text:
College, Fan Development, Sports Venues
Attendance Issues in College Athletics and What Leaders are Doing About It
It used to be so easy. Before the days of every game on TV, of highlights available moments after the plays occur, of Netflix and Twitch – before all that and more, the stadium or arena was the place to be on game day. Those were salad days with a butt in every seat and attending games seen as traditional and darn near obligatory as attending church on Sunday (yeah, I know, a weird reference for this Jewish author to make).
But those days are gone. Simply announcing the schedule and opening the gates are not nearly enough to attract fans to games in the midst of all the other options and amenities one can get at home with their recliner, their fridge, and all of the screens and games within easy reach. The battle to boost attendance, particularly in college football (though applicable to almost all sports), was dissected with great insight by The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, informed by conversations with prominent professionals working in college athletics. (NOTE: Read the full article and subscribe to The Athletic because it is freaking awesome and well worth the price of subscription). There are plenty of ideas you may have heard before, some areas that haven't gotten the consideration they merit, and other new opportunities to explore that were discussed in the piece.
Here are 12 topics broached in the article as leaders in sports and college athletics look to recapture those glory days of packed stadiums every game, every week, every season.
Seating – For years, we just kind of accepted bleachers at college football games and many other sports. Pro sports may have upgraded to some individual seats that one could tolerate if they brought a seat cushion. But when you have a recliner, a comfy couch, or a massage chair with your name (and crease) on it back home, sports pros are realizing making the time one is at their seat and, well, sitting something to enjoy and relax, rather than simply tolerate.
[Cool real-world example not from the article are the mesh seats at the home stadium of the Las Vegas Aviators, in an attempt to keep fans comfy (and prevent hot + sweaty butts) during the hot Vegas summers.]
FOMO – Fans at home can rest assured with their plentiful WiFi and all the outlets and screens they could want. Stadiums have gradually been filling this need over the years – WiFi is becoming more the norm (even if it's not the panacea for attendance woes many hoped), charging stations are located throughout the venue (though I need one at my seat!), and – after years of archaically avoiding it – replays are completely shown in the stadium, so there's no FOMO that you're missing out on looks and angles and highlights fans back home are getting.
Quality > Quantity – In the past, it was all about getting the most fans and seats in the building as possible (fire codes permitting!). Now, leaders are thinking less about cramming in every last fan than they are about providing the best fan experience – so that may mean more open concourses, standing areas, and even roomier seats and suites. Better to have 75,000 happy fans than 80,000 fans just tolerating the experience. They're also paying more attention to boosting per capita revenue rather than living and dying with the announced attendance (especially when one takes into account no-shows).
Transportation + Parking – A common complaint, according to the article, revolved around getting to the stadium and finding / dealing with parking. As someone who attended a school that required a student bus ride to get to the stadium, I can understand the pain of students whose stadium is not a couple steps from campus. Parking, of course, is an endless hassle at just about any sports events, but that's why schools and teams are working with a) ride-share companies to make their use and flow easier, and b) partnering with parking apps (ParkWhiz is cited in the piece) to allay this concern for fans. Ingress is also an area noted in the comments section of the article (solutions weren't discussed, but ideas like pre-check and companies like Clear with their biometric identification are things to watch).
Open concession areas – Not only is the selection of food getting better (and fans don't have to decide quite as much between going out to get a good meal and going out to the game), but stadiums in college athletics are putting more thought into the concessions experience – with larger, open areas to combat congestion, mobile ordering (not mentioned in the article), and concessions areas that may look more like a mall food court, with seating and socializing, than just some stands selling typical cheap fare.
Video everywhere – Fans can go and enjoy those social areas and that food without having to worry about missing the game or, in some cases, other big games going on simultaneously. There are screens everywhere – showing the game on the field and games from all over. Particularly in college football, where there seem to be always be multiple 'big games,' leaders are making sure fans don't have to feel like they're missing out, including pregame opportunities to watch other games.
Entertainment > Advertising for game presentation – There are a lot of media timeouts (that's what ultimately represents the biggest slice of revenue pie) in addition to halftime, and while old favorites like the dance cam have been around for years, there were previously a lot more straight ad reads or commercials on the video board. Those are gradually being replaced by sponsored features, contests, on-field presentations, videos, and fun that are far more welcomed and valuable for fans. The fans at home are probably flipping through the commercials, and if you want fans in the venue to have a positive experience from driveway to driveway, stealing their attention for traditional ads is not an ingredient to keep them coming back.
Every game is an event – These were cool to read about and certainly continues a trend seen in other sports. It's not enough to just say you're going to the game or went to the game last night, there's a lot more and to the experience now. There are pregame parties, concerts and DJ's, and other activities so that the game is just one part of the overall experience for fans.
Alcohol – Alcohol sales were not practiced and mostly prohibited at college football games for years. Now, many schools and conferences are beginning to crack open the door, or swing it wide open, for sales of beer, wine, and even hard liquor in some cases. Proponents argue, often armed with data, that selling booze in the games cuts down on pregame binge-ing before stadium entry and reduces security issues. Of course, it's a nice boon for revenue via sales and sponsorship, too (though not a massive windfall). Getting a beer at the game is such a traditional part of the sports attendance experience for fans in pro sports and certainly a part of the experience for fans tailgating or watching at home or at a sports bar – and now it is one less thing missing from the live game experience.
Rewards programs and/or Priority – Rewards programs (whether for students or for all fans) are making a mega comeback (they're a lot more advanced and data-savvy than those of the '90s, that's for sure), and they're another weapon in the arsenal to get fans to attend games. But it's more than that – they're also incentivizing fans to arrive on time to games and stay til the end, offering extra credit for being there late in the 4th quarter. While most rewards programs offer prizes like merchandise and tchotchkes, something even more valuable on the table is ticket priority, especially for students for whom priority was heretofore largely based on seniority. If fans want to be able to see those big games, they have to attend all the other games and not leave at halftime. It's also an incentive for season ticket holders to actually show up to every game.
Smarter, more aggressive, targeted marketing – The type of sophisticated marketing and sales strategies that are now the norm in pro sports arrived kind of late to college athletics. There wasn't as much a need, especially in places like SEC country where the school's games were the only show in town and the best form of entertainment and outing one could possibly find. Schools spent far more time worrying about driving donations and external relations than ticket sales. But strong sales and marketing is now a must in the college athletics game and programs are utilizing CRM, data warehouses, and many are bringing in external partners to take over or train their sales programs. This point about more savvy sales was brought up and articulated well in the article by longtime sports sales leader Steve DeLay.
Flexible ticketing – While you've likely read about a MLB or NBA team offering 'passes' or the chance to 'subscribe' with a monthly ticket, this notion really seemed to get its initial steam in college athletics and now more and more schools are creating such flexible ticketing passes. Further, in an interesting observation from DeLay, schools are learning from their counterparts in the pros and offering more options for their potential fans and buyers. Along with season tickets, there are the aforementioned passes, mini plans, and pick 'em plans. These, in turn, can be marketed in a targeted fashion to fans for whom each membership/ticket plan is best suited. It's a new day for college athletics and the bar and burden is higher and tougher to fill their stadiums on Saturdays. But the strategies and tactics are more thoughtful, proactive, and innovative as they've ever been.
First, I urge you again to subscribe to The Athletic and to read the story from Nicole Aueberbach that inspired this piece and the takeaways. I'll end this post with an excellent quote/anecdote from the article, offered from Kenny Mossman, senior associate athletic director of external operations at Oklahoma:
"I went to a Disney seminar one time and they said, 'What do you think is the goal that we aspire for Disney?'" Mossman said. "You sit there and scratch your head and you think, 'To make people happy?' They told us no — it was to get you to come back to your next visit. That's really what we have to be motivated by as well. What can we do when they're here that makes it so much fun that they have to come back? That's really what's driving a lot of us."
One thought on "Attendance Issues in College Athletics and What Leaders are Doing About It"
fahad says:
i am a sports man. I played at school and college level but I Think in schools there are less fecilities and chances for sports. The leaders should pay attention to this problem because at school level sports are More important for students.
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text:
Q: How to add an ASCII value of a byte to an integer in golang? I'd like to get a byte[] variables' asic value added to an integer. For example, I fisrt read all input in a byte[] buffer. And then I get out a number string "123" in it. And then I can assign it to an integer by ('1' - '0')*100 + ('2' - '0')*10 + '3' - '0'. But I can not assign integers with byte variables. How can I do that with any means? Thank you very much :)

