Belated Two-Fer Tuesday: "Workin' On A Response", Couny Commishes Say About Dangerous NE 68th Street; Chris Clifford, Don Benton's Aide-de-Camp, and His Gangland Nightclub Operations in Seattle!

First Congregational Church of Vancouver, as seen from NE 68th Street

Intersection of Hwy 99 and NE 68th Street, from the air - note lack of sidewalks on NE 68th 

I'd like to apologize for the slight delay here at O Vancouvria!, I was waiting for Axel Swanson, spokesperson for the Clark County Board of Commissioners, to get back to me with something more than "we're (the County Department of Public Works) workin' on it (a response to why the County messed up on putting sidewalks in on NE 68th Street from Hwy 99 to First Congregational Church)". I had given the gentle, and masculine, sounding Mr Swanson til 5 pm yesterday, but thought to be nice and not go all "eye for an eye" with the Board of Commissioners, and particularly Commissioner David Madore (who has publicly, on his Facebook page, said some rather insulting things about little ol' me that I won't repeat here). 

At any rate, the County is still "workin' on a response" to me as of press time (8:30 AM Wednesday) so here we are. I had emailed them (having not heard from Madore, Mielke, or Barnes (whose district NE 68th Street lies in) by yesterday morning - seems no one at County had bothered to follow up on my email to them last Tuesday with a link to my initial article. 

To wit: there are NO shoulders on NE 68th Street between Hwy 99 and First Congregational Church/Martha's Pantry (SW Wash's only food/clothing bank specific to HIV-positive people like myself). There are no sidewalks nor street lights on this road either. 68th comes down a VERY STEEP hill from the church to Hwy 99, with a speed limit of 35 MPH. Semi-trucks use this road as a shortcut between Hwy 99 and St Johns Rd, while cars fly down it (as one did yesterday, passing me doing 50+ MPH) to the stoplight at Hwy 99. Elderly people attending church, sick people going to the food bank, and families going to church and school (there's a school bus stop at the top of the hill) use this road constantly. 

Madore and Mielke indicated to the members of First Congregational last year (nearly all of whom signed a petition to the Commissioners asking for safety improvements on NE 68th Street) that they would get a sidewalk in, and that there was money to do it. Then, mysteriously (and without public explanation, let alone private explanation to the Church, according to Church members) that money vanished into thin air this year - right around the time Director of Environmental Services/Senator Don Benton got our stormwater drainage lawsuit settled with the State for $4 Million - so when, April or May of 2014? Since then, not a peep out of anyone at the County about when folks using NE 68th Street can expect relief. 

As someone who uses, and volunteers at, Martha's Pantry Food/Clothing Bank, and regularly walks up and down NE 68th Street, I'd like to hear from the Commissioners as to when they plan on addressing the dangers to the public here, and how. I'd like a timetable, and specific funds set aside to at least widen the non-existent shoulders on this road. I'd also like to hear from Commissioner Barnes (whose district this road is in) how he plans on getting a 2nd vote out of either Mielke or Madore to act NOW before anything happens to pedestrians under his watch. 

CHRIS CLIFFORD, AND HIS SHADOWY SEATTLE GANGLAND NIGHTCLUB CONNECTIONS

Chris Clifford, Don Benton's "Program Assistant" at the County Dept of Environmental Services (the man responsible for insertion of the Don Benton-promoting Waste Management flyer that landed, to the cost to taxpayers of $55K, in all our garbage bills earlier this year) owned a gangland nightclub, Jersey's All-American Sports Bar, in Seattle's Pioneer Square, with his brother, as recently as 2008. 

Here's a link to all the articles the Seattle Times has on the subject of said bar, now at 700 Virginia Street, in Seattle. Note the number of nuisance complaints, drug-dealing complaints. Here's a link that talks about murders, and racial bias on the part of Seattle police, against Jersey's. 

