Today the community honors Chief Clifford Zelch at his funeral service. Chief Zelch was one of the original firefighters in the Mehlville Fire District and would become its chief for 30 years.
I met the Chief several times in his retirement and the pride of having served the district was quite evident. I'm sure the men and women of our district will honor their comrade in a fitting display of respect and gratitude.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
McCarthyism is Alive in South County
I had the pleasure of running into Marea Hoppe this weekend. She’s one of my former school board colleagues. In just a few minutes at the grocery store, I would learn that we both shared the wrath of Mr. James Stonebraker, aka The Truth Detector, the Truth Defector or just “Stoney.”
Marea recently registered to run for another 3-year term for the school board. Why anyone would do that is beyond me, but more power to her, if that’s what she wants. She was an honest, well-informed and dedicated director of the board of education.
According to Marea, Stonebraker referred to her disparagingly as a supporter of Dennis Skelton. Mr. Skelton was a write in candidate for the Mehlville Fire Board. Marea said she met Mr. Skelton at a meeting once but never supported anyone for the fireboard. She told me of her limited political involvement. She has been active helping several people that have run for the school board and Walt Bivins for state representative. Walt is a friend and fellow member of Marea’s church.
Stoney also referred to another candidate named Deborah Langland as a Call Hater. That isn’t such a bad label in my book, but it appears he has her mixed up with another women named Deborah who is a parent leader in the district.
In McCarthyistic style, Stonebraker attempts to hurt people by falsely associating them with others. He tried this with me a couple of months back telling everyone I was a friend of Skelton and others associated with the firefighters’ union. Much like his contributors from the Call, he doesn’t bother to be accurate. You would think that someone who’s married to the political director for John Hancock would care about his credibility. Mr. Hancock is a former state legislator, was the GOP nominee for Secretary of State in 1992 and 1996, served as executive director of the Missouri Republican Party from 1997 to 2003 and continues to provide political consultation to the state party. He served as the official spokesman for the Blunt for Governor campaign in 2004. http://www.teamjha.com/ I'm sure this is why he wants to remain anonymous. Mr. Hancock would probably prefer not to be associated with inaccurate information. He would be embarrassed with any ties to the Truth Spot. Maybe this is why Gov. Blunt decided not to run for re-election. He is embarrassed by his relationship with Mr. Stonebraker?
Marea recently registered to run for another 3-year term for the school board. Why anyone would do that is beyond me, but more power to her, if that’s what she wants. She was an honest, well-informed and dedicated director of the board of education.
According to Marea, Stonebraker referred to her disparagingly as a supporter of Dennis Skelton. Mr. Skelton was a write in candidate for the Mehlville Fire Board. Marea said she met Mr. Skelton at a meeting once but never supported anyone for the fireboard. She told me of her limited political involvement. She has been active helping several people that have run for the school board and Walt Bivins for state representative. Walt is a friend and fellow member of Marea’s church.
Stoney also referred to another candidate named Deborah Langland as a Call Hater. That isn’t such a bad label in my book, but it appears he has her mixed up with another women named Deborah who is a parent leader in the district.
In McCarthyistic style, Stonebraker attempts to hurt people by falsely associating them with others. He tried this with me a couple of months back telling everyone I was a friend of Skelton and others associated with the firefighters’ union. Much like his contributors from the Call, he doesn’t bother to be accurate. You would think that someone who’s married to the political director for John Hancock would care about his credibility. Mr. Hancock is a former state legislator, was the GOP nominee for Secretary of State in 1992 and 1996, served as executive director of the Missouri Republican Party from 1997 to 2003 and continues to provide political consultation to the state party. He served as the official spokesman for the Blunt for Governor campaign in 2004. http://www.teamjha.com/ I'm sure this is why he wants to remain anonymous. Mr. Hancock would probably prefer not to be associated with inaccurate information. He would be embarrassed with any ties to the Truth Spot. Maybe this is why Gov. Blunt decided not to run for re-election. He is embarrassed by his relationship with Mr. Stonebraker?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
An Apology
Dear Mehlville Firefighters and Emergency Medical Personnel,
I’d like to apologize. I thought you might have been exaggerating the problems of the district for your own purposes. The things I have stumbled on about the current operations of our fire district lead me to believe I have taken you for granted. I’m sorry and I promise to do a better job of being informed and sharing that information with others. You deserve that.
In an effort to learn more about the district, I requested in December to be added to their media e-mail list. This helped somewhat since the district did not follow the law to post their regular meetings. If not for this, there was no way I could find out about their meetings in time to attend. Even with it, it was difficult since they were posted an average of 48 hours ahead of time. This does not meet the spirit and intent of Missouri’s open record’s laws.
After I filed complaints, they decided to comply and posted their regular meetings online and e-mailed the media. I was then removed from the e-mail list as punishment. I have requested to be added back on the list and will file complaints with appropriate governmental agencies until I am added back on the list.
The numerous amounts of obstruction and unethical activities are overwhelming. The sheer number of attempts to hide public meetings and documents from citizens should raise red flags with the community.
Earlier this week, I requested the minutes from the last two board meetings. Missouri law says these documents must be produced in 72 hours. If you call any other public entity, such as the City of Crestwood or the Lindbergh School District, they most likely will e-mail you a copy of minutes within 4 hours. The Mehlville Fire District told me to check back in three weeks. That’s 1.5 months after one of the meetings.
At the board’s last meeting they approved minutes from meetings held 9/26, 10/18, 10/30, 11/15, 11/27, 12/6,12/13 & 12/27. This is absurd and a willful violation of the Sunshine Law.
In addition to numerous violations of the law, the district has shut down other sources of information. Not one contact number or e-mail address is listed for any board members on their website. In fact, not one human is listed. Citizens must write to facts@mehlvillefire.gen.mo.us.
Also, the fire district has not listed one single news release since Aug. 24,2005. There have only been two news releases since 2004.
How did it get this bad? The answer is simple. Call Newspapers and the Fire Board are as thick as thieves. The Call has whined so much about petty Sunshine Law violations over the years, most folks have gotten sick of hearing about it. Now that they are all in this together, you will hear nothing about it from any of them. It was the same thing years ago with the school board and the Call. They complained about the Sunshine Law and then Mr. Milligan attended an illegal meeting trying to get a contract with the district to distribute the school district’s paper. The other media sources find it boring, but then again, it’s not so interesting when it’s not your pension being slipped away.I won’t take you for granted anymore. You were right!
I’d like to apologize. I thought you might have been exaggerating the problems of the district for your own purposes. The things I have stumbled on about the current operations of our fire district lead me to believe I have taken you for granted. I’m sorry and I promise to do a better job of being informed and sharing that information with others. You deserve that.
In an effort to learn more about the district, I requested in December to be added to their media e-mail list. This helped somewhat since the district did not follow the law to post their regular meetings. If not for this, there was no way I could find out about their meetings in time to attend. Even with it, it was difficult since they were posted an average of 48 hours ahead of time. This does not meet the spirit and intent of Missouri’s open record’s laws.
After I filed complaints, they decided to comply and posted their regular meetings online and e-mailed the media. I was then removed from the e-mail list as punishment. I have requested to be added back on the list and will file complaints with appropriate governmental agencies until I am added back on the list.
The numerous amounts of obstruction and unethical activities are overwhelming. The sheer number of attempts to hide public meetings and documents from citizens should raise red flags with the community.
Earlier this week, I requested the minutes from the last two board meetings. Missouri law says these documents must be produced in 72 hours. If you call any other public entity, such as the City of Crestwood or the Lindbergh School District, they most likely will e-mail you a copy of minutes within 4 hours. The Mehlville Fire District told me to check back in three weeks. That’s 1.5 months after one of the meetings.
At the board’s last meeting they approved minutes from meetings held 9/26, 10/18, 10/30, 11/15, 11/27, 12/6,12/13 & 12/27. This is absurd and a willful violation of the Sunshine Law.
In addition to numerous violations of the law, the district has shut down other sources of information. Not one contact number or e-mail address is listed for any board members on their website. In fact, not one human is listed. Citizens must write to facts@mehlvillefire.gen.mo.us.
Also, the fire district has not listed one single news release since Aug. 24,2005. There have only been two news releases since 2004.
How did it get this bad? The answer is simple. Call Newspapers and the Fire Board are as thick as thieves. The Call has whined so much about petty Sunshine Law violations over the years, most folks have gotten sick of hearing about it. Now that they are all in this together, you will hear nothing about it from any of them. It was the same thing years ago with the school board and the Call. They complained about the Sunshine Law and then Mr. Milligan attended an illegal meeting trying to get a contract with the district to distribute the school district’s paper. The other media sources find it boring, but then again, it’s not so interesting when it’s not your pension being slipped away.I won’t take you for granted anymore. You were right!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Fire Board Complies with Law
Just 24 hours after I contacted the Missouri Attorney General's Office, the fire district has decided to comply with the law. It shouldn't have taken a complaint by me to get it done but at least there is progress.
Mehlville Fire Protection District
2008 Board Meeting Dates
January
17
5:00 p.m.
January
31
5:00 p.m.
February
6
5:00 p.m.
February
15
5:00 p.m.
March
20
7:00 p.m.
April
17
7:00 p.m.
May
15
7:00 p.m.
June
19
7:00 p.m.
July
17
7:00 p.m.
August
21
7:00 p.m.
September
18
7:00 p.m.
October
16
7:00 p.m.
November
20
7:00 p.m.
December
18
7:00 p.m.
Mehlville Fire Protection District
2008 Board Meeting Dates
January
17
5:00 p.m.
January
31
5:00 p.m.
February
6
5:00 p.m.
February
15
5:00 p.m.
March
20
7:00 p.m.
April
17
7:00 p.m.
May
15
7:00 p.m.
June
19
7:00 p.m.
July
17
7:00 p.m.
August
21
7:00 p.m.
September
18
7:00 p.m.
October
16
7:00 p.m.
November
20
7:00 p.m.
December
18
7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Seriously Funny
As you can see by looking back on this BLOG, I've found quite a bit of stuff about the Call, Milligan and his cronies but this just makes me laugh. Fowler writes the book, Anthony edits it, Frank reviews it on Amazon. I'm surprised James Stonebraker, aka the Truth Detector, didn't get in on the action. Again, this just shows a lack of objectivity way beyond any acceptable standards. Enjoy.
10 Steps to Success: A Commonsense Guide to Building a Successful Insurance Business (Paperback)by Daniel S Fowler (Author)
Edited by Michael Anthony (the editor from Arnold)
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0595375561/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/105-9819108-7296456?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
No one would ever pay money for this in a bookstore!, November 3, 2006
By
J. S. Burke
This book shows the problem with internet book orders. I bought it off the title and cover. When it arrived, not only was it extremely thin (think comic book thin) but it is just pure drivel. It is just the author wanking away about how he has had a happy life. It covers nothing at all about the insurance business. You could get more information just doing a Google search. I give it one star because it makes a good coaster for my Dr. Pepper as I read books that give much more real world knowlege...like The Dilbert Principle.
K.I.S.S., November 22, 2006
By
Karl FrankI don't know who came up with the K.I.S.S. principal, but this book personifies it. For those who don't know what K.I.S.S. stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid." A quick search on this principal will tell you the following from Wikipedia: "When dealing with a problem, there exists a frequent tendency toward complication that can lead toward solutions that are far more burdensome than the problem, or clever solutions that don't handle unusual cases within that problem domain. In keeping with such problem solvers, Computer Systems Analysts in times gone by were defined to be those persons who could complicate a simple problem beyond all recognition." That is the genius of Mr. Fowler's book. As a business man and a community leader, my experiences have revealed to me that keeping it simple is the key to success. As soon as you start to complicate matters, the sooner you will find yourself in a mess. The subtitle of the book says it all, "A commonsense guide to building a successful insurance business." The product details clearly state that the book is only 54 pages long. It would have to be some pretty thick paper to make it look like a novel. A smart consumer is a well informed consumer. When I buy books, I generally know what I am going to get before I buy it.
Blogger note: Although nearly every handbook and many dictionaries warn against confusing principle and principal, many people still do. Principle is only a noun; principal is both adjective and noun. The school principal is your pal.
10 Steps to Success: A Commonsense Guide to Building a Successful Insurance Business (Paperback)by Daniel S Fowler (Author)
Edited by Michael Anthony (the editor from Arnold)
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0595375561/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/105-9819108-7296456?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
No one would ever pay money for this in a bookstore!, November 3, 2006
By
J. S. Burke
This book shows the problem with internet book orders. I bought it off the title and cover. When it arrived, not only was it extremely thin (think comic book thin) but it is just pure drivel. It is just the author wanking away about how he has had a happy life. It covers nothing at all about the insurance business. You could get more information just doing a Google search. I give it one star because it makes a good coaster for my Dr. Pepper as I read books that give much more real world knowlege...like The Dilbert Principle.
K.I.S.S., November 22, 2006
By
Karl FrankI don't know who came up with the K.I.S.S. principal, but this book personifies it. For those who don't know what K.I.S.S. stands for "Keep It Simple Stupid." A quick search on this principal will tell you the following from Wikipedia: "When dealing with a problem, there exists a frequent tendency toward complication that can lead toward solutions that are far more burdensome than the problem, or clever solutions that don't handle unusual cases within that problem domain. In keeping with such problem solvers, Computer Systems Analysts in times gone by were defined to be those persons who could complicate a simple problem beyond all recognition." That is the genius of Mr. Fowler's book. As a business man and a community leader, my experiences have revealed to me that keeping it simple is the key to success. As soon as you start to complicate matters, the sooner you will find yourself in a mess. The subtitle of the book says it all, "A commonsense guide to building a successful insurance business." The product details clearly state that the book is only 54 pages long. It would have to be some pretty thick paper to make it look like a novel. A smart consumer is a well informed consumer. When I buy books, I generally know what I am going to get before I buy it.
Blogger note: Although nearly every handbook and many dictionaries warn against confusing principle and principal, many people still do. Principle is only a noun; principal is both adjective and noun. The school principal is your pal.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Time to Grieve
I sat alone, surrounded by filing cabinets filled with medical charts. It was early in the evening. Our reserve medical unit was off duty but as usual I had paperwork to catch up on. The phone rang. I expected it to be one of my fellow airmen with an invitation for the evening. To my surprise, it was it was my active duty counterpart, the NCO in charge of Flight Medicine for Scott AFB. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked me to pull some charts from our files. As I wrote the names down of pilots, nurses and medical corpsmen, all of which I knew, I asked why he needed the charts. It was for the after crash investigation, he told me. Was this some kind of joke, I asked? No, it was part of a larger exercise. He had made sure our unit was participating, prior to making his request. Unfortunately for me, we had never done this sort of thing before and it was totally unexpected. As I pulled those records that evening, I never felt more alone. This was just an exercise but my heart sank with every name I read. I loved these people. They brought great knowledge, skill, devotion to duty and sacrifice for their fellow man. It was that evening where I learned an even deeper appreciation for those who take risks for others. It’s something that I’ll always remember and intend to share with others.
I write this reflecting on this week’s tragedy in Kirkwood. I have so much sympathy for these dedicated public servants, their families, colleagues and friends. God bless you all.
I write this reflecting on this week’s tragedy in Kirkwood. I have so much sympathy for these dedicated public servants, their families, colleagues and friends. God bless you all.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Lydia's House
Lydia's House
Since its incorporation in 1995, Lydia's House has worked to provide transitional housing, comprehensive, goal-oriented support services, and access to community resources for more than 275 abused women and their children. Lydia's House currently serves 35 women and up to 70 children! Lydia's House is Missouri's largest provider of confidentially-located, furnished apartments for abused women and children for up to 24 months, and is one of the largest programs of its type in the United States.
In partnership with its donors and volunteers, Lydia's House works to end domestic violence by continuing to provide a place of healing and a voice of hope for abused women and their children.
http://www.lydiashouse.org/abuseshelter/index.htm
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