) last week. According to an excellent overview by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, this bill is "the perfect vehicle for reform of the surveillance powers in the PATRIOT Act, as well as the much broader and more dangerous FISA Amendments Act (FAA), the warrantless surveillance law that was passed by Congress last summer". More information is available through the Good Law Tracker in the sidebar of this blog.

It seemed less than coincidental to me that the government would announce arrests in five separate, reportedly unrelated terrorism cases during the same week that this legislation was introduced. This included the Najibullah Zazi case that made so much of last week's news here in Denver and elsewhere. Sunday's Denver Post also included a Page 1 story about some of the tools that may have been used to monitor Zazi and his activities.

Regardless of what tools were used and to what level of success they achieved, they require additional scrutiny and control when they are used, especially if they involve the lawful activities of U.S. citizens. The JUSTICE Act will also remove the telecom company immunity included in the FAA last year, so that they can be held accountable for their actions in supporting surveillance of citizens that has been held as unconstitutional.

The act deserves serious consideration and support from those on all sides of the political spectrum who value individual liberty.

*******

Gene Kinsey wrote two excellent posts over the last week. The first was an indictment of the continued practices of irrigation companies in the Grand Junction area to restrict access to the roads adjacent to the canals they operate for use as urban trails.

The canal roads are truly beautiful in places, but the provincial nature of the irrigation companies to deny access to them, and legally thwart the City's efforts to use them for other purposes, is kind of ridiculous.

Gene's post today about the Regional Center combined his personal knowledge as a volunteer and parent of a special-needs child with his passion for assuring that these all too easily forgotten members of our society receive the care they deserve.

Gene made a bold assertion - that moving some of these patients will cost them their lives - but I think he knows about what he speaks, at least about this topic. I also think it's great that Libby is a therapy dog. She's a little sweetheart.

*******

The G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh went off without a hitch, but the surrounding protest activities will likely keep lawyers, courts, and bureaucrats busy for some time.

The protests were both innovative (hanging a banner from the West End Bridge - nice) and confrontational. The police exercised restraint in some areas and stupidity in others. As Denver experienced with police handling of the DNC last year, it appears that some of the rules of engagement (for lack of a more acceptable term) include subdue and arrest first, settle out of court later.

It has been reported by several media outlets that students at Pitt and other passers-by were taken down, tear gassed, and shot with bean bag rounds for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad form...

The backlash has already started, and doesn't look as if it will quiet down until some form of punitive action against over-reacting police is secured, as well as substantive change in local tactical planning for these types of events. Being familiar with some of the players, such as the Thomas Merton Center and a very potent local ACLU chapter, there won't be any letting up.

*******

I've been trying to read a little of the Bible each morning before I go to school. I've been choosing a chapter at random, and today came across Proverbs 10:9, which says:

He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

Matt and Meredith on NBC were blathering on about Roman Polanski while I was reading this, so I guess that inane morning television contributed to this line of thinking on my part. It could have been worse; Fox and Friends, who needs enemies?

Anyway, I tried to think about what motivates someone to try to become predatory in the way that Polanski did, or Johnnie Walker thought he was doing. I came up empty. It's just not worth the time or effort to me to try to figure these people out.

Polanski certainly had it harder than most, with his pregnant wife being murdered and all, and I certainly couldn't do the job of the District Attorney in continuing to pursue this after 30-plus years. I guess it comes down to what you really want in the end.

Leslie asks me that question all the time - what do you want? Peace, tranquility, and fulfillment, being with her, and seeing our children grow up around us honorably, is definitely part of it, but otherwise I haven't a clue. All I know is that the path I've found myself on is sometimes a hell of a way to go about it.

Have a good week.

Busy Week in Review

Denver - This last week was busy for me. Intense material review and two tests, and it doesn't look like it will let up for this week either. I've been told this is one of the hardest weeks, as there is a lot of math and detail-oriented work involved. I was doing problems for homework yesterday and I see what they mean. I almost need a ruler to make sure I'm reading the right column or row on a conversion table. The reading glasses are helping.

Several occurrences and observations were noteworthy this past week, and I'd like to share a few of them.