A: In go, you can convert byte array to string with the string() coercion and then use strconv.Atoi on it.  Presumably, you also want to use slice operations to isolate just the part of the input you want to convert.
package main

import (
    "strconv"
    "fmt"
)

func main() {
    data := []byte { 0x20, 0x31, 0x32, 0x33, 0x20 } // Embedded number
    // string(...) coercion yields a string from a byte buffer
    // Number starts at char 1, ends before char 4
    str := string(data[1:4])
    i, err := strconv.Atoi(str)
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Printf("Error %v\n", err)
        return
    }

    fmt.Printf("value %v\n", i)
}

Prints
value 123

And since go has nicely hygenic practicies, errors will be handled too.

A: If you need to read an integer from a stream of bytes, the fastest way would be just to scan it with fmt. Example:
n := 0
_, err := fmt.Scanf("%d", &n)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
fmt.Printf("you entered %d\n", n)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Talent ID Camps
*No previous sliding experience is required!
BCBSA holds annual physical testing sessions for all athletes interested in competing in the sports of Bobsleigh and Skeleton. Physical testing and training for Bobsleigh and Skeleton are for the purpose of having the fastest starts possible in Provincial, National and International competitions.
The goal of these camps is to provide opportunities for BC athletes to get involved in the sports of Bobsleigh and Skeleton, and to evaluate the athletes to determine their potential for the competitive, or High Performance, programs. Athletes who achieve BCBSA's minimum Physical Testing Standards may be invited into the High Performance Programs after completing a Driving School. Athletes will then train and develop in the provincial system as a part of BCBSA and will have the opportunity to be selected to the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) National team if they meet the National Level standards.
BCBSA will be conducting Talent ID Events in the following areas during the Summer leading up to the sliding season:
Sunday, August 24, 2014 – 11:15 am Registration & Warm-up, 12:15 pm Testing Starts
Kerrisdale Park Track (beside Point Grey Secondary School) 5670 East Blvd, Vancouver, BC
Sunday, September 7, 2014 – 11:15 am Registration & Warm-up, 12:15 pm Testing Starts
NEW* Saturday, November 8, 2014 – 8:45 am Registration, 9:00am-12:00 pm Testing
Richmond Olympic Oval - 6111 River Road, Richmond BC
*Speed and full Strength testing will take place at this event!
Sunday, March 8, 2015 - 1:00pm Testing (hosted by BCS)
(Physical Testing will also take place throughout the season for athletes that are interested in joining the High Performance programs.)
Age: 16 years and older (younger athletes will be considered if they meet certain height and weight restrictions)
Physical Tests: Athletes will be tested on the following as per the guidelines set by BCS
Speed & Strength (Bobsleigh & Skeleton)
45m Sprint (15m, 30m , 45m Sprint and 30m Fly will be calculated from this test)
Underhand Forward Medicine Ball Toss
Standing Long Jump (Broad Jump)
Standing Triple Jump
Additional Strength (Bobsleigh only)
Minimum Physical Testing Standards can be found below as well as more information on the tests. For more information on Athlete Services from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, please visit their website.
Attention Bobsleigh Athletes: For those athletes targeted for Bobsleigh, if you meet or exceed the Physical Standards defined below, you may be invited to a second Talent ID event to test for Power Clean, Front Squat and Bench Press.
For detailed information on specific Talent ID camps please see the calendar of events, or to confirm your attendance contact info@slidebc.ca.
BCS Talent Recruitment Poster November 2014
BCS Talent Recruitment Poster Aug & Sept 2014
Canadian Sport Institute's Podium Search
The Canadian Sport Institute has partnered with BCS to host an Athlete Identification Camp in Whistler. It is a free one-day camp testing athletes' capacity for sport performance at its highest level.
Time: 10:30am-3:30pm
Location: Canadian Sport Institute Pacific @ Whistler Athlete's Centre (1090 Legacy Way, Whistler BC)
Age: 14-22 years
For more information, please visit CSI Pacific's website.
BCBSA Minimum Physical Testing Standards
For an athlete to be considered part of the BC Development or High Performance Program, they must meet or exceed 4 of BCBSA's Physical Testing Standards listed below. CSI-Pacific outlines the requirements and services available for athletes on their website.
These scores are reflective of an athlete that is under 23 years. Older or significantly younger athletes may be subject different standards at the discretion of the coach (taking into account CS4L stages).
15m Sprint
2.28-2.39 sec
30m Fly
SLJ
2.69-2.40 m
BCS Minimum Physical Testing Standards
2.30 sec
UHF – Underhand medicine ball toss
SLJ – Standing long jump (Broad Jump)
STJ - Standing triple jump
Please visit www.youtube.com/user/CanadaBobsleigh for video explanations of each test event.
Some information has not been defined yet or is unavailable. BCS standards were taken from the BCS website (www.bobsleigh.ca).
Bobsleigh Race Circuits
Skeleton Race Circuits
Bobsleigh 101 - Intro Program for High School Students
Canadian Championships RACE
BC Championship Bobsleigh and Skeleton - This weekend (Mar 16,17, 18)
© 2020, British Columbia Bobsleigh and Skeleton Assocaiton | Site by SWS

