The TRWD Olivergate Scandal Takes Another Scandalous Turn With Denials, Lies & Cover-Ups

UPDATE: Sorry to confuse. No, this headline did not actually appear in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Everyone knows the Fort Worth Star-Telegram does not cover news of the TRWD Olivergate Scandal type of real news....

On Wednesday I blogged about a letter newly elected TRWD board member, Mary Kelleher, sent to TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver, in What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

In part that letter from Mary Kelleher said, “I take very seriously my responsibilities as an elected official and I expect that my attempts to provide the necessary oversight in the future will not be met with raised voice, chest-pounding, disrespect, and other behavior unacceptable for a public servant, let alone the senior executive of the TRWD.”

Rather than man up and own his bad behavior, Jim Oliver opted to use the Nixon-style Lie, Deny and Cover-up method of dealing with a scandal.

Most of us know how well that worked out for Richard Nixon. Apparently Jim Oliver missed that history lesson. I suspect Jim Oliver will meet the same fate as Richard Nixon.

Via TRWD spokesman, Chad Lorance, Jim Oliver strained credibility with the following....

“Ms. Kelleher, accompanied by two unidentified males, appeared unannounced at the District offices on June 21 and requested numerous documents from staff, including some that were confidential in nature. The release of those confidential documents by the district’s staff would have violated provisions of the Texas Government Code."

Chad Lorance continued the obfuscating spin by claiming all requests for information must be reviewed by general counsel for compliance with all laws, with the information requests made only to the TRWD Imperial Dictator, I mean, General Manager, Jim Oliver, adding that “Staff members confirmed that Mr. Oliver did not raise his voice during that discussion."

So, are we to believe that an elected TRWD board member can not examine TRWD documents without Jim Oliver's approval and a review by a lawyer? And there is some Texas Government Code which codifies this bizarre practice?

When Mary Kelleher made her document review request on June 21, why did TRWD employee, Nancy King, accept Mary Kelleher's document review requests, telling Mary Kelleher to return that afternoon,  at which time Nancy King would provide the available documents?

Apparently Nancy King had not been advised of the tight security that controls TRWD documents and filters their release through the command of the Imperial Dictator, TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver.

As for Jim Oliver's claim that TRWD staff members, in the office at the time of his tirade, confirm he did not raise his voice. Well, I can not help but wonder what the result of a lie detector test would be, hooked up to Jim Oliver, or those staff members who were deaf to Oliver's yelling. Or used to hearing it. Or intimidated and bullied by this bureaucratic tyrant.

In other words, if Jim Oliver's judgement was so bad that he gave himself permission to try and intimidate Mary Kelleher with a hysterical tantrum, imagine how he must treat staffers who are not elected officials? Let alone elected officials elected with the most votes in TRWD election history.....

Over 100 For The First Time In 2013 In North Texas

I don't know when, today, the outer world furnace heated to over 100 for the first time this year in North Texas.

I did not notice we'd gone over 100 til some time after 5 in the afternoon.

I did notice that the air-conditioner has been working hard this afternoon to maintain the artificial chill.

Tomorrow I have business to attend to in Arlington, none of which will be out in the HEAT, except for the walks from an air-conditioned vehicle to an air-condition building.

I think tomorrow's super HOT Friday will have swimming as my only endorphin inducing aerobic activity for the day. Unless I change my mind....

Fort Worth 4th Of July Presented By TRWD While Being Produced By The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

I still have not located any sort of "construction" timeline for the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. I blogged about this a few days ago after I discovered the Skagit River Vision in my little old hometown of Mount Vernon had an actual project timeline for its legitimate flood control/economic development project.

Meanwhile, Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle seems to have lost sight of whatever its vision was, well over a decade ago, when this boondoggle was foisted on Fort Worth with no messy input from something like a public vote.

And now, in 2013, what do we see when we look at the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

The world's premiere urban wakeboard park, the world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, a lame music venue that is called Panther Island Pavilion, a restaurant that is outside of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's area where the vision was supposed to be seen.

