This morning, at last, the SE takes a welcome break from featuring mudslinging by Godfrey Administration officials and runs on its front page a story about Ogden's becoming increasingly a "hot" outdoors activities destination. Travel magazines, ski magazines, outdoors magazines running features on Ogden praising is proximity to first class outdoor sports [rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking], the charm of its downtown shops, restaurants and gallaries and more.
What's very interesting is that all the "buzz" is about what Ogden has to offer now, about businesses that have come here now, about travel writers recommending Ogden as a good place to visit now. This is very puzzling, since as we all know there is no flatland gondola to whisk tourists over city streets to WSU, where no gondola waits to take them to Malan's Basin where no mini-ski resort is to receive them. How strange....
Mayor Godfrey is to be congratulated for his successful efforts to market Ogden as an outdoor recreation mecca [and I've congratulated him for that, here, on several occasions]. Now if we can just prevent him from ruining what he's begun by selling off the City's prime close in biking, hiking and golf land in and above Mt. Ogden Park and filling the space with up to six hundred vacation villas in a gated community, and funneling 35 to 50 million dollars or more into a flatland gondola that even the Boomer Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce didn't include as a transportation option in its presentation to the City Council this week, Ogden may really take off.
There is one other problem, of course. Godfrey administration officials like his Chief Administrative Officer John Patterson running down the city in the press. Sort of reminds me of Mayor Godfrey telling reporters that Mt. Ogden Golf Course [recently named by a national golf magazine one of the nation's best courses to play] was not golfer-friendly, and then, after widespread coverage of his remarks, his complaining that not enough people played it. Why, that would be like the Mayor complaining that Ogden's highly successful Summer Festival was not family friendly, and drew all kinds of undesirables to the city, and then complaining that so few people came to his reformed Summer Festival that the City had to abandon holding it at all. Oh, wait. He did do that.
Charles Trentelman has an interesting column this morning taking Godfrey's Chief Administrative Officer, John Patterson, to task for dissing downtown Ogden. The headline in "OGDEN OFFICIAL OUT OF LINE FOR TALKING DOWN ON OGDEN." Pretty accurate I thought.
Here's the money quote:
I went to the model train show at Union Station last weekend. So, I would guess, did most of the Top of Utah.Trentelman notes that Patterson has only lived here four years and so perhaps does not appreciate how nice a place downtown Ogden has become from what it once was. How nice is it now, Trentelman asks?
Downtown was jammed. Business was booming and I thought, “Wow, what a cool place my town is.” I even bought a train.
Then I opened my paper Tuesday and saw where John Patterson, Ogden’s chief administrative officer, says my town is a dump.
He didn’t use the word “dump” but all he talked about were public urination, people bathing in public fountains, aggressive panhandling and weird-looking people scaring normal folk.
None of which I ever see. True, I only get downtown once a day or so.
On March 1, Frommer’s travel web site put up a glowing review of Ogden. Author Jennifer Reilly spent three days here and filled four pages talking about central Ogden’s many art venues, restaurants, museums, the Egyptian Theater, the antique shops, the world class skiing, and so on.It's an interesting paper this morning, and one you can read without needing to take a shower afterward. And don't miss the kick-ass photo on page one. Really fine work.
Did she see anyone pee in downtown Ogden? She didn’t mention any.
Good thing she didn’t see John’s column, or she might have stayed
home.
73 comments:
boy oh boy oh boy, and they have the gall to call anyone that opposses any and all their project nay sayers. But I here all the time, how they are now being the naysayers, remember how any of godfrey projects when presented and whenever someone was against it. they would call them C.A.V.E. people.
It seems to me that they are now the cave people.
I hope the paper realizes the glaring irony that is a mayor marketing his city as an outdoor recreation hub while, at the same time, pushing to sell our finest municipal outdoor recreation resource. He spends 30 million or more developing a downtown "Recreation Center" filled with man-made energy intensive thrill rides, bowling and a gym. Then he justifies the golf course sale because it "loses" a reportedly measly $240,000 a year while offering a true outdoor recreation experience to tens of thousands for free or a small municipal golf fee. This is how to introduce the young to golf, tennis, soccer, hiking, bird watching and more. Maintain a HUGE city park for all.
Loved Trentleman's column today. He is so right on!
Isn't it interesting that so many newspapers, mags (Nat'l Geographic yet!) and periodicals are touting our great outdoors and all the fun things to do? Skiing at Powder Mtn, Snowbasin and Park city ain't that far away....our rivers, trails, gorgeous mountains, 'beautiful downtown' with art venues, restaurants, Union Station.......
And not one word about the 'first in the country high adventure rec center' with, as Tec pointed out, "man-made" thrills. Why would the tourists coming here because their sense of adventure is peaked by reading all about Ogden's great outdoor features ever want to spend a day and a lot of money climbing a fake mountain INSIDE a mall?
Well, those of us really early CAVE dwellers kept trying to raise our voices above the LO chorus to say "Look at what we already have! Look at the natural beauties! Look at our mountains unhindered by rusting cables and ugly towers! Walk our trails, play golf at a first class course, and enjoy the gorgeous views from our open spaces!"
So now we've been vindicated, eh? Thank you, mayor, for bringing attention to Ogden! Now it's time for you to butt out.
