David's Anthem Journal

Welcome, Readers

Welcome to the Anthem Journal, a blog established by David Berman to provide Sun City Anthem residents with an independent, literate, responsible channel for sharing timely news and information about SCA and the immediate world around us. Here you can post your own comments and questions, and you are free to express your (respectful) opinions, whether you agree or disagree with what I or other readers have to say on a subject. If you like the Anthem Journal, consider using the box in the left sidebar to become a subscriber, which will allow you to receive e-mail notices when I've posted new content on the blog. Note: By subscribing to the Anthem Journal, you are agreeing to receive political content and understand that the blog will be used by its owner to express SCA-related political opinions from time to time. (Note: All posts by David to David's Anthem Journal are copyrighted (c) by David Berman and may not be used, in whole or in part, without his permission, except for material quoted from other sources)

A Lesson in Robert's Rules

During a brief intermission late in the July 24 Board meeting, Kay Frank, spouse of Board member Bob Frank, approached the stage and, in her unique confrontational style, berated Board President Roz Berman for what Mrs. Frank said was a violation of Robert's Rules of Order.

As it happens, Mrs. Frank was incorrect.

Here is what occurred: During discussion of an action item on the meeting agenda, while Roz Berman was following her standard practice of allowing each Board member to comment on the item before a vote was taken, Board Vice President Carl Weinstein, without waiting until each of his fellow Board members to have the chance to speak, said, "I call the question."

Berman replied that she would not call the question because some of the Board members had not yet been given the opportunity to comment, and she proceeded to continue down the table so that each director could speak to the subject.

During the intermission, Mrs. Frank challenged Berman's action. She said that Robert's Rules of Order requires that the question under discussion must be immediately voted on when a director calls the question.

I own three different versions of Robert's Rules, including the one pictured above, which I will be quoting from in this article. All of them comment on the term, "calling the question," which is more precisely referred to as "moving the previous question" or "adopting the previous question."

All three versions of Robert's Rules, though using slightly different language, provide the following guidance, which I quote from the Webster's New World edition, pages 102-103:

Many people do not understand "previous question." They think that they can just yell out "Question!" and the chair should stop debate and take a vote on the motion. The chairman never has the authority to close debate as long as one person wants to discuss the motion. The chair can close debate when members adopt the previous question.

Note: Even though this is one of the highest-ranking subsidiary motions, it is not proper to make this motion before everyone has had the right to debate. If a controversial issue is presented to the membership, is is unfair to close debate before someone in the opposition has the right to speak.

This is not to say that the topic under discussion prior to the vote was necessarily controversial, but Roz Berman's action was entirely consistent with her standard practice of giving each and very director the opportunity to comment if desired. One might ask, in fact, how Mrs. Frank would feel if, during the course of discussing an action item, someone at the opposite end of the table called the question before Bob Frank could have an opportunity to speak to it.

We have heard occasional discussion about whether our Board meetings would run more smoothly if we had a parliamentarian who could assure that the Board followed proper meeting procedures. Maybe I should give Mrs. Frank one of my copies of Robert's Rules in case she might someday consider applying for such a position. But if I did this, she would have to promise to actually read it, because she certainly was unaware of what Robert's Rules says where this subject is concerned.

The Frank-Briggs Connection: Stronger Than Ever

Offensive language warning: The following report contains a word that some of my readers may find offensive, as it is the type of gutter language not normally used in civilized conversation. But due to the fact that it is contained in an e-mail message sent by resident and former Board candidate John Briggs to Board member Bob Frank and two attorneys -Robert Maddox and Joseph Garin- representing Mr. Frank in the complaint against Mr. Frank now under consideration by the Nevada Attorney General, I have deliberated carefully and decided to publish the term as it was employed by Mr. Briggs. DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT if you believe you will be offended.

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My readers know that former Board candidate John Briggs is a person unique unto himself. They know that Briggs, as documented in multiple signed affidavits, committed an assault and battery on our Community Manager. They know that he uses the letterhead of the California State Senate, a body he last served in more than 30 years ago, to impress public officials and others he writes to. They know that he spent many thousands of dollars trying to get elected to the Board, and that he was behind anonymous mailings of documents prepared by his granddaughter-in-law. They know that he has frequently misstated and misrepresented the meaning and intent of various provisions of our governing documents. They know that he most recently interfered with the Trumpets negotiations by sending an intimidating letter threatening legal action against Boulevard Bar and Grill if Boulevard entered into a lease of our restaurant. And we also know that Board member Bob Frank aggressively advocated the Briggs Board candidacy and has driven away many former friends because of his relationship with Briggs.

Now comes something that most of us in the community undoubtedly did not know about John Briggs ...until now.

When Bob Frank's wife Kay spoke about the Ombudsman case involving her husband, during Member Comment Period at the June 26 Board meeting, she concluded by presenting the Community Manager with a sheaf of documents related to director Frank's case.

