Monday, February 28, 2011

Standard-Examiner: External Security Cameras Coming to 'Real Time Crime Center'

Once again it's proven true that "the only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys."
Scary. Talk about your Big Brother, it's 'A Brave New World.'

Bernie Allen, local defense attorney
External security cameras coming to 'real time crime center'
February 26, 2011

We're not taking control of anyone's camera system. We just want to be sure it's recording.

Jon Greiner, Ogden City Chief of Gestapo Police
External security cameras coming to 'real time crime center'
February 26, 2011

I wont lie. At the beginning, I thought this is a little hard to believe. But after meeting with UCAID, it's obvious this is well-thought-out. I'm really impressed.

Jess McLellan, IT project coordinator
External security cameras coming to 'real time crime center'
February 26, 2011

Why must I be surrounded by frickin' idiots?

Dr. Evil, criminal mastermind
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
1997

First we heard about Boss Godfrey's "crime fighting blimp"; and now our morning Standard-Examiner edition breathlessly announces this totally boffo anti-crime revelation:
OGDEN -- Attempting a police omniscience seen in only about 20 U.S. cities, the Ogden Police Department is gearing up for a "real time crime center" to be operational soon after its Crime Blimp launches.
The center hopes to eventually be linked with the thousands of private and government security cameras around town, including the city's own inventory of some 200 cameras.
Read the full laughably gut-busting Tim Gurrister story here:
Hmmmm... Once again it's proven true (according to the old ax) that "the only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys."

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Salt Lake Tribune: Socrates a Fine Mascot for Utah’s GOP

"It is a good idea to follow the Creed of the Chicago News Bureau: If your mother says she loves you, check it out." - George Pyle

By Curmudgeon

There's an interesting op-ed column up over on the SL Trib website this morning [and in the dead tree edition]. It's by George Pyle, a Trib Editorial Board member, and it takes Rep. Stephen Sandstrom to task for recommending Socrates as a good role model for Utah legislators because he was an advocate of democratic government and the rule of law. [He was neither]:
It's a chewy column, well worth a read, but what caught my eye in particular was this: In evaluating Sandstrom's claims, Pyle says, "it is a good idea to follow the Creed of the Chicago News Bureau: If your mother says she loves you, check it out."

Occurred to me it might be a good idea for the SE's news editors and political reporters to put that --- "If your mother says she loves you, check it out" --- on a sticky note on their laptops and refer to it any time they're tempted to report a public official's --- any public official's --- press release or speech or claims of any sort without fact-checking them first.

Just a suggestion....

Gentle Reader Lordfarquad Query: Does Anyone Know What the Deadline is for OPD's Traffic Ticket Quotas?

We invite any public safety officers or others who read this blog to set the record straight regarding the good Lord F's query

Gentle Reader Lordfarquad
poses an interesting question in one of our comments sections down below:
Does anyone know what the deadline is for OPD's traffic ticket quotas? I could be wrong, but it seems like I see a rash of cars pulled over by OPD right around the 20th-25th of each month. Anyone know? Maybe I'm just imagining it.
Lord F asks a question broad and important enough to deserve front page space; and traffic ticket quotas have also of course been a frequent topic of discussion here at WCF. So we have no hesitation to again dive into a discussion on this topic, especially on an otherwise slow news day.

Inasmuch as OPD personnel are evaluated for traffic citation production at periodic intervals, we'll take a wild guess, for starters, that tallies are compiled at the end of every month, which would support Lord F's hunch that traffic officers may be scrambling to make quotas around the times of the month that he's set forth.

We'll confess that this is merely speculation on our part however, and will therefore invite any public safety officers who read this blog to set the record straight, regarding the good Lord F's query.

And what about the rest of our readers? Do any of you wish to share your anecdotal observations about OPD traffic citations being possibly bunched-up around the end of the month?

Friday, February 25, 2011

Salt Lake Tribune: Hammons Found Guilty in Massive Ponzi Scheme - Updated

Hammons played a major part in a classic case of affinity fraud as it is so widely practiced here in Utah amongst the faithful

By: Ozboy

The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting about William Hammons being found guilty in St. George last night for being a criminal perpetrator in Utah's biggest ponzi scheme ever:
For you who haven't been following this case, it was all about a big time scamster in Ogden named Val Southwick, who over ten years or so ripped off over a hundred million dollars from several hundred or so suckers - most associated with the LDS Church, as was he. It's a classic case of affinity fraud as it is so widely practiced here in Utah amongst the faithful.

Southwick is now doing most likely forever in the Utah State Joint. At his sentencing last year there was a long parade of witnesses who had their life savings stolen from them. And then there was Ogden's mayor, yep none other than Matt Godfrey - who never met a scammer or ponzi scheme he didn't absolutely love - and who testified FOR and to the good character of Mr. Southwick and begged the judge not to send his friend and mentor away to the nasty old prison that was really meant for bad guys, not fellow priesthood holder/scam artists!