Oh, take the out of towners downtown to a local eatery...show them Union Station...direct their gaze over the Great Salt Lake when the sun is setting. Breathtaking!
No gondola can enhance what we already have. The world is figuring that out. Past time you do too.
I've never encountered anyone 'peeing' downtown.
Oh yeah...there was the 4 or 5 year old girl in a grocery cart in front of me who happily announced to me, "I just peed my pants!"
That's why you want to use a disinfectant on those carts when shopping!
So far, no homeless 'bum' has done that!
Y'all, forgive me for pushing this thread forward, but I want to amend my diss of the SE to say that Trentelman is a glowing exception the overall mediocrity of the SE. Today's article is proof of that.
Curm, I think you identified Schwebke's most glaring problem: his lack of investigative curiosity. This prevents him from writing BALANCED and INFORMATIVE journalism. He has abundant material to produce world-class articles, and after all this time I can only conclude that he has neither the talent nor the intelligence to pull it off. And blaming his editors is a cop-out. I just don't buy the shackles of his editors being the reason he so consistently produces confusing, misleading, poorly researched, and unbalanced peices of journalism.
Come on, you CAVES, and think about why OTown is getting all this ink: Wayne Peterson, Little Matty Godfrey and the Geigers, saviors of communities who employ less people than a local convenience store, are putting together their vast and unprecedented -- half a billion! --resources to save our crummy little town with the construction of a $50 million urban gondola to nowhere! With two stops! That no one will ever ride! Why don't you people want to help your town?!!??!! Why don't you capitulate to the lunatic rants of gondolists, in public, even in church, no less? Can't you see the "vision" of our Lilliputian liar who serves as mayor? Don't you want a gondola (it's not a "tramway," assfaces) going up 23rd Street and across Harrison to serve no one who is going to drive down to Wall Ave. to ride a silly circus ride to WSU when it would take 1/4 the time to drive from his/her house to WSU? Can't you feel the pain of buisness geniuses like Mike Dowse (Gondola Boy!) -- who has never lived here -- who will be "disappointed" if the town doesn't roll over and give away its land to Wayne and Little Matty because they are going to save us all with a neat Lagoon rig that no one will ride? Do you not understand that Wayne has promised everyone that the circus ride will connect to Snowbasin once he inherits the resort (not) and gets rid of all the squirrels up there? Are you not believers in the Squirrel Patrol? Have you had dinner with Wolfgang Puck? Have you written illiterate screeds dropping dozens of names of supposedly influential people?(Yeah, a certain Lindquist and a certain Eccles impress the shit out of me; everyone should inherit Daddy's money like they did. Yeah, a certain Kemp makes me swoon; he got a $2 million sweatheart deal from Little Matty and it's no wonder he supports the tiny tyrant; Yeah, these super-duper Hollywood types under indictment for fraud almost make my underwear clammy because they're such high-powered celebs; Yeah, half of the other clowns for which the gondola people speak don't live in Ogden and cannot vote to save Gondola Godfrey's ass; Yeah, the voters are wise to you clowns.) Hoist up a gondola car in front of 2550 Washington Boulevard, because that's as far as it's going to go.
Ditto on the congratulations to Trentelman. Of course, he's written columns like this before, and it doesn't seem to have any effect on the Godfrey Administration nay-saying. For seven years they've been telling us that Ogden is a horrible place and they're the only ones who can fix it. At the same time, they want all the credit for anything good that happens in Ogden.
The Bryce Petersen article is good but gives the false impression that the national press totally ignored Ogden until last year. Yet it's now exactly five years since Sunset Magazine named Ogden as having the West's "best access to the outdoors," with a terrific article that quoted Jay Hudson and Joel Bingham praising our east bench trail system. Many people deserve credit for preserving and improving the trail system, but much of the thanks should go to Mike Vause and the Ogden Trails Network Committee (yeah, I'm a member too), which has had the support, I believe, of three different mayors and many city councils over the years.
Some of these journalists, meanwhile, are probably feeling a little cheated by the Ogden promoters. Petersen (the S-E outdoor writer) himself must feel like a fool for printing in fall 2005 that the via ferrata was open for business, when in fact it wasn't and still isn't. The New York Times was similarly fooled last fall. If journalists hear too many promises that are later broken, some pretty negative publicity could result--or worse, they could simply stop paying attention to Ogden.
"...lunatic rants of gondolists, in public, even in church, no less..." -jason w.
Really? In church? Please, do tell. I don't go to church, and certainly not a church where a lunatic rant on the part of a gondolist may have occured. So please fill me in.
This gossip wouldn't be nearly so rich and rewarding if it weren't for the fact that the Godfrey camp is in full meltdown.
Are you trying to bait me? The 43rd Ward on Fillmore (at least that's what they called it when I was growing up; LDS Church). Three confirmed sources. Ranter: a former Marine captain.
Anon: 1:16
Not "blaming" the editors across the board, merely making the point that sometimes Mr. Schwebke has been criticized here for things like only covering one topic per Council meeting that are the result of editorial policy, not reportorial choice. That's all.
Hmmm.... is "reportorial" a word? Oh, well. Must be. I used it.
