I have no idea who created this! It's good though, to see that other neighbors are showing some initiative. Way to go mystery neighbor!
06/26/2009... Opening day, and another failure on behalf of the Missoula Osprey and Mayor John Engen.
It has been over a year since I met with Mr. Engen, and he has failed to keep his promise to me, that he would be sending out something addressing the concerns we spoke about last spring. This is really disappointing, because otherwise he seems like a really good guy.
At 915pm last night I walked outside to check the status of the barricade they're supposed to maintain on Hickory Street. The northbound lane was WIDE OPEN. There was ZERO police presence. I immediately called 911, as Mr. Engen suggested I do, and told them to get someone down there and secure the barricade. At 930pm, nothing. I went down there myself and put the barricade back in place, after biking down to the entrance to the ballpark to see if there was any police presence there. There was none. I fired off a few emails and went about my business. It remained in place for the rest of the evening.
But should I have to do this, still? I think not.
Here's my theory. Perhaps it WAS true that the Osprey folks were paying the police for their presence there. I had always doubted it, but maybe, just maybe that was one thing they were being honest about. And maybe, with the economy in the toilet the way it is now, they simply cannot afford to pay them anymore! Also, I recall seeing an ad in the paper maybe a week or two ago asking for volunteers to house their players. And I've seen their patron saint, Kathy Ogren (owner of Bitterroot Motors), expressing deep, dire, concerns over the economy. Someone told me she was paying $500,000 per year for naming rights on the stadium (or field, or whatever). We all know that the auto industry is in the toilet. Maybe the Ellises are no longer receiving their allowance. Just a theory.
But still, it's not my problem. They have a laundry list of broken promises to the community. Maybe this will be the year they default on their loans and the city's property falls into the hands of developers. Remember... the city, in it's infinite wisdom, gave them the right to take out loans against the property. Basically, on top of the $2,000,000 in gifts, and the totally free ride in regards to taxes and no liquor license, the city gave them a $6,000,000 plot of land. GAVE, as in totally free, to one family, the Ellises. So, if you've been adverseley affected by the downturn in the economy, you might want to give your city council member, or mayor John Engen a call, asking why exactly the Ellises have been handed $8,000,000+.
06/17/2008... Another season is upon us. On February 24 of this year, I met with Mayor John Engen to discuss the issues I have with the ballpark management, and the City. I gave him a list of 4 points I wanted addressed. We discussed my situation at length, and he said he would send out something to myself, our neighborhood group, etc. As the months passed, I emailed him a few times asking if indeed I should be expecting this. Apparently he's very, very busy, as he still hasn't done this, as of 06/17/2008, opening day at the stadium.
I don't know what to make of this. Part of me thinks this is par for the course; I'm just a single citizen making noise, and my wants and concerns are of no consequence, and alleged "businessmen", aka "Players!" need to have their needs met first. But then, the mayor seemed like a genuine person, very nice, honest, and straightforward. He just doesn't seem to be the type who would pull the wool over my eyes, but as my requests seem to be almost entirely ignored, I have to wonder.
So anyway, that's where things stand now. Remember, if you support the Missoula Osprey, you are supporting a Californian group which has absolutely no concern for the quality of life in Missoula, and which will stop at nothing to get their way.
04/23/2008... Good news! They're building a permanent barricade at the corner of Hickory and River, which should have been done a long, long time ago. It's got two movable iron gates, which they're going to theoretically lock during events. This is great, and I'm happy about it. It is a shame though that it took so many years to put in place, and it doesn't change the fact that the Osprey Management is run by lying chumps. Oh well.