To refresh your memories, here's the original (and incredible) 2008 KSL News Southwick post-sentencing hearing video story, wherein Godfrey "vigorously" (and unabashedly) goes to bat for one of his "bestest" scammer buddies:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com


This Hammons fellow in St. George was the biggest hustler for Southwick and delivered up a whole bunch of suckers from St. George to be fleeced by the aforementioned high priest/lying thief and mayoral buddy. Turns out that Hammons is, or at least was, a Bishop and fellow High Priest leader - just like Southwick and Mayor Godfrey.

The upshot of this is that the KSL site and the Standard apparently do not find this big story all that big, and certainly not worth a mention in their publications today. So unless Ogden folks read the Salt Lake Tribune they will never know that another big time church leader was found guilty of felonies committed against fellow church members on a very grand scale. My guess is the mayor is pleased that this story has no legs in the Standard, lest the citizens once again get reminded of just who, and how sleazy his bestest buddies really are!

Update 2/26/11 4:36 a.m.: Per Curmudgeon we're informed that "the SE now has the Hammons conviction story up... the AP report":

Standard-Examiner: Parking Lot in Downtown Ogden Gets Second Entrance

Alternate Reality Department: Parking within a block of the Junction Hotel was ample a couple of weeks ago, but this morning, parking in the same location is the number one infrastructure need of the city?

By: Curmudgeon

This morning's Standard Examiner is running an interesting story, reporting that a city-owned parking lot on Washington right across the street from the promised [yet again] Hotel At The Junction is getting a new entrance to make it more accessible to drivers, since the lot is now sadly underused:
That's not the interesting part. The interesting part is this comment by Godfrey Administration Chief Administrative Officer Mr. John "Pureheart" Patterson:
"Parking is the No. 1 infrastructure need in the downtown area."
It is? Why it was just weeks ago, wasn't it that the Administration was assuring us when its plans for an underground parking garage for the promised Hilton Hotel at The Junction -- in other words, right across the street from the city lot discussed in this story --- tanked [banks refused to pony up the loans on grounds that the project was too speculative, too risky] that it really didn't matter because there would be ample parking available close to the hotel for its patrons without the underground lot.

Huh? Parking within a block of the Junction Hotel was ample a couple of weeks ago, but this morning, parking in the same location is the number one infrastructure need of the city?

I wonder what the number one infrastructure need will be next week....

Standard-Examiner: Ogden Ranked Sixth in the Nation for "Most Extreme" Sports

For our own part, and for the time being at least, we'll stick to our guns and decline buying into this whole Ogden "death wish sports" meme

The Standard is johnny-on-the-spot this morning with a followup to Wednesday's Weber County Forun story, having however "sanitized" the story slightly, substituting the words "most extreme" for the original "death defying" terminology and peppering the story with "high adventure" quotes from Gold Gym's Gary Nielson and the ever-"excited" Little Lord on Nine hisself:
For our own part however we'll stick to our guns and decline buying into this whole Ogden "death wish sports" meme, until and unless we start seeing nutjobs like this launching off Mt. Ogden and Ben Lomond Peaks on a fairly regular basis:
Hope you all enjoyed our "wing suit" video reprise, folks! (As many of our regular readers have possibly guessed, your blogmeister is predisposed to re-link this awesome video upon even the slightest "drop of a hat.")

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Standard-Examiner Letter: We've Had Enough Optimism from Mayor Godfrey

Gotta admit we're feeling some sympathy for poor ole Boss Godfrey, who's been manically mired in a bog of ill-founded optimism since almost the first day he took office

We're delighted this morning to highlight the latest written discourse from Ogden City community activist and WCF regular Dan Schroeder, which popped up in the form of a letter to the editor on the Standard-Examiner website yesterday afternoon. In response to Sunday's SE story, wherein Boss Godfrey expressed his "undying optimism" for the prospects of his mortally wounded Crackpot Fieldhouse Project, Dr. Schroeder now reels off a little recent history, applies ample doses of logic and common sense, and efficiently delivers the following laudable and well-reasoned retort:
Gotta admit we're feeling some sympathy for poor ole Boss Godfrey, who's been manically mired in a bog of ill-founded optimism since almost the first day he took office over a decade ago. It must be disconcerting for the "visionary" little guy to have such a constant, reality-based burr under his saddle as the logically relentless Dan Schroeder. Perhaps he'll feel better though after this year's November Municipal Election, when the well-informed Ogden City lumpencitizens will no doubt firmly and finally "let him go."

Time to throw in your own 2¢, O Gentle Ones. Who will be the first to comment?