No, I'm not trying to bait you, I swear. I'm just sort of late to the game, so I don't really know who the players are. I'm new in town. I'll tell you this, if someone like Godfrey would have tried this in NoCal (where I eminate), he would have been rudely tarred without the dignity of feathers. Of course, Godfrey would be unelectable in NoCal.
I'm the guy who has been trying to read the SE, but can't take it anymore, it's so bad. I just can't really make out what's actually occuring, and what has occured in the past from reading Schwebke's articles. This is why I read wcforum. Who is this Marine Captain? Is he any relation to the guy who owns the ski-clothing shop, Descent? Giger?
Good sweet Hermes, Curmudgeon: Here's the thing on the SE, Schwebke and Moulton: Scwebke gets paid dirt; Moulton gets a finer grade of sand. Journalists (I am former one) are expected to earn degrees, uphold high ethical standards, be impartial and write on 20-minute deadlines; Moulton's just a better reporter, and she makes a little more money. There's no grand scheme involving the SE's coverage, nor is there anything wrong with the SE's coverage of this regrettable and embarassing affair (Rise and shout, the gondolas are out!), except for the editorial board's endorsement of the "urban gondola" idea, since there's no rationale to support such idiocy. Oh, and some staff members went to Brigham Young "University," where they were "taught" to not think.
OK, figured that out on my own, thanks to the wcforum search engine. Bob Geigner, the former Marine Captain, is the guy. Wow, pollyanna sounds like just the tip of the iceberg on this guy. This begs another question:
I understood that members of the LDS were expected to keep thier political views (and especially rants) out of discussion at church functions, especially surrounding the priesthood (correct me if I'm wrong). If Gieger is doing this at church, is he offending Mormons who do not hold his views, or do they all agree with him and just put up with it?
One thing I'm discovering is that Utah Mormons are different from California Mormons. I apologize if this is an inappropriate subject.
UCLA v. Weber State
Sacramento
Yo Anonymous
Ya better watch out or the
Marmons will get ya!
Crime headline and Sub headline:
NECKS BROKEN
Mayor and former marine victims
Ogden, Utah 8 Apr - Big talking, and recently indicted big shot from California cliams innocence.
Goodi Leeshem, recently accused by the state of California of swindling Eleven Million Dollars from the Insurance fund, said it was just an accident when he turned a sharp corner which resulted in the two broken necks. He said the whole thing was being blown out of proportion by a bunch of naysayers that are simply jealous of his successes with the California Insurance fund and his closeness to the mayor who was one of the unfortunae victims.
Mr. Goodi further said the incident only showed how wrong the naysayers have been. Goodi said: "every one has been assuming that I had my head up the mayor's butt, but this unfortunate incident shows just the opposite to be true"
It was not clear by press time just how the former marine captain was involved. The Chief of Police said that it could have been a "chain" reaction or maybe the two victims had both their heads in the same place at the same time. The Chief was overheard to say "These twits have been known to do some pretty dumb things, but usually it only involves their own heads and asses".
Yes anon, Utah Mormons can be quite different, having been such a vast majority of the population for 160 years could be an explanation. More than occasional mob mentality, misdirected many times by people that have personal agendas and clain some sort of devine guidance to justify what their up to. Like Godfrey's so called "VISION". A buddy of mine told me he has stated that in church circles on more than one occasion. Using the fact that they share a common faith they mostly assume that this guys one of us,he's ok. Then support him based on religious commonality, forgetting that snakes and crooks can be found in all human circles.Just look at Orrin Hatch, He's never been a real resident, and definately has his own agenda and simply pays lip service to the people of Utah.
Funny thing about political appoinments and job speculation concerning the impending demise of the Godfrey administration: I was in SLC the other day, socializing with a whole lotta OHS homeboys who have since made it big in the big city, and they each wrote me $1,000 checks for the ouster of Little Matty Godfrey; here's the stipulations: once we oust Godfrey in the primary, this will follow --Patterson, fired; Harmer, fired; Greiner, fired; Williams, fired; Glassman, fired; Scott Brown, fired; Kami Geiger, fired; Mark "Large" Johnson, fired; IT director (name escapes me), fired. Godfrey can play both sides of the fence if he wants, but the public is already alienated. Buh-bye, Little Matty.
Oh anon, I forgot,you were asking about Bobby Geiger, if you've followed the blog long enough and read the paper you'll see that he not only harangues his fellow church goers on sundays, but was seen last wednesday night drinking and carousing with an accused sexual harraser and a man accused of defrauding your ex-state of 11 million dollars. I make no judgement here, but seems peculiar.
Oh, and these are the guys making these claims about Garcia, who's not even running for office. DON"T DRINK THE KOOL-AID.
Jason W.
So, you are a recovering journalist. All the best. By the way, is "Good sweet Hermes" a holdover from your ink-stained days or something they say at JA meetings? [grin]
Broght back fond memories of sitting on the floor in front of a tiny grainy black and white TV screen in da Brooklyn of my yout, listening to Perry White bellow out "Great Caesar's ghost!" whenever Clark Kent, Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen clued him in.
For any one interested, if you wonder if the happenings of last week were orchestrated, go to the city website, you can listen to the council meeting there,Brown's tirade and the following Godfrey love fest.
Using the fact that they share a common faith they mostly assume that this guys one of us,he's ok. Then support him based on religious commonality...