10/07/2007... Today the Missoulian ran a nice letter to the editor from someone who I do not know. It was very nice to see some support from someone who recognized the entire lack of a valid point in Linda McCarthy's horrible letter they printed on the 2nd. Here is the letter they ran today:
Neighbor is right to complain about noise I will admit upfront that I know little to nothing about Osprey baseball, its past or present. I have been to one game because we won tickets. It was fun, although I do remember thinking as we were going in "I would sure hate to have this in my neighborhood." I also do not know Keith Blackwell or Linda McCarthy. But I can't help noticing that Blackwell's letter was thorough, well-documented and asked people to check his facts. McCarthy, on the other hand, made only vague conclusory statements that Blackwell was "inaccurate," a basher and harasser. She fails to refute any of Blackwell's assertions with facts and mainly seems to be incensed that anyone who brings jobs to this community could be criticized. It may be that Blackwell has gone over the top, but I for one do not want "commercial business, residential development and new tax dollars to this community." Growth is destroying this perfectly good city. And if something like that was plopped down in my formerly quiet neighborhood, I might go over the top myself. Anne Hamilton, Missoula
First, I have no idea why the Missoulian mentioned 'noise' in the title. Maybe Ms. Hamilton titled it that, I don't know. But I appreciate that she saw that I offered facts and asked people to decide for themselves. It is also true that Linda McCarthy's letter is full of vague, entirely baseless statements. Thank you, Anne Hamilton, for your letter. I appreciate it.
But I would like to reiterate that I have not gone "over the top" as Mr. Ellis is fond of saying. I have simply asked that they obey the terms of the contract they signed; they meaning Playball, and the City of Missoula. When they ignored my pleas for justice, I spread the word, truthfully and politely, about their actions. Is this harassing? I don't think so. In fact, I have a database in which I keep the names of people and organizations I've sent letters to so that I don't send more than one to them. Why? Because I don't want to harass them. Their assertion that I am harassing is as baseless as their lies about me threatening them.
10/03/2007... Yesterday's horrible letter to the editor was really out of line. But now that I've had a day to mull it over, it's okay. I won't sue Ms. McCarthy for libel or slander. She obviously sent that letter without knowing the truth. It's sad really. I see so many of these people who are probably otherwise perfectly nice and personable... become enamoured by big money and charm and become easily manipulated into believing anything they're told, and doing things that they might not otherwise do. They believe their own social status is boosted by their association with a "Player". Their self-esteem might even get a boost. "I'm running with the big dogs!" They might think. Whatever. The truth is that I am an entirely courteous person. I have never harassed anyone, nor have I threatened anyone. I feel that their attacks on my character are a pathetic attempt to lure me into doing one of these stupid things they've falsely accused me of doing.
But I am a lot smarter than that. I will persist in asking that the public judge these people on their actions. I will persist in asking that we hold them accountable to a contract they signed. That's all. Nothing more. I don't want them to fail or face any sort of hardship. I just want them to do the right thing. What has lying about my character accomplished for them? It only demonstrates their depravity. Surely I'm not the only person in Missoula who sees this.
10/02/2007... In today's Missoulian, they printed a letter from a Linda McCarthy, falsely accusing me of threatening and harassing people. I have never threatened anyone, nor have I harassed anyone. I'm affraid Ms. McCarthy wrote her letter without being fully informed. While I may have attacked the character of Mike and Matt Ellis, it's because they LIED about me. They LIED on a sworn document, saying that I had sent them threatening, harassing emails, that I had threats on my website against themselves and their family. I think it's fair that I call them out on being LIARS. Maybe if they didn't LIE so much, I wouldn't be telling the world about it. If they simply did what they said they would do... if they simply complied with the Use Agreement that they signed (which, by the way, I did not write), I wouldn't have a problem with them. But I do. And for this they're doing everything they can to try to paint me as some bizarre threatening, harassing creep. Maybe they're hoping I will get really mad and do one of the things they've falsely accused me of. Who knows. They're morally bankrupt. I wouldn't put anything past them.
Because Ms. McCarthy's letter is so full of BS, I've grabbed a copy and am linking it here. I am including a rebuttal to a few of her points because the Missoulian has indicated to me that they may not print my rebuttal letter.
Also note: here's something very interesting. "Over the top" is a phrase that Matt Ellis used in a comment to the Independent in describing my actions over a year ago. It's also in the first sentence of Ms. McCarthy's letter. Hmmmm. I'm guessing that he wrote the letter and found a stooge to send it in to the Missoulian. That's just my opinion though, and I could be wrong.