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Polwarth sheep were developed from the foundation stock of 75% Merino and 25% Lincoln. Their fleece is fine with a long staple length. Polwarth fiber is 23 microns and has a staple length of 4-6 inches, 100-115 mm. This wool comes from South America.


Newberry, S.C. – Trucast LLC., a manufacturer of components for automotive engines and power generation, announced today it will be expanding its Newberry operations, investing $3 million and creating 10 new jobs over the next few years.
With over 240 years of experience, this fast-moving group is constantly developing its broad range of products and processes to best serve the aerospace, industrial gas turbine, automotive, petrochemical, construction, industrial and transportation markets. Core areas of expertise include precision casting, forging, fabrication, machining and the production of superalloys and fasteners.


text:
namespace NuPattern.Proxy
{
    using NuPattern;
    using Castle.DynamicProxy;
    using System;
    using System.Linq;

    public class GetPropertyValue : IBehavior
    {
        public bool AppliesTo(IInvocation invocation)
        {
            return invocation.Method.IsSpecialName &&
                invocation.Method.Name.StartsWith("get_") &&
                invocation.Method.ReturnType.IsNative();
        }

        public BehaviorAction ExecuteFor(IInvocation invocation)
        {
            var component = (IComponent)invocation.Proxy;
            var propertyName = invocation.Method.Name.Substring(4);
            var property = component.Properties.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Name == propertyName);
            if (property != null)
            {
                invocation.ReturnValue = property.Value;
                return BehaviorAction.Stop;
            }

            return BehaviorAction.Continue;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text: Docker Image for [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) based on airdock/base:latest


The main objective of the present study is to develop the fragility curves for the open ground storey buildings designed as per the modification factors suggested by the different international codal provisions and compare the relative performance on the probabilistic basis by developing the fragility curves. For the development of the fragility curves the nonlinear static analysis method is adopted here. The building model considered is having 10 storeys and 6 bays in both the directions and it is assumed to be situated in Zone V. The building is symmetrical in plan. So, only plane frame model can be considered for the representation of the whole building. The building is first designed in the STAAD. The Ground storey columns are designed according to the modification factors suggested by the different codes such as 1 and 2.5 (Indian), 3 (Bulgarian), 2.1 (Israel), 4.68 (Euro code) and approach suggested by Kaushik et. al (2009).These building frames are modeled in SAP. The capacity curve of the building is obtained from the non linear static analysis and the capacity curve control points of the building (yield and ultimate capacity control points) are obtained. From this control points the damage state median values are identified and fragility curves are developed for each damage states showing the cumulative probability of reaching or exceeding each damage state at given value of spectral displacement.
ATC-40,Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of concrete Buildings. Applied Technology Council,Seismic Safety Comission Of California. (November 1996).
BCDBSS (1987). Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgarian Code for Design of Buildings Structures in Seismic Regions. Bulgarian Academy of Science Committee of Territorial and Town System at the Council of Ministers. (1987).
EC -8 Design of structures for earthquake resistance Part 1 : General rules, seismic actions and rules for buildings. (2004).
Erberik, M. A. (2008, september). Fragility-based assessment of typical mid-rise and low-rise RC buildings in Turkey. Engineering Structures , 1360-1374.
, Crisafuli. (1997). Seismic Behaviour of reinforced concrete structures with masonry infills. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Canterbury. New Zealand.
(2006). HAZUS MH MR-1 Technical and User Manual. Washington, DC: Fedaral Emergency Management Agency.
(2006). HAZUS MH MR-3 Technical and User Manual. Washington,DC: Fedaral Emergency Management Agency.
M. Calvi, R. P.-V. (September 2006). Development of seismic vulnerability assessment methodologies over the past 30 years. ISET Journal of Earthquake Technology , 75-104.
Hemant B. Kaushik, D. C. (2009). Effectiveness of Some Strengthening Options for Masonry-Infilled RC Frames with Open First Story. Journal of structural engineering @ ASCE , 925-937.
Hemant B. Kaushik, D. C. (2008). A rational approach to analytical modeling of masonry infills in reinforced concrete frame buildings. Beijing, China: The 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering.
IS - 1893 PART 1. Indian Standard criteria for earthquake resistance design. (2002).
IS 456:2000. Plain Reinforced concrete- Code of practice, Beurau of Indian Standard. (2000).
Masanobu Shinozuka, M. Q.-K.-H. (December 2000). Nonlinear static procedure for fragility curve development. Journal of Engineering Mechanics , 1287-1296.
Pappin, Xiaonian. D. (2008). A procedure for establishing fragility functions for seismic loss estimate of existing buildings based on nonlinear pushover analysis. The 14 th world conference on earthquake engineering. Beijing,China.
Davis, D. M. (October,2008). Evaluation of magnification factors for open ground storey buildings using nonlinear analyses. The 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Beijing,China.
SAP 2000 V18,Integrated software for structural analysis and design.
Standard Institution of Iserael (SII). Design provisions for earthquake resistance of structures.
Megha Vasavada, Dr. V R Patel, " Fragility Analysis of Open Ground Storey Buildings Using Nonlinear Static Analysis, International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology(IJSRSET), Print ISSN : 2395-1990, Online ISSN : 2394-4099, Volume 2, Issue 6, pp.85-95, November-December-2016.