Here's something else that's interesting about Chris Clifford's ethics: this Seattle Times article, from Jan 30, 2009, shows that Clifford failed to file public disclosure forms about his campaign financing during a FAILED bid for King County sheriff. Interestingly enough, Clifford came on down to Clark County, and county government employment under Senator/Director Benton, soon after. 

No one here is attacking Mr Clifford in any way shape or form. I am, however, openly attacking County Human Resources, and the Board of Commissioners of Clark County, for failing to look deeply into Mr Clifford's background to see these glaring issues with his record as both a candidate for public office and as a business owner (not to mention his complete lack of educational qualification for being in an Environmental Services position, Mr Clifford's BA is in English). 

I don't see why we, as a County, should have to put up with people like Mr Clifford (who, as the below photo of him at a Board of Commissioners hearing shows, likes to regularly show up and attack any sort of progressive measures on behalf of his boss/es, Senator/Director Don Benton and Commissioner David Madore), who have clearly messed their own beds up north in Seattle. What's NOT good for Seattle is likely NOT at all good for Vancouver either. Its not clear to me why the County allows such people to be in contact with the public, or why I as a taxpayer am giving the County my hard-earned money to have such people doing the peoples' work. 

Clifford, Don Benton's Program Assistant at County Department of Environmental Services; Also Co-Owner of Jersey's All American Sports Bar in Seattle, Site of Several Gangland Shootings and Drug Deals

I call on the County to take a good long look at folks like Mr Clifford in their employ. 

Saturday Mornin' Chit Chat With Folks in Esther Short Park, About Why We Should Vote YES On A New Government For Clark County This November

Charter YES! Campaign Sign. www.charteryes.com

O Vancouvria! spent a very pleasant morning today, Saturday, September 13, deep among the beautiful ancient oaks and sequoia trees of Esther Short Park, Vancouver's "living room", and crown jewel of our City's many fine parks. I was there in order to lend my voice, and service, to the Charter YES! Campaign - greeting people, showing my support through wearing campaign flair, handing out flyers, and talking with interested folks at the park (there for today's Peace and Justice Fair) about why they, and their friends and colleagues, should vote YES! for a new responsible Clark County government that meets our rapidly growing metropolitan County's needs. 

While folks against a new County government (we haven't had a change of government form since we were founded as a County, in 1855 - 34 YEARS before Washington became a State) were NOT present at Esther Short Park this morning, they were in fact present on the front page of The Columbian (below the fold), thanks to Tyler Graf's efforts (reporter for The Columbian). This anti-Charter PAC, unfortunately supported by both Commissioners Tom Mielke and David Madore (and ran by David Madore's personal assistant, Anna Miller, and her husband, Chuck), has just gotten off the ground and already raised $4150 ($500 donated by Mielke, and $3000 by Commissioner Madore). 

I'm thankful Charter YES! folks, led by Sheriff Gary Lucas and former Camas Mayor Nan Henriksen, as well as by the capable hands of Senator Ann Rivers, Representative Jim Moeller, and others, have gotten their funds well in hand, to the tune (per The Columbian) of $70,000. However, I'm even more thankful to hear from nearly 100% of the 75 or so people I talked to today that they are voting YES! for a change to a responsible form of County government that meets our growing County's needs. It's sad that folks like Commissioner Mielke (perhaps enamored of his $102K per year salary?) can't see the light and support the Charter YES! efforts that HIS VOTE (in allowing the Charter process to go forward) started over a year ago. 

What does the new County Charter that we are voting on this November provide for us, in terms of new responsible government? Four key points here: 

-the new County Charter provides for more representation, by district, for urban, suburban, and rural voters, with FOUR County Council positions, each voted by DISTRICT (currently each seat is voted on County-wide in the general election), and a County Council Chair elected COUNTY-WIDE - so as to have a mandate of ALL the people. 

-Each County Council member will make only $53,000 per year, rather than the current $102K per Council member. This means a savings, in terms of elected Council salaries, of $30K total. 