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

KSL News: Ogden Ranked Among Nation's Most 'Death Defying' Cities

No doubt about it... it looks like a full employment economy for the Ogden City life insurance and wills and estates planning industries

For those who missed it in one of our comments sections down below, we don't want to let another moment pass without highlighting the latest Ogden-touting "puff piece" from the national media. Thanks to gentle reader Doonie, we learn that Emerald City has been named "one of the Top 10 cities in the country to stare down death and walk away," by some online entity called Livability.Com. Don't miss yesterday's thrilling KSL News story:
Just to put it all in context, Twin Falls, Idaho finished first, with Rock Springs, Wyoming scoring a strong fourth-place rating. With Ogden's #6 finish, we won't hesitate to observe that we're definitely in heady, "white-knuckle" company here.

No doubt about it... it looks like a full employment economy for the Ogden City life insurance and wills and estates planning industries.

A special Weber County Forum Tip O' The Hat to the drones of the Ogden City Administration, who obviously have their public relations efforts stuck in overdrive.

Monday, February 21, 2011

2010 Ogden City Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

The only clean and professionally audited financial information we'll get from Boss Godfrey for the 2010 fiscal year

For the enlightenment of our gentle readers, we're pleased to be able to link the just now released fiscal year 2010's Ogden City Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), which we've obtained from the Ogden City website, and uploaded to our WCF web storage site:
This report, by the way, will also be a topic of discussion at tomorrow night's City Council work session, among other matters financial. We'll accordingly link tomorrow night's council packet, for the benefit of anyone who'd like to attend:
Slice it, dice it and ginsu knife it gentle readers. Consider this our annual opportunity to get an overview, and truly decipher what's really been going on financially with the Boss Godfrey Administration, with a view through the FY2010 rear view mirror, at least.

We've also added a link for future reference in our right sidebar, within our "Government Toolkit" module, supplementing earlier CAFR reports, going back to 2006.

Roll up your sleeves, don your green eye shades and have at it, O Gentle Ones.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Standard-Examiner: Godfrey Optimistic Despite RAMP Board's Refusal to Support Field House Funds

Now the all of a sudden the RAMP golden seal of approval is not so important

Submitted by: ND

Just opened my Sunday Standard-Examiner and lo and behold the Gman says the "Field House Lives"... Front page, top article, now how did that happen? How can this monstrous project still be alive?

Here's the online version:
Now the all of a sudden the RAMP golden seal of approval is not so important... and the $2.4 wasn't that important either... just a drop in the bucket.

So where is the money going to magically appear from now... once again he declines to say.

Now only Ogden residents could get the discount pass...

Godfrey says "the facility has widespread public support."

I say PROVE IT! PUT IT TO A VOTE!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Science Saturday: Science News Roundup

Bits and pieces from the Weber County Forum science news wire

1) Are you recently having a wee bit more trouble than usual with your TV, radio, cell phone or GPS device? If so, Discovery Science News offers a plausible explanation for this:
Don't waste your valuable time downloading software updates like your blogmeister did; it looks like anyone who relies on satellite-transmitted data will just have to wait this one out.

2) Are you an asthma sufferer who's been hacking away all winter, ostensibly due to the bad Utah winter air? Perhaps a course of antibiotic therapy is something you should consider:
Talk to your Doc. Tell him Rudi sent ya's.

3) And just in case you're one of those who may believe that scientific research is sometimes a waste of academic research dollars, be sure to check out this blockbuster story from Smithsonian.com:
Much more than we wanted to know... actually.

4) Have you been thinking about taking a Spanish course, or perhaps learning another second language? Here's an interesting incentive: According to this article from the Penn State University website, speaking more than one language can actually bolster brain function by serving as a "mental gymnasium":
Perhaps we should urge Ogden Mayor Boss Godfrey, who was at one time reputedly fluent in Spanish, to immediately venture into Ogden's Central City neighborhood to brush up on his "second" language skills, right?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Standard-Examiner: "Business Decision" Bumped Pole Dancers Friday Night

We spend loads of taxpayer dough promoting our town as a "World Class Sports Mecca;" however at this unfortunate moment we're coming off as a bunch of country bumpkins, don'tcha think?

Interesting story in the Standard-Examiner this morning reporting on a blemish in the otherwise successful 2011 Dew Tour event.

Scott Schwebke reports that a featured team of Studio 4-A pole sports competitors who had been scheduled to perform during the Dew Tour after-party at Ogden's Scrapyard Arena were unceremoniously banned from the stage mere minutes before their performance was to begin:
Although the SE article labels this unfortunate glitch as the event promoter's own "business decision," it's pretty clear from even a casual reading of Mr. Schwebke's story what really happened here. Somebody in Boss Godfrey's chain of administration command (OPD Top Brass it appears) obviously had their mind in the gutter, confusing this... with something like this, and intimidated a flummoxed Ms. Huddleston into pulling the plug on what ought to have been a highly impressive athletic performance event.