Among pioneering European countries who started to establish a formal higher education quality assurance system in the 1980s, the Netherlands adopted one based on peer review and quality enhancement, which was replaced in 2003 by an accountability-oriented accreditation system under the substantial influence of the Bologna Process. Recently, the emphasis is being put on institutional audit to restore a culture of quality within higher education institutions. This article addresses the question of what the higher education worldwide can learn from the evolution of Dutch quality assurance policy concerning control, the balance between accountability and quality improvement and trust. Finally, recent adaptations to the current, third, round of accreditation are also addressed in this context.
Chu, Aijing ; Westerheijden, Don F. / Between quality and control : what can we learn from higher education quality assurance policy in the Netherlands. In: Quality in higher education. 2019 ; Vol. 24, No. 3. pp. 260-270.
Between quality and control : what can we learn from higher education quality assurance policy in the Netherlands. / Chu, Aijing (Corresponding Author); Westerheijden, Don F.
In: Quality in higher education, Vol. 24, No. 3, 11.01.2019, p. 260-270.
AU - Westerheijden, Don F.
N2 - Among pioneering European countries who started to establish a formal higher education quality assurance system in the 1980s, the Netherlands adopted one based on peer review and quality enhancement, which was replaced in 2003 by an accountability-oriented accreditation system under the substantial influence of the Bologna Process. Recently, the emphasis is being put on institutional audit to restore a culture of quality within higher education institutions. This article addresses the question of what the higher education worldwide can learn from the evolution of Dutch quality assurance policy concerning control, the balance between accountability and quality improvement and trust. Finally, recent adaptations to the current, third, round of accreditation are also addressed in this context.
AB - Among pioneering European countries who started to establish a formal higher education quality assurance system in the 1980s, the Netherlands adopted one based on peer review and quality enhancement, which was replaced in 2003 by an accountability-oriented accreditation system under the substantial influence of the Bologna Process. Recently, the emphasis is being put on institutional audit to restore a culture of quality within higher education institutions. This article addresses the question of what the higher education worldwide can learn from the evolution of Dutch quality assurance policy concerning control, the balance between accountability and quality improvement and trust. Finally, recent adaptations to the current, third, round of accreditation are also addressed in this context.


Following up on her September interview in Mental Health Practice, Felicity Stockwell's bemoans how little it has changed mental health nursing practice.
Following up on her September interview in Mental Health Practice, Felicity Stockwell bemoans how little her work has changed mental health nursing practice.
For many nurses, Felicity Stockwell's study, The Unpopular Patient has changed nursing from task-based to patient-centred care. But she is still waiting for it to have an impact on mental health nursing.
When the RCN started its research project, Study of Nursing Care, in 1966, I was not eligible to take part because I was a mental health nurse. The project was to develop the quality of general nursing. However, because I was in the RCN, and had been invited to participate in an informal nursing research group for senior nurses I was included, even though I was a mental health tutor. It was for this project that I wrote The Unpopular Patient, published in 1972.
In 1959 when I started my mental nurse training I was taught when mothers nurture and care for their babies all the sensations the babies experience set up needs for the pleasure they gain for the rest of their lives. Anxiety is aroused if these needs are not met and mental disorder can develop.
When I was interviewed for Mental Health Practice's September issue I said that my study has not done 'one iota of good'. This is because I had hoped the status it has given would encourage mental health nurses to listen to me so that they can understand how it is that failings of the full bonding process in babies makes people vulnerable to knocks to their self-esteem, and gives rise to behavioral disorders, and how socially enabling care is a most effective way to restore self-confidence and contentment.
Later in my career I worked as a ward sister at St. Thomas's Hospital, where psychiatrist, William Sargant worked. At the time, he was a prominent figure for treating mentally ill patients physically, rather than socially. His treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy were deemed successful, although unpopular with his colleagues. Many of the nurses believed and stand by that fact that social care, listening and talking to the patients helped improve their mental health.
When I finally began working in mental hospitals I found it upsetting because the nursing care was different, and not based on a social strategy of care. I realised what a shortfall there was and I vowed to reform mental health nursing. That was in 1963.
Through attending RCN monthly meetings, I made friends with a nurse who was doing research with the King's Fund, and shared my concerns about mental health nursing with her. It was she, who introduced me to Winifred Raphael, an occupational psychologist who wrote surveys on how patients view life in hospital. Raphael ran a research discussion group for senior nurses. I embarked on a strategy to share the benefits of social caring with current mental health nurses.
In 1972, The Unpopular Patient was published – and seriously repudiated – I was married with two daughters, and decided that fate did not mean me to reform mental health nursing. We moved North and when my daughters had started school, I was persuaded to work as a tutor at Whittingham Hospital in Preston, Lancashire.
My colleagues knew about The Unpopular Patient. The Sun newspaper ran a front-page story stating that I didn't like patients. This did not endear me to my new colleagues, and none of them would listen to anything about maternal bonding, but I used experiential learning techniques to teach psychology again. This had the same negative reception in the wards and with my colleagues.
In 1987 my husband died, and I was old enough to retire. It was when visiting someone in hospital, that I came to hear that The Unpopular Patient was now acclaimed, and I was popular. This re-awoke my determination to reform mental health nursing.
Since that time, I have used my fame to contact as many practising mental health nurses that I can, to try and explain the value and strategies of enabling social care based on understanding maternal infant bonding. And explain how easy and rewarding it is.
I still await somebody taking an interest.
I do realise my dream is a hidden agenda, but every time continuing interest in the study surfaces it hurts that I have not been able to use the publicity to promote it successfully in mental health nursing.
Released in 1972, the study was controversial because it suggested that if a patient may have been ill-tempered or uncooperative they were deemed 'difficult' by nurses. It was suggested that 'unpopular' patients like these did not receive the same level of care as others.
Felicity Stockwell maintained that social care – such as listening and talking – was the best way of treating patients, and believed that mother-infant bonding was the foundation for positive mental health.