Among the documents turned over by Mrs. Frank, which she requested be included with the minutes of the meeting, were several e-mails exchanged the day before among John Briggs, Attorneys Robert Maddox and Joe Garin, and Bob Frank.

The primary subject of the e-mails was the claim of Bob Frank for reimbursement of more than $28,000 in legal fees invoiced to Bob Frank by Attorney Maddox, who was hired by Mr. Frank in addition to Joe Garin, the attorney provided to him by the Association's directors and officers liability insurer.

It appears, from studying just these few e-mails, that the parties, including the two attorneys, are treating Briggs as some sort of consultant in the case. Otherwise, on what basis would Briggs, who is not a named party in the case, is not an attorney, and has no legal basis for being involved, be a correspondent on these messages?

I will address some of the content in these messages in a separate post dealing with the invoice Bob Frank submitted for SCA "reimbursement."

But for now, I believe it is instructive to quote an exchange from the e-mails so that you can see and understand that even when corresponding with lawyers, John Briggs is not reluctant to demonstrate how crude he is, as well as contemptuous of his fellow SCA residents.

Bob Frank writes to Attorneys Maddox and Garin, with a copy to "SEN BRIGGS:" -- Dear Bob and Joe, See attached letter where Roz (with either John Leach's and/or her husband's assistance) blew me completely off. Note her letter has not been discussed by "the board" and she is acting unilaterally. What is your recommended next step, and what should I say in tomorrow's executive session? -- Bob

Attorney Maddox replies to Bob Frank and Attorney Joe Garin, with a copy to "SEN BRIGGS:" -- Bob, I'm not sure you need to say anything at tomorrow's meeting. They plan to reject your request for reimbursement for attorney fees and your request that they drop the claim against you. If the AG approves the claim going forward, Joe will effectively work to defeat the claim on its merits. The AG is taking quite a bit of time on this. Hard to tell what that means, but we made some very strong points about denial of due process ... Take care. Don't stress. We will get everything worked out in our favor eventually, or die trying. ... (other parts of message to be quoted in another post).

John Briggs replies to Maddox, Frank and Garin: -- Bob Maddox........Good advice...well said...especially the "don't stress."...No HOA is worth stressing...and is it true that HOA stands for HOARY Old Assholes? jvb

Attorney Maddox replies to Briggs, Frank and Garin: -- Haha! Yes, it does.

Pretty classy dialog among the parties, don't you think, especially between the "consultant" Briggs and the attorney Bob Frank hired to defend him?

When I quoted from misrouted e-mails many months ago, John Briggs, instead of trying to learn how I came into possession of the wayward messages, hurried down to the Henderson Police sub-station to file a complaint against me. So I hasten to remind my readers that I am able to quote from these e-mails for only one reason: Kay Frank submitted them and asked that they become part of the June 26 Board meeting minutes.

Meetings and Events For Week of July 21

Here is a schedule of meetings and events slated for the week beginning  Monday, July 21, 2008. All listed meetings are open to residents. Locations are subject to change due to the current refurbishment project.

TUESDAY, JULY 22

The Election Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m. in Anthem Center. This is a follow-up to the Committee's July 8 meeting at which work on revising the SCA Election Manual was begun. The major topic expected to be examined at this meeting will be the policy on yard signs for SCA Board candidates.

The Board of Directors will hold its monthly Board Book Review at 10:00 a.m. in Anthem Center.

THURSDAY, JULY 24

The monthly Board of Directors meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. in Freedom Hall. The final agenda for this meeting is posted on the Association bulletin board in Anthem Center and is available on the community website at www.sca-hoa.org.

FRIDAY, JULY 25

The Reserve Study Task Group, which is reviewing the 2008 updates to the 2006 reserve study, will meet at 9:00 a.m. in Anthem Center.

Azzara's Restaurant: Easy To Miss, But Worth a Visit

If there were ever a Bermuda Triangle of restaurants in our area, it would probably be the restaurant half of the premises occupied by Doc Holliday's in the Vons Shopping Plaza. One dining establishment after another, ranging from fine dining to a New York-style deli, have opened and then, ever so quietly, disappeared.

Recently, a succession of friends have urged us to try Azzara's, the latest restaurant venture in the Doc Holliday's building. As you can see from the photo at left, the current signage for the place is incredibly easy to miss, and the sign tells you little of what's inside.

Azzara's is owned and operated by Steve Ceron (seh-RONE), a young man in his 20s who, despite his youth, served as sous chef at Anthem Country Club for two years and cooked for several years at renowned chef Hubert Keller's highly regarded Fleur de Lys at the Mandalay Bay resort.