And, let us not forget the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

With next Thursday's floating coinciding with the 4th of July, which, apparently, gave the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle and perpetual frat party boy, J.D. Granger, the idea to have a really big party.

The Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision Authority appear to be really pleased to be putting on this 4th of July event.

Promotional material proudly states, as you can see above, "Presented By TRWD, Produced By Trinity River Vision Authority."

So, far no flood control has been produced by the TRV Boondoggle. And the economic development that is supposedly supposed to be part of the TRV Boondoggle seem to be rather sketchy operations.

As in, has anyone read any followup articles in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram letting us know how the Cowtown Wakepark is faring financially? And if the Coyote Drive-In having the 100s of vehicles show up, nightly, to watch movies, as was touted in the pre-opening propaganda?

Back when the original TRV Boondoggle was announced, with its signature bridges, lake, riverwalk, canals, and assorted other good things, no one could have imagined that over a decade later there would be so little to see, or that what there was to see would have nothing to do with what was  originally touted as being the Trinity River Vision.

Early on I thought this would be yet one more embarrassing Fort Worth boondoggle. My imagination is not sufficiently imaginative to have imagined how big a boondoggle and how embarrassingly bad the Trinity River Vision would actually turn out to be.

And there is still more to come.

Like the un-needed flood diversion channel with its 3 un-needed non-signature bridges.....

Walking In Arlington With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Thinking About A Self-Important Martinet Raging Psychotic Nonsense

With it not quite 100 degrees I thought it seemed to be a good idea to go for a refreshing walk with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area Indian Ghosts today in the shade of big oak trees.

As you can see via the photo evidence, the Village Creek Blue Bayou is no longer blue. It is now the Village Creek Green Bayou.

Speaking of the temperature.

And who isn't?

Earlier today, after I blogged about today's North Texas HEAT, Steve A, currently vacationing up north, commented on the North Texas HEAT,  letting me know it is going to be hot today in the Pacific Northwest, with hot there being in the high 80s in Seattle and 68 for the high in Ocean Shores, which is Steve A's location today, enjoying the cool breezes blowing in from the Pacific.

Whilst walking today I was pondering the mystery of DeepTex2013, that being the person who emailed me a copy of the letter Mary Kelleher sent to the TRWD's General Manager, Jim Oliver. I blogged about this letter in a blogging titled What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

Apparently very few people were in possession of this letter and those few people were very surprised and not a little disoriented to see it show up on a blog.

During the course of my pondering, whilst walking, thinking about the bad behavior of Jim Oliver brought to mind Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, which I finished reading yesterday. There is a scene in that book where one of the partisans is trying to get a dispatch to a general and finds himself thwarted, temporarily, by a self-important martinet, raging psychotic nonsense.

I really don't think self-important martinets, prone to raging psychotic nonsense, should be employed by a public agency, let alone paid over $300,000 a year.

That is what I concluded during today's walk with the Indian Ghosts.

Apparently A Very HOT Day Is Expected Across North Texas On Friday

My computer based weather monitoring device was flashing red when I woke up my computer this morning.

Flashing red with a "SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT."

Below is that SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT, all of it shouted in capital letters...

...A VERY HOT DAY EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS ON FRIDAY...

A STRONG UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED FROM TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA WEST TO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GENERALLY LIGHT AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT EXPECTED INTO NORTH TEXAS FRIDAY NIGHT. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY ARE EXPECTED TO SOAR TO BETWEEN 99 AND 102 DEGREES ACROSS EASTERN NORTH TEXAS AND BETWEEN 103 AND 107 DEGREES ACROSS WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THOUGH HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE LOWER ACROSS THE EAST...HIGHER HUMIDITY LEVELS MAY PUSH HEAT INDICES BRIEFLY TO AROUND 105 DEGREES. WHILE THE HUMIDITY WILL BE LOWER ACROSS THE WEST...THE ACTUAL HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE OPPRESSIVELY HOT.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS NOW IF YOU ARE WORKING OR PLANNING TO SPEND EXTENDED AMOUNTS OF TIME OUTSIDE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR LATER DURING THE EVENING HOURS. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER OR WATER-BASED FLUIDS. AVOID CARBONATED DRINKS...ESPECIALLY ALCOHOL.

