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https://www.manisteenews.com/local-history/article/100-YEARS-AGO-15861571.php
Manistee News Advocate
Published 12:00 am EST, Tuesday, January 12, 2021
The following news items are reprinted from the Manistee Daily News for the week of Jan. 7-13, 1921 and are compiled by Teena Kracht from the newspaper archives of the Manistee County Historical Museum. Read more of the 100 Years Ago column at manisteenews.com.
"SAN DIEGO, Cal., Jan. 7 — James G. Scripps, newspaper publisher, died at his home at Niromir, near here, at 1:30 this morning after an illness of several weeks.
"Scripps was 34 years of age and one of the youngest newspaper publishers in the United States. He was managing director of the Scripps newspapers, the Newspaper Enterprise association and allied news organizations.
"LANSING, Jan. 7 —A motion picture censorship bill is expected to be one of the first measures introduced in the present session of the legislature.
"(The bill) will place censorship in the hands of the superintendent of public education.
"WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 7 — A lively interest has been aroused in the capital by the rumor that the inauguration of President Harding on March 4 next will be given a brilliant social setting by the revival of the great inaugural ball, after a lapse of a dozen years.
"The abandonment of the inaugural ball on the occasion of the first inauguration of President Wilson marked the breaking of a precedent that was almost as old as the nation itself. In fact there had been only one other occasion since the second inauguration of President Washington. There was no ball at the inauguration of President Hayes, who held a reception at the White House instead.
"A beekeepers' school and conference will be held in the court house here Jan. 11 and 12, under the direction of the Manistee County Farm Bureau.
"The purpose of these meetings is to develop new ideas and learn the latest and best methods of bee culture.
"Radical changes in train time effective at Manistee Monday, Jan. 10, are announced by the Pere Marquette. By the change, which is made because of a heavy recession of traffic, this city will lose two trains, one outgoing and one incoming.
"The reduction in service is temporary only and is due solely to light patronage during winter months. It is absolutely necessary, the P. M. explains, that the railroads at this time reduce their expenses, the same as industries are doing.
"Unless real winter weather prevails soon Manistee next year may face an ice famine. Ice in Manistee today is only about six inches thick and will grow less if the present brand of weather continues.
"Ice harvesters want the stuff at least 11 inches thick before they cut into it.
"Some idea of the mild winter this year can be gained from the statement of Milton McClure, lighthouse keeper. He said this morning that in all his service at Manistee — he has been here 14 years — he can't recall such mild weather at this time of the year.
"His statement is backed by conditions at the harbor entrance. The mouth of the river, usually filled with ice in January, is as open as in summer, and nowhere along either shore of Lake Michigan can an iceberg or a hummock be seen. Neither is the breakwater nor the pierhead clothed with their customary garments of heavy ice.
"This condition is ideal for winter navigation, but as luck would have it navigation had to be suspended because of no movements of freight.
"Many folk are still dating their letters 1920.
"Get busy; there's much to do and one day less than 1920 had to do it in.
"As Noah Heap puts it. Seems as if people would a heap rather pay for cure than prevention. The rain doesn't fall on people who stay in the house.
"Out-of-doors diary: January thaw still in progress, with not so much left to thaw. Dirty water trickling down the hillside streets. Sky overcast and dour. A year ago the earth was hidden under a heavy blanket of snow.
"An old maid looks upon a year that is not divisible by four as disarmament.
"The people of Manistee on Tuesday, March 1, will be asked to decide at the polls in a special election whether they will continue the modern method of municipal government or restore the discarded ward-bossed, aldermanic system.
"The suggested counter-amendment submitted by a committee named at a citizens' mass meeting will not be permitted to confuse the issue.
"Following the reading of suggested changes which it was thought might be acceptable in the form of a compromise ... Mayor Ramsdell stated that while he strongly favored some of the provisions (in the counter-amendment) ... it was at best but an amendment to the petition, and drawn up hurriedly. He felt that a committee of representative business men should give the matter more consideration … The mass meeting resolution was received and placed on file.
"A large audience was present, including many signers of the petition.
"On March 1 the voters of Manistee can say to themselves whether they want a progressive, modern system of efficient government which will encourage industries to locate and remain here and give employment to Manistee people, or the old obsolete system of political city government by which personal favors are rewarded and axes are ground to satisfy ancient grudges, the old aldermanic plan from which most progressive cities have already divorced themselves.
"LANSING, Jan. 8 — A law to prevent hasty and ill-considered marriages by providing for a waiting period between the issuance of the license and performance of the ceremony is practically certain to be enacted during the present session of the legislature.
"City Commissioner Alex C. Hornkohl, after nearly four years of service, last night renounced his claim to exaltation to the mayorality May 1 next, when he tendered his resignation to the council.
"In presenting his resignation Commissioner Hornkohl stated that his business connections outside of Manistee make it impossible for him to devote the necessary attention to the city's interests and prevented his attendance at many council sessions….
"Mayor Ramsdell forthwith appointed Stacy C. Thompson to fill Commissioner Hornkohl's unexpired term until the spring election…
"Mr. Thompson, this afternoon upon receipt of official notification of his appointment, declined the honor, declaring that his business affairs will not permit acceptance…
"'It is certainly an honor to be selected by the city's foremost representatives as an associate in the conduct of city affairs, and for your confidence and good will I sincerely thank you. But I must decline to accept the tender and in doing so I think there is none among you that can say I have ever shirked a public duty. I have already served as a member of the Legislature, as probate judge, three years on the school board, member of the (Manistee) City Charter Commission, president of the board of trade, then a director, and for the past five years I have been a director of the board of commerce; besides, for more than 20 years I have acted on committees in various matters. I am now 65 years of age, and my remaining years I feel I must devote wholly to my personal business affairs. Sincerely, STACY C. THOMPSON.
"The Misses Marion and Ethel Larsen will leave Monday for New York City, where they will visit until Jan. 22, when they will leave on a trip to Cuba, Jamaica and Panama.
"Mr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Wexstaff, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Bradford and Fred Otto, last night in their big house on Second Street promoted one of the happiest of get-together social functions, bringing together close to 50 old and new friends and neighbors at a picnic supper at 6:30 followed by an informal dancing and goodfellowship party.
"Mr. and Mrs. Wexstaff dispensed old-fashioned hospitality in the good old-fashioned way and gave their guests a most enjoyable evening.
"(City Manager) Beauvais today gave his final service to Manistee, and left matters in fine shape to be taken over by his successor. He will leave Monday morning for Royal Oak, a prosperous and rapidly-growing suburb of Detroit which has secured his services at a 50 percent increase over the salary paid him here, and will begin his duties there at once.
"Manisteeans who know and appreciate Mr. Beauvais' fine accomplishments for the city will deeply regret his departure ... His place here will be hard to fill….
"City Commissioner Carl last night threw a monkey wrench into the gears of the library board's reported plans for spending an amount in excess of its appropriation, when he introduced a resolution that the mayor notify the board it must keep within the budget figure of $6,500, which resolution was adopted.
"Fourteen arrests were made by the police last month.
"Out-of-doors diary: A bright day, and cheery. Little snow remains, but a brisk breeze which flaps short skirts to flutter above the knees. A rare day in January.
"Sometimes we wonder whether the high school girl was really wrong when she said that 'service is doing something you do not want to do for somebody you do not want to do it for.'
"The pessimist keeps adding up 1-9-2-1 and finding the result is 13.
"The Pilot Rest room club will hold a Molasses candy sale, Saturday, Jan. 15, in the room on Maple Street.
"WE'RE A HAPPY, SATISFIED LOT. WE EAT ALL OF OUR MEALS AT The Square Meal Restaurant. Special Sunday Dinner $0.65. TOMORROW'S MENU: Cream of Tomato Soup, Chicken Fricassee, Mashed Potatoes, Fruit Salad, Baked Squash, Green Tomato Pickles, Bread and Butter, Suet Pudding with Fruit Sauce or Cream Pie (The Best Ever). DON'T BOTHER GETTING SUNDAY DINNER, BRING THE FAMILY TO DINE WITH US.
"The Manistee Business Women's club enjoyed an interesting program at the Pilot club rest room yesterday afternoon. The Danish male quintet sang several well-received songs….
"As Noah Heap puts it: It may be a small world, but it is easy enough to get lost in.
"Manistee yesterday enjoyed one of the finest days of the winter. The sun shone the entire day and many hikers took advantage of the ideal condition. Skaters numbering more than 500 yesterday were cutting up the ice on Manistee lake. No fatalities were reported.
"John Nelson, an employee at the First National Bank, is the first person to break through the ice on Manistee lake in the night this winter.
"While crossing the lake last night near six on his way to his home in Eastlake, he came upon thin ice ... He crashed through and went below the surface.
"As he emerged he reached for the crust of ice. It was so thin that each time he got the weight of his body on it, it gave way again. Finally his cries for help were heard by David Olson, who stretched out on the ice and helped Nelson to safety.
"He was in the icy water about five minutes. He had to walk home a mile and a half away in wet clothes, but today he was at his desk in the bank none the worse for his adventure.
"Much is said about 'common honesty.' How common is honesty?
"Householders have found that it is the electrical devices which give off heat through the principle of resistance that use up the greatest amount of juice. Motors and lights are found to be the most economical.
"U. Tellum paraphrases an old saying thus: And nations shall beat their swords unto plowshares and their steins into bootlegs.
"A quotation for the optimist: 'The inner side of every cloud is ever bright and shining; I therefore turn my clouds about, to show the silver lining.'
"LUDINGTON, Jan. 12 — Judge Hal Cutler yesterday denied an appeal for a new trial for Mrs. Blanche Mottl, convicted in circuit court of the killing of her husband, Amel Mottl, a Gun Lake farmer. Mrs. Mottl is now serving a life sentence in the Detroit House of Correction.
"In his opinion Judge Cutler declared the trial to have been 'fair and impartial.'
"Attorneys for Mrs. Mottl announced they would appeal to the supreme court.
"'Young ladies! Stop using cold cream and beauty lotions — allow your face to have a chance—a chance to express something before it is too late — in other words, before you become what most women become, the eternal flapper!'
"This outburst, coming from T. O'Conor Sloane, artist who has taken a few thousand art-photos of women, gives food for thought.
"'What possesses women that they wish to look like dolls, utterly devoid of expression?
"'What is it we admire in French women? In Italian? What is it we call "temperament"? Nothing more or less than lines in the face, not wrinkles, but lines; lines of character, of the battle for inner faiths.'
"'Now in this day of emancipation of women,' Mr. Sloane continues, 'they want equality in photography — men always have wanted to look like themselves in their portraits. But women have been bullied into the expressionless face, because men have had a fear of anything that looked like character, just as they feared to give women the vote.
"'No woman can come into her final place in the world until she is not only willing, but desirous of having her life shine from her face victoriously.'
"With the receipt of subscriptions of $100 from E. Golden Filer and $5 from B. P. Barnes, the Manistee committee of the Hoover European relief campaign announces that Manistee has passed its quota of $3,000. The total amount raised is $3,215.33.
"Thoughts of pills, legal documents and 'stiffs' today gave way to contemplation of fast balls, running out hits, strikes, etc., in the offices of local doctors, lawyers and undertakers.
"Tonight physicians, attorneys and emblamers will meet on the Ramsdell floor in what they have been characterizing as 'the greatest game of the season.'
"Prosecuting Attorney Hittle has been carefully grooming his arm in an endeavor to master curves, drops and upshoots, which he will dish up to the opposition. For the doctors Health Officer Homer Ramsdell has been treating his arm with painstaking effort in order to baffle the lawyers with a varied assortment of offerings.
"It'll be a game worth seeing. Dancing is to follow.
"U. Tellum says: Don't waste time finding fault with yourself; that's what your friends are for.
"As Noah Heap puts it: The successful men of the world are those who didn't have sense enough to know when they were licked.
"Goldsmith spoke for a great many people when he said: 'I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.'
"NEW YORK. Jan. 13 — A nation-wide round up of orientals will be launched Jan. 22, according to announcement at Ellis Island by Leo Russell, chief deporting agent of the immigration service.
"Sweeping orders for such a round up have been issued at Washington, and E. M. Kline, of the bureau of immigration department of labor, will start out from Washington with a staff of deporting agents for a tour of the south and west, seeking many ... in the United States who have no lawful right to be here,' Mr. Russell added.
"'The majority of orientals came as seamen, deserted the ships and smuggled themselves into sections of the country remote from their landing places,' the deporting agent added.
"Mexicans, illegally in the country, also will be rounded up.
"Lawyers and undertakers on the one hand, and physicians and dentists on the other, provided the public a real treat last night in the form of an indoor baseball contest for the benefit of Mercy sanitarium ... that proved a stimulant to unbounded enthusiasm and noisy rooting.
"And when the last base-hit had been recorded ... it was found that the lawyers-undertakers combination had made the Docs swallow a bitter pill of defeat by a measure of 31 to 23 counts.
"Elections will come thick and fast this spring.
"To those already scheduled — the special election on the charter change and the annual spring election — is now added a special school district election...at which the electors of the city will decide whether they will purchase the Ramsdell theater and hall for school uses, bonding the district to the amount of $85,000 therefore.
"At its last regular session the board of education reported plans for remodeling the building to the required school uses, without impairing the building for entertainment and assembly purposes…
"This winter's activities have amply proven the public's appreciation of Ramsdell hall when attractive sport programs are offered, and this move by the school board appears to be the best opportunity of preserving this fine building, which today would cost at least a quarter of a million dollars to erect, for some of the purposes for which it was intended. A manufacturing concern has made an offer for the property which is very tempting to the owners, who prefer, however, to let it go for a smaller amount for school and public uses.
"You skaters, who enjoyed the fine municipal rink 'Pop' Shields, city superintendent, made on Sands field last year will be denied the privilege this year. And you can blame the weather man for it.
"It is said, however, that various parts of Manistee lake are in the finest condition in years, very little wet snow having fallen this winter to spoil the surface. The lake, therefore, will have to provide the sport this time.
"As Noah Heap puts it: The hole in the roof is always the biggest when it's raining.
"Announced in an advertisement: 'Ladies Underwear, 1-2 off!' Aren't we having a mild winter?
"An informal meeting of Manistee business men was held last night in Hotel Chippewa to discuss the revision of the city charter.
"The Manistee County Woman's League will meet at 7:45 this evening at the Pilot rest room.
"Whether you believe it or not, Gerhardt Kruse, janitor of the McKinley school on Fourth avenue, saw a robin sitting on a fence post Sunday, while hunting in Manistee county. The bird was just as contented Sunday as in the springtime, not complaining of the weather as some folks do. Probably he will stay here for the winter and save the long trip to the south.
"Hello, trim leggins! Goodby, flapping goloshes!
"Say, buddy, did you ever think your old wrappy leggins would ever be used by a girl?
"Well, they are. The girls in the east are following the new fad of wearing spiral leggins. They afford protection to a silk-clad leg and secure warmth at the same time. And girls say they like them a lot better than galoshes.
"They haven't been seen on Manistee streets yet, but don't be a bit surprised if one of these days your sister, mother or sweetheart will be looking through your army bag for yours.
"The khaki leg covering is WARM! They have the heat of red flannels, without the itch, beat a mile. And say, lady, they're smart, too. You probably can get a pair from an ex-soldier pal with no cost whatever. He'll be tickled to see 'em put to such good use.
"You can hike, coast and skate with the leggins on, and you'll not get wet or cold.
"(Editorial, Sat., Jan. 8.) The surprising decline in income tax payments during the peak of the prosperity period, reveals how many wealthy people have escaped taxation in large measure by buying tax exempt bonds.
"Is it good business for public authorities to keep on issuing bonds with this privilege? The reason for so doing has been that the exempt bonds bring a higher price. But probably the public gets the worse end of the bargain. The higher price paid does not compensate for losses in taxes.
"It would not be fair to tax securities already issued on an exempt basis, without making compensation to owners for the higher price paid to get the exemption privilege. But it seems doubtful policy to allow any more of them to be issued. The great amount of these securities available permits a big class of wealthy people to escape fair taxation."