This morning my son tore his room apart. Annihilated is a good word. He had so much anger pent up inside of him that he didn't know how to control it. And so he raged. He threw things. He ripped his bed apart. He knocked over his chair. And he growled deep into his throat with a primal energy as he slammed his hands against the wall.
We were at odds this morning. He got on the video games when he wasn't supposed to. And though I knew he would argue against any limitation I placed on him for the two minutes of game time, I also knew I had to follow through. So I told him they were gone for the day.
I don't know what to do when he gets this angry. I know that, probably, the thing he needs most is for me to stay calm and loving with him so he can find an anchor in me and bring himself down. But when he gets that overly angry, being loving with him is like hugging a grizzly bear.
My natural impulse was to get angry back. But I refrained and chose to walk away. I had to get ready for work. He was to leave within the next 5 minutes. I was frustrated that all this was happening at the worst possible time. The last thing I wanted him to do was to go to school totally amped up with rage. So walking away seemed like the best choice.
And that's when he tore his room apart.
So next I got angry. And when I got angry, I got really angry. I let loose with the language, told him this was unacceptable. And we yelled at each other, both so angry at what was going on.
And then the truth behind his anger came out. Because you don't just get that angry over video games, you get angry about all the stuff you've been stuffing inside. The video games just made all that stuff overflow.
He's angry about stuff going on at school and at baseball – how he's rejected by the cool kids on his team and deemed fat and ugly by his classmates. He's angry about being so out of control. He's angry that he keeps getting in trouble. But mostly, he's angry over his dad, who failed him many times over during his last visit – a visit that I keep learning more about.
Like that my Ex told him secrets from my past – a past that happened before my son was even born.
Like that my Ex yelled and screamed about anything and everything while my son sat in a corner of the room.
Like that he threatened the lives of anyone who dared to come to his house.
And the latest, that a game of roughhousing took a wrong turn, and my Ex took his anger out on Taz – physically.
And no one was there to protect him.
I am so angry right now. Angry, devastated, torn apart…exhausted… Mostly, I'm furious with myself that I actually let Taz visit his father all by himself, knowing how delicate Taz is underneath his rough posterior, and knowing that the Ex has a lot of flaws. And I'm furious with the Ex that he can't recognize just how much his son idolizes him, even when the Ex lets him down over and over again. The Taz is always ready to forgive his dad. He even kept all this a secret for as long as he could, afraid that I would take his dad away from him.
I called the counselor this afternoon to try and get the earliest appointment we can. At Taz's last appointment, Taz had us all believing everything was fine. But over the past couple of weeks, he has had several intense moments of rage that prove everything is NOT okay. The counselor talked me down over the phone, the concern evident in his voice as he sensed the brokenness in both Taz and me. And we see him next week. In the meantime, Taz is to write down everything that makes him angry in an effort to control his rage. And I have to do my best to remind him that his rage makes it too hard to help him.
In the meantime, my life is still being controlled by a man I never should have made children with or married. I will never be free from his torment. And now, he's making our kids' lives a living hell. And I'm tired. So, so tired.
Words cannot express the rage I feel at this man.
I know I already wrote about this. In fact, she has already moved. But after much thought, I decided to also write a newspaper article about what's going on in our home. I figure plenty of divorced families are going through the same thing as their child decides which parent to live with full time. So I am sharing my own personal story.
Note: I am doing ok. DQ is too. It's still a transition, and a lot to get used to. But so far, everything seems to be going smoothly.
This article will print on January 11, 2013 in the Press Democrat.
My 14-year-old daughter, DQ, is moving out.
It's weird, I never thought I'd type these words before she turned 18. But here I am, standing by as she packs up her bags and prepares to leave the nest. My nest. The one I have padded with protection and comfort since the day she was born, through a messy divorce, during financially tight times, and in her tumultuous teen years. She is flying the coop with my assistance when I drive her a full three hours away to live with her father.
And this might just be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
For 14 years, I have been her primary caregiver, the one who is responsible for every aspect of her life. I am the one who has filled out her school forms, checked her homework (till her homework got too smart for me), packed her lunches, and made her doctor's appointments. I was the parent she told about her first love, and the parent who picked up the pieces when her heart was broken a few weeks later. I am her chauffeur, her personal chef, her nurse, her cheerleader, her everything she needed me to be so she can be a happy kid. I've gone to every one of her soccer games. I volunteer at the camp she attends every year. And I have done all this on my own. So to hand over the reins to her dad, allowing her to move three hours away and out of my realm of parenting, was way beyond my comfort level.
My first impulse was to say no, absolutely not. But she asked me to at least think about it. So I agreed to mull it over before I ultimately said no.
I was at war with what was the right thing to do in this situation. Of her two parents, I had proven to be the more responsible. Our two children, DQ and Taz, live with me full time, and I have fit my whole entire life within their schedule and comfort. Their father, who moved several counties away a few years ago, has never had the privilege of moving heaven and earth to make it to a parent-teacher conference at the same time as a mandatory meeting at work. I've been the parent while he's been the one they visit occasionally. I've accepted that this is what works for raising the kids, and hold no bitterness over this. It's just the way it is. But to give up my place as my daughter's primary parent was rocking a boat I didn't want rocked.
During the time when I was to be thinking this over (even though my mind was still set on NO), DQ took the time to patiently discuss all the perks of her living with her father. She talked about her new baby brother over there, how she would get a chance to know him and help take care of him. She took me on a virtual tour of her new town through Google Maps, pointing the cursor towards all of her favorite hangouts a few blocks from her home. She told me about the friends she had there, helping me to get to know them though her description. She handled the whole situation like she was the adult and I was the child. She was patient and kind, helping me with a hard transition. I was stubborn and tearful, refusing to budge.
Then a funny thing happened – my eyes were suddenly opened.
It didn't happen on my own, but through a lot of help. I talked with my husband at great lengths about the whole decision. I discussed it with a counselor. And eventually, I called my ex-husband himself and talked about the possibility of our daughter moving in with him. After much deliberation and thought, I realized I had much less reasons to say no, and many more reasons to say yes.
I know in my heart that I've made the best decision I could for her. DQ gets a chance to get to know her other side of her family, the part that makes up the other half of her. I, in turn, get to feel what it's like on the other side of the coin – the one where I merely get to visit her instead of seeing her every single day. This still feels like a bad dream. I keep waiting for DQ to tell me she's changed her mind. Of course, she hasn't and likely won't.
But I've realized something. Loving a child isn't just about holding on to them and protecting them. It isn't just about being there every step of the way.