Semi-Full Moon Squirrel Lunacy While I Swim Waiting To Get 100 Degrees HOT

I have not felt quite right the past couple days, I think because my pool was not doable due to an electrical malfunction rendering the water filtering system useless.

With the pool back doable this morning I had myself a really fine time getting some much needed water borne endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation.

We are barely past a big full moon, with that big full moon appearing to be only slightly less than full, early this morning, soon after the arrival of the sun.

I don't know if it is full moon lunacy that accounts for the behavior, but this morning something has 5 or 6 squirrels acting very squirrelly whilst I was swimming. The squirrels were doing some extreme limb leaping, odd fence climbing and noisy chattering.

I think the air was already heated to the low 80s when I got in water this morning. The water felt heated to a similar temperature. According to the current temperature predictions the pool water is about to get a lot HOTTER.

The above indicates that today will hit 100,  tomorrow 104, 104 again on Friday, with that 104 earning a HOT graphic, with Saturday chilling to only 98, but also earning itself, inexplicably so, one of those HOT graphics.

I got the above temperature info from the Star-Telegram, which might explain the inexplicable-ness of the 98 degree HOT graphic.

At least we can take some comfort in the Air Quality being only Moderately Bad.

What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

Captain Clean, during the recent Tarrant Regional Water District Board Member Election, promised to do some TRWD Flushing if any of Captain Clean's candidates were elected to the board.

Well, Mary Kelleher was elected. Elected with the most votes any candidate has ever received in a TRWD Board Election.

Mary Kelleher has been busy making good on her campaign promises regarding transparency and open meetings and accountability.

To that end, Mary Kelleher on Friday, June 21, went to TRWD headquarters to request documents to review.

This perfectly legitimate request for documents to review, in Mary Kelleher's capacity as an elected member of the TRWD Board of Directors, quickly spun out of control, with the out of control part of the spin provided by TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver, which lead Mary Kelleher to send Jim Oliver a letter, a copy of which I have received, part of which had Mary Kelleher telling Jim Oliver the following...

As requested by Ms. King, I did come back in the afternoon. Instead of being provided the documents, I was confronted by you, and you proceeded to yell at me while beating on your chest and declaring that all future requests be made to you. As a result, despite Ms. King's promise of the documents, I still have not been able to see any of the documents I requested.

You were noticeably frustrated and angry with my attempts to obtain documents that would shed light on what happens at the TRWD. Please understand that was what I was elected to do and I have a legal right to review such documents. I take very seriously my responsibilities as an elected official, and I expect that my attempts to provide the necessary oversight in the future will not be met with raised voice, chest-pounding,
disrespect, and other behavior unacceptable for a public servant, let alone the senior executive member of the TRWD. It has come to my attention that you have been similarly inappropriate in your email correspondence with John Basham. See, e.g.. Exhibit A, attached. In light of these repeated outbursts, in my view, the District should consider whether it is appropriate for you to continue in your current position and/or whether you should be required to take anger management training.

You can read the entire letter, including the above referenced Jim Oliver inappropriate correspondence with John Basham, by clicking here.

I can not help but wonder, given the reasonableness of Mary Kelleher's request to review TRWD documents, with that request causing such an uncalled for, unprofessional, inappropriate, hysterical reaction from the TRWD General Manager, what it is that Jim Oliver is so afraid will be exposed if full transparency sheds bright light on the years of closed door dealings of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board....

A Flintstone Picnic At Fort Worth's Mallard Cove Park With No Ducks

Well, just as I thought I would, yesterday, after I discovered nearby Mallard Cove Park, today I returned to pedal my tires on the paved trails that meander around Mallard Cove.

I am almost 100% certain that a Mallard is a duck. But, I saw no ducks of any kind in Mallard Cove Park today.

Or any other bird.

I read, whilst Googling for Mallard Cove Park info,  that this park is a birders paradise. Maybe early Summer is the wrong time of the year for birds to be in residence.

