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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I agree with this post this thing has gotten out of
hand completely. It isn't as if the Archie's owner knew who he was talking to he
thought it was just a rude interuption. The caretaker/handler should have spoken
up and he is the one at fault..he knew and did nothing. Lets get a grip
people!</FONT></DIV>
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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=jeanlivingston@turbonet.com
href="mailto:jeanlivingston@turbonet.com">Bruce and Jean Livingston</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Vision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 29, 2007 6:50
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Archies on the
Square</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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>
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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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