Denver residents have grown used to it. City planners and public relations specialists suddenly appear and announce in one or more neighborhoods that they are gathering “robust public input” for a wonderful new project that will benefit everyone, but especially the poor or semi-poor and/or abused women, kids et al. But time is short and the project must be approved as soon as humanly possible or bad things will happen.
If the lumpenproletariat appear to be raising a ruckus which is reaching the local and alternative media, the story is given to a clueless Denver Post reporter who writes a bland, lifeless piece that generally toes the administration line with a bromide or two thrown to the citizenry. The mayor’s developer friends then go do what they intended to do in the first place. A lawsuit is then filed by outraged citizens in the Denver District Court system where the judges are essentially lifetime bureaucrats dressed in black robes who appear to quake in fear of the corrupt and largely incompetent City Attorney’s Office.
So began the destruction of the open space at “Lowry Vista” and “Hentzell Park” along with another dozen or so citizen rip-offs in favor of the Mayor of Denver Michael Hancock and his developer friends and in particular his handler-in-chief, Oakwood Homes’ CEO Pat Hamill.
Now it’s the Park Hill neighborhood’s turn in the barrel as Denver is proposing to take 30 acres and 280 of 872 trees on City Park Golf course for an all of the sudden 100 year flood crisis project that must be approved immediately or (laughably) irreparable harm will occur to the most vulnerable of Denver’s citizens and neighborhoods.
A 100 year storm water detention pond is a truly ugly thing to behold. All trees and bushes and other vegetation is stripped away other than some limp grasses. The lifeless hole is then filled only for relatively short periods of time when filthy, badly polluted water and trash flow into the hole. The water recedes away while the filth, trash and chemical pollutants remain. The subsequent clean-up is relatively minimal since a new deluge will appear soon enough.
Jamie Price is the outside program director for the “Platte to Park Hill Stormwater” project. The project is, in theory, to help control the stormwater flowing north and west from Fairmount Cemetery down to the Platte River. Of course, Denver is, in fact, in a semi-arid desert area with only 16.38 inches of precipitation a year and thus not a great deal of stormwater to worry about.
Moreover, the real problem is that the existing pipes are too small for today’s increased surface run-off. Those pipelines are not being enlarged so whatever flooding exists will continue on unabated. But that is just not the way to look at it according to Denver’s Department of Public Works that is funding the project with help from CDOT and the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District.
Mr. Price declared to Westword that “We get a lot of positive feedback, that this makes total sense.” The City’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer Gretchen Hollrah told a neighborhood organization, “It is my fervent belief that in this project the city is acting as an advocate for neighborhoods to deliver the project as fast as we can to provide stormwater relief.”
The trouble is that the neighborhood rubes have been ripped off by Mayor Hancock and the City Council too many times and they are not quite as easy to fool these days.
No one is ever quite sure whether people like Jamie Price and Gretchen Hollrah affirmatively know that they are lying to us or they simply just don’t care what the truth is. Or maybe they are being conned themselves since the fewer people who really know what’s going on the better and neither appears to be exactly the brightest crayon in the box, notwithstanding, in Price’s case, an engineering degree.
Pro neighborhood Councilman Rafael Espinoza queried why the City of Denver was paying for this since it is CDOT’s responsibility to provide 100 year flood protection. But no answer was forthcoming. Park Hill is represented (if that verb can be used) on the City Council by Albus Brooks. It is said of Mr. Brooks that he need not actually attend Council meetings, but simply have placed in front of his seat a sign declaring, “I enthusiastically support whatever the Mayor says!”
But then who is really behind this land grab? To find out, as Deep Throat told Woodward and Bernstein during the Watergate scandal, simply — “Follow the money.”
The city and state apparatchiks at first claimed that the Platte to Park Hill Stormwater project and massive I-70 expansion were “totally unrelated.” As that became more and more untenable to say with a straight face, it changed to a claim that the two were “related but not inseparable.” Eventually it will be acknowledged that the two are one and the same, but by then it won’t matter and it will be too late for the Park Hill neighborhood and what’s left of the golf course.