-A SEPARATE County Administrator, similar to a city manager, will be hired by a majority vote of County Council members. This person will govern the day-to-day administration of Clark County staff, and day-to-day implementation of regulations on the ground - rather than such oversight being in the hands of a County Council, like it is now. 

-The PEOPLE of Clark County will have FULL POWERS of initiative, recall, and referendum, to the best of our abilities under State law. We have NO SUCH POWERS currently. 

More about this new proposed responsible government for Clark County can be found at www.charteryes.com, the campaign site for Charter YES! folks. 

However, back to my volunteering this morning with Charter YES! folks: I had a lovely time, ranging from visiting with folks at the Northwest Gender Alliance (and handing out flyers to them and their group to spread the word), to Habitat for Humanity (who wanted flyers to share with their membership), to St James Episcopal, who also wanted flyers. A lovely time was spent chit chatting with a Skyview HS civics teacher of 12th graders, who wanted flyers to show her students WHY they needed to make their first votes COUNT this November. A great time most of all was had with a mother and her two young sons, who wanted Charter YES! buttons to wear (and Dum-Dum lollipops to suck on). Best of all was my chit-chat with other Charter YES! volunteer folks, who had this to say about all the support we received in Esther Short Park this morning: 

"Its just awesome to see so many people supporting us...the (feeling) is incredible...I'm awed". 

That about sums it up right there for me too. I'm awed and humbled at the outpouring of support, from political candidates on down to young boys. I'm blessed to live in a County filled with folks who recognize WHY its high time we had a government that works for US, rather than a government whose spokespeople (such as Chuck Miller of the "Don't Lose Your Voice" anti-Charter PAC) have "NO COMMENT" (at least they don't to The Columbian). 

I'll be at Esther Short Farmers' Market next Saturday, manning the Charter YES! booth. Come on down, and let's chit chat about the new Charter, and why YOU SHOULD VOTE YES! on a new future for Clark County this November 2014. 

Tuesday Trash Talk: Esther Short Follow-Up, C-Tran's Snazzy New E-Card (and Bottle Throwing Bus Drivers Being Disciplined), AND...WHY NO SIDEWALK ON NE 68th STREET TO THE HIV+ PEOPLES' FOOD BANK?????

Happy Tuesday, folks, and welcome to this afternoon's edition of O Vancouvria!

Today, I'd like to first discuss follow up on the ongoing Esther Short nonsense (including people defecating and exposing themselves in said park during Labor Day weekend's Kumori-con costume play festival). It's clear from Brian Potter, Public Works Manager for the City of Vancouver, that Esther Short will receive NO City cleanup or weeding until mid-October, and possibly later. Public works crews, understaffed already, are busy reconstructing "sight lines" on east side medians, such as McGillivray Blvd. Important work that needs doing, sure. 

Brian assured me that crews will attempt to get in and weed Esther Short Park's nasty looking flowerbeds "when they have a spare minute". I still have NOT YET RECEIVED a schedule of what parks Brian and his crews are cleaning when, even though it was promised me by Peggy Furno, City Manager Eric Holmes' capable aide de camp. Peggy, I'm waiting. 

At any event, Brian assured me that I am "more than welcome", with other like minded folks, to go ahead and weed out flowerbeds at Esther Short - a challenge I've already taken him up on. We're also welcome to pick up litter as needed. What is NOT welcome, per Brian, are folks bringing riding lawnmowers and chainsaws to do landscpaing work in city parks - it apparently runs afoul of "union regulations". So, folks: here's a challenge: NEXT TIME you see litter in your neighborhood park, or a weed, pick up the trash and dispose of it properly. Or pull that weed. Leave it for Brian and his folks to pick up WHEN AND IF they get around to it. They're busy with sightline medians elsewhere these days. 