It's difficult to understand the responsible authorities' deplorable lack of sophistication in this instance. What's the matter with these people? Don't they read the Standard-Examiner?
Needless to say, the jilted pole competitors were a mite embarrassed and upset. According to Ms. Lujan (whom we spoke with on Tuesday), she in fact even sent this highly articulate email to the Ogden City Council, relating in detail the facts surrounding this unfortunate mixup, and offering, among other things, an opportunity for the Council to invite these remarkable athletes back, in order to help educate some of the more "backward" elements in our community about her chosen sport. (Check it out gentle readers; it's literally brimming with interesting and informative links):
So what say our readers? Should we officially invite Ms. Lujan and her fellow competitors back to our town, to perform at our next big Ogden City event, and even issue a public apology, perhaps? Who knows? Maybe we could even persuade the ever-gracious Boss Godfrey to make amends and beg forgiveness on bended knee!

Here's the City Council's contact info, in the event you'd like to take action on this:
As everyone knows, we spend loads of taxpayer dough promoting our town as a "World Class Sports Mecca;" however at this unfortunate moment we're coming off as a bunch of country bumpkins, don'tcha think?

And one other thing. Don't forget to chime in with your comments. It would be quite enlightening to hear what the lumpencitizens of Emerald City think about this unfortunate blunder, we believe.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Live Blogging From The Ogden City Council Chambers

Check the comments section below to catch Dan's live reporting

We've just received word from Dan Schroeder, who informs us that he'll be live blogging from tonight's Ogden City Council/RDA meetings, where the Council will discuss BDO Bond refinancing, a revamp of the rules governing capital improvement expenditures, and Ogden City's still under construction anti-discrimination ordinance, among other agenda items.

Check the comments section below, as the Council meeting is about to be called to order.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Breaking: RAMP Board Rejects Money Requested for Field House - Updated

RAMP application rejected for lack of proof

Submitted by: Blackrulon

Happy News for the taxpayers of Ogden/Weber County! A breaking story on the Standard-Examiner website reports the RAMP Board has rejected the Godfrey Administration request for funds:
The city/requesting authority has not meet several requirements to qualify for funds, i.e.:
  • A letter of intent from other donors and revenue sources.
  • Confirmation of project approval from the city's Redevelopment Agency.
  • Proof that the RDA has secured the property for the project.
Who will be the first to comment on this encouraging news?

Update 2/14/11 3:00 p.m.: Thanks to sharp eyed reader Ray, we learn that the Salt Lake Tribune is now carrying "a more enlighting report" by Cathy McKitrick:
Despite today's RAMP setback, the ever-optimistic Ogden City CAO John "Pureheart" Patterson assures everyone nonetheless that "the project is not on life support and it’s certainly not to the morgue.”

Update 2/15/11 3:50 a.m.: Not to be outdone by Ms. McKitrick's detailed SLTrib reporting, SE reporter Scott Schwebke cranks it up a notch and provides his own expanded story this morning:

Ogden City Council/RDA Meeting Heads-up

Remember... the world wide blogosphere is sitting on the edge of its seat, waiting to find out what our gentle WCF readers think

In accordance with our regular practice of providing advance notice of pending Council/RDA Board agenda items, we'll provide a heads up concerning several items of interest coming up for tomorrow night's Council/RDA meetings:

1) BDO Bond refinancing. According to tomorrow night's council packets, the Administration will be delivering reports at both a Special RDA Meeting and the regular Council Meeting, concerning an Administration-proposed refinancing of Business Depot Ogden (BDO) bonding. For your convenience, we'll display both council information packets here:
At first glance, the Administration's proposal seems innocuous enough. Although the principal loan balance will increase to around $6,150,000 from the current $5.79 mil after the refi, with interest reductions the whole deal is projected to save the taxpayers around $120 thousand.

So what about it gentle readers? Is this a good deal for the taxpayers... or are we missin' somethin'?

2) Capital Improvement Rules Revamp. Among other things, the Administration proposes to raise the threshold for discretionary Administration capital expenditures from the current $10,000 to $30,000 before the administration is required to go to the City Council for permission to spend additional taxpayer dough. Another troubling feature of the Administration proposal... the establishment of an array of "slush funds," a frightening proposition, given the Little Lord's well demonstrated "spending propensities," we believe. How about it gentle readers? We invite you to read the applicable City Council packet, and tell us what you think about this:
3) Non Discrimination Ordinance. In the wake of last month's chirpy announcement that Boss Godfrey was finally onboard with Ogden City's long-awaited anti-discrimination ordinance, it seems that the Administration has now thrown a wrench into the works. As set forth in the Council Work Session Packet (linked directly above), the Administration has now suggested amended language to the still in-the-works ordinance, which would create a legal loophole for "moral or religious" objections.