So am I to believe that a significant influence in this whole debate comes down to Mormons vs. Non-Mormons? Is that why Godfrey has gotten as far as he has? Because he's a good Mormon who holds the priesthood and he has undue influence over voting citizens of this community? I just can't believe that. I mean, I'm having a hard time swallowing that... Even the Mormons in Contra Costa county have diverse opinions. Some of them are even Democrats!!!
The moronic gondola car is back over 23rd Street; this time it carries a banner reading, "This is our golden egg," an apparent jab at the WSU Board of Trustees, a collective of diverse and experienced people who actually think about things before saying: "Yes, Gondola Godfrey and Wayne Peterson and your Squirrel Patrol, please save my town with a circus ride that would mortgage the next six generations into oblivion! Please, please, please! Build the circus ride! Really smart people (who cannot spell and are illiterate and who write about themselves in the third person) like the savior Geigers, Wayne Peterson, Mike Dowse (Gondola boy! Welcome to Ogden, jackass!) and Little Matty Godfrey think it's a good idea, and Little Matty even told people at his staff meeting that God told him that he was Annointed to build the circus ride to nowhere and therefore save our OTown! Support the rebirth of OTown via a Geigermobile or be gone. Coughlin's law: Beer is for breakfast around here; drink or be gone! Gondolas and dreams.
anomymous,
it ain't that hard to get caught up on what's happened to this point. read some of the past blogs and the archieve sections. Do a little research on your own, get up to speed on the conversation and then enter it.
ok?
Just had the pleasure of listening to Scott Brown's nearly unintelligible ramblings from the last CC meeting.
Take it from a seasoned professional, unfortunate illness aside, homeboy was flat fall-down hammered when he delivered that brilliant diatribe.
Anon 8:08
The Godfrey/Peterson Plan vs sanity debate is not Mormon vs Gentile. There of folks from both categories on both sides. I know significant numbers of both, for example, with Smart Growth Ogden signs on their lawns. Be wrong to over simplify it like that.
As for Mormons in general... seems to me that Mormons have about the same distribution within of folks [a few really aces in every way, most pretty decent people, a few unbelievably annoying holier-than-thou types or downright snakes-in-the-grass] as do Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, athiests, agnostics and all the rest. Pretty much, seems to me, folks is folks, regardless of their religious affilitions [or lack thereof]. Or so I've found them to be.
Oh, and Bernie Allen, genius gondolist and lawyer, brilliant mind who is "embarrased" by the cogent comments of an elderly woman who is defending her community against fraud, but who (Bernie) is not repulsed by his friend Captain Squirrel Patrol screaming and spitting in women's and others' faces: You told a friend of mine that the main reason you supported the "urban gondola" was because a convict told you our OTown wasn't worth a shit, and you and the saviorian Geigers and Wayne Peterson were going to change all that with a silly urban gondola to nowhere. Ask Wayne what his plans are now, clown. Dance for me. Do a dance, clown.
Mormons are taught from an early age to not quesion authority but to sustain it. All authority ultimately comes from god, god picks the leaders, and god don't pick no junk.
Its not very complicated. So, we have a controling voting block in Utah that has this as part of their world view.
This is what explains a lot about Utah as well as Ogden politics. This is why we have aberations like the Utah State Legislature - the laughing stock of the nation,
Borin Orrin Hatch - another laughing stock of the nation,
Matt Godfrey - a great tragedy for Ogden,
and one of my favorites -
Chriss Butters who is often featured on late night national comedy shows.
Frank:
Well, in my years in Louisiana, I knew of a few state legislators who in their day would have given Mr. Buttars a run for his money in the race for Late Night Laughing Stock honors. There was the one, for example, who argued when the legislature was considering the state university's budget, that not a dime be spent on a single new book for the library until the university could prove that every book already in the library had been read at least once by a student or faculty member. No, he was not joking.
And in Wisconsin, State Sen. Gordon Roselip gave impassioned speechs about "the divine right of butter to be yellow" when opposing repeal of the law banning colored oleomargarine from Wisconsin. And in the course of opposing more bars in the Univ. of Wisconsin area, said "let 'em drive out to the beltway to do their drinking. " Leading to a headline "State Sen Tells Students to Drink and Drive."
Most states have a State Senator Buttars or two every now and then. He is not, believe me, an exclusively Utah phenomenon. The Eagle Forum flies in nearly every state....
Anon 8:31-
OK. My apologies. You have done me a favor by pointing out that I need to research past blogs and archives. Unfortunately, I've spent too much time here already, and I probably won't get around to researching (voluminous) past archives well enough to really know what you're talking about. So I will stop annoying you with my questions.
Thank you everyone else for answering my questions as well as you have. You have a wonderful City and I hope you succeed in your efforts to preserve the open space. I don't know if I'll still be here in November to vote in the election, but if I am, I'll register here and vote for someone other than Godfrey.
Anon, I wasn't implying that this is a mormon vs. non-mormon thing, just pointing out how when people don't pay attention to whats going on, sociopaths like Godfrey can run wild, this kid lies whenever he opens his mouth. As for Geiger, he prefers to cite fractions, some times carrying them out 12 digits.
Is the rumor true that Bobby Geiger inquired if he could enter the Ogden marathon and pull Gadi in a riksha constructed to include a papier-mache gondola cab?