The land along the new I-70 corridor will soon become incredibly valuable. The massive new concrete areas will cause severe stormwater problems that must be addressed. Detention pond areas are worthless for a developer so they must be pushed upstream into central Denver where public park land can be seized for the eventual enrichment of the few. Who, pray tell, will be the biggest beneficiary? If one had to make a wild guess one could look to the last two words of the third full paragraph above.
Truer words were never spoken: “The greatest wealth is health.” Virgil’s words ring true and dear to Coloradans. We are on the forefront of the raging health discussion, with potential plans to enact a new healthcare system called ColoradoCare, a single-payer plan. ColoradoCare, with a projected annual budget of $38 billion, based on a recent report released by Colorado Health Institute last month, would bring major changes to the state.
Amendment 69 is the ballot measure that would create “ColoradoCare.” The amendment was approved after the proponents collected more than 109,000 signatures. Amendment 69 will go on the ballot for residents of Colorado to vote on this November. If approved, it would create ColoradoCare.
What Is ColoradoCare?
ColoradoCare is a single-payer plan, which means it would be a universal health care plan, rather than a system based on private insurers. This program is similar to systems in Europe, where health insurance is financed by taxes.
ColoradoCare aims to provide all residents with Medicare style health coverage, getting rid of deductibles and co-payments. Despite the steep state tax increase that would be enacted to cover the new healthcare system, not paying costly deductibles and co-payments may reduce the monthly health cost for the average resident. For some, especially those with chronic conditions who see doctors frequently, this could significantly reduce health spending. Should a community support the unlucky individuals who struggle with their health on a daily basis? The question of whether ColoradoCare would help to ease this burden is on the minds of some.
Why Was ColoradoCare Created?
There are concerns that Obamacare does not provide adequate healthcare for its citizens. ColoradoCare was initiated due to dissatisfaction surrounding Obamacare and high costs of medical care. If ColoradoCare is approved, it would replace Obamacare within the state of Colorado. A section of the Affordable Care Act allows states to waive the federal healthcare program if the state can enact a successful plan that provides residents access to high quality, affordable insurance. If the plan is enacted, Colorado will be the first state in the country to replace Obamacare. Vermont tried to implement a similar health care plan two years ago, but the plan fell apart when the Vermont governor, Peter Shumalin, said the state could not pay for such a program.
How Will ColoradoCare Get Funded?
Much of the debate stems from the source of the funding for ColoradoCare. We still don’t have a clear picture, but in order to fund such a project, Colorado will need to come up with $25 billion. According to the Census Bureau, the state budget is just over $30 billion. The additional revenue to fund this expensive project will come from a steep state tax increase on all Colorado residents. The Colorado Health Institute states it will require an additional 10% tax on all earned income generated in Colorado. Businesses will be required to pay 6.67% tax, and their employees will be responsible for another 3.33% tax. The state income tax rate would increase, which would firmly place Colorado in the top 10 states for income tax. Sole proprietors will be hit the hardest, as they will be responsible for paying the full 10% themselves, thus bringing their total state income tax to 14.63% — the highest in the nation. The fear of such a high tax rate is that it could negatively affect the working poor, middle class, and small businesses. It also may prevent companies from moving to Colorado, or it could force companies to move away, thus creating a job deficit.
How Is ColoradoCare Going To Affect Coloradans?
Currently, it is not entirely clear how ColoradoCare would affect individuals, providers, and businesses. There is much ambiguity as to how the plan will be carried out, and how it will be funded.
Some argue that ColoradoCare will reduce the high administration costs due to complicated insurance plans. With the current system in place, receiving insurance reimbursement is a lengthy process that requires a good deal of expertise, training, and time from billing health professionals. Every insurance company has different billing policies and reimbursements, and it is time consuming for office staff to wade these perilous waters. One goal of ColoradoCare is to reduce these costs by creating a universal plan, which, by definition, should result in a simpler billing policies. This would, in theory, reduce the amount spent on administrative support staff, thus reducing overall healthcare spending for the state.
