The Journalist - Citizen

Los Angeles Union Station and its Denizens

2009-03-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles’ handsome Union Station has weathered changes in transportation preferences for 70 years. This iconic terminal on Alameda Street – constructed literally a block away from the site of the city’s first settlements – represents an appropriate California fusion of historic Mission Revival and modern Art Deco architectural styles and is considered the last great station erected in the United States. Its waiting room is tall, bright, and airy and is clad with decorative marble floors, tiles, and mosaics. Warm breezes and birds are frequent visitors from the outside. Open courtyards and patios complete with fountains and attractive landscaping surround the station on three sides. Not surprisingly, it has served as the backdrop for many films over the years.

Rail travel began to succumb to the growing popularity of air travel and the introduction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and Santa Fe streamliners serving Los Angeles labored on until the 1971 formation of Amtrak.

Used by only a handful of Amtrak trains into the 1990s, the station’s future once seemed uncertain and it was practically forgotten in a sprawling, automobile-obsessed metropolis void of rail transit. But today, it has a new lease on life and is again a vibrant transportation centerpiece serving Amtrak intercity and long distance services, Metrolink’s vast schedule of commuter trains, and three lines of the growing Los Angeles Metro. The well-maintained station features restaurants, bars, and shops and hosts private events regularly. Travelers, commuters, and local residents have returned to this largely unaltered historic property in unprecedented numbers. Following are images of people at Union Station.

While walking and eating simultaneously, a man splits a beam of sunlight streaming in through one of the tall windows in the waiting room.

On the inside, looking out: A woman peers through a waiting room window at a wedding reception taking place in a station courtyard.

A woman nonchalantly sweeps the brick floors near a side entrance to the waiting room while a young boy zips across her path on a skateboard.

A couple sits comfortably in one of the station’s sturdy upholstered waiting room settees and busies themselves with news stories, crossword puzzles, and coupon clipping in the Los Angeles Times.

San Francisco M-Ocean View Line Unreliability

2009-03-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Muni line most utilized by SF State commuters received the lowest on-time performance rating in a survey, Muni officials reported March 3.

Muni posted a record 72 percent systemwide on-time performance rating. The M-Ocean View line, heavily trafficked by SF State students, faculty and staff, did not perform as well.

“Several times the M failed me. Once when I was on my way to giving a midterm exam,” said Linda Day, an SF State urban studies department lecturer who frequently commutes to campus via Muni. “I was late and it made the students very anxious.”

According to a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency service standards report released March 3, of the Muni metro lines surveyed, the M line posted the lowest on-time performance for the fourth quarter of 2008, at just 62 percent.

“We do have a shortage of operators and on some days we may have vehicle availability issues where we need to run some M runs as one car instead of two cars and that could potentially slow down the service and the reliability,” said Judson True, SFMTA media relations manager. “We try to get all the lines up to the standard that the voters have prescribed and we’re not quite there yet.”

In order to improve Muni service and see that it ran on schedule at least 85 percent of the time, San Francisco voters passed Proposition E in 1999. According to SFMTA's 2008-2012 Strategic Plan, Muni aims to meet this mandate by 2012.

SF State commuters access the M line via the SF State and Stonestown stations and ride inbound to central San Francisco or outbound to Balboa Park to connect with BART or the J-Church line. Weekday M service does not operate around the clock. The first train departs at 5:42 a.m. and the last at 12:10 a.m. Trains are scheduled to run approximately every nine minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes in the evenings.

According to SF State’s 2008 Transportation Survey, 36 percent of university commuters rode Muni, and 45 percent of them took the M line in particular, making it the Muni route used most to access campus.

Steven Severn, an SF State business major and M line rider said he wants to see “more trains ... because there's like a billion students.”

A billion may not be in the university’s future, but enrollment is expected to balloon to 25,000 full-time students by 2015, according to the Campus Master Plan.

SF State has partnered with SFMTA and the city to perfect service and tackle the transit needs of a burgeoning student population.

Jason Porth, SF State’s associate director of community relations, said the university is involved in short-term solutions aimed at hustling service. Among them are modifying the boarding platform at the SF State station to ease overcrowding and to relocate some fare vending machines to campus to speed the ticket purchasing process.

The SFMTA, City Controller’s Office and communities cooperated in an evaluation of Muni operations dubbed the Transit Effectiveness Project, which yielded recommendations for future service. SFMTA’s board of directors voted to endorse TEP recommendations on Oct. 21, 2008.

The TEP calls for the M line from downtown to terminate at SF State and for extension of the J-Church line service west from Balboa Park to SF State and Stonestown. The move would shift more two-car trains to the M line's busier sections.

“Speed, reliability and frequency would all be increased by terminating the line here at SF State,” Porth said. “What that means for SF State students is not only better M service, but for students coming from neighborhoods currently served by the J, it provides an entirely new route to get here.”

Before this line reconfiguration can occur, Muni infrastructure and facility improvements must be made along 19th Avenue, according to the Campus Master Plan.

“The M is a very heavily used line, especially for SF State students and we want to do everything we can to have it be as reliable as possible,” True said.

Note: This story - authored by Christian Goepel - appeared in the March 12, 2009, edition of the Golden Gate [X]Press.

San Francisco N-Judah Line Nocturne

2009-03-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Inbound and outbound San Francisco Muni N-Judah metro trains meet at the tight curve connecting Irving Street and Ninth Avenue in the hip Inner Sunset neighborhood. This heavily patronized transit route spans the narrow peninsula from San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, serving the Financial District, Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Inner Sunset, and Outer Sunset along the way.