09/22/2007... Yesterday, The Missoulian printed a letter I wrote in response to their glowing editorial praising the Osprey organization, which appeared in the Missoulian about a week ago. Since I wrote the letter, but before it printed, construction began on the permanent barricade at the corner of River and Hickory Streets! This is definitely a good thing. I am 100% confident that this is the result of my efforts this summer, which have included pestering the Mayor and "our" city council people, and Matt Ellis. Let's hope this barricade is effective. To my neighbors who sat on their asses watching tv this summer as I was at the barricade making sure it remained in place, protecting them from the onslaught of traffic, all I have to say is: You're Welcome.
Make no mistake though. This is not a charitable move on the part of Playball, The Ellises, or the City. While I do appreciate them doing this, they should have done it years ago, and probably wouldn't be doing it at all if I hadn't hounded them about it. Until these people sit down and say "Okay, what do we need to do to make everything right with the neighbors?", they remain vile and morally bankrupt. My answer to that question, for what it's worth would only be "Do what you agreed to do." Nothing more, nothing less.
08/21/2007... Thus far this year, up until a few weeks ago, I've had to man the barricade myself, because the Osprey management and city still refused to do this. They magically started doing it a few weeks ago! Yay! Good for them. Still, 2 nights ago I had to move the barricade back in place at 10pm. The Osprey are supposedly paying the Police to man the barricade, and they have been there at beginning of games, but not throughout - so essentially, the Osprey and City are not meeting the terms of their contract. The officer who shows up at the end of games often does not do so until after people have begun leaving the stadium and evading/moving the barricade.
Last night, however, an officer was there before I was; in an unmarked car. I had started walking down to the barricade, not seeing anyone there, when I witnessed some kids move a sign on the sidewalk and drive their small pickup over the sidewalk and around the barricade. The officer then made himself apparent and ordered the youth to stop. They all had to get out of the vehicle and sit on the sidewalk. I ran home and got my camera, came back and took this picture:
These punks were smartasses to me when I took the picture. No respect at all. I hope they were ticketed for something. Too bad it's not a crime to be a smartass punk. Or is it? Anyway, you can't see it in this photo, but the license plate is 4C 6220.
08/03/2007... As I was walking home this
evening, I found this flier laying on the ground:
I have no idea who created this! It's good though, to see that other
neighbors are showing some initiative. Way to go mystery neighbor!
07/17/2007... The Missoulian ran a letter to the editor that I wrote in response to a letter they published last week praising the ballpark and Play Ball Missoula for the glorious ballpark experience. I truly believe it was one of their shills, trying to create a little good publicity. Here's a link to where you may read the letter. Anyway, I received a few calls from people showing support. For that, THANK YOU. It's nice to receive positive feedback. As of yet I haven't received any negative feedback, though I'm sure there are those out there who are dismayed that I continue to express my disgust with the Osprey Management. Oh well. Here's a clue for them, incase they read this: If you obey the law, and try to please people, rather than lie about them in an effort to intimidate them, then HEY, who knows, life might be better all around for EVERYONE!!! What a thought! You could actually please people by listening to them and doing what they want! Yes, it's a revolutionary thought, I know, but there you are, free advice. I have no idea whether or not the Missoula Osprey ringleaders when to business school, but I kinda doubt it. So, here are a few bits of free advice that might take them further in whatever town they pilfer next:
There you have it, some free advice. You're welcome.
07/08/2007... Someone pointed out this USA Today article which suggests that the Osprey Management may have been involved in smuggling illegal ballplayers from Cuba to the USA! Ha ha ha ha. Here's the link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-31-cuban-baseball-agent_x.htm. I am continually amazed at the Osprey Management's lack of character, etc. These people are just plain rotten, in my opinion.