If ColoradoCare is enacted, it isn’t clear how it will affect physicians. Some fear that physicians may leave the state in search of better pay. Last year, Medicaid and Medicare announced it could only reimburse the nation’s health insurers 12.6% of what they were entitled to. This translates into Medicare and Medicaid reimbursing just $362 million of the promised $2.9 billion. If ColoradoCare is switching to a Medicare-style program, it is possible physicians will be compensated less for their services. If this is the case, doctors may not be incentivized to practice in Colorado, which could reduce the quality of care received.
Heated debates are going on across the state as to whether we should substitute a universal system over the federal regulations. Whether it will be a better program than Obamacare is only speculation, with both avid supporters and enraged opponents. While Colorado strives to be on the forefront of the country, innovation carries significant risk. Despite the risk, there are fervent supporters to the vision of universal healthcare. On a national level, we forged the road to legalized marijuana, and perhaps we will pioneer the way to a better health care system.
Thanks goes out to the GCCC for allowing me to use my column this month to talk about a cause that is very important to me. Wasted food has become rampant, even in the communities we live in. Here’s a factoid, more than one-third of the food produced for consumption in the U.S. won’t be eaten. Considering the food thrown out by supermarkets, restaurants, schools, hospitals, at home and elsewhere, the food waste toll comes to 40 percent of the food supply. In fact, 18 percent of landfill and that is staggering.
The good news is that people are becoming more aware of this situation and are doing something about it. Through my radio shows the Modern Eater and the Modern Drinker that air live every Saturday at 6 p.m. on 630 KHOW I had the privilege to meet Arlan Preblud who heads up the local non-profit We Don’t Waste.
We Don’t Waste currently serves more than 120 of Denver’s community-based, non-profit agencies. The food sourced by We Don’t Waste augments the food programs of the non-profits it serves, allowing these organizations to reduce their food budgets while still serving wholesome, nutritional meals. Since inception, We Don’t Waste has distributed over 14 million servings of food to Denver’s underserved populations.
After interviewing Arlan on my show I knew I wanted to do my part to help create awareness for the ridiculous amount of food we waste. It breaks my heart to think that there are many hard working families right here in our community who may not be starving, but they just don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and that’s unacceptable in this day and age.
Here’s where creating awareness for this wasted food epidemic becomes fun. I dreamed up this idea of gathering up some of Denver’s top chefs who will take wasted food that was destined for a landfill and recovering it through We Don’t Waste and turning it into gourmet dishes for you to enjoy! I’ve turned this innovative idea into an event called Dumpster Dinner.
Check this out! On May 21 at the Studios at Overland Crossing Dumpster Dinner and Dumpster Dance will go off, and you can attend. You’re not going to believe this lineup. From 5-7 p.m. the VIP portion of the evening will include a very intimate Get Spoiled experience with participating local chefs representing their restaurants (listed below). Only 100 VIP tickets will be sold. With your VIP ticket you will enjoy offerings from these amazing chefs that will be paired with the finest local Colorado craft beer, spirits and wine (listed below). Your VIP ticket includes the admission into the Dumpster Dance that follows the dinner.
From 6:30-10 p.m. Dumpster Dance will step off (only 400 tickets are available if you just want to attend the dance). The dance part of the evening is awesome if I must say so myself. You will be treated to comfortable lounge seating, complemented with a shabby chic décor along with a lineup of the best entertainment that Denver has to offer. Enjoy the soulful dulcet tones of the national performer Rob Drabkin who is headlining the Dumpster Dance! The breakout Denver band AMZY will kick things off and they will be sure to get you up and dancing. Don’t worry about being hungry or thirsty, continue to enjoy the best Colorado craft beer, spirits and wine along with a buffet of delicious food prepared by the chefs, then grab some fresh local meat off the smokers and grills. The entertainment doesn’t stop while you soak in the visual stimulation of aerial bartenders, contortionist, fire performances and more! Don’t miss out on this amazing event benefiting a much needed organization in “We Don’t Waste!” For more information and tickets you can go to dumpsterdin ner.com. If you’re just interested in going to the dance go to dumpsterdance.com. Don’t miss out, I’ll see you there!