The Seventh Street Historic District Overlay went over like a lead balloon at the City Council level, and rightly so. Council "continued", perhaps indefinitely, additional consideration of the overlay to the City's zoning code.

Not resting on their laurels, the resident activists of the 7th Street area are setting their sights on what they perceive as flaws in the City's proposed Comprehensive Plan. In an e-mail sent earlier this week, 7th Street resident Kathy Jordan cited portions of the "Comp Plan" that "increases density in some areas by 100 percent". Ms. Jordan also asserted that the overlays and Strategic Plan that were continued last Monday will be a moot point if the Comprehensive Plan is approved.

The plan calls for as many as 8 dwelling units per acre (RSF-8) in my corner of Downtown GJ.
It appears from what I can find in the online plan documents that there really isn't anything specific set aside for the 7th Street Historic Corridor, roughly from Grand Avenue to Teller Avenue. The latest Comprehensive Plan Future Use Map puts a big black and white picture over the specific zoning for the Downtown; I wonder why...

It sounds like there may be a groundswell of opposition to the city's intentions for the Downtown area as a whole, not just 7th Street. While I'm reserving judgment on this until I have the time to learn more, the solution for many of these residents may be a simple and personal one; live well enough now so that you and your heirs have the ability and resolve to control your individual properties, and their current use, for as long as possible.

*******

It was heartening to see a willingness on the part of two valley fire departments to sit down and talk about the future of their areas, and how they might work together to provide appropriate protection for them.

The initial dialogue between the Grand Junction Fire Department and the Clifton Fire District was described in the Sentinel's account as an "open thought process", and that "there is no timetable for reaching any decisions". Still, it's good to see the Fire and Emergency Medical Service providers for the bulk of the county's population start talking about better ways of working together.

One point in the Sentinel article required clarification. The GJFD and Clifton service area boundaries were described as meeting "in the Pear Park area", where there are reported response time issues. To be more accurate, the district boundary runs the length of 30 Road, from the Colorado River to I-70, and further north into the desert for EMS calls.

Common sense has affected how the two departments handle calls in this boundary area. For example, GJFD will respond to calls at the Grand Junction Speedway, which lies just east of the 30 Road boundary in the desert north of I-70. This is because the only road serving the track originates from the end of 29 Road, in GJFD's district.

One other suggestion regarding boundary responses would be the establishment of what is called an "automatic aid area", extending perhaps 1/4 mile on either side of the 30 Road boundary. Calls received that fall into this area would be responded to by both departments simultaneously. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this were in the works already, but it sure would be helpful to alleviate the headache in dispatch when trying to ascertain which side of 30 Road an accident or other incident occurred on.

Here's to success in their efforts, and may they help set a positive example that other public safety agencies can follow.

*******

I saw some interesting things while in Denver last week. I attended a gathering sponsored by the ACLU of Colorado regarding the protection of murals as free speech and works of art.
This discussion stemmed from the City of Englewood's attempts to prosecute the owner of a smoking accessories shop and a used car lot for painting murals on their respective buildings in alleged violation of the City's sign ordinance.

The presenter also stated that the headshop owner had the mural (see photo) painted on his building in response to the building being repeatedly tagged with graffiti, and Englewood's refusal to assist with removal. Maybe someone should tell Englewood officials about the excellent resource-sharing efforts of Grand Junction and Mesa County to remove graffiti at the request of property owners.

This gathering was held at The Other Side Arts, a Denver gallery and support center for local artists that was also in the news last year, after Denver Police arbitrarily painted over a graffiti art mural on the side of their building in advance of the Democratic National Convention. The City of Denver is now paying for the replacement of that mural.

On the media front, the Huffington Post has introduced a page devoted solely to Denver and Colorado news. They have signed up numerous publications across the state as partners in this effort (this includes the GJ Free Press), and GJ blogger and curmudgeon Ralph D'Andrea wrote a column that was featured prominently alongside stories about water. It looks really good so far.

Also, I've thoroughly enjoyed the redesigned Westword, Denver's alternative weekly paper. It looks more like a slickly-produced magazine now, with excellent graphics and writing on significant local issues. An example of both is this past week's cover story on the surgical tech who infected dozens with Hepatitis C while employed at Rose Medical Center in Denver.