I am so glad that I was introduced to your divided town ... or should I call it a City.
Having occasionally opened your BLOG, I feel fortunate, because, as a result, I now have a well of great material for what I do.
OGDEN... A CITY IN TURMOIL ...
about a town in crisis ... a well-intentioned honest Mayor facing small town bigots every day when he comes to work with his vision for a greater community ... what does he meet? Opinionated individuals with nothing else to do but tear each other apart ... lies, innuendo, vicious division, cruel verbal attack, baseless accusation.
I can't wait to cast Sharon ... Kathy Bates?
Lionel? Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk) cause he's a bully.
Curmudgeon ... Bill Macy.
Rudizink ... Matthew Godfrey
I took your writings seriously for a moment ... but that was quickly dispelled when I realized that your rantings were just that ... rantings.
Most of you don't even write with a respect for the English language ... grammatical errors, punctuation problems, unfinished sentences.
I haven't been back to Ogden for awhile, and I think it's a shame, because I like so many people that I did meet.
But I lost my taste for the beauty that the City offers, because of the rank ugliness that you all spew out every day on this blog.
I live here in LA ... close to the beach.Yes, we have some "piercings", as one of your more intellectual contributors pointed out, and we have some problems here, but where I live we are trying to work things out ... on my block, in my neighborhood, in our City. By getting together to discuss the things that divide us. It's working.
You may think that LA is corrupted, and base, but let me tell you, what goes on in my neighborhood doesn't hold a candle to the way you are all conducting yourselves.
Grow up ... have a dialogue. Be open to change.
You will arrive at compromise ... and eventually a city that you can be proud of. I think, from my brief visits, and that is all they have been, that I would like to come back ... probably just to visit, but maybe to be part of the new Ogden I know that you are all capable of making happen.
Yes! "Producer", you finally see the light.
You KNOW there will be a better day tomorrah...and you want to be a part of that. Come back the first Wed in Nov.
There will be dancin' in the streets.
I am sooooo thrilled! Kathy Bates? My favorite! Will I be able to do a hot tub scene with Jack Nicholson?
Do you pay more than scale?
I don't recall meeting you....will Lionel, Rudi and I and the others have to audition? Oh, I hope you wear jodphurs and a beret.
Producer,
Will you be bringing your wife, Big Al, when you return?
Producer:
You wrote that you heard "lies, innuendo, vicious division, cruel verbal attack, baseless accusation. " Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't know Mr. Brown's intemperate rant at this week's Council meeting made the news that far west.
As for casting Bill Macy for my part... actually, I was thinking Russel Crowe myself. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance.
Producer, at some point if you're going to continue being involved in public affairs, you're going to have to learn that just because people disagree with your, or those you favor, on a matter of public policy does not make those people "Opinionated individuals with nothing else to do but tear each other apart." Part of the problem with Mr. Godfrey and his Lift Ogden Amen Chorus is that they are convinced they have The Light, The Truth and The Way, and that therefor those who do not think as they do must be driven by rancor, greed, ignorance or some other base motive. Sadly, that has been Mayor Godfrey's MO since he took office. He is a True Believer [in the extremist sense] and so, being certain he has The Truth and his opponents are illigitimate, he can justify actions that a man with a better grasp of ethical conduct in public men [and just a bit of humility] could not justify and would not engage in.
Charges without evidence don't mean much, so, on the presumption that you are serious about learning about Ogden, let me support those last comments on the Mayor with some examples.
** Several years ago, a school bond issue was up for a vote in Ogden. The Mayor opposed the bond issue and went on the community channel 17 to ask voters to reject it. Supporters of the bond issue asked for time on the community channel to present their views in support of the bond issue. The mayor said no.
** Some years ago, in his first term, the Council [the previous Council, which generally supported the Mayor with little question] told the Mayor that he could not spend extra money for expensive rollaway seating for the downtown amphitheater because the city was short of funds and could not afford them just then. The Mayor went ahead and bought them anyway.
** Channel 17 has run Geiger interviews touting the Gondola and Peterson sale proposals many dozens of times. No material represening other views have been presented.
** After Snow Basin had to go to the SL Trib and Standard Examiner to make it plain no gondola was going over the mountain from Malan's Basin to Snow Basin, becasue the Mayor continued to insist it would, Mr. Chris Peterson had the decency to insist that the city's claims on that point be altered. And they were, except that on the city website, controlled by the mayor, for a year later, FAQs continued to insist that the gondola would connect downtwon Ogden with Snow Basin.
I offer the above [and there are other examples] of why I think the Mayor is one of those public officials who believes he has the Light and the Truth and The Way, and that all opposition is therefor illegitimate and so any means in his power can be used to get his way, fair or foul. I wish that were not so, but I think the evidence is there, and not all of it is linked to the gondola proposal.
I don't know if you've visited the Smart Growth Ogden website [ www.smartgrowthogen.org ] but if you have, and you still choose to call all those who will not genuflect to "Godfrey's vision" irrational naysayers with no suggestions of their own and driven only by rancor, then I'll have to conclude, sadly, that you are not much interested in discussing public policy, but only in demanding approval by the mayor's accolytes and silence by his opponents.
And I really do think Russel Crowe as Curmudgeon would be better casting. I'm sure you can get him if you really try....