Within sight of a homeless woman Amy, her dog Fire, and oblivious passers-by, an outbound N-Judah train curves into Ninth Avenue.

While walking in the opposite direction, the photographer encountered an inbound N-Judah train slowing for the stop at Irving and Ninth.

Nothing to LOL about: texting-crazed zombies run amok

2009-02-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

Why must some San Francisco State University students exhibit disrespectful text messaging habits around campus and in the classroom?

Such behavior is particularly bothersome considering the technology's myriad communication benefits and surging popularity among students. Individuals in the 18-24 age group sent and received an average of 790 text messages per month in the second quarter of 2008 alone, according to Nielsen Mobile. The same source reported that "the typical U.S. mobile subscriber now sends and receives more text messages than they do mobile telephone calls."

Texting provides valuable public service on campus. Gayle Orr-Smith, SFSU's emergency preparedness coordinator, said the university's Emergency Notification System warns students, faculty and staff of an emergency via text messaging. After the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, when a student shooting spree left 32 dead and 25 wounded, such capability is reassuring.

At least the cacophony of cell phone conversations has died down. Even so, students must realize that text messaging, like nosepicking, has its proper time and place.

It is irksome to navigate campus through a gauntlet of students too preoccupied with texting to see where they are going. These oblivious, hunched creatures are known as textwalkers. They impede safe, expeditious pedestrian traffic flow, and occasionally cause unnecessary human collisions as well. California outlawed motorists from text messaging on Jan. 1. Maybe the law should be expanded to protect us from textwalkers, too.

Students who text in class not only needlessly disturb professors and fellow students, but also impede their own education as well.

"Many people believe they can 'multitask,' but research is clear ... the brain cannot perform two conceptual tasks at the same time," said Dr. Mindi Golden, assistant professor in SFSU's communication studies department. "It is impossible to focus on class content while checking messages or texting."

Neither the California State University Executive Order of Student Conduct nor SFSU Student Code of Conduct broaches text messaging etiquette.

Donna Cunningham, university coordinator for student judicial affairs, is aware of the text messaging issue and said, "Just about any law or policy takes years to catch up with what is really going on."

Some faculty took matters into their own hands, admonishing students to turn off or silence phones.

It is unlikely that the university will craft policy soon. Frankly, why go to the trouble when the solution is so painfully obvious? If students simply demonstrated equal parts courtesy, common sense and self-restraint, the problem would vanish overnight.

Note: This op-ed piece - authored by Christian Goepel - appeared in the Feb. 26, 2009, edition of the Golden Gate [X]Press.

Why can't there be more hours in a day?

2009-02-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

Howdy from Northern California! I scaled back my blogging efforts in recent weeks to honor my academic commitment to San Francisco State University's Golden Gate [X]Press . Some of my stories and photographs featured in this semester's print and online publications can be found on my companion blog, The City ... of San Francisco.

Additional content will appear on both blogs as time permits. Thank you for your patience.

As usual, I welcome your comments, concerns, questions, and suggestions at cjgoepel@gmail.com.

Christian Goepel

No Fish After Dark: Seattle's Pike Place Market

2009-01-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Folks mill about the entrance to Seattle, Washington's historic Pike Place Market after closing time on a clear January evening. This popular marketplace - believed to be the oldest of its kind in the United States - has operated continuously for 101 years and offers an extensive assortment of local seafood, fruit, vegetables, flowers, crafts, and wares daily.

Opinion: Mercifully, George W. Bush's Reign is No More!

2009-01-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

To the delight of many around the globe, Republican and former President George W. Bush departed Washington on Marine Two yesterday afternoon, but left behind a festering and unparalleled domestic and international crisis for his successor Democrat Barack Obama to address. Presidential scholars and U.S. citizens remain uncertain about how to measure Bush's eight-year tenure, which was sullied by an unpopular war in Iraq, questionable expansion of executive powers, feeble response to natural disasters, botched foreign diplomacy, illegal torture acts, reckless fiscal policy, lack of oversight for corporations, tax breaks for the wealthy, a monumental housing crisis, and soaring unemployment.

With the inaugural pomp and circumstance over, today marked Obama's first official day of business in the White House. The young 44th president and leader of the free world must resolve scores of pressing issues during his first term in office. Indeed, he has his work cut out for him.

Photo above: A sign marks the western terminus of Bush Street in San Francisco, California.

Rocky Mountain High: Scenes from Central Colorado

2008-11-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

Denver may be the Mile High City, but Leadville – elevation 10,200 feet – is nearly two times higher and also holds a distinction as the loftiest incorporated city in the United States. Approximately 2700 hearty souls call this historic mining town home.

Notable among the countless architectural gems in Leadville is the Delaware Block Building constructed in 1886. This solid reminder of the Victorian era houses the Delaware Hotel today.

A storefront window at the Manhattan Bar advertises its status as a high altitude thirst center at 10,152 feet. In a place of extremes where no establishment wishes to be second best, more than one watering hole in Leadville claims to be the highest in the country.

Colorado State Highway 82 soars to 12,095 feet at Independence Pass to surmount the Continental Divide and the jagged Sawatch Range. After making the dizzying ascent from Aspen, a motorcyclist allows his engine to cool at the summit while taking in crisp air and majestic views above the tree line.