Rather than go through he whole rigmarole, we'll link to this gay activist website, which forcefully (even if not elegantly) explains the main issue which now seems to be on the table:
Here's the suspect language in Boss Godfrey's newly-proposed ordinance text:
This chapter shall not be construed to limit or prohibit the expression of a person’s moral or religious beliefs, opinions or views. Evidence of a person’s moral or religious beliefs, opinions or views, or expression thereof, shall be inadmissible to prove violation of this chapter.
At risk of seeming overly long-winded, here's our additional take on this new wrinkle in the anti-discriminitation ordinance story. The above carefully-crafted language would unfairly prevent a complainant from offering evidence of moral or religious bigotry to prove discrimination under that ordinance; yet there's nothing in the proposed language to prevent an accused respondent from offering the same evidence to prove any act of discrimination does not fall within the ordinance. That's our interpretation, in any event. In legal parlance, the ordinance as proposed, would allow the respondent to use the ordinance "as a shield," while a complainant would be prevented from citing an incidence of moral or religious discrimination "as a sword."

We do hope our City Council is careful with this. Boss Godfrey's newly proposed ordinance "exception," would render the new ordinance entirely unenforceable as practical matter, wethinks. It would be a real shame to see a council which has been working on an ordinance for almost a year, to ultimately enact one with no teeth.

Please don't hesitate to chime in on any of the subjects relating to tomorrow night's Council RDA meetings.

Remember... the world wide blogosphere is sitting on the edge of its seat, waiting to find out what our gentle WCF readers think.

Standard-Examiner: Goode Skis to be Ogden Made

Submitted by: ND

Goode makin' skis here now instead of China....+1 there....now get the poles made here. MG was a little nauseating in the SE article though:
So what about it gentle readers? Is the relocation of manufacturing for a company which makes a mere 3600+ pairs of skis per year a big deal for Ogden, or did Boss Godfrey once again go a "mite over the top?"

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Newgate Mall Kiosk Touts Fieldhouse

Photos, videos, and beach toys lure shoppers to “show support”

By Dan Schroeder

Tipped off last week by a comment from an alert reader, I ventured into the Newgate Mall today to see the rumored kiosk touting Mayor Godfrey’s proposed Fieldhouse. On the first pass I walked right by it without noticing; perhaps I was distracted by the Piercing Pagoda or Famous Footwear. But on the way back I saw the kiosk’s other side which features a monitor showing a video loop. Around the monitor was a sprinkling of sports equipment and plastic beach toys, plus small copies of the four photo display boards from last December’s unveiling.

And there was one more thing: a small pile of nice glossy color cards to pick up. One side of the card lists the various facilities that the Fieldhouse would include, while the other side shows the architectural sketches and instructs shoppers: “To Show Your Support Please Visit www.ogdenfieldhouse.com”. This web site, of course, is the one that until recently dislayed the email addresses of the county commissioners, RAMP board members, and Ogden School Board members, asking supporters to contact and lobby these individuals. I now see, however, that the list of people to lobby has been removed from the site and viewers are merely asked to “email us with your support or questions at contact@ogdenfieldhouse.com or call (801) 629-8111.” That number, of course, rings in the mayor’s office.

Here are a few photos of the kiosk display, for those who want to save a trip to the mall (and to preserve its splendor for posterity).






Friday, February 11, 2011

Standard-Examiner: Olympic-sized Pool Discussed in Ogden

Bum deal for the school district: By closing its two smaller pools and investing in the Ogden School District could recoup its $5.9 million investment after only... (drumroll)... 24 years

By: Dan Schroeder


Interesting S-E article today about the Ogden School District's possible role in funding and using the Fieldhouse:
Looks like the district isn't exactly itching to close its existing pools at Ogden and Ben Lomond high schools, but even if it did, it would save only $250,000 per year. This is important information that hasn't been reported before, as far as I know.

Meanwhile, the article explains how the district would help pay for the Fieldhouse through the proposed BDO tax increment extension, which the administration says would raise $15 million. But amazingly, the article never says what the district's share of that $15 million would be. Instead, the reporter punts with this useless sentence:

"City officials have not said how much tax increment taxing entities would give up if the project area is extended to fund the field house."

C'mon, Standard-Examiner, it's not that hard. You can do the arithmetic yourself, if you just ask someone what fraction of our property taxes goes to the school district. The answer is about 39%, and at that rate, the district's share of $15 million would be $5.9 million.