I've also found a small, Denver-based restaurant chain that has me wandering by at least every other day for something healthy. Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill boasts four locations in south and west Metro Denver, and serves an excellent falafel plate with hummus, lettuce, tomato, chicken or beef if you want, and warm, fresh-baked pita for a reasonable price.

I hope they succeed enough to consider a jump over the mountains to Grand Junction, like Smashburger was able to do. This kind of quick, healthy dining out is something that GJ could really use.

*******

At my mother's urging, I rented an older movie this weekend, 1997's The Rainmaker starring Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Mickey Rourke, and Claire Danes, written (from John Grasham's novel) and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The story includes some topics that are still highly controversial today, and that put forth a reminder about what's left in the balance when profit is the only consideration. DeVito's character put it best; "There's no feeling in the world like putting it to an insurance company" (or something like that).

I was also saddened by the death of Patrick Swayze, who broke the tough-guy mold as an actor when it suited him, and produced some excellent work in the process. While Ghost is the most recognized example of this, City of Joy and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar stand out to me as well.

I think I'll spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out how Jay Cutler and "Da Bears" beat the Steelers today. I hear it had something to do with missed field goals, but that's not enough. I was hoping that Cutler would have been humbled today, but I guess you can't win 'em all.

Back to the books tomorrow. Have a great week ahead.

Downtown Development - Dichotomy, Diversity, Duplicity

Tonight the Grand Junction City Council will consider a zoning change in the Downtown area, what is called an overlay zone in the area known as the 7th Street Historic Residential District.

This past June, Council approved an application for a Bed and Breakfast in the Historic District, much to the chagrin of several homeowners there who believe that a 1984 plan establishing the district, and maintain single-family residential zoning in the area, was not being honored. The City responded that the agreement was not incorporated into the current Zoning and Development Code, and therefore had no bearing on the B&B or future development applications. Visions of Rose Mary Woods and the 17-minute gap were in my head when I heard this.

As very competently reported by Mike Wiggins in this past Saturday's Sentinel, the owners of these homes are loading up their inflatable turkeys and preparing to do battle.

As a resident of the Downtown, I enjoy the diversity of the community and the uniqueness of what has been done with many properties. I welcome some of the changes that are proposed for my corner of Downtown, which include multi-use structures for business and residential use. I also thought that a B&B on 7th Street was not a harmful or inappropriate use of the property involved, and I said so in June. I still believe that today.

However, the proposed changes that the City is considering would establish a process for approving applications that does not include enough opportunity for public comment before an application is approved. Adequate publication and solicitation of comment are essential components of any process that manages the alteration of the landscape of any neighborhood.

Additionally, I believe that the 8 property owners who have secured legal representation over the absence of any enforcement of the 1984 plan have a point. If their assertions bear any weight of truth at all, I believe that they are being disenfranchised, and that the plan 'preserving' the historic character of their neighborhood has been conveniently set aside by the City in a bit of procedural legerdemain. I also believe that they are prepared to sue the City if necessary.

I attended a community meeting on August 29 at what was once Washington Park (it's now owned by District 51), and heard this and many other concerns voiced to the organizers, as well as City Planning and Public Works Director Tim Moore, who was solidly engaged in the proceedings and very professional in his approach.

Some residents are very concerned about so-called "transition zones" that abut their properties proximal to the North Avenue commercial corridor. These could conceivably allow for commercial structures to be built alongside their residential property. Yeah, they're right.

Other voices at the meeting voiced opposition, if not animosity, toward the presence of any multi-family housing going up in areas close to the 7th Street corridor and elsewhere. Some of these comments, as well as comments about "what kind of people" would frequent the recently approved B&B, smacked of classism to me, and I called at least one person on it.

As much as the residents of the historic district may have a case against the City for the way they have been treated, those kinds of attitudes did not endear some of them to me, and threaten to derail any meaningful discussion of a development issue before it begins. To me it sounds like someone yelling about death panels at a meeting about health care reform.

