by Mark Smiley | Mar 13, 2014 | Main Articles
Trader Joe’s Parking And Traffic Problems Mar Opening
Lack Of City Planning Enrages Neighbors; Petition Drive Started
by Charles C. Bonniwell
The opening of Trader Joe’s at East 8th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard on Valentine’s Day was widely anticipated by neighbors and fans of the specialty grocer. A nearby church even put out a banner declaring “Welcome to the Neighborhood — Trader Joe’s.” But the mood has definitely soured due to what critics call an absence of any meaningful traffic planning or engineering by the city.
Shopper Peter Colussy declared, “It’s an absolute zoo.” Local resident Mary Martin said that, “On Saturday, we just sat in front of my window and watched the chaos.” For Martin it took 15 minutes to just get out of her driveway. Other residents complained not only of the horrific parking but broken wine bottles and shopping carts left on the streets and on residents’ lawns.
One resident described the area around Trader Joe’s to be like the movie Road Warrior, while another individual told KDVR television, “Fighting, actual fighting in the streets over parking spaces. There were two ladies up here and there was yelling and horns were honking and, oh, it was a mess.”
Mary Tirrell who lives near Trader Joe’s notes that in the very short time since the store has opened she has had her car side swiped three times.
While nearby businesses have enjoyed the increased foot traffic, many are taking draconian steps on the parking overflow. Julie Perlmutter was one of four persons who got her car towed after parking in the U.S. Bank lot and going over to Trader Joe’s. “There are tow trucks everywhere. The second you walk to Trader Joe’s you’re gone.” Shoppers who have gotten their cars towed have to get transportation to the tow lot and pay $280 to get their car back. Perlmutter succinctly noted, “It sucks!”
Homeowners near Trader Joe’s who have their homes for sale are finding it difficult to find buyers. Mary Martin has taken her home off the market noting, “It doesn’t look good for a potential buyer to come and see that this is not a quiet street anymore.”
Critics are generally split on who is to blame for the mess that 8th and Colorado has become. Some point to Trader Joe’s itself. Robert Meer points out, “Trader Joe’s is like this all across the country. They construct the minimum amount of parking allowed under the law and once they get in it’s the neighborhood’s problem. They know it is going to be a mess and they just don’t care. They are ‘Trader Joe’s’ and everybody else can just stick it.”
The headline in the Miami Herald concerning the Trader Joe’s which opened in Pinecrest was “New Trader Joe’s store creates traffic mess; 55 cars towed.” In Dallas WFAA-TV’s story on Trader Joe’s was “Traffic and Parking are Concerns at Trader Joe’s Newest Dallas store.” Similar headlines are appearing across the country wherever Trader Joe’s operates according to critics.
Other businesses and neighborhood groups are looking squarely at the alleged lack of planning by the City and County of Denver.
The site has 70 parking places which meets the minimum required by the city code, but appears to be clearly inadequate for the large numbers of enthusiastic shoppers and the fact that the 8th and Colorado is and will be the only Trader’s Joe with a liquor license in the state.
Mary Martin stated, “I don’t think enough planning went in to prevent this from happening.” Resident Joanne Bader has been circulating a petition which would require the city to immediately do traffic and engineering studies to help mitigate the problems and has over 140 signatures of residents, shoppers and business owners.
“It’s too late,” stated Jeremy Kruze. “Once they didn’t require adequate parking or traffic flow in the planning process the city gave away the ball game. Seventy parking places for the only Trader Joe’s in Colorado with a liquor license is a joke. All they had to do at the planning department was go online and find all the problems that Trader Joe’s created and in those cities that have much greater parking requirements than Denver.”
Some point to the chaos that the city’s Community Planning and Development Department is in. After a series of lower level resignations, the Executive Director Rocky Piro resigned on February 7, 2014. He had moved to Denver only two years before from Seattle to take the position. Mayor Hancock and Piro have refused to state why he resigned and whether he was asked to by the mayor. Brad Buchanan, an architect who was the chairman of the citizen appointed Planning Board, has taken his place.
“It’s a mess down there,” said Kruze. “You don’t really have a functioning department anymore to look out for the neighborhoods and the citizens. Companies like Trader Joe’s can get away with almost anything and there is no one to stop them.”
