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 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.
by Mark Smiley | May 26, 2017 | Travel
by Charles C. Bonniwell
Cherry Creek Valley resident M.J. Mastalir was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame at a banquet held at the great hall at the Sanctuary Golf Course on Sunday, May 21, 2017. He joined such golf luminaries as Hale Irwin, Greg Stadler, Dow Finsterwald and Babe Zaharias.
Mastalir was a member of the University of Colorado golf team that won the Big Eight Championship in 1968. He was also a graduate of the University of Colorado Law School and while a law student he was the assistant golf coach to Les Fowler, taking the reins of the team when the Colorado Legislature was in session as Fowler was a state legislator.
In 1985 he formed Real Estate Capital Corporation which was the first national company to finance golf course real estate projects across the country. He lent out a billion dollars in projects before he semi-retired in 2010.
As an accomplished golfer at age 32, Mastalir qualified for the United States Amateur and the following year he qualified for the United States Mid-Amateur. He played in the U.S. Amateur again in 1985. He also participated in the British Amateur in 1984 and 1987. From 1986 through 1993 he served on the USGA Executive Committee rising to the Vice President and chairing the Rules of Golf Committee.
As the rules chair he served as a rules official at all four of golf’s majors — the U.S. Open, the Masters, the British Open and the PGA Championship. At the induction dinner, he described being a rules official at major golf tournaments as “long spells of boredom interspersed with bursts of terror.” He rec
alled officiating at the Masters when the highly temperamental Spaniard Seve Ballesteros slashed a shot into an azalea bush. Ballesteros rushed up to Mastalir about a foot away demanding to know where his ball was. Mastalir told him he had no idea but if it was found he would explain his options. The ball was found and Ballesteros took relief according to Mastalir’s instructions and then rushed away.
In 1999 Mastalir was selected by Golf Inc. as one golf’s 25 most influential people along with golf legends such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Mastalir also served on the Colorado Golf Association Board of Governors for 22 years and was CGA president from 1997 to 1999. He is best remembered as the man who negotiated for the CGA the acquisition of the former Mira Vista Golf Course from the Lowry Redevelopment Corporation after the Lowry Air Force Base was closed. He was key to converting the old military course into the nationally praised open to the public CommonGround Golf Course with the help of golf course architect Tom Doak.
He is a member of the Denver Country Club as well as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in Scotland. Attending the induction dinner were his wife Debbie and their two children Sarah and Blake who have provided them four grandchildren.
For more information on the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, visit www.coloradogolf halloffame.org.
