When agendas collide: The future of the downtown cultural institutions
City residents in Riverside attending a public forum on the future expansion and renovation of both the library and the museum in downtown applauded the mayor's task force which released its report a week ago.
About 80 people attended and 24 people spoke on the projects. They supported the recommendations of the panel. Recommendations which of course run counter to City Manager Brad Hudson's original plan. Will that cause any turmoil down the road?
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
The recommendation for separate expansions runs counter to a city proposal for a $25 million expansion that was meant to create additional space for the library as well as space for the museum to host high-quality traveling exhibits.
That proposal was moving through the city approval process until a January public meeting, where residents overwhelmingly spoke out for two separate projects. Many of the more than 300 people at that meeting were supporters of the Committee to Renew the Library.
The committee and residents said they feared a joint project would shortchange both the library and museum.
Other tentative guiding principles from the task force:
The Main Library expansion will be on the present site and the building will be an icon that represents the city's commitment to lifelong learning.
The museum is an integral part of the downtown cultural center and its expansion will include space downtown that can host world-class exhibits.
The library board will recommend how much expansion space is needed for the Main Library and the museum board will do the same for the museum.
The Chinese Pavilion in front of the Main Library will not be moved.
This last recommendation was welcomed by Cindy Li on behalf of the Chinese Culture Preservation Committee, which collected about 500 signatures in favor of keeping the pavilion where it is.
It serves as a valuable reminder that Chinese laborers helped Riverside prosper going back to the 19th century, Li said.
The Unitarian-Universalist Church next to the Main Library won't be touched, Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis said.
It's reassuring to hear that at least at the moment the historic church that also sits on the block of the library isn't next on the city's eminent domain list for Riverside Renaissance and hopefully it stays that way. And that the pavilion will stay where it belongs because I haven't met anyone yet who favored moving it to another location.
But given that the people's vision and now that of the mayor's own hand-picked panel favor separate projects for both the library and museum, what will happen next especially in between the time of this public forum and when the panel presents its recommendations to the city council? What will happen after that? If you recall, the sentiment in the beginning in the city was that Hudson's proposal was the plan. Over 300 concerned city residents appeared to oppose it and their views were kind of dismissed at first. Then the opposition continued past one meeting and City Hall must have been kind of shocked by that. After all, community leaders who met with Hudson on another issue reported back that he had told them that they would bring 30 people to one city council meeting and then what?
Still, there is still a long road ahead.
Is the forecast for sunshine or for clouds? Stay tuned as this situation continues onward. But it's often a toss up whether or not the recommendations of task forces get followed by the city council especially if their vision differs from that of the city's. Some task forces like the Mayor's Use of Force Panel which addressed reforming the police department see all of their recommendations get implemented. Others simply are placed on a shelf and left to gather dust. Many others fall somewhere in the middle.
At any rate, the final meeting of the task force will be on Wednesday, June 25 at 3-7 p.m. on the seventh floor of City Hall. The city council is tentatively set to hear the task force's presentation in August. You know, the month when many city residents are on vacations. But it's important to remain vigilent about the expansion and renovation plans for both the library and museum.
Hiring new police officers is Redlands' police department. In Riverside, they are still frozen and will be until economic conditions improve. Riverside Renaissance of course will continue right onward.
Menifee, the newest city, held its first city council meeting amid much excitement and confusion particularly when it comes to state law governing public meetings. It shouldn't feel too bad as more established city governments still get confused about that pesky little public participation law.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
Councilman-elect Wallace Edgerton, unanimously elected mayor by his council colleagues, said he preferred to "err on the side of caution" and led the council-elect in changing the plan to interviewing publicly.
"I think the first thing this council needs is legal advice, especially in regards to the Brown Act," Edgerton said.
As the council-elect prepared to proceed with public interviews some members realized another group was scheduled to use the auditorium at the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center.
They then moved the meeting to another room, too small to fit their audience.
At least a dozen people crowded around the doorway, standing in the hallway as two attorneys warned the council-elect it was in violation of the Brown Act because the public no longer had access.
Norco passes its annual budget. It passed a measure to raise sewer fees on Aug. 1 and most likely will raise trash fees as well. People aren't too happy about that at all.
Former Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle's confirmation to the state parole board has been delayed while the various factions of the state government fight it out.
Here's a lovely comment written on Belo blog, in response to the same sex weddings being performed at the Riverside County Administrative headquarters.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise
Warning: Bigotry expressed here is graphic)
So who's last name do these fudge packers now share? Does the law dictate that the more masculine member of any pair of fairies becomes the husband who's family name is dragged through the mud and the one with the limpest wrist is then the husband who now carries the memory of a maiden name?
Or do the queers themselves distinguish who it will be by checking a box on their application for marriage license, identifying who's the "Top" and who's the "Bottom" in their relationship?
Or perhaps they combine part of each one's last name. For instance if Mr. Sorenson were to marry Mr. Butterworth, they would then be recognized as Mr. & Mr. Sorebutt. Or, if Lesbians, Ms. Foreman was to marry Ms. Titus, friends would be invited to the Foretit's wedding.
What about when these relationships turn sour, who would be awarded custody of the family Gerbil?
Is everything considered community property and gets equally divided? I guess it's only natural to see the Sorebutt's split all, right down the middle...
Still, I don't know, this whole gay marriage thing is confusing to me. I guess the only clear issue now, is that they each get to sleep in a wet spot....
Well anyway, my hats off (pants staying on) to all the gay couples who can now tie the knot., may your lives be as fulfilled as your,,,,,,, well, never mind, I never was much good at making a toast.
Congratulations to all,,,,,,,,,
Unfortunately, there are people who do like to put their homophobia in all its ugliness on display in a daily newspaper blog.
The civilian review board in Eugene faces its first major test.
Meanwhile, the Police Advisory Commission and the Fraternal Order of Police are clashing in Philadelphia.
In Washington, D.C. the controversial check point program is coming under scrutiny from the local government after two-thirds of the neighborhood residents filled out a survey disagreeing with the program.
The program has led to a community divide.
(excerpt, Washington Post)
"We are tired of having to listen to gunfire. We are tired of having bullets pierce the sanctity of our homes," said Kathy Henderson, a former leader of the advisory neighborhood commission in the area. She said she was launching a petition drive in support of Lanier.
Concerns about constitutional intrusions were "academic discussion," Henderson said, adding that residents felt that "our rights are being violated every time people descend on our community and commit crime."
Robert Vinson Brannum, another neighborhood leader, said stops and searches are becoming a part of American life, citing airport screenings and metal detectors in public buildings.
He said residents have a lower expectation of privacy in their vehicles than at home, adding, "I do not believe this program violates anyone's constitutional rights."
But others said the program was an intrusion and ineffective.
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D), who represents Ward 5, where the checkpoints were established, said he had initially gone along with the program. But after hearing from ward residents at a community meeting Friday night, he had concerns.
Slightly more than half of the 100 people at the community meeting filled out a questionnaire, and nearly two-thirds of respondents opposed the checkpoints. "The checkpoints create an atmosphere of uneasiness and distrust," Thomas said yesterday.
Deborah Golden, a Trinidad resident and constitutional lawyer, said she had to go through the checkpoints several times. They were "clearly unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment" that protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures, she said.
She also said that she was able to easily circumvent the checkpoints by cutting through alleys and parking lots when she was in a hurry to get home and that she saw many others doing that as well.
And when it rains it pours in the Atlanta Police Department as another officer has been indicted on sexual assault charges following the ones who were arrested for obstructing an investigation into child pornography allegations involving another officer.
Convicted at trial was a former Maywood Police Department officer who was charged with beating a handcuffed man.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Prosecutors argued during a seven-day trial that Michael Joseph Singleton rammed the prisoner's head against a wall in retaliation for a stream of insults and behavior that included spitting at the officer.
Maywood police brutality case reopens after first jury deadlocks
The victim, Jose Bernal, now 35, was knocked unconscious, his nose was broken and he suffered a temporary paralysis to one side of his face.
Jurors rejected Singleton's claim that he had been trying to restrain a violent, resisting suspect when the two men fell and Bernal struck his head against the wall. A trainee officer working with Singleton that May 2004 night testified that the veteran officer used excessive force and then lied about it.
Singleton had been tried earlier this year on this case but the hung jury voted 9-3 towards acquittal. Maywood Police Department is facing multiple investigations from federal, state and county agencies in part for hiring at least 13 officers (about one-third of its sworn force) who had failed to pass probation, were fired and/or prosecuted for criminal charges while at other law enforcement agencies. In addition, the city council in Maywood voted twice to appoint two interim chiefs with criminal and/or disciplinary records.
At Fairmount Park this weekend, there will be the annual fishing derby. It's free if you register and you need to bring your own bait and gear. It's the first derby since the city finished drudging the bottom of Lake Evans so maybe you'll be able to see the fish this year.
Quote of the week: Ward Seven Councilman Steve Adams' scatological humor that he exhibited on the dais at last week's city council meeting still reigns but here's the runner up so far:
"I mean, at least you don't randomly switch between all-caps, bold, and italics, like the wacky chicken-lady who runs five-before-involuntary-commitment, but other than your own vanity, I'm not sure you're serving anyone here. Do stop spamming, will you? "
---Anonymous, Craigslist
This person clearly has the Jonesy for the organization, Save-Riverside which has been monitoring different city issues for the past several years but is clearly confused on several issues. Besides a rather annoying and unfortunate prejudice against mental illness and mentally ill people, he or she is stating that people own chickens who don't or perhaps never have owned chickens.
As for the "wacky chicken-lady" and the "five-before-involuntary-commitment" , what a silly and stupid comment. I wouldn't want to put my name on it either. No wonder the vast majority of people who write stuff of this ilk remain anonymous. It's unfortunate the sheer bigotry against mental illness and mentally ill individuals that has shown up there and other places through anonymous comments by people who would never put their names to it.
The problem for me with being called "crazy", "wacko" or told that I need anti-psychotic medications, "involuntary commitment" or to be "muzzled" is not that it's an insult (because being "insulted" by bigots isn't exactly an insult), but that it's an insult against a population of other individuals. If this person has ever listened to or spoken with mentally ill individuals and realized how deeply insensitive comments like this hurt, then they would probably not engage in this behavior. But maybe they do know and they just don't care. Sad, how sad that is but it's just a commentary on them that I think most people who read that site are probably picking up on given the complete lack of support for his or her comments.
For more of my sentiments on this vein of behavior, you can read this month's Bitch magazine.
About 80 people attended and 24 people spoke on the projects. They supported the recommendations of the panel. Recommendations which of course run counter to City Manager Brad Hudson's original plan. Will that cause any turmoil down the road?
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
The recommendation for separate expansions runs counter to a city proposal for a $25 million expansion that was meant to create additional space for the library as well as space for the museum to host high-quality traveling exhibits.
That proposal was moving through the city approval process until a January public meeting, where residents overwhelmingly spoke out for two separate projects. Many of the more than 300 people at that meeting were supporters of the Committee to Renew the Library.
The committee and residents said they feared a joint project would shortchange both the library and museum.
Other tentative guiding principles from the task force:
The Main Library expansion will be on the present site and the building will be an icon that represents the city's commitment to lifelong learning.
The museum is an integral part of the downtown cultural center and its expansion will include space downtown that can host world-class exhibits.
The library board will recommend how much expansion space is needed for the Main Library and the museum board will do the same for the museum.
The Chinese Pavilion in front of the Main Library will not be moved.
This last recommendation was welcomed by Cindy Li on behalf of the Chinese Culture Preservation Committee, which collected about 500 signatures in favor of keeping the pavilion where it is.
It serves as a valuable reminder that Chinese laborers helped Riverside prosper going back to the 19th century, Li said.
The Unitarian-Universalist Church next to the Main Library won't be touched, Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis said.
It's reassuring to hear that at least at the moment the historic church that also sits on the block of the library isn't next on the city's eminent domain list for Riverside Renaissance and hopefully it stays that way. And that the pavilion will stay where it belongs because I haven't met anyone yet who favored moving it to another location.
But given that the people's vision and now that of the mayor's own hand-picked panel favor separate projects for both the library and museum, what will happen next especially in between the time of this public forum and when the panel presents its recommendations to the city council? What will happen after that? If you recall, the sentiment in the beginning in the city was that Hudson's proposal was the plan. Over 300 concerned city residents appeared to oppose it and their views were kind of dismissed at first. Then the opposition continued past one meeting and City Hall must have been kind of shocked by that. After all, community leaders who met with Hudson on another issue reported back that he had told them that they would bring 30 people to one city council meeting and then what?
Still, there is still a long road ahead.
Is the forecast for sunshine or for clouds? Stay tuned as this situation continues onward. But it's often a toss up whether or not the recommendations of task forces get followed by the city council especially if their vision differs from that of the city's. Some task forces like the Mayor's Use of Force Panel which addressed reforming the police department see all of their recommendations get implemented. Others simply are placed on a shelf and left to gather dust. Many others fall somewhere in the middle.
At any rate, the final meeting of the task force will be on Wednesday, June 25 at 3-7 p.m. on the seventh floor of City Hall. The city council is tentatively set to hear the task force's presentation in August. You know, the month when many city residents are on vacations. But it's important to remain vigilent about the expansion and renovation plans for both the library and museum.
Hiring new police officers is Redlands' police department. In Riverside, they are still frozen and will be until economic conditions improve. Riverside Renaissance of course will continue right onward.
Menifee, the newest city, held its first city council meeting amid much excitement and confusion particularly when it comes to state law governing public meetings. It shouldn't feel too bad as more established city governments still get confused about that pesky little public participation law.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
Councilman-elect Wallace Edgerton, unanimously elected mayor by his council colleagues, said he preferred to "err on the side of caution" and led the council-elect in changing the plan to interviewing publicly.
"I think the first thing this council needs is legal advice, especially in regards to the Brown Act," Edgerton said.
As the council-elect prepared to proceed with public interviews some members realized another group was scheduled to use the auditorium at the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center.
They then moved the meeting to another room, too small to fit their audience.
At least a dozen people crowded around the doorway, standing in the hallway as two attorneys warned the council-elect it was in violation of the Brown Act because the public no longer had access.
Norco passes its annual budget. It passed a measure to raise sewer fees on Aug. 1 and most likely will raise trash fees as well. People aren't too happy about that at all.
Former Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle's confirmation to the state parole board has been delayed while the various factions of the state government fight it out.
Here's a lovely comment written on Belo blog, in response to the same sex weddings being performed at the Riverside County Administrative headquarters.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise
Warning: Bigotry expressed here is graphic)
So who's last name do these fudge packers now share? Does the law dictate that the more masculine member of any pair of fairies becomes the husband who's family name is dragged through the mud and the one with the limpest wrist is then the husband who now carries the memory of a maiden name?
Or do the queers themselves distinguish who it will be by checking a box on their application for marriage license, identifying who's the "Top" and who's the "Bottom" in their relationship?
Or perhaps they combine part of each one's last name. For instance if Mr. Sorenson were to marry Mr. Butterworth, they would then be recognized as Mr. & Mr. Sorebutt. Or, if Lesbians, Ms. Foreman was to marry Ms. Titus, friends would be invited to the Foretit's wedding.
What about when these relationships turn sour, who would be awarded custody of the family Gerbil?
Is everything considered community property and gets equally divided? I guess it's only natural to see the Sorebutt's split all, right down the middle...
Still, I don't know, this whole gay marriage thing is confusing to me. I guess the only clear issue now, is that they each get to sleep in a wet spot....
Well anyway, my hats off (pants staying on) to all the gay couples who can now tie the knot., may your lives be as fulfilled as your,,,,,,, well, never mind, I never was much good at making a toast.
Congratulations to all,,,,,,,,,
Unfortunately, there are people who do like to put their homophobia in all its ugliness on display in a daily newspaper blog.
The civilian review board in Eugene faces its first major test.
Meanwhile, the Police Advisory Commission and the Fraternal Order of Police are clashing in Philadelphia.
In Washington, D.C. the controversial check point program is coming under scrutiny from the local government after two-thirds of the neighborhood residents filled out a survey disagreeing with the program.
The program has led to a community divide.
(excerpt, Washington Post)
"We are tired of having to listen to gunfire. We are tired of having bullets pierce the sanctity of our homes," said Kathy Henderson, a former leader of the advisory neighborhood commission in the area. She said she was launching a petition drive in support of Lanier.
Concerns about constitutional intrusions were "academic discussion," Henderson said, adding that residents felt that "our rights are being violated every time people descend on our community and commit crime."
Robert Vinson Brannum, another neighborhood leader, said stops and searches are becoming a part of American life, citing airport screenings and metal detectors in public buildings.
He said residents have a lower expectation of privacy in their vehicles than at home, adding, "I do not believe this program violates anyone's constitutional rights."
But others said the program was an intrusion and ineffective.
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D), who represents Ward 5, where the checkpoints were established, said he had initially gone along with the program. But after hearing from ward residents at a community meeting Friday night, he had concerns.
Slightly more than half of the 100 people at the community meeting filled out a questionnaire, and nearly two-thirds of respondents opposed the checkpoints. "The checkpoints create an atmosphere of uneasiness and distrust," Thomas said yesterday.
Deborah Golden, a Trinidad resident and constitutional lawyer, said she had to go through the checkpoints several times. They were "clearly unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment" that protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures, she said.
She also said that she was able to easily circumvent the checkpoints by cutting through alleys and parking lots when she was in a hurry to get home and that she saw many others doing that as well.
And when it rains it pours in the Atlanta Police Department as another officer has been indicted on sexual assault charges following the ones who were arrested for obstructing an investigation into child pornography allegations involving another officer.
Convicted at trial was a former Maywood Police Department officer who was charged with beating a handcuffed man.
(excerpt, Los Angeles Times)
Prosecutors argued during a seven-day trial that Michael Joseph Singleton rammed the prisoner's head against a wall in retaliation for a stream of insults and behavior that included spitting at the officer.
Maywood police brutality case reopens after first jury deadlocks
The victim, Jose Bernal, now 35, was knocked unconscious, his nose was broken and he suffered a temporary paralysis to one side of his face.
Jurors rejected Singleton's claim that he had been trying to restrain a violent, resisting suspect when the two men fell and Bernal struck his head against the wall. A trainee officer working with Singleton that May 2004 night testified that the veteran officer used excessive force and then lied about it.
Singleton had been tried earlier this year on this case but the hung jury voted 9-3 towards acquittal. Maywood Police Department is facing multiple investigations from federal, state and county agencies in part for hiring at least 13 officers (about one-third of its sworn force) who had failed to pass probation, were fired and/or prosecuted for criminal charges while at other law enforcement agencies. In addition, the city council in Maywood voted twice to appoint two interim chiefs with criminal and/or disciplinary records.
At Fairmount Park this weekend, there will be the annual fishing derby. It's free if you register and you need to bring your own bait and gear. It's the first derby since the city finished drudging the bottom of Lake Evans so maybe you'll be able to see the fish this year.
Quote of the week: Ward Seven Councilman Steve Adams' scatological humor that he exhibited on the dais at last week's city council meeting still reigns but here's the runner up so far:
"I mean, at least you don't randomly switch between all-caps, bold, and italics, like the wacky chicken-lady who runs five-before-involuntary-commitment, but other than your own vanity, I'm not sure you're serving anyone here. Do stop spamming, will you? "
---Anonymous, Craigslist
This person clearly has the Jonesy for the organization, Save-Riverside which has been monitoring different city issues for the past several years but is clearly confused on several issues. Besides a rather annoying and unfortunate prejudice against mental illness and mentally ill people, he or she is stating that people own chickens who don't or perhaps never have owned chickens.
As for the "wacky chicken-lady" and the "five-before-involuntary-commitment" , what a silly and stupid comment. I wouldn't want to put my name on it either. No wonder the vast majority of people who write stuff of this ilk remain anonymous. It's unfortunate the sheer bigotry against mental illness and mentally ill individuals that has shown up there and other places through anonymous comments by people who would never put their names to it.
The problem for me with being called "crazy", "wacko" or told that I need anti-psychotic medications, "involuntary commitment" or to be "muzzled" is not that it's an insult (because being "insulted" by bigots isn't exactly an insult), but that it's an insult against a population of other individuals. If this person has ever listened to or spoken with mentally ill individuals and realized how deeply insensitive comments like this hurt, then they would probably not engage in this behavior. But maybe they do know and they just don't care. Sad, how sad that is but it's just a commentary on them that I think most people who read that site are probably picking up on given the complete lack of support for his or her comments.
For more of my sentiments on this vein of behavior, you can read this month's Bitch magazine.
Labels: Backlash against civilian oversight, Budget 2008 Watch, City Hall 101, corruption 101
posted by Five Before Midnight | 10:47 AM
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