I'm at school in Denver, otherwise I'd be there tonight. Even with as much thought and research that has gone into these proposals, they need to go back to the Planning department for some re-tooling, and the City owes at least an explanation, if not more, to those it made a commitment to in 1984.

Have a good week ahead.

How Much Has Changed?

Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac struck quite the chord with me today about the state of our mainstream media. I'll post the segment in its entirety, but the last paragraph hits home, especially in light of the weapons of mass distraction pervading much of the MSM today.

On this day in 1998, Maureen Dowd (books by this author) published her column that went on to win the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. It began:

"The President must not lose his job. Not over this.

"Certainly, Bill Clinton should be deeply ashamed of himself. He has given a bad name to adultery and lying. He has made wickedness seem pathetic, and that's truly a sin.
"Kenneth Starr, all these years and all these millions later, has not delivered impeachable offenses. He has delivered a 445-page Harold Robbins novel.

"If we are going to dump our President, it should be for something big and bold and black and original. Not for the most tired story every told.

"Middle-aged married man has affair with frisky and adoring young office girl. Man hints to girl he might be single again in three or four years. Man gets bored with girl and dumps her. Girl cries and rants and threatens, and tells eleven people what a creep he is."

Maureen Dowd wrote this column eight months after the scandal first appeared in the media: the Drudge Report Web site foreshadowed it on January 17, and The Washington Post introduced it into the mainstream press a few days later, on January 21, 1998.

Clinton had been the defendant in a sexual harassment civil law suit brought by a former Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones, that was dismissed before it ever went to trial. During a deposition while the Jones lawsuit was active, Clinton was asked questions about sexual relationships he allegedly had with other young female government employees, including Monica Lewinsky; the plaintiff was hoping to argue that Bill Clinton had a pattern of this sort of behavior. While he was under oath, Clinton expressly denied "sexual relations" with Lewinsky. A judge ended up dismissing Paula Jones' million-dollar lawsuit because even if Jones could prove that Clinton had done the very things she said, making sexual advances toward her, she couldn't prove that there were any resulting damages that would have entitled her to money.

Monica Lewinsky was transferred from the White House to the Pentagon, where she confided to a co-worker about her relationship with Clinton. The co-worker, Linda Tripp, told a literary agent about it, and also began secretly recording the phone conversations she had with Lewinsky, in which Lewinsky discussed her sexual relationship with Clinton. But in public, Monica Lewinsky was denying the relationship, and as part of the Jones case, Lewinsky had signed a legal affidavit swearing that she did not have a physical relationship with Clinton. When Linda Tripp learned of Lewinsky's affidavit, Tripp turned the tapes of her phone conversations with Lewinsky over to Kenneth Starr, who was investigating Clinton on real estate investments.

Starr threatened to prosecute Lewinsky for perjury and obstructing justice, based on the affidavit she'd signed, and then offered her an immunity deal if she would testify before the grand jury about her sexual relationship with Clinton. She agreed, and she also turned over the infamous stained blue dress to Kenneth Starr, which contained Clinton's DNA, and which she had not dry-cleaned for all those months at the insistence of Linda Tripp.

Clinton testified in August from the Map Room of the White House. His testimony was broadcast to a federal circuit court and then released to the media. In December, the United States House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, issued Articles of Impeachment for the offenses of obstructing justice and perjury. The impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate started on January 7, 1999, and lasted for 21 days. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Clinton on both counts and refused to issue any formal censure. So Clinton remained president.

In the months that the Lewinsky scandal was dominating the press, the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were bombed, killing 224 people and injuring more than 4,500, and soon linked to Osama Bin Laden. During this same time period of the Lewinsky scandal, Hugo Chávez was elected president of Venezuela, and Iraq announced that it would shoot down any U.S. or British planes patrolling the country's no-fly zones, the Euro was established, and the Chinese government announced that it was restricting Internet usage.

The Internet is certainly a more ubiquitous and readily available source of news than it was back then, thanks to broadband, Wi-Fi, cell phone browsers, and the like. Fortunately there are news outlets that focus on more "real" news than what was being substituted for news back then.