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Tag Archive for Environment
Silent Spring of Our Generation
by Malcolm McMichael • November 4, 2012
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.
I read an editorial in the Denver Post today that lectured the City of Longmont on why they should not bother to protect themselves from a toxic industry.
It occurred to me that opposing fracking may well be the Silent Spring of our generation. Silent Spring, for those who are not familiar with it, was a ground-breaking 1962 book by the naturalist writer Rachel Carson, who was curious about mass bird deaths. Her search led her to the impacts of the widespread use of the toxic pesticide DDT. That awareness led to concern for public health, which led to the book, which led to a movement, which led, eventually, to the banning of DDT.
Al of which was met, of course, by vicious industry attacks, personal slanders, lobbying, and lawsuits and posturing and gnashing of teeth by the people who made money off of making DDT. The attacks and distortions, not incidentally, continue to this day.
By the way, it is worth noting now through the benefit of hindsight, that economic life, Western Civilization, and the agricultural industry did not come to a screeching halt as a result of regulating DDT, as the defenders of the toxic DDT warned ominously back at the time.
The lessons of the book, alas, were not fully learned, though, because we still are confronted by an ever-increasing and ever-more toxic and reckless array of chemicals released into our environment with little scrutiny, regulation, or accountability. One of the latest toxic threats running amok – with regulatory forbearance, government subsidy, and a personal waiver (the so-called Halliburton loophole) from the environmental rules that everyone else has to follow – is fracking.
Hydraulic fracturing as most of us now know is the practice of breaking up rock far underground by injecting millions of gallons of water down every single hole, using a process of high-pressure injection that contaminates the water with thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals.
We are told by industry that it is safe and responsible to do this, to inject all that toxic stuff into the ground. That's hogwash. What fracking is, is insane. And idiotic. The notion that we can inject billions of gallons of toxic water into the ground, without that water someday, some way coming back to bite us on our collective butts is idiotic. The fact that the contamination occurs thousands of feet deep underground doesn't make fracking safe; it only makes it deeply idiotic.
We were told fracking is safe by the same breed of lobbyists and executives who told us that cigarette smoking was safe – a lie they repeated over and over in the halls of Congress for years after the time that members of Congress were the only people in the nation who didn't roll their eyes and groan at the transparency of those lies – and told long after they themselves were aware of their own evidence to the contrary. The track record of harmful industries lying to us, buying our politicians, suppressing evidence of harm, and bullying anyone who dare opposes them is overwhelming. The fact that we still grant the assurances of these self-interested polluters with even a shred of credibility is absurd.
Don't let their smokescreens and threats cloud the issue though; the key answer is not complicated at all: Fracking is unsafe at any speed.
As the lies and myths and threats and rationalizations for allowing ourselves to be inundated by toxic water washed over me, I realized that Fracking is the DDT of this generation. And we must fight it the same way. With zero tolerance for chemical self-destruction.
So when I read the Denver Post editorial today – in which the Post opposed the Longmont fracking ban – it was painfully clear that the reasoning cited by the Post's editorial Board was tenuous and specious, following in the footsteps of tenuous and specious rationalizations made in the past to divert public action away from reasonable civic self-defense. Don't ban fracking they said, because it might be expensive to enforce; because it might get challenged in the courts; and because fracking has not yet caused a crisis within the City's limits. Emphasis on that qualifier: not yet.
What a wagon-load of horse apples.
In its haste to protect Longmont residents from themselves; however, the Post did not address the most important question: is banning fracking the right thing to do? Let's answer that question for them now: banning fracking, and banning it now, is the right thing to do. And furthermore, it is within the rights of local jurisdictions to protect themselves from toxic assault, particularly when the State and federal Governments refuse to do so.
The Post apparently prefers that the citizens of Longmont should delay dealing with fracking until after it becomes a crisis. The Post recommends that the City delays dealing with the threat until it is too late: delay until the drilling permits are pulled and the well heads are going up. That's some lousy advice from the Post.
The Post claims also to be concerned with the inconvenience such a ban might impose on the City. Indeed, giving up smoking cigarettes isn't easy either. Doing the right thing is not always convenient, particularly in the face of a well-financed and well-connected industry. Doing the right thing is not always convenient, or easy. The oil & gas industry, backed by the Governor and his Attorney General, have made clear their intent – they will fight for their right to tell towns that only the state can decide who can pollute in the local jurisdictions. We already know the state's answer: anywhere they please, any time they please, and any way they please. And no uppity local jurisdiction shall stand in their way.
So let's be very clear on what is at stake. The Governor has drawn a line in the sand – if local governments try to control toxic activities within their own boundaries, then the state, in tandem with industry, will muscle in with its full weight and will body-slam the locals without mercy. On this point I do agree with the Post. The state's intent to enforce its monopoly on regulation is clear, and the industry's litigious nature is also well-established. We can assume the City will be sued.
I say: bring it on. I say: make the Supreme Court reiterate their position that towns have no right to protect themselves from toxic pollution. I say: make the Supreme Court defend the polluters right to pollute over and over, until eventually the courts finally get the answer right, and fracking finally goes the way of DDT, along with child labor and every other indefensible abomination that was perpetuated on the citizens of this nation until enough people stood up and refused to sit down.
The question before the City of Longmont remains simple: is Longmont ready to do the right thing to protect itself? Is Longmont ready to stand up for itself, and stand up against the State and industry if necessary to do so? Or will the City back down in the face of threats and bullying by the Governor and industry? Not to mention some lecturing from the Denver Post.
I hope the City is ready to see this through. I hope the City is ready to tear a brick from the wall built around fracking.
I do agree with the Post on another point, banning fracking is effectively the same as banning drilling – this is because the vast majority of drilling being done uses fracking. However, the conclusion the Post draws from this is that we must therefore yield to fracking. Nonsense. On the contrary, it is industry that must stop fracking, not the citizens that must roll over and accept it. Industry must find a way to extract oil & gas without injecting millions of gallons of toxic water into the ground for every well, or they must stop drilling. We can be certain of one thing; industry will keep fracking until we make them stop. They will keep injecting toxins into the water until we make them change their techniques. In the meantime, every new well fracked is another well injected with millions of gallons of toxic contaminated water.
I believe in the genius of capitalism and the innovativeness of motivated entrepreneurs – which is precisely why we should stop shielding the oil & gas industry from the consequences of their toxic activities and force them to clean up their act, or get out of the business and make way for people who can move us forward without setting us back. This same belief is why I support incentives and rewards for entrepreneurs who develop truly clean and sustainable ways to power this country, and better yet, who pursue ways to use less energy and to be more efficient with the energy we do use.
The Denver Post blew a lot of smoke into a simple question, in the hopes perhaps of obscuring the simple truths from our vision: Fracking is a massively toxic industrial process, and towns have every right to protect themselves from it.
Longmont voters entitled to Home Rule
by Gordon Pedrow • September 2, 2012
Editor's Note: Gordon Pedrow served as Longmont City Manger for 18 years prior to his retirement in March of 2012.
Nov. 6 is Election Day. Be sure to cast your ballot for the sake of your city, county, state and nation. Tucked in amongst the myriad partisan races is Longmont Ballot Question 300. This question is worthy of your careful scrutiny because it is a proposed charter amendment.
Is this what you want in Longmont?
Ballot Question 300 deserves careful attention for several reasons: It will amend the city charter, it is an important public health and quality-of-life issue, and it was initiated by thousands of your friends and neighbors. Usually, we look to the City Council to appropriately act to protect citizens from negative impacts of heavy industrial activity. However, when a majority of our elected representatives fail to carry out their responsibilities, the city charter and state constitution provide means by which the citizens can initiate actions they believe necessary to protect their community.
Beginning last November, the City Council studied how best to regulate the negative impacts of oil and gas operations within Longmont. This is an industry that is poorly regulated and coddled by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), the state agency charged with regulating its operations in order to protect public health and the environment. Until June, when it came time for the City Council to adopt its comprehensive regulations, it appeared that most council members were in favor of acting to protect the community from oil and gas operations. However, at the last moment, under extreme pressure from the industry's big-money lobbyists and state politicians, a majority of the City Council capitulated to the industry and refused to support comprehensive regulations. When it really counted, only Mayor Coombs and council members Levison and Bagley were willing to adopt adequate comprehensive regulations to protect Longmont residents. Most citizens would agree that an appropriately regulated oil and gas industry can be a win for everyone.
After it became obvious that the City Council majority would approve only a weak, watered-down set of regulations, a group of citizens opted to circulate petitions to amend the charter as proposed in Ballot Question 300. More than 8,000 citizens signed the petitions. All registered voters can now have a direct say in the outcome of the proposed amendment.