So now we can make a comparison: By closing its two smaller pools and investing in the Fieldhouse, the Ogden School District could pay $5.9 million but save $250,000 per year. So financially, it would make back its investment after 24 years. However, there would be added costs to transport its swim teams downtown, and PE classes wouldn't have time for that so they'd presumably lose out, and it isn't clear how much time in the new pool the district would even get, given that the new pool also needs to be available to paying customers if the Fieldhouse is to have a chance of paying its own operating costs.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Northern Utah Print Media: Boss Godfrey Begs For Ramp Funds On Bended Knee

Let the RAMP grant decision makers know that Weber County citizens heartily disapprove of Boss Godfrey's sleazy scheme to use a RAMP grant commitment as "bait" to lure in unwary private donors

As noted last night by sharp-eyed reader Curmudgeon in one of our lower comments sections, both the Salt Lake Tribune and the Standard-Examiner carry online stories this morning, reporting on yesterday evening's RAMP Committee meeting, during which Boss Godfrey and his loyal henchman John "Pureheart" Patterson desperately (but unsuccessfully) grovelled argued for the grant of $2.4 million over five years to "help" construct Boss Godfrey's hare-brained Fieldhouse boondoggle:
Despite the hard sell of Weber County's two most notorious flim-flam artists, it appears that the RAMP Board lives in a world of reality, and that Godfrey's Fieldhouse project comes in dead last among a list of seven major projects. In the words of Board Member Jeanne Hall, “If this was such a hot deal, you’d have business people wanting to invest. And they’re not there.”

The Trib also reports that "The board meets again Monday at 9 a.m. to rescore the applications and determine who gets what."

And in that connection we'll remind or readers of our earlier plea to contact RAMP Board members and Weber County Commissioners to register your objections to the application of taxpayer funds to this project. According to our reliable sources, that effort of citizen activism generated a significant citizen anti-Fieldhouse response. So we'll call upon our WCF readers once again to click the link below to communicate your objections to any RAMP Board support:
According to the Trib story, the Godfrey administration considers RAMP funding to be “The Good Housekeeping seal of approval.” “It’s what we can use to ask private donors for funds," "Pureheart" Patterson candidly admits.

You know what to do. Do it via the above contact link. Let the RAMP grant decision makers know that they're already on the right track, and that Weber County citizens heartily disapprove of Boss Godfrey's sleazy scheme to use a RAMP grant commitment as "bait" to lure in unwary private donors.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

More Useful Info On The Proposed Downtown Ogden Fieldhouse/ Velodrome

By: Dorrene Jeske

This is the report on an in-depth study of the plans for the downtown Fieldhouse/ Velodrome and a plan to make it into one that is world-class by civil engineering standards. Because of the length, it is being divided into two parts:
I was asked to put this report on the blog for Stephen Smith, who has significant engineering experience with public projects both in Utah and across the USA. I am happy to do it because I agree with many of the issues and questions that are presented in it.

In Godfrey’s haste to push the downtown plan, major issues/concerns have been overlooked. Please look at the report on the Business Plan and then contact our Weber County Commissioners to register your own concerns immedately.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Standard-Examiner: Big Plans Ahead for Ogden Shopping Center

California company pops $4 mil for a parcel that currently houses Stop 'N Shop

By: Curmudgeon

Relating to a matter much discussed here, the Standard-Examiner has up a story reporting that "A California company that has spent more than $4 million to purchase an Ogden shopping center hopes to attract as many as two anchor stores to the building that currently houses Stop 'N Shop."

The story includes a lot of detail on the company's plans for the shopping plaza, which include attracting another one or two anchor stores, adding three pads for restaurants or retail stores to the existing mix, landscaping the parking lot and more:
Sounds like good news to me for the 12th Street corridor.

Envision Ogden Anniversary and Update

Statute of limitations has expired on mayor’s confessed crimes actions.

By Dan Schroeder

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the grand fundraising dinner where Envision Ogden raised most of its money--approximately $50,000--prior to the start of the 2007 municipal election campaign. While purporting to be a “nonprofit” organization to promote Ogden’s business and recreational opportunities, Envision Ogden was actually a political action committee, raising money to funnel to political campaigns. More than $20,000 ended up in the campaign coffers of city council candidates Blain Johnson and Royal Eccles, while additional thousands went to a legislative candidate, to the Utah Republican Party, and to independent expenditures in support of Mayor Godfrey’s own campaign.

Three months ago, the press reported for the first time that Mayor Godfrey admitted playing a major role in Envision Ogden, suggesting candidates to support and personally soliciting most of their large contributions. The press also reported that the Utah Attorney General’s Office had opened a criminal investigation of Envision Ogden in April 2009. Finally, the Salt Lake City newspapers reported that the two-year statute of limitations had already run out on the many potential misdemeanor charges for Envision Ogden’s deceptions, and that the statute of limitations for the potential felony charges would run out four years after the associated actions took place.