I did see numerous GAS PIPELINE WARNING signs in Mallard Cove Park. Which led me to wonder if Fort Worth has the world's highest number of gas pipeline warning signs in its parks.

My favorite thing I found in Mallard Cove Park was in the shade of the Mallard Cove Grove of trees. Below is that favorite thing.

A Flintstone style picnic table. There needs to be a Flintstone style fire pit installed near the Flintstone style picnic table to render this a perfect Flintstone picnic spot.

Above you are looking at duck-free Mallard Cove. This view is a short distance north of the Flintstone picnic table area.

The area under the shade of the Mallard Cove Grove was significantly cooler than being under the sun on the paved trail. This would be a serene spot to while away a HOT summer afternoon.

Apparently J.D. Granger Delivers To Or For The River Without Floating In It

Yesterday I blogged about the Lone Granger and Nepotism.

Someone named Anonymous commented on that Lone Granger and Nepotism blogging with the following...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Lone Granger Wonders About Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Nepotism":

The latest Rockin' The River pics are out and The Lone Granger appears in pic 56 of 156.

He's sporting eye glasses in the photo and doesn't look like he gets in the water.

Pics here: http://www.dfw.com/2013/06/21/804604/pics-062013-rockin-the-river.html

I tortured myself by scrolling through 55 photos of scantily clad people enjoying the pure, crystal clear water of the Trinity River before I got to photo #56 to find two guys sporting eye glasses, neither of whom look as if he may be getting in the water.

I am going to go way out on a limb here and make a guess that J.D. Granger is the guy sporting eye glasses on the right. I am making this guess because the guy on the right is wearing a t-shirt that says either "I DELIVER FOR THE RIVER" or "I DELIVER TO THE RIVER."

Since J.D. Granger has delivered hundreds upon hundreds of sacrificial floaters to the Trinity River, methinks it would be he who would be wearing a t-shirt touting this incredible accomplishment.

J.D. Granger Working On His Beer Gut

Now, regarding it appearing that J.D. is not prepared to get in the water, I can not help but wonder if, during the course of all the Thursdays when hundreds upon hundreds of people have enjoyed the pristine waters of the Trinity River in the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, has J.D. Granger not joined the throngs he has delivered to the river, even once?

Is J.D. shy about exposing his beer gut to the unforgiving eyes of the numerous cameras documenting the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats?

Even if J.D. is shy about exposing his beer gut I still think it would behoove him to show a good example and deliver himself to the river.

At least once.

Bowling With Spencer Jack Jones One Must Score Ones Weight Or Better

Apparently, according to documentation emailed to me this morning, Spencer Jack has taken up the extreme sport of bowling.

According to Spencer Jack's dad...

Spencer pauses only once for a camera opportunity. His trick in completing 8 full games in less than 90 minutes: use two balls, so he doesn't have to wait for the ball return device to fetch his first "tossed" ball! This kid is Brilliant! 

As Spencer Jack continues his journey across the American cultural landscape I can not help but wonder what is next.

Karoke?

The scoreboard, above, is a bit blurry, but it appears that Spencer Jones' score, on the left, is 68, while Spencer's Dad, on the right, is a big X.

Regarding the bowling scores Spencer Jack's dad had this to say...

A bowler should always be able to bowl his own weight! Spencer exceeded such, with a game average of close to 100. His dad and "girl friend's" average score proved this theory true, with the 3 game average being a 118 and 185, respectively!  

A bowler should always be able to bowl his own weight? I'm expected to bowl 310? I thought 300 was the top number of points one could get in a single game of bowling.

I don't believe I have ever seen one of the ball rolling assistant devices, previously, that Spencer Jack appears to be using to assist in his accelerated bowling game.

If I remember right the last time I bowled was with Spencer Jack's cousin, my nephew Jeremy. I believe this occurred the first time I drove back home after the move to Texas. I remember my back was aching and bowling caused the pain to be excruciating. That and I got three strikes in a row. But, even with three strikes my score got nowhere near my weight.

Below is video of Spencer Jack bowling, taken by his favorite girl friend, Brittney...