NEXT: A HAPPY RESOLUTION TO A NASTY C-TRAN DRIVER'S ACTIONS

I'd like to humbly thank Lynn Halsey, Director of C-Tran Operations, and Bob Medcraft, C-Tran's Security Director, for sitting down with me last Thursday (the 4th) to discuss the actions of a bottle-throwing driver on the Number 4 eastbound (to Van Mall) bus, on the evening of August 28. The driver grabbed a CLOSED beer bottle, in a paper bag, from an unsuspecting tired Latino man attempting to board said bus (which yours truly was on, watching from the midsection). The driver OPENED the bottle, took a "deep whiff" (sip?) and then ordered the tired Latino passenger OFF the bus. The would-be passenger took it well, asking for his bottle back (so he could drink it while walking over the Interstate Bridge). The driver THREW the bottle at the passenger, actually getting off the bus to do so. C-Tran has it all on tape, and Lynn, Bob, and myself sat down to review it on the 4th. 

Its clear that the driver, per Lynn, will be disciplined, through regular processes. Lynn also expressed concern that I had "not gone through the proper channels" to resolve this matter. Let it be heard that I in fact HAD contacted C-Tran about other crazy drivers (including one that nearly hit me crossing the street, that bus ran a red light on 164th SE doing 60 MPH) and had NOT heard from anyone, including supervisors. Even after filing reports, including bus digits (the 4 digit number on the side of the bus) to customer service. 

I assume this bottle throwing driver is getting his. I will never know. I'm good with Lynn's actions after we reviewed the video together.

What Lynn wanted me to mention is C-Tran's new "e-card" system, starting in 2017 or thereabouts. Seems instead of passes and transfers, we'll all buy e-cards, and load our fares onto them, then tapping or swiping them at the farebox. NO WORD YET on how C-Tran will work out "reduced fare" pass costs on their new e-cards (reduced fare passes are what poor folks on food stamps, like me, can get for their travel within CLARK COUNTY only). Anyways, expect this new fancy dance to hit in a couple of years. Get ready for E-CARDS! Lynn's excited. 

THE MAIN COURSE: NO SIDEWALKS ON NARROW NE 68th STREET TO FOOD BANK, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DELAYED IMPROVEMENTS TO STREET 

I was walking uphill on NE 68th Street this morning to volunteer at Martha's Pantry, the ONLY food bank serving folks with life-threatening conditions in all of SW Washington, at the First Congregational Church, NE 68th and NE 11th Ave, in Hazel Dell. There are NO SIDEWALKS ON EITHER SIDE OF 68th for its ENTIRE LENGTH, let alone coming up from Hwy 99 (where the nearest bus stops are). C-Tran won't put service in on NE 68th, and it turns out County Commissioners are WELL AWARE of the issue - petitions have been presented by folks attending First Congregational Church (elderly folks, in danger of their lives, walking uphill to church from the bus stop). 

It turns out this street is also traveled by poor folks with life-threatening conditions (HIV, tuberculosis, palsy, etc) who NEED FOOD from the food bank. NE 68th is extremely narrow (14' width), no shoulders, and NO STREETLIGHTS either. Commissioners, who had the funding for sidewalk improvements on this road, decided to fritter funding elsewhere (lawsuits?). It's clear, from cars whizzing by me doing 40, and from sources at the Church and Food Bank, that Commissioner Ed Barnes (in whose district this is) needs to GET ON THE BALL and get some sidewalks built for poor folks going to church and food bank STAT. 

Rest assured O Vancouvria! WILL FOLLOW UP on this one. Commissioner Barnes, why can't elderly folks going to church have a sidewalk for their safety to First Congregational from Hwy 99? Why can't poor folks with terminal illnesses safely get food, especially during winter's afternoon darkness? Commissioners Madore and Mielke, why did you redirect sidewalk funds for 68th elsewhere???? Answers posted to HERE, please. Lets get this business out in the light of day, and build some safety improvements to NE 68th ASAP. 

Dialogue With Brian Potter, Public Works Manager, About City's Specific Schedule for Weeding/Picking up Litter In Esther Short Park

NOTE: Brian Potter, Public Works Manager for the City of Vancouver, still has NOT yet given me a firm date for when the City will weed/pick up litter out of Esther Short Park flowerbeds as of this posting (Sept 5, 2014). 