Today, therefore, is the day that Mayor Godfrey can breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Thanks to the four-year statute of limitations, he can no longer be charged with communications fraud, or with use of office for personal benefit, for the solicitations that he made prior to Envision Ogden’s major fundraising event. (Of course, Mayor Godfrey maintains that these solicitations were completely legal.)

Felony charges could still be brought for some of Envision Ogden’s subsequent activities. They continued to receive contributions after the fundraising dinner, and solicited additional contributions for the Salomon Center Sneak Peek event held in June 2007. However, it isn’t clear whether Godfrey played a role in this subsequent fundraising. He obviously did play a role in allowing Envision Ogden to use the Salomon Center for the Sneak Peek event, so he could still potentially be charged with use of office for personal benefit. Finally, Blain Johnson could still be charged with money laundering for his acceptance of over $20,000 from Envision Ogden, and for funneling these funds through an intermediate checking account (“Friends of Northern Utah Real Estate”) to conceal their source.

Meanwhile, Scott Reed of the Utah Attorney General’s Office continues to claim that the investigation remains open. When I inquired on January 13, he said we could “expect a public announcement within the next couple weeks.”

Monday, February 07, 2011

Salt Lake Tribune: Ogden Seeking Tax Dollars for Huge Sports Project

Looks like a battle between the smart folks and the seemingly endless sea of mindless Godfreyites who'll endorse a loser project like the Fieldhouse, merely because it originates in the muddled mind of The Little Twit
Dan’s analysis is never “independent” because he is a slave to a negative ideology. Dan’s report is not worthy of consideration or comment.


John Patterson's Lame Retort
February 1, 2011

Thank you, Dan, for both documents you provided. They are very clear, give us excellent data to consider, and no nonsense belittling to dilute the issues.
We need people with the thought processes (that you show in these reports) to be administering to our city. But instead, we have the complete opposite. And it is costly.

Gentle Reader PPK
PPK Comment
February 5, 2011

Better late than never, the Salt Lake Tribune, per Cathy McKitrick, chimes again in on the Ogden "Fieldhose Fieldhouse" boondoggle:
Once again in Ogden, and thanks to Kathy McKitrick, it looks like another battle between the smart folks who recognize another giant money losing boondoggle when they see it, and the seemingly endless sea of mindless Godfreyites who'll endorse a loser project like the Fieldhouse, merely because it originates in the muddled mind of The Little Twit.

Don't be shy, gentle readers. Chime in here right this minute.

Standard-Examiner: Inn May Bring Businesses to Ogden

15,000 square feet of building space north of the Hot Tub Hotel?

There's a Hot Tub Hotel topical Scott Schwebke story in this morning's Standard-Examiner which might be worthy of some discussion this morning:

Seems child molester Hotel developer Kevin Garn is "currently negotiating with several restaurants and retail establishments to occupy 15,000 square feet of building space north of the hotel at 2275 Washington Blvd.":
Gentle reader ND asks a couple of good questions, along with some commentary in one of our comment sections below:
Why are we building new retail space down there when there are empty spaces available... of course we can't say who the new businesses are can we.... 50 parking spaces... thats a joke... How many hoteliers are going to just use the surface parking near existing retail...I envision a log jam....
Who else would like to chime in on this topic, now that ND has set the pace?

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Standard-Examiner: Feasibly, Ogden's Field House Feasibility Study Is Right, Maybe

Implied rest of the headline: Or maybe not

By Curmudgeon

Charlie Trentelman's Sunday "Wasatch Rambler" column deals with the Godfrey Wonder Dome Feasibility study, and Dan Schroeder's critique of it:
Often, people are described as being "cautiously optimistic" about something. I think Charlie can be fairly described as "cautiously skeptical." Headline for the column: "Feasibly, Ogden's field house feasibility study is right, maybe."

Implied rest of the headline: "Or maybe not."

The column is well worth a read.

Science Saturday: Powers of Ten

Hard to imagine god gives a hoot about this little blue rock after seeing this video

The following Powers of Ten video takes us on an adventure in magnitudes. Starting at a picnic by the lakeside in Chicago, this famous film transports us to the outer edges of the universe. Every ten seconds we view the starting point from ten times farther out until our own galaxy is visible only as a speck of light among many others. Returning to Earth with breathtaking speed, we move inward- into the hand of the sleeping picnicker- with ten times more magnification every ten seconds. Our journey ends inside a proton of a carbon atom within a DNA molecule in a white blood cell.


And this is what they were able to depict all the way back in 1977!

Hard to imagine god gives a hoot about this little blue rock after seeing this video, no?

Friday, February 04, 2011

Standard-Examiner: Stop ‘N Shop Grocery Closing Its Doors After 54 Years

This rots.....but hey, we have a WallyMart instead!

Submitted by: ND

This rots.....but hey, we have a Wallymart instead....and another vacant building on 12th Street....
‘IT’S PRETTY SAD ’

Standard-Examiner: Ogden Field House Could Get RAMP Cash

Then again, Maybe Not: Conditions regarding financing must be met before money will be made available to the city

By: Curmudgeon

Breaking news: The RAMP board has tentatively approved committing $2.4 million over the next five years to the Godfrey Wonder Dome project, but it attached a set of conditions regarding financing the city must meet first and within six months before the money will be made available to the city. Final action by the Board and the Weber County Commission still pending. The Standard Examiner has the story here:
The story makes it clear as well that several members of the board are less than thrilled with Ogden applying for the money now, think it's premature to say the least, or that if Weber County wants it, it should bond for it, and so on. Board Chairman Dave Holmstron said, for example, that if Godfrey doesn't meet the conditions the board attached to the tentative grant, no money will be provided. "If he comes back a dollar short, he doesn't get it," Chairman Dave Holmstrom said.

Well worth a careful read. The conditions the Board has attached to its tentative approval suggests the members, having been burned by the Godfrey administration before [the ice tower boondoggle grant, which the city had to return to RAMP for violating the conditions under which it was granted], are a lot less trusting of Hizzonah's Rosy Scenario predictions this time round.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Ogden Fieldhouse Cross-talk: Godfrey Administration Spokesman John Patterson Gets His Ass Kicked Yet Again

A pox on Boss Godfrey and his minions, who refuse to deal with with real data, and hang their "fieldhouse hats" on mindless OPTIMISM

Interesting new development today in the Nutcase Boss Godfrey Field House story.

The moronic Ogden CAO John Patterson attempts to rebut Professor Dan's most excellent initial Field House Study Independent Analysis with this mindless follow-up drivel:
Here's Dan's seemingly off the cuff retort to Mr. Patterson, skillfully issued within a few short minutes (we suppose) of Patterson's above-linked "hooray for optimism rant.":
Hooray for the Smart People of Ogden... especially Dan Schroeder!

And a pox on Blessed Boss Godfrey and his minions, who refuse to deal with with real data, and hang their hats (to the tune 0f $40 million plus taxpayer dollars) on mindless Godfreyite OPTIMISM.

Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones...

Who will be the first (or last) to chime in on this topic?

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Request for Proposal Clarification for the Design of a Sports Facility to be Possibly Built in Ogden City

Some good questions... some not so good answers

Submitted by: RFP Reader

Looks like there is an addendum to the RFP sent out by the city.

Here's the gist from the Ogden City website:
Request for Proposal Clarification for the Design of a Sports Facility to be possibly built Ogden City
February 1, 2011
Q. What format is the fee to be? Fixed, hourly?
A. It is up to the applicant to propose a fee schedule. It is anticipated that work will be done based on individual task orders, so that time can be tracked and accounted for. If payment is approved, it would be made based on the hours spent under the approved task orders. An applicant could, if it desired, submit a proposal using a fixed fee schedule with a certain number of hours. Such a proposal would be evaluated on its own merits, although individual task orders would still be issued to control the work. The applicant should review the proposal documents in their entirety to determine how it wishes to structure its fee proposal.
Q. What scope/size of the project do we use for determining our fee as the range of the building is from 150,000 SF to 300,000 SF... a range of 100%.
A. The final size will depend on a number of factors that are not yet resolved. It is likely that the size will in the range of 225,000 s.f. to 250,000 s.f., but depending on how land or other issues are resolved, the facility may be larger or smaller. Please refer to the previous answer for any other question about how to determine a fee.
Q. Will there be a short list for interviews or selection?
A. It is unknown at this time whether interviews will be conducted. It will likely depend on the number and quality of proposals submitted.
Q. Who will be making the selection? Is there a selection committee?
A. There will be a selection committee. I believe it will have five members.
Q. What connection is there with this RFP in relation to the design work that has been completed by Dan Van Zeben?
A. Although the work may build on the work previously done by Mr. Van Zeben, the project may also require new or different programming depending on the need for alternative designs as the process moves forward. The RFP documentation indicated that multiple iterations of the work may be required.
Some good questions... some not so good answers.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

KSL News: Ogden Company Wins Innovation Award

Seems as though you just can't keep a good Geiger down!

Submitted by: Ozboy

I just saw this interesting article on the KSL site about our good friends the Geigers. Seems as though you just can't keep a good Geiger down! They won best of show for their "Geigerrig" hydration system at the big outdoor show in SLC!

See it here:
Way to go home boys - congratulations!

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