Your pal, Sheik!
Here is a list of the amazing Denver restaurants and chefs and the Colorado craft beer, wine and spirit purveyors.
Restaurants And Chefs
Chef Daniel Asher – Root Down + Linger
Chef Jesper Jonsson – Auguste Escoffier
Chef Nikki Olst – Epicurean Group
Chef Kevin Savoy – Carbon Beverage Cafe & Habit Doughnuts
CLICK HEREfor the entire raw, unedited and unaltered transcript and audio recording of the incredible Tehranian Death Star meeting with the wealthy Persian rug merchants Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and Nasrin Kholghy, and their high-powered consultants Dana Crawford, David Tryba, Chris Shears and Bill James, seeking to pressure Glendale officials — Police Captain Mike Gross and Deputy City Managers Chuck Line and Linda Cassaday — into tentatively approving a massive 50- to 60-story condo high-rise on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek.
Listen for yourself to the so-called “historic preservationist” Dana Crawford declaring that citizens in Denver were “hysterical about blocking their views” as well as offering “special sugar” for approval of the massive project. Hear famed architect David Tryba demand that Glendale be “more encouraging [about] more verticality” and RTD Director Bill James asserting that because Glendale is a separate jurisdiction surrounded by Denver it would be “easier to get away with” this type of massive high-rise.
Experts are calling the recording and transcript “unprecedented” and “extraordinary” and “a must hear and read” for any citizen in the Denver/Glendale area concerned about how developers and their consultants try to, and usually succeed, in running roughshod over zoning and Master Plans put in place by citizens.
The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle has been inundated with e-mails, letters and correspondence concerning its March story “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed.” To be able to print more of the correspondence the Chronicle has elected to devote its entire editorial page to “We Get Letters . . . .”
I must congratulate the Chronicle. Over a year ago you indicated that the real goal of the wealthy rug merchants at Authentic Persian & Oriental Rugs was to build a massive high-rise on the 3.5 acres of land they own off Colorado Boulevard. They constantly denied the same to the public and then you capture them on tape doing exactly that. Amazing. Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law as well as their high priced consultants certainly know how run into a doorknob at full speed.
S. Johnson
Denver, CO
Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law Nasrin Kholghy are not nice people and I should know, I was one of their stalking targets in Glendale.
Douglas Stiff
Glendale, CO
I can’t tell you the outpouring of support I have gotten throughout Cherry Creek Valley for publically standing up to Kheirkhahi and against his proposed massive condo project. I want to thank the Chronicle for being the one publication in the Denver area that is never afraid to print the truth. Keep up the good fight
R. Wayne King
Glendale, CO
I am not a big fan of the Rug Merchants, but I support the idea of having a high-rise condo in Glendale and I think it could be a very successful development. Nobody is building condos these days and the city is saturated with rental properties. I’d be very interested in buying in a high-rise, providing it is a modern design with floor to ceiling windows and doesn’t have Tehran in its name.
Sasha Veysbeyn
Denver, CO
Thank you for continuing to update the Glendale public on the transformation of this situation. I want to thank the City Officials of Glendale for staying strong to protect the zoning codes and the city as it currently stands. I want the city of Glendale to know that we support you and do not want a building such as this in our neighborhood.
Laura Haas
Denver, CO
I have always had such admiration for Dana Crawford but it is easy to see the dollar signs in her eyes with this one. Since I don’t, I can easily see what a hideous monstrosity this would be, not to mention the nightmare it would create for people commuting. I hope the lawsuit ties this up for years. Who says we have to aspire to be like New York or Tehran… I think all of us who live here prefer a relatively unfettered view of our beautiful mountains. Stay strong, Glendale. Don’t let these people bully you into a disaster (and an ugly one at that).
Julie [last name not provided]
Denver, CO
Given the traffic congestion on Colorado Blvd., they should design a heliport on the top of this tower so that residents can access their condos.