Sometimes love is knowing when to let go.
My daughter is moving away.
It's weird typing those words. I always knew there would be a day I would have to face this reality. But I thought it would be at 18 when she left for college rather than when she was only 14 years old.
And I'm sorry to those of you I haven't told this to in person. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it on my own.
I'm conflicted in this decision. It didn't come lightly. DQ came to me about it months ago, and I thought we had tackled it then. I thought I laid down the law enough for her to want to stay. But several new things happened and the subject was brought up again, this time with more urgency.
First, her boyfriend moved 3 hours away to Redding. Having wrapped her whole social life up in him, she found herself in foreign territory. She had no close friendships, a strained social life, and the person she used to spend every moment with suddenly nowhere around.
Second, she spent a really great weekend at her father's house, spent some quality time with her new baby brother, and got back in touch with some friends she knows who live in Grass Valley, where her father lives.
Third, she insisted she needed a change of scenery so she could start fresh.
When she first came to me about wanting to move in with her dad, I considered it for only a second before I refused. But she was persistent that I at least think about it. She laid out some very specific reasons as to why this wouldn't be such a bad thing, noting the Christian friends (ooh, she's good) that she hangs out with up there, how she wants to get to know her baby brother better, and showing me a map of where she would be living if she were there – taking me on a virtual tour of the town through Google Maps.
The past 6 months or so have been really rough with DQ. Her teenage years have not been the most pleasant as she goes through her Jekyll & Hyde emotions. One moment she's the loveliest of all people. The next, I have to keep my hands out of her cage or she'll bite them clean off.
I also understand the need for change; the realization that so many mistakes have been made that the only choice is to begin a new direction in a new place. Of course, she's a teenager. Mistakes are going to happen over and over again. My understanding of her need for a change of scenery goes hand in hand with my concern over the fact that she's once again running from problems she's created. This isn't the first time she's wanted to run away. She did this with her old school two years ago when the drama became too much to handle. Now she's doing it again by moving to Grass Valley.
What if it happens again once she's there?
Her father had the same concerns when we spoke on the phone today. We had a really good, bare bones conversation about DQ's desire to move in with him. It made me feel a ton better to hear him raise all the same concerns I had about her – even before I voiced them.
What if she falls in with the wrong crowd there?
What if she pushes all of his buttons and makes him furious, as she's known to do?
What if she gets there and decides she wants to leave again?
What if he can't afford to have her there?
"Do you want me to have reservations?" he finally asked me with a chuckle.
"Yes!" I said, laughing as I admitted I wanted him to give me the out so that I could tell DQ "no" and let it be known I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
At any rate, the decision has not been made 100% final. The Ex still needs to contact DQ's proposed future school and find out what needs to be done to get her transferred there. And I put the caveat out there that I needed to talk to DQ's counselor before it was a done deal. But admittedly, the decision is 99% a sure thing. I'll be sending the Ex half of my child support check to ensure he is still paying off his back support while still being financially fair about it as he takes DQ into his care. I'll visit every couple of weekends, making the trek over there to hang out with her. She'll come back on holiday breaks, though how we do this so it's fair for both kids is still a detail we have to figure out. We'll also have to figure out how she'll attend training weekends for the camp she's on staff at. It's all a bunch of messy details.
But strangely enough, I think I'm ok with this decision. I mean, I'm totally sad about it. It's going to be weird not having her around. I'll probably be totally depressed for the first couple of weeks. She's the one who makes me laugh the most. She's not just my daughter, she's kind of like a friend. We have a million inside jokes. I mean, who's going to quote every movie we've seen hundreds of times with me? Who will I watch Glee with now? Who's going to have living room dance parties with me, or embarrass me with her totally dirty jokes?
But I also know it's not the end of the world.
She's moving 3 hours away, not across the country. It's still unsure if this is a permanent move, or just until the end of the school year. We're all keeping this open as a trial, with a minimum of 6 months time.
Perhaps a little space between me and DQ will be healthy. And, can I just say it privately here? Perhaps it will give her a bit of a reality check. Or not. But it makes me feel better to think so.
But beyond that, I know how important it is for her to get to know her baby brother. And in a weird Freudian way, I know it's also good for her to get to know her dad better and be around him.
This could be good for all of us. We'll see.
This last week was overrun with an influx of celebrity breakups, making it kind of a sad week in the land of romance. There was some silence in the 'whys' of the break ups, but a few of them are speaking out on the cause.
Seal and Heidi Klum: Apparently Seal has quite the temper. And Heidi decided enough was enough and headed for the door. But Seal was still caught wearing his wedding ring on the Ellen show, prompting me to believe he still has hope things can turn around.
Simon Cowell and Mezhgan Hussainy: There is no reason being given, though it's been reported they haven't seen each other for over a month in this "break" from their relationship. However, when it took Simon 6 years to actually propose only to have him waffling again, I can only wonder if it's actually Mezhgan whose tired of waiting around.
Aretha Franklin and Willie Wilkerson: The reason was they were "moving too fast", though the diva is also battling some very serious health issues.
Dooce and Jon Armstrong: This one kind of hurt, because it's like reading about my own sister. The infamous mom blogger and her husband are going through a trial separation. She hasn't said much about the hows and whys, but he's admitted it has to do with the battle of depression Dooce has battled for years – the very battle she made public and became such a household name over.
For me, the dealbreaker is breaking my trust. Having allowed too many lies, broken promises, hurts, and wrongdoings to be forgiven before finally being done, I have realized life is too short to be not treated respectfully and honestly. If I can't trust someone with my love, what can I trust them with?
What are your dealbreakers in relationships?
This was only part of the comment that sat in my inbox all night long regarding a blog that had nothing to do with divorce. And while the comment was completely off-base in what they considered the gospel truth (my kids being fatherless, only seeing their dad two weeks out of the year, screwed up family life…), I found issue with it – that someone would look at the tiny window I have posted about my life and make such an unfair judgment of it. I considered deleting the comment, but then I decided it was better not to. And I thought that maybe this was a good time to say a thing or two about marriage, and about divorce.
A marriage is meant to unite two people for life. It's something that must be worked at every single day with all your heart to ensure that it stays strong. It's not a covenant made with the stipulation that if things don't work out, you can just break it. It's a promise that two people make when they have found their future in another person. And it's what those same two people count on as they create a life together, create children together, plan a future together. So when the cookie cutter dream of growing old together doesn't work out as planned, the result is something more than painful. No one goes into marriage planning their demise (and if they are, maybe the marriage should be seriously thought through some more). But life happens. People change. Situations arise.
