Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday Odds and Ends

This post is pretty much on the run so lets get this party started.

Cedar Update: Its spring and things are moving or at least boats are moving. So for the muck that run our City County Government its good news that I have my hands full of boats, bad news is that it keeps me away from Charlotte's crazy political scene.

On the other hand last Saturday we did a wedding with a full Marine honor guard.

Joyful and sobering at the same time.



Joyful for the new couple committed to each other who said their vows in the fading light of a spring afternoon just below the Ravenel Bridge from a yacht in Charleston Harbor.

Sobering because without a doubt the young Marine will soon be deployed to somewhere in the middle east leaving his young bride behind.

Airport Taxi Gate: No surprise that Charlotte City Council voted to trash Jerry Orr's Taxi master plan idea.

What is surprising is that 5 council members voted against the motion to trash the idea and start over.

Plus you got to love the last minute posturing by Curt "the clown" Walton deciding that having a Taxi Cab Company known as "Convicted Felons R Us" getting a tightly contested contract is not in the "best interest of the city" ...... d'oh!

VCU and the Final Four: Who would have thought Chief Monroe's Alma mater would end up in the final four? Could you have predicted?

Surprisingly Chief Monroe isn't wearing the school colors, nope not so much as a mention of side bet. I wonder why?

CPI Security Identify Yourself: You might be hearing more from CPI Security in the future, seems the head of the alarm company spoke at the Charlotte Police academy and is now if reports are correct, donating fire extinguishers to CMPD.

Perhaps as many as one for every CMPD cruiser.

Now I don't want to cry foul, but what is the "quid pro quo" for giving away $10,000 worth of fire extinguishers?

I'd guess a one source endorsement for alarms in Charlotte? Clearly if trimming the taxi companies from 12 to 3 is a good idea, how about trimming the alarm companies down from eight to one?

Vance High School Thugs at it Aagain? According the the "Local Paper" Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say officers were called to the school about 7 a.m. and that they worked with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools security officers to bring the situation, which occurred in the school's cafeteria, under control.


Davidson, Conner and Meeks

CMPD spokesman Officer Robert Fey said police used a Taser to subdue Donavan Meeks, 17, who was charged with disorderly conduct, inciting a riot, and resisting an officer.

During Meeks' arrest, police arrested two other teens, Fey said. DaQuan Davidson, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot after police said he was seen standing on a cafeteria table and attempting to incite other students.

Another student, D'Aunte Conner, 17, was charged with inciting a riot and damage to property after police said he tried to escalate the situation and punched and damaged a cafeteria window.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not Really his alma mater now is it? More like an "honorary" degree that's not worth the paper it is printed on and people lost their jobs because of!

And really, they allowed the head of a SECURITY company to speak at a Police function??? Jeezus, what next?
Isn't that a definite conflict of interest??

And accepting GIFTS from them????

Really, aren't there rules against this? If there aren't, there sure should be!!

If I were another Security company in Charlotte, I would be protesting LOUDLY about this preferential and biased treatment of CPI. How blatant can you be?

Anonymous said...

So the Observer says that Andy Dulin, Michael Barnes, Jason Burgess, Patsy Kinsey and Warren Cooksey voted against the motion to scrap the Taxi plan?

You mean that these fools sided with Jerry Orr?

How can they be so stupid?

Anon said...

Just another day in Charlotte... Police accepting gifts from security companies, thugs fighting at school and felons getting city contracts. Ugh!

Anonymous said...

Are you really calling a fire extinguisher a gift? Would have been nice to have one of these "gifts" last year when I arrived at a wreck and could hear the driver calling out in pain while the car he was trapped in caught fire and burned. But because I didn't have this "gift" all I could do is wait, and wait, and wait on CFD to arrive. Sometimes you guys nail it, and sometimes you swing and miss. I'll put this one in the CMPD bashing section. Oh, and no, it is not a conflict of interest to "allow" the head of a security company speak at a police function. We often find ourselves side by side with those guys, and they often call us for assistance. This is why it is often hard to take some of the bashers on here seriously, because they think they know more about the cops than the cops.

Anonymous said...

Alma mater, doesn't mean you got a degree just that you attended..... wait RoMo didn't really attend now did he?

Just think how nice it would have been if RoMo had really earned a degree from VCU... we could all cheer along with our well respected police chief... but nooooo we have nothing more than a poser!

Anonymous said...

A gift is a gift..... Something "given" .
So you really think there is no conflict here?
Bullcrap!
Ask ADT how they feel about this...or any other security company in Charlotte.
Even if it doesn't violate "rules", it certainly crosses ethical lines!
Maybe rodney should have used some of that money he has wasted on his little pet projects (offices, uniforms, etc.) to purchase fire extinguishers for the men he so highly values and treats with such respect?
The money has certainly been there, I guess fire extinguishers were not a priority .

Anonymous said...

8:19 I think you are right calling a fire extinguisher a gift is wrong.

But first why don't CMPD patrol cars have fire extinguishers as standard equiptment?

It wouldn't raise any concern if there weren't so many other shady dealings going on.

So while I commend you for your desire to help and understand the need to have a fire extinguisher there is a line that was crossed when one company starts handing out free stuff that could even be remotely seen as a conflict.

And that makes it wrong.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to all of you guys and gals on CMPD. You do an amazing job and get little thanks.

JAT said...

Anon 8:19 --

Seriously -- fire ext. are not standard equipment in all CMPD patrol cars?

Anonymous said...

61 arrests at Vance so far this school year, makes you wonder just what it is they teach at this high school.

Anonymous said...

I could argue that the cpi donations are a gift, but that is not all that important. What is important is the fact that since rotney arrived the line between right and wrong has become very gray and very wide. Say what you want about Darrel Stephens, but you never had to wonder whether or not he was opperating above board. He always placed being professional and beyond reproach central to the way things were done. I am retired from CMPD and it saddens me to see this once great department taken down the wrong road by someone who, when he arrived, came in with very questionable baggage. You guys and gals keep your heads up...keep doing thins right and be safe.

Anonymous said...

Call it a 'gift' or call it a 'donation.' You are missing the point 8:19PM commenter. Nobody is saying CMPD shouldn't have extra safety equipment. We are ALL for that!!! It is only questionable how CMPD accepts 'gifts' but then where it came from is 'hidden' from the public.

Anonymous said...

Call it a 'gift' or call it a 'donation.' You are missing the point 8:19PM commenter. Nobody is saying CMPD shouldn't have extra safety equipment. We are ALL for that!!! It is only questionable how CMPD accepts 'gifts' but then where it came from is 'hidden' from the public.

Billy Fehr said...

Cedar,
After the bride to be walked through the tunnel of those with the blood red stripe, was she struck on the arse by the broadside of a sword? In a loving manner, of course...

Cedar Posts said...

Billy, at the point they waked down the dock they were already husband and wife. The rain stopped just long enough to pull this off.

And yes at the end of the arch they are stopped by the last two marines who have lowered their sabers.

While standing the best man gave the bride a little pop with his saber a formal welcome to the Corps. She returned the favor with a hug and tossed her flowers caught by one of the guests.

Big time was had by all afterward.

Anonymous said...

Such up and coming young men...yes, their parents have done a wonderful job!

SO, wonder how long it will be before these fine young upstanding young fellas will be a permanent fixture at CharMeck jail?