He adds, “If you think there are parking and traffic problems now just wait until they finish with the already approved projects in Cherry Creek North. The lack of adequate planning for traffic and parking by the city for those projects is really unbelievable. Trader Joe’s is just a taste of what the future will bring for the residents of southeast Denver.”
Some residents have directed their anger at the area’s Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman for not taking a more pro-active role regarding Trader Joe’s. She has stated, “There are opportunities when and if parking for residents becomes problematic due to commercial uses that you can get special resident parking permits like those in Cherry Creek North.”
At Councilwoman Susman’s biannual town hall meeting at Mizel Museum on February 27, it was standing room only with many of the people attending to discuss the Trader Joe’s problems. Susman indicated that she wanted to wait for six months to see whether the parking and traffic issues lessen. The councilwoman’s remarks did not please some at the meeting and her approach was summed up by Channel 9 anchor Kyle Clark as “We can’t fix the problem until the problem goes away.”
by Mark Smiley | Mar 13, 2014 | Main Articles
Glendale Mayor Considers Gubernatorial Run
Mike Dunafon Running on “Liberty” Platform
By Mark Smiley
The mayor of Glendale, Mike Dunafon, is contemplating running for governor of Colorado as an independent candidate. Planning a possible candidacy that will emphasize the use of social media, he has set a goal 60,000 likes on Facebook by the time he turns 60 years of age on April 6. If he achieves this, he is throwing his hat in the ring. At time of press, he has over 24,000 likes on Facebook.
Dunafon has been traveling around the state speaking to groups and promoting what he calls his “liberty” agenda. He doesn’t necessarily have anything against the other candidates. He just has a different approach.
Dunafon is libertarian leaning but is not easily pigeon holed in the normal liberal/conservative continuum. He is a small government advocate who is pro-gay marriage, pro-gun, pro-choice and pro-marijuana. He was the only mayor in Colorado to come out in favor of Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in Colorado, he officiated a gay wedding in 2013 at a small chapel in the town of Morrison, and helped lead the Magpul “Free Colorado” rally in Glendale that was held to protest upcoming gun restriction laws. The event was attended by over 5,000 people.
Political experts give Dunafon only a very small chance to win as an independent candidate not backed by either major party. The only person to become governor of the State of Colorado who was neither a Republican nor a Democrat was David “Bloody Bridles” Waite elected in 1893 in response to the devastating Silver Crash of 1893. He is best remembered for being instrumental in getting woman’s suffrage passed in Colorado, but he lasted only two years in office.
Dunafon’s possible candidacy has, however, attracted a great deal of early interest. Eli Stokels of Fox 31 did a highly positive piece on television on his potential run and Dunafon has being featured on various radio programs. One political expert noted:” For those who would totally rule out any possibility of Dunafon being able to succeed I have two words for them – Jesse Ventura.”
Ventura a former Navy Seal and professional wrestler won the governor’s seat in Minnesota over future US Senator Norm Coleman as the Republican candidate and political scion Hubert Humphrey III on the Democratic side even though Ventura spent only $250,000 on his campaign and was originally given no chance of winning.
Regarding campaign financing Dunafon indicates that he is not accepting any campaign contributions. “Why vote for a candidate based on a television or radio advertisements. My views on virtually any subject are posted on my website and I plan to meet voters either in person or by twitter and the internet. A smart phone is the greatest campaign and voter empowerment tool that has ever been invented. If I am elected I will not be beholden to any money interests.”
Dunafon wants to cut the size of government and decrease the number of laws that average citizens are subject to. He points out that these are not just theoretical political positions he has taken. Glendale has been able to cut its work force in half and starting last year at every regularly scheduled council meeting at least one outdated or harmful law has been revoked.
He notes, “Cutting back on government really isn’t all that hard to do, but you really have to want to do it. Democrats never want to get rid of any government workers as they view them as people who will vote for them and never have seen a law they didn’t like no matter how oppressive. Republicans say they want to cut the size of government, but when they get elected they do little more than concentrate on implementing the worst sort of crony capitalism for their big money supporters.”