Will Cameron
Denver, CO
Here’s to hoping that Death Star never gets started. The land and look and feel of Glendale just doesn’t lend itself to skyscrapers. Case in point, the perpetually abandoned looking, relic Lowes building. The biggest thing in Glendale that no one ever wants to even look at. That’s how out of place that monstrosity seems. So no, we don’t need a circa 1980’s Diehard movie, Nakatomi Plaza smack dab in the middle of what could be a a very nice, river-walk style, pedestrian, open retail area.
Jose Rosario
Denver, CO
You are the biggest racist I have ever seen. You Make Donald Trump look like Mother Teresa.
Whether the rug people are bad or not is not the issue. but your constant degradation of Iranians and Muslims is ridiculous. I hope the FBI has you on a watch list dude you are dangerous.
Donnie Smith
Denver, CO
I am so grateful to the Glendale city officials who have blocked the progress of M.A.K. development and the Kheirkhahi family with their monstrosity residential idea. I hope this blockage is forever. How unfair of them to corral the hi-falutin’ Denver city celebrities and power brokers to push their idea of a 56-story nightmare onto Glendale’s Colorado Boulevard profile. Also how unfair of them to request an exception to the city plan, rather than be good citizens and follow the plan. I held my breath until the final sentences of last month’s article. I shop in Glendale and Belcaro, eat at City Set, and use the Post Office and feel it’s my neighborhood still, even though I’ve moved to Windsor Gardens. I have sorely regretted the development that has already taken place in Glendale that has caused the lines of traffic on S. Cherry Creek Blvd. and increased traffic on Leetsdale and Colorado Blvd. South Cherry Creek Blvd. used to be an unknown, lightly-used and quick route down to Holly and Monaco and Quebec streets — a back way to go south. Now it’s stop-and-go most times of the day. And it is often hard to find parking at City Set where popular local restaurants are located. Glendale used to be a place where people could rent for less expense. More luxury condominiums are not what Denver needs. More low and middle income rentals are what is needed. Just what point are the Kheirkhahis trying to make with this monstrosity?
Colleen Nunn
Denver, CO
I was particularly surprised and dismayed to hear Crawford’s statement that “If we want to double Denver metropolitan population we’re going to have to get over our hysteria about high-rise buildings because Denver just, you know, the neighborhoods just get bonkers over the subject.” For one, who wants Denver’s population to double? Certainly not current residents! Denver is already plagued with heavy traffic, especially along Colorado Boulevard. Denver residents are proud to live in Denver and are grateful for this beautiful city — of course we don’t want to destroy it by over-populating it! For another, if the neighborhoods “get bonkers” over something, it is because it is an important topic and there are strong and majority opinions about it — someone truly looking out for the benefit of the city and its residents would not belittle or ignore those opinions.
I applaud and thank the City representatives for standing their ground and not being unduly influenced by a wealthy minority.
In perhaps a new low, a fake, unlicensed private investigator, Charles Johnson, was flown in from Nashville, Tennessee, to go to the homes and businesses of citizens of Glendale, Denver and Lakewood, who had all made remarks quoted in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle that might be deemed critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi, the principal owner of the Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs store and his proposed massive 50- to 60-story high rise condo project on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek (See Chronicle, March 2016, “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed”).
Harassment And Stalking
Various citizens from Glendale, Denver and Lakewood called the police complaining about the ongoing harassment and stalking from Johnson. He apparently is not licensed either in Colorado or Tennessee to conduct private investigations. Johnson even went to the private residence of Glendale City Clerk Sherry Frame and tried to obtain access into her complex.
Johnson Arrested
Johnson was arrested at 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Advantage Rent-A-Car trying to flee back to Nashville via an early morning plane flight. According to the police report obtained by the Chronicle through an open records request, Johnson stated “he was ‘hired’ by a female writer in Denver Colorado to conduct interviews with people who recently provided interviews to the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle regarding Glendale 180 . . . .” and later stated he was under contract with an “individual female writer/ journalist in the local area.” Johnson repeatedly refused to say who the individual was who hired him saying “she may want to get an attorney” and he had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the woman.