Understanding the challenge of building a successful restaurant in a location where others have failed, Ceron is going all out to attract business, especially from our Sun City Anthem community. He is running an ad in our Spirit magazine, offering a 30 percent discount to SCA residents who pay cash. And he has an ad in the South Valley Home News offering two-for-one entrees with the purchase of two beverages.

These offers might give you the impression that Azzara's (the maiden name of Ceron's mother) is expensive, but this is far from the case, as outlined below.

We've dined there three times in the past week, once for lunch and twice for dinner. Azzara's opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast seven days a week, closing at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

On our lunch visit, Rosalyn had a generous roasted vegetable salad consisting of mixed greens, roasted zucchini, squash, eggplant, crimini mushrooms, red peppers and shallots, tossed in a honey balsamic dressing, menu priced at $8.00. Also for $8.00, I had a large Angus burger and a side of Yukon Gold fries that were the best fries I've tasted in a long time.

On our first dinner visit, Roz ordered a roast pork loin dinner, which I think was menu priced at $13.00, and I had an outstanding spaghetti in a fresh pomodoro sauce with three scrumptious handmade meatballs for $10.00, both pictured in the photos. An ample and delicious Caesar salad to go with my entree was only $2.00.

Healthy and creative salads are an Azzara's specialty, with offerings including Ginger-Lime shrimp Salad, Italian Chop Salad, Greek Chicken Salad, Steak Salad, and many others, none priced higher than $9.00.

When joining friends for our second Azzara's visit, I so enjoyed the fries I had ordered for lunch that instead of ordering a dinner entree, I ordered a side of the Yukon Gold fries to go with a Club Wrap, which was composed of roasted turkey, honey ham, tomatoes, red onion, leaf lettuce, applewood bacon, avocado, mayonnaise and cheddar cheese in a Tomato Basil Tortilla, priced at $8.00. (see photo).

Roz had a delightful salmon dish, while our dining companions ordered an eggplant parmesan dinner and a ravioli dinner, all reasonably priced.

Breakfast items, with free coffee, include omelets, fritatta, Kahluha French toast and Eggs Benedict. The breakfast menu tops out at $9.00 for New York steak and eggs, and Ceron told me he is seeing a growing breakfast business.

I strongly recommend that my readers give Azzara's a try, especially while the introductory discounts are available. It would be nice to see our residents supporting one of our advertisers who is ambitious and anxious to please. In fact, I couldn't help wondering how our residents would respond to a menu similar to Azzara's if it were served at Trumpets.

Phil Hight: 1939 - 2008

Phil Hight, one of the most loved and respected members of our Sun City Anthem community passed away early on the morning, July 18, 2008. He was 69 years of age.

Our deepest sympathies go out to his beloved wife Emilie.

Phil, seen at left during a recent public meeting of his Line of Sight Advisory Group, suffered a heart attack last week. According to Emilie, three stents were inserted into an artery that was found to be 100 percent blocked. But when he came home, he died on the couch. Paramedics revived him and brought Phil to St. Rose Hospital, where he received intensive care in the cardiac unit. But his brain did not respond to stimulants.

An engineer who was a recognized expert on vehicle accidents and road conditions, Phil was dedicated to making SCA a better community and a safer one in which to live. Along with Dan McClintock, who himself only recently passed away, as well as with key members of the Security Patrol, Phil worked many long hours to document our line-of-sight issues and concerns on our roadways. As recently reported by Security Patrol Chief Dave Servello, he had been working closely with Servello and Assistant Security Patrol Chief Phil Brown "to get the City of Henderson Traffic Advisory Board to do whatever is necessary to make SCA Parkway/Drive safer for senior citizens to walk or drive across it on a daily basis."

Probably aided by his wonderful British accent, Phil was kind, gentle and respectful of everyone he knew and worked with. He never raised his voice, yet he commanded attention whenever he spoke. He had a sense of humor, and always managed to keep things in perspective, understanding that so many of the aggravations he saw in others were trivial in nature and not reflective of the "big picture."

Here is an excerpt from the tribute to Phil, published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on July 22:

Phil was born April 21, 1939, in Reading, England, and was a three-year resident of Nevada. Philip studied to become a mechanical engineer, specializing in aerodynamics before moving to the U.S. during the "brain drain" from Great Britain in 1966. After working for Lockheed, Phil left aerospace and joined the trauma research group at UCLA to become a professional forensics engineer. Phil founded his own business, Accident Research and Analysis, and worked in the forensic field for 37 years until his retirement in 2005. He wrote or collaborated on over 70 research papers to which scientists and engineers still often refer. Phil loved life and enjoyed every day, a happy man who loved his family and was always available to help anybody. Phil is survived by his wife Emilie; his brother, David; and three sons, Eric, Craig and Shawn. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in Phil's name to the SFES Scholarship Fund at the Society of Forensic Engineers and Scientists, Attn: Robert Lindskog, 3460 Fowler Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051.