Curm....you may want to rethink asking for Russell Crowe. Wm. H. Macy is a much better actor and I'm sure he could capture your intellect and humor with flair that Crowe lacks.
Dang...I was thinking I was gonna play a part in the 'producer's movie about "Our Town"...but to have Kathy Bates play me is a dream come true!
Billy Barty would be a better fit for Godfrey tho. Rudi's too tall.
Kathy Bates as Shearon? No way. Sharon Stone's more like it. You've never met our Sharon, have you.
And Matthew Godfrey... Verne Troyer, although Paul Reubens would actuall be a natural choice, too.
Al...
Thanx for the revision in the casting! And our names are the same too!
Paul Reubens as Godfrey is perfect. Billy Barty is dead, I think...but Troyer is a good call.
You have a new career as a casting director!
Fred Thompson (Law and Order) would be a great choice for Rudi!!
I'm thinking Krusty would really capture our mayor's persona on the silver screen.
VERNE TROYER. LMAO. Mini-ME! Mini-Matt. Boy could we have some fun with that. That is the best one yet. MiniME. Is Mini Matt Chris Peterson Mini him as he looks for his mojo? I am still LMAO. That is way too perfect and funny. I needed that this Sunday evening. Thanks allthepal, you made my day and night. You should write for the the PRODUCER.
Nice call on Verne Troyer. Although the real mini-me might take offense. Hey isn't that Rupert the producer? He's criticizing our spelling, he must not get any e-mails from the Geigers. "akt now to save our sity from finatial ruuon"
Curm, on a more serious note, mormons are not Jews, that would make them Gentiles also.
Interesting discussion yesterday,
While on one of the gondolas in Snow Basin yesterday, I road up to the top with 3 ladies. One from NYC that indicated that her friends there in NYC in the banking business were telling her that banks there no longer will loan money to ski resorts that are at low elevations due to concerns of long term weather effects on these operations.
Wonder what this means for Malan Basin?
Bill:
I believe in LDS termonolgy, all non-Mormons are termed, collectively, gentiles... Jews included. Granted, it's a categorization that Jewish colleagues find... interesting. But then, in-group categorizations of non-members is always interesting for the non-members. It took an adjustment for this Italian-American to realize whenever he visited New Mexico that I was, as soon as I crossed the NM state line, an "Anglo."
Like the ancient Greeks referring to all non-Greeks as "barbarians." Sampe principle.
Curm, that would be similar to the gondola supporters calling those opposed "nay-sayers" and the opposition refering to them as "Megalomaniacs", which they must be.
Producer,
You pop in here when you feel like it, throw out senseless insults directed at our city and the good people who love it enough to see it into the future, you fail to start, contribute to, or acknowledge any conversation or follow up to your accusations. You are a troll and a flamer(in more ways than one).
So Cal(my home until 1972) has no weather, no winter, no soul, and now overflows with pompous jerks wanting to spread the SoCal "miracle" like the cancer that it is, to places hoping to achieve something more sustainable and working to preserve a shred of our natural environment.
SoCal is a failure and filled with fools like yourself living off of a moment of success in a life of mostly losing attempts at a career. Sorry, Jaws2 and Electra-Glide in Blue does not qualify you to forever refer to yourself as a Hollywood Producer. Nearly 20 years without a real movie and now a bunch of hastily slapped together documentaries about racing as you latch onto the most recent item in the viewers short attention span.
I've been a NASCAR fan since the early days. Your lame docs make it all sound as though no one has been really watching NASCAR until recently. Your kind always gloms onto the most recent popular event and then assumes the role of cool expert.
You forgot me, Rupert. I want to be played by George Clooney. People say I look a lot like him.
And, following Ogdenlover's lead, I would suggest Peter McNicol for Mayor Godfrey. He'll be available as soon as this season of 24 is over.
Viggo Mortensen would make a great Dan S.
Sharon (Stone) for Sharon (of the blog) would be a good pick, but I'm thinking more Leo McKern as Curmudgeon. Whoops, he's already dead. Since Curm has confessed to being Italian-American, maybe Anthony LaPaglia is the Australian you need, rather than Russell Crowe.
Our gentle readders should please take note: Over the weekend we received new material from Dean Martinez, which we've uploaded and linked as an update to Saturday's article below.
Martinez is correct when he states that if Godfrey wants the credit for 'developmens' in Ogden, he also has to take the responsibility for the gaffes (public and otherwise).
Ever notive how the underlings do al the nasty work?
GODFREY never 'fires' anyone. Only his inner circle of tuffs do that.
Need a vulgar rant at Garcia? GODFREY leans back in his too big chair and looks 'puzzled'.
Need a puff piece in the SE about 'helping our disadvantaged', and constructing a hidden 'island' out of town...get your underling to write it!
Viggo Mortensen? Yikes! Am I really that humorless? I'd vote for Gene Wilder, but he's too old and has curly hair. There must be someone else who's sufficiently geeky. Help me out here folks...
Dan S.
Branden Fraser? Otherwise I'm gonna have to go with Al Yankovich. Get some new glasses and cut your hair. Then you'll be a stud. Chicks will dig you. And not just for your brains. Go ahead and keep the Prius.
-Definitely Anon on this one
Dan:
Jeff Goldbloom, definitely. His environmental credentials are still solid from "Jurassic Park" and he played a scientist -- sort of -- to boot.