07/06/2007... There was a meeting last night at a local establishment where the Manager of the Missoula Osprey, Matt Ellis, presented his designs for the permanent barricade going in down the street. In case you're not aware, they've been legally obligated to block Hickory Street just north of River Street since day one, but have largely ignored this. It's very good to see them stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing. It's unfortunate that it required some of us (namely myself) to aggressively encourage them to comply with the contract they signed, but so be it. I didn't attend this meeting, as I would have been a very unwelcome guest; but my wife did, and she said it went well.
Oddly enough, when I went to work this morning, I noticed that someone had hand-written a 2 page letter to us on cardboard and stuck it in our fence gate. I honestly have no idea who wrote this. Their grammar wasn't that great, but that could've been a ruse. Who knows. You may read it here:
Why do I put this here? First, to show that we (namely myself) are not alone. The concerns we've demonstrated about the operations of the ballpark ARE INDEED shared by others. This is just one example. Mostly though, people talk to us in person. Second, I put this here to show the fear that the others have. They are affraid to stand up for themselves. They have seen that I have been subject to false allegations by the Osprey Management (Matt Ellis) and don't want to suffer the same abuse. This is understandable, but I would prefer not to be the only person with enough balls to stand up for my rights. Oh well. It's a good feeling having a tangible piece of evidence that what I'm doing is not only for me, but for others as well. If it were just for me, I'd probably have said Screw It a long time ago.
06/27/2007... Good News! It has come to my attention that the Manager of the Missoula Osprey, Matt Ellis, has been working on getting a permanent barrier put in place to block Hickory Street, as required by the Use Agreement! I'm cautiously optimistic that this will be a great solution to the problem we have with derelect ballpark patrons speeding down our street after games, even though they're not supposed to. So, Kudos to Mr. Ellis for doing this. I really appreciate it. Of course, I would have appreciated it about a year ago, but apparently things take a really long time to do here. Still, I'm not thrilled that they falsely accused me of threatening them, but that's another matter entirely. I'm not sure if my efforts have had any effect on getting this done or not. Maybe Mr. Ellis has realized the tremendous liability risk of not sticking to the terms of the contract, at least this part. I imagine that a wrongful death lawsuit (from one of those goobers speeding through our neighborhood and killing someone) would cost a LOT more than either manning the barricade or putting a fixed barricade in place.
06/22/2007... It has begun again... The first ballgame of the season was on Tuesday, the 19th. Our street was blocked off because of the work on the street - the addition of curbs and sidewalks. That saved us some of the traffic. However, when the game let out, several of the pedestrians walking down our street after the game decided they need to have screamfest. So, one of them would make one of those "Owwwwwwwwwwww!" screams, then another would reply back with their own scream, etc. It went on about 5 minutes, and they were gone. I was very close to yelling out the window for them to shut up, but didn't bother. I don't need them vandalizing my property, and I didn't want to call the cops and have to stay up later than normal telling them the story, yadda yadda.
I have been made aware that
the City of Missoula just plain does not care about the citizens of my
neighborhood. They are happy allowing the Osprey Management to basically
ignore any part of their contract with the City. Can I do anything about
this? I don't think so. Not without shelling out money for a lawyer
to get an injunction against them. Which I probably won't do, because my
wife fears the wrath of the City. 
Also, very few of my neighbors haveshown any support, and ZERO, NONE of them have bothered to do a damn thing to
help me out. They seem to think that sitting with their heads up their
rear is the way to get stuff done. It's worked great so far, right?
I've been trying to get charges filed against Matt and Mike Ellis for False Swearing Under Oath, which they commited when they LIED on a petition to get a restraining order against me last August. I've been working with the Sheriff and County Attorney's offices, but it looks like I'll need to file a complaint with the ACLU, as the County Attorney appears to be too busy and have more important things to do than protect my first amendment rights. And they were violated when the Ellises lied to the court, falsely accusing me of threatening themselves, their family, and their staff.