Another issue that he promotes is decreasing the state’s burgeoning prison population “We incarcerate more people in the United States than any other country in the world on both gross numbers and percentage of the population. We have 5% of the world’s population put 25% of the prison population. In states like California the prison guard union has become incredibly strong and fights any legislation that would effectively decrease the prison population and thus negatively affect the number of prison guards needed.”
Colorado has 21,486 prisoners in the state system with 4,070 of them being drug offenders. Upon becoming governor he would seek to release virtually all non-violent drug offenders. He notes it costs the state $26,000 a year to house an inmate. “Why not give them an ankle brace and a job and get them adding to society rather than costing us incredible sums of money. I would give employers a $13,000 deduction for employing these inmates for up to five years. All we are doing to is to support a prison industry that is costly and destructive to lives. We could save a great deal of money and do something positive for people.”
Dunafon points out that he once again is not simply talking about simple political talking points. He is a board member of Step 13, a local non-profit alcohol and drug program that puts former addicts and alcoholics back to work and receives no governmental funding. Dunafon has personally employed many Step 13 “clients” for projects. “They are very hard workers who are unbelievably grateful to get a second chance. Not all of them make it and some slip back but many do succeed and to think that it is preferable to have them rotting in jail or living on government assistance is both sad and pathetic.”
He has repeatedly invited Governor Hickenlooper to tour the Step 13 facility to show him that it can work. His requests to date have been declined.
He notes that polls indicate that trust in government here in Colorado and across the country is at an all time low. “Nothing is ever going to change if we just keep on electing the same old politicians whether Republican or Democrat who just regurgitate the same old tired ideas. I admit that I am not the standard cookie cutter candidate, but it is perhaps time to look for people that are not part of the political main stream which has in many ways become more of a stagnant pool. I promise you I would stir things up and I think for the better.”
You can view Dunafon’s website and political platform at mikedunafon.com and visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MikeDunafon. If he gets another 35,000 likes he will be on the campaign trail until November promoting his different style of politics throughout Colorado.
by Mark Smiley | Mar 13, 2014 | Feature Story Bottom Left
Why Do I Date?
Why do I date? Well obviously I’m a single, red blooded American male and of course I want to date. I mean after all, a man’s gotta eat, right? But why do I date? Does anyone else ask themselves this question or am I alone on this one? Just like Family Feud, let’s put the top five answers to
the question on the board! Here is what most people would say if you just pulled a single person aside and asked them straight out why they date and insisted on an immediate answer.
Try this experiment; it’s actually fairly telling. The first thing you’ll notice is that they will give you the dull stare of the dairy cow, not because they think the question is weird, they just genuinely don’t know. Next you’ll see them quickly regroup and regurgitate a manufactured response.
Without further ado, here are the top five responses that you’ll hear when you ask someone “Why do you date?”
1. To find the love of their life.
2. To have fun and adventure with someone.
3. They want a family.
4. They like the companionship of another person.
5. Hit it or quit it.
Of course there are a ton more responses to that question but I think you’ll find those are the top five. Believe me, those are fine responses to the question and each and every one of those replies could be very valid. Could be, but on the flip side of the coin they might not be.
Here’s the problem with dating: the majority of people have no idea why they are going out on dates. Most people set up and go out on dates just to see if there is “chemistry” or to see if they “like” the other person. But who really has time for that? Not me.
Here is where it gets a bit confusing but if you can follow my thought process here I think I can save you a lot of time, money, energy and aggravation while you’re weeding through potential dates. Let’s just say you’re a guy that is just dating to have fun and you make plans to meet up with a woman who is looking to get married and start a family. Well there is a good chance you may hit it off with her, have chemistry and you may even continue to date because of that chemistry but what have you accomplished? Well in my eyes nothing. You’ve inevitably set yourself up for failure and sometimes that failure won’t rear its head until the shine wears off the apple. Now you’re saddled with broken presumed expectations, potential heartbreak and starting the dating process over again until you stumble onto someone who is looking for the same thing at that point in their lives. Again one of the most confusing parts of this equation is even if someone tells you why they are dating they might just be telling you what they think you want to hear in order to further their own agenda. Whatever it may be, people are sketchy that way, especially when you’re dealing with strangers.
