Level Three Sex Offender Stanley Warren Burch (Permanent Public Forum Blog Post, Collect 'Em All!)

Doc mug shot, therefore in the public domain, blog post by John Hoff


Some months ago this blog vowed to create "permanent public forum blog posts" about individual sex offenders residing in North Minneapolis, so any citizen who wanted to discuss the particular offender would have a forum to do so. It was frustration with the Department of Corrections that made me throw myself into that project: they listed a homeless sex offender as residing at an intersection that doesn't even EXIST.

Of course, when I look up that Level Three sex offender today, the same nonexistent "Plymouth and Broadway" location is still listed. This is how deaf-dumb-and-numb DOC is to our concerns. It is this unresponsiveness by DOC that led me to start collecting and aggregating information about all the Level Three sex offenders, and vowing to publish their specific addresses if I could get my hands on the information. There's no law against it.

I also wanted to create these public blog forums so any citizen who wanted to take the time to research individual sex offenders and post links to information would have a convenient and permanent forum to do so. Frankly, I find that kind of informative digging to be addictive. I mean, here's all this information scattered around the internet in various places...but by hunting it down, putting it in one convenient place, the data becomes "aggregated" and therefore more valuable and convenient.

These offenders also change their appearance, leading DOC to take down old mug shots and put up new ones. Preserving the old mug shots and making sure these photos don't disappear off the internet is valuable. In fact, some of these predators drop off the DOC website altogether when they complete their supervised release. Junaid Maalik comes to mind as an example. Preserving the information the Department of Corrections puts on its website is another public service.

However...

These "sex offender forum" blog posts have not proved popular like my "jailhouse roster" posts. You would think SOMEBODY would have a personal beef with these predators, and would take the time to dig up information and post it. But that doesn't seem to be the case. If anybody is going to dig up the info and post it on these forums, it's either going to be ME or somebody I put up to the task.

Hmmmmm.

Yeah, that gives me an idea, click here.

But let us circle back to the topic of Stanely Warren Burch.

Here's all his DOC profile information, right off their site:

Birth Date: 12/23/1953 Race/Ethnicity: BLACK Skin Tone: MEDIUM BROWN Hair Color: BLACK	Eye Color: BROWN Height: 5'07" Weight: 200 Build: UNKNOWN
OID: 101571
Supervising Agent: Robert Dustin
Release Date: 11/1/2010
Offense Statute(s): 609.342
Offense Information: Offender ahs a history of sexual contact and attempted sexual contact with adult female victims. Contact has included undressing victims and penetration. Offender has gained compliance through use of weapons and physical force. Offender was both known and not known to victims.
Address County: Hennepin
Registered Address: 1400 block of Vincent Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55411
Law Enforcement Agency: Minneapolis Police Department 612-673-2802
Aliases: BURCH, STANLEY PICKFORD, STANLEY BIRCH

Additionally, I located a court case, click here.

As I've found is often the case, the sex offender has appealed over some minor b.s., and lost that appeal, but managed to effectively create a permanent, easy-to-find internet record discussing some of the graphic specifics of their crimes. In this case, we learn Stanley Burch was tried for first and second degree attempted murder, as well as first degree assault. What did he actually DO, you are wondering?

He threw sulphuric acid on a woman, then "beat her and cut her with a knife."

And this is another of the sex offenders the Department of Corrections has dumped on North Minneapolis. This is why we're protesting. Tonight.

Word Of Much Awaited Progress On Friedman's Shoes Exterior...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff


At the recent "Dessert With Don" event, where Fifth Ward Council Member Don Samuels and Mayor Rybak answered questions about numerous North Minneapolis topics, the evening started out with a verbal "commercial" for Friedman's Shoes...

Former City Council Member Jackie Cherryhomes, who is now running the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition talked about how her daughter needed pink Converse high tops for a school play. Cherryhomes shopped far and wide but couldn't find the shoes her daughter needed.

As a last resort Cherryhomes went to Friedman's, a location she said was "literally within walking distance" of her own home. As she walked in the door there, right in front of her--

PINK CONVERSE HIGH TOPS!

Which just goes to show you: shop in your own neighborhood first. Everything we need is here, even exotic stuff.

Many other positive things were said about Friedman's throughout the meeting, but the most positive thing of all was said by the store's owner, pictured above. Apparently, very solid plans for exterior improvements are in the works. In fact, word is we're not just looking at the exterior being cleaned up, but actually becoming beautiful, expressive, and even artistic.

This blog, which has banged the drum very loudly for aesthetic improvements on the exterior of the store, now makes a public vow to "lay off" until April 15 and await solid word of progress.

On a side note...

What particular dramatic production requires the pink Converse high tops? I'm just wondering.

Department Of Corrections Has Crossed The Line--Protest Planned As Two More Level Three Sex Offenders Dumped On North Minneapolis!

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

The maddening issue of Level Three Sex Offenders being dumped on North Minneapolis has reached a head as two more dangerous predators are being located in the 55411 zip code, most likely in the "rapist village" duplex at 3008 and 3010 Emerson Ave. N., owned by landlords Rasheed and Meraj Khan. Tonight there is a meeting at St. Olaf Church, 2901 Emerson Ave. N., from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. We expect KARE-11 to be present, and maybe City Council Member Don Samuels, as well as upset citizens who feel a line has officially been crossed.

For months, neighborhood leaders in North Minneapolis have quietly, respectfully, and repeatedly brought up the issue of sex offender concentration here in the...

...poorest and demographically youngest neighborhood in the state, which is North Minneapolis. Recently, the Department of Corrections has voiced to these neighborhood leaders how the DOC "gets it." But, at a recent "Dessert with Don" event, Council Member Don Samuels stated Hennepin County has a side deal to take the Level Three offenders of other counties. Where are they being dumped? Many of them are being dumped here in North Minneapolis. What does North Minneapolis get out of the deal? Nothing but extra perverts, rapists and molesters on our streets. Enough is enough!

Clearly, the DOC doesn't "get it." If DOC "got it" they wouldn't have casually dumped these two sex offenders on us. Furthermore, the sex offenders coming through North Minneapolis are so numerous that even when you look at the ones who ARE NOT currently here, many of them have BEEN here at one time, familiarizing themselves with our neighborhood and making connections.

The house where these two sex offenders will live--which is probably 3010 and 3008 Emerson Ave. N.--has been, at one time, home to OTHER sex offenders.

We are fed up. How fed up are we? So fed up we wrote a SONG about it. Stay tuned in coming days. The song will be released on YouTube.

This is what the DOC has got to know/
No more L3SOs!

Stay tuned. Be excited. Very excited. But only in an appropriate and completely LEGAL way.

In the meantime, tonight's meeting at St. Olaf's promises to be a colorful and interesting event. If you don't have a protest sign, don't worry.

Megan Goodmundson made a few extras, using "sign spam" we tore down off utility poles.

Helping Some Random Citizen With The Hennepin County Jail Roster...

Random photo, blog post by John Hoff

Yesterday, I received an email from a citizen whose girlfriend is involved in a custody battle with her ex-boyfriend. They'd been trying to look up information about the guy online, but they'd had no luck. One of my "jail house roster" blog posts was the first solid clue they'd found on the internet concerning his "recent offenses."

They wondered if I could help further?

On the one hand, I am very much a "father's rights" kind of guy. On the other hand, truth is truth, and a father's criminal record should not be concealed from the courts as custody decisions are made.

So I sent this "random citizen" information about the website I use to look up court cases and...

...a listing of the young man's criminal charges.

With the name and case numbers omitted, here's his record:

Hennepin Juvenile
Delinquency - Felony
Converted Closed
THEFT PROP
ESCAPE CUSTODY

Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
FAILURE TO PRODUCE PROOF OF INSURAN
DRIVING AFTER SUSPENSION
POSSESS MARIJUANA IN A MOTOR VEHICL

Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
TERRORISTIC THREATS-BOMB THREAT (FELONY)
DOMESTIC ASSAULT (MISD)

Scott
Crim/Traf Non-Mand
Under Court Jurisdiction
Traffic Regulation - Passing on Right When Prohibited
Traffic-Drivers License-Driving After Suspension

Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
TRAFFIC-DRIVERS LICENSE-DRIVING AFTER SUSPENSION

I continue to be amazed by how much traffic has made its way to my blog due to publishing the criminal justice equivalent of the phone book: the Hennepin County Jail roster, addresses included, a public document that (despite being "public") is not crawled by Google bots until it hits my blog.

How many elusive clues are found, how many valuable connections made, how much of an impact do those arcane blog posts have on society? I can only imagine.

This I know for sure: I can hardly wait for the 5th of the month to roll around in an approximate kind of way so I can publish the new roster.

This Small, Informative Blog Post Is Dedicated To "Free Speech Heavy Hitter" Larry Flynt...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

It's just a little story, the kind of issue my "hyper local blog" covers for the benefit of my neighborhood: a new philly sandwhich and gyro place has opened in the former Jug Liquor Store at 226 West Broadway, right across from BJ's Strip Club. The new place is called "Pappy's."

As reported recently on this blog, BJ's is going away and will be replaced by a liquor store to be known as Gopher 94. Residents have mixed feelings about another liquor store in North Minneapolis.

There was a bit of a neighborhood joke about the former Jug Liquor, which was consistently referred to as "Jugs Liquor." The liquor store was right across from a strip club, and its name was "Jugs."

Get it? "Jugs" is a vulgar term for breasts. Well, thank goodness that's gone away and "pap" is not another name for a breast.

Hey. Wait a second. Did I say NOT? Check out this definition on Dictionary Dot Com, click here.

My word, how did this happen TWICE in the same location?! Coincidence? I think NOT! More like a CONSPIRACY.

But let's talk about free speech. I'm addressing this part of the blog post directly to Larry Flynt.

Larry--I hope you don't mind if I call you "Larry"--I am currently involved in a free speech court battle, click here for a recent news article.

It's not as prominent as your conflict with the Reverend Jerry Falwell, as depicted in The People Versus Larry Flynt, but it's picking up steam all the time...

In fact, just today I read a draft of my lawyer's brief and we cited your case, Hustler v. Falwell.

Thank you, Larry. Thank you for fighting that case for free speech. I'm getting some milage out of it, let me tell you!

You see, in June of 2009 I wrote a blog post about a former community leader who was involved in mortgage fraud. Here's a link to the infamous blog post in question, click here.

I wrote that a former executive director of a neighborhood organization had been involved in a high-profile fraudulent mortgage at 1564 Hillside Ave. N., as documented by "repeated and specific evidence" in Hennepin County District Court.

That case sent a man to prison for 16 and 1/2 years, but Jerry Moore was never charged. Attempts were made to sue Moore for involvement in the mortgage fraud AFTER he sued ME for defamation for saying he was "involved." But we couldn't get evidence of that civil lawsuit into court in the defamation trial. Also, Jerry Moore was, by his own admission on the stand, the subject of a subpoena issued as part of the criminal investigation into State v. Maxwell, the mortgage fraud in question. And, always, there was the burning issue of the $5,000 check made out to Jerry Moore as part of the dubious deal, a check for "windows."

The house--a wreck about ready to fall over on its own--clearly didn't have any new windows.

INVOLVED? Oh, my word, Jerry Moore was INVOLVED.

After being fired from the neighborhood association for outrageous conduct this same guy--Jerry Moore--somehow obtained a job researching mortgages (stomp stomp) as part of a taxpayer funded program at the University of Minnesota. Like your nemesis Jerry Falwell, Jerry Moore was declared by the court to be a PUBLIC FIGURE, albeit a limited purpose public figure. Still, a public figure for purposes of whether I defamed him over mortgage fraud issues.

After days in court being tried over whether a SINGLE SENTENCE that I wrote was true or false, the jury ruled the sentence was TRUE. Yes, Jerry Moore had been involved in a fraudulent mortgage at 1564 Hillside Ave. N., as evidenced by "repeated and specific" evidence in Hennepin County District Court. I had written THE TRUTH.

And then (mostly due to a flawed jury form and Jerry WEEPING on the stand) the jury said despite writing the truth, I had to pay damages to Jerry for upsetting him and getting him fired from his mortgage research job. Hey, it wasn't like I wrote parody and said he had sex with his mother in an outhouse. Like you wrote about Jerry Falwell.

No, I wrote something WORSE.

I wrote THE TRUTH. Jerry Moore was involved in a mortgage fraud. Though not charged with the "big fish," there was ample evidence of his involvement to be found in the court system.

So now my little defamation case has somehow turned into The Blogosphere Trial of the Century. And I'm looking for help from "free speech heavy hitters" like you and Courtney Love.

Sir, I know you hardly need publicity. You get plenty of it. And your free speech-o-centric blog rocks, by the way.

But I'm asking for your help. If you can give me some help, I will publicly acknowledge your help. It's not hard to contact me. You can reach me through my blog.

Thank you, Larry, for your attention to this matter and for your free speech battles.

This Small, Informative Blog Post Is Dedicated To "Free Speech Heavy Hitter" Courtney Love...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

It's just a little story, the kind of minor happening this "hyper local daily blog" covers for the benefit of my neighborhood: the neglected hole in the street in front of 2700 Morgan Ave. N. got fixed after I wrote about it, see photo above.

"Temporary fill" was used and it's already settling, so clearly the hole will need to be fixed AGAIN, however...

...it was great to have the city respond so quickly, especially since the "salmon house" at 2700 Morgan Ave. N. was such a longstanding problem for residents until it was finally torn down around Christmastime. I should also point out: I didn't just blog about it. I called 311. But I think it's important to document the fascinating life cycle of a North Minneapolis crack house, and this hole in the street from missing utilities is part of the gritty end game.

Now a word or two about Courtney Love, the front woman for the band "Hole," an artist I've always admired for her bold, free spirited expressiveness. I've long enjoyed Love's music, as evidenced by my YouTube playlist, which includes "Celebrity Skin" and "Be A Man." I lived in Seattle from Spring of 1994 to early 2000, not only listening to grunge but living it. Recently, I told another blogger of my intention to approach Courtney Love for support in my lawsuit. But trying to find Love has been difficult. The person listed online as her agent is no longer her agent, and claims to have "no idea" who currently represents Love.

For a while, there, it was looking like Courtney Love's Twitter defamation suit was going to be on the cutting edge of internet free expression, click here for an article which, despite its scathing tone directed at Love, is quite informative about the person Love supposedly defamed. But Love found it more expedient to settle the lawsuit than to slug it out. Who can blame her? Being in court over a defamation lawsuit is no fun, just ask this blogger.

This is addressed directly to Courtney Love: I understand why you settled the lawsuit. But I have no choice except to fight in the Jerry Moore v. John Hoff a/k/a Johnny Northside matter.

You are an artist, and as an artist you stand on the shoulders of others who came before and fought battles for free expression. There was a dark time when the FBI investigated whether the lyrics of "Louie, Louie" were subversive. Imagine if you wrote a song like "Be A Man" in those repressive times!

Where would we be today--where would COURTNEY LOVE be today--if it weren't for lawyers, defendants and plaintiffs willing to fight for free speech?

That's why I'm appealing to you directly, Miss Love. Help me. Help me so my blog can continue to exist and write about the potholes, mortgage fraudsters, and Level Three sex offenders that plague my North Minneapolis neighborhood, doing so in my unique and expressive style. Help me because, well, you'll get some publicity off it. And that's cool.

Help me because I LOVE YOU and I will be happy to link to your songs every time I use the word "hole" or other suitable words and phrases which invoke your songs.

Thanks for hearing me out on this matter, Miss Love.

Rock on.

The "Spirit of Dottie" Fills North Minneapolis As We Move Forward...

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

Dottie Titus, a longtime "force for good in the neighborhood," died March 10, 2011. That's already quite a while ago, relative to written tributes that appear after a person's death.

But even today, as copies of North News hit every doorstep in North Minneapolis, there was a Dottie Titus tribute on the front page, with a photograph of our girl wearing a Britney Spears Halloween costume. With each passing day, the spirit of Dottie does not seem to fade, but actually grows stronger. Her obituary in the Star Tribune was not a "standard obit," but more of the story type obit.

Some people seem to exist under angelic protection, and Dottie was one of them. She walked fearlessly amid open air drug deals and prostitution, documenting what needed to be documented, making numerous police reports, actually helping to start a website to get crime information to community members. Paradise existed in Dottie's heart and mind, and she worked tirelessly to bring her vision to reality, whether that involved...

...something as small as showing children how to make cookies, or something as large as crying out about the wrongs of public figures, click here for a fine example.

Dottie was both detail-oriented and a "big picture" person. Every person who visited her home walked away amazed: it was an island of beauty and order. Where did she find the time for so much WORK? Dottie was determined to make the order and beauty inside her house spill over into the neighborhood, even as she videotaped prostitution and drug deals taking place right outside her front door.

Within Dottie's lifetime, that kind of thing slowed down on Penn Ave. N.

Dottie won. Disorder lost.

Currently, our neighborhood is moving forward at a rapid pace. Progress is busting out all over.

But there were years when things didn't move forward very fast. It would have been easy to lose hope. But Dottie never lost hope, and she gave hope to others. Our current era of rapid change and progress in NoMi owes much to Dottie and folks like Dottie who put their shoulder to the wheel for years and years. We must take Dottie's spirit inside ourselves and move forward in that spirit.

Dottie died the month her license plates expired. How perfect, frugal, and orderly!


Kids in the neighborhood--including the "rocket boys" who shot off firecrackers with my son one Fourth of July--referred to Dottie's car as the "Yellow Zoom Zoom." A written tribute from one of the children, who now resides in Arkansas, was read aloud at the funeral.
She had a motorcycle, too, but I don't have a picture of it.
Songs at the service included I Need Thee Every Hour, Amazing Grace, and How Great Thou Art. The Old Testament reading was from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, and the Gospel reading was John 14:1-7.
Dottie's glasses looked like she had only put them down for a moment, and would soon pick them up again to look out her window and videotape something!


The photos of old Dottie and young Dottie are like bookends on a life. We are here for a moment on earth. We better make it count.
Attendees at the service took cookies from the "Cookie Cart" to give away to strangers, and tell them about Dottie Titus and what she meant--the lady who taught children in the neighborhood how to make cookies. Megan Goodmundson and I took half a dozen cookies and gave them away on the roughest block in St. Paul.


Cake. Not much to say about this photo except...cake.

When I was a child (I thought as a child, I spake as a child) I went to the funeral of my paternal grandmother. And I remember how, at the wake, my food seemed to have no taste.

I thought, "What is with this funeral food? Why can't I taste it?"

Death is looming and scary when you are a child. It overwhelms your thoughts and knocks the taste right out of your mouth.

I haven't been to very many funerals in my life, so each one is relatively memorable. What I remember about this funeral: I could taste my food. In fact, the food was delicious. To those who attended it was taken as a given Dottie was at peace with her death. As much as we miss her, we are at peace with her death as well.

Dottie cared deeply about her neighborhood, and we are still in that neighborhood. Driving down Penn Avenue North past Dottie's house, you can feel Dottie. And you can feel Dottie as your fingers punch the buttons of a cell phone and dial 911 on some no-account loitering and up to no good.

What is there left to do? What CAN we do? This is our neighborhood, and it will go to Hades in a hand basket if we don't stay on top of its many issues. So we mourn our dead, but celebrate her life, and we move forward.

It's all we can do. We move forward with the Spirit of Dottie toward order, beauty, and safety; an Urban Utopia of gardens, cookies, and well-behaved children.

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Contempt Of Court Hearing RESCHEDULED, More Specifics Of His Probation Violation Confirmed...

Contributed photo, albeit taken with MY camera, blog post by John Hoff

It's already been published in a comment stream on a previous blog post, but in case anybody missed it: Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer's "order to show cause" for contempt of court has been scheduled for April 11, 2011, at 9 AM before the Honorable James T. Swenson.

Apparently, taxpayers will be required to transport Rickmyer from prison at Lino Lakes so he can attend the hearing. Despite the fact Rickmyer was sent to prison for violating his Rule 9 frivolous litigant status, and pushing his atrocious and confusing "injunction" paperwork in the direction of this blog, Rickmyer must still...

...face a judge for "contempt of court" for doing essentially the same thing that got his probation revoked.

Confusing? Yes.

A case of "double jeopardy?" No.

Separate charges can arise from precisely the same action. For example, you might be drunk in public AND commit disorderly conduct. You might be guilty of TWO THINGS for doing ONE THING. In this case, it appears Rickmyer violated his probation AND probably committed contempt of court. But as for the contempt of court...we shall see.

In regard to the photo above: if you think that photo looks eerily familiar, you are right.

Compare and contrast with the photo in this blog post, linked here.

Also, I can now positively confirm Rickmyer went to prison for violating his probation directly because of trying to slap paper on this blog, and then attempting to file an affidavit of service. I am in possession of a copy of a handwritten letter Rickmyer scribbled to the judge from jail, which confirms the specifics.

And let me tell you, getting a copy of that letter without once actually touching the court file (the better not to get served, my dear) was a bit of a gymnastic act, but I accomplished it.

North News, Mortgage Fraud, And Free Speech...

They can exercise free speech anytime they want, who will stop them?

Post and photo by Nomi Passenger

Yesterday and today, the April edition of North News hit every door step in north Minneapolis. There are few print newspapers that I look forward to reading, but North News is probably at the top of my list; mostly because the majority of the content isn't available anywhere else except in their monthly printed edition. This seems to be a good strategy for them. They have found a way to stay competitive with the internet. Put out a good publication with good content and photos, make it highly relevant to your audience's daily life, have the bulk of it available only in printed form, and deliver it to every house in your target area. But put some teasers out on your website.

This month, North News editors have boldly exercised their freedom of speech on the hot freedom of speech issues that are flaming up in our community and in dialogues across the country. From Westboro Baptist Church and Fred Phelps to mortgage fraudsters and Johnny Northside. Courtney Love Twitter rants about clothes designers and criticizing political candidates have recently been topics of the free speech discussions and testing the laws.

I still remark in amazement at how the inconsistent verdict that was meant to punish the Johnny Northside blog is resulting in much more publicity, attention and discussion about free speech, truth, mortgage fraud, and the constitution. Think about it: how many more community members are wondering out loud or to themselves "Well, what DID Jerry Moore get paid $5,000 for inside the 1564 fraudulent deal?" Or perhaps, "Is that the only fraudulent deal that Jerry Moore got a piece of the proceeds?" Or perhaps, "How much mortgage fraud took place in our northside neighborhoods causing a spiral of foreclosures that sucked in innocent homeowners and contributed to the demise of the entire country's economic stability?"

The verdict may have been a blessing in disguise. That's my opinion.

You can find the interesting North News editorial on your door step or here, if you don't live in Nomi.

(Do Not Click "Read More" but Do Read North News)

Two More (Expletive) Level Three Sex Offenders Being Dumped In North Minneapolis--WTF DOC?! WTF!!! JNS Blog Has Their Likely Street Address!

Antwon Spells, above, Roosevelt Whittler, below

DOC mug shots are public domain, blog posts by John Hoff


Members of the Minneapolis Police Department are hosting a meeting tomorrow, Thursday March 31, 7 PM to 8:30 PM at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, 2901 Emerson Ave. N.

The subject will be two more Level Three sex offenders being dumped into North Minneapolis as though there is no limit to the number of L3SOs our neighborhood can supposedly accommodate. Meanwhile, there was word from the 5th Ward City Council Member during a "Dessert With Don" meeting that Hennepin County has made some kind of back room deal with other counties to take their...

...Level Three sex offenders. What does North Minneapolis get out of the deal? As far as we can tell, we don't even get our potholes filled near the Holiday Station on Washington Ave. N.

The two dangerous sexual predators in question are Antwon Delaton Spells, who raped an adult female and has an "extensive criminal history," and Roosevelt Whittler, who made the news last year when he pled guilty in a decade old rape case after new DNA testing linked him to the crime. He was reportedly sentenced to four years in prison for a DIFFERENT crime. Gee, four years have not gone by. He's not in prison. He's in North Minneapolis.

A check of the DOC Level Three sex offender website shows these two losers as already being in North Minneapolis, residing on the 3000 block of Emerson Ave. N. It's no difficult leap of logic to realize this is the "rapist village" discovered by Irving Inquisition blog in the duplex at 3008 and 3010 Emerson Ave. N.

My thanks goes to Irving Inquisition blog for boldly exploring the terra incognito of Emerson Ave. N. and discovering the rapist village. Now every time DOC dumps a sex offender on the 3000 block of Emerson Ave. N., we can narrow the location down to the rapist village.

Motion for Default Judgment Against Slumlord Keith Reitman In 1564 Hillside Civil Suit...

Contributed photo, (thanks for all the Jameson) and blog post by John Hoff

Today I was reviewing the civil file in the Melony Michaels and John Foster civil case, which is a lawsuit against North Minneapolis slumlord Keith Reitman and a number of other individuals and entities for alleged and/or documented involvement in the notorious mortgage fraud at 1564 Hillside Ave. N., as well as another address not nearly as famous but equally fraudulent. Reitman is not alleged to be involved in the other address but was the seller of 1564 Hillside Ave. N.

Good ol' Keith Reitman likes to characterize himself as "one of the victims" in that fraud, even though Reitman was the seller of the property and nobody I've interviewed is aware of Reitman giving back so much as a nickel from the lucrative deal.

In a flurry of recent paper filed in the civil case...

...attempts are being made to get a default judgment out of Keith Reitman and several other entities whose names didn't really catch my attention so much, oh well.

A hearing on the motion for default judgment is scheduled for April 8, 8:30 AM, before the Honorable Judge Mel Dickstein.

Michaels and Foster are represented by Matthew David Resch of Wagner, Falconer and Judd.

This blogger is watching the work of this lawyer closely, ready to heap praise or scathing criticism upon him depending on how it goes. Recently, it appears to be going very well.

"Everybody's Dad" Denny Wagner Tasked With North Minneapolis Sex Offender Concentration Issue On Behalf Of JACC...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

Longtime North Minneapolis resident Denny Wagner, who has been involved in NoMi politics longer than most of us and is a kind of "father at large" to the neighborhood, has been assigned by the Jordan Area Community Council (JACC) to the yucky and unenviable task of dealing with the Level Three Sex Offender concentration issue on behalf of the neighborhood organization.

While this blog has merely done all it can to keep the L3SO concentration issue on the front burner and on fire (kind of like when you make a flambe but you weren't really INTENDING to make a flambe, but you think--oh, heck, this is a pretty good flambe even though I was actually TRYING to make coq a vin, but I guess making coq a vin with corn whiskey wasn't such a good idea) Denny Wagner has been quietly working behind the scenes to lobby bureaucrats and public officials to get progress. In fact Denny has been...

...working on the issue for more than a year. It was, however, only recently JACC decided to formally name Denny as their representative on the issue instead of letting him act in a private, ad hoc role.

The issue grows more maddening the deeper we dig into it. Last night at a "Dessert With Don" event, answering a question from this blogger, Fifth Ward City Councilman Don Samuels said he recently learned Hennepin County is taking sex offenders on behalf of other Minnesota counties in some kind of behind-the-scenes arrangement. The statistics show Hennepin County (despite the relatively large size of its population) has far more than its fair share of Level Three sex offenders.

But, of course, no neighborhood in Hennepin County is more afflicted with L3SO concentration than the 55411 zip code, which is North Minneapolis.

Recently, of course, L3SO Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer was returned to prison but this is a case of "one down, nineteen left to go" and Rickmyer's removal doesn't appear permanent.

Approval For Liquor Store At The Current BJ's Strip Club Site...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

Despite outcries by a number of citizens in North Minneapolis, word reaches me the city council recently approved a liquor store at the current BJ's strip club located at the intersection of West Broadway and Washington Avenue North. The only bright spot in this news was surely the disappointment felt by Merwin Liquors, who actually...

...sponsored a bus to bring people to the city council hearing and distributed fliers saying, in so many words, "We don't need another liquor store in North Minneapolis."

Somehow this statement comes across as less-than-sincere when it comes from the lips of A COMPETING LIQUOR STORE. It's kind of like a strip club saying, "We don't need another strip club right down the street!" (Credit for this example goes to the Hawthorne Hawkman)

Despite this setback, neighbors are somewhat hopeful this project might be a high end liquor store and not another Merwin Liquors. Apparently specific promises have been made about not selling fortified wines and not allowing transactions made with nothing but coins. All the same, it's going to be tough to see a liquor store replacing a strip club as any kind of progress.

At least there's no anecdotal evidence of liquor store clerks becoming straw buyers in North Minneapolis mortgage fraud schemes, unlike strippers. Click here for an example.

How The Spanky Have Fallen! Peter Rickmyer Incarcerated At Lino Lakes!

Department of corrections mug shots, therefore in public domain, blog post by John Hoff


After Level Three sex offender Peter Rickmyer's probation was revoked for 90 days, (with credit for time served) North Minneapolis residents following the issue were wondering where ol' "Spanky Pete" would end up. Back at the Moose Lake facility for sex offenders? Some other facility?

Friends and neighbors, wonder no more! Rickmyer is at the Lino Lakes facility and has, well, not exactly a hot new look. Really more of a makeover fail. Looks like Pete was...

...growing a scraggly beard the whole time he was in jail. Ewwwww.

But back to Lino Lakes: this facility is the "primary treatment facility" for sex offenders in the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Click here for more info about Lino Lakes.

I, for one, am very excited (in a completely appropriate and legal way) to hear Peter is at a facility where he might get treatment. I certainly hope Peter will be sitting down and talking all about his dodgy pervert issues and recent history: the front page story on City Pages about his outrageous behavior, the incidents among residents in the neighborhood, some of which (but not all) have been reported to the authorities, and Peter's multiple failed attempts to complete legal service on Johnny Northside Dot Com despite being declared a "frivolous litigant" under Rule 9.

As for accusations from anonymous commenters who write as though they have legal training, (who could THAT be?) saying I am using "fighting words" against Rickmyer:

I think it's fair to say I only write about the man when there's something going on with him. When Peter behaves himself and/or no new "Peter issues" arise, I write stories about other stuff like, well, potholes. It is my perception that articles about Peter are widely read, especially by individuals who work at the county government building, and therefore there is a strong interest among members of my audience, which this blog exists to serve.

Oh, yes...more sensitive and delicate Peter issues for therapy: Let's not forget how his lawyer (Jill Clark) tried to help Peter, sort of, but he ended up going to prison, anyway. Peter must be feeling pretty rough about that. Pretty let down. Let's hope he has an opportunity to talk about those issues in therapy.

I think if Peter is NOT willing to talk about his issues, well, I really don't think he's ready to go back to society. My opinion. And I do have one, but when I have one I try to make sure I don't have my back turned to Peter.

During Peter's sudden incarceration, I know neighbors are keeping eagle eyes on his property, making sure not the slightest thing is going wrong at his house.

If ANYTHING happens, ANYTHING AT ALL, we will be sure to call 311 or, if appropriate, 911.

Link to Level 3 Predatory Offender Information.

Blog post and screen shots by NoMiStar*

Click the link below to the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) to find your neighborhood perverts.

You can search by zip code or individual names. Apparently the MN DOC fears lynch mobs of angry parents showing up on the door steps of the offenders so only the block numbers or general area is given, despite the fact other states (like Texas) publish the actual addresses. The search of zip code 55411 returned 20 [sic] names!

Warning clicking link may cause nausea & vomiting

Click Here MN DOC

Screen shot MN DOC Homepage


Screen shot 55411 Loser list


Screen shot 1st Loser on list

NoMistar*

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Show Up Intoxicated At Police Headquarters, Win A Prize!

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

One of my readers recently sent me a document that apparently circulated in the Fifth Precinct as a flier.

The flier appears (to me) to be some kind of hoax aimed members of the criminal underclass, asking for help "training" police by showing up intoxicated at police headquarters. To check out the flier--which is both outrageous and outrageously funny--go to this link:

https://sites.google.com/a/johnnynorthside.com/johnnynorthsidesite2/is-this-a-hoax


ADDENDUM March 28: See comments. Incredible as it may seem, we're being told this is NOT A HOAX and prizes include "McDonald's coupons."

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JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Letter From Judge Blaeser To Attorney Jill Clark, Alludes To Some Kind Of Legal Hot Water...

Thanks, NoMi neighbor, for help scanning image, blog post by John Hoff


Today this blog received a copy of a letter from Judge Robert Blaeser that was mailed to Jill Clark.

The letter, which can be seen better if you click on the image above, reads as follows...

March 23, 2011

Jill E. Clark, Esq.
2005 Aquila Avenue North
Golden Valley, MN 55427

RE: Rickmyer v. Hodson, et al
Court File No. 27CV10-3378

Dear Ms. Clark,

I received your notice of appearance and motion paperwork dated March 17 and March 22. I disagree that the order to show cause is a criminal contempt proceeding and that the Rules of Criminal Procedure apply. Because I prompted an investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility into your conduct on another matter, I will recuse myself to avoid any appearance of impropriety. The case will be reassigned to Judge Swenson to hear the order to show cause when his schedule allows. Also, if there are any questions pertaining to the record in this case, the order and transcript from the hearing are available at your request.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Blaeser
District Court Judge

RAB/an

cc: District Court Adminstrator, Hon. James T. Swenson, James A. Moore, Esq., Kevin M. Decker, Esq., David A. James, Esq. John W. Hoff aka jns aka Johnnynorthside, The Adventures of Johnny Northside

...

This blog does not know what is the "other matter" or the "conduct on another matter." We do not know if this "other matter" was something recent, or some long ago matter.

It does, however, sound like legal hot water.

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Violated Probation--Sentenced To 90 Days, Credit For Time Already Served--The Whole Spanky Tale!

Stock photo, Hennepin County Jail, blog post by John Hoff

On March 10, 2011, Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer was arrested and taken into custody. This followed telephonic complaints made to probation officials about Peter's behavior: attempting to serve purported legal paper in the courthouse, twice, on Johnny Northside blog (neither attempt accomplished actual service or court jurisdiction, however) and following a female North Minneapolis citizen around inside the county building, to the point she was able to photograph him with a cell phone.

So Rickmyer was arrested and a probation revocation hearing was set for today, March 24, because Peter is, after all, a Level Three sex offender and only out in our community because he's on probation. His sentence goes until, gee, 2016. Click here for his special little Department of Corrections page, and note the current status.

Simultaneously, while facing a probation revocation hearing, Rickmyer was required to appear before Judge Robert Blaeser on an "order to show cause" for contempt of court, specifically because Rickmyer had attempted to file an "affidavit of service" purporting to serve legal paper on this blogger. (Rickmyer couldn't actually serve this blogger, however, because he has been declared a frivolous litigant under Rule 9) Technically, the legal paper doesn't appear to be a lawsuit, per se, but a pathetically worded rambling request for an "injunction" saying this blogger has somehow photographed Rickmyer and this has interfered with Rickmyer's ability to "think."

After being in jail for a while, Rickmyer retained attorney Jill Clark...

As previously reported on this blog, Clark committed various and sundry crimes against the trees of earth by filing a great big wasteful wad of quasi-legal crapola, including assertions the civil contempt of court proceeding was somehow a criminal proceeding and asserting the judge was less than objective.

At today's hearing, the legal standard was mere "clear and convincing evidence," not "beyond a reasonable doubt." Hearsay, for example, was allowed.

Clark reportedly tried to turn the tables at the proceeding, putting forward a case for Peter Rickmyer being "harassed" because this blog has been (OMG!) writing about him.

So, for example, if Peter were to try to serve legal paper on this blog, and this blog were to report on the attempt to serve papers...that would somehow be HARASSMENT.

Of Peter.

In Clark's twisted world view, it is HARASSMENT of a Level Three sex offender to report on his frivolous lawsuits, his creepy hanging around at community meetings with minors present, his attempts to get around a judicial order by filing a civil rights complaint instead of a lawsuit.

Clark reportedly had printouts of pages from this blog, indexed with yellow sticky notes, and the pile was a full two inches thick. The hearing started at about 11 a.m. and went until around 3:45 p.m. Peter Rickmyer was not present in the room during the hearing.

In the end, none of Clark's efforts mattered. Peter was found in violation of his probation.

At about 4 p.m. I spoke on the record to Hana L. O'Neill, Corrections Unit Supervisor, Sex Offender Unit in her office on the 8th Floor of the Hennepin County Government Building. O'Neill was reluctant to say very much and was careful what she said, but it would be fair to say she was helpful, professional, and even friendly.

O'Neill stated Peter had been found in violation on ONE of the alleged violations.

"How many were there?" I asked.

"More than one," she answered, after a thoughtful pause.

Because of this violation, Peter would be "returned to his institution." O'Neill did not know precisely which institution this would be. An official at the jail said that tomorrow Peter would be sent on a bus to St. Cloud where a kind of "sorting" takes place. Prisoners either stay in St. Cloud or go to other institutions, depending on various factors including health needs. In the case of a Level Three sex offender, it was speculated such an individual would go to the Moose Lake Facility or Rush City.

O'Neill characterized Pete's violation as "technical," and said specifically it was not a violation that included stalking or harassment. (Such as the "following around" activity in the court building)

It is believed by this blog the "technical violation" is, in fact, Peter attempting to file an affidavit of service after being declared a frivolous litigant.

Notably, Peter might still have to deal with a contempt of court hearing over that very issue, but for purposes of probation violation, it may be the matter has already been decided.

And so, for a couple happy months, North Minneapolis will get a reprieve from ONE sex offender. The neighborhood is still full of sex offenders.

In an offhand remark, O'Neill said the Department of Community Corrections "doesn't like being in the middle of this." To which this blogger replied, "My neighborhood doesn't like being in the middle of this." Gesturing to a map on the wall full of pins representing the locations of sex offenders, I pointed out L3SOs are being "dumped" in North Minneapolis, and citizens of North Minneapolis are becoming increasingly unhappy and vocal.

Peter "Spanky Pete" is the tip of the deviant iceberg. North Minneapolis has borne this burden for too long. We want a reprieve. We DEMAND a reprieve.

We want the army of sex offenders out, out, OUT.

"Old Majority" Legal Party Is Over--Now Comes The Big Bar Tab!

Stock photo, JACC press conference, January 2009, blog post by John Hoff

More than any other media entity, this blog reported the "Old versus New Majority" conflict in the Jordan Neighborhood, which flared up on January 12, 2009 with a fistfight after a new board election...

...leading directly to the firing of their executive director, Jerry L. Moore, and then a protracted court battle. The "Old Majority" interests in Jordan were represented by Attorney Jill Clark. Who else?

In the strictest sense, the court battle is not over. But it's kind of over. The only matter being appealed at this point would be the cost of the legal fees and who has to pay. That matter was taken under advisement by the Honorable Judge Charles Porter about a month ago. Porter still has 60 days, approximately, before he must issue a ruling.

At this point, folks involved in the Jordan Area Community Council (as well as folks who were more intensely involved a couple years ago, during the conflict) are wondering if some kind of six-figure judgment will get slapped on the plaintiffs? In another recent court battle--the Dave Bicking, et al v. Donald Bellfield, et al matter--Jill Clark's clients were socked with a judgment for legal fees. So Jordanites are wondering...

Will the same thing happen in the Old versus New Majority lawsuit?

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Violated His Probation--DOWN HE GOES FOR 90 DAYS!!!!

Peter Rickmyer was found in violation of his probation. He will be "returned to institution" (prison, apparently) for 90 days, credit for time already served. More details to follow soon...

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Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Probation Revocation Hearing Is RIGHT NOW!

Cheese curds, Campus Pizza, Stadium Village, blog post by John Hoff

A great place to hide from process servers!

It's 11:24 a.m. as I type this. Twenty four minutes ago, the probation revocation hearing for Peter Richard Stephenson (a/k/a Peter Rickmyer, a/k/a Spanky Pete, Creepy Pete, Pervert Pete, and Pete the Pedophile) was scheduled to begin.

Attorney Jill Clark is representing Peter. The exact procedure of the hearing has been described to me by a local attorney, and it is believed it will go something like this...


Pete will sit quietly for a moment, glaring. He will seem to calm down. Then suddenly, without warning...

Kidding. I'm kidding.

There are two phases of the hearing. In the first phase, the allegations against Peter will be either admitted (yes, I tried to slap legal paper on Johnny Northside and then attempted to file an affidavit of service, even though I've been declared a frivolous litigant) or denied. (What affidavit of service? YOUR HONOR, that's a spurious forgery that I didn't even write!)

If allegations are admitted, the pedophile probationer either hopes for mercy or would assert the actions in question don't amount to something probation should be revoked over. If the allegations are denied, well, every little thing will have to be proven. Those who have observed attorney Clark expect her to fight for every inch of ground and attempt to extract a pound of flesh, though the effort ultimately be futile.

It is unknown whether there will be an actual decision today, or whether the judge will take the matter under consideration. We're also not sure who the judge will be. There's some speculation it will be the original judge who sentenced Peter to prison. But we just don't know and, unfortunately, this blog has been repeatedly told the hearing is NOT PUBLIC. It will reportedly take place in the jail building.

There are civil rights issues this blog will beef about, like my right to take a photo in a public street or public place. However, the openness of this particular hearing is not one of those issues. If it's a starry chamber inside that hearing, with the judge wearing a ski mask, I will likely say, "Sometimes it gets cold inside. Oh, I like what you've done with the ceiling."

When I have word about the fate of Spanky Pete, I will slap it up on this blog as fast as possible, I promise.

It Wouldn't Have Been St. Patrick's Day Without Corned Beef And Cabbage At Tootie's On Lowry Ave. N.

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

If anybody wants to serve legal paper upon me (and they so often do!) there is one particular moment in time when I am always vulnerable to being located.

March 15 through 17.

At some point you are sure to find me at Tootie's on Lowry Avenue, eating a big plate of traditional corned beef and cabbage. This year was no different. I was at Tootie's with Jordan Neighborhood "Super Citizen" Megan Goodmundson. The portion of corned beef and cabbage was so large it became my supper the NEXT day, too.

Yes, while "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer rotted in jail, while his process servers combed the icy streets of NoMi, trying to find me to serve me with some kind of gibberish-filled pseudo-injunction to prevent me from (allegedly) taking pictures of Spanky Pete, I was kicking back and eating like a king.

I'm sure that in years and years of jail food, you'd never get a dish like this. Mmmmmm.

Just like last year, I expressed a wish to my server that Tootie's would make this a regular menu item, available all year. Alas, it isn't happening yet.

However, Tootie's did recently update their menu. It's the same great food, some new additions, and pretty near the affordable prices we've come to expect. As Lowry Avenue continues to be revitalized, I hope they don't touch Tootie's!

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Avenue Eatery Replaces Bean Scene Too At 1101 West Broadway Avenue...

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

The Bean Scene Too, (which existed long after the original Bean Scene closed and thus the "Too" part of the name made even less sense than it did before, since the correct spelling would be "Two," wouldn't it?) has been replaced by Avenue Eatery. And not a moment too soon. We desperately need a clean, nice, high-end coffee shop on West Broadway to keep revitalization moving forward. Like so much of the progress on West Broadway, we have Catalyst Community Partners to thank.

Check out the sign which has "faux aging" to make it look like the sign has been around for a while. Very cool.

Naturally, IBNN "Shake Down Blogger" Don Allen griped about the changes at the former Bean Scene, even before those changes happened. Click here for link to his article.

OOPS! Turns out there's not a live link. What can I say? Mistakes happen.

JNS blog says: Let Don Allen bark all he wants. Don't throw this man a NICKEL to stop barking. Consider: even when the Minneapolis Public Schools paid Don Allen $15,000 he still let loose with critiques about MPS so it turns out you CAN'T pay Don Allen and hope as a result of the payment he will shut up go away. No, you just have to accept the fact Don Allen will keep barking. At least, that is to say, when he's not busy and occupied with the many porno stars he openly and publicly follows on Twitter, click here.

Yes, I know this is a heck of a way to announce the opening of a new coffee shop. Ideally, I would just say nice things about beverages and sandwiches. But we are in an amazing, vital, controversial, colorful time in NoMi. Changes are moving forward at warp speed. I can't document them fast enough. Can't cover them all on my blog. All the bloggers in NoMi COMBINED can't seem to report on all the rapid changes.

Not everybody likes the changes, but the ones screaming loudest aren't even FROM the neighborhood. I live nearby and I am excited about a new, improved coffee shop with (OMG) wireless internet. Thank you, thank you, thank you Catalyst Community Partners.

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"Contempt Of Court" Hearing Cancelled For "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer, Very Serious And Scary Probation Revocation Hearing TOMORROW...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff


Level Three Sex Offender and former "Golden Chicken" manager Peter "Spanky Pete" Richard Stephenson, a/k/a Peter Rickmyer, who has been sitting in jail since about March 10 for trying to slap legal paper on this blog contrary to a judicial order finding him a "frivolous litigant," was scheduled to have a "show cause" hearing this morning at 9 a.m. "Show cause" means Peter should explain why he should NOT be held in contempt of court.

However, the hearing did not take place. At about 9 a.m. the judge's clerk...


...appeared to the nearly-empty court room and announced the hearing was cancelled. Rescheduling was unknown.

Shortly after the clerk made the announcement and left the court room, the scary-looking lady from the Mpls Mirror entered the court room minutes late and a dollar short, surprise surprise. My source at the court room didn't bother to inform the Mirror lady what happened, but let her sit there in the empty court and possibly figure it out. Or not.

Attorney Jill Clark, who represents disgraced former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore in Moore v. Hoff, and is now representing the equally unsavory Level Three Sex Offender Peter Rickmyer, has filed a flurry of paper which accuses the judge of being less than objective and fair, of making ex parte communications, and seemingly tries to insinuate the show cause hearing is criminal rather than civil. PDF copies of these documents are floating around in emails and I received a copy, who knows where they came from. Here is a link to all three documents on the JNS blog PDF support site.

I find wry amusement in my blog pages being presented as exhibits, including the stock photo of sheet music for "Put My Rubber Doll Away." Dearest readers, I want you to know I have tried to find video of this song online. The closest I've come is an instrumental version that doesn't include the words. I'm unhappy about this. I may have to put the sheet music in the hands of somebody musical and put something on YouTube.

But I digress. Where was I? Oh, yes, Rickmyer might go back to prison.

Tomorrow, possibly at 11 a.m. (unconfirmed) Rickmyer has a parole revocation hearing at the Public Safety Building. Multiple reliable sources tell me the hearing is closed.

At some abstract, Civics 101 level I care about why a hearing to take away a man's freedom should be closed to the public and the press, but I have other issues to get worked up about, like making sure there are no aluminum cans in my trash which could be redeemed by crackheads to buy crack.

I have a source who promises to inform me about the outcome of the hearing. Stay tuned.

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Contempt Of Court Hearing...

AS FAR AS I CAN TELL by looking up the case online, the "order to show cause" hearing is on for 9 a.m. today, the court room of the Honorable Judge Blaeser, 6th Floor.

More details later when I have them...

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The JNS Blog "Half A Legal Victory Party" At Good Sports Bar And Grill...

Photos and blog post by John Hoff

The party-loving "revitalizer class" in North Minneapolis (NoMi) will seize upon nearly any excuse for a champagne toast, including the recent "half a legal victory" in the Jerry Moore v. John Hoff a/k/a Johnny Northside defamation lawsuit. Heck, if we'll toast to a whorehouse being demolished we'll sure toast "half a victory" in court.

The verdict in the lawsuit was, of course, THIS BLOG TOLD THE TRUTH when I said Jerry Moore was involved in a high-profile fraudulent mortgage at 1564 Hillside Ave. N. From that legal determination of truth, victory can be wrestled out of the rest of the ruling, especially with so much high-powered legal help coming out of the woodwork to get a piece of the action, and God bless 'em, every one. But I still think this one may go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Something in my gut just says so, though it's hard to put one's law-trained finger upon the precise "issue of first impression."

But back to the subject at hand...a drinking party!

In the photo above, shot glasses are pressed into service to...


...drink champagne. Who cares what you use as a cup, so long as the cup is filled with bubbly? Ann Yin is visible in the photo. Her local and organic foods store, Local D'Lish, continues to garner accolades far and wide. With the end of winter, farmers markets will spring up all over, but where was the living green fire of the farmer's market kept alive during the long, severe winter? In Ann's store.

That's where you can find a farmer's market during the winter, and virtually nowhere else. Just as spring comes "up from the valley" in the mountains of Virginia, so do springtime farmer's markets "come forth from the door of Ann Yin's store." Ann Yin made what was, to me, the most moving toast of the night: because this blog is not afraid to speak out, others do not feel afraid. If this blog falters, if this blog is afraid, others will be afraid as well.

That can't happen.



The champagne was given to Megan Goodmundson by one of her relatives, who was moving and was all, like, "I don't really need this magnum of French champagne." So we dubbed it "freegan champagne" because it was free.




Attorney Paul Godfread, above, is really more of the "listener type," especially compared to yours truly.




Brian Finstad and his partner Raymel, who moved from South Minneapolis (SoMi) to NoMi. In the foreground, Allie Wagner and her father, Dennis Wagner. When Jerry Moore was involved in the physical altercation in the basement of Jordan New Life Church, on the night of the JACC election which put the "New Majority" in power, Allie Wagner had to witness her father, Dennis, get struck by Jerry Moore--according to an eyewitness account.



The one and only Jonathon Palmer. At one time, Palmer was executive director of the Jordan Neigborhood...before the "Old Majority" managed the organization so badly they can no longer afford an executive director...not yet, anyway.



Jordan resident Dave Haddy demonstrates how he witnessed Jerry Moore strike P.J. Hubbard in the face on the night of the "church basement altercation." Yes, P.J. was wearing glasses, too.




For a "half a victory" party, we had quite a crowd!



Ed Kohler of The Deets blog shows up, and poses with the champagne. He was off to some exotic city to inspect the toilet paper. I think Ed Kohler was about going crazy to be a witness in the trial, and be part of the circus. Too bad he didn't get a chance to testify, but his name was on the plaintiff's witness list so Kohler gets his footnote in "blogosphere trial of the century" history.



Joel Breeggemann, the "get to NoMi" guy, was already at the bar and kindly made an appearance at our gathering. He talked about how he remembered, very well, a homophobic rant Jerry Moore launched into right after an article was published in Lavender Magazine about how NoMi is the "gayborhood of the year."



Eric Johnson, from the Irving Inquisition blog, drains the last few drops of champagne from the bottle. Maybe some crafty lawyer can use this picture to accuse Eric Johnson of blogging while intoxicated.



(Sarcasm font) Don Samuels is the principal, Johnny Northside is merely the agent. All power and glory to Don Samuels.



Brian Finstad's Canadian relative is home shopping in North Minneapolis and has been for a while, looking to expand the revitalizer empire. At social events like the "Johnny Northside half a victory party" we plan, we exchange information, we renew our bonds which are already strong like soldiers in a platoon, facing adversity but bringing about victory.

This is our neighborhood. We're not leaving. The thugs, mortgage fraudsters, and Level Three sex offenders, THEY are the ones who will be LEAVING. We are sticking around, and turning this place into Urban Utopia for our children, and our children's children.

Thank you, friends, for coming to my party. I look forward to another one and--if it is necessary--another and another. If you missed this one, maybe you can make the next one!