So anyway... they did 3 games in a row, the last one being last night. I was asleep before the game got out, but Traci says that these yokels AGAIN moved the barricade blocking Hickory Street, and were driving around it, past our house. She also says that a Police Officer did show up and put and end to it, which is good, really, but still, this is entirely inadequate, unprofessional, and illegal. I am continually amazed that these charlatans are allowed to, with the blessings and encouragement of our City and metaphorically speaking, screw our neighborhood while selling their snake oil.
01/24/2007... I've updated the site... Yes, being falsely accused of being a "stalker" was very upsetting. So, I was a bit cranky about it. But I've updated the site to reflect that we are victims here. I'm a victim of Matt Ellis's lack of... character, morals, whatever. Our community is a victim him as well. He essentially "took his ball and went home" when I began asking for justice last summer, by deciding that he would no longer communicate with the Riverfront Neighborhood Association. This, even though I am not part of the Riverfront Neighborhood Association, nor have I ever presented myself as such. So anyway, he decides to not work with anyone. What can we do? All we can do is speak up. I wish that others in my neighborhood had the spine to join me. After listening to my neighbors whine about the ballpark for a few years, I spoke up. All of a sudden, they were telling my wife to shut me up, that perhaps just shutting up and being quiet would get what we want. This would never work. It's a tactic of sheep, who quietly allow a wolf to eat their friends. Of course, there are several neighbors who have thanked me and showed support. Thank you. To the rest, all I can say is please stop whining if you're not willing to stick your neck out.
12/29/2006... A kind neighbor gave me two t-shirts as a Christmas present! These will be good to work out in at the gym, and then when ball season starts, to wear at the barricade if I'm forced to police it again! Let's hope not!
THANKS!!!!!
10/24/2006... My attorney sent a letter to the Mayor, expressing dismay with the abuse of the judicial process at the hands of the Missoula Osprey Management. He sent this back in Sept. but I just got a copy a few weeks ago. I took the liberty of mailing a copy of it to the heads of Minor League Baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks. It would surprise me if anyone replied, but in a good way. I'm still waiting for anyone outside of my neighborhood to show the slightest amount of concern over this mess.
I've also discovered that Matt Ellis (aka Missoula Osprey Management) is on the board of the Chamber of Commerce. I sent an email with a copy of my attorney's letter to the head of the Chamber of Commerce, but have heard nothing back (yet). I'm assuming that this individual may be frightened by the old-boy network that is so entrenched here in Montana. So I might have to physically mail a hard copy to every chamber member, to spread the word. Behavior like this is just plain criminal, and I want everyone in Missoula to hear about it.
09/21/2006.... I've come to the conclusion that our city absolutely does not give a rip about citizens like myself and only caters to those in the "old-boy network" (even when they are a big financial drain). So, I'm going to leave our poor city council people alone so they can do whatever they do. While they may actually have an interest in serving our neighborhood, I don't think they have any power or motivation to make any real change in the system. However, I will keep this webpage in place and will update it as necessary, and I will be sending physical letters to all parties involved describing the fraudulent Restraining Order that the Osprey Management used to silence me as they scrounged for more money to secure their franchise for a few more years. Honestly, I think they'd make a HELL of a lot more money with a McDonalds franchise, but what do I know, right?
In the meantime, you may be interested in reading the Final Report from the Local Government Study Commission.
Be sure to read the Minority Report, which begins on page 60.
From the introduction:| The following Minority Report focuses on the question, "Is our city government working?" The undersigned members of the Study Commission believe that dramatic improvement is needed in the structure and methods of operation of city government and the simple answer to the question is, "Not very well." The results of 21 months of research compel a recommendation to do more than tinker with City Hall. |
Click Here to visit their website.
