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<DIV>The demonstrations against this business do not have my support and I wish
they would stop. This one isolated and unfortunate incident appears
to arise out of a misunderstanding in which blame can be lain as easily on
the caregiver as on the business owner. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>An unfortunate incident occurred that was the result of a
misunderstanding. It is plain to me that the incident can be a "teachable
moment" from which all can learn, and that bleeding a restaurant business to
death by demonstration or boycott in a community that could use more,
non-fast food, dining options is not the best solution. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Moscow Hotel is a downtown anchor whose businesses have been
battling parking issues, even though the Hotel was one of the original
contributors to the Jackson Street parking lot for downtown merchants. It
is not in Moscow or our downtown's interest to attack or boycott locally owned,
tax-paying businesses in the downtown core that we are trying to preserve and
protect without having much more to go on than this one isolated and
unfortunate incident. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bruce Livingston</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=lauriecurry83537@yahoo.com
href="mailto:lauriecurry83537@yahoo.com">laurie curry</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=deco@moscow.com
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">Art Deco</A> ; <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Vision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:00
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Archies on the
Square [DN Article: Read carefullyand completely]</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Just in case any of you missed my
letter earlier, I am sorry to say that perception is just as much in my letter
as the one below it. I guess you as educated people will make the decision on
your own what you will take and use as credible information. I am sorry
that anyone would would ever interpret anything that was done at Archies as a
deliberate attempt to discriminate against people with disabilities and I hope
that your recognition of this will pursuade you to keep your signs and
protests to events that are factual and not for used as a witch hunt because a
few individuals have twisted their interpretations to meet their
definitions!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><EM>Copy of earlier
posting</EM>.....Wow, I am shocked and amazed that I was able to read such a
large article in the <SPAN id=lw_1175126235_0>Moscow</SPAN> Daily News about
this young man that had and altercation at Archies on The Square.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I know Jim Johnson and his wife
Archie, they are friends of my family and most importantly came to visit my
husband and myself to get the scoop on <SPAN id=lw_1175126235_1>Idaho</SPAN>
before they moved here. I told them how wonderful the people were here
in <SPAN id=lw_1175126235_2>Idaho</SPAN> and how much they would love
it. I told them to pack up and leave and open a place here because they
would do wonderful and people would love them. So imagine my surprise
when I read this article. Oh did I mention that my brother in law
(Billy) is mentally handicapped? Yep he sure is, you cant tell until you
start to have a conversation with him, but he is functioning at the level
of a 6 or 7 year old. Did I also mention that he has known Archie and
Jim along time? Yep he does, in fact his brother took Archie to the her
prom and the two of them, even after marriage have remained good friends, and
their spouses are good friends, and well we all live in <SPAN
id=lw_1175126235_3>Idaho</SPAN> now. I just wanted to say that Jim has
always been so good to my Billy, even when Billy has yelled across the
room to customers in the restaurant to say hello and ask if they are having a
good morning or evening or whatever the case may be. Jim is in no way
the villain that the paper and Mr. Hopper have made him sound
like.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">When we take Billy out,
people don't know he is disabled, the ladies in the park didn't know
when this 7' man started to play with their children on the swings and slides
that he was harmless. We saw them as they spoke to each other with
horrified looks on their faces, and as one mom was getting ready to go take
her child from the playground we walked over and told her that Billy may be
tall and look like an adult but truly he was just a child in that park
and having a great time. We let them know that Billy wasn't dangerous
(as some people with disabilities can be, depending on their level of
disability) and he would just have a great time with the kids, if they allowed
him too. The next week they invited Billy to the High School Dance to be
a Chaperon/guest! Billy rocked the place and dances as the kids chanted
his name, he was so very happy and why? Because of something it took 5 seconds
to do!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Does anyone know what we did right
in that picture? Yep you got it, we as responsible adults/ caregivers
spoke to the people who could easily have misunderstood the situation and we
gave them the valuable information they needed to make and informed decision
about the safety of their children! This could have easily gone wrong
had we ignored the signs or simply looked away because we expected people to
automatically know Billy is handicapped. We don't like to use terms like
handicapped, disabled or even retarded since birth, as Billy is, but Billy
knows that we have to tell people, that not all people can see this and
for his safety we have the responsibility to let people know right away, and
Billy also knows the principals of respect and peoples space. He may not
always show restraint but we surely do not ever let him walk across a public
place and walk into the middle of a conversation with strangers, unless
we follow quickly behind to explain and also to guide Billy in the appropriate
behavior.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Jim Johnson knows Billy, he treats
Billy with care and respect and he includes him in our conversations when
we visit he and his wife. Jim Johnson and his wife came here to meet the
good people of <SPAN id=lw_1175126235_4>Idaho</SPAN> and some irresponsible
handler thought that his way of being indignant to a situation he could have
easily avoided is to protest and ruin the lively hood of a family.
Archie's on the Square is their lively hood they came here with the dream
of being a family place where they could see and be part of this great State,
and anyone who would stoop to such a level of revenge for an honest
misunderstanding well I have to say, I would never let them be in the
same room with Billy let alone be the person who guides him or teaches
him as Billy would not be the loving kind person he is, he would be
disrespectful and ignorant of the world around him and well I am glad that Mr
Hopper isn't a caregiver for us!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Respectfully Mrs. Laurie
Curry</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT> </DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Art Deco
<deco@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:
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<DIV>It was an unfortunate incident and probably could have been better
handled by both parties, and handled in a way that brought out the best
for all concerned, especially the disabled individual. But at least
there seems to be some agreement on some of the "facts."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chasuk wrote:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>"Hopper's allegations are supported only by his
word. ... I do know that Hopper is the type of man who has no
qualms destroying a person's life over an unprovable
claim."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV>However, if we are to believe Omie Drawhorn of the <EM>Daily News</EM>,
part of Hopper's claim seems not to be disputed<EM>,</EM> for
example:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"Hopper said he then told
Johnson that Skelton wasn't drunk, but disabled.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"He [Johnson] said
<STRONG>'How should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign around his
neck,'</STRONG> " Hopper said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>When Hopper threatened to
write a letter to the editor about the incident, Johnson told Hopper he
could write two for all he cared.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"He had plenty of time to
say he misunderstood, but he just became enraged again," Hopper
said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff><STRONG>Johnson said he did
say those things, but he was provoked."</STRONG></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't know either Johnson or Hopper. I have eaten twice at
Archies.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am concerned about two things however, the first of major concern,
the second, not so much:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1. The quote, apparently accurate and made while
provoked, Johnson made about disabled persons: "<FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG>How should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign
around his neck," ... </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#000000>is disturbing.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Aside from being grossly insensitive and demonstrating an
attitude about disabled persons not particularly admirable, it is not
the kind of thing an astute businessperson who has just "come to Moscow and
invested $650,000 in this town" should say in public no matter what his
private feelings.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2. The claim made by Chasuk as a response
to the <EM>Daily </EM>News article that <FONT color=#0000ff>"Hopper's
allegations are <STRONG>supported only by his word</STRONG>."</FONT>
and <FONT color=#0000ff> "Hopper is the type of man who has no qualms
destroying a person's life over an <STRONG>unprovable
claim</STRONG>." i</FONT>s not supported by the article to unless
we assume Drawhorn is mistaken or lying. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not think that Johnson and Archies have been irretrievably damaged
here. What will determine how much damage, if any, occurs is how
Johnson responds now that there has been time to cool down and
evaluate. I see that Tom Hansen has posted what appears to be a oral
interview with Johnson. I cannot listen to it as my computer sound is
not working correctly so I do not know what Johnson has said so far.
It is not my place to advise Johnson on how to execute damage control, but
at least some of it should be obvious.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This incident presents what an experienced teacher would call a
<STRONG>teachable moment</STRONG>. I tried to make my contribution of
some things that might be learned in my response yesterday. Some
people have understood; others obviously not.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The continuation of this discussion has not yet reduced its value as a
teachable moment. I hope that others much more qualified than I on the
non-epistemological aspects of this issue will continue to help us all to
learn to be better able to more sensitively and effectively deal with
situations which Hopper and Johnson faced, and to demonstrate compassion to
those innocently much less abled than most of us.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID
83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(208) 882-7975<BR><A
href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2007-March/042871.html">http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2007-March/042871.html</A></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>From: "Chasuk" <<A
href="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com">chasuk@gmail.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>To: "Art Deco" <<A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>Cc: "Vision 2020" <<A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:36 PM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Archies on the Square [DN Article: Read
carefully and completely]</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>> The accusation of discrimination against the disabled is as
corrosive<BR>> to a person's reputation as an accusation of rape.
No proof is<BR>> necessary; the damage is instant and
irreversible.<BR>> <BR>> I don't know Tom Hopper, and I don't know Jim
Johnson, but that this<BR>> private misunderstanding has turned into a
public crucifixion makes me<BR>> nauseous. Hopper's allegations are
supported only by his word. I have<BR>> no reason to believe
Johnson's word over Hopper's (or vice versa), but<BR>> I do know that
Hopper is the type of man who has no qualms destroying<BR>> a person's
life over an unprovable claim.<BR>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<H2>Residents protest restaurant owner's treatment of man; Another protest
planned outside Archie's on the Square</H2>
<DIV
style="MARGIN-TOP: 0pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-TOP: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt">By Omie
Drawhorn, <EM>Daily News</EM> staff writer</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10px">Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - Page Updated at
12:06:00 PM</DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">
<DIV>A group of Moscow residents protested in Friendship Square on Sunday in
response to an alleged incident of discrimination against a disabled man.
Protestors plan to return this Sunday as well.</DIV>
<DIV>The incident started when Moscow residents Tom Hopper and Dan Skelton,
34, visited Archie's on the Square for breakfast Sunday.</DIV>
<DIV>Skelton, who is nonverbal and severely disabled, was excited to be
there, said Hopper, who has served as Skelton's caregiver for 10
years.</DIV>
<DIV>"He's mobile and real social. He's like a social butterfly and wants to
say 'Hi' to everyone," Hopper said. "He was making noises, like 'hey, hey,
hey' to the hostess."</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper said the two followed the hostess between the co-owner of
Archies, Jim Johnson, and two customers he was talking to.</DIV>
<DIV>"The very nature of the restaurant is when you are seated you have to
walk between them," Hopper said.</DIV>
<DIV>Skelton stopped to sign to Johnson that he was really excited to be
there and wanted to eat.</DIV>
<DIV>"(Johnson) instantly became angry that he was interrupted," Hopper
said.</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper said Johnson told him, "Will you do something about this
now?"</DIV>
<DIV>After the two walked over to sit down, Hopper said Johnson told him,
"This guy is bad for business, my friend."</DIV>
<DIV>"I thought, OK, I guess he doesn't want us to eat here," Hopper
said.</DIV>
<DIV>So the two left for The Breakfast Club.</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said he was in no way disrespectful to Hopper and
Skelton.</DIV>
<DIV>"They walked in and got between two senior customers I was talking to,"
he said. "I was just starting to say, 'How was your breakfast?' when the
young man stepped between the table and me and started making weird grunting
noises, grabbing my hand and shaking it. I thought he was either drunk or on
PCP."</DIV>
<DIV>He said Skelton stayed in his face with his rear end in the face of the
customers.</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said he did tell Hopper and Skelton that Skelton's behavior
wasn't good for business, but he didn't realize Skelton was disabled and
just assumed the two would sit down and have breakfast.</DIV>
<DIV>After they finished eating at The Breakfast Club, Hopper called
Archie's to talk to the owner about the way he and Skelton were
treated.</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper discovered that Johnson was the restaurant's co-owner.</DIV>
<DIV>"I told him that I thought we were treated pretty rudely and he said
(Skelton) was rude and for all he knew Dan was drunk," Hopper said.</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper said he then told Johnson that Skelton wasn't drunk, but
disabled.</DIV>
<DIV>"He said 'How should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign around his
neck,' " Hopper said.</DIV>
<DIV>When Hopper threatened to write a letter to the editor about the
incident, Johnson told Hopper he could write two for all he cared.</DIV>
<DIV>"He had plenty of time to say he misunderstood, but he just became
enraged again," Hopper said.</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said he did say those things, but he was provoked.</DIV>
<DIV>"He accused me of being rude and mean-spirited to a mentally
handicapped person," Johnson said. "Both the waitress and I witnessed this
along with the senior couple and our first impression was that he consumed a
large amount of alcohol. (Hopper) said I should have known, but I don't know
what signing means. It didn't look like anything in the movies, it was weird
gibberish with him slapping himself on the chest or chin."</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said he indicated that Hopper do his job and gently escort
Skelton out of the situation.</DIV>
<DIV>"I thought this never happens, I should at least protest this," Hopper
said.</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper and Skelton showed up in Friendship Square on Sunday with yellow
signs. They were joined by about 20 other people who had heard about the
protest.</DIV>
<DIV>"There were people in there, kids in his restaurant, but (Johnson)
stood there for a while and flipped us off," he said.</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson denied making the gesture toward the protestors, although he
said he told the protestors to come back again because he had more business
than the previous Sunday.</DIV>
<DIV>Hopper said he isn't seeking vengeance.</DIV>
<DIV>"This is just bizarre," he said. "He's starting a restaurant and he
needs community support to make a living, but he's not willing to support
the community."</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said the situation has been an absolute nightmare.</DIV>
<DIV>"My friends and employees know in my wildest dreams I would never pull
what people are accusing me of," he said. "I've come to Moscow and invested
$650,000 in this town. I'm 63 years old, this is my last hurrah. We are
busting our hinds for every bit of business so we can have this investment
pay off."</DIV>
<DIV>Johnson said no matter what happens, he'll be painted in a negative
light.</DIV>
<DIV>"No matter what I say people are going to believe what they want to
believe," he said.</DIV>
<DIV>Omie Drawhorn can be reached at(208) 882-5561, ext. 234 or by e-mail at
<A
href="mailto:odrawhorn@dnews.com">odrawhorn@dnews.com</A>.</DIV></SPAN></DIV></DIV>=======================================================<BR>List
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