I've given the City of Vancouver til next Monday, Sept 8, to get me a FIRM DATE as to when they plan on weeding Esther Short flowerbeds. Stay tuned for O Vancouvria! on Sept 9. 

Read on below for my email exchange with Mr Potter over City crews' inability to take care of Vancouver's "living room": 

Questions about Esther Short Park Maintenance?

Inbox

x

Potter, Brian	Sep 3 (2 days ago)
to me

Mr. Anderson,

 

I understand that you have a couple of questions related to maintenance of Esther Short Park.

 

I’d be happy to help you with any questions.

 

You can either contact me via email or call me at number below.

 

Sincerely,

 

Brian

 

Brian Potter | Operations Superintendent

 

 

CITY OF VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON

Public Works/Grounds, Cemeteries, Surface Water and Sensitive Lands

4711 E. Fourth Plain Blvd/PO Box 1995 • Vancouver, WA, 98668-1995

 

P: (360) 487-8323 | TTY: (360) 487-8602

 

www.cityofvancouver.us | www.cityofvancouver.us/socialmedia 

 

 

 

 

 

Shea Michael Anderson <sheaside@gmail.com>	Sep 3 (2 days ago)
to Peggy, Brian

Yes! What's your schedule for cleaning up/weeding Esther Short? Peggy Furno said mid-Oct!?! The beds are FULL of weeds. Grass half dead.

Thanks
Shea

Potter, Brian	2:05 PM (11 hours ago)
to me, Peggy

Shea,

We don’t have a specific schedule drafted for work at Ester Short Park, but now that the summer events are wrapping up, it will allow us more flexibility to schedule some work throughout the park.

We are currently focusing on the medians, as the mowing needs have slowed.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Brian

From: Shea Michael Anderson [mailto:sheaside@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 9:09 PM
To: Potter, Brian
Cc: Furno, Peggy
Subject: Re: Questions about Esther Short Park Maintenance?

Shea Michael Anderson		6:15 PM (7 hours ago)
Hi Brian, Esther Short is full of weeds and trash. I can send you pics if you...

Shea Michael Anderson <sheaside@gmail.com>	2:04 AM (0 minutes ago)
to eric.holmes, Stephanie, Brian, Peggy

Brian, I was under the impression from Peggy that the City Parks folks had a specific schedule for maintenance and cleaning of all Vancouver parks properties. In fact, I believe Peggy showed me something like that on the City Hall front desk computer. 

If that's not the case, please indicate to me WHEN (specific date) your crews plan on cleaning up weeds and trash out of Vancouver's "crown jewel" (per Eric Holmes) or our "living room" (as I like to call it). 

I'll follow up next Tuesday (the 9th) with photos of Esther Short in whatever current state it's in that morning - weedy or not, trashed or not. In the meantime, I'm pulling weeds when I have time there, as well as picking up garbage. I'm appalled you and City Parks crews have deferred weed-pulling and bed cleanup for as long as you have. I can get at least one bed there DONE (and I've been a landscaper for seven years) in 30 MINUTESfacebook.com/yoursacredgarden). 

I'm not sure why you're giving me the runaround on park maintenance scheduling - do I need to file a formal public disclosure request with you and Public Works both just to find out when y'all plan on gettin around to it? I'm also not sure why McGillivray Blvd medians are a HIGHER priority than Vancouver's Living Room. Are they a tourist destination I'm unaware of? I do know lots of folks look at and use Esther Short Park - you'd think perhaps y'all would want to be a little quicker on the ball with getting out the trowels and leafblowers. 

I expect a higher, better level of service from folks who keep Vancouver's living room up to snuff (at least in theory, y'all are paid by my tax dollars to do that). 

You have til Monday afternoon to get me any information you like before I go to press, ovancouvria.blogspot.com. I'll be at Monday night's Council meeting if you would like to talk in person. 