For example, two recent investigative series in two of the nation's leading newspapers showed what newspapers are still capable of, and how they can create the future of the medium.

Both series leverage the Internet in unique and comprehensive ways to provide interactive content that creates additional understanding and impact for the reporting. These are:

Fatal Flights: A Perilous Rush to Profit, a Washington Post series about the impact of competition on medical helicopter safety, published the weekend of August 22 and 23.
A lot has changed since I handled my first EMS Helicopter mission over 20 years ago, but a lot has stayed the same; hopefully there will be some more common sense changes coming.

Toxic Waters, a continuing series in the New York Times. The latest in the series, published today, detailed the thousands of violations of the federal Clean Water Act that have been reported, but not investigated, enforced, or mitigated by enforcement agencies such as the EPA.

This story is of particular interest to many on the Western Slope of Colorado, due to the exemptions from the Clean Water Act currently enjoyed by the energy industry as it pertains to the use if hydraulic fracturing fluids. This makes the FRAC Act even more important for consideration and adoption by Congress, and the signature of President Obama.

Good night.

Jammin' in the Name of the Law...

(Apologies to Bob Marley)

It's truly amazing how a few breaths of nonsense can place into question over 10 years of common sense government oversight of a major public event.

Leroy Standish's reporting in yesterday's Daily Sentinel, coupled with the Sentinel's editorial today, seemed to attempt to champion the exasperation of County Commissioner Craig Meis as he vainly attempted to shed yet another responsibility of county government. It seems that Mr. Meis feels that an "exit strategy" is needed from the contracts that the Sheriff's Department has entered into with Country Jam for security services.

Had Mr. Standish ventured into his paper's morgue a little bit more, he wouldn't have had to weakly assert that "In the 1990s, there was a riot at Country Jam". The year was 1998, to be exact.

This was the first year that the Grand Junction Regional Communication Center provided on-site dispatch support to the MCSO at Country Jam. I was there in a professional capacity, having assisted the previous two years as a volunteer amateur radio operator, and witnessing firsthand some of the chaos that necessitated a ramping-up of law enforcement operations.

A lot of attendees were already disappointed after Thursday night headliner LeAnn Rimes cancelled due to illness just before showtime. The Steve Miller Band had just concluded an extremely well-attended and well-received set on Saturday night. Over the week prior, locals who had rented several campground spaces (and parked a motor home across them) were promoting after-show campground parties in local papers. The advertised Saturday night event included a wet t-shirt contest.

When the Sheriff's Department and Country Jam management shut this down pre-emptively, the crowd that gathered became unruly, and soon the fight was on.

Since that unfortunate year, the event organizers and Sheriff's Department have worked together closely to identify problem areas and address them proactively. The arrival of Foremost Response, a more professional-than-average private security company, has given the MCSO an opportunity to reduce on-site resources, and focus on more egregious activity that is still at problematic levels at these festivals.

The lure of alcohol plays all too great a role at these events, from both a profit standpoint for the organizers and liquor companies to illegal and irresponsible use by participants, often with injurious and tragic results. There were reportedly fewer minors cited for possession or consumption this past June, but there were also a record number of DUI's.

The MCSO's Capt. Rusty Callow was right on the mark when he compared alcohol use at Country Jam as exceeding that of a community of 25,000. With these events, the second most populous city in Mesa County is being created, and that's just the campers. And every day is Mardi Gras.

Commissioner Meis' "frustration and concern" over providing these services, even in a reduced fashion, smacks of a disturbingly reactive, almost laissez-faire approach to providing for the public safety and welfare at a major public gathering in his area of influence and responsibility. Here's a news bulletin, Commissioner; the Country Jam Ranch is not a well pad, and alcohol is not fracing fluid.

Equally culpable is the editorial staff of the Sentinel for getting behind Mr. Meis on this issue. Country Jam and Rock Jam are major events that compare to every other festival event in Mesa County like Samuel Adams compares to Keystone Light.

"Exit Strategy"? Terrain features notwithstanding, Mack is not part of Afghanistan. Nor is it up for annexation by Grand Junction or Fruita, so the Commissioners can't wash their hands of it via petition or Persigo agreement. So long as people imbibe, fight, steal, or otherwise take advantage of their fellow man, there will be a need for a visible law enforcement presence out there. Period.