Thing is, I get what the poster is saying about divorce. I am also of the belief that if divorce can be avoided, it should. But sometimes divorce is the answer, and there is no way around it. Sometimes things are so toxic that to NOT divorce would be cruel to not only the parents, but to the kids as well. If I'd done things over again, I never would have allowed divorce to be a part of my life. Divorce was, hands down, the worst thing that ever happened to me – and I've gone through some pretty traumatic experiences. But the only way I could have avoided divorcing was by never meeting my ex in the first place. And that would mean there would be no DQ, and there would be no Taz.
My kids' dad and I were never what you would consider compatible. We, in all honesty, should never have married. But we were young and in love. And a year and a half into our relationship, we were pregnant. When DQ was 18 months old, we married in a beautiful and quiet ceremony in my parents' backyard. 18 more months, and DQ was a big sister. And a year later, we were pregnant with our third. But that pregnancy ended 7 months in. We, for the first time, came face to face with mortality as we picked up the pieces of our lives after our son's stillbirth.
We didn't handle it well.
There are too many other personal events that happened in our relationship before and during our marriage that I will fail in mentioning out of respect for my family and my ex. The stillbirth was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the demise of our marriage. The simple truth is, we became toxic. And our home was no place to raise a healthy family. And so we ended our marriage, and went through the very long process of putting our lives back together.
Let me tell you what happens when you get a divorce. Your souls, that were intertwined when you made that covenant together, are ripped apart. Unlike a clean cut, it is a jagged edge. Some pieces of their soul still reside with yours, and some pieces of your soul still reside with theirs. It is so much more than the dividing of property, money, and time with the children. It is setting fire to all your hopes and dreams that were once a for sure thing, and watching it go up in smoke. Mourning a divorce is much like mourning the death of a loved one. And that is exactly what is happening. That person, whose eyes you saw your whole life in, has died. And the person that is left is someone strange who you just don't know anymore. They look different. They sound different. They even smell different.
The person you loved is gone.
And once the smoke settles and all is said and done, a divorced person must pick themselves up and get on with their lives. Life doesn't end with divorce, even when it feels like it. For some people it's a stop on the path they are traveling. For a few, it's a fork in the road. And for others, like me, it's when the journey truly begins.
And what about the kids? I can't speak for everyone's children regarding divorce. I can only speak for mine. And in the beginning stages of the divorce, my kids were understandably devastated. Regardless of what our family life looked like, it's what they knew. They loved (love) their dad. And they loved (love) me. And they wanted all of us in one house under one roof creating one life together. And if we had done that, my kids would have used our poisonous marriage as a model for their own relationships. They would have taken on the venomous way that we spoke to each other. Their future would have been bleak as they absorbed the ghosts of mine and their dad's downfalls.
But what about today? Today, having two single parent homes is a way of life for the kids, their reality. And they accept it because it has become their norm. Today my ex and I are able to carry a conversation. We are able to discuss different things regarding parenting our children. We are able to team up when something is going on with either of the kids, and talk about it with them together. This last year my kids were with their father every single weekend. And during the summer they were with him just about every other week. He was there at many of our son's baseball games, and will be there for many of our daughter's soccer games this fall. Are things perfect? No. There are times when bitterness rises up in either one of us. But do we yell at each other or talk poorly about each other to our kids? Absolutely not. After 6 years of being divorced, both of us have matured enough to honor the relationship our kids have with the other parent. And I can honestly say that we promote that wholeheartedly.
And finally, dating after divorce – 'I will bet if you offer him this "i'll give up dating and only focus on you untill your 18." You may find he would be willing to exercise more and might be able to give up eating to fill a hole in his life for love.' (from said blog) There are so many different aspects to post-divorce dating that I couldn't possibly do it justice in one paragraph. Would the kids be better off if their mom or dad never dated again after divorce? Sure. Then they don't have to deal with change, or another person entering the family dynamic. Of course, they would also be happy if you never had any kids after them, never moved to a different house or had them change schools, they never went through puberty, and the weather always stayed perfectly spring-like every single day. But life happens. And so does change. And kids are much more resilient than us stubborn old adults are. And while some people do choose to wait to date until after their kids have left the house, and my hat goes off to them for making that sacrifice, I just don't believe that this is required of a parent. We are human. We have needs too. I'm not just talking physical needs, though those are important too. I'm talking the need to have someone accountable to every single day of our life. We want that person to create a life together with. We want companionship, someone to hold our hand in the times that are tough and to laugh with us when life is good. We want someone to go to sleep with every night and to wake up to every morning. We want someone to grow old with, who will be there once the kids do move away. Basically, we want that dream back that we let go of when, through divorce, we severed the toxicity that was overtaking our vitality. And more than our own needs, I truly believe it's vital for a kid to see their parent taking care of their own needs while they are taking care of the kid. After all, wouldn't we want the same for our children? We are still our children's role models, and taking care of ourselves is just one of many lessons we can offer our kids.
Note: With that said, a parent shouldn't introduce a date until they are sure that this person has a future with them. That means that first, second, tenth dates should happen away from the house. The biggest reason for this, besides getting to know the person well enough to ensure they aren't a child molester, is to avoid your child growing attached to this person only to force them to say goodbye. A child's heart is not a revolving door. End note.
Finally, post-divorce relationships, and sometimes, eventually, second marriages, can be a godsend to children of divorce. They have the opportunity (hopefully) to witness what a healthy relationship looks like. And they have something to model their own future relationships after. This is one of my joys with Mr. W – my kids get to see what a loving relationship looks like. Not only that, here is this man who has accepted my children, and loves them for who they are. He is not their father – they already have a dad. But when they enter his home, they are treated no differently than his own son. We are still two separate families. We are still families that are restructuring our lives after divorce. But we are now cautiously including each other's families in that plan.
So, I'm sorry to disappoint this dear poster who is insistent that my family is going down the drain because of my divorce and my insistence to carry on a relationship with a wonderful man (going on 2 years come September!). My more educated opinion to my life is that we're only getting better every single day.


