by Peter Boyles | Jun 23, 2017 | Blasting with Boyles
I recently returned from one of the greatest trips I’ve been lucky enough to take. I was in Europe and on Normandy Beach on June 6, the anniversary of the Allies coming ashore.
The day that I left, The Denver Post announced that it had terminated a good friend of mine, Terry Frei. He was a sports columnist who had been named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year four times, and now was out of work for tweeting that it made him “uncomfortable” that Takuma Sato, a Japanese driver had won the Indy 500 on Memorial Day. Terry told me his tweet came after visiting Fort Logan to put flowers on the grave of his father Jerry Frei. His father had spent four years between his sophomore and junior years at Wisconsin flying P38 fighter planes in the South Pacific. He flew 67 missions, 300 combat hours. In fact, Terry’s book Third Down And A War To Go is a great read about men and women in the Second World War.
On June 6, I was at Pegasus Bridge, a very important site on the way to the key village of Sainte Mere Eglise. There had been a mandate from the British military to hold that bridge on the morning of the D-Day landings. We arrived in a very beautiful and comfortable Mercedes Benz bus. I was standing there watching parades and speaking with old British veterans who had been there on that terrible day, including the man pictured here, a 94-year-old British Pathfinder. And then I noticed a very expensive Porsche, its turbo whining, crossing the bridge. Lots of tourists gather on those days. And I thought of Terry. I knew he had been fired as we left the United States.
Now, how about a show of hands in our reading audience. How many people know about Ferdinand Porsche? Beloved Porsche cars, Volkswagens, of course, the people’s car. But how many of you know about Tiger I and Tiger II tanks? And, of course, the Royal Tiger tank? The Panzer VIII Maus and you all remember the V-1 flying bomb. Freddie was a member of the Nazi Party and also the SS. How quickly we’re allowed to forget that and condemn Terry Frei. I should remind you that the Porsche family didn’t have any problem employing “slave labor.” After it was over, he did a couple of years in prison but what the hey. Forgive and forget is what I always say. But not when it comes to Terry?
So there I was on Pegasus Bridge arriving in a Mercedes watching a Porsche cross and having exactly the same thoughts Terry Frei had. At this point do you think Chuck Bonniwell should fire me or better yet throw the switch on the award-winning morning show on KNUS? Just so you know, Dr. Porsche was arrested, did 22 months and went back to making money in 1950 when he introduced the Porsche sports car. That apparently was lost on The Denver Post who has no problem taking ads for Mercedes cars and trucks.
If we’re going back in history to attempt to control the future watch your step. Fake history is more dangerous that fake news. This month’s “Running Dog” award goes to The Denver Post columnist Diane Carman. She said Colorado should remove its monuments to genocide. Fascinating. She names second Territorial Governor John Evans who founded the University of Denver, William Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News, Kit Carson, George Custer and Sir George Gore. Oh aghast! Oh the humanity! Again she keeps her job at the Post and Terry is gone. Diane, what you should do, as well as the other managers at The Denver Post, is give everything you ever earned, back. Are you really any different than those cavalry soldiers and militiamen who did those terrible things? You’re just living off what they did — you, Mac Tully, the entire bunch. Give everything you have in Colorado back to the tribes. Because you made Terry Frei give his back.
Those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it. Except at The Denver Post.
And by the way, after over 30 years of working at The Denver Post he woke up one morning to find out a racist had been writing columns at The Denver Post and he had to go. And The Denver Post allowed Terry to dangle in the wind and be destroyed by other newspapers and media outlets across the country. Horrible things were said about one of the nicest guys I know.
I’d like to add one thing. We’ve written columns about Brandon Marshall and the lies he told about what the police allegedly did to him in Florida. A month or two ago Terry was in my radio show studio and I brought up Marshall. He asked me off air not to continue that line of questioning. So here’s the conclusion. Terry gave to the Post what it would not give to him. Loyalty, trust and the benefit of the doubt.
Think about it.
— Peter Boyles
by Mark Smiley | Jun 9, 2017 | Travel
by Diana DeGette
Don’t hold me to it, but there’s a good chance that June in Washington, DC won’t be the wild roller-coaster ride that May was.
It’s no exaggeration to say that nearly every day last month brought stunning news that raised concerns about the state of our democracy, starting at the top. There was one shocking revelation after another involving Russian officials, President Donald J. Trump’s actions, the firing of FBI director James Comey, alleged conversations between Comey and President Trump, and other matters.
But as of this writing in late May, things have started to settle down — in part thanks to the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the FBI’s Russia investigation, which I had called for in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein earlier in the month while at home in Colorado.
I was especially pleased that Rosenstein tapped former FBI Director Robert Mueller, whom I know to be a man of integrity, professionalism and absolute dedication to justice.
Given the complexities of the situation and what is sure to be a thorough investigation under Mueller’s leadership, we can expect that it will be a long time before his work produces conclusions that can be shared with the public.
So maybe now we can get dispense with dramatic distractions for a while and get back to what Congress should do: pass legislation that improves life for Americans and helps make our country more secure.
If the President keeps to the promises he made in January, this would include major tax reform and an initiative to fix America’s crumbling infrastructure. But his one-page tax plan outline from late April hasn’t yet been translated to legislation, and an infrastructure bill is evidently even further down the road, since there’s been no sign of one yet.
Meantime, the House Republican leadership has forged ahead on its unilateral effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, jamming through a TrumpCare bill without waiting for an assessment of its costs and effects from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO reported in the last week of May that if this bill becomes law, it will ration care and put insurance companies back in charge. Twenty-three million people will lose their coverage within 10 years while the cost for millions others will go up — including those covered through employer plans. The onus is now on the Senate to prevent this damage.
