Two Years Since The Death Of Major Topps, And Big Talking Blogger Don Allen Still Hasn't Delivered The Answers He Promised...

Creative stock photo, BABY JESUS WANTS TO GET TO THE 
BOTTOM OF THIS, blog post by John Hoff 

Two years ago to this very day, I wrote about the death of Major Topps on my blog and suggested now public discussion could begin about this man including widespread rumors about him in the community which had crystallized in a nickname for the man, a not-quite-tongue-in-cheek play on words with his name.

MINOR BOTTOMS.

Shortly before the death of Major Topps, there was an incredibly odd assault which took place in a church. I did what I could to dig up information about that, click here and also here. I wanted the full story to be told and I didn't care who told it, this blog or some other media. So I was happy to publish something about how Paul Walsh of the Star Tribune said, "If people will go on the record about Major Topps, I will talk to them..."

One particularly annoying aspect of this story is blogger Don Allen's role. In his typical grandiose way, Allen announced (click here) he would be getting answers about Major Topps death and "issues" surrounding the death. Allen mentioned he would get help from the "National Research Institute" in this quest for answers.

(Putting my hand to my face to hide a smile)

What is this National Research Institute? What is its relationship to the so-called International Business News Network, which is...

God Bless Our Veterans On Veterans Day (And Protect Them From Being Robbed In Their Beds By Don "Shakedown Blogger" Allen Of IBNN)

Stock photo, (Gulfport, Mississippi) and blog post by John Hoff

I don't remember when or where it was, exactly--in some offhand blog commentary, maybe in a discussion on a comment thread--but I made a public vow to write about Don "Shake Down Blogger" Allen every Veterans Day and Memorial Day as long as he continues to stick his nose in North Minneapolis politics, when he doesn't even live in NoMi and his angle usually seems to be "throw some money my way, and I will stop bashing you." (The fiasco with an advertising campaign for the Minneapolis Public School system is Exhibit A)

Why, you may wonder, should I care so much on Veterans Day about Don Allen and his mostly-irrelevant IBNN blog? (Despite the overblown format of the site and its delusional pretensions to being some kind of internet news service, IBNN is mostly a one-man show run by Don Allen and something of a poster child for adult literacy issues) Why should I care all the way from AFGHANISTAN as I celebrate my very first Veterans Day as a full-fledged war veteran?

Well, because soldiers look out for each other. Soldiers will even look out for a soldier who is DEAD. Soldiers will even look out for another soldier's BODY PART.

Some years ago,  Don Allen robbed a bedridden veteran at the VA hospital, as revealed in documents published by the Irving Inquisition blog, click here. Click here, also, for more info. 

And for that crime, I will make sure Don Allen is reminded on every holiday set aside to honor veterans as long as I feel this special "anti-honor" is deserved. My own father, a veteran of the attack on Peal Harbor, died at that hospital. That could have been my dad, that could have been the soldier beside me.

Looking at Allen's site recently and some of the b.s. he's trying to pass off...well, let's make a list, shall we?

1.) Bashing on the Urban League as usual. Don, do you think you could run things better if you had control of that organization and put all their funds in a Ponzi scheme?

2.) Trying to stir up dirt with the Minneapolis School System over the firing of a basketball coach at Patrick Henry High School. What's wrong, Don, things didn't go well with the Minneapolis public schools advertising contract?

3.) Bashing the Executive Director of African American Family services. This one says "post in progress" and is dated November 7. Hey, Don, since you apparently stole the whole "post in progress" concept from this blog, let me school you on that.

A.) You shouldn't take several days to complete the post, especially if you've got two completed posts above it. That just looks stupid.

"Premature blog-u-lation," if you will.

B.) "Post in progress" is not supposed to be used as leverage to shake down money, information, or action as a tradeoff for NOT finishing the post. You either have more info coming or you don't.

Well, I think I've said what I need to say on Veterans Day. Pray God that if sentry duty goes badly tonight and I end up in a bed at a VA hospital facility, some con like Don Allen won't be rummaging through my belongings, looking for my check book.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Yes, It's Still On...The Blogosphere Trial Of The Century!

Blog post by John Hoff


Yes, it's still happening: Jerry Moore v. John Hoff a/k/a Johnny Northside, and John Does 1-5. The blogosphere trial of the century is taking place again today, Room 655C, Hennepin County Government Center, the Court of the Honorable Judge Denise Reilly.

This blog is too busy defending itself to write much, but fortunately there is all kinds of coverage in the mainstream media and at least one other blog, Ed Kohler's "The Deets." The trial has been covered by MinnPost, Twin Cities Daily Planet (two articles by Shiela Regan with a third expected today) the Star Tribune (one article, one opinion column by John Tevlin) and MPR.

And so it is the fate of this blog and its impact on the neighborhood is in the hands of a judge and seven jurors, good and true. Win or lose, the blog will go on. Readers can be assured of that.

They will stop my blogging when they pry the password from my cold, dead brain.

(Do Not Click "Read More")

JNS BLOG EDITORIAL: Dubious $15,000 Don Allen Contract Causes Closer Scrutiny of Minneapolis Public Schools Expenditures (Dig, Corey, Dig!)

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

The story which this blog exclusively broke some weeks ago--a dubious $15,000 contract with the notorious blogger Don Allen of IBNN to promote the struggling Minneapolis Public School system--has been picked up by other media entities including The Deets blog, Twin Cities Daily Planet and, most significantly, the Star Tribune. (Pictured above)

Chris Stewart, former Minneapolis School board director, has publicly called Don Allen's blog "the equivalent of black on black crime." While often crying out about perceived racism, the vast majority of people Don Allen attacks on his grandiosely titled IBNN blog are black community leaders, including frequent attacks on President Obama and Fifth Ward City Council Member Don Samuels.

I should be clear that when I say Don Allen is "notorious," I am referring to Don Allen's lazy fact checking, his well-documented tendency to just make things up, (Poopgate! cough cough) his terrible spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and also the fact Don Allen operates a kind of "shakedown" blog, leveling scathing accusations or THREATENING to level scathing accusations while, at the same time, offering solutions to the "problems" he has pointed out. Somehow these "solutions" often seem to involve paying money to Don Allen, such as his proposed "con man contract" which involved the Minneapolis Public School District posting (OMG!) a $25 million dollar bond as part of a "community benefits agreement."

But that's all background. In some sense, that's YESTERDAY'S news. What's new, interesting, and exciting is that once the Star Tribune started digging into Don Allen's contract, they didn't stop with Don Allen. The latest problematic MPS contract to come to the attention of the Star Tribune is a $97,000 contract with Schoolwires, Inc. to deliver website services.