To some, the description appeared to perfectly fit Jeanne Price (see Chronicle, Feb. 2016, page 1, “Persian Rug merchants have Denverite Jeanne Price Digging Hard for Dirt”), who at different times has described herself as a reporter, writer, freelance columnist and senior researcher.
Calls by the Chronicle to Ms. Price inquiring whether she had contracted with or knew Charles Johnson were not returned. Price sits next to Kheirkhahi at Glendale City Council meetings and is believed to be employed by Kheirkhahi or his affiliated entities. Calls to Kheirkhahi from the Chronicle were also not returned. Legal experts indicate that individuals who knowingly contract with another to break the law may in some instances be charged themselves.
Scare Citizens
If the purpose of Johnson’s trip was to scare and intimidate citizens critical of the Persian rug merchants from talking with the media and in particular the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, he was successful at least partially.
Trish Abbott had published in the Chronicle a communication critical of the Kholghys (the in-laws of Kheirkhahi) in the December 2015 “We Get Letters . . .” He attempted to harass her at her former address and at her current one although she repeatedly told him she did not want to speak with him.
Abbott filed a harassment complaint against Johnson with the Glendale Police. The police report indicates that Abbott was clearly concerned that someone could find her address and track her down simply because of what she had said in a newspaper article. Abbott told the police “she would never make a statement or go on record for a paper again.”
Johnson asserted to the police that he tried to access the City Clerk’s complex because he did not want to meet with her in her office at City Hall. According to the police report, he indicated that “in his experience when he wants to talk with people they usually do not like to do so at their place of employment.”
Harassed At Work
That concept apparently did not apply to Richard Witholder who works in Lakewood. In a statement filed in Glendale and to be filed with the Lakewood police, Johnson showed up at Witholder’s place of employment in Lakewood, where he is the manager of a restaurant. An employee told him that a male was in the restaurant demanding to speak to “Richard.” When Witholder came out he declared that “I’m investigating your quotes you made in the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle” and insisted that Witholder sit down for an interview. When Witholder repeatedly refused he handed him his card and told him to call him.
Witholder immediately contacted the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle which indicated he should contact the police if he felt threatened. Witholder then contacted the Glendale police and arranged for a meeting with Johnson at the Starbucks in Glendale where Witholder hoped the threatening Johnson would be arrested.
At the same time Johnson had been harassing Glendale resident Douglas Stiff about his quotes. Stiff also contacted the Glendale police and immediately arranged to meet with Johnson at Carve Restaurant in Glendale. Because of statements made at the meeting with Stiff, the Glendale Police were able to determine whether Johnson was acting in the capacity of a private investigator in violation of Colorado law. Johnson never showed up for the meeting with Witholder.
Johnson was later arrested for acting as a private investigator in Colorado without a license in violation of C.R.S. Sec. 12-58.5-101. If convicted he is subject to being incarcerated for up to one year and/or up to a $1,000 fine. Witholder hopes that Lakewood will also file charges against Johnson when he returns to Colorado.
According the police report Johnson was carrying active drivers licenses from three different states — Hawaii, Florida and Tennessee. Most states make it a crime to possess more than one driver’s license at the same time. See Cal. V.C. Section 12511. It is not known whether Johnson when he returns to Colorado to face charges on not possessing a private investigators license whether he will also face charges of possessing drivers licenses from multiple states.
Giving False Information
The somewhat crude business cards handed out by Johnson in Colorado were printed at a angle and with an address of 3200 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 without a suite number. That address is a large office building at which he is not listed. He provided his home address to the Glendale Police as 2479 Murfreesboro Road, 222 Nashville, Tennessee 37217 which the Chronicle determined to be a UPS store.
The office phone listed on his card appears to be simply part of a general voicemail system. The cell phone number listed on the card may be to a so called “burner phone.” A burner phone is a prepaid device used specially for one purpose and then disposed. Burner phones are used for various purposes including by persons engaged in potentially illegal activities who do not want their phone to be traced back to them. The Chronicle called both numbers and left messages asking Johnson to call back. Both phone numbers went automatically into voice mail. The Chronicle did not receive any return calls from Johnson.