For more than a century, railroad passengers have embarked from the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s handsome Romanesque Revival depot at Glenwood Springs in search of mountain vistas, hot springs, backcountry adventure, and skiing. Today, Amtrak’s California Zephyr - operating between Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California, via Denver - serves the town daily.

The Hot Springs Pool and bathhouse at Glenwood Springs has been a therapeutic destination since 1888. The pool’s temperature hovers around 90 degrees and is fed by local mineral-rich hot springs.

The 14.9-mile-long Colorado State Highway 5 – a component of the longer Mt. Evans Byway - holds a distinction as the highest paved road in the United States. Completed in 1930, the serpentine two-lane pike terminates in the summit parking lot at 14,130 feet in elevation, where a sign warns visitors about altitude sickness. Unparalleled, on-top-of-the-world views of the Front Range and its many escarpments - including Longs Peak to the north and Pikes Peak to the south - can be seen from here or via a short hike to the peak at 14,264 feet.

Sightings of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep (pictured above), mountain goats, deer, elk, and marmots are frequent. Animals often catch the attention of visitors and occasionally disrupt traffic, too.

Unpredictable and inclement weather closes the road from Labor Day to Memorial Day. In higher elevations, the road is susceptible to buckling, as is evidenced above.

The eclectic Woody Creek Tavern lends its name from the small community in which it is located and was once a haunt for deceased gonzo journalist and known troublemaker Hunter S. Thompson. His rustic Owl Farm compound is mere minutes away.

Brewed in Golden for 135 years, Coors Beer is synonymous with the Rocky Mountains and the state of Colorado. Once available in only 11 Western states, Coors’ legendary commodity remained a product of mystique for those in the Midwest and East for generations. The brewery tour is a rite of passage for Coors aficionados and allows glimpses of the brew kettles.

New San Francisco Bay Area Related Blogspot Launched to Supplement The Journalist-Citizen

2008-11-26T10:44:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays from the City by the Bay! Please pardon the dust while I assemble a supplemental blog dedicated exclusively to the people, places, politics, culture, and history of the greater San Francisco Bay Area: The City ... of San Francisco (www.cityofsanfrancisco.blogspot.com). All San Francisco related content from The Journalist-Citizen was transferred to the new site today. Please check it out.

As it has since its July inception, the flagship Journalist-Citizen site will continue as a platform for sharing vignettes and images related to my travels, observations, and search for far-flung locales and forgotten heroes across the country.

I remain grateful for the high level of support and interest in both blogspots! And, as always, please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with me via e-mail at cjgoepel@gmail.com.

Cheers ... Christian Goepel

Far from Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque: The Plains of Easternmost New Mexico

2008-10-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Taken near Nara Visa, the photograph above does not capture the characteristic New Mexico mountain and desert scenery immortalized in travel guides and postcards, but so it is in the column of five counties – Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt, and Lea, from north to south – defining the Land of Enchantment’s eastern boundary with Texas and Oklahoma. Of this gritty and sparsely populated high elevation desert expanse known mostly for ranching, oil extraction, and limited agriculture, one could make the argument that yucca plants outnumber people by a million to one or more.

An important barometer in this arid territory, a rain gauge is attached to a fence cobbled together with barbed wire and secondhand railroad ties on a Quay County ranch. Much to the chagrin of those who make a living off the land, the approaching storm system will do little more than sprinkle a few warm drops on the parched earth. Hearty vegetation – including grasses and sagebrush – have adapted well to the lack of water.

This mural will have the casual observer believe that Tucumcari is the place where the camera-toting tourist meets the cowboys of the West. With a population of 5989 (2000 census), it is the only city of consequential size between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Amarillo, Texas.

In a business district plagued with vacant store fronts, a piano advertising Danford Dan’s Music Shop is a welcome sign of life in Tucumcari.

Hours of canteen operation are appropriately listed in military time at the alleyway entrance to Tucumcari’s VFW Post 2528.

The Palomino in Tucumcari is the consummate timeworn motel found along oft-romanticized US Highway 66. The weekly rate of $90 at the Palomino is less than one would expect to pay for a single night in a hotel in large cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. At one time, billboards exclaiming Tucumcari Tonite lined the highway and boasted the town’s 2000 rooms.

This mural provides a much-needed sense of optimism to Tucumcari’s declining business district.

The seat of Quay County, Tucumcari has been an important transportation crossroads in New Mexico for over a century. US Highways 54 and 66 intersect here (the latter pike was decommissioned and replaced with Interstate 40 more than a generation ago), as did mainlines of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. Thanks to abandonments and mergers in the last 30 years, Union Pacific is the only railroad in town today. Freight trains simply barrel through, intent on reaching cities, manufacturing centers, and ports elsewhere. And 40 years have passed since the crack Golden State streamliner whisking passengers between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, called on Tucumcari. An attractive, but disused stucco depot and a wide swath of land where the yards used to be is all that remains of railroading’s past.

In addition to holding a distinction as the largest and most prosperous community in easternmost New Mexico – 42,213 as of the 2007 census – Clovis remains an active railroad hub. Mainlines of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe fan out to the Midwest, Texas, and California from here. The classic neon sign above reminds railroaders to work safely.

Owing to its temperate climate, location on the western fringe of the Llano Estacado, and proximity to the Ogallala Aquifer, Clovis is the heart of a vast agricultural region. It is also the home of Cannon Air Force Base.

Highway signs at Texico beckon the traveler to choose an adventure westward, New Mexico style. Drivers bound for Santa Fe and Albuquerque will opt for US 84; those heading to Roswell or Las Cruces will rely on US 70. Missing population centers entirely, US 60 wanders across the state from east to west and divides it more or less in two.

A Clayton liquor store is abuzz with activity after the sun goes down. Town residents and area ranchers filter through, assuring brisk business for this small-town, family operated concern.

Nearby Clayton Lake State Park features fossilized dinosaur tracks. The Rabbit Ear Mountains visible to the north are a well-known landmark along the Cimarron Route of the precarious, 19th century Santa Fe Trail.

Giant ants scurry around the entrance to their colony in the rocky soil along US Highway 54 between Logan and Nara Visa.

The last rays of warm afternoon sun bathe the massive Golden West Flour elevator at Texico.

One Afternoon in Downtown Dallas, Texas

2008-10-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Even today, X-marks the spot on Elm Street where the chief executive took that fatal shot to the head on November 22, 1963. Alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald is said to have fired upon the president’s motorcade from an open window on the sixth floor of the imposing Texas School Book Depository building in the background. Dealey Plaza’s Grassy Knoll is at left, while the Triple Underpass is out of view behind the photographer.

Sassy Sonya Schrader steals some of her husband Jeremy’s french fries at the Founders Grill restaurant in the Hotel Lawrence on Houston Street.

A manhole cover on Houston Street near Union Station provides access to the city’s water system.

Images: Panhandle and Llano Estacado of Texas

2008-10-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

The gunslinging lawlessness of the West lingers: Wayward bullets pierced and pocked a historical marker near the Canadian River crossing on US Highway 287 south of Masterson.

In a scene reminiscent of the Dust Bowl, a fire burns on the wind-swept plains of Carson County, north of Washburn.

Equal parts kitschy and touristy, the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo stands as an allegory for Texan culture. Billboards advertising its existence line the highways radiating out of the Panhandle’s largest city for miles. Its menu caters to the carnivorous and even offers such Western delicacies as fried rattlesnake and Rocky Mountain oysters.

In the photo above, two brave souls face the restaurant’s ultimate challenge: Down a 72 oz. top sirloin steak, complete with all the trimmings – including baked potato, dinner roll, salad, and shrimp cocktail - in an hour or less and its free. Those who fail must swallow their pride and cough up $72.

According to the restaurant’s web site, 8500 folks have succeeded since the first 4.5lb. cut was served in 1960. Record holder Joey Chestnut scarfed it all down in an astonishing 8 minutes and 52 seconds.

Entrees galore pour out of the Big Texan’s kitchen during the hectic dinnertime rush.

Created by Ant Farm and sponsored by local philanthropist Stanley Marsh 3, the Cadillac Ranch exhibit west of Amarillo has given curious travelers a reason to get off Interstate 40 and stretch their legs for a generation. The ten vintage Cadillacs buried in a field within sight of historic US Route 66 embody one of the most remarked roadside attractions in the U.S. Visitors are numerous and graffiti is encouraged.

Amazingly enough, a tire on one of the Cadillacs still spins. This artistic monument to motordom is repainted so often that it can take on an entirely different appearance in a short amount of time.

Not surprisingly, rodeo is the official state sport of Texas. Pictured is the front gate to the Muleshoe Roping Club’s Dusty Rhodes Arena at Muleshoe.

A weekend rodeo in Muleshoe attracts competitors and spectators from all corners of the Panhandle and Llano Estacado. Pictured above, cowboys and cowgirls await their turn and watch the roping skills of the competition from afar.

Littlefield, population 6507 (2000 census), is the seat of rural Lamb County, the center of a major cotton producing region in the Llano Estacado, and the hometown of country music singer Waylon Jennings.

The deserted Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway depot at Chillicothe succumbs to neglect, weathering, and vandalism and faces an uncertain future.

The roadside Medicine Mound Depot Restaurant at Quanah offers patrons the opportunity to experience small-town Texas hospitality, relax in air conditioned comfort, and throw peanut shells on the floor.

Lubbock – metropolis of Llano Estacado territory – boasts a museum dedicated to the memory of one of its native sons, rock and roll musician Buddy Holly.

An iconic Phillips 66 gas station shield basks in the morning sun at Farwell.

The most obvious symbol of the Lone Star state flaps in a stiff wind at dusk in Amarillo.

The Mile High City's Notorious Avenue: East Colfax

2008-09-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Denver, Colorado: August 25-28, 2008

A key component of transcontinental US Highway 40, East Colfax Avenue was the main thoroughfare into urban Denver and suburban Aurora from the east until supplanted by parallel Interstate 70 four decades ago. Once bypassed, this historic avenue declined precipitously, earned a sordid reputation, and fell victim to years of unchecked urban decay. Concerted renewal efforts on East Colfax in recent years have been mildly effective, yet crime lingers and the avenue finds it difficult to shed its rough-and-tumble status. Traces of prostitution, the drug trade, homelessness, vandalism, and theft are blatant enough to grab the attention of the casual observer.

What stands astride the avenue today provides an intriguing dichotomy. Timeless greasy spoon diners and dive bars coexist side by side with their newer haute and trendy counterparts. Generations-old mom-and-pop stores and motels labor on, sometimes under different ownership. Aged neon signs buzz overhead, cast colorful swaths, and hold steadfast as reminders of a halcyon era.

Below, photographic tribute is paid a handful of the iconic East Colfax hold-outs and throwbacks, still catering to the public, much as they have in one way or another for time immemorial.

Complete with cheap beer, sticky floors, dim lighting, timeworn barstool upholstery, and Mexican fare, the Satire Lounge embodies the quintessential East Colfax speakeasy. Address: 1920 East Colfax, Denver.

Reminiscent of a small-town shop and known for its Schwinn affinity, family-owned and operated Collins’ Bicycles has served Denver since 1934. Address: 3217 East Colfax, Denver.

A community institution since 1942 and a popular destination for chow after the bars close, Pete’s Kitchen serves up three squares, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Owner Pete Contos operates four other restaurants on the avenue. Address: 1962 East Colfax, Denver.

Opened as the Thompson in 1913 and renamed the Bluebird in 1922, this landmark theater is a vintage movie house turned popular concert venue. Address: 3317 East Colfax Avenue, Denver.

The Carriage Motor Inn appears to be the typical motel of old, save for one glaring difference: The presence of a high security fence separating the property from the street. Address: 9201 East Colfax, Aurora.

Far from the Border: A Few Hours with the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps in Colorado

2008-09-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Denver, Colorado: August 25, 2008

"It is the mission of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps to see the borders and coastal boundaries of the United States secured against the unlawful and unauthorized entry of all individuals, contraband, and foreign military. We will employ all means of civil protest, demonstration, and political lobbying to accomplish this goal."

-Minutemen Civil Defense Corps mission statement

Coinciding with the Democratic National Convention’s first day, the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, Colorado Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, and RightMarch.com assembled for a day-long rally in Denver’s Congress Park on August 25 to garner support for policy reform and to call on presidential candidates to address the issue of illegal immigration. Including the media and representatives of the Denver Police and MCDC’s private security force, the event attracted approximately 75 people at any given moment between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Folding chairs, bottled water, literature, and a bit of shade were provided free of charge in front of a portable stage.

Peoria, Arizona-based MCDC coins itself “a citizen’s civil defense, political activist organization monitoring the U.S. border, coasts, and our government officials.” Since 2002, the organization has called for orderly immigration policy, an end to automatic birthright citizenship, curbing of amnesty, and, as President Chris Simcox explains on the MCDC web site, “protection from people who wish to take advantage of a free society.” Its volunteer workforce monitors and reports illegal immigration activity to law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Opposition at the Minutemen rally was minimal; however, one articulate soul countered Chris Simcox’s ideology.

“There is so much hypocrisy … borders aren’t closed to corporations,” 19-year-old Ohio State University student Ian Bowman-Henderson said. “And immigrants pay taxes.”

As seen through a Congress Park baseball diamond fence, rally attendees cluster under a tent to escape the sun and watch an immigration video.

After giving a short speech, Chris Simcox is barraged by the media. The crux of his message: “No human is illegal, but actions and behaviors can be.”

Curiously, the Minutemen banner at right was attached to a Denver Parks and Recreation vehicle.

Espousing an anti-immigration platform, Republican, Colorado Representative, and former 2008 presidential candidate Tom Tancredo takes his turn at the podium.

Mirroring MCDC’s stance, Tancredo said: “It’s idiotic to talk about amnesty.” Defending his position regarding the influx of illegal immigrants: “It’s not xenophobia … it’s a desire to make sure America is here.”

With all the gusto of a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Alan Keyes captivates an attentive crowd, receives a standing ovation, and entertains individual questions afterwards.

This political activist, one-time Republican, and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs under President Ronald Reagan is running for the presidency on the America’s Independent Party ticket.

Aaron Rock of the Colorado Film School interviews Tom Tancredo for a documentary project. The Minutemen rally attracted a cadre of journalism students and bloggers from across the country.

Half-Dozen Random Scenes from the Democratic National Convention

2008-09-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Denver, Colorado: August 24-26, 2008

Constructed for Denver’s 1908 Democratic National Convention at the behest of then-Mayor Robert W. Speer, the long-fallow Prismatic Electric Fountain in City Park was rebuilt and returned to operation for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The fountain discharges water approximately 100 feet above Ferril Lake at dusk on August 24.

An Obama poster is plastered to The Ethiopian Restaurant at 2816 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, on August 26.

Four miles from the convention hubbub at Denver’s Pepsi Center, Michael Sykes watches Hillary Clinton’s speech from the comfort of his Cook Street home on August 26. Clinton’s support of presumptive nominee Barack Obama is viewed as crucial to the unification of the Democratic Party.

Several organizations held free concerts throughout Denver during convention week. Hosted by Recreate 68, M1 and Stic.man of Dead Prez present politically charged hip hop from the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol on August 24.

A sign within earshot of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps rally in Denver’s Congress Park on August 25.

Encountered in Denver’s Civic Center Park on August 25, the Make Love, Not War slogan of the 1960s has morphed into Make Out, Not War.

Denver DNC on the Streets: August 25 Views

2008-08-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

Denver's Civic Center Park provided the nexus for events, vendors, speeches, musical performances, and political dialogue. This couple dines alfresco on the grass with fellow students and activists.

The Food Not Bombs organization serves up dinner free of charge in Denver's Civic Center Park. Of course, donations are accepted to sustain the effort.

Within sight of the Greek Theater and a monument recognizing legendary Denver Mayor Robert W. Speer - who oversaw the Mile High City's last Democratic National Convention a century ago - students relax and enjoy the ambience afforded by Civic Center Park.

Bookends propped against Ionic columns: Two girls listen nonchalantly to passionate political speeches at the Greek Theater in Denver's Civic Center Park.

A politically active pair at the Greek Theater in Denver's Civic Center Park - wishing to be known only as Eva and James - lifts their masks slightly to exchange a loving embrace while preserving their identity.

The Recreate 68 organization assembled at the Denver Mint Building for the Shake Your Money Maker protest. The purpose of the short assembly was to call for wealth redistribution.

The Hollywood, California, based Citizens for Safe Access founder Richard Eastman extols the benefits of medical marijuana to passers-by at Denver's Civic Center Park. He proudly displays a photograph taken with former President Bill Clinton.

A charicature of former President Richard M. Nixon artfully graces the wall of a building on 12th Avenue in Denver.

Presented by the Manjushri Project of Crested Butte, Colorado, the pictures of you traveling multimedia exhibit features translucent images of Iranian people and culture. In this view, a mosque is juxtaposed with Denver's City and County Building prior to sunset.

Many Denver businesses are bullish about the DNC, so it should not be surprising that the Hooters restaurant on Colorado Boulevard caught the political spirit, too.

Denver DNC on the Streets: First Major Clash Between Protesters and Police

2008-08-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Against the backdrop of a breathtaking sunset on August 25, Unconventional Denver marched from Civic Center Park to the Wellington Webb Municipal Building on 15th Street, instigating a standoff with law enforcement.

Denver Police and Denver Sheriff departments cordoned off the area circa 7:15 p.m., trapping nearly 300 people in the process. Those not connected with the protest were ultimately released.

“This whole thing is complicated,” said 20-year-old Matthew Reyes, one of those detained accidentally. “The cops seemed confused and there was no logical explanation for who was arrested and who was let go.”

In a press release, Heather Barry, neighborhood liaison for Mayor John Hickenlooper, reported total arrests hovered around 100. Charges ranged from obstruction of streets or public passageways to interference and disobedience to a lawful order.

7:45 p.m.: One of the first protesters apprehended awaits arrival of the Denver Sheriff Department bus in front of the building at 1515 Cleveland Place.

9:20 p.m.: Denver Sheriff donning riot gear block public access to Cleveland Place at the 16th Street Mall intersection. Three buses were dispatched to shuttle protesters from the makeshift field facility 500 feet away (police vehicles were positioned in a manner that blocked this operation from public view) to the temporary processing facility at 3833 Steele Street.

9:30 p.m.: Bystanders are pushed back from Cleveland Place to allow departure of the first Denver Sheriff bus. Inside the bus, those arrested pounded on the windows and yelled out to the crowd on the 16th Street Mall.

Democratic National Convention Precursor: August 24

2008-08-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

After an enlightening few days on the road with a close friend and 1400 miles on the odometer, I descended into Denver, Colorado, on Interstate 70 at 2 a.m. this morning. After a short sleep, I spent much of the day familiarizing myself with the Mile High City and observing happenings preceding the Democratic National Convention. Attached are a handful of images from the events at Civic Center Park.

An Aurora, Colorado, police officer prepares for possible altercation with protesters on Broadway Street, Denver.

A police officer clears Broadway Street of pedestrians and obstacles in the event of an altercation with protesters from Tent State University and other groups. The mood was tense for a minute, but fortunately did not erupt into violence.

Within sight of the stately Colorado state capital building, Pro-Obama and Pro-McCain supporters engage in meaningful debate, hoping to find common ground.

Among the numerous vendors in Civic Center Park, Political Plush of Littleton, Colorado, peddles Barack Obama dolls. Business is surprisingly brisk. Hillary Clinton and John McCain models are sold, too.

A tired attendee sleeps through a musical performance on the State Capital grounds, which is no small feat, considering the elevated volume and nearly 90 degree temperatures.

Folks beat the sweltering heat by cooling off in a Civic Center Park fountain.

Doing the Gentle Thing in an Inhospitable Climate

2008-08-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Beowawe, Nevada: August 15, 2008

Precisely 145 years ago today, 70-year-old widow and wagon train matriarch Lucinda Duncan died of an unconfirmed cause in the harsh Great Basin of Nevada near Beowawe while emigrating on the California Trail with her family. She failed to complete the arduous overland trek westward from Richmond, Missouri, to Galena, Nevada, but her memory survives thanks to unwavering dedication.

“The scene was truly a sad one to leave a beloved mother on the wild and desolate plains,” James Yager reported of her death in his diary entry of August 17, 1863. “A board with the name of the deceased was put up at the head and boulders was laid over the grave to keep wolves from scratching in it.”

The crude grave sat uninterrupted in the desert for five years until Central Pacific stumbled across it while pushing the first transcontinental railroad eastward from Sacramento, California. Respectful railroad employees cleaned the site and enclosed it with a wooden fence. At the behest of a division superintendent in 1871, a cross was erected displaying Maiden’s Grave on one side and Lucinda Duncan on the other.

Fact and folklore often conflict in historical accounts of the West: Lucinda was originally thought to be a teenage girl. Years later, diaries and family accounts verified her advanced age, but the Maiden’s Grave mystique lingered and the moniker stuck.

Central Pacific successor Southern Pacific realigned the railroad in 1906, and finding the grave in the way, carefully moved it south to a mound overlooking the wide Gravelly Ford crossing of the Humboldt River where it is believed she perished.

But compassion for a heroine persisted.

Southern Pacific replaced the aged cross with a larger one made of hefty timber in 1950. Perched on the hill’s edge, the cross stands 20 feet high and is obvious enough to garner the attention of curious railroad passengers, infrequent motorists, and herds of antelope within a half mile of the site. Railroaders and well-wishers repainted the cross and occasionally left fresh-cut flowers in the ensuing years.

Despite the site’s remoteness along a dusty road three miles east of Beowawe and the ceaseless passage of time, devotion for Lucinda endures today. Eureka County now owns and maintains the still-active cemetery. The Oregon-California Trails Association erected an interpretive plaque in 1997 and maintains a watchful eye.

On a frigid, late night visit to the cemetery in January 2006, the intense light of the full moon revealed six inches of fresh snow and a pot containing fake flowers at the foot of the cross. Surely this symbolic presentation was a matter of practicality in an unforgiving environment. While gazing across the broad valley toward a westbound freight train and a patch of pogonip fog hanging over the Humboldt, I realized that the flowers may be plastic, but ongoing reverence for Lucinda Duncan at this extraordinary place is far from artificial.

Endnote: The author makes an annual pilgrimage to Beowawe to pay his respects to the memory of those who possessed the courage to face unspeakable hardships to emigrate west, and most notably, the brave septuagenarian pioneer, Lucinda Duncan.

Sources consulted: The Bulletin (Southern Pacific), May 1958; Crofutt’s Transcontinental Tourist’s Guide by George A. Crofutt; Eureka County Assessor’s Office, Eureka, Nevada; High Road to Promontory by George Kraus; New Overland Guide by George A. Crofutt; Northeastern Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Issue
99-1; Oregon-California Trails Association website; The Pacific Tourist by Frederick E. Shearer

Hotels Do Not Offer Five-Finger Discounts

2008-08-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Fairfax, California: August 3, 2008

To contain theft today, hotels threaten you the consumer with pox, excessive credit card charges, kidnapping of first born, and other dire consequences if anything turns up missing from the room on your watch. But let’s face it: Folks love to get something for free. Seemingly everyone in the traveling public is guilty of popping stationery and unused soap, shampoo, or lotion in the suitcase before checkout. That is socially acceptable behavior. Braver souls with far stickier fingers gaffe ice buckets, coffee makers, or tacky framed art on the way out. But the primary universal target has always been towels.

About 25 years ago on a family trip to Wisconsin, my parents lifted a few of those stiff white bath towels emblazoned with the regal emerald green Holiday Inn logo. Mom must have thought they would make fine beach towels. I recall embarrassment with the prospect of taking these towels to the local pool – that is – until I realized that the other kids’ parents sent them out with identical “hot towels” gleaned from Holiday Inns, too.

Long ago, luxury hotels and resorts from Monterey, California, to Miami, Florida, offered their status conscious patrons a way out of the guilt: purchase the plush towels and fuzzy bathrobes enjoyed during the stay and take them home. This philosophy trickled down to the modest chain motels as well. A Super 8 Motel in Abilene, Texas, for example, advertises that all of the room’s accoutrements – including the multi-colored bedspreads and skimpy towels – are available for sale. Simply check the price list on a laminated sheet contained in the drawer of the nightstand and place an order with the front desk.

The very idea that nothing is to be borrowed permanently from a hotel room is simply understood, not overtly advertised. But while staying at the quaint Melsask Motel in Melville, Saskatchewan, eight years ago, I discovered a firm admonishment posted on a wall next to the room door. The faded, water-stained 3”x5” cardboard sign read:

Please … LEAVE KEY ON DRESSER – TURN OUT LIGHTS! If You Leave Anything, We’ll Send it to You … If You Take Anything, We’ll Send for You. License Number on File. THANK YOU, COME AGAIN!

Form 521N - Hotel Systems & Supply Ltd., Winnipeg

It doesn’t get any plainer than that. Thoughts of requisitioning the old cotton bed sheets – assuming any such notions existed - were extinguished immediately.

But, ironically enough, I couldn’t resist the temptation to swipe that sign, smuggle it from Canada into the United States, and affix it to a bulletin board above my desk at home. Let this minor transgression be our little secret, lest the management of the Melsask crosses the 49th parallel and sends for me.

Life of a Railroad Boomer: James H. Johnson

2008-08-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Stockton, California: Early 2005

Booming and articulate, witty and persuasive, intelligent and communicative, one could easily mistake Engineer James H. Johnson for the general manager of a railroad. And while certainly capable, the polished and conservatively dressed Jim avoids supervisory positions like the plague.

A fourth-generation railroader and native Californian, Jim hired out with the Southern Pacific as a fireman right out of high school in 1961. Toiling in train service positions, his career saw promotions to conductor and engineer and – in typical boomer fashion - transcended tenures at numerous railroads: Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Western Pacific, and Union Pacific. Jaded with the large railroad mentality, Jim departed Union Pacific in 1990 and has since been an extra board engineer for short line railroads Napa Valley, Sierra, and California Northern.

Jim left the industry a few times during the last 43 years to further his education and pursue careers in law enforcement and teaching, but he simply could not resist the lure of the rails.

“Like a mistress in the night, railroading kept calling my name,” he admitted.

And while not number one as far as seniority is concerned, chronologically Jim – known alternately as “Pops” - is the oldest and most respected man on California Northern’s engineer roster.

Railroaders are idiosyncratic and Jim proves no exception. He will only work in an immaculate engine cab and periodically butts heads with union brothers that do not live up to his elevated standard of cleanliness. Jim dresses appropriately and expects others to follow suit. Gadgetry is his bailiwick: Digital cameras, palm pilot, Internet access, and cell phones are all kept practically within arm’s reach. A tireless and resourceful jack-of-all-trades, Jim moonlights as a wedding and school photographer.

In more serious moments, Jim extols time and again, “I’m blessed,” and he uses the phrase to describe more than family and faith. An engineer on one of the trains involved in a nationally publicized accident on the Western Pacific near Fremont, California, in 1980, Jim survived with a broken back, leading to excruciating pain and two years of paralyzing convalescence. His conductor and brakeman perished.

“At the time, I believed that I should have, too,” he shared after a pensive moment.

And like many of his brethren, Jim suffered from family separation issues and chronic bouts of alcoholism when out on the road for Western Pacific.

“I was drinking a bottle of beer in the shower on the 1979 day that my first wife walked out on me,” he said. “That was my last drop.”

Much to his liking, Jim is now comfortably settled in a modest home in an established Stockton, California, neighborhood and no longer deals with the disorienting feeling of not knowing when he will work next or the transient nature of railroading out of a suitcase.

Jim has two families separated by time and little else. “My ex-wife lives in Modesto (California) and we have become friends; in fact, she often spends Christmas at my home.” Two now Generation X aged daughters from this first union live nearby and blessed Jim with three grandchildren apiece.

He met his present wife Robbie via a blind date in 1983 and their loving marriage has yielded two active children: Josh, 10; Jamie, 12.

Now 61, when asked if he will ever retire, a twinkle comes to Jim’s eyes and he humorously quips: “If I leave, who will be left to stir the pot? And besides, I love this shit.”

Author’s note: Jim retired from the railroad on June 30, 2006, and is today a self-avowed Mr. Mom.

For Rent: Apartment with Everything … Including the Kitchen Sink!

2008-07-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Napa, California: Sometime in 2006

While digging through the deepest, darkest recesses of the archives this afternoon, I reacquainted myself with a humorous classified advertisement from the Napa Valley Register. A one-time coworker clipped this for me back in 2006 and I will now share it – that is – after I blow the dust off and smooth the creases. To wit:

“QUIET, unique 3 room living space fully furnished includes air conditioner, 2 beds with linens, large kitchen w/pantry, refrigerator/freezer, gas range, table, table cloth, chairs, pots/pans, dishes, knives, forks, spoons, salt, pepper, vacuum, broom, mop, ironing board, washer, dryer, satellite dish, TV, water, garage, gas, electricity, a doz eggs & a pound of bacon in refrigerator; all included $1000/mo + $1000 deposit.”

After reading that description, I am left with an assortment of questions, not to mention cramps in my side from excessive chuckling. Indeed, the presence of salt and pepper in the unit are key selling points, for certain.

I don’t even want to consider the cost per word to place this classified. Doubtless, the owner of this property had to liquidate his or her Swiss bank account(s) to pay for such a lengthy ad.

It appears as if the previous tenant and/or the owner intended to leave more personal effects behind than is necessary to classify this place as the typical furnished living space. That begs the question: Where will the prospective tenant put all of his or her possessions? Better come up with a comprehensive game plan before unpacking that U-Haul.

And, mmmmm … greasy, salty bacon sits in the fridge and awaits consumption. Sure hope its not Sizzlean – or worse yet – turkey bacon!

I was not looking to relocate two years ago, but somehow feel like I missed out for not taking advantage of this seemingly lucrative rental arrangement in the pricy Napa Valley. No sense in crying in my wine about it though.

Courtesy Should Come Without Thought of Reward

2008-07-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Novato, California: July 19, 2008

On a mission to quench my high-octane bean juice fix on Saturday morning, I aimed my car for the Starbucks café at the Vintage Oaks shopping center in Novato, California. Upon arrival, I instinctually engaged in a simple timeless ritual: I held the door open for a 30-something woman and her young child. This mother-daughter duo took their place in the queue immediately in front of me and nothing was said.

My mind quickly wandered elsewhere as I inched closer to the barista taking coffee orders. Fresh on my brain was the impending closure of 600 Starbucks locations nationwide – a seemingly inconceivable event for the successful Seattle-based giant that found a way to make American coffee tastes more epicurean and charge through the gills for such an addiction. I next wondered why an individual with any sense of self-preservation considers tackling one of those fattening bear claws in the pastry display case. Really, each one is a candidate for its own health study and zip code.

Roused from my trance moments later, the woman with child in tow politely asked me what I wanted to drink. Thinking like a health-conscious minimalist: Why, a tall nonfat latte, of course. But why was she asking me?

The woman promptly explained that she wished to reward me for demonstrating a level of kindness rarely seen.

“We left Marin County because people are not very courteous,” she said, to the chagrin of some customers and employees in earshot. “You held the door for us and I appreciate that.”

I initially declined her kind offer, but she held steadfast in her conviction, and besides, there was no sense in changing her otherwise high opinion of me. So, she purchased the aforementioned latte - MSRP $2.65, plus tax – and I praised the generous act with a few kind words and a smile.

As I exited the establishment and took a seat outdoors, it dawned on me - whether one lives in Marin County or not - etiquette is eroding these days. Has our self-absorption compelled us to eschew good manners and courtesy to others?

Moral of the story: We must remember to hold the door for our fellow man and woman - young or old. Not for the possibility of a free cup of coffee, but only because it is the right thing to do.