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Q: Center align image in ImageView - Android I have a problem with centering an image inside an ImageView.
These are my RecyclerView rows

And this is my layout:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<android.support.v7.widget.CardView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/recyclerViewRowParent"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:clickable="true"
    android:focusable="true"
    android:foreground="?selectableItemBackground"
    android:minHeight="64dip">

    <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:id="@+id/frameLayout"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="?listPreferredItemHeight"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:weightSum="100">

        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/ivDeliveryState"
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical|left"
            android:layout_weight="15"
            android:scaleType="center"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_home_blue_grey_500_24dp" />

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="fill_parent"
            android:layout_weight="60"
            android:gravity="center_vertical"
            android:orientation="vertical">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/tvTitle"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
                android:scrollHorizontally="false"
                android:singleLine="true"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium" />

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/tvSubtitle"
                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
                android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
                android:scrollHorizontally="false"
                android:singleLine="true"
                android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceSmall" />

        </LinearLayout>

        <LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_weight="35"
            android:orientation="horizontal"

            android:weightSum="100">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/tvNotification"
                android:layout_width="0dip"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_weight="25"
                android:gravity="center"
                android:lines="1"
                android:maxLength="3"
                android:textColor="@color/blue_gray_500"
                android:textSize="14sp"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/handle"
                android:layout_width="0dip"
                android:layout_weight="75"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_gravity="center"
                android:scaleType="centerInside"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_dehaze_blue_grey_500_24dp" />

        </LinearLayout>
    </LinearLayout>

</android.support.v7.widget.CardView>

I want to center the hamburger icon (with id="@+id/handle") on the right horizontally and vertically inside the ImageView but I had no luck until now. What property  am I misusing or what am I doing wrong?
Thank you!

A: I assume you wanted to center the image on the far right of the layout. If that's the case, I think you just miscalculated the percentages. The LinearLayout that contains @+id/tvNotification and @+id/handle should be of layout_weight="25" and not 35 like it is in your code:
<LinearLayout
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_weight="25"
            android:orientation="horizontal"

            android:weightSum="100">

            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/tvNotification"
                android:layout_width="0dip"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_weight="25"
                android:gravity="center"
                android:lines="1"
                android:maxLength="3"
                android:textColor="@color/blue_gray_500"
                android:textSize="14sp"
                android:textStyle="bold" />

            <ImageView
                android:id="@+id/handle"
                android:layout_width="0dip"
                android:layout_weight="75"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_gravity="center"
                android:scaleType="centerInside"
                android:src="@drawable/ic_dehaze_blue_grey_500_24dp" />

        </LinearLayout>

A: set the parent LinearLayout gravity to center
<LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_weight="35"
        android:orientation="horizontal"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:weightSum="100">


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433 South First Street
Contact: William Woody, Public Information Officer
Sculptures Committee Asks Council For Help To Preserve Downtown Art
Montrose, CO — Following a year-long local fundraising campaign that has collected over $130,000, members of the Save the Sculptures for Montrose Committee are seeking help from City Councilors to preserve two large bronze sculptures located in downtown.
The sculptures – "Bad Decision" at the intersection of Main Street and Townsend Avenue depicting a cowboy on horseback wrangling a deer and "Where Eagles Dare" at the intersection of Main Street and Uncompahgre Avenue, a massive depiction of a grizzly battling an eagle – were each created by artist Vic Payne of Cody, Wyoming. The works have been in Montrose under a loan agreement established in 2012, and have a combined market value of over $980,000, according to the committee.
The owner, William F. Widger Revocable Trust, has offered to sell the sculptures for a negotiated price of $250,000.
During Monday's City Council Work Session, Save the Sculptures for Montrose Committee Chair Bob Brown said the committee is pledging $130,907 it has raised, along with a grant of around $30,000 from the Montrose Downtown Development Authority, bringing the total amount raised for the sculptures to around $160,000.
Brown said that while the committee has raised over half the expected purchase price for the two sculptures, it seems unlikely that it will raise the remaining funds before the loan agreement expires on April 12.
Brown said the committee has the "solid support of the community" and is asking the City Council to appropriate the remaining funds.
Brown said the committee felt it was time to "turn this deal over to the city to close."
"We would be available to help and do anything we can do," Brown said.
Councilors debated several options that include renegotiating a reduced price with the owner, breaking the remaining balance — of about $90,000 — into a series of annual payments, or declining to purchase the sculptures altogether.
Councilor Judy Ann Files floated the idea of paying the balance off within a few years.
"I think that is a possibility," Brown responded.
The Save the Sculptures for Montrose Committee was formed in late 2016 to assess local interest in keeping the sculptures in Montrose and to raise money for their purchase.
"We found overwhelming support for keeping the sculptures in Montrose from local citizens and visitors alike," the committee said in a letter to the council Monday.
In June 2018 Brown told councilors during a work session that keeping the sculptures in Montrose is a "win-win" because the sculptures have become part of the community's downtown identity, and the price of the works is more affordable than ever. At that same meeting, Brown reported the committee had received over 450 donations and more than 900 local signatures of support on a petition to retain the sculptures.
Brown reported Monday that the petition has now generated a total of 1,020 signatures.
Councilors agreed to meet in executive session in early February to advise staff on moving forward with negotiations. City Attorney Stephen Alcorn said any agreement the city negotiates requires the approval of the City Council in an open meeting.
City Manager Bill Bell said the city's Development and Revitalization Team (DART) could lead the negotiating effort on behalf of the council.
Mayor Roy Anderson said new negotiations would provide more information for councilors to consider before finalizing any agreement by vote.
"We already have a substantial down payment," Anderson said, referring to the Save the Sculptures committee and DDA financial commitments.
(Video clips from the January 14, 2019 Work Session are available upon request)
For information, visit CityofMontrose.org. Follow the city on Instagram @Montrose_Colorado, Facebook (facebook.com/cityofmontroseco) and Twitter (@montrosegov). City Hall is located in downtown Montrose at 433 South First Street and may be reached at 970-240-1400. Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Save the Sculptures for Montrose Committee Chair Bob Brown speaks to members of the City Council Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Members of the Montrose City Council debate options for preserving two large downtown sculptures with members of the Save the Sculptures for Montrose Committee looking on during a work session Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.