09/19/2006... Today was the day of the hearing on the moronic Restraining Order that the Missoula Osprey Management filed against me. It was so absolutely stupid. They withdrew the complaint, because, I'm assuming, they had no case. I know for a fact that they had no evidence of any wrongdoing by myself, because I've done nothing wrong. Here's a blurb I provided to a local reporter which sums up my thoughts on it pretty well:
|
I feel that this restraining order has been a blatant attempt to silence me during the last few weeks, during which time the Osprey Management has had to scramble for funding to finish their stadium or risk losing their franchise. It is extremely unfortunate that rather than listen to their detractors and try to make their organization fit better into our community, they take vindictive, fraudulent legal action against their most vocal critics, namely myself. The restraining order was, quite simply, a series of lies glued together with deceipt and hatred. It was an extremely insulting attack on my character to accuse me of such criminal behavior. It was a blatant misuse of our justice system for personal gain. At the end of the day, all I ever wanted was for them to obey the law and follow the terms of the contract they signed with the city. Now, I still want that, but I also want the community to know how deep their lack of character extends. They are, in my opinion, very mean-spirited opportunists. I feel that justice was served today, but would have been better served if they hadn't withdrawn their petition and had instead been shot down in court on the basis of not having any evidence whatsoever that I've done anything unlawful. |
09/11/06... Alas, it turns out that the cops' presence at the barrier on the above-mentioned occasions is not a symptom of the management complying with the use agreement. Instead - according to the restraining order they've filed against me - these cops are there for the protection of the staff. This is absolute silliness.
Here's something even more silly. Rather than comply with the use agreement, the Osprey Management is working with the City to change parts of the agreement that it doesn't want to obey. So, not only do they get to not pay taxes, but they also get to change the pesky parts of their contract with the city that they don't like so much! Even though they already signed it! What a deal!
08/31/06... Last night... it seems that the barricade remained in place. I checked around 9pm, and it was still there. Good! I'll have to assume that a cop was down there later; I didn't hear any traffic, and all seemed well. I really do appreciate the work that our cops do, and am glad that it appears that the powers that be are making a good effort to keep the street blocked, as per the agreement.
08/30/06... Last night, we actually had a cop at the barricade at the end of the game! Three nights in a row! And, I went down and chatted with the cop a bit. This was, by far, the nicest cop I've talked to during this awful experience. I think tonight's game is the last one until Sept. 6, then there are games the nights of the 6th and 7th. Then, we will have our neighborhood back! Yay!
But, there is a long road ahead. The ballpark has convinced the City to bend the rules and allow liends to be placed against the property; something specifically banned in the use agreement. Rules apparently don't apply to these people. People say "Well, they need this to secure financing, or they'll be shut down." I say "Good." and "So what?" Why wasn't this thought of earlier? Why is their crap management and planning our problem? Maybe they don't really deserve to have a franchise if they're unable to plan ahead?
Last night as I walked down to the barricade, I saw all the lights and wondered how these people could pay the electricity bill. Then I thought, How on earth are they going to succeed now? They say they need this additional funding to re-finance their debt and complete the stadium. How are they going to do this? How can a business start out $6 million in the hole like this and expect to come out ahead? Besides the electricity, I'm assuming they've got to pay the players. There's also the food vendors. The usage agreement specifies a certain amount of money per year that must be paid to the city in lieu of taxes - $20,000. Then there's a Maintenance Fund of $40,000 per year. So the City alone takes $60,000 per year. There are 76 games scheduled this season. They must therefore take $789.48 per game, just for the city. About half of these games are away. Gas is not cheap. There are also employees of the stadium, and maybe the ballplayers themselves - but I'm not sure how they're paid, utilities, the cops who have to control traffic for them, etc, etc, etc. Then there are probably a number of "expenses" that never hit the books. The most expensive tickets are $9 per person (for local games). There's some money made on advertising too. But I just don't see how this can possibly work.
Anyway, that's not my concern really, thought I do think it warrants serious consideration. If this venture is actually a success, I'll eat my hat.
08/29/06... The last two nights, there have actually been cops at the barricade at the end of the game! It's so terribly unfortunate that it has required me to be so vigilant to get this feat accomplished. Sunday night, we were having a birthday party for my son. I checked the barricade a few times and saw that the cop was there - to the end, to the best of my knowledge. Then last night, the cop was there, and had his lights flashing!