So how do you go into a date with someone and know their purpose for dating? Do you flat out ask them before you agree to meet up with them and take that stranger’s word that they are being forthcoming and that they have actually put some thought into why they’re dating? Do you wait to actually go on a date and have the conversation over drinks and/or dinner? Do you just play it cool and let it play out and hope by getting to know them you will eventually find out why they are dating? What do you do, or do you even care?
Personally I am the type of person who prefers the path of least resistance. I don’t have time to toy around with my personal life and leave my romantic life to hope. You know, “I hope I meet the right person on tonight’s date,” “I hope my date and I have a lot in common,” “I hope I meet the one tonight.”
Here is what I suggest you do. First, look out for yourself and control what you are able to. You are able to have a real long, meaningful talk with yourself about your own purpose for dating. Establish your answer in your mind — the answer to the question, “why am I dating?” Be honest with yourself, this will help you. This will help you become a dater with a purpose. Next, don’t rely on anyone else to be as mindful about why they are dating because truthfully most people haven’t got a clue why they are in the dating rat race other than just seeing what’s out there. Put the onus on yourself and be a proactive dater and communicate your purpose for being on the market. Using that approach does a few things.
1. It takes the pressure off your potential date to have to answer an awkward question that they may or may not have the answer to.
2. Knowing your purpose for dating and telling that person up front leaves no room for cloudiness in their mind about what you’re looking for and now the choice is theirs to stick around or bail.
3. There are no future surprises or let-downs once you’ve initiated your agenda, especially if they agree they are on the same page and down the road you have to cut it off because things aren’t developing in the fashion in which you set forth to find while you’re dating.
In conclusion, know why you’re dating and be up front about it. People’s lives and feelings are at stake here. There is nothing more heartbreaking to me than to see couples in relationships that have to end in months, maybe even years later because neither person laid out how they envision their futures up front. This is the elephant in the living room when it comes to dating and most people don’t want to address it in fear of scaring someone off that they initially have chemistry with.
Dating is filled with emotional decision making but please, use logic and truth when you take the time to ask yourself “Why do I date,” and don’t be afraid to tell people. Goodness forbid you may actually find someone on the same page as you right out of the starting gate. Let the dating begin!
— Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Mar 13, 2014 | Feature Story Middle Left
What’s A Selfie?
During the Academy Awards, Ellen DeGeneres’ photo with Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper and others was retweeted 1.3 million times. It “broke” Twitter, which wasn’t able to handle the amount of tweets. The next day, my mom had to ask me, “What’s a selfie?” After I stopped laughing, I had to describe a selfie. There’s a conversation I never thought I would have with my parents. I noticed a number of my selfies had the same pose. My arm was always extended in the photo. There must be a better way to take these photos. Of course, someone came up with an app to make selfies easier, Selfie Cam. The traditional way to take a selfie is to extend your arm and take a few pictures with the hope that there is one decent image. With Selfie Cam, the camera will snap based on a timer, when everyone smiles or when someone winks. This allows you to place the camera down without holding it. The images can be saved to your device or uploaded to any of the social networks.
The amount of artwork that Toddler App comes home with from school is pretty amazing. He comes home with at least 2-3 pieces each day. Toddler App isn’t Picasso, sorry buddy, but there are a few pieces of art that I’d like to keep. Here’s the challenge, I keep everything! Using Artkive, an art storing app, we can take an image of the artwork and upload the art to the app. The app keeps a history of where, when and Toddler App’s age by piece. At some point, we can weed through the best images and create an art book. No, we don’t throw everything away, but the box of artwork has dwindled down.
Now that Baby App has arrived, we’re managing medicine, doctor visits, nursing, bottles and taking Toddler App to and from school. It got busy real quick. We’re using BabyConnect to manage our activities. When Mrs. App nurses, I receive an alert on my device. When I give him a bottle, an alert is sent to her device. Using our device, we were able to show our doctor a dashboard displaying the number of feedings, diaper changes, interval between feedings and total time Baby App has fed. Additionally, we are able to track weight, height (they’re both guaranteed to be vertically challenged, welcome to the Zabroski family), head size, doctor visit notes, vaccines and medicine times. Yes, it has become busy, but this app is seriously making it easier.