This issue deserves your careful attention now for a couple of reasons. First, you need to understand what it says so that you can assess whether or not it reflects what is best for our community. Second, you should examine the merits of the amendment prior to the misinformation tsunami that will soon be launched by the oil and gas industry, along with affiliated special interests, as they try to persuade you to vote no on 300. (Do you remember the hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of propaganda our community received from the cable industry when Longmont voters were considering home-rule control of telecommunication matters?) I encourage all residents to study the issues early so that you can adequately assess the veracity of information provided by both sides. Because the citizens who initiated the proposed amendment will have meager resources, it will no doubt be a very lopsided campaign.
It is easy to anticipate a few attack lines you can expect to hear from the well-funded opposition. These include: The industry will sue; Longmont has a representative form of government, so it is a City Council matter; the COGCC adequately regulates the oil and gas industry; and finally, Colorado has the most stringent oil and gas regulations in the nation.
As the attack ads appear, consider the following questions: Do you want to capitulate just because a multi-billion-dollar industry wants to resist adequate regulation and threatens to sue if it fails to get its way? If a majority of our elected representatives fail to protect our health, safety and the environment, doesn't the city charter and state constitution provide a means for citizens to act? If the COGCC regulations are adequate, why did the governor on Aug. 15 tell the industry that new regulations are necessary for the industry's "integrity and trust" and that citizens' concerns about fracking must be addressed? Finally, do we care how stringent Colorado regulations are if they do not adequately protect public health, safety and the environment? Just last month, the governor admitted the state's regulations are not adequate.
Voters, the issue belongs to you. Do your homework and cast your ballot.
Balance needed
by Bob Norris • May 21, 2012
Oil Seepage in Pond (Foreground), Olin-Mathieson Plant in Background 1972
Most of us take a pretty one sided view of many issues. A balanced view should be better.
Where is the balance with respect to hydraulic fracking.? On the one hand we as a nation (and world) are a consumer of fossil fuels and will continue to be until alternate energy sources combined with greater efficiency meets our needs. On the other hand there are risks associated with this process. The risks are largely encountered by one group of people while very significant profits are realized by a much smaller group.
Drilling and production of oil and gas has increased dramatically over the last few years. Currently we both import oil and export refined products. There are advantages to not importing oil, especially from countries with limited stability.
What are the facts? The oil and gas representatives that support hydraulic fracking appear to have either avoided some information or intentionally been misleading.
Claims that there has not been a single case of ground water contamination from hydraulic fracking are misleading. There are several examples where groundwater has been contaminated from the necessary activities that are always associated with the process. Where groundwater has been contaminated, the distinction is not important.
It is often stated that fracking chemicals are only 0.5 percent of the injected fluid. This appears to be deliberately misleading. The risk is a product of the inherent toxicity and concentration of the compound, and exposure (for example amount of water consumed over what period of time). A concentration of 0.5 percent is 5,000 parts per million (ppm) or 5,000,000 parts per billions (ppb). The maximum concentration limit (MCL) for benzene in groundwater set by the US EPA is 5 ppb. We do not know the toxicity of many of the fracking chemicals, or even what they are and it may be that toxicity has not been determined for many of them. Furthermore, the risk of a mixture may be even greater.
An article in the Times-Call claimed there was no problem because benzene and propane were well below the levels for a 10 hour exposure. While propane has low toxicity it is ludicrous to talk about a 10 hour exposure rather than a longer term exposure.
Benzene, is a carcinogen as might be other compounds in the fracking fluid. There is no threshold limit for carcinogens.
The proponents of hydraulic fracking have not in my experience acknowledged the disruption of the lives of families living close to the drilling sites – or the impact on schools for that matter. Decreased home values are another problem.
It is difficult for most of us to believe what we are being told when so many obviously misleading statements have been made.
The argument has been made that the fracking industry would be challenged to operate under a different set of rules in each community and thus the need for state control. Of course many housing contractors do operate in a number of communities with differences in construction code. But if you do allow for some benefit for uniformity, that does not negate the need for communities to protect their own citizens, real-estate values, and schools when state organizations do not.
The state group controlling fracking (Colorado Oil and Gas Commission) has historically been largely controlled by oil and gas interests. As a result, it is hard to see how that group will not focus on profits over other considerations. It does not appear to me and many others that the need for energy sources and profits has been fairly balanced with the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the communities being impacted.
We are now producing more refined fuels than we need and are exporting record amounts helping the balance of trade. Concern has been raised that the US is likely to have insufficient storage capacity for natural gas by the end of the year. Then why the need for drilling close to homes and schools? Why not limit fracking to less hazardous locations including those with minimal potential for groundwater impact?
Why indeed! Oil companies realized profits in the tens of millions of dollars. The "realized" pay for the CEO of Exxon/Mobile for 2011 was 24.6 million dollars or three times that in 2009 and four times that in 2006. By how much has your pay increased over this time? By what factor is his pay greater than yours? CEO pay should be higher than that for most people, but by how much? Where is the balance?
Bob Norris
Bob has lived in Longmont since 2000 and has been active in community issues including having served on the Longmont Board of Environmental Affairs.
Sanfaçon Community Forum
by Garry Sanfacon • April 12, 2012
Garry Sanfacon, District 1 Boulder County Commissioner candidate
Boulder, CO– Garry Sanfaçon, candidate for Boulder County Commissioner, District 1, is hosting a community forum to help inform the public about the risks to Boulder County, including the City of Boulder, from natural gas extraction, including hydraulic facturing, commonly called fracking. The forum will take place on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 6:30 -8:30 p.m., at the Nomad Theater, located at 1410 Quince Avenue, in Boulder.
The forum will consist of a presentation by leading experts on the impacts of fracking on the environment, public health, and overall community well-being, including data specific to the City of Boulder and Boulder County. They will also present data about the failure of state regulations to prevent adverse environmental and human health impacts. The experts will answer questions from the audience following their presentation. Local youth with the environmental education and youth empowerment group, Earth Guardians, will perform their latest song about fracking and, as always, remind us that their future is in our hands.
Boulder County, including the City of Boulder, is already experiencing significant adverse impacts from natural gas extraction and fracking. With over 1800 wells that can potentially be fracked in unincorporated Boulder County (that number does not include wells in incorporated municipalities within the County), this is only the tip of the iceberg. This heavy industrial, toxic activity is occurring in neighborhoods, next to schools and on County open space.
The experts presenting will be Shane Davis, Wes Wilson and Phil Doe. Shane Davis is a research biologist and leading investigator into adverse environmental and human health impacts related to fracking in Colorado. Wes Wilson was an environmental engineer with the EPA for 30 years. He was featured in the movie Gasland as a whistleblower on the EPA's failure to regulate fracking. Phil Doe spent his career working on water issues with the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation. He is currently the Environmental Issues Director for the grassroots advocacy group Be the Change, and an activist for protecting our most precious resource, water.
BoCo Obama nomination not unanimous
by Kaye Fissinger • March 25, 2012
Perhaps solidly Progressive Democrats were not listening carefully to Barack Obama in 2008. Perhaps they were just too anxious to oust the worst U.S. president since Herbert Hoover. Perhaps the millions of dollars in contributions from Wall Street corrupted his vision for America. Perhaps Barack Obama was "corporatist" all along. Whatever the reasons, there are those within the Democratic Party who are not pleased with President Barack Obama's first term record. It is not what they expected when they ardently worked on his behalf and cast their vote in November 2008.
They expected a single-payer healthcare system. They earnestly lobbied Obama for "Medicare for All," or at a minimum some sort of "public option." But Obama didn't listen. In fact, he came to the negotiating table having given away nearly all of his bargaining chips. And stalwart Democrats were left to ask, "Why?"
Progressives believed that there was no acceptable moral or ethical action but to hold Wall Street responsible for its corruption. But Obama followed the lead of George Bush and continued to bail them out. He might have, at a minimum, held individuals responsible for the near catastrophe that they brought to the American – even world – economy by bringing criminal charges against the perpetrators. But three and a half years later, no such actions have taken place – and they appear not likely to take place.
Obama could have held Vice President Dick Cheney and President George Bush accountable for their lies about Saddam Hussein's involvement in the 9-11 attacks and for the non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the lies that hoodwinked the American public into accepting an unwarranted war against Iraq that cost lives and treasure. But he insisted that the country should look forward, not back. Perhaps Obama, too, was lustful of Middle East oil.
And then there is the environment and climate change. For every two steps forward, our president follows with another one back while the extraction industries rape and pillage the land and threaten the atmosphere for the coming generations.
There are other areas of consternation, but however it all came about, some in Boulder County took the principled position to send a message to our Party's president: That far but no farther.
At Saturday's Boulder County Democratic Party County Assembly and Convention, there were 288 delegates available for the Colorado Democratic Party Convention in Pueblo on April 14. Of the 354 county delegates remaining for the afternoon session that nominated President Barack Obama for a second term, 55 of those delegates rose in opposition to the president's policy choices. Those 55 delegates amounted to 16% of the votes and "met threshold." As a consequence, there will be delegates in Pueblo to carry the Uncommitted message.