Since we're still on casting, I think the only possibility for playing Hizzonah is Pauly Shore.
Since there has apparently been some skepticism expressed about Russel Crowe playing me [I think there's more to be said about that...], I will suggest an alternative for the role of Curmugeon: Anthony Hopkins. Make up will have to take a decade or so off him, but other than that, it'd be fine casting. He does calm detatchment, intellectual depth, real class personified but with hidden reserve of down home common man common sense so well that I don't know why I didn't think of him straight off. He might have to work a bit to master my essential humility [for which of course I am famous far and wide], but I'm sure an actor with his range could master it in time. Hopkins as Curmudgeon. Yeah, now we're getting somewhere....
hey, I think sidney and ceciel could play brown and mongomery!!!!
If this question has already been asked and/or answered, I apologize. But why exactly has Scott Brown not been fired? Does he know too much or is he a fall guy? I just don't get it. Will somebody please explain? Thanks.
Curm,
A.H. with the help of a good drama coach could probably master your humility and intellectual prowess.
Don't 'do' lunch with him, however. I hear he takes on the persona of all his characters and keeps the juciest parts, if you get my drift.
Hey Gang! I have a swell idea. Forget about Rupert...let's put on a show in my barn! It'll be swell!! We could make it a musical with snazzy costumes. A skulking 'Marine', a ski cap seller, a midget (Verne Troyer?), a lanky brainiac, and so on. Come on, kids....won't it be swell?
Maybe we could even do the big opening night at the Peery.
Who's the guy who played the professor on Gilligan's Island? With make-up, he's be a great Dan S. Handsome too.
Notwithstanding his most recent public performance, Scott Bown is by far the most intelligent guy in the Godfrey administration. As somebody in a recent comment said "He's the only only "Godfrey Guy" who completely understands the "parts" and how they work together.
In other words... Brown knows where all the "bodies are buried."
Brown's outbursts are just a pretext. Brown is leaving Ogden city voluntarily in mid-April, according to his enebriated spoutings in local bars.
He'll be "terminated" and lightly sanctioned at the time of his INVOLUNTARY departure because of his crass comments, and then will rip off the Ogden City Taxpayers with a giant severance bonus.
This is all "Part of the Plan."
Wait and see, Ogden City Citizens!
Roll over to Boss Godfrey again, and take in the shorts, fellow lumpencitizens.
Boss Godfrey rewards his cronies with taxpayer-paid perks, and mercilessly slimes his opponents in Olde-fashioned corporate welfare stae, neocon fashion.
Bon Voyage, Scott Brown.
Spend the Emerald City Citizens' funds well!
Jill,
I think your questions have been answered.
Curm: Speaking of Brooklyn, please do tell -- is there any sort of New Yorkers anonymous organization in Ogden? Now THAT would be the hottest ticket in town.
Schnoozz:
Not that I know of. You can find the occasional expat Brooklynite at Lindquist Field rooting for whoever the visiting team is since the Raptor owners were so abandoned to all decency and honor as to make the Raptors a farm club for the Los Angeles National League Baseball Organization [falsely called "The Dodgers" only by the depraved, the debauched and the badly brought up.] Mostly I think New Yorkers try to "pass" here and keep their heads down. Bore from within so to speak....
Saturday, someone [one of our many anon's] posted a criticism of the SE and its City beat reporter, Mr. Schewebke that said this:
Anonymous said.... If Kristin Moulton could contact Martinez for his opinion, why didn't Schwebke?
Just got an email from someone who pointed out that Mr. Schwebke did get a comment from Martinez in re: the Ball accusations story:
By the way, Scott did talk to Dean Martinez. From Saturday's Ball memo story: "Martinez on Friday denied telling Ball that he was promised a new job if Garcia were elected mayor. He also described Ball as a 'pawn' who is being used by the Godfrey administration "I'm sure the administration put Ron Ball up to this," he said. "They are trying to hurt Jesse's campaign. I hope Jesse kicks their butt."
Which kind of backs up what I've been arguing. Some of the criticisms of the SE in general and of Mr. Schwebke in particular [I said some] are over the top and are based, it seems, in hasty reading of the stories involved. [And yes, I should have gone back and checked to original story to see if Anon's criticism was valid when I replied the first time. I know enough to check everything checkable. My bad.]
Thanks to Anon and Curm for the recommendations--and thank heavens for Google and Wikipedia so I could look up some of these actors. I'll happily take Jeff Goldblum. Haven't seen a single one of Fraser's movies. I like Weird Al (and love his White and Nerdy video) but he's not really an actor.
Mercy: As a matter of fact, the Professor on Gilligan's Island was my principal childhood role model! Had no idea what a professor even was at the time--thought it meant the same thing as scientist. But I never learned the name of the actor, and he's obviously from the wrong generation.
Sorry I don't go to enough movies to contribute much in the way of casting recommendations for the rest of y'all. Nor do I have the talent to write a script for this grand stage production. But I know the talent is out there, and hope to see contributions to the script appearing here soon!
Dan.....you just LOOK the part! You can be a scientist/professor just rescued from Antelope Island where you've been 'tourist boat' wrecked for several years.