Target is happy to hear about Baby App. We’re there way too much for diapers and supplies. Using Cartwheel, a Target coupon app, we are able to pick coupons without clipping them. The coupons are compiled on the app, which then generates a bar code. During checkout, the checker will scan the bar code from the device and apply the savings against the balance. The balance is always a $100 (I can’t be the only one), but the app makes coupon clipping easy.
I’m such a do it yourself guy, except everything I seem to do myself, I don’t do really well. My iPhone battery was horrible. It would die at 37%, and then would magically be at 70% as soon as it was plugged in. It became completely unreliable. The Apple Store told me to replace the battery because it has lost its charge. I can hear the Android users chuckling right now since they have external batteries. Rather than let the pros handle the battery replacement for $190, I opted to purchase a battery replacement kit from iFixit. For $40, I received a new battery and tools. The site has brief, easy to follow videos. I was successful in replacing the battery, but damaged the screen in the process. The site is helpful in offering information and supplies to fix devices. Suffice to say, I upgraded to the iPhone5S. Anyone looking for a broken iPhone5 with a great, new battery?
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian has focused on helping technology companies grow their businesses for nearly 20 years. He currently serves as the Director of Channel Management for a cloud-based software business, which specializes in network monitoring, phone system usage analytics and mobile device analytics. Simply put, if your business’ network, phone system and corporate cell phones are slow, have issues and are expensive, then his software reduces and eliminates these challenges. The software is resold through an international channel of technology partners. He travels across North America educating technology companies how they can increase their business value nearly five-fold through his hybrid managed service selling technique.
by Mark Smiley | Mar 12, 2014 | Featured Articles, Travel
It’s no secret that families are busy these days. Between mom and dad’s careers, the kids’ school demands and extra-curricular activities, quality time together as a family is hard to come by. This busy lifestyle is inspiring a new travel movement, and 2014 is positioned for the grand rebirth of the family vacation.
If you want to take an unforgettable family vacation this year, the idea of planning might seem overwhelming. But travel experts agree that planning ahead and researching your options are important steps to ensure your trip is stress-free and full of fun.
Follow these five steps to plan a trip your entire family will love and remember for years to come:
Step 1: Make a travel wish list
Kick off your travel planning by talking to all family members about what they’d like to see and do on vacation. Keep it light-hearted and have some fun – chat with your 4-year-old over breakfast or text your teen after school. As you have these conversations, notice commonalities, such as location and experiences.
Step 2: Research, research, research
After your initial conversations with your family, it’s time to do your research. The Internet has made selecting a travel destination that much easier – or harder because there are so many options. Check out tourism organizations, such as a Chamber of Commerce or Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB). Look up online hotel and travel reviews – these sites can provide invaluable information for travelers. Many sites even have free online travel planners or visitor’s guides.
Step 3: Choose a destination for everyone
Perhaps the most important consideration when planning a family vacation is to select a destination that has something for every person in your group. Myrtle Beach, S.C. is a great example of a location that is great for all ages. The 60 miles of pristine beaches are just one reason to visit – foodies can indulge on the best Southern and low-country cuisine; cultural enthusiasts can experience beautiful art museums and plantations; golfers tee off at a one of the many championship courses in the area. From water parks to natural wonders, Myrtle Beach is a true gem for family vacations. Visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com to learn more.
Step 4: Select your ideal accommodations
Whether you’re vacationing for a long weekend or multiple weeks, it’s important to choose the right accommodations for your family. For example, if you know you’ll be at the beach daily, stay at a shore-side resort. If you want to save on eating expenses, look into condos with kitchens. For big groups such as family reunions, consider a beach house that allows everyone to stay in their own room within one shared space.
Step 5: Create a fun-filled itinerary
This is a vacation, and while you shouldn’t plan out every hour of every day, having a basic itinerary gives direction to your trip and will help your group build excitement prior to your departure. Plus, planning ahead allows you to seek out deep discounts on tickets to shows and theme parks like the Alabama Theatre or Wild Water & Wheels in Myrtle Beach. You can even explore free activities like festivals and celebrations in the area that would be worthwhile to attend.
If you feel like it’s time for your family to take a break from the stress of everyday life, a family vacation might be just what everyone needs. Follow these steps to select a family friendly destination such as Myrtle Beach to ensure a vacation full of unforgettable memories.