We live in a wonderful community not just because of our outstanding amenities, but because it is made so very rich by the presence of the Phil Hights who are in our midst, working to make things better every day. Phil will be truly missed, but his memory will forever be held close to the hearts of all who knew him.

A memorial service for Phil is planned for Saturday, July 26, at 1:00 p.m. at Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. A catered gathering in celebration of Phil's life will be held in the multipurpose rooms in Independence Center at 3:00 p.m.

Film Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

Film review by David Berman

The latest movie remake of Jules Verne's classic novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, has come to town with a new wrinkle: It is being shown in glossy, digital 3D in many local theaters.

The 3D technology of yesterday, with its shadowy images and headache-inducing projection, is gone forever. Now the images -with many more 3D films to follow in 2009- are crisp and colorful, and the polarized glasses worn to view these films are  comfortable and fit easily over the eyeglasses so many of us seniors wear.

Should you rush out to see this film? Yes ...and No!

It all depends on what you are looking for in a theater experience. If you just want to enjoy a great story, forget this film and read Verne's engrossing novel. But if you want to experience a fascinating immersion experience, then it's worth going out of your way to see.

Hunky star Brendan Fraser, who made his mark early on with George of the Jungle and then with the Mummy films that are becoming a franchise, plays Trevor Anderson, a science professor mourning for the loss of his brother, who disappeared while searching for the center of the earth. Fraser doesn't so much speak his lines as he does shout them, and one critic described his acting thusly: "Fraser's so wide-eyed that he's blank-eyed,marching from one scene to the next, plot-plot-plotting along until, whoops, that's a mighty deep hole. In other words, Laurence Olivier he ain't.

Fraser isn't helped by a ludicrous plot that not only strains but destroys credibility, abetted by a lame script filled with cliches, probably the only memorable lines being these exchanged by his character and his nephew, played by Josh Hutcherson, as they are running to elude a fast-closing T-Rex: "Haven't you ever seen a dinosaur before?" screams the nephew. "Not with skin on it!" Professor Anderson yells back. If you've seen this clip on TV and in the theatrical trailer, then you've seen the best dialogue of the movie.

There are other pleasant aspects to this film, in addition to the 3D special effects. Exterior shots were filmed on location in Iceland, with its ruggedly scenic terrain. And for most, Journey will provide a nice introduction to Iceland native Anita Briem, who plays Fraser's love interest.

The 3D work in this movie borders on spectacular. While the audience is treated to a generous number of effects where "stuff" comes flying out from the screen, sometimes generating audible viewer reactions, there is a natural flow to these scenes that seems to integrate them well into the flow of the film without seeming too gimmicky. If you go, watch out for those flying fanged fish that resemble piranhas on steroids; one of them might just bite your nose off!

So what do we have with Journey to the Center of the Earth? A pleasant 92 minutes of cinematic fluff, an experience in which you must suspend disbelief in the story and the acting,  but enjoy for the technological wizardry on display via the magic of digital 3D. This is reason enough to go see this film, because it will bore you greatly if you view it later on TV or DVD.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is in wide distribution right now, including at such nearby venues as the Colonnade Cinemas, South Point and Fiesta Henderson. We went to see it at the new Rave cinema complex at the equally new Town Square complex next to Fry's Electronics just off the I-215 Beltway, choosing this location because I had not been to Town Square before, which is worth a trip in itself. This theater was not permitting a seniors discount for Journey, so my ticket cost was $10.00 instead of $6.25, still a reasonable price for the 3D experience.

Here is a link to the theatrical trailer for Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Unity Has a Future in Sun City Anthem

Every Board of Directors election has its own unique dynamic, and it seems as if the process never ends.

While we still have a ways to go until the next Board election, I have been advised that the core group of the Unity organization has decided that the concept of "Cooperation, Not Confrontation," which succeeded in recently getting the Unity-supported candidates elected, will be continued by popular demand, and I'm also told that the group, benefiting from prior experience, will be getting together soon for some long-range planning.

The past two elections have validated the concept of candidates who share common views running together as a group so that voters can decide whether their own views of what they want in a Board member are consistent with the views of the team of candidates. While one candidate on the 2007 ACE slate subsequently decided to go his own way, the team elected on the Unity slate this year seems to be working very well together.

In our current politically charged climate, each election becomes critical, and the 2009 election will be especially critical because four Board seats, representing a majority of the seven positions, will be contested.

By starting early, the Unity organization plans to address subjects related to campaign issues, finances, and especially candidate recruitment. The group will be looking to throw its resources and support behind four highly qualified candidates if they can be found and encouraged to run. And those candidates might even include good people who have previously been Board candidates but were not elected at that time.

YOU CAN BE PART OF THIS EFFORT!

If you are alarmed by the divisiveness you see in the community and want to help advance the concept of working together in a mutually respectful atmosphere to help assure the betterