Library move: Check it out or leave it on the shelf

It took the Rangeview Library District a long time to get voters to approve money to build new libraries and renovate existing facilities before the district contingency finally caved in 2006.
In Brighton, that meant adding on to the existing Brighton branch on Eighth Avenue.
To illustrate the full 360-degree turn from that ballot question, the library district began soliciting bids last week from contractors to build a brand new library on the former United Lumber site in downtown Brighton as part of a planned cultural event center.
How the district got from adding on to the library to building an entirely new library is an important story, but it’s only half the story.
The bigger story, or perhaps the bigger question, is how this library district became so shortsighted so fast.
After all, this is a group that, two years ago, was groveling at the feet of voters to approve a mill levy increase rejected by voters across Adams County numerous times.
There were threats of shortened library hours, less services and branch closures. Library representatives stopped short of shaking a can and pleading, “Please, sir, anything you can spare.”
Whether those claims were valid or if they were mere scare tactics, we’ll never know and it is irrelevant. Voters finally bit on the library’s needs.
Now many Brighton residents feel hooked. They believe they were reeled in on a promise of one thing and thrown back into water when the district decided to do something different.
In joining in a partnership with the city of Brighton and local developers, the library district has made a serious miscalculation.
Apparently all sides have decided this is a good idea. And when you really believe in something, it’s hard not to get tunnel vision.
But the library district didn’t anticipate the passion and attachment many residents feel to the library in its current spot – evident in a stream of letters that have found their way to the Brighton Blade opinion pages.
And they didn’t think voters would remember what exactly they voted for in 2006 on that ballot question. They forgot that, in tough economic times, no dollar is wasted; every one is accounted for and spent with diligence.
This plan will go forward. Last week’s RFP made it painfully obvious that Brighton’s library can and will head to downtown. There’s even a “meet the architect” meeting planned.
And Brighton residents, especially those opposed to this plan, will be faced with a “take it or leave it option.” There’s only one library in town: go to it and don’t go at all. Either way, you’ll still be paying for it.
It really doesn’t become a question of whether this is the best spot for the library, this is a question of principles: saying one thing and doing another.
The library district can hope the shimmer of a brand new facility will take away some of the hard feelings of those who feel they were duped in this whole process.
And, in time, maybe a love of the written word will overcome bitterness.
But folks around here seem to have long memories.
The best advice to the library district:
Enjoy that mill levy money. It’ll be a long time before you get another cent out of Brighton residents.

They called the ham sandwich fat

Subway is now suing Quiznos for false and misleading advertising. Subway says Quiznos is responsible for the negative comments people posted online about their product after
Quiznos made a TV challenge to audiences in 2006 asking fans to submit videos comparing the two sandwich makers. Quiznos argues it can't be responsible for people's opinions.
Not since Hostess squared off against Lil' Debbie in the famous Twinkie Libel Suit of 1983 have I felt so compelled to yawn because of a frivolous lawsuit. And how can you really control people's opinions if they say the sandwich sucks. I just don't think our country in the midst of the ongoing Iraqi conflict and darkening economic times, needed this right now - for our two bastions of sub sandwiches to be flinging the mayo. Until you're both done, I'll be taking my business to Arbys. Take that, fat Jared.

News u can use

If the 10 p.m. news can keep my wife awake for more than five minutes, it must be riveting. If it can make her giggle uncontrollably, then it's worth a rewind of the good ol' DVR. What got her laughing? It was a report on fake parking tickets in Boulder. Apparently, these hucksters got everything right until they decided to add some commentary at the bottom of the tickets including the phrase, "Remember: Things could be worse. Get over yourself." Call me crazy, but I like the whole ticket/fortune cookie idea. Your fortune says: Today a tall, uniformed man will be unable to resist your presence."

What's in your wallet

I know you're dying to know what I'm going to spend my government check on. Well, I don't know, the overwhelming good feeling I have from the government deciding to bless me with money has not ebbed enough for me to consider what I actually should do with it. That and the fact it isn't here yet and this is our federal government so it may never get here. The evil side of me wants to invest it somewhere since the government wants to use it as antidote to our struggling economy because they know we'll spend it right away. Better yet, I want your ideas on what you'll do with it and then I'll rip off one of those, so, please let me know.

Time for city of Brighton to move on

They say money can’t buy happiness.
City of Brighton officials have banked on it at least providing some piece of mind.
Last week, the city finally attached a dollar amount – $34,000 – to its lawsuit against Dawn Delay, one of two women who turned this city on its head two years ago with false rape allegations.
Since it was determined that Delay wouldn’t face charges for her false claim, Brighton city councilors have been bullish about making sure someone pay for not only the psychological scars etched on this city but also the tangible costs of an unprecedented police effort.
Good for them. I like the council taking a collective stand that you won’t do this to the people of our community. It says something.
But something also has to be said for the fact that we’re coming up on two years since this whole incident started.
The pace of legal depositions and other court proceedings don’t rule out it could be another two years before this is resolved. That is all with the assumption that the city gets what they’re asking for and this doesn’t end, as many of these civil grievances tend to do, with a settlement for a lesser amount.
Couple that with the associated legal fees and resources that will now be devoted to the city winning a favorable judgment and one starts to wonder if this 34K (certainly not chump change but also not the jackpot) is worth it.
The pessimist in me looks at what it won’t do. It won’t replace the innocence that this community lost. Like it or not, there were seeds of mistrust planted in this incident, whether it be residents looking at each other or Hispanic residents questioning the motives of the local police department.
You can throw $100 million at the problem but those are only issues that, hopefully, will heal with time.
The thought is, according to Mayor Jan Pawlowski, that this will bring some measure of closure to what occurred. I respect that thought.
The problem is, for however long this takes to settle, an ugly smudge in the city’s history will be revisited through legal proceedings and media coverage. It’s like trying to repeatedly close a door but never thinking to remove the large wooden block keeping it from closing.
I don’t think the city has to worry about precedents here. This was clearly a confluence of unfortunate circumstances and individuals in need of help who began this saga. If the city wiped its hands clean and decided to move on, I don’t think it would be opening a Pandora’s Box of similar incidents.
But as this incident has already proved, maybe moving on just isn’t that easy.
My hope, if the city is successful in this suit, is that this money doesn’t simply vanish to earn interest in some city coffer.
My first thought would be to put it towards the police department’s victim advocates program – help the individuals who help real victims of sexual assaults and other crimes or put it towards funding another department detective to handle these specific kind of crimes.
If this money means that much, if it’s worth the battle ahead to get it, then make sure it means something.

The pen is mightier

I agree with one of my blog readers today who shared some awe about the outcome of the Tim Masters' case. Masters was wrongfully convicted in 1999 of a murder a decade earlier and sentenced to life in prison. He was freed today – thanks in large part to DNA evidence that cleared him of the crime. But the media picked up the drumbeat of Masters possible innocence this summer, specifically the Denver Post with its "Trashing the Truth" series. Despite Paula Woodward of 9News jumping on the wagon and trying to make it all her own. I'll stay off my soapbox and say print journalists do the dirty work, the TV people burst through the door later with the cameras and big egos. This is a proud day for journalists when you see work tangibly changing someone's life. My only criticism, what took them so long? Maybe if the media would have picked this up a little sooner, it could have saved this man some time in prison. We hear a lot about how newspapers are going the way of the dinosaur (clearly the newspaper budget crises illustrate that problem) but there is still a place for us and I think they're always will be.

Unprofessional

My wife and I (and the kid) were out shopping Saturday at Flatiron Crossing in Broomfield when an ugly scene unfolded. I won't mention the name of the store we were in (SOHO - 303-404-3773) but I will say that the manager of this establishment (an angry-looking round-faced woman) put on a very unprofessional scene. In the midst of a number of customers (minus my wife who was too wrapped up in a headband search) this woman quietly (albeit not quietly enough because I heard it from a fair distance) lambasted an employee (she looked like a teen, maybe 20-something) for multiple mistakes on customer ring-ups. I felt bad for the girl as she looked like she would cry and repeatedly said she had no excuse for what happened. But angry, round-faced woman kept after her and only when my wife went to buy her headband did the manager relent so the girl could ring us up. After all that, the girl still managed to be halfway pleasant to us. Even though I'm sure she was not only hurt but embarrassed. I think there is a place to conduct these kind of discussions and it's certainly not in front of the customer. Your thoughts, please.