The Sheriff and his staff are to be commended for engaging in a well-organized, fiscally responsible effort to maintain order and enforce the law at Country Jam and Rock Jam, while remaining cognizant of the impact of such an event on staff and fiscal resources. The Sentinel was right about one thing; there aren't too many MCSO employees, but there is a lot of overtime when Jam time comes around.

The Sheriff's measured and professional response has its foundation in the solid operational planning and management structure that was the vision, and is now part of the legacy, of the MCSO Incident Commander at Country Jam during those crazy years; then-Operations Captain Bill Gardner.

I had a good day today. Got good grades on the first tests, and am looking forward to digging into the wonderful world of METARs and TAFs. If I sound annoyed, it's because I'm tired of talking about Country Jam, and done thinking about it. It's well past the time for County government to follow the Sheriff's lead, and quit whining.

Men and women in green, be safe out there.

Good night.

Just Wondering....

These are my study materials for the next six weeks. The instructors are estimating 2-3 hours of study time per night, and more on the weekends. That's fine with me, but I'm wondering if it's worth coming back to GJ every weekend.
Some of my classmates are here from India, Luxembourg, Germany, and Nigeria, so they're here for the whole six weeks. Maybe I'll need to do the same thing, if only to maximize study time. I'd rather come back, though. We'll see...

Please Join Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. For a Doughnut Breakfast this Saturday in Grand Junction He will will meet with local activists over breakfast to discuss the economy, the state budget, local issues and the campaign. Saturday, September 12th 9:45 AM At Mesa State College at the Book Cleff Cafe 1020 Elm Avenue, Grand Junction, CO The intersection of Elm Ave, and College Place I received the above invitation this afternoon via e-mail. I appreciate the efforts of Governor Ritter's campaign to gain credibility and generate support in a heavily Republican area of the state, especially through an event at Josh Penry's alma mater. I'm wondering how they expect to accomplish that when there doesn't appear to be anyone on his staff that knows how to spell "Book Cliff". View Larger Map I'm in the process of learning my way around South Metro Denver. While driving around I noticed the above buildings. The building marked with the green arrow and the letter "A" is the Arapahoe County Jail. Given the most recent arrest of a pro football player in the Denver area, I'm wondering if the proximity of this facility to Broncos headquarters is coincidental or by design. Have a good week.

A Little Break in the Burgh

Greenwood Village / Centennial, CO - Took the Sunday night redeye last week from DIA to JFK, then a connection that got me to Pittsburgh by mid-morning on Monday. Now I'm back in Denver, getting ready to start school tomorrow and plot some potentially serious changes. More about that later.

Over the last week, I did not touch a computer or watch any live television. I did read a few newspapers and went through my e-mail on my cell phone. Other than that, I was largely removed from the "virtual" outside world, spending a lot of quality time with Leslie and her girls.

Pittsburgh has been an interesting place for the last few months. The upcoming G-20 Summit and its planning process have been the focal point of local government and emergency services since June. Part of this includes preparing for extensive and well-coordinated protest movement that plans to descend upon the city as well.

The visit was definitely something I needed, and not only because I miss her very much. My immersion in technology and information is at times not healthy, and being with her brings that point to bear in a very significant way.

We ate Greek food, went to one of the best farm markets anywhere, and enjoyed a double feature at the drive-in. I did a couple of repair projects for Leslie, and observed some of the things she has to deal with as a parent of a cancer kid.

Leslie's daughter Michaela, who I've written about previously, is now participating in the clinical trial of a cancer medication that appears to be impacting her tumors in a positive way. She receives the medication every three weeks; this is followed by one week of IV medications and fluids to address the biggest side effect of the medication, that being vomiting and dehydration.

Friday night was the first night of this one-week cycle. I watched as Leslie mixed three different medications with saline in three different syringes, each to be delivered over a 15 or 20 minute period via an infusion pump. She then has to put a bag of fluid on a different pump that is infused over 12 hours. Michaela carries this in a backpack when she is walking around.

