George In Denver is Moving as of March 9, 2007 - Click Here

Yes, I am moving. Blogspot has been good to me for almost three years. But, I'm ready for something new, different. And, besides, I am a complete dunce when it comes to inserting HTML (or whatever that code is), to enable greater functionality. So, I'm here now.

Thanks for your interest in the old blog. Hope to see you on the new site.

George

Sarah's Happy Friday

This Morning - Berkeley Lake

"Gray skies are gonna clear up..."


Red-Winged Blackbird









Great Blue Heron










Mount Evans (Some mornings you can almost touch it.)










Our Canadian Friends

Community Forum on Neighborhood Zoning Issues - You Will Behave!

Missive from the City:

Just a reminder, that the Community Residential Zoning Forum is scheduled for 6:00 – 8:00 PM on Wednesday, March 7, in the Atrium of the Wellington Webb Municipal Office Building, at 201 West Colfax Avenue. Please note the Forum is designed to address city-wide residential issues and will not be a forum on individual zoning applications. Sponsors of the Forum include the Zoning Code Task Force, the Denver Board of Realtors, the Metro Denver Homebuilders Association and Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation. The Forum will begin with an introduction by CPD Manager, Peter Park, and then proceed through 3 rounds of broadly based questions to a panel of representatives from the sponsoring groups. The questions will address current zoning policy, the zoning process and its effects and next steps in the Zoning Code Update. We hope to see you there.

Methinks the message here is that you crazy-assed, wild-eyed neighborhood activists dare not disturb the scripted agenda. You WILL sit quietly and your questions WILL address what the city intends them to address. Got it!

Just Askin' - Community Forum on Neighborhood Development in Established Neighborhoods

The Community Forum on Neighborhood Development in Established Neighborhoods is, as noted in prior posts, this Wednesday, from 6p.m. to 8p.m. in the atrium (first floor) of the Webb Building at 201 W. Colfax.

Interestingly, it appears the home page of the City's Internet site, as well as the Mayor's page contain no reference to this important forum. I note that Councilman Rick Garcia's site (District 1, which includes West Highlands and Sloan's Lake) finally made note of the event, both on his home page and in his March newsletter under "Upcoming Events." Unfortunately, Garcia's information does not provide the revised meeting location from the fourth floor to the atrium of the Webb Building.

Given the immense interest in this forum, why was it not showcased in the Mayor's pages?

Just askin'.

(Methinks those pain-in-the-ass citizen activists who have a very personal stake in the maintenance of the "character" of their neighborhoods are, for the Hickies, yes, a real pain-in-the-ass!)

George Bush: Worst President Ever

Lest we forget...

Denver Politics - New Blog You May Want to Check Out

Community Forum On Residential Development - Location Change

Because of the enormous interest in the city's community forum on residential development (March 7th, 6-8 p.m.), the location necessarily had to be changed to a large space in the Webb Building, per a piece in the Rocky Mountain News:

By Rocky Mountain News
March 1, 2007

A community forum March 7 to discuss residential development in Denver has been moved to the atrium of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building to accommodate the large crowd.

The move comes after residents were put on a waiting list and told they might not be able to attend because of a lack of space.

"What kind of public 'community forum' is it that cannot accommodate the public?" Larry Ambrose, president of the Sloan's Neighborhood Association, wrote in an e-mail to the city obtained by the Rocky Mountain News.

Julius Zsako, spokesman for the city's Community Planning and Development Department, said today that the atrium can hold "many hundreds of people."

However, the city is still asking people who want to attend to RSVP by contacting Valentina Guereca at 720-865-3223 or via e-mail at Valentina.Guereca@ ci.denver.co.us by Friday. The forum will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Webb building, 201 W. Colfax Ave.

More Snow (Hooray!) - 1-4 Inches in Denver Today

"Soulful" Sarah is really thrilled about the prospect of more snow. Really!

The Honorable (??) Larry Manzanares, Denver's (Hickenlooper's) City Attorney

In spite of the fact that everybody and their brother, their first cousin and next door neighbor is posting about Denver's City Attorney, Larry Manzanares, and his "purchase" of a city-owned (actually could be state-owned, as it was the property of the District Court) laptop from some guy in a parking lot near the City and County Building, I've got my two cents to offer.

In an earlier post that dealt with alleged purchasing fraud at Denver International Airport I noted:

Suffice it to say, within any organization, public or private, there are and forever will be those who will not hesitate to take advantage of any opportunity to "beat the system;" to exploit any weakness in established process or procedure to protect the integrity of that system. I contend that the exploitation of such a weakness in a public sector system--specifically a public sector purchasing system--where public monies (local, federal or state taxes, fees, surcharges, grants, public/private co-op funding) are expended, is a crime of higher order than those perpetrated upon private sector entities. I contend that the fiduciary responsibility to protect the best interests of "the people," rather than the best interests of the corporation, is tantamount.

The point here, of course, is that public servants--a low-level clerk at the airport as well as the City Attorney--must necessarily be held to a higher level of accountability than those in the private sector. Why? Precisely because the contravention of trust in the public sector is a breach against the people.

Recalling my own twenty-three year slog through the, at times, onerous womb of the City and County of Denver, it was my habit to bring city-owned pens home from work. They were nice pens--velvet tipped or something like that. Invariably, my partner would grab the pens and proclaim them superb, with the unsaid but obvious suggestion that they would serve us well at home. My partner was just pushing my buttons, as he understood that keeping the pens for home use was something that would keep me awake at night; was something unthinkable given my--admittedly anal--fixation on preserving my own integrity as well as the best interests of the city. Sure, it was only a pen. But, it wasn't mine. It belonged to the people.

You all know the story. Manzanares allegedly purchased the laptop from some "guy" in a parking lot near the Denver City and County Building. The "guy" said he was "...trying to make bail..." and had some audio speakers to sell--Manzanares said he didn't need speakers--so the "guy" then offered the laptop. As Manzanares tells the story, he bit at the offer of the computer, shelled out the cash (how much?), and, wallah!, he became the proud owner of a Gateway laptop valued at about $1600.00.

The computer was reported stolen from the Denver District Court in January, and through Internet investigation (the software pings back to the mother ship, I guess), the Denver Police Department traced the laptop to Manzanares's Comcast account. He was using the laptop in his home.

A Harvard-educated attorney who served on the bench both as a County Court judge and a District Court judge and who also teaches law at the University of Denver, Manzanares explains that his weak moment in that parking lot was the product of naivete. Uh-huh, sure. (Wondering now how many defendants who appeared before dah judge in either the County or District courts pleaded naivete as a defense?)

Brilliance from Denver City Councilpersons. Councilman Charlie Brown: "I know personally from friends that he [Manzanares] spent Saturday just over at his house crying. This is horrible." From Councilwoman Kathleen 'Mack-the-Knife' MacKenzie: "I'm sick about it, but I have to say that his version of events shows an astonishing lack of judgment. He just took office as city attorney."

Oh, well... I really haven't come to expect much more the Hickies than daft diatribe well-greased with snake oil.

Innocent until proven guilty? Sure, that works. But, gotta note here that I got a wee bit of a feeling we're being patronized by this "naive" Harvard grad. I mean, how stupid do we look?

P.S. Update (Thanks, Jeffrey):

Mayor Hickenlooper Issues Statement on City Attorney’s Resignation

(DENVER) Larry Manzanares notified the Mayor’s Office early Tuesday afternoon that he has decided to resign his position as City Attorney. Mayor John Hickenlooper accepted the resignation and issued the following statement:

“We fully respect Larry’s decision and wish him and his family the very best during this difficult time. The fact that he did not want the ongoing investigation or questions surrounding this situation to interfere with the important work of the City Attorney’s Office speaks to the character and integrity he demonstrated during his respected career as an attorney and District Court judge.”

Manzanares was sworn in as Denver’s City Attorney on January 4, 2007. Deputy City Attorney Arlene Dykstra will serve as Acting City Attorney until a new City Attorney is appointed by the mayor.

A public statement issued by Manzanares is below.

# # #

Statement from Lawrence A. Manzanares: “Current events which have been highlighted by the media have created an untenable distraction for the Mayor's office and the position of Denver City Attorney. The position of City Attorney should be uncompromised by such distractions, and it would be unfair to the City and to the many fine attorneys in the City Attorney's Office to allow such a situation to continue. Therefore, I believe it is in the best interests of the City and the City Attorney's Office that I resign my position as City Attorney. I have had very many well-wishers and supporters encourage me to ride out the storm, and while I am grateful for their support, I believe the continued effectiveness of the City Attorney's Office must come first.”

On Berkeley Lake This Morning

A Black-Crowned Night-Heron (I think). The body color is certainly that of a Great Blue Heron, although the short neck and thicker head reflects the Black-Crowned.

P.S. The more I think about it, this beautiful specimen probably isn't a Black-Crowned Night Heron. I've contacted the Colorado Birding Society for help with the identification. My hunch is that this is a Great Blue Heron whose distintive long, curved neck is hidden by the rear-view shot I took. We'll see...

P.P.S Okay, definitive information from the Colorado Birding folks: "Your photo is of a Great Blue Heron that is hunkered down. Notice long two toned bill, blackish head plumes, and blackish feathers on bottom of throat. A Black crowned Night Heron has a white throat, white plumes if present, and bill about the same length as its head.

Good birding!

Rebecca Kosten and all!

Sarah's Happy Friday

Rawhide chews make for a very happy Friday.

Community Forum on Residential Development in Denver's Established Neighborhoods

This appears to be a comprehensive explication of the city's approach to zoning issues, landmark preservation, "Areas of Stability," and other concerns that many of us have with regard to our neighborhoods.

Please note, they're asking that you RSVP if you're planning to attend.

P.S. Norwest Denver residents may want to check out this site which provides very relevant information with regard to the preservation of the quality of life in our little corner of the world. (Thanks, Anon!)