It is not known whether other Democrats throughout Colorado rose to send the same message to our president. I can only hope that they did. As one who rose, I had no idea how few or how many would do so. There was no coordinated effort, no campaign. It was heartwarming to see so many committed Democratic progressives stand in protest.
It has been disheartening to watch the Democratic Party drift steadily to the right, election after election, since 1980. It is disheartening to observe how the Democratic Party has been repeatedly played by the ever-growing fascistic and totalitarian elements in the Republican Party as they accomplish a goal and then move the goal-post further and further to the right.
While the action today was small, I hope it will be a harbinger of changes to come. I hope it will be both an indicator and a motivator for other progressive Democrats to say, "We will no longer allow our Party to be high jacked by those who would compromise our values. We will not let our Party become a watered down version of the Republican Party of Corporate America. We will no longer watch the future of our families and friends and our environment slip into inevitable decline, if not disaster."
So let this be the beginning as we "take back" our Democratic Party as well as the direction of our nation. The journey of a mile begins with one step.
ATP siege on Longmont
by Kaye Fissinger • October 27, 2011
Cover Letter of ATP Candidate Survey
(ATP logo and organization name at top of page)
{Redacted}
Dear {Redacted}:
How encouraging it is that, across the nation, citizens are becoming involved in the issues affecting their communities like never before. No matter the political party or persuasion, I'm sure you'll agree that everyone benefits with increased awareness of the effects of government policies.
Longmont is no different. American Tradition Partnership's membership has grown by leaps and bounds since 2009. In fact, we are proud to say that for 2011, all of ATP's issue education program is supported by local contributions! [ATP reported contributions of $665,725 on its IRS 990 Form in 2008, the latest available. Longmont's radicals are committed, but not to the tune of six digits.]
We have enclosed your American Tradition Partnership (ATP) Candidate Issue Survey for the 2011 Municipal Election, as part of our nationwide program.
This survey features a brief series of questions regarding property, development, tax, and environmental issues. We do not assume that it addresses every aspect of the matters at hand; it will, though, provide citizens in your district – and the public – with important information regarding local issues.
ATP contributes to the social welfare by educating the public on candidates' positions, and through grassroots lobbying. Our mission, to promote economically sustainable land, water, and environmental policy is characterized by our motto, "Rediscovering America's Treasures." [From the ATP website: "Dozens of radical eco-organizations … have set their sights on robbing Americans of the right to exist, achieve and produce." With an assertion like this, who's the "radical."]
Surveys must be returned postmarked on/before October 10th.
Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at donald.f@americantradition.org, or you can reach me locally at 720-443-2870.
Thank you, and good luck!
Donald E. Ferguson
American Tradition Partnership is recognized as an IRS Section 501(c)4 Non-Profit Organization, and does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.
[Here are the mailers that have been sent by ATP thus far.
And the report filed with Longmont's City Clerk clearly indicates that their Independent Expenditure/Electioneering Communications activity was both to "support" and "oppose" candidates.]
Text of ATP Candidate Survey [Emphasis added by FRL]
2011 Issue Survey for
{Redacted}, Candidate for Longmont City Council {Redacted}
Will you oppose any effort to enter Longmont into a "revenue sharing" agreement with Boulder County, which would transfer control of Longmont development decisions and Longmont taxpayers' money to Boulder? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Would you support the City of Longmont spending taxpayer money for energy efficiency or so-called "green" projects, even if the project will never achieve the promised cost savings, or a measurable financial "break-even" point? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Will you oppose any attempt to increase taxes, taxpayer-funded subsidies or by any means raise consumer costs of energy for the advancement of so-called "alternative" energy sources? [ ] Yes [ ] No
In 2010, Mayor Brian Baum and a majority on City Council blocked an attempt to give away $150,000 of Longmont utility customers' funds to help provide $4,500 "stimulus" checks to a handful of residents. The funds were to be used to buy solar panels for private homes whose owners could afford the additional $25,000 cost. Councilmembers Sarah Levison, Sean McCoy and Brian Hansen supported the program. Do you support the Mayor's and Council majority's decision to oppose such publicly funded "bailout" money for "green" projects? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Proposition 103 raises income and sales taxes for the claimed purpose of increasing funding for schools. Do you support or oppose Proposition 103? [ ] Oppose [ ] Support
Twin Peaks Mall has become a front-burner issue in Longmont, and the loss of tax revenue from shoppers traveling to other communities is burdening the city. Do you support tax incentives and other proactive measures being offered by the city to induce developer Harvest Junction to redevelop the Twin Peaks Mall, so long as the measure is revenue-neutral or revenue-positive in in its early stages? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Do you support anti-growth policies or maintaining high regulations and fees for homebuilding in Longmont, similar to policies in Boulder? [ ] Support [ ] Oppose
The Audubon Society allows natural resource exploration in its wildlife refuges if such development is done in a safe and clean manner, in part because it means large amounts of revenue for the wildlife charity. Will you support resource exploration in any and all eligible areas if all aesthetic, safety and environmental standards were met, and if it benefit the city's revenues? [ ] Yes [ ] No [The national office of the Audubon Society had denied this assertion.]
A detailed EPA report (available on our website) ties burdensome regulation to premature death due to destruction of economic opportunity – particularly for poor and middle-class communities. Do you agree that radical environmentalism and excessive regulation poses a threat to Americans' health, rights, property and prosperity? [ ] Yes [ ] No [More preposterous assertions of this kind can be found on ATP's website.]
One Longmont City Council member has advocated a homebuilding moratorium. Do you believe this type of policy would be detrimental to the city of Longmont? [ ] Yes [ ] No
*Do you support or oppose the expansion of Longmont Municipal Airport? [ ] Support [ ] Oppose
– CANDIDATE AUTHORIZATION –
My signature affirms the answers given in this survey accurately represent my position on these issues as a candidate in the city of Longmont.
Thank you for your participation. You may fax your survey to us at 202-204-6051 (or scan and email to info@americantradition.org); however, for results to be official, a signed hard copy must be returned as well. Please return completed, signed survey POSTMARKED BY OCTOBER 8, 2011 to:
American Tradition Partnership
Attn: Candidate Survey Program
Rep. Gardner, read up on economics 101.
by Marilyn Hughes • August 17, 2011
Rep. Cory Gardner has stated clearly, "I want to see spending cuts." I wish Rep. Gardner would think about where these spending cuts are coming from. Education? Do we care about the classroom size of our children? Infrastructure? Are we planning to repair our own roads and bridges? Environment? Clean water to drink anyone? The social safety net did not get us into this fiscal house of horrors. It was wars that weren't included in the budget and unbridled greed.
Cuts come from real people and real programs that were designed to protect citizens. Plus arguments about spending cuts aren't adding up. Historically, cutting spending during recessionary times just makes the economy worse. (See 1937). Economists in both political parties are saying that what needs to happen is job creation, which requires spending not cutting. Once our economy is more stable reasonable cuts can and should be debated. Maintaining a rigid position in the face of contrary information is not smart. Please, Rep. Gardner, read up on economics 101. Draconian cuts now will not create jobs or put our country back on track. We need a representative who will work for the good of all the citizens in the 4th Congressional District.
Cory Gardner fights against environmental protection
by Charles Hanson • August 14, 2011
Cory Gardner, anti-environment
To the delight of American industrialists and their friends in the GOP, freshman U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner (CO-District 4) appears determined to erode as much of the regulatory authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as he is able.
The EPA was born during the term of Richard Nixon, based on a 1970 memorandum of the President's Advisory Council on Executive Organization, "Federal Organization for Environmental Protection." If the GOP was aware of the need for federal regulations on polluting industries in 1970, how much more are those regulations necessary in our resource-depleting and waste-generating consumerist culture of 2011?
The memorandum recognized that "The economic progress which we have come to expect, or even demand, has almost invariably been at some cost to the environment." It states that "Some means must be found by which our economic and social aspirations are balanced against the finite capacity of the environment to absorb society's wastes."
Before Mr. Gardner goes too far in his personal tirade against the EPA, I suggest that he, and the GOP leadership, should learn what was recognized in 1970 regarding the "finite capacity of the environment to absorb society's wastes." His zeal against environmental regulations is not only misguided and misinformed, it is downright dangerous.
"Visions of the Artic" – in Boulder
by Kaye Fissinger • September 11, 2010
Few places are as iconic and misunderstood as the Arctic. Spreading the word about the beauty of the Arctic and its looming threats is very important to Earthjustice. They have teamed with outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia and celebrated wildlife photographer Florian Schulz to create a stunning visual presentation of Arctic images.
Event: Visions of the Arctic
Date: Friday, October 8, 2010
Location: Boulder Public Library
Canyon Theater
1001 Arapahoe Avenue
RSVP: Required.
RSVP for Boulder.
Preview the event by watching the video here. You will be at one with the beauty of nature. It will arouse your compassion. It will capture your imagination. It will reinforce your commitment to protect the Arctic and our globe from those who who would damage and destroy it.
HeavenFest: A Reality Check
by Don Coulson • March 21, 2010
Union Reservoir - March 2010 - Photo by Doug Wray
Imagine for a moment that an organization approached your city and requested use of one of its facilities to hold a rally involving up to 50,000 individuals. Imagine that the proceeds from this rally could reach over $2 million but the sponsors offered nothing but payment of a $50 permit and a promise to tidy things up after the event.
Imagine a city council which accepted this offer and instead of negotiating a piece of the gate worth (modestly) at least $100,000, buried the decision for permit approval in the bowels of its bureaucracy where various unelected officials made the decision for them. Public input fell on deaf ears and was not encouraged. Virtually no debate was held by council.
Welcome to Longmont and the HeavenFest concert where rumors of untold riches are rife, all to be generated by throngs of visitors spending wildly in restaurants, hotels and the hundreds of tee shirt and souvenir shops dotting downtown (OK – that does require some imagination).
Reality check: With 918 hotel rooms- most of which are routinely filled on weekends and every restaurant packed with locals, we are to believe that these hordes of visitors will somehow manage in one or two nights to contribute as much as $900,000 in new tax revenue.
But neither Thornton nor Brighton, the homes of HeavenFest '09, found any significant increase in revenues related to the event. Why? In part because the attendees stayed in their campsites, or came for one day then went home. Most importantly, with venues already filled to capacity with locals, there was nowhere to spend new money. Longmont's council and its boys in the back knew this- or should have. It's called due diligence and objective analysis; both were AWOL when this deal was struck.
Enough- let's get off the road to Oz and examine the facts:
Fact: HeavenFest is an arm of non-profit Worship and the World Movement (WWM). The announced purpose of this organization is (in part) to; "Proclaim God's Word through worship and teaching at over 70 events" and; "Support an orphanage in Venezuela". (source: 2008 IRS Form 990 tax return).
Fact: The gross income of WWM in 2008 was in excess of $300,000. That year it donated about 4.3% of declared income, or $12,923. to Miami-based "Home of Refuge" which runs the Venezuelan orphanage. Based on figures published on their web site, it can be assumed that WWN's 2009 revenue was well in excess of $750,000. Orphanages received $35,000 or perhaps 5% of income.
Fact: WWM is not a charity and does not claim to be one. Its mission is to grow exponentially in order to reach ever growing multitudes. Let's be clear on this; how they make and spend their money is their business and no one else's. I have no bone to pick with WWM and no interest whatsoever in their business model.
Fact: Had a similar request for such a rally been made by any other musical group it would have been rejected out of hand- or subjected to rigorous negotiations for a share of the gate. Even then, council would likely have met a storm of protest and one can be sure there'd have been ample public debate. How then did HeavenFest slide in and walk away with a permit?
Damned if I know, but what is clear is that Longmont is in effect making a six-figure donation to a religious organization. Were this money going to a recognized charity it might be forgivable, but again-WWN is not a charity and consequently should not have received any special consideration. But it did.
Think what $100,000. (or perhaps double that amount) could do for Longmont's homeless, its food banks, shelters and support groups. None of these will receive a red dime from this event because Longmont's council ducked its responsibilities. Council has shown an appalling lack of objective leadership and essentially tossed away the opportunity to share in what could be a $2 million plus gate.
HeavenFest may yet prove to be a boon to Longmont and may leave Union Reservoir in better shape than it is today. Then again it may prove to be a monumental irritation to its citizens and an environmental disaster. Regardless the outcome, what happened on the road to a $50 permit should never be allowed to again occur.
Related article: HeavenFest, A Briefing
Where's the skin?
by Kaye Fissinger • March 9, 2010
Bryan Baum 2010
There's skin. There's thin skin. And then there's no skin at all. The latter appears to be the apt description of Longmont's Mayor. Perhaps he put it all into the quid-pro-quo game.
KCRN 1060 AM and the Best of Longmont have created a live broadcast between 6 and 7 PM called "Mondays with the Mayor". It seems, however, that Mayor Baum considers this an exclusive opportunity to pepper the airways with his personal ideology.
It's a new show and is broadcast live from Buzz Coffee. I was present to observe Mayor Baum demonstrate his intolerance—again. And in so very many ways!!
Today's guest was Jonathan Singer, President of the Longmont Area Democrats. As always, Mr. Singer's humor is quick and witty. Such a marvelous contrast to the dour and humorless Mayor Baum, a characteristic so typical of the rabid right – whether in Longmont or across this great country.
After Mr. Singer introduced himself to the Longmont listeners, he quipped, "So we have a mayor and a president." I'm confident that brought a chuckle to some and some head-banging to others.
One of the first questions asked of the mayor was about tuition equity at our Colorado colleges and universities. Many of Colorado's immigrant students are effectively blocked from fair tuition rates because their parents, here without documentation, brought them to Colorado. These are good, dedicated students who have demonstrated their ability.
Baum's reply was the typical deflection used by right wing ideologues. But before he was finished talking the truth slipped out. (He just can't help himself. No matter how his handlers try, and no matter how far up the food chain they go, they won't be able to make a silk purse out of this sow's ear.)
Baum's solution to high school seniors hoping to go directly into college, is to continue to live in the shadows while seeking naturalization. Now that, of course, takes years. Clearly Baum, cares little for the plight of the immigrant community and particularly the Latino community, a substantial part of Longmont's population. Baum spoke of immigrants who seek the help of attorneys for naturalization as being "victimized by their own people."
"Their own people!" Isn't that lovely. And I suppose that we're to accept HIS word for this. Since you have no skin, Mayor Baum, perhaps you can "show us the beef". He spoke of gathering a "consortium of attorneys" to assist. I certainly hope these attorneys are not descendents of Longmont's presumably buried KKK history.
But, Baum wasn't done. Oh, no!
A young student asked Mayor Baum about Longmont's density per population of gangs and what could be done about this. The young man is black. The first question out of Mayor Baum's mouth, "Are you in a gang?" Had the question been asked by a white student, I seriously doubt that Baum would have asked the same question.
2 + 2 = 4, Longmont. I'm sure that those who frequently post racist comments on the Times-Call article blogs are delighted to have elected one of their own. The rest of us are simply nauseated.
But Mayor Baum, wasn't done picking fights with those who don't agree with him. Don't forget, this program was viewed by his political allies and operatives as a way to burnish an image of Mr. Nice Guy. Sorry, Charlie, it won't wash. Perhaps the losses should be cut.
This was my first experience with "Mondays with the Mayor". So I took the opportunity to ask about an issue that means a great deal to the Longmont community – Twin Peaks Mall.
I asked the mayor why the community hasn't been given the complete set of facts about Panattoni's ability to redevelop the Mall. Since the Times-Call has failed to report the numbers that are relevant to understanding the company's ability to proceed, I took the opportunity to provide that information.
Panattoni purchased the Mall in 2007 for $37 million. The boom led to a bust and now the Mall is worth only $17 million. And that is likely not yet the bottom for the commercial retail market. Panattoni put $8 million down on the property. Bank of America, who holds the paper, now requires 50% equity in order to refinance. Panattoni is "underwater," meaning they owe more that the property is worth.
Baum doesn't dispute the data, he merely tries to claim that this is "old news" and "everyone knows this". No, Mayor Baum, "everyone" doesn't know this. Not the other members of the council outside the well-described "Baum Squad". Not the public. But the Times-Call, who oh-so-carefully reported in generic terms so that the gravity would remain hidden, undoubtedly did know.
Mayor Baum, I read the Times-Call. EVERY DAY. These numbers were never published. They first appeared in an email from Council Member Katie Witt and were revealed on www.freerangelongmont.com. And unless you don't read the Times-Call, your statement to the contrary about the availability of this specific information is, yes, "Disingenuous, sir." And that was the nice way to put it.
Again, the skinless mayor, had to have a retort (amongst his many incivilities), when he addressed me as amongst those who are not "well-connected". Yes, Mayor Baum, I'm not a part of the Longmont oligarchy. And I'm proud of it. I "speak truth to power" so that the ordinary Longmont citizen can live his or her life trusting that city business will be taken care of—to the benefit of us all. I "speak truth to power" to expose what goes on behind all those Wizard of Ozian curtains.
When Singer asked about the Longmont Fair Campaign Practices Act, Baum suggested that the convoluted "in-kind" method that he used in the recent campaign is the way reporting should be done. Does he really expect the public to swallow that dollars spent "in-kind" are any different than donated dollars or that somehow they are more open and transparent?
Come-come, Mayor Baum. The Longmont community is not that gullible. Keep insulting them and see where that gets you.
And let's not forget that Baum previously explained that he didn't want his hands dirtied by political money. Spoken like a man with a very guilty conscience. The opportunities to ask Mayor Baum, "What did you know and when did you know it?", are the gift that keeps on giving.
Mr. Singer asked the mayor what other opportunities might be available to help the environment since Baum ferociously torpedoed Longmont's opportunity to participate in the Governor's Energy Office's matching grant program for solar photovoltaics. Predictably, he once again "went postal".
This mayor has no respect for the environment. He's a climate-change denier. He's an oil-gas-and-coal man who was catapulted into office by the rabidly anti-environmental Montana organization Western Tradition Partnership. He'll throw a bone once in a while in a feeble attempt to obscure his attitude toward the environment and hoodwink the public. Don't expect the Longmont that your kids will live in to be protected by him or his supporters. They'll take theirs NOW, thank you.
So, Mayor Baum, you can talk to the community on Monday nights, but this is not a pass to spread your corporatist ideology or advance the agenda of the oligarchy. Your inner sanctum knew what they were getting when they voted for you. The rest, victimized by the Times-Call political water torture for two years and frustrated over the economic conditions prevailing in Longmont and throughout the nation, thought they were getting a fix-it man, new blood.
In fact, they have gotten everything they were sick of in 2007 and before. The community will figure that out – sooner or later. Truth eventually rises to the surface. All the lipstick you apply will not change that.
Joan Peck Re-elected
Joan Peck for Longmont
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Use a single-vendor wind farm management control system to capture and convert wind energy reliably and efficiently. From wind turbine automation and protection to complete wind farm management solutions, we can help you meet your operational goals.
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Our Integrated Architecture® system provides a powerful platform for the safe control of wind turbines and wind farms. Combined with turbomachinery solutions and condition monitoring our portfolio enables efficient, reliable, and safe operation of your equipment.


text:
News, Events & Presentations
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Investor Toolbox
Mike Bauer
Mike Bauer, Chief Executive Officer
read my full bio
Michael (Mike) P. Bauer joined Libbey as Chief Executive Officer and a director in March 2019.
Prior to joining Libbey, Mr. Bauer spent more than 20 years with Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc., serving most recently as President of The Master Lock Company, the Security segment of Fortune Brands, from December 2014 to July 2018. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of the global consumer goods manufacturer, including the marketing and distribution of locks, safes and other mechanical, electromechanical and digital security products.
Mr. Bauer joined The Master Lock Company from Moen Incorporated, another Fortune Brands subsidiary and an international manufacturer, marketer and distributor of residential and commercial faucets, sinks, bath accessories and bath safety products. Mr. Bauer joined Moen as Corporate Controller in 1997 and held successive roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of Marketing and Product Development CSI; Vice President and General Manager, Retail Business, from 2007 to 2011; and President, U.S. Business, from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Bauer's earlier experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance for Nook Industries, Inc., holding various accounting and finance roles at Avery Dennison Corporation from 1992 to 1997, and working as an audit manager for Coopers & Lybrand from 1987 to 1992.
Mr. Bauer holds a BBA in Accounting from Cleveland State University and an MBA in Finance from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Shop Libbey Online |
www.Libbey.com
December 17, 2019 Libbey Inc. Announces CFO Transition
October 28, 2019 Libbey Inc. Announces Third-Quarter 2019 Results
October 18, 2019 Libbey Inc. to Announce 2019 Third Quarter Financial Results October 28, 2019
There are currently no events scheduled.
© Copyright - Libbey Inc. Terms & Policies
Safe Harbor Disclosure:
This website may include statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements reflect only the Company's best assessment at this time and are indicated by words or phrases such as "goal," "expects," "believes," "will," "estimates," "anticipates," or similar phrases. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and that actual results may differ materially from these statements, and that investors should not place undue reliance on such statements. These forward-looking statements may be affected by the risks and uncertainties in the Company's business. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosures contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on February 27, 2019. Important factors potentially affecting performance include but are not limited to increased competition from foreign suppliers endeavoring to sell glass tableware in the United States and Mexico; the impact of lower duties for imported products; global economic conditions and the related impact on consumer spending levels; major slowdowns in the retail, travel or entertainment industries in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Western Europe and Asia, caused by terrorist attacks or otherwise; significant increases in per-unit costs for natural gas, electricity, freight, corrugated packaging, and other purchased materials; high levels of indebtedness; high interest rates that increase the Company's borrowing costs or volatility in the financial markets that could constrain liquidity and credit availability; protracted work stoppages related to collective bargaining agreements; increases in expense associated with higher medical costs, increased pension expense associated with lower returns on pension investments and increased pension obligations; devaluations and other major currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar and the Euro that could reduce the cost competitiveness of the Company's products compared to foreign competition; the effect of high inflation in Mexico and exchange rate changes to the value of the Mexican peso and the earnings and cash flow of Libbey Mexico, expressed under U.S. GAAP; the inability to achieve savings and profit improvements at targeted levels in the Company's operations or within the intended time periods; and whether the Company completes any significant acquisition and whether such acquisitions can operate profitably.


text:
About MAR
MAR Data
AMAR Project
Assessment for Kurds in Iran
View Group Chronology
Area: 1,648,000 sq. km.
Capital: Tehran
Total Population: 68,960,000 (source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1998, est.)
Risk Assessment | Analytic Summary | References
Kurds have most of the risk factors for rebellion, including: current rebellion; territorial concentration; high levels of group organization; government repression; and a history of lost autonomy. Although several Kurdish organizations have moved away from violence, low-level rebellion is likely to continue in the near future. With the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 the situation of Kurdish Iranians went from bad to worse. After broken promises by Mohammad Khatami's more moderate presidency from 1997 to 2005, the Kurdish situation, along with other ethnic minorities, has only worsened. The condition of Kurdish Iranians is more precarious than the Bakhtiari (because of their higher numbers and Sunni Muslim faith) or the Baluchis (because of their advocacy of autonomy and intellectual urban bases).
Analytic Summary
Kurds in Iran are concentrated in the north-eastern provinces bordering Iraq and Turkey (GROUPCON = 3). Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims (BELIEF = 1; RELIGS1 = 5), but there is also a large minority of Shi'i Muslim Kurds in Iran, primarily in the western province of Kermanshah. The Kurds (LANG = 1) speak several dialects of the Kurdish language and are divided into many tribes. These tribal divisions and rivalries have often been an impediment to their struggle for autonomy.
The Kurds have a history of valuing their independence and have, whenever possible, resisted domination by outside powers and have occasionally managed to maintain autonomy in parts of the region in which they live. The last time they were able to maintain regional autonomy in Iran for any considerable period of time ended in the mid-19th century due to centralization policies by the Qajar Shahs. However, local tribal leaders continued to maintain armies. They had brief periods of independence from 1918-1922 and in 1946 and engaged in several other uprisings during times when the Iranian government was weak.
In 1979, most Kurds initially supported the Iranian revolution, with the primary exception of certain tribal chiefs that were benefiting from the Shah's regime, in hope of gaining democracy and autonomy. However, when it became clear that the new government had no intention of giving the Kurds either democracy or autonomy, the Kurds rebelled against the government. This rebellion was met with repression by the Iranian government. The Iran-Iraq war was used as an excuse by both sides to repress their own Kurds and support insurrection by their enemy's Kurds.
Like their ethnic brethren in Iraq, Turkey and Syria, the Kurds in Iran have multiple and overlapping demands vis-à-vis their political future, including desires to achieve greater regional autonomy, to end discrimination against the Kurds and to see a more democratic Iran (POLGR04-06 = 3).
Tribal divisions have led to the formation of several Kurdish political organizations, most notably the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI, currently in exile) and the Revolutionary Organization of the Toilers of Kurdistan (Komala). Although Kurdish political parties are banned in Iran, several of these organizations have renounced violence and chosen nonviolent strategies in recent years (GOJPA04-06 = 3). However, militancy remains in the form of PJAK, a highly militant organization with close ties to the Turkish PKK. PJAK has engaged in several acts of open rebellion between 2004 and 2006 (REB04 and 06 = 1, REB05=4). The largest recent Kurdish protest in Iran occurred when the security forces killed and dragged the body of a Kurdish activist throughout Mahabad, resulting in mass demonstrations in July and August, the arrest of hundreds of Kurds and death of at least 17 more Kurdish protestors (PROT05 = 3). In addition, previous efforts by Kurdish members of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis)including the 2002 resignation of all six deputies from Kurdistan province in protest against "discrimination against Kurd and Sunni minorities" (PROT02 = 1; PROT03 = 2) were continued when in 2005 Kurdish MPs wrote to the president-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, demanding that the rights of Kurds and Sunnis be protected as upheld in the Constitution. Kurds in Iran experience governmental restriction on their observance of Sunni Islam (CULPO104-06 = 2) Restrictions also take exist in the realms of political organizing and the attainment of high office for Kurds (POLDIS04-06 = 4; EXECREP04-06 = 0).
Aghajanian, Akbar. 1983. "Ethnic Inequality in Iran: an Overview." International Journal of Middle East Studies. 15:2. 211-24.
Aguado, Laura D. 1987. "The Kurds in the Middle East: Struggle for National Liberation." Ethnic Studies Report. 5:2. 9-17.
Enders, David. 3/29/2006. "The Iranian government is strong. But not that strong." Mother Jones. http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/03/kurdish_opposition.html
Fathi, Nazila. 8/14/2005. "Unrest in Iran's Kurdish Region Has Left 17 Dead; Hundreds Have Been Wounded." The New York Times.
Helfgott, Leonard M. 1980. 'The Structural Foundations of the National Minority Problem in Revolutionary Iran.' Middle East Studies. 13:1-4.195-213.
Izadi, Mehrdad. 1992. The Kurds: A Concise Handbook. Washington, DC: Crane Russak.
Kerim Yildiz, Tanyel B. Taysi. 2007. The Kurds in Iran: The Past, Present and Future. London: Pluto.
Kreyenbrook, Philip G., and Stephan Sprel, eds. 1992. The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview. New York: Routledge.
Meron, Theodor. 1989. "Iran's Challenge to the International Law of Human Rights." Human Rights Internet Reporter. 13:1. 8-13.
Metz, Helen Chapin. 1987. Iran: a Country Study. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.
Minority Rights Group. State of World's Minorities 2006: Events of 2004-2005.
Richard, Yann. 1989. "The Relevance of 'Nationalism' in Contemporary Iran." Middle East Review. 21:4. 27-36.
Simm, Richard. 1980. "Kurdistan: The Search for Recognition" Conflict Studies. 124:1-9.
Snyder, L.L. 1982. Global Mini-Nationalisms: Autonomy or Independence. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
LexisNexis. Various news reports. 1990-2006
U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Iran. 2000-2006.
U.S. Department of State. International Religious Freedom Report: Iran. 2001-2006.
Wood, Graeme. 1/28/2006. "The Militant Kurds of Iran." Jane's. http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir060628_1_n.shtml
© 2004 - 2021 • Minorities At Risk Project
Center for International
Development and
2117 Chincoteague Hall
Information current as of December 31, 2006