Still though, I don't see this as an adequate solution because the cops are there only so long as nothing better to do comes up; say an emergency. Plus, why are our city employees doing this, when the "event", according to the agreement, is supposed to supply the barricade and staff? Someone said that they have an agreement with the city and they're paying the city for the cops' time, but I find this hard to believe. If they are, wouldn't it make more sense to put a cheaper city employee there? I'm sure they could get a Parks-n-Rec employee to stand there for a lot less than a cop. Cops should make more per hour!
The rest of this week, I believe we have games every night. I'll continue watching the barricade. If and when an actual solution is put into place, I'll be satisfied.
08/26/06... An ugly night featuring almost getting run over, and having words with ballpark employees. I don't want to type this again, so I'll instead include here the letter that I sent to our city council people, Bob Jaffe and Stacy Rye, as well as the ballpark "management", Matt Ellis:
|
Hello All, I just returned from a very frustrating experience down at the barricade. FYI, there was NOT a police officer anywhere near the barricade, nor an employee of the stadium/osprey. Please note that the previous evening, a police officer stood there at that very spot and told me that there's always an officer there at the end of the game. This was not the case. In fact last night was the first time I had EVER seen one there at the end of the game. As the people were filing out, I stood at the corner of River and Hickory to disuade any would-be violators. I saw some cars approaching the barricade, but the one in the lead sped up! He went between the barricade and the sidewalk. I was able to snap a picture of this, but unfortunately missed the license plate. See attached picture called bad_driver.jpg. Another car was behind him, so I stepped into the gap and turned around and snapped a picture of them. See the attached picture called almost.jpg. Also, I took a picture of the gap between the barrier and the sidewalk, so you see it... See picture attached called the_gap.jpp This was upsetting, as not only did the violation occur, but without so much as the violator even bothering to move the barricade. This is not an effective solution. I stood there to wait for the rest of the patrons to leave. 2 Osprey/ballbark employees approached. I snapped their picture. This apparently aggravated them. One of them, one who I'd spoken to before, asked why I was taking his picture. I asked him if there was a police officer. He refused to answer, and instead got right in my face and said "You have a problem, talk to Matt Ellis! Take it up with Ellis!" I said "I have!" He walked away and said something else to me, I forget exactly what, but I believe I was asking his name and he refused to give it. So, under the heat of the moment, I said "Fine, I hope you have a job next year, Asshole." Indeed, had Mr. Ellis been there himself, I would have directed this to him. Alas, no. Anyway, the other employee said "You want my name? You want my name?" And he walked up to me and held his name badge in my face and said "Can you read?" Yeah, I can. It said Brian. Excellent PR work guys. I wasn't after these guys for anything other than for one of them to confirm that NO, there was no Police presence there. They turned it ugly, and I'm sorry I snapped and called that guy Asshole. It truly isn't his fault, and he shouldn't be put into a situation where he has to defend himself like that. It's terribly shameful that his employer is doing this to him. So anyway, my apologies for the bad word, but please, THIS IS INSANE!!!!! Someone please do something about this before someone gets run over, or has their feelings hurt further!!!! Thanks, I guess. Keith Blackwell |
And, of course, the pictures:
First, the jerk who almost ran me over:
Here's the one who would have followed, if I hadn't stopped them:
Here's the gap that these cretins slip through when they're too lazy to
actually move the barricade:
Here are the unfortunate employees of the ballpark. I feel that they're
put into a very difficult position by an un-caring employer:
Here the one employee, Brian, is coming around to show me his name badge:
Brian, and other guy - if you read this, my apologies. It's truly unfortunate that you felt somehow threatened. Seriously, I know these guys were just doing their job and don't need any grief; and I wasn't there to give it to them. I just wanted a witness to prove that yes, there were no Police present. So, incase anyone STILL thinks that Police are always there, Brian can back me up on this one.
As I told my wife about this when I got home, she told me that she had been in at least one meeting where Matt Ellis said that the barricade was always manned and intact. WTF?