This protocol, which includes other IV and oral medications during the day, appears to be working well; Michaela's episodes of vomiting have been drastically reduced. She is able to go to school. She wants to be a normal second grader, and is growing tired and frustrated with her illness and its effect on her ability to be active.

One thing that I find gratifying and somewhat humbling is that Michaela likes it when I am there. In the wake of the changes that our collectives lives have seen over the last few years, it feels to me that it is time to embrace that change a bit. That's what I'm starting this week.

I'll be taking a six-week course at the Jeppesen headquarters near Centennial Airport south of Denver to obtain my FAA Flight Dispatcher license. I hope to take this training and licensure and obtain a job somewhere within the aviation sector.

I'm keeping an open mind, have committed to maintaining a positive attitude that comes with any new venture, and am clearing my calendar and email in-boxes for the next few days to get acclimated to the routine. I plan to return to Grand Junction on the weekends, but will also try to take in some of my favorite things in Denver if I have time; the Rockies, Rapids, lots of movie choices and good Mediterranean food are a few of these.

I'll also be remaining active on this blog, if only to post observations at times, but I have several collections of ideas that will be out there, if more infrequent in their posting while I'm at school and afterward.

There's plenty going on out there that is relevant to both my past and future which I am heeding the call not only to write about, but to act upon. The woman I love, and the skills that I have been given, are both big action items in this scenario. How this evolves is the adventure that well-lived lives are made of.

Have a good week ahead.

Disorderly Conduct in GJ - Part 3

Today I received an e-mail from Wini Stevenson, the woman that was cited by Grand Junction Police for Disorderly Conduct after displaying a sign reading "PSYCHO" on her truck, parked in front of the house of a neighbor with whom she was having a dispute. I detailed this in previous posts this month, which are available here and here.

I called Wini this afternoon. She let me know that she had decided to contact the ACLU after watching coverage of President Obama's visit to Grand Junction, and seeing so many of the disparaging things written on signs and displayed at that event.

She did receive a reply from the ACLU, but it didn't matter after she appeared in Grand Junction Municipal Court this past Tuesday and was informed that the Disorderly Conduct charge against her had been dismissed with prejudice. This means that she cannot be charged again for the actions that she took back in July.

Wini added that the number of requests for police response all had their roots in the community block party that she had obtained a City permit for, and that her neighbor apparently had extreme difficulty with, to the point that the neighbor wrote a letter of complaint to their Homeowners Association.

Wini stated that after this event, she had turned on her stereo in her garage while washing her truck, and the police arrived in the area shortly thereafter. She added that she was feeling as though she was being harassed for engaging in lawful activity around her place of residence. Wini also said that she felt the police officer that cited her was doing so just to quiet the protestations of the neighbor across the street.

Wini added that she was concerned about the effect of the publicity in the local media on her reputation and her business, and had contacted the Daily Sentinel regarding the manner in which her case was portrayed in the Police Blotter of August 1. She also said she is looking into her options in the civil courts concerning the disparaging treatment she received in her neighborhood.

It's heartening to see another good outcome on the civil liberties front in the Grand Junction area. I hope that the neighborhood involved, as well as local law enforcement, take this case to heart when developing alternatives to engaging in non-communicative, escalating behavior, or attempting to bend a vague law around its intended use and running headlong into the First Amendment.

As per my previous post, the City Attorney's office has elected to review this case further. While the dismissal of the charges against Wini Stevenson may be a result of that review, I hope that additional training will also be in the offing for those in government who are faced with these types of disputes every day.

Remembering alternatives such as Mesa County's Mediation Center, and referring those involved in disputes to resources that can prevent it from entering the civil or criminal courts, may be a better first step than how this case was eventually handled.

In the meantime, I'll be looking forward to reading about the dismissal of the charge against Wini Stevenson in the paper sometime soon.

Have a great weekend.

Sign O' the Times 3

Fouled and dirty your spark plugs are.
A tune-up your vehicle requires.


"You can't make anyone think like you.
You can't make anyone believe you.
Sometimes all you can do is love
and hope that makes them love you back."

"It takes steps."



“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy