Does anyone have any insight?

[kate e parker]

obryan, my post about your clown car was purely a sarcastic one.

however, it did bring out this little gem...


thank god for banjos and photoshop.

[Mike Zannoni]

And even I have had A LOT of people now who tell me things and tell me that I can't say where I got the info from, because of who they work for-- What's a citizen to do?

I think refrain would be in order. If you cannot back up a statement other than by saying "trust me, I know so, someone who I cannot mention told me so" one should probably not mention it. Example: In children it equates to "I have a secret but I am not allowed to tell you." The most common response then would be "then don't bring it up."

I guess, in short, "then don't bring it up" is the category i would place many of these kind of false/inaccurate/premature statements.

I think Corey has a point, as long as nothing all that important is at issue. Obviously if you heard on the radio that a tornado is coming, but you can't prove that you heard it, or that the announcer was accurately reporting, using good sources, a good neighbor still may want to share that with his neighbor, along with any due disclaimer (not sure if I heard this right, or I only heard this on the one station, etc).

When trying to piece together the truth about important things, many of which have timely implications, I don't see anything wrong with saying "I heard this, from someone not wanting to be quoted.” Unreliable people will eventually be seen as such, and the things they say like this will be given their proper weight in the mix. People in this town are frequently and genuinely afraid of retaliation from the City, the Schools, certain (ahem) other organizations, and even their own neighbors uncritically supportive of these entities. I've been chagrined to hear this from people, and I don't think their unwillingness to be quoted makes what they have to say suspect.

Restraint, which I do believe in, is different than "don't bring it up." If a person who I think is credible has information they think is credible, if unsubstantiated, and important things (like my tax dollars, public safety, etc.) are at stake, I would like to hear the information and decide for myself what I think about it, or better yet, be able to use it as a starting point for my own line of inquiry for further corroboration, verification, etc.

[Corey Rossen]

Restraint, which I do believe in, is different than "don't bring it up." If a person who I think is credible has information they think is credible, if unsubstantiated, and important things (like my tax dollars, public safety, etc.) are at stake, I would like to hear the information and decide for myself what I think about it, or better yet, be able to use it as a starting point for my own line of inquiry for further corroboration, verification, etc.

If this were Facebook I would be hitting the Like button. I especially like the part about " verification..."
Corey

[Jim O'Bryan]

obryan, my post about your clown car was purely a sarcastic one.

however, it did bring out this little gem...


thank god for banjos and photoshop.

Kate

Oh now you tell me, I cried for hours.

You know though this thread along with some of the other "hot topics" underline just how we hoped everything
would work out. A little seriousness, a little digging down, a little exposure of personalities, a better
understanding of those willing to jump in, and stay out.

At the end of the day, no lives lost, another step forward, sideways or backwards.

People in other cities are always amazed at the clever use of videos, songs, photos and dry humor. And they
are always amazed about Gary. Their other number one topic has disappeared though.

peace

[michael gill]

That's a really great picture of Gary. He has lived through some interesting times.

[Gary Rice]

Y'know, one of those great stories that my favorite banjo player, Pete Seeger, liked to relate over the years is the one from the Great Old Book about the sower of seeds. Remember? The farmer went out and cast his seeds left AND right. (After all, we have to be inclusive here ) Well, some of those seeds fell on the pathways and got trampled on, some of them fell on the barren rocks, and became bird food....but some of them fell on fertile ground, and they grew... and multiplied a thousandfold.

George Fox, the founder of the Quakers is once supposed to have said something like this:

When all else fails, have thee considered love?

Another Quaker expression:

There are 3 sides to an argument. Thine, mine, and Truth.

Something else to think about in these troubled times: (and indeed, what times in history haven't been troubled?)

Good guys win, bad guys lose.

That's the lesson History teaches us.

May take awhile, and quite a bit of work too, but the bad guys eventually lose.

One more for the road here, since Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday just happened on Saturday....

Here's a Woodyesque tale to honor his memory....

There was a couple of good little rabbits that thought it was finally safe to come out and enjoy their little rabbit yard. Before too long however, those foxes started comin' around again and started chasin' those little bunnies back to their rabbit hole. "What are we gonna do about those foxes?", said the one bunny to the other one. "Well", said the other bunny..."I suppose we're just gonna have to stay right here in this hole, nice and safe-like, until we outnumber 'em!"

Fiddle while Rome burns? Durn tootin' I will.

Back to the banjo...

[Jim O'Bryan]

.

[Valerie Molinski]

And?

That pic proves nothing. Are they open yet?

It might just be an extra table and umbrella that they could not fit up front and are storing it out back while they are working on the inside.

And since I see only one table and there no clear delineation where parking would end a patio might begin, I am inclined to believe that your 'proof' that QSL is doing outside dining both front and back is not proof at all.

[marklingm]

Jim,

Do you know whether GS&L will be serving wings, beer, and ribs?

Matt

[Valerie Molinski]

Jim,

Do you know whether GS&L will be serving wings, beer, and ribs?

Matt

I think Jim's insider source who does not want to be named confirmed this.

[Jim O'Bryan]

And?

That pic proves nothing. Are they open yet?

It might just be an extra table and umbrella that they could not fit up front and are storing it out back while they are working on the inside.

And since I see only one table and there no clear delineation where parking would end a patio might begin, I am inclined to believe that your 'proof' that QSL is doing outside dining both front and back is not proof at all.

Val

So much anger, whew.

I just found it ironically funny when driving by that there was patio furniture out back where we were all
assured there would be no patio, Is it a patio? Not sure, it has nearly the same table my neighbor does on
his plot of dirt he calls "his patio."

Am I claiming victory? Well, I really do not score life, or conversations. I merely smiled when I saw it.

Will people eat out there, smoke out there or sit in the chairs? I really don't care.

I do care about who is paying for all of the lot renovations. I do care about who owns what back there. I am
curious how much more residents will pay to set up the Downtown area. I will be watching for the "high end"
shopping that was promised again, and again and again.

As for the patio, "Never" does not seem as long as it did a month ago.



Matt

They will have the best wings in town, they will have a top ten burger, and they will have other things people
like. As I have mentioned time and time again, I go to QSL about 10 times a year for car and bike night, and
I always eat when there. I was involved in motor sports and like the theme.

Time will tell, but at on the "Detroit Avenue Chow Line"© there is enough variations to bring a smile to many faces.

.

[Valerie Molinski]

I have no anger when it comes to wings and patio furniture. Ever. You are mistaken.

I just often find your posts misleading and half true to incite...why you do this, I do not know. Just my observation of your latest in this milleu.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I have no anger when it comes to wings and patio furniture. Ever. You are mistaken.

I just often find your posts misleading and half true to incite...why you do this, I do not know. Just my observation of your latest in this milleu.

Val

While some do incite, I hope they incite people to think. We all have very different needs in this world. Where
I might love QSL being in Lakewood, others may not. On the other side, we should know the deals of this project,
and I am doing that.

As I have said, many of the things mentioned in this thread, are very real, and I have written the story, and I will
be putting it out there. I think this and a couple other discussions got sidetracked by some Czech Republic pranksters.

Why, who knows, it is the way life takes me. I picked up Ken Warren from a very successful couple days of
pimping his book, and as we came through the parking lot, there was the "patio furniture." I started laughing,
then Ken brought up some things about the parking lot he remembered from when he was Library Director.
Thing that he did not think added up to what previous administrations had told Ken. That makes not true or
false, just some interesting observations from an Observer.

As for "Deep Throat" on the QSL Patio, I have always said, it was the bar manager at QSL, on a Sunday Car
Show night. Do I remember his name, no. But I never really thought it mattered. But it Lakewood, some need
to see the facts from the citizens but never from the elected officials. So be it. Call him the mysterious...

Thanks for the time and words.

.

[Jim O'Bryan]

The Slaughter of Lakewood and Lakewood's Parks

I started this thread about insight into what was happening with Kauffman Park, and why
was the city so eager to take more amenities and freedoms away from Lakewood
residents and voters. Of course Councilman Juris jumped in with a bunch on non-answers,
and BS. But I think we have all come to expect that from the councilman from Ward 3.

No plans, just Unsafe. Graffiti. No lawful citizen goes in after dark and if they do,
nothing good and or legal could ever come from it. Were just some of the reasons. The
councilman who oversees public works said "They just don't have the time to keep it
clean..." When it was pointed out that the very group he was in charge of overseeing was
not just lying to him, but ripping the city off while on many trips out of town, the
councilman eagerly doubled down on his chance to take more away from the residents
and the voters. He would not walk into Kauffman Park even when others on the
committee asked him to do it. No, it did not matter that every reason he gave was an
outright lie. He would not change his mind.

And this is how the slaughter of cities has played out for centuries. Developers or their
tools find a shill in a city to do their bidding. Never mind the residents, the charters, the
rules, just do the bidding of the machine. Do not think about those that elected you, no
you have to serve those that selected you. Find an area or two that the developers
have said they can make money on and then drive the law-abiding out residents out,
using any one of a number of subtle means, or not so subtle means. Then say, "Well,
no-one even uses this area so we might as well develop it..."

No plans for it, hmmmmmmmmm really?


The game is easy to see. Just hard to understand why anyone would hate voters so much.

Kauffman Park on the new Way Finding signs the residents were forced to pay a huge
chunk of. Kauffman Park is no longer something to do, just a place to park your car. If you
want to make sure no one uses a park, and that you have a reason to close down for your
personal dreams, ego and financial well-being, first you take away the reason...

Next...


You take this massive parking lot that was used for Kauffman Park, Spooky Pooch, Art
Festival, Library, and the residents of Lakewood and you make it illegal to park there.


Towed, really?

Or will it only be enforced against, how did City Hall and Shawn Juris put it, oh yeah, "Against those people..." ?


All of this parking, but not for the residents, not for a majority of the tax base.


Now this could be what is left of public parking. It is not marked, but the entrances are
with warnings. Even if this is the "public parking" it is not even enough spaces for two
baseball teams of players, unless four of them are handicapped. Now how about the
mothers, sisters, brothers, workers?

What always got me about "The Slaughter of Cities" was that the devaluation and war
against residents was always framed as, "this is what is good for you." "This will help
lower your taxes..." "This is what everyone wants," though rarely does anyone but a small
handful or one person want it.

Last year many people asked City Hall to take steps to make Kauffman Park more visible,
and easier to be enjoyed by more residents. Instead City Hall has once again been the
tool for developers choosing them over the concerns and wants of residents.

Why?

.

[sharon kinsella]

First of all, about the parks - Take down the hoops. Oops they took down the hoops, now they're putting the hoops back up. About time too.

Second - Has Gary written a soundtrack for Caligula? Is this the album cover?