Thank you

Poor Kumori-Con Communication, Poor City Planning, and How Vancouver's "Living Room" Got Thrashed Labor Day Weekend 2014

Esther Short, "Mother" of Vancouver City

  This is an extremely hard post for me to write, given the subject matter - Esther Short Park, and how it was thrashed this past weekend by Kumori-Con attendees - touches upon two of my favorite sights in Vancouver City: the park itself, and the colorful (and for the most part, exceedingly friendly and polite) Kumori-con "costume play" crowd. 

Kumori-con 2014 Attendees, Hilton, Downtown Vancouver

Our story starts Friday morning (August 29th). Yours truly stopped in at City Hall to speak briefly with Peggy Furno, City Manager Eric Holmes' aide-de-camp (and a very capable and smart lady) on a semi-park related matter: I had been noticing the weed-filled beds in Esther Short Park, and was concerned (since I had already spoken to Holmes about it at City Council's Aug 25 meeting) that the City grounds crew had NOT done its job: namely, weeding and grooming the flowerbeds of Vancouver's "living room" (as of this morning, City grounds crews still had not cleaned up said flowerbeds). 

Peggy assured me that, due to the limited size of the City's grounds crew (14 staffers), and given the vast number of things needing doing by them (crew members were apparently cleaning up the McGillivray Blvd medians, rather than attending to downtown Vancouver needs), that groundskeepers would NOT get around to Esther Short Park til mid-October, if not later. She promised to email me their schedule (still has not yet arrived as of press time). 

I also queried Peggy on the locked Porta-Potties in Esther Short Park, given the already large numbers of Kumori-con attendees milling around Propstra Square fountains and in the park itself, waiting for the con's Friday morning opening. She reassured me that the Hilton (across 6th from the park) would "see to their needs", and that the Vancouver Fest organizers (a Christian rock fest scheduled for Esther Short Park the same weekend), whose outhouses they were, would "unlock them" for Kumori-con needs. Hilton staff noted to me separately (on Saturday morning) that their bathrooms were for Hilton and con patrons only, while the Porta-Potties remained LOCKED all day Thursday and Friday, only opening during Vancouver Fest hours Friday and Saturday evenings (music acts mainly had a Kumori-con audience). Porta-Potties were again locked on Sunday and Monday, Labor Day. 

Peggy also noted to me that Kumori-con organizers "never touched base" with anyone at the City of Vancouver regarding their bathroom needs, nor paid the City any monies to provide facilities. In fact, Peggy let me know that NO ONE from Kumori-con, or the Hilton Convention Center, ever got in touch with the City for a 4-day weekend event that drew in excess of 7,000 attendees to downtown Vancouver (and Esther Short Park). 

Saturday morning, August 30: I walked along Esther Short Park's Columbia Street side, already appalled by the huge amounts of litter and waste left in the flowerbeds, bushes, on the sidewalks, in the fountains - including beer cans. One VERY DISGRUNTLED City temp worker, emptying overflowing trash cans, noted to me that not one, but TWO folks had actually POOPED in Esther Short Park. Needless to say, they were none to happy to clean it up. 

I wandered into the Hilton, and spoke at the front desk with communications management staffers about the trashed park. They promised to contact Kumori-con folks, and pointed out 8.5"x 11" signs, taped to all Hilton doors, asking con attendees to please "not litter" Esther Short Park. Swirls of costumed folks, many carrying cumbersome appendages, moved to and fro as we spoke at 830 AM. 

Sunday passed quietly, for the most part. Again, large numbers of Kumori-con folk moving to and fro. 

Monday, September 1st - Labor Day: I noticed heavy litter all through the park - on the lawns, the paths, in the beds. There was a very sweaty young blond worker bee from the City (I believe) picking up trash in a large garden wagon - around 5:30 in the afternoon. 