text:
#include "definitions.h"
#include "util.h"
#include "update_reconstruction_module.h"
#include "gpu_manager.h"
#include "miroir_manager.h"

#include <pcl/io/openni_camera/openni_depth_image.h>
#include <pcl/io/openni_grabber.h>
#include <limits>

UpdateReconstructionModule::UpdateReconstructionModule() : current_frame(0), enable(true)
{
	kernel = GpuManager::createKernel((std::string(KERNEL_PATH)+std::string("TSDF.cl")).c_str(), "TSDF");

	// TSDF stored in GPU
	cl_int err;

	cl_short2* buf = new cl_short2[(int)(RESX*RESY*RESZ)];

	for(int i=0; i<RESX*RESY*RESZ; i++)
	{
		buf[i].s[0] = SHORT_NAN; //std::numeric_limits<short>::quiet_NaN();
		buf[i].s[1] = -SHORT_MAX;
	}

	TSDF_d = clCreateBuffer(GpuManager::context, CL_MEM_USE_HOST_PTR | CL_MEM_READ_WRITE, sizeof(cl_short2)*RESX*RESY*RESZ, buf, &err);
	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);
	clEnqueueWriteBuffer(GpuManager::queue, TSDF_d, true, 0, sizeof(cl_short2)*RESX*RESY*RESZ, buf, 0, NULL, NULL);

	delete [] buf;

	cam_pose = new cl_float4[4];
}

UpdateReconstructionModule::~UpdateReconstructionModule()
{
	clReleaseMemObject(TSDF_d);
	clReleaseKernel(kernel);
}

//#define PROFILING

void UpdateReconstructionModule::TSDF()
{
	cl_int err;

	cl_float4 cam_pos_inv_h[4];// = {*(cam_pos_inv[0]), *(cam_pos_inv[1]), *(cam_pos_inv[2]), *(cam_pos_inv[3])};

	// transpose rotation matrix to get inverse
	MiroirUtil::invertCamTransform(cam_pose, cam_pos_inv_h);

	//cl_mem cam_pos_d = clCreateBuffer(GpuManager::context, CL_MEM_READ_ONLY | CL_MEM_COPY_HOST_PTR, sizeof(cl_float4)*4, cam_pose, &err);
	//assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);
	cl_mem cam_pos_inv_d = clCreateBuffer(GpuManager::context, CL_MEM_READ_ONLY | CL_MEM_COPY_HOST_PTR, sizeof(cl_float4)*4, cam_pos_inv_h, &err);
	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);
	cl_mem k_d = clCreateBuffer(GpuManager::context, CL_MEM_READ_ONLY | CL_MEM_COPY_HOST_PTR, sizeof(cl_ulong), &current_frame, &err);
	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);

	cl_mem width_d = MiroirManager::getCLWidth();
	cl_mem height_d = MiroirManager::getCLHeight();
	cl_mem fl_d = MiroirManager::getCLFocalLength();
	cl_mem tsdf_params = MiroirManager::getCLTSDFParams();

	cl_uint j = 0;
	err = clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(TSDF_d), (void*)&TSDF_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(width_d), (void*)&width_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(height_d), (void*)&height_d);
	//err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(cam_pos_d), (void*)&cam_pos_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(cam_pos_inv_d), (void*)&cam_pos_inv_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(dmap), (void*)&dmap);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(k_d), (void*)&k_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(fl_d), (void*)&fl_d);
	err |= clSetKernelArg(kernel, j++, sizeof(tsdf_params), (void*)&tsdf_params);

	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);

	size_t global_ws[2] = { RESX, RESY };

#ifdef PROFILING
	LARGE_INTEGER g_PerfFrequency;
	LARGE_INTEGER g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStart;
	LARGE_INTEGER g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStop;
	QueryPerformanceFrequency(&g_PerfFrequency);
	QueryPerformanceCounter(&g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStart);
#endif

	err = clEnqueueNDRangeKernel(GpuManager::queue, kernel, 2, 0, global_ws, NULL, 0, NULL, NULL);
	clFinish(GpuManager::queue);

#ifdef PROFILING
	QueryPerformanceCounter(&g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStop);
	float seconds = (float)((g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStop.QuadPart - g_PerformanceCountNDRangeStart.QuadPart)/(float)g_PerfFrequency.QuadPart);
#endif

	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);

	//clReleaseMemObject(cam_pos_d);
	err = clReleaseMemObject(cam_pos_inv_d);
	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);
	err = clReleaseMemObject(k_d);
	assert(err == CL_SUCCESS);
}

void UpdateReconstructionModule::processData()
{
	current_frame++;

	if(enable)
		TSDF();

	/*UROut* packet = new UROut(TSDF_d, cam_pos_inv);
	out = DataPacket<UROut>(packet);*/

	cl_short flex = 1000;

	// count number of valid points in the tsdf
	if(MiroirManager::getShowMode() == ShowMode::TSDF)
	{
		cl_short2* tsdf_h = new cl_short2[(int)(RESX*RESY*RESZ)];
		clEnqueueReadBuffer(GpuManager::queue, TSDF_d, CL_TRUE, 0, sizeof(cl_short2)*RESX*RESY*RESZ, tsdf_h, 0, NULL, NULL);

		//boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(MiroirManager::getMutex());
		int nPoints = 0;
		for(int i=0; i<(RESX*RESY*RESZ); i++)
		{
			cl_short tsdf = tsdf_h[i].s[0];
			if(tsdf == SHORT_NAN || tsdf > flex || tsdf < -flex)
			{
				continue;
			}
			nPoints++;

		}

		pcl::OpenNIGrabber* grabber = static_cast<pcl::OpenNIGrabber*>(MiroirManager::getGrabber());
		cloud = pcl::PointCloud<pcl::PointXYZRGBA>::Ptr(new pcl::PointCloud <pcl::PointXYZRGBA>);
		cloud->height = grabber->getDevice()->getDepthOutputMode().nYRes;
		cloud->width = grabber->getDevice()->getDepthOutputMode().nXRes;
		cloud->is_dense = false;

		cloud->points.resize(nPoints);

		/*if (grabber->getDevice()->isDepthRegistered ())
			cloud->header.frame_id = "/openni_rgb_optical_frame";
		else
			cloud->header.frame_id = "/openni_depth_optical_frame";*/

		int count = 0;

		for(int j=0; j<RESY; j++)
		{
			for(int i=0; i<RESX; i++)
			{
				for(int k=0; k<RESZ; k++)
				{
					int idx = k+i*RESZ+j*RESX*RESZ;

					cl_short tsdf_val = tsdf_h[idx].s[0];
					if(count >= nPoints || tsdf_val == SHORT_NAN || tsdf_val > flex || tsdf_val < -flex )
					{
						//pt.x = pt.y = pt.z = std::numeric_limits<float>::quiet_NaN ();
						continue;
					}

					pcl::PointXYZRGBA& pt = cloud->points[count++];
					pt.x = 0.001 * (i * VOLUME/RESX - VOLUME/2 );
					pt.y = 0.001 * (j * VOLUME/RESY - VOLUME/2 );
					/*pt.x = 0.001 * i * VOLUME/RESX ;
					pt.y = 0.001 * j * VOLUME/RESY;*/
					pt.z = 0.001 * k * VOLUME/RESZ;
					pt.r = 255;
					pt.g = tsdf_val<0?0:255;
					pt.b = pt.g;
				}

			}
		}

		delete [] tsdf_h;

		cloud->sensor_origin_.setZero ();
		cloud->sensor_orientation_.w () = 0.0f;
		cloud->sensor_orientation_.x () = 1.0f;
		cloud->sensor_orientation_.y () = 0.0f;
		cloud->sensor_orientation_.z () = 0.0f;
	}
	/*else
		tsdf_h = NULL;*/

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A Brexit deal seemed close after the EU indicated legal mechanisms London could use. The mechanisms would be used to unilaterally leave the contentious Irish border backstop. but the plan was rejected..
Both parties agreed to a "legally binding joint instrument" to ensure that the EU cannot try to trap the U.K. in the backstop.
Prime Minister Theresa May rushed to Strasbourg on Monday to seek concessions from the European Union in a last-ditch attempt to avoid another humiliating defeat in parliament of her deal to exit the..
According to Reuters, British Prime Minister Theresa May was scrambling on Monday to clinch concessions from the European Union in a last-ditch attempt to avoid another humiliating defeat in parliament..


Class 2S and their teddy bears recently went on a very special outing to a Teddy Bear Sleepover at Hugh Baird College. The children and their teddies sat in a room which is set up as the inside of an aeroplane. Everyone had to buckle their seat belts, listen to the safety instructions and try on their oxygen masks! The group was also given a tour of the L20 Community Library and encouraged to read some of the amazing books that are available. When the children left the teddy bears stayed for a sleepover and were invited to a tea party and all sorts of other lovely treats!
Parents and guardians are reminded that the L20 Library is a free facility for anyone to join.


text:
École des Beaux-Arts - na França
Brasil
 Escola de Belas Artes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro;
 Escola de Belas Artes de São Paulo
 Academia Imperial de Belas Artes
 Escola de Belas Artes de Pernambuco
 Escola de Belas Artes da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Portugal
 Escola Superior de Belas-Artes - diversas instituições portuguesas

Desambiguação

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Sequel.migration do
  change do
    create_table(:bookmarks) do
      primary_key :id
      String :url, :size => 3072, :unique => true
      String :tags, :size => 4096
      DateTime :created_at
      DateTime :updated_at
    end
  end
end


Brice Dulin was France's first choice fullback throughout the 2012 autumn internationals as he flourished under Philippe Saint-Andre's guidance.
Dulin started his professional career at Agen but moved to Castres ahead of the 2012-13 season. His stock continued to grow at his new side and he was rewarded with the No.15 shirt for each of the autumn Tests.
However he was injury ahead of the 2013 Six Nations and was forced to withdraw from the French squad.


Hippie Laundry tribal print shorts very cute - size 11-.
Adorable pair of Hippie Laundry shorts in a peach print. Lace on the sides really sets it off. Great design and color. Perfect addition for your wardrobe.