This has given you time to ponder the fate of our natural resources and rededicate yourself to preserving natural habitats for all our little creature friends and their 'homes'.
When you come back to civilization,... Ogden so loosely identified, you are alarmed by the visions of wanna be developers, ski glove salesmen, and a lilliputian dictator.
Slinging your knapsack on your back you take to the hills and trails to catalog our little friends and their habitats so that you can go before citizens and rally them to action to save these open spaces, flowers, plants and little woodland creatures.
Enter your stalwart warriors....brothers and sisters united to slay (figuratively speaking) the evil dragon that spews smoke and mirrors, uh...FIRE from his CAVE on the 9th floor wherein he and his baaaaad 'helpers' envision their visions to destroy our civilization as we know it.
Casting call will be held Sat. Mar 17 at Union Station....(look for the couches.) Come prepared with a short monologue if you wish to play yourself on the screen.
Otherwise, please have ready the name of an established star to play portray you in this Sundance 2008 entry...."Saving Ogden."
Sack lunches will be served. Bring your own drink...you'll need it.
I think we have to appeal to a larger segment of our society.
Therefore, I think a cool and very sexy, yet relevant angle would be this:
Dan hikes the magnificent, pristine trails. He comes across a lone but apealing little tree with shapely limbs. Dan, in his role as chief naturalist is shown in a tender scene hugging this lovely limbed tree.
We not only appeal to the politically active, but those who enjoy sexy, cool love scenes. This will ensure a wide appreciative audience of Green Peace enthusiasts nationwide.
Also, the Squirrel Patrol will be playing themselves.
To appeal to the family PG rated crowd, Smokey Bear will be on the look out for any hanky panky.
Curm, sometimes I, like you,cut Schwebke a little slack. This morning's paper again highlights one of my most fervent criticisms with how he does his stories. See front page Garcia responds story.It seems that the bulk of Mr. Schwebke's articles contain mostly a recap of the story to date, I assume to be an effort to bring the casual reader up to speed. My problem is, these repeated paragraphs do not contain many aspects of the story, in fact much of what is omitted should be conveyed, important facts are left out. Today there is still no mention of more than one woman's complaint of sexual harrasment, the Mayors personal involvment in this thing, and no mention of porn on Brown's computer and obvious cover up by the administration, as that story was brought to light just last week, by Brown himself.
I wonder if Scott runs his articles past Godfrey instead of his SE editor?
I'm hoping for a long dreamy scene with Dan gently caressing and "hugging" that beautiful young shapely tree,
and then with a very hard and jaring cut to -
the ugly obcene reality of Godfrey screwing the citizens while the Geigers hold the victim down and tell them how lucky they are that the king and his court loves them so much. (The big rape scene)
Back to reality:
The Ogden police investigating an enemy of the mayor's is like having Curly investigate Moe. It has been well demonstrated that the OPD and the County Attorney do not have the political will, power, or desire to see justice done with the Godfrey adminstration and their numerous sssaults on the laws of the land.
Serious recent examples include the Matt Jones lynching, the Stuart Reid severance theft, and several others that seem to be public knowledge.
Only the good Lord knows how many "secret" proceedings have transpired amongst this cabal.
I think Martinez ought to look at the writing on the jail house wall and start demanding that his case be investigated by the a County Attorney from another jurisdiction.
The State Attorney General is a poor choice because they have routinely turned their eyes away from alledged criminal acts on the part of the Godfrey administration.
Ultimately I think our only recourse to this abuse is going to be at the ballot box in November.
Martinez needs to get outside this entire area for 'help' from a County atty. How abut WA County?
And, they can investigate DICaria's refusal to get off his behind and actually look out for the non-felonious citizens, investigate Greiner for the hatchet job on Jones...we all know the outcome of this 'investigation' when it's over.
One guy's allegation warrants a full fledged 'investigation'? These bozos couldn't even find Godfrey's prints and M.O. on the Jones debacle.
Jest Wondering....
I'd be willing to bet grandma's false teeth that that is not happening. And grandma needs those teeth....
Which is not happening, Curm?
That Scott runs it by Godfrey or Scott runs his notes by his editors?
Hurry with your answer...bet grandma wants a bedtime snack.
If granny's house is in the way of one of my big shiny fantasies, then I don't care if the old crow has teeth or not, she can eat dirt as far as I'm concerned!
ED is back big time baby, and I got it!
Matt Godfrey
March 13, 2007
Dan S.
Just watching Jeff Goldblum on Letterman.
You definitely do not want this guy portraying you in our epic!
He's geeky, but not in a 'good' way. He wears really dopey looking glasses, has his hair slicked back with too much Brillo...his clothes are so tight on his skinny frame that he reminded me of Pee Wee Herman before he was caught being naughty with himself in a porno movie theatre.
Kevin Costner showed great love for the land in "Dances With Loves" and could bring an air of authenticity to his portrayal of the magnificent, but humble Dan. Also, he hasn't been too successful lately, and we could probably get him for scale.
If you don't mind someone 'chubby', Al Gore may be available. He's probably in the market for a good part to restore some celebrity as the NY Times just dissed him today over his "Inconvenient Truth".
Bill C could be played by Wm H. Macy since Curm is holding out for Anthony Hopkins.
Is Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) still with us? She'd be a lovable, snuggly, but very smart Dorrene Jeske!
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