I decided to go talk to Kumori-con folk directly, at their front desk for the convention registration. Staffers there said no one from the City had contacted them about renting Porta-Potties (they would have been happy to), nor about litter issues in the park. They were appalled to learn about the public pooping in Vancouver's "living room", but quickly noted that "aggressive homeless people" (there are a few, not too many) were to blame, while also telling me about public nudity in Esther Short that day (not sure if aggressive homeless responsible there as well). For the record, I have NEVER seen a homeless person pooping or peeing in public in Esther Short Park. I saw quite a few young Kumori-con men peeing quite openly in the park on both Friday and Saturday nights. 

I'm not sure what to make of all this. Peggy Furno at the City of Vancouver says everything is fine, and grounds crews are "getting around" to cleaning up Esther Short. Kumori-con folks say the City never contacted them, and their folks are "picking up their trash" (per their signs on the Hilton's doors). Hilton folks, working for regular pay ON Labor Day itself, seemed weary of the hoopla. 

Me? I'm tired of nasty weed-filled, beer-can choked beds in Esther Short Park. I'm tired of a City that pushes off discussion of a public bathroom, open 24/7, like the Portland Loo, because they're frightened of the Vancouver Police Department's bugaboo of sex and drug orgies. I'm sick of a City, and an event, that blame eachother, and innocent-seeming homeless folk, for public pooping, nudity, and litter in MY living room. 

I call on Peggy Durro, and through her Eric Holmes, City Manager, and Vancouver City Council, as well as Kumori-con organizers, to MEET up and rectify this mess. Otherwise, in my opinion, the Kumori-mess can just hit the road and leave OUR living room in peace. 

Downtown Excitement in Old Vancouver City!

O Vancouvria here, with a light, frothy Labor Day post. 

I'd like everyone to know about all the goings-on downtown this weekend: 
 

Kumori-Con, Now on at the Hilton

-Kumori-con, a Japanese animation and comics convention at the Hilton. Look for young people in interesting costumes thronging downtown and Fort sites, also looking lost. 

-Vancouver Fest, a free festival of Christian rock music. In Esther Short Park. Look for young earnest people thronging downtown, looking lost and looking to save the lost. 

-Narcotics Anonymous, convening at Red Lion at the Quay (foot of Columbia Street). Be sure to go there if feeling "lost" regarding addictive tendencies or issues. 

As usual, we have the GIANT and FESTIVE Vancouver Farmers' Market, happening at Esther Short Park all weekend long. Go for the free samples and feel lost in the crowd. Or go with a group and enjoy yourselves, whichever of our fine amenities you choose. 

We'll be back Tuesday with new and exciting Vancouvrian intrigues political and otherwise. Stay tuned for the story of the angry C-Tran driver, Bus #1776, who throws full glass bottles at prospective passengers!

Light and Frothy Tuesday at O Vancouvria!

A couple exciting downtown happenings I noticed when visiting the Farmers' Market and Fort Vancouver beach Saturday: 

- the City is to be commended for Hoops on the River, an exciting takeover of Esther Short by basketball-crazed folks all through the park, as well as on W 8th and Columbia. I'd especially like to thank all the hot man-candy that showed up for the basketball playing, as well as the Marines, for my own viewing pleasure. In particular and of more import to Vantuckians, however, is the fact that its just nice to see so many people using our downtown gem of a commons to enjoy themselves. And kudos to Eric Holmes and his events people for things going so smoothly. Nice job. 

- the Vancouver Downtown Association, the Sparks family, and Torque coffee are to be commended for the fast-paced renovation of the former Sparks Furniture building, at Broadway and Evergreen, into what will be a lively office/retail block-long space, including a giant new VISIBLE Torque Coffee at what is the MAJOR transfer stop for frequent service C-Tran routes 4, 37/38, and 71. Also convenient to the Vancouver Central Library. Nice work all!

Stay tuned for Thursday's Vancouver Police Department volunteer intrigues - there's more than just no helmet wearing by the police volunteer bike patrol that meets the eye. Waiting on VPD's comment about the situation before we go to press. 

As always, read O Vancouvria for the lowdown showdown!