We also should be deep into the process of preparing a budget for Fiscal Year 2018, which starts on October 1. President Trump’s budget blueprint in March, which slashed spending for important domestic and foreign policy priorities in favor of dramatically boosting the military budget, was greeted as a non-starter by congressional Republicans and Democrats alike.
The appropriations process only begins in earnest when the President presents an actual, detailed budget request to Congress, which he finally did on May 23. If enacted, this heartless and short-sighted budget proposal would cripple important domestic and international programs to create needless tax breaks for the wealthy. Republicans and Democrats alike spoke up immediately to protest it.
The delays, chaos and dysfunction that have characterized the Trump administration to date have not only affected the work of Congress. They have also undermined Americans’ confidence about where we’re headed as a country and how it affects our standing in the world.
With respect to the matters involving Russia and President Trump’s campaign and administration, the coming weeks and months will likely bring more revealing investigative reporting, along with rampant rumors, misdirection and misinformation. A truly independent, impartial Special Counsel will follow the cold, hard facts wherever they lead. And the Justice Department can determine whether there has been a violation of federal law in a way that no other approach to these issues can.
But that doesn’t rule out taking other paths to get at the truth. I have long supported the formation of an independent commission to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, including any possible collusion with the Trump campaign, and to ensure that such interference never happens again.
I first called for that commission in December when the intelligence community made clear that Russia had meddled in the election. That’s why I support, H.R. 356, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which would establish such a commission. This bill has been ignored by the House Republican leadership, along with other substantive legislation intended to hold the President accountable.
An independent commission would involve experts from outside the government, who would not only seek out the facts, but also suggest solutions. The 9/11 Commission was one such effort, and its recommendations led to changes that helped make the United States safer.
Diana DeGette represents Colorado’s First District to the U.S. Congress. She serves as Chief Deputy Whip and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
by Mark Smiley | May 31, 2017 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley | May 26, 2017 | Feature Story Bottom Left
by Kurt Woock
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
Name the only two days each year when no teams from any of the four major sporting leagues play.
Who was Tom Cruise’s first wife?
If you know the answer to either of those questions, consider attending Trivia Night, a fundraiser for the YMCA of Glendale and for the Glendale Youth Rugby programs, which will be held on July 22 in the International Ballroom of the Infinity Park Event Center.
Trivia Night began 851 miles away in St. Louis. Mike Boese grew up there. As he puts it, “On any given weekend, there’s probably 20 different nonprofit trivia events going on.” There’s a website dedicated to keeping track of them. The events are a true community effort. “Most of these events are in a Catholic school gymnasium,” he said. “It’s a potluck evening.”
Boese and his family moved to Denver about five years ago. He works as a financial advisor with Country Financial. He joined the Glendale Chamber of Commerce to meet people, and soon found himself on the local Y’s board of directors. Last year, he pitched the idea of hosting a trivia event for a fundraiser to Nicole Limoges, executive director for the YMCA Sports Branch & the Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park. She told him to run with it. “From my point of view, I owe so much of this to Mike. He really threw his expertise into this. This was all his idea.”
Following the St. Louis template, last year’s Trivia Night was a potluck event, with Boese as MC, and was held in the Denver Jewish Day School gym. Boese even recruited his Aunt Colleen to travel from St. Louis to help keep score. It was a success, as 65 people brought dishes to share and took their shot at trivia glory. “Not only are you able to give back, but you have a pretty good time doing it.”
Giving back is at the core of the event. Limoges said the goal is to raise $20,000, which will be split between the YMCA and the Glendale Youth Rugby programs. “The YMCA serves the Glendale community, and there are families in need,” Boese said. “They need scholarships, otherwise they couldn’t take advantage of these programs.”
A few changes are in store for this year’s event. First, the event won’t be in a school or church basement or gym: The City of Glendale has donated use of the International Ballroom at Infinity Park Event Center. “This year, a lot of credit goes to Linda Cassaday (Glendale’s Deputy City Manager) for getting on board and saying ‘we’re going to step up and make a difference.’” Also, the potluck has been replaced by a catered dinner from one of the night’s sponsors, Biscuits & Berries. Guests will also receive two drink tickets, and a cash bar will be available all night. Tickets for the night costs $40 for an individual, $75 for couple, and $300 for a team of 8. People or companies can sponsor the entire night, or even just a round of questions.
After an hour of food, drink, and socializing, the trivia begins. If all goes well, Aunt Colleen will again be on hand. “She and I have been working on putting together questions,” Boese said. Boese will lead the crowd of up to 300 in 10 rounds of 10 questions each. He said for each round, he tries to include two questions that nearly everyone can answer and two questions that are unquestionably difficult. The rest of the questions are where the night is won or lost.
Traditionally, each round has a theme. For some rounds, each clue involves a video, photo, or audio clip; a good pairing given the International Ballroom’s A/V capabilities. Short breaks between rounds are an opportunity for other entertainment. This year, there will be a silent auction, with opportunities to bid between rounds. Last year, guests had the option to participate in a “last person standing” type game in which Boese reads the name of a public figure, and participants guessed whether that person was currently living. After each name, those who guessed incorrectly sat down. Those who guessed correctly played another round. The last person standing won half of the total one-dollar entry fees collected (which that person ended up donating to the night’s total proceeds).
In the end, though, the main competition is for the trivia crown. Each table of 8 works together. Last year’s winning score was in the low 80s out of a possible 100 (though tables are able to purchase one mulligan per round).
In just its second year, Trivia Night has the markings of an annual tradition.
Two more important pieces of information: The day before the MLB All Star Game and the day after are bad days to watch sports: Nobody is playing. And on May 9, 1987, Tom Cruise married Mimi Rogers.