What really amazes me is that anyone is trusting Matt Ellis with any more
money. First they approached the city and got a million dollars. Then a
few years (I think) later they came begging for another million, promising
that this would be the last money they'd ask for. Now, they're trying to
get $4-6 million from local lending institutions. How in their right
mind could they lend this guy more money? How can someone purport to be
running a business without having some foresight as to what the expenses
would be? Is the yuck-yuck slap-on-the-back-good-ole-buddy club
membership so strong that nobody gives a rat's patootie about reality?
Come On! This guy can't even abide by a simple rule to keep a
street blocked, and puts his employees in situations where they
feel threatened!
Someone, please, do something already!
08/25/06... Here's an update to last night's activities. Shortly after posting the above, I went back to the barrier and stood there, to prevent more violations. As I was there, a cop showed up! I commented that it was unusual to see him there. He said no, there's an officer there every night at the end of the games. I said no, there wasn't. He said yes, there was. I said no, there wasn't; I watch the barrier every night we have games, and have never seen an officer there. He said he didn't want to argue about it, that his commander had told them a few months ago that they had to be there. Huh. Go figure. That was the first time I'd seen an officer there at the end of a game. Officers are routinely there at the beginning of games, which is nice, but doesn't really address the issue we have of the barrier being removed during the games, especially towards the end. Besides that, I'm sure our police force has better things to do than babysit this barrier. The usage agreement indicates that the "event" will provide the barrier and staffing.
I do not know how to make this more clear. When that barrier is compromised, the usage agreement is violated. That's it. They either need a barrer that can't be moved by civilians, or a human to watch it.
08/24/06... Well, our nice week without a ballgame is over, and I walked down to the barrier to find it moved aside again tonight! Here are 2 pictures:
I moved the barrier back in place. While doing so, I overheard the announcer at the ballpark read off an ad for the Missoula Art Museum. So I emailed them, asking them to visit this site, and suggesting that they spend their advertising dollars elsewhere. Nobody attempted to go through the barrier while I was there.
08/21/06... We had a very pleasant weekent without games. Note that I added the Arizona Diamonbacks contact link above. I was also surprised to find this blurb online. Click on it to go there yourself:
What does this have to do with my complaint against them? Not much, other than to illustrate what I consider to be their wanton lack of character and community commitment. But, I acknowledge, this person who posted this could have made it up entirely. Then again, I've seen a few other things online that lead me to believe otherwise. Hmmmm......
08/18/06... The last 2 nights, we've had no games! Yay! It looks like we're going to have a full week without games. Then there'll be another week of games, then a few days off, then a few more games and the season will be over.
Matt Ellis (The Missoula Osprey Management) has successfully avoided taking the high road and doing the right thing, for now anyway. It is very unfortunate that the City will need to force him to comply with the agreement he signed. I cannot imagine how a human being could be so cold and uncaring. It truly baffles me. Does this person have a conscience? In my humble opinion his behavior is nothing but disgrace. His poor family!
So, I'm hoping the City can enforce this agreement and make him behave. It might not happen this season, but eventually it should. I really don't want to have to put my safety at risk further by doing their job for them! But for now, it's a game of wait and see. With my encouragement, perhaps our City folks will find the time and energy to make this all right; it's obvious that Matt Ellis (The Missoula Osprey Management) will not.
08/16/06 1:15pm Last night, again, we had Police presence at the beginning of the game, and the barrier appeared to remain uncompromised, at least up until 9:30pm, so that's good. I've come up with a tentative t-shirt design and will purchase one for myself and the first 3 neighbors who volunteer to wear them with me while tending to the barricade during peak abuse times. E-mail me for details! Here are the front and back views:
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08/15/06 12:31pm The last two nights have been good as for the barrier remaining in place (other than the shenanigans described above). A police vehicle was at the barricade at the beginning of each nights' games, but not afterwards. The main traffic problems come when the patrons exit en masse through our street, not when they trickle in to the games.
08/13/06 5:37pm Traci tells me that as she drove into our driveway she witnessed ballpark patrons move the barricade aside, drive through, then replace it! Nice! Perhaps the staffer needs to be at the barricade from the beginning of the game through the end.