LETTERS: Councilman Karl Skala Answers Chamber of Commerce Removal Push

The letters below detail a month-long effort to remove 3rd Ward City Councilman Karl Skala from the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee earlier this year.

The letters are part of what alarmed some of my sources for the story we just reported, City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group. They believed the Chamber discussion had migrated to the meeting this story reports.

Bob Roper -- who addressed the meeting reported above and co-chairs the Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee with Sircal's Bob Black -- denies any involvement in the Chamber effort to remove Mr. Skala.

"I value and respect Karl's participation, but I can't go into it any further than that," he told me Wednesday evening during our interview, when I asked him about the Chamber dispute.

Click the images below to read the letters, which are listed in order of dates.

BEAT BYTE EXTRA! City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group

BEAT BYTE -- 1/29/09

1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group
2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape
3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal

1) City Council Scheme Shocks Leadership Group  

COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A conversation about Columbia's future at Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting suddenly became a jaw-dropping expose when members heard about an alleged plan to replace, block, or otherwise undermine so-called city council "activists."

"I couldn't believe it," a DLC member, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Heart Beat. "We were hearing about a group of city leaders, including the mayor and city manager, scheming to remove city council members they don't like."

Ostensibly a public relations campaign to support city council pay, the plan was supposedly presented at a different, invitation-only meeting of former mayors and city managers last Thursday at the Country Club of Missouri. No council members, past or present, were invited and the meeting was closed to the public. Columbia Daily Tribune editor Hank Waters was also said to have attended.

With current city manager Bill Watkins and mayor Darwin Hindman also in attendance, former city attorney and Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bob Roper allegedly spoke about paying council members. But the conversation quickly became about ways to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members like Karl Skala, Barb Hoppe, Paul Sturtz, and Jerry Wade, according to sources familiar with the meeting. Mr. Roper then presented a plan to grant mayors "full veto power."

Using the term "activist council members" at least a half dozen times, attendees also discussed the pressing need to remove "that guy in the fishing vest" -- Mr. Skala -- in favor of "business people who just can't afford the time off to do the job without getting paid."

Mayor Darwin Hindman allegedly spoke in favor of the proposal, but it was unclear what he was supporting -- council pay or council member removal -- because neither he nor anyone else spoke against the scheme, and because council pay was allegedly a part of it. Paying council members would allegedly encourage many more "business people" to seek the elected office.

The term "council activists" has recently appeared in local editorials, including Missourian pundit George Kennedy's recent discussion of an ongoing dispute between council members, Mayor Hindman, and City Manager Watkins regarding the police chief hiring process. Council members can be removed for violating the city charter if they "interfere" or "meddle" in hiring decisions, which are solely the purview of the city manager.

As word of the conversations spread yesterday, this reporter's phone rang continuously, with citizens concerned that an elite "leadership cabal" was floating trial balloons to test support for ways to silence dissent and take control. That concern was largely motivated by an earlier, well-documented exchange between Mr. Skala, who sits on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC), and leaders of the committee, who were seeking his removal from it.

Mr. Roper co-chairs that committee.

"I regretted having to ask you to withdraw from the Chamber's government affairs committee, but I felt compelled to do so based on numerous complaints I have received about your participation in the last few meetings," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a December 19, 2008 letter to Mr. Skala. "As we discussed, I felt that the 'open' governmental affairs format provides an important forum for our members to raise, discuss, and formulate recommendations on issues critical to business in Columbia. Accordingly, it is imperative that your participation not continue to disrupt this process."

Mr. Roper denied involvement in efforts to remove Mr. Skala from either the city council or the GAC. "I value and respect Karl's participation, but I can't go into it any further than that," he told the Heart Beat.

And while he did confirm presenting a council pay plan at "a sort of annual meeting that [former Columbia mayor] Bob Pugh puts together," Mr. Roper denied presenting a plan to remove or discourage "council activists."

"The term 'council activists' didn't come up, not once," Mr. Roper said. "That's absurd."

Instead, Mr. Roper said he presented the plan to "correct a basic inequity of people who take a lot of abuse working 30-35 hours per week for free. A council pay plan might actually increase the number of candidates for the city council by making it easier for more people to serve. But I don't want to talk too much more than that."

Former Columbia mayor Clyde Wilson, who attended both the public DLC meeting and the private council "pay plan" meeting, confirmed details that conflict with Mr. Roper's account, openly wondering why no council members, past or present, were invited to a meeting presumably about their pay.

"It was only mayors and city managers," Mr. Wilson told the Heart Beat. "Mr. Watkins sat next to [former city manager] Ray Beck. I think many people started getting uncomfortable about the time this activist council discussion started. I support council pay, and that's why I went. But it became clear fairly quickly that another agenda was at work."

George Kennedy editorial:http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/01/15/let-our-elected-leaders-have-say-next-police-chief


2) Controversial Discussion Missing From Official Tape 

COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- A tape recording of Tuesday night's Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) meeting is missing an entire conversation regarding an alleged scheme to remove and discourage so-called "activist" council members, the Columbia Heart Beat has learned.

In a telephone call to Billye Clemons yesterday afternoon, who said she tape records every DLC meeting to transcribe minutes, this reporter -- who also attended the DLC meeting -- requested permission to listen to the tape. "I've never had anyone ask to do that before," Clemons said. "We have no procedure in place for it and I'll have to ask Mr. Watkins."

I made the request after a source close to City Hall expressed concern that portions of the DLC meeting, which is open to the public, hadn't been recorded. "It wouldn't surprise me if about 7-10 minutes of that meeting is missing," the source explained.

Roughly an hour later, Clemons telephoned to say the tape was ready. On arriving at the City Manager's office in the Daniel Boone City Hall meeting, I met Clemons in the lobby and she set me up in a private conference room. "I'm sorry, this is a really old machine," she said, proceeding to turn on a cassette tape recorder. The tape started playing about halfway into the meeting, which I had also attended.

But after about a minute, during which Columbia Housing Authority director Phil Steinhaus discussed his dismay with a structure at Quinton's Bar that overhangs a sidewalk along Ninth Street, the tape suddenly stopped. The conversation about the scheme to remove council members was indeed missing.

"Oh no -- I'm really sorry," explained Clemons, who relies on the tape to compose the minutes. "I guess I forgot to turn the tape over."

After requesting to speak with assistant city manager Tony St. Romaine, who also attended the DLC meeting, I waited for several minutes, but couldn't wait longer and eventually left.


3) Chamber of Commerce Committee Sought Councilman Removal 

COLUMBIA, 1/29/09 (Beat Byte) -- Earlier this month, leaders of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee (GAC) sought to remove 3rd ward city council member Karl Skala, a committee member for the past four years, from their committee.

"I have complaints from several participants who feel your comments chilled the discussions and made the meetings unproductive," Chamber of Commerce board chairman Larry Moore wrote in a Jan. 5 letter to Mr. Skala. "Karl, to my knowledge, the only complaints we have ever had about participation or non-constructive behavior in a Government Affairs Committee meeting have been about you, not other elected officials."

Praising "two very capable co-chairs" including Bob Roper, Mr. Skala responded that in a 20-member committee following "democratic rules of order," he was befuddled that any one person would be singled out as "disrupting" or "monopolizing" the meetings. In a Jan. 12 letter, Skala said he also had support from other committee members who "expressed dismay" with Mr. Moore, "first at your request for my resignation, and then for your suggestion to control debate by 'internalizing it.'"

Mr. Skala was referring to Mr. Moore's Jan. 5 letter. "The Chamber, through the Government Affairs Committee, must have a process by which we can debate and develop our legislative priorities and recommendations internally," Mr. Moore wrote, asking Mr. Skala to "respect the process we are trying to maintain."

Mr. Skala also wrote to Mr. Moore that a second committee member "contacted me earlier that same week disavowing any involvement in your decision to ask for my resignation."

Established, according to Mr. Moore, in part to encourage "better communications between the business community and the City Council," the Chamber GAC includes business people (Mr. Moore is an executive of Con Agg Mo, a diversified construction firm founded by developer Billy Sapp), and government officials (Mr. Skala and county commissioner Karen Miller).

Attempts to remove Mr. Skala from the committee ultimately proved unsuccessful.

RELATED:http://www.columbiamochamber.com/chamber

-- Mike Martin for the Columbia Heart Beat

BEAT BYTE: Preservation Commission Announces Notable Properties

BEAT BYTES: Breaking News from the Columbia Heart Beat
1/25/09

1) PRESERVATION COMMISSION: Announces Notable Properties
2) VILLAGE VOICEOVER: Mule Barn Welcomes New Businesses
3) SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE PRUITT: Announces Office Hours
4) READER POLLS ARE UP: Columbia School Board and City Council


1) PRESERVATION COMMISSION: Announces Notable Properties

The City of Columbia's Historic Preservation Commission has announced the 2009 Ten Most Notable Historic Properties. The commission will honor property owners at a gala event at the Tiger Hotel Ballroom, Tuesday, February 3rd, 7 pm. The Public is invited and refreshments will be served. This is a not-to-miss event, especially for history buffs.

The 2009 City of Columbia Ten Most Notable Historic Properties are:

1) Missouri Press Association Building at 802/804 Locust Street

2) Dumas Apartments at 413 Hitt Street

3) St. Clair Hall at Columbia College

4) Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church at 702 Wilkes Boulevard

5) The Annie Fischer House at 2911 Old Highway 63 South

6) Audubon Society Building @ MKT Trailhead, 800 South Stadium Boulevard

7) 700 Mount Vernon Drive

8) The Highway Building at 900 Old 63 North

9) 1252 Sunset Drive

10) Quarry Heights property owned by Quarry Heights Owners Association


2) VILLAGE VOICEOVER: Mule Barn Welcomes New Businesses

Two businesses have opened in the Fay Street Lofts, aka The Mule Barn at 501 Fay Street in Columbia's Village neighborhood. LightSum, a creative firm specializing in interactive experiences for installation or the web, moved in Nov. 20, 2008, in an loft office overlooking Fay Street. Please contact Chris Ellingsworth at chris@lightsum.com for more information.

Blueroot Studios, a boutique software design and development company that specializes in creating unique and usable online experiences for companies and organizations, moved into Suite 210. Please contact Jamie Stephens at jamie@blueroot.com.

RELATED:
Fay Street Lofts
www.FaystreetLofts.com


3) SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE PRUITT: Announces Office Hours

CPS School board candidate Michelle Pruitt has announced her first round of a continuing tradition: Office hours at Lakota Coffee, Sunday February 1, 3-5 pm for members of the the public with questions, comments, concerns.

"My focus will be and has always been on student achievement," Pruitt says. "Put our resources to work in the classroom first. Give students and parents open access to assessment data. Encourage and respond to parent, teacher and community input. Make decisions based on data and evidence. No hidden agendas."

Pruitt also announced a fundraiser with music by the Bel Airs, Friday, February 13, 5:30-7:30 pm at Mojo's, 1013 Park Ave.

For more information, contact:

Pruitt for School Board
Linda Dellsperger, Treasurer
4904 Silver Cliff
Columbia MO 65203
http://www.pruittforcps.org

Nine school board candidates will face off during the April 7 elections. They are listed here in order of filing, complete with contact information: http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/boardcan.php


4) READER POLLS ARE UP: Columbia School Board and City Council

Take our reader polls. Vote for one city council candidate in your ward (2 or 6) and two school board candidates. Candidates are listed in order of filing and ballot appearance.

BEAT BYTE: Local Realtor Thornhill Files for Post-Janku Council Seat

BEAT BYTE -- 1/22/09

Local Realtor Thornhill Files for 2nd Ward Council Seat

COLUMBIA, 1/22/09 (Beat Byte) -- Jason Thornhill, a long-time local real estate agent specializing in residential property, has filed as a candidate to succeed retiring city councilman Chris Janku in Columbia's Second Ward.

A partner at Weichert-Realtors/First Tier and William Woods University business administration graduate, Thornhill told the Heart Beat that he wants to focus on three major priorities: crime reduction; job creation; and better communication, particularly between folks at City Hall and the Roger Wilson County Bldg.

"Being a Realtor, I am well-positioned to understand the state of crime, taxes, quality of life, transportation, etc. in all areas of the city," he added.

With wife Leslie -- a registered nurse at Boone Hospital Center -- Thornhill is the father of 3 1/2 year old twins, a boy and girl.

He earlier sat on the Parks Commission for Boone County and has been a member of the Columbia Cosmopolitan Show Me Club, a service organization. He is presently a Boone County Fair Board member. His mother and father were decades-long employees of the University of Missouri, Columbia.

In answer to the question, "Is Columbia/Boone County really better off than it was a decade ago?" Thornhill offered this take: "If you like parks and trails and are independently wealthy, yes. If you work for a living, own a small business, pay property taxes or enjoy sitting on your porch and not worrying about your car being broken into, probably not."

Thornhill will face local public school teacher Allan Sharrock in the April election.


RELATED:
Jason Thornhill Blog and Profile
http://activerain.com/bigblacklab

-- Mike Martin for the Columbia Heart Beat

BEAT BYTE: Sasaki Shocker--Plan Shows Museum on Wrong Block!

BEAT BYTES -- 1/22/09
News Briefs From the Columbia Heart Beat

1) Sasaki Plan Shows History Museum on Wrong Block
2) City Admits: Bengals Land Worth Big Bucks
3) City Hall Backs Off Eminent Domain Threat (For Now)
4) Nine file for School Board; Hoppe Draws Challenger
5) Paquin Fundraising Committee Forms
6) Gay Community Welcomes Center Project

1) Sasaki Plan Shows History Museum on Wrong Block

COLUMBIA, 1/22/09 (Beat Byte) -- According to the Sasaki Plan, Bengals Bar and Grill; U. S Cleaners; and a duplex may be in the way of a new State Historical Society museum, possibly necessitating E.D. -- eminent domain.

Or not.

A detailed map of the much-hyped Sasaki Plan obtained from City of Columbia communications staff does show a new State Historical Society museum -- numbered, color-coded, and named -- but ACROSS THE STREET from Bengals.

By the map, Bengals owner Jack Rader is doing exactly what he's supposed to according to Sasaki -- preparing to redevelop his land for "mixed use -- retail, residential, or office."

The map shows the history museum on the now empty parking lot adjacent to MU's Heinkel Building, directly across from Peace Park. Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) member Glenn Rice acknowledged the discrepancy on a Missourian op-ed yesterday condemning the eminent domain plan.

"The Sasaki 'plan' (a study, not a plan) puts the new State Historical Society Museum between 6th and 7th Streets, NOT between 5th and 6th Streets, as [assistant city manager] Tony St. Romaine earlier said," Rice wrote. He also wanted to know why "the full Sasaki report isn't available on the city's website."

An Oct. 27 City Council report from the DLC contradicts itself, on one page putting the history museum "on Elm Street facing Peace Park" (the Bengals/U.S. Cleaners site does not face Peace Park, but a group of MU buildings) then a few pages away, putting the museum on the Bengals site "consistent with the Sasaki Plan."

Which wouldn't be consistent with the Sasaki plan. (Aye yi yi!)

RELATED:
http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2008/dec/20081214news010.asp
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/01/21/mayor-city-council-need-rethink-ethics-eminent-domain/
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Minutes/documents/2008_oct27_materials.pdf

2) CITY ADMITS: Rader/Bengals Land Worth Big Bucks!

COLUMBIA, 1/22/09 (Beat Byte) -- In another surprise, the same October 2008 report from the Downtown Leadership Council (DLC) admits "it is reasonable to expect" that the Bengals/U.S. Cleaners location across from MU "could be worth around $2 million." The city council accepted the report at their October 27 meeting. The admission could affect City Hall's ability to negotiate a low, eminent-domain driven price on the land, owned by Jack and Julie Rader, Matt Jenne and Adam Dushoff.

The DLC report also notes that prior "negotiations with the owners" haven't been successful, though the Raders claim they only received a couple of telephone calls from the State Historical Society gauging their interest in selling and Jenne/Dushoff claimed no communications. It also calls plans to acquire the property "critical," noting that state dollars would have to be "leveraged to a much higher goal." The report does not mention eminent domain.

RELATED:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Council/Minutes/documents/2008_oct27_materials.pdf

3) City Hall Backs Off Eminent Domain Threat (For Now)

COLUMBIA, 1/22/09 (City Hall) -- City Council members cancelled a public hearing originally advertised for Feb. 2, 2009 at 7 p.m. The hearing, relating to proposed acquisition of land (bounded by Elm Street, Lancaster Drive, Fifth Street and Sixth Street) for a new State Historical Society of Missouri building, would have been held during the Council’s regular meeting on that day.

In the interest of allowing the parties directly affected by the proposal to continue their discussions, Council members directed city staff to cancel the Feb. 2 hearing. Council may consider and adopt a resolution setting a future public hearing. In that event, the city clerk would publish notice as required.

The Council set the February hearing date when it adopted Resolution R284-08A on Dec. 15, 2008. The city clerk published notice on Jan. 11, 2009. -- Toni Messina, Director, City of Columbia Public Communications

4) Nine file for School Board; Hoppe Draws Challenger

COLUMBIA, 1/22/09 (Beat Byte) -- Candidate filing for Columbia School board closed with nine people, the largest number in nearly a decade. Christine King was the last to file. According to Columbia Daily Tribune reporter Jonathon Braden:

King left a nearly 20-year career at State Farm Insurance Cos., where she was a claim team manager, to pursue other passions, including getting involved with the school board. "I think I bring a certain level of leadership and the ability to think problems through and gather information and make decisions that are in the best interest of everyone," she said.

King said her previous school board experience should help her get elected. From 2002 to 2007 King served on the board of directors for the Columbia Montessori School. "I always feel the more the competition, the stronger the race," King said. "To me, this is the best time for me to do it rather than waiting."

Sixth Ward councilwoman Barb Hoppe has also drawn a challenger: Rod Robison, manager of the water systems department at Riback Supply Co.

RELATED:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2009/Jan/20090121News007.asp
http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/boardcan.php

5) Care@ Paquin Committee Kicks Off Fundraising
Community group forms in response to city cuts in program for Columbians
with disabilities.

By Sean Spence

(Columbia, MO) 1/22/09 -- Columbia citizens concerned about this year's city budget cuts to the Paquin Recreation Program have formed Columbia Accessible Recreation @ Paquin (CARE@Paquin). The committee's purpose is to raise
money to replace city funding cut from the 08'-09' city budget. The committee also hopes to educate the public concerning the importance of the recreation program to Columbians with disabilities, in an effort to ensure future city funding of the program.

"It is important for us to remember that the program at Paquin provides one of the few high quality, accessible recreation opportunities for Columbians with disabilities," Sean Spence, chair of the committee, said. "This program serves people from all over the city, and preserving it should not be an option."

The committee has developed an aggressive fundraising plan including direct mail, special events and individual requests. The committee also plans on partnering with local churches and civic groups for fundraising as well as social and personal assistance activities for the residents of Paquin Tower. This effort is commencing with an alliance with The Crossing church, which is planning both fundraising and service activities.

The committee includes Sean Spence (committee chair), Dean Andersen, Rhett Brengarth, Sarah Catlin-Dupuy, Nancy Harter, Ines Segert, Marilyn Starke, Brian Waller and Paquin residents Richard Craghead and Aaron Perkins. The committee will meet the second Tuesday of each month to plan events and monitor progress. Anyone interested in joining the committee or interested in more information may contact Sean Spence at 573.823.1308.

6) Gay Community Welcomes Center Project

The Center Project Board of Directors is pleased to announce that we have signed a lease for mid-Missouri's first GLBTQA center! The site is located downtown on Ash St. between 9th and 10th Street. For more info, please visit:

http://www.thecenterproject.org/new_space.html

FIRST-LOOK RECEPTION and HARD HAT FUNDRAISER
Friday, February 20th
6:00-9:00 p.m.
907 E. Ash St.
Join us for appetizers and live music.

BEAT BYTE: School Board Candidates May Have Legal Troubles

BEAT BYTES -- 1/9/09: Candidate Countdown

1) School Board Candidates May Have Legal Troubles
2) Reporter/Blogger Heavin Closes "Class Notes"
3) Lange Teacher/Incumbent Hoppe only filers for City Council
4) Math advocate, former board president, financial consultant file for School Board

1) School Board Candidates May Have Legal Troubles

COLUMBIA, 1/9/09 (Beat Byte) -- The two newest candidates for the Columbia Public Schools board of education may have -- or have had -- some recent local legal troubles, according to court records on file at Casenet and the Columbia Tribune archives.

Adam D. Sorg, 30, variously of 3615 Prescott Dr. and 8 N. Keene Street in Columbia, recently faced Boone County Circuit Court civil lawsuits from four different creditors, including Joe Machens Ford. Finding him to serve court papers has been akin to finding Waldo -- not easy.

Jerry Thomas Taylor, 37, of 1415 West Georgetown Loop in Columbia, did two years of supervised probation for a repeat offense of driving while intoxicated in 2004. Taylor was also given a suspended sentence of one year in the Boone County Jail in addition to home detention. During his probation/detention, Taylor was ordered not to "operate a motor vehicle from 11/23/04 to 11/23/06 unless it is equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device."

Cavalry SPV, a nationwide bad debt collector, has had so much trouble serving papers on Sorg at the address he reported on his candidacy filing -- 3615 Prescott -- they've filed papers in Boone County Circuit Court declaring "NO ONE EVER HOME" and finally, on 10/8/2008 defendant "MOVED" and "NO LONGER LIVES THERE."

Other creditors bearing lawsuits aren't having much luck at Sorg's Keene Street address, either. Trying to serve papers on him for LVNV FUNDING LLC/SEARS/CITIBANK, the Boone County Sheriff reported that Sorg was NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS in September of last year.

Process servers on behalf of New York City's Erin Capital Management declared BAD ADDRESS--EVICTED on their court filings in November, for a case that was actually dismissed and then re-filed this past summer over failure to find Sorg to serve papers.

Sorg has also faced a number of misdemeanors and traffic violations over the past three years, including three times failing to register his vehicle and failure to wear a seat belt.

Earlier declaring that he had "come out of retirement" as a paranormal investigator in Columbia, Sorg can be found on the Web. He maintains two websites:

http://www.adamsorg.freewebspace.com/
http://www.4stateexplorers.freewebspace.com/

RELATED:

Casenet
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/base/welcome.do

School Board Candidates
http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/boardcan.php

[Ed. Note: Jerry Thomas Taylor, II sent the following note:

From: JThomas Taylor II

While I know that court records are public domain and my case is public knowledge I do not appreciate that you publicly post my court records to a forum for something that I am not running for. My father Jerry T Taylor not me Jerry T Taylor II, was running for the school board position not me. You need to do better research into who is actually running for these positions before posting their information into a public forum like this. I would appreciate if you would remove this information from your forum and print a retraction stating that the information was false for the candidate who is actually running. I would also like to have a confirmation that you have received this email.

Thank you
Jerry T Taylor II

Our response:

Mr. Taylor:

If your father's name is Jerry Thomas Taylor, as you've said below, that's the name the records report -- not Jerry Thomas Taylor II or Jerry Thomas Taylor, Jr.

http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2004/aug/20040809fort001.asp
Jerry Thomas Taylor, 33, of 1415 West Georgetown Loop, second offense of
driving while intoxicated, $500 bond.

The court records, the Trib articles, and the candidacy filing make no distinction (Jr. Sr. II, III, etc.), even though I see you make it in your name and email address, so you must consider it important. What's really at issue here is inaccurate or incomplete public records, not an article about those records.

Our article also says MAY have legal problems in two places -- a strong qualifier. It gives the age of the person involved, which from what you are saying, would rule out your father. It also gives links to the relevant records, so that people can check for themselves.

School board is a highly public position and there's a lot of scrutiny. Distinctions in a name like you've explained here are extremely important to add to a candidacy filing, especially with two adult Jerry Thomas Taylors residing at the very same address. What's more, all of this information would have been made public during the campaign, and it's probably better that it was made public earlier rather than later. What candidate's children do with respect to the law, especially as adults residing at the same address, is absolutely relevant to a campaign for public office, especially a public office like the school board, and especially a school board like this one, which has had issues with candidates and the law in the past and currently has other management problems.

I'm happy to print the information you've sent. You may also want to get public records and any other public information corrected so that the two of you are not confused. I've put the cases that came up with Jerry Taylor or Jerry T. Taylor residing at 1415 West Georgetown Loop
below.

Best,

Mike

TAYLOR, JERRY T 04CR169137 Defendant ST V JERRY T TAYLOR Criminal/Infract.-see Charges 08/20/2004
COLUMBIA, MO Circuit 13 Boone Circuit Division 60424082
TAYLOR, JERRY T 06BA-CV05009 Defendant A F S V JERRY T TAYLOR AC Breach of Contract 12/08/2006
COLUMBIA, MO Circuit 13 Boone Circuit Division
TAYLOR, JERRY 05BA-CV01127 Defendant COLONIAL CREDIT CORP V JERRY TAYLOR AC Suit on Account 03/21/2005
COLUMBIA, MO Circuit 13 Boone Circuit Division

Jerry Thomas Taylor has since withdrawn his candidacy from the school board.


2) Reporter/Blogger Heavin Closes "Class Notes"

COLUMBIA, 1/9/09 (Beat Byte) -- Columbia Daily Tribune reporter Janese Heavin, who with school board president Michelle Gadbois helped change a decades-long course of debate over CPS school district affairs, has closed her famous blog "Class Notes," to replace former state politics reporter Jason Rosenbaum. Recent MU journalism school graduate Jonathon Braden is taking Heavin's place with a new blog called "Homeroom."

Beloved by her readers but sometimes harshly criticized by her subjects, Heavin opened up the closed corridors of 1818 West Worley Street -- CPS HQ -- for a public audience that for years had been relegated to also-ran status in the world of district politics. Under her reporting, the ongoing struggle between elected volunteer and paid administrator played out as both delicious reality show and community-wide wake up call, heralding a new era of accountability and a new-found sense of public empowerment.

Heavin's blog, Class Notes, became not only a forum for open and often heated debate on all manner of district issues, but also a kind of virtual amphitheatre, by turns brilliantly insightful and subtly tragic, as when dozens of young African Americans, in a unique but isolated lexicon, mourned the senseless 2007 murder of 17 year old Tedarrian Robinson.

In a classic short story about 14 year old Philip Sadler (PS) Wilkinson, punished for cheating on a critical Latin exam, writer CDB Bryan saw in the world "So much unfairness of things." It seems unfair that such a good thing as Class Notes has to end, but in its relatively brief life, it helped a reporter with moxie make some things just a little more fair.

RELATED:
http://blogs.columbiatribune.com/education/2007/04/school_lockdowns.html


3) Lange Teacher/Incumbent Hoppe only filers for Columbia Council

COLUMBIA, 1/9/09 (Beat Byte) -- Sixth Ward city councilperson Barb Hoppe, who won her 2006 seat by a relative landslide, remains the only person to file for the April 2009 city council election in her ward. Several sources have told the Columbia Heart Beat that Hoppe remains a "popular councilperson" who has "worked hard and consistently" on behalf of her constituents. "She would be hard to beat."

Allan Sharrock, an industrial arts teacher at Lange Middle School and Missouri National Guardsman, has filed to replace Second Ward councilman Chris Janku, who announced he's stepping down at the end of a two decade council career. Sharrock, a frequent and outspoken blogger at the Columbia Missourian website, told reporters that public safety and tax-dollar accountability are two important issues.

In a case that could actually be a boon to his candidacy, Sharrock was fined $56.00 twelve years ago for "Operating an All-Terrain Vehicle Within A Stream Or River." (But wait: Isn't that what ATV's are for?)

RELATED:
Service draws guardsman into council race
http://columbiatribune.com/2009/jan/20090106news013.asp

For soldier, water was toughest foe
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jul/20080718News004.asp

Allan Sharrock Blogs at the Missourian
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/accounts/profiles/allanme79/


4) Math advocate, former board president, financial consultant file for School Board

COLUMBIA, 1/9/09 (Beat Byte) -- Michelle Pruitt, a well-known advocate for traditional public school math who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, filed for the school board last week, following Jeannine Craig, who served as a school board president in Illinois. Dan Holt, a financial consultant whose wife teaches math at Rock Bridge High School, filed this week.

Pruitt and Craig told reporters they do not support an April levy proposal, Pruitt expressing concerns about district accountability and Craig, a retiree, expressing concerns about taxpayer affordability.

Holt told Trib reporters he supports the levy, "and is looking forward to improving the ongoing math curriculum debate. Holt thinks there needs to be some curriculum changes but said he plans to 'lean on the people with the expertise.'"

RELATED:
Finance consultant files for board of education
http://columbiatribune.com/2009/jan/20090108news002.asp

Math program critic files for school board
http://columbiatribune.com/2008/dec/20081231news051.asp

Former Illinois board president files for school board
http://columbiatribune.com/2008/dec/20081230news002.asp