Corey Mitchell, the same reporter who did the story on Don Allen, delivered a great story about the Schoolwires fiasco, click here for Star Tribune article.

I only hope Mitchell keeps digging and gets to the bottom of the financial mismanagement at MPS, especially the rumors which just won't die of $100k that went through the Minneapolis Urban League, with some of the money allegedly ending up in the hands of notorious loon-at-large Al Flowers.

Dig, Corey, Dig!

If I was the Minneapolis Public School system, right about now I'd be really, really unhappy that doing business with Don Allen has caused a Star Tribune reporter to take such an interest in mismanaged money. In fact, I'd be trying to figure out how to get out of the Don Allen contract just to get some of the egg off my face.

$$$

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Jerry Moore v. John Hoff a/k/a Johnny Northside (The Blogosphere On Trial! Da Da Da Dummmmm!)

Cell phone photo by Megan Goodmundson, blog post by John Hoff


Regular readers of this blog who run into me in the real world are usually surprised to hear former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore’s defamation lawsuit against this blog is still in existence. Having not heard about it for a while, they figure it must have gone away, died, or been dismissed. Click here for an article that summarizes the issues wonderfully.

In fact, the lawsuit has dragged on and is currently on the Hennepin County trial court calendar for Thursday March 3, at 9:30 AM, the court of Judge Denise Reilly, Room 655C. The trial may go beyond March 3 to Friday, March 4. It’s not currently scheduled for the following Monday but, well, sometimes things take longer than planned and we have to consider the lessons of history and other trials involving issues in the Jordan Neighborhood.

Attempts to obtain another continuance on the basis of being tied up doing much more important things did not meet with success at a pretrial hearing on Thursday, February 10, but the trial date of March 3...



...appears to have been kindly picked by Her Honor to avoid interfering with my work schedule, so that was helpful and I’m grateful for that.

With Don Allen of IBNN now dropped as a co-defendant due to settling out of court, it appears the case is now captioned Jerry Moore vs. John Hoff a/k/a Johnny Northside, which is a fine title for the history books and possibly case law.

The February 10 hearing was attended by Jill Clark and Jerry Moore. I attended with my new lawyer, Paul Godfread, who was introduced to me through a media law project at Harvard, click here for a link to their website describing my case as a threat to free speech.

Godfread--who is not a graduate of Harvard, but part of their media law network--normally handles intellectual property law cases (stuff about copyrights, for example) but he has a passion for the First Amendment. He is, quite possibly, one of the tallest lawyers practicing in Hennepin County and (for those readers familiar with North Minneapolis personalities) bears a physical and personality resemblance to “shoe patrol hero” Peter Teachout, who is now an officer in the United States Army.

Also present in court was Don Allen of IBNN. At a hearing on Monday, in which Don Allen sat on the defendant’s side of the table long enough to say he’d been dismissed from the lawsuit, Allen announced he was filing a “harassment restraining order” against me. Not long after that, he apparently articulated the same threat to Sheila Regan at Twin Cities Daily Planet, click here and read the “sidebar story” to the article.

However—and this is so often the case with anything Don Allen says—there has been no sign of any harassment or restraining order filed against me or this blog. Rather than being stalked or harassed, Allen is simply unhappy about First Amendment public discourse: articles on various blogs (and now the Star Tribune) seriously questioning the wisdom of giving him $15,000 of scarce public schools tax dollars to produce commercials for the Minneapolis Public School system which, one can’t help but worry, may be not much better than his “talking baby” video posted on YouTube before it disappeared recently.

Also present in court was Terry Yzaguirre of the Mpls Mirror and notorious Level Three sex offender Peter “Spanky Pete” Rickmyer, who also attempted to sue the Johnny Northside blog and was declared a frivolous litigant, unable to file lawsuits pro se. In the corridor outside of court, Rickmyer was overheard speaking to Jill Clark about something “Puh-Puh-Peggy” told him to relate.

Clark is known to have a paralegal named Peggy. Rickmyer was also observed to fiddle with what appeared to be a cell phone during court proceedings.

Jordan Neighborhood super citizen Megan Goodmundson was also present in the court room.

With little time to prepare for the big show, Godfread has jumped into trial preparations with both feet.

Readers and media are urged to come one, come all to watch the live show:

THE BLOGOSPHERE ON TRIAL! (Click here for dramatic musical effects)

$$$

Making Way For The New Minneapolis Public School Headquarters...Or, As I Like To Call It, Don Allen's Public Tax Dollars Sugar Daddy!

Contributed photos, blog post by John Hoff

Though the Irving Inquisition blog managed to scoop JNS blog on the story of demolition taking place to make way for the new Minneapolis Public School headquarters, click here, this blog did receive some great photos from a reader.

Of course, I can't even hear the words "Minneapolis Public Schools" without thinking about the frigging unbelievable and outrageous....



...$15,000 contract with Don Allen and newly-creditable reports of $103,770 funneled toward notoriously litigious loon Al Flowers via the Urban League.

In fact, from now on whenever I make mention of the Minneapolis Public School system for any reason, I am going to bring up these two stories by mentioning them or linking. And I am going to do this until...

1.) The contract with Don Allen is cancelled, and these tax dollars are saved from ending up in the toilet.

2.) Hard proof comes to light, either that Al Flowers DID NOT receive some or all of this money (and both my highly creditable source and renowned "Poopgate" liar Don Allen of IBNN are wrong) or proof comes forth that Flowers DID receive some or all of this money; proof such as the actual contract.

If one of the conditions is met before the other--which seems likely--I will just keep mentioning the OTHER thing until both conditions are met. So be it.

Here. Let me demonstrate.

Minneapolis Public Schools (Don Allen, $15,000 wasted, Al Flowers, cough cough)...

I think readers get the point, but feel free to practice on your own when posting comments whether here on Johnny Northside or anywhere else Minneapolis Public Schools are mentioned, particularly in association with their need for public tax dollars to do WHATEVER.

Here's more photos:

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: OMG $103,770 In Minneapolis Public School Money Reportedly Funneled To "Mayor of Crazy Town" Al Flowers!

Contributed stock photo, blog post by John Hoff
Amid a rising firestorm of controversy over the Minneapolis public school system awarding a $15,000 contract to Don Allen of IBNN to (allegedly) make a series of commercials to bring students back to the Minneapolis public school district more information is coming loose alleging an even more shocking boondoggle of wasted school system dollars.

Last night, a high ranking and knowledgeable government source spoke to me on strict condition of confidentiality about the shocking reality of Al Flowers managing to shake loose $103,000 worth of school system money. Because I had nothing else handy to write on, I used a child's looseleaf notebook paper and a lavender "sparkly pen" to take notes. Though the source is convinced this expenditure of approximately $103,000 in scarce and precious school system dollars to a notorious loon really did happen, I must make it clear this is an allegation. I do not have a contract, receipts, checks, or anything like that in my hands. All I have is the word of my government source--a very solid source, I might add, who I absolutely trust--and one page of notes written with a sparkly pen.

For many months, it has been rumored among the movers and shakers in North Minneapolis that notorious gadfly and appallingly unsuccessful mayoral candidate Al Flowers had somehow gotten a big payoff of public school money, with the figure $100,000 thrown around quite a bit...

Attempts to confirm this with the school system were unsuccessful, however, though at one point Jordan Neighborhood "super citizen" Megan Goodmundson sent email inquiries to Dan Loewenson, assistant to the superintendent. In response to an information request about any contract with Al Flowers, here was Loewenson's reply on May 28, 2010:

"At this current time, and in the recent past, Al Flowers has not had any business arrangement or contract with the Minneapolis public schools. Mr. Flowers has been present at many public meetings and has requested information on many aspects of the district's work but has acted as a citizen and community activist in his interactions with us."

Goodmundson states that she figured Loewenson was doing "something slick" with his reply, and if there were any financial dealings with Flowers these dealings might be indirect or there could be some kind of entity actually receiving the money. In Goodmundson's mind, she was asking "Fess up: has that lunatic Al Flowers somehow managed to get his hands on all or part of $100,000 that originated as school system money?" But if you don't say exactly and precisely the magic words--if you don't know the actual name of the entity, or if there's a reasonably reputable fiscal agent disbursing the money to the entity--well, how will you ask the question that actually gets the information you're seeking from a mealy-mouthed bureaucrat?

To some degree, the information has been out in the public all along. Since about November of 2008, Don Allen of IBNN has been shouting about "Al Flowers" and $103,770 worth of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) money that was (allegedly) funneled through the Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) to an entity called Front Street Marketing. Click here for JNS support site to view a document which captures discussion posted by (it appears) Don Allen on Facebook. (If the document disappears from Facebook in the manner of Don Allen's "talking baby" video disappearing from YouTube, that's fine, because screen shots have been saved)

There are, however, difficulties with the fact the information was posted by Don Allen. I can identity at least three difficulties.

1. First and foremost, Don Allen has a reputation for distorting and mangling the truth. You simply can't believe what he says anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the time. He has a tendency to mix pieces of the truth with his own vicious brand of deliberate falsehood.

The most notorious example is, of course, Poopgate. Yes, blogger Eric Johnson published a photo of a hooker who was urinating or defecating on the side of a house. (Truth) But Eric did not stage the photo or pay the hooker. (Falsehood, made up and published by Don Allen) In fact, it's well known in the neighborhood that Eric didn't even take the photo and Eric has never pretended otherwise. Poopgate is merely the most disturbing-yet-amusing example of Don Allen making s*** up.

So there's the problem. Yes, Don Allen has cried out for years about Al Flowers and $103,770. But who cares? It was DON ALLEN saying it. The examples of Allen's dubious reputation (everything from a company he worked for being raided by the Secret Service to a criminal record) are legion.

2. Second, Don Allen's relationship with Flowers is ambiguous. Sometimes Allen seems to be Flowers' ally, and posts complimentary stuff about Flowers. Other times, Allen goes on the offensive against Flowers, as with a post he wrote on December 14, 2010, which once again took Flowers to task and brought up the $100k, note the following paragraph:
---------
If you recall, in 2008 the Minneapolis Urban League in collaboration with Front Street Marketing, and Alfred Flowers received a pilot program grant from the Minneapolis Public Schools of more than $103,770.00 dollar to create and after-school tutoring program. I know this because I was asked to work on completing some of the paperwork and when I submitted the finished document with an invoice, I was told I wasn’t getting paid s*** and to never come back to the Minneapolis Urban League.
---------
So when Allen criticizes Flowers over the $103,770, one has to keep in mind...Allen is claiming to have worked on "completing some of the paperwork" related to that very project. His main beef? He didn't get some of the dough.

The ambiguity of the relationship between Flowers and Allen forces one to wonder about the truthfulness and motivation of the assertions that $103,770 was funneled to a Flowers-affiliated entity through MUL. Did this actually HAPPEN or was Don Allen merely WORRIED that it happened, and he didn't get a cut, but in reality...maybe a proposal went forward but nothing actually happened. (My source says otherwise, though) It's problematic enough that Don Allen is simply a liar, click here for another incredible example. Even if Don Allen weren't such a liar, the ambiguity of the Flowers/Allen relationship makes it difficult to discern the truthfulness of Allen's statement about Minneapolis School System money being funneled in the direction of Flowers and Front Street Marketing.

3.) Any interesting or relevant points Don Allen might make are buried so far beneath bad, rambling, unclear yet prolific writing that anything important Allen says is likely to be ignored, missed, or dismissed as crazed ranting. As an English Writing Major (magna cum laude) I've never been able to understand a certain type of person who is haunted by an incredible compulsion to write...yet writes so badly. Blogger Eric Johnson of Irving Inquisition actually did an extensive post dedicated to Don Allen's struggles with the English language.


So now I am put in the odd position of publishing an "exclusive story" about information that has been floating around since November of 2008, but here's the difference: it's being said by a highly believable source instead of just Don Allen. And let the public judge the credibility of this blog.

My source says as follows: Flowers was affiliated with a guy named Todd Barnes. Barnes is, of course, well known in the Jordan Neighborhood as the individual who did "strategic planning" for Jerry Moore, the former and ousted Executive Director of the Jordan Neighborhood who is currently suing this blog. The strategic planning took the form of a hard copy report which the source characterized as "unacceptable and immature." The neighborhood paid a respectable sum of money for the report. My source said $13,000. I do not have confirmation of that amount.

However, I saw the actual report about a year ago. There is somebody in the Jordan Neighborhood who has a copy. In fact, the person who possesses this copy notoriously walked off with that document when Ben Myers, who used to be in a leadership position at JACC, tried to call back the hard copies from being distributed.

It is indeed accurate to say the report looks to have been thrown together by somebody working at a junior high school level. In any case, Barnes is known in the Jordan Neighborhood because of his former affiliation with JACC and Jerry Moore. My source says Barnes was affiliated with Al Flowers. Another source states the Flowers/Barnes entity was known as Front Street Marketing, the same entity Don Allen was screaming about in November of 2008.

The $103,000 was "processed through Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) as fiscal agent," according to my source, who adds that, unfortunately, MUL has a history of this kind of loose money management and incidents like this have been "allowed to happen." In a speculative way, the source adds this:

In regard to the $15,000 that Don Allen is scheduled to receive from the Minneapolis School System for god-knows-what, there is a "likelihood that (Al) Flowers is part of the latest deal."

In the latest twist on the Don Allen saga: in court on Monday, during a pretrial hearing for the frivolous Jerry Moore "defamation" case, Don Allen spoke in open court about his desire to get a "harassment restraining order" against this blogger for writing things about his $15,000 contract with the public school system. Don Allen also threatened to get a restraining order against mild-mannered Twin Cities Daily Planet reporter Sheila Regan, as Regan made clear in a sidebar article published earlier today.

This blog post is published for the purpose of seeking favorable government action and redress of grievances, specifically in regard to credible and believable reports that notorious agitator Al Flowers got his hands upon some portion of $103,770 worth of public monies from a struggling Minneapolis school system.

An editorial note: We in North Minneapolis are tired of the shakedowns by self-serving poverty pimps who stoke racial tensions for the purpose of creating a payday for themselves, whether it be money from the government or private foundations or frivolous lawsuits, and by this I specifically mean individuals like Al Flowers and Don Allen. We are sick of our public officials playing into this sick, twisted and self-perpetuating game behind closed doors and dodging our pointed questions, and pretending everything is just fine.

Don Allen must NOT receive $15,000 worth of public money.

And we want the facts about this alleged $103,770 expenditure of MLS money involving MUL, Front Street Marketing, Flowers and/or Barnes. We want the facts and we want them quickly.

Here Is The "New Face Of North Minneapolis" Video That Don Allen Of IBNN Doesn't Want You To See...

Video by JordanNeighbor, blog post by John Hoff

Don Allen, a controversial blogger and self-described "businessman" whose bile-filled criticisms are mostly leveled at leaders within the black community, one of which recently said IBNN blog was "the equivalent of black on black crime," was the subject of a recent blog post here on Johnny Northside in light of the surprising news of Don Allen's $15,000 contract with the Minneapolis school system for video production, click here for that blog post.

Some of us kind of figured Don Allen might swiftly remove or "set to private" his "New Face of North Minneapolis" video if too much attention were brought to it, so a "fair comment and criticism" copy was made by a member of the community, which you can see above, embedded. As anticipated and predicted, the "New Face" video in question was set to "private" on YouTube so it couldn't be viewed shortly after it was linked from this blog and criticized as an example of Don Allen's video production skills and controversial content.

The purpose of this back-up video is not to...


...infringe anybody's copyright (worthless though it may be) but to make sure the document can't be hidden from fair comment and criticism.

So here it is. It speaks loudly for itself, as does the fact attempts were made to conceal it from being freely and easily viewed.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Blogger Donald WR Allen Of IBNN To Get $15,000 From Minneapolis School System For "Video Production"

Photo by John Hoff, JACC press conference of January, 2009
blog post by John Hoff

Word has been spreading among North Minneapolis leadership that Donald WR Allen of IBNN has received or will soon receive $15,000 from the Minneapolis school system for "video production services." Click here for a link to a list of contacts and scrutinize the item for $15,000. The entity known as DWRA2 is reportedly a Donald WR Allen entity.

Here is an example of...

...Don Allen's video production skills, click here for "The New Face Of North Minneapolis" video posted to YouTube. (Please note, if this link goes dead or if the video disappears from YouTube, please contact JNS blog through the comments, a back up copy may exist)


Here's another example of Don Allen's video skills, The Grim Reaper Of North Minneapolis Speaks, click here.

Finally, here is "North Murderoplis Auntie Speaks," click here for video.

Don Allen reportedly lives in Columbia Heights and has been a guest speaker at a Tea Party rally, click here for video. Couldn't the Minneapolis School system have made a much, much better choice for video production services?

I want to make this crystal clear due to the vexatious and litigious nature of some individuals: I am writing this blog post for the purpose of "procuring favorable government action" and I am seeking redress of grievances with the Minneapolis School system. It is outrageous to me as a homeowner and taxpayer that Don Allen should receive even a dollar from the Minneapolis school system, let alone a substantial sum like $15,000. The quality and editorial judgment of his "video production" speaks for itself from these examples. In a recent Minneapolis Issues List discussion, Don Allen's blog has been called "the equivalent of black on black crime," click here for a link to that discussion.

If there is a way to rescind this contract, it should be rescinded. And I am not the only one in North Minneapolis objecting to Don Allen getting this money, word has spread far and wide among North Minneapolis neighborhood leaders of this financial outrage.

JNS BLOG EDITORIAL: The Usual Lack Of Insight From Insight News...

Photo By John Hoff

The June 29-July 5 edition of Insight News hit the streets and, as always, it's like eating two chicken drummies and calling that "supper."

Your first clue that you won't get much content from Insight News is the part of the paper called the "name plate," where the words "Insight News" are prominently featured. When the name plate of a publication is more than three inches high, (white margin included) you know somebody is trying to fill space...

So, this week Insight News has a story (if you want to call it that) about the National Newspapers Publishers Association, which includes publishers of America's black press.

You would think such an important event would merit some coverage from Al McFarlane (who is, after all, the convention host) but instead we simply have a photo...a really BIG photo...of publisher Al McFarlane posing with some of the convention participants. That's it. That's the coverage. A photo on the front page and a caption. Al is on the far left and, oh gee, the guy on the far left gets his name listed first. That's how it works.

Don Allen of the IBNN blog (who attended the convention) told me the event wasn't publicized very well.

(ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him)


That's what Don tells me. Well, I can see it certainly wasn't COVERED very well, after the fact. Inside of this week's Insight News are fluffy features like "Three good excuses for having a summer party" and "Retailers cut women sizes to save money" which read like journalistic garnishes instead of entrees. Meanwhile, this blog delivers video of a notorious crack house burning. In some ways I consider Insight News my competition but in a lot of ways...well, I don't consider them competition at all.

The fact this community newspaper is falling flat on its fat, papery ass seems to be admitted between the lines, as one story says, "There were simply too many successful youth at the AAU Youth State Track Meet to mention them all." That same page contains an advertisement from a tire store, a "mortgage modification" business, and a copy shop. In glorious full color.

Honestly, if this blog had an email with the names of all those successful young athletes at AAU, how long do you think it would take me to copy, paste and publish? There are plenty of times this blog puts out more content--by which I mean SUBSTANTIVE stories, instead of fluff and filler--in a SINGLE DAY than Insight News puts out ALL WEEK.

I would strongly suggest advertisers who want to reach a North Minneapolis (NoMi) audience should get in touch with Google ads and find a way to be featured on local blogs like this one. Paper is dead. The internet is the future.

And, hey, it's not like Insight News lacks a website, it's just they're much too wedded to their archaic and gruesome "dead tree format." Every week they put some murdered, violated tree flesh out on the streets, and every week I have to wonder, "Why did they even bother? I weep for the forests." Well, this week is a week like any other. Shed a tear for the ozone, Insight News just hit the racks.

But, hey, at least this week Al McFarlane wasn't trying to prop up Reverend Jerry McAfee's so-called "leadership."

Be grateful for small favors from God.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Sunday's 4th Ward Meeting, Troy Parker Challenge Rejected

Photo by Don Allen

After my previous blog post about the 4th Ward DFL rejecting the post-convention challenges of Troy Parker, Don Allen of the IBNN blog kindly forwarded a photo of the proceedings. This is what Minneapolis history looked like in the 4th Ward, when Troy Parker tried...but fell way short.

My simple political analysis is this: in the wake of the foreclosure crisis and its huge impact on North Minneapolis, SOME constituents are indeed unhappy with Don Samuels and Barb Johnson.

However, by a margin of roughly 60/40, more constituents SUPPORT Don Samuels and Barb Johnson. Both Troy Parker and Kenya McKnight should accept the judgment of the DFL and just...pack it up and quit wasting their efforts, which could go into making their neighborhood better.

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.


(Do not click "Read More")

Don Allen Calls Out Al McFarlane, Denies Working For CIA And FBI

Image From Don Allen's
Facebook Page...or is it?



ADDENDUM, SEPTEMBER 24, 2011: This blog post was written before I learned a great deal of relevant information about Don Allen, including his involvement with a Ponzi scheme that was busted by the FBI and his record of stealing from a bedridden vet at the VA hospital. I now consider Don Allen an unsavory character but I will not remove or alter posts due to respect for an accurate historical record.

So, first of all, people who follow North Minneapolis issues intensely have (so I've heard) kind of wondered about what's the deal with Johnny Northside and Don Allen of the IBNN blog?

Though me and Don...

...have vast differences politically, we seem to get along great.

Of course, part of that is the fact Don Allen is trying to figure out a way to make money by marketing North Minneapolis, and he's all, like, "Johnny, if I can get something going, are you in?" And I'm all, like, "Dude, whatever, if there's decent money involved, I'm in."

(Decent money is not the same as a lot of money. Decent money is what you could hope to make by doing some good. A whole lot of money usually requires offshore oil drilling, deforestation, and animal cruelty, all before breakfast)

Some would say I'm living in a fantasy world, thinking I'd get PAID to BLOG.

And that's a fair critique. But consider this example. Which of the following do you think I'd prefer: riding in a cute red sports car driven by a hot girl in a miniskirt who, (apparently) has just shaved her impossibly-long legs but, at the current time, shows no romantic interest in me whatsoever...

Or walking?

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO with Don Allen, Al McFarlane, and/or the FBI and CIA?

Um...well, OK, it might be a tangent. So let me just get to the pickle-y part of the pickled pig's knuckle of information nuggets, and here it is, in the form of an email Don Allen fired off to a bunch of folks, recently:

Dear Ms. Hyde, (and BCC's)

Contrary to popular belief, it is not my mission to distribute miss-information to the community. My goal is to distribute news and information that would otherwise never get out. With the ability to outreach any north side media outlet, you would think this would be a good tool. Yes, it becomes somewhat controversial but never the less, "if you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one you hit will yelp."

On Friday, at Sunny Side Restaurant Mr. Al McFarlane publicly stated that he thought I worked for the FBI or CIA. This is the same thing said of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Of course this is not true, but yet another attempt to discredit me because of my political allegiances and the questions I ask are too hard to answer when it comes to the Minneapolis Urban League and alleged conflict of interests involving the Board, the process and individual financial gains versus "direct to MUL gains, bypassing a middleman."

I have multiple concerns about the operation at the Minneapolis Urban League including the obvious Conflict of Interest (COI) involving yourself, Al McFarlane and the CEO finalist from the Madison Urban League. Mr. McFarlane says, "Don is good for business," which means its easier for Mr. McFarlane to "backdoor" business and ask potential agencies to use him and ask these
agencies to have other potential collaborations go through him also.

(This happened at a National Association of Minority Contractors meeting. Those of us in the business know that one "skewed" media outlet cannot deliver all minority-ethnics, let alone the mainstream. Gross misrepresentation seems to be a norm here.)

Next week on the Independent Business News Network (www.ibnn.org) and in very public press releases, I will ask the questions about why is it that a board member who receives financial payments from the MUL for advertising is able to broadcast out of the MUL and how much does the agency receive for the use of the facility when it is apparent that Mr. McFarlane's radio show does have financial sponsors. (COI). We talk a lot these days about, "transparency," I would like full disclosure in an attempt to understand the process that makes some, activity at the MUL okay (including partisan politics).

Let me make it absolutely clear. Its okay to have a live radio show broadcast out of the MUL - but shouldn't it be about MUL programs and issues that affect the community versus promotion for Mr. McFarlane's sponsors and personal advertising agenda - I ask you to step back and see this clearly.

If someone like the MUL current outreach coordinator had the platform that McFarlane Media is using at the MUL, issues could be addressed across the Twin Cities while building capacity for the agency. (I would assist in setting up a radio show on a local radio station for the MUL to be broadcast live from the MUL. The same sponsors that MM has would jump on board due to the "dual benefits:" outreach, and community engagement with an established flagship non-profit. Ms. Hyde, how can the MUL operate by sending money, sponsors and private sector collaborations "out the door?"

It seems to me that KMOJ would be the best "fit" for a live broadcast at the MUL - but we know that's a whole other story.

Mr. McFarlane has told me that he has signed a Conflict of Interest statement, can it be produced along with the Board minutes that allow Mr. McFarlane to walk in and broadcast without any benefits to the MUL - if there are financial benefits, what are they? Contrary to what you or the MUL's been told, there is a funding stream.

In the MUL's board attempt to "close" board meetings even for members, this is an action that will be fought by the community due to the amazing amount of current corruption that has not been addressed.

COI #2: Ms. Hyde, aren't you a member of the search committee and have ties to the Madison Urban League where dollars were paid to someone you know to speak there recently? Also, is it public information on the amount you have been paid to plan the MUL annual dinner (also in 2008), furthermore questioning the integrity of your collaborations that seem to be very close with the agency?

In closing, I would ask that on Saturday, April 25 at 1pm when the MUL presents the finalist to the community for the CEO position, you have someone other than Mr. McFarlane host this event. This will stop the continued Conflict of Interests that seem to occur weekly at the agency.

After several request for information sent to David at the MUL, he has refused to answer or supply requested information. Furthermore, what does the MUL do? I would love the opportunity to sit down with someone with the facts and discuss a mutual middle ground.

If you have any questions - or answers to any of the above, please contact me
at (612) 986-0010.

Very best regards,

Donald W.R. Allen,II - V.P./GM
Email: donny@donny-allen.com
Office: (612) 332-6025
Direct: (612) 986-0010

JNS says: I confess I'm not following some of this. However, I really like the part about Don Allen being--reportedly--accused of working for the CIA and the FBI. That's just too funny! Especially since *I* am the one working for the CIA.

Well, actually the NSA and army psy-ops but I ask you...what's the difference?

Point is, if Don Allen were working for the CIA or FBI I'm pretty sure I'd have read it in my daily briefings, duh. Yes, I confess to skimming intel reports, sometimes--especially the tedious rehashing of EVERY LITTLE NUGGET printed in Insight News, right down to the ADVERTISERS, I mean GEEZ!!!!--but if Don Allen worked for the CIA, I"m sure I'd have caught mention of THAT.

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.

Northside Marketing Task Force Discussion Gets Messy, Interesting, Profanity-Laced

Photo Of Don Allen, From His
Facebook Page

Before I say anything else, I should say this: sincere people with good intentions are known to vigorously disagree with each other.

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.

At the end of the day, North Minneapolis needs an effective marketing strategy. We are hard up against media-created spin that paints our neighborhood as a...

...bad place, when we know it is a good place and, even more importantly, our neighborhood is changing and getting better by leaps and bounds through our own hard struggle and--it must be acknowledged--millions of dollars being poured in by government entities, non-profits, and businesses.

Having said that...today I had a business meeting with Don Allen of IBNN blog and V-local.com, which (Don stated) was rated last year as the Twin Cities' No. 1 internet marketing firm. On his laptop, Allen showed me some of the bells and whistles of what his company does, which seems to revolve around increasing internet exposure and rankings for businesses. He gave me a t-shirt. Everybody is giving me t-shirts lately; Northside Marketing Task Force, Pete's Hardwood Floors, and now Don Allen gave me one for inetsurf.com.

Do they think my loyalty can be BOUGHT? (Um...don't answer that question)

NSMTF History, Part One

I'd be fascinated to get the whole history of this task force which, I think, would make an interesting academic study about a neighborhood trying to market itself in the face of politics, a lack of resources, and many obstacles to a successful marketing effort. Like random gunfire. I mean, in my mind, random gunfire is a biggie when it comes to marketing obstacles. Hence my strategy of a "first wave" of adventurous, risk-taking "security minded individuals" to move in and "secure the neighborhood," as outlined in my theory of "Market and Romanticize The Struggle."

Anyway, I'd heard how Don Allen used to be on the NMTF but left. In Don Allen's office, which is decorated with maps of the 5th Congressional Ward, I asked Don about that. Don told me how the Task Force started with high hopes and big dreams, but Don Allen didn't like Jerry Moore from the get-go. Don felt Jerry "didn't understand sound business practices." Others on the Task Force--Don mentions my friends Anderson Mitchell of Mitchell Construction, and Lisa Mitchell, who works for General Mills--were strongly supportive of Jerry Moore, who--at that time--was the Executive Director of JACC.

They supported Moore AT FIRST, that is to say. Lisa and Anderson Mitchell have now changed their tune, and apparently part of that sea change in sentiment involved Don showing the Mitchells documents from the investigation of Larry Maxwell, documents which name Jerry Moore and talk about Moore receiving a payment.

In Don's view, the task force became less about marketing North Minneapolis and more about "pumping up Jerry Moore to run for something." Don says Al McFarlane of Insight News was involved with a lot of this "pumping up." (Don showed me a wrinkled copy of Insight News with a prominent photo of Kenya McKnight on the front. Don said he'd used it to keep the rain off his head today, and it was indeed good for that, he said)

According to Don, Jerry Moore saw NMTF as "his own little platform to build upon."

"It wasn't about positioning the North Side," Don Allen said. "It was about positioning Jerry Moore." Now, according to Don, the NMTF has become about "positioning (Vice Chair) Mike Kestner."

Allen talks, in particular, about an instance where he managed to obtain a promise of some rather respectable-sized donations from a business source, and the Task Force board insisted that Don's name should be removed from a letter to the source, and substituted with Jerry Moore's name. On his own, from professional business contacts, Don Allen had developed the source of funding, but now credit was being handed to somebody else; the annointed one of the McFarlane clique, Jerry Moore.

It's obvious Don Allen still has a bad taste in his mouth over this.

Allen Forms V Media Development Corporation

Don Allen has formed a non-profit called "V Media Corporation." The articles of incorporation, sent by the Minnesota Secretary of State, are framed and hang on Don's office wall. Though a board has already been formed, Don Allen says he is interested in taking on more folks. The goal of the organization is to help areas "underserved by advertising, PR, and marketing." (Like North Minneapolis) There is a goal of showing "successful, measurable outcomes."

Don Allen didn't say so, but Google rankings come to mind. Stories in the media buzzing about North Minneapolis in a generally positive way, that comes to mind, too, and those things can be counted, tabulated, put in the form of bar graphs.

Mike Kestner Tells Don Allen To Get F***ed

When talking to Don, he has to put off taking a constant stream of phone calls, but sometimes he is forced to apologize and, well, he really must take THIS call.

It was in the course of such a call that Allen learned there was a meeting of the Northside Marketing Task Force. TONIGHT. Don began placing calls, trying to find out where and when. We both wondered what might be on the agenda, but figured two items would come up for sure:

# OLD BUSINESS: When will the Carney Group's website work be approved for release? Don's belief is a thing doesn't have to be perfect, it can be "tweaked while it is hot." That's kind of how I see things. Get the story out to the public ASAP, there will always be details to add in subsequent stories.

# NEW BUSINESS: Internet controversy over task force inaction, and a discussion about whether to add Don Allen and/or Johnny Northside to the Task Force.

Don Allen was forced to call Mike Kestner himself to find out when and where the meeting was. Kestner told Don he shouldn't be at the meeting. It would be intimidating, if Don was at the meeting, Kestner said. Don insisted on knowing the location of the meeting. There was an arcane discussion about whether a non-profit is considered a non-profit, when it has filed ONE piece of paper but not ANOTHER piece of paper.

At one point--and this is according to Don--Mike Kestner told Don Allen, "F*** you!" After 10 minutes of cajoling, Don Allen managed to get the meeting time and place out of Mike Kestner.

Last word I had was that Don Allen was heading for the meeting, scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Neighborhood Organization Building.

Breaking News, Closed Session, "Personnel Issues"

Don Allen called me a second ago. There is breaking news. Approximately 6 individuals are having a meeting. Jerry Moore is not present, but Mike Kestner is there. When Allen entered the room, he was told "we just voted to go into executive session to discuss personnel issues."

"Um," I asked Don. "They're a non-profit board. They don't have any employees. How can they have personnel issues?"

"THANK YOU!!!" Don yelled into his cell phone.

At this moment, Don is trying to hunt down a copy of the bylaws to figure out if 6 members of the Task Force even form a quorum. More as I get word...

It is a shame that trying to market a neighborhood becomes a political infight, a battle of personalities and he said, she said. But, at the end of the day, this is what democracy looks like and our neighborhood is fighting to make itself something better, having a vital discussion about what competing ideas and visions will take us to that better time and place.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Phony "White Supremacist" Letter Tries To Smear City Council Member Don Samuels

Flickr.com Photo

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.

Don Allen of the IBNN blog developed and shared this information, and should get the credit, but once again this is an example of the "fast, cheap and out of control" aspect of this blog. I can get this info in the public eye FASTER.

According to Don, the office of...

...State Senator Linda Higgins received a letter, purportedly from a white supremacist hate group. The letter basically said something like, "Keep on supporting Don Samuels, we really appreciate it."

In warfare, "black propaganda" is a communication which purports, on its face, to be from one side of a conflict, when it is actually from the other side. This kind of thing is used to harass and discredit. Think about it: why would a white supremacist group be writing a letter to a liberal state senator, thanking her for supporting a black city council member? This isn't even CLEVER. It's on the same level as putting a bag of dog poop on somebody's step and lighting it on fire.

No, wait...OK, that's actually MORE clever.

Seeing this kind of dirty trick bag pulled out so early in the city council contest, one suspects the Samuels/McKnight race will be a bloody mud wrestling match.

These are rare and beautiful days for a blogger, and one must cherish the moments.

ADDENDUM: I'm told the letter is at least 3 pages and, incredibly, contains the word "gentrification."

Yeah, like pinhead white supremacists sit around comparing notes about "gentrification." The whole pathetic episode sounds like a ham-handed comedy of errors from somebody lacking both cunning and subtlety.

Discussion, Feedback, And Scuttlebutt About The North Side Marketing Task Force

Flickr.com Photo

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.

Information is gravy, and I am a warm buttermilk biscuit. In the wake of my recent blog posts about the North Side Marketing Task Force--and whether it is alive, where it is going, etc.--I received more than one phone call, including one from Vice Chair Mike Kestner.

Mike tells me that, currently, the task force has no chair. (I kept ASKING about this) There will be a meeting in the near future to pick a chair. In regard to the supposedly "missing" records, Mike says...

...he is in possession of the records, and there was nothing nefarious about their movement.

An Offer I Can't Refuse?

Mike is proposing a "sit down" with me and IBNN blogger Don Allen to talk about the future of North Side Marketing. This should be fun. When I applied to be on the Marketing Task Force--persuaded by Lisa Mitchell to go there and try--one source tells me Mike (and Jerry Moore) used phrases to describe me like "nuts" and "loose cannon."

"I SWEAR TO GOD," says this source.

But I'll sit down and talk with anybody and--as I hope I've made clear many times--this blogger for hire. Viva la sacre, viva la guerre, viva la sacre mercenaire. I'd be very happy to find a way to get subsidized to write even more stories about North Minneapolis while applying my theory of "market and romanticize the struggle."

Was The Housing Fair Adequately Publicized?

Don Allen is, meanwhile, airing more grievances about the North Side Marketing Task Force in regard to whether the recent Housing Fair was adequately marketed. This is what he said to Mike at 11:13 a.m. today:

Dear Mr. Kestner,

I am actually shocked that Ms. Debbie Nelson from North Housing & Home Improvement Fair told me that the NMTF was responsible for marketing and advertising this event. There was no effort put into placing a 100 percent reach and frequency program that would of (sic) cost the task force virtually NOTHING!

How can the citizens of North Minneapolis allow this to continue. Please call me. How does something like this NOT get on WCCO, B96, KMOJ, WLTE, City Pages, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, One Nation News, LaVoz, Somali News, Asian American Press, La Depernza, etc?

PISSED!

(End of Don Allen email)

Why Should A Marketing Task Force Be Afraid Of PUBLICITY?

It's a truism in marketing that all publicity is good publicity, though I think that's a truism that isn't true, unless you're Lindsay Lohan. But my main beef with the task force has been a lack of TRANSPARENCY. And here's my proof, Exhibits A Through C.

First of all, when I interviewed for the task force I was told NO, THE CAMERA CREW FROM 612 AUTHENTIC COULD NOT RECORD THE INTERVIEW. They were actually told to leave the room.

Well, great. Maybe the Task Force COULD HAVE BEEN in the Johnny Northside movie, but you can't really edit footage THAT DOESN'T EXIST. You don't see somebody like Connie Nompelis (No-bliss) from NOMI acting that way, but then again...cameras love Connie. Every day, in every way, NOMI is proving itself more cohesive and more effective than NMTF when it comes to North Minneapolis marketing.

(Connie was reportedly involved in the early formation of NOMI but I am unsure if she currently has a title with that group...I'm sure Connie won't be shy about telling me, though)

But back to my discussion of non-transparency on the task force, which was pretty apparent during my interview. I was asked--rather pointedly, by Mike--about whether I could KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT about stuff that happens on the task force. Oh, yeah, no sense publicizing (stomp stomp) anything having to do with the organization in charge of publicity! (stomp stomp)

The cherry on the sundae of NMTF media-blackout was when I asked Mike--at the recent Housing Fair--who was the chair of the task force and was told "We're working on that" and not given more information or explanation.

Why would such a lack of transparency be necessary or desirable?

To be fair, Mike DID give me a nice t-shirt with the NMTF logo--some kind of freaking leaf pattern, god knows what THAT is supposed to mean unless it involves scoring weed in Farview Park--and the motto "Creating Value Through Diversity."

First of all, "value through diversity" is not even original--you can find many examples of that slogan in use, all over the internet--second of all, the slogan is much more appropriately used in those other contexts, like a seminar on "Islamic Microfinance" than to be used to market--good god--A NEIGHBORHOOD.

The words "Creating Value Through Diversity" are words you would use to tell people not to have hate in their hearts, and try to love their fellow human beings. Fine sentiments...but this has little or nothing to do with convincing people to buy houses and become part of the fabric of a neighborhood WITH VERY SERIOUS IMAGE PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME LIKE, OH GEE, CHILDREN BEING HIT BY RANDOM BULLETS.

NOMI managed to straddle the razor-thin lines of political correctness versus effective neighborhood marketing MUCH MORE CLEVERLY with their simple "Get To NOMI" slogan, which encompasses both checking out great housing deals and having love for your fellow human beings.

Score: NOMI, 1. North Side Marketing Task Force, 0. But who was handing out the free shirts at the Housing Fair?

NOMI, you better keep up or NSMTF will EAT YOUR LUNCH.

Rumor, Scuttlebutt And Dark Innuendo

Meanwhile, here is some more information I picked up, here and there.

# I'm being told a substantial amount of money was paid to The Carney Group (click here) for a North Side Marketing Task Force Website, but the final website (reportedly) was never approved. I'm trying to get more info on this, because clearly there IS some kind of a Carney-group produced website, click here, but it appears to be rudimentary and incomplete, waiting for more content to be poured in.

# I'm told if one more person quits the task force, there won't be enough remaining to make a quorum.

(ADDENDUM, March 25: This information may not be true. Subsequently, I found some board members may have been added, or the bylaws may provide more latitude than my source supposed)

# The North Side Marketing Task Force is now trying to figure out how to form a partnership with the University of Minnesota and also harness the energy of "citizen journalists."

My main fear--and I've expressed it to Mike--is that a blog is kind of like a diary. It starts with energy, hopes, dreams, promise...then you go two weeks without writing and say, oh, geez, it's such a lot of WORK. So thinking a bunch of regular citizens will all become bloggers and promote North Minneapolis is...hmm, what's the word I'm searching for?

Madness. If you count up all the blogs in the world, the vast majority are in a state of semi-dormancy.

Kind of like...THE NORTH SIDE MARKETING TASK FORCE ITSELF.

(OK, now I see the logic...)

Where Do We Go From Here?

For the $10,000 paid to create a Northside Marketing Task Force website--that's what I'm hearing was paid so far--this blog could have written HUNDREDS of stories about North Minneapolis--gone to dozens of restaurants, taken hundreds of pictures, toured homes, recorded oral history. And--to keep everybody happy--I could have focused on THAT kind of stuff and kept out of, oh gee, neighborhood politics and scandal. (It would have been a big sacrifice on my part. That's why I NEED TO GET PAID)

Oh, that reminds me. I heard something interesting about Kenya McKnight and the Queen of England. See my next blog post.

North Side Marketing Task Force Records Mysteriously Removed?

Photos By John Hoff

ADDENDUM: February 6, 2011. This blog post was written before I and many others in North Minneapolis discovered what a disreputable con man character Don Allen is. I would advise anybody: Do not trust Don Allen. Seek further information about Don Allen from various online sources before having any contact with him.

This information was developed exclusively by Don Allen of IBNN, and merely forwarded to me. However, historically, this blog has been able to get stuff published FAST and this is the kind of information our community needs to know. So, hopefully, Don Allen won't feel like I'm stepping on his toes by publishing his email...

As I reported recently, Don Allen of IBNN has been "calling out" the North Side Marketing Task Force on what Don (and I, for that matter) perceive as dormancy and inaction by the Task Force. I don't think Don received a reply to his previous email to Mike Kestner, but that didn't stop Don from firing off another email. And it's a doozy.

Here it is, unedited.

Dear Mr. Kestner,

This is a follow up email to the one sent earlier. It has come to my attention that the information, i.e. records and data for the NMTF have been removed from NorthWay Community Trust' office and are being stored at an undisclosed location.

These actions are along the same lines of Mr. Jerry Moore, holding info and making decisions without the consent of the board. You remember, last year we talked about how we would partner with the City of Minneapolis and local business to build capacity for businesses and the people of North Minneapolis?

Even with all our ideas, only 4 people on the task force had the capacity to "idea, create and implement" plans. Mr. Moore was not one of them.

At our first "retreat" held at one of the board members houses, we were treated to a "think tank session" about building a direction for the task force by someone that wasn't qualified to do multiplication - later to find out that this woman was a friend of Mr. Moore's and "he" hired her to facilitate the retreat without the consent of the board. Her field was the Health Care arena? WTF!

Secondly, I understand that there was a North Minneapolis Housing Fair that took place sometime this week. Who did the media outreach for that and how come my agency never receives information from the task force. Your media efforts are weak, unskilled and need immediate improvement to actively engage all north Minneapolis residents, not just the few sponsors you invited to fill the room.

(Comment by Johnny Northside: I heard about the housing fair by word-of-mouth. I never saw any kind of publicity for the housing fair)

This is one of the main problems that groups like the task force has; you don't include everyone -- and the agencies in town that could help your cause like myself and the Johnny North Side Blog, you ignore and tell them you don't have any money to spend on a sound product, but if one of your friends come up with an idea for cash - the retreats or Home Tours, the group is quick to spend. I don't necessarily need more friends cause I thought you were my friend, but I would like to do business with you delivering more assets for the task force then you've ever had.

Just for a refresher, V-Media/iNetGlobal was ranked by Google as the Twin Cities #1 internet marketing firm. (I know that frightens some folks when it comes to costs - but we'll work with you.)

Don Allen

(Johnny Northside asks: can anybody add more information? Where are the records? Who took the records? Who is currently on the task force. Who is currently the chair?)

Editorial comment: North Minneapolis still has NOMI, thank goodness. We are not without marketing efforts. And this blog continues to publicize North Minneapolis, applying my theory of "Market and Romanticize The Struggle."

Don't worry, North Minneapolis...you don't need a marketing task force. You've got JOHNNY NORTHSIDE!