Unbowed And Unafraid
But if Johnson and his yet to be named employers here in Colorado were hoping to cower all citizens critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his affiliated entities they were unsuccessful. As noted above, Johnson tried to contact Douglas Stiff who both lives and works in Glendale. When Johnson harassed him in both locations Stiff not only contacted the Glendale Police but assisted with a face to face meeting which helped confirm to the Glendale Police that Johnson was engaged in illegal activities.
But more than that, Stiff was incensed by the actions of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi. “To get a massive high rise condo building in violation of Glendale’s zoning laws and Master Plan Mohammad forced our African American citizens who wanted to attend a City Council meeting to run a gauntlet set up by a racist para military unit of the Oath Keepers outside the door to City Hall,” said Stiff. “To intimidate the Hispanics in our community he brought in anti-immigration zealot Tom Tancredo wearing a Border Patrol hat. Now to silence Mohammad’s critics quoted in the Chronicle, someone hired an illegal private investigator who harasses me and others. If Mohammad and Jeanne Price are behind Johnson I hope they are fully prosecuted along with Johnson.”
But Stiff does not intend to be passive. “I am going to apply to be on the Planning Commission to be a voice in our community for upholding our zoning and Master Plan so that we don’t get projects like the Tehranian Death Star approved.” Stiff noted, “I know Mohammad’s sister-in-law [Nasrin Kholghy] objects to the mention of “Tehran” and cried on cue for Channel 7 in reference to her home city.”
Stiff pointed out that, “Mohammad’s agents tell the city staff at an openly recorded meeting they want a high rise condo project like those in Tehran and other cities, but after that nobody else is allowed to mention Tehran because to do so is racist or xenophobic or Islamophobic or everything else phobic. These people in my opinion are evil, despicable thugs and I doubt anyone from Hilltop or anywhere else would want to go to the Persian and Oriental Rug store if they found out what these individuals actually do to people and what they plan to do to our community.”
Stiff also indicated that he and some of his friends are considering picketing in front of the store to let people know who they are potentially dealing with and what they in fact want to build on Colorado Boulevard by Cherry Creek.
At the time of press, nobody from the Kheirkhahi team had responded to our inquiries for comment. After The Chronicle had gone to press, Ms. Jeanne Price and Ms. Nasrin Kholghy submitted separate letters denying that anyone from their team had hired Mr. Johnson. Their letters in their entirety are below:
Let us be clear: Our team has not now, nor at any point in the past, hired Charles Johnson as the newspaper irresponsibly hints. We have no need for such tactics and we have always been open about our position.
We also do not have any plans for a 60-story building. We also have nothing to do with this most recent allegation, which seems to be just the latest in a long line of attempts to disparage us, incite fear, inflame bigotry and racism, discourage our customers and try to run us out of business. As these wild accusations and misleading stories continue, our suspicions are growing stronger that this has indeed been the City’s plan for a long time.
Nasrin Kholghy
Let me state emphatically that I DID NOT hire an investigator nor do I need help from an investigator with my research. I have been seeking PUBLIC records from the City of Glendale and evidently that makes someone very uncomfortable at City Hall and/or at this publication. My efforts have been met with a great deal of resistance and now inflated charges for simple requests.
Apparently, this is why I’m being attacked a second time by Mr. Smiley. I’m not sure who is pulling his strings but this is not reporting in any sense of the word. It’s harassment, disparagement and intimidation from a so-called newspaper but sadly, it’s all we have come to expect from this publication.
ble. The massive new concrete areas will cause severe stormwater problems that must be addressed. Detention pond areas are worthless for a developer so they must be pushed upstream into central Denver where public park land can be seized for the eventual enrichment of the few. Who, pray tell, will be the biggest beneficiary? If one had to make a wild guess one could look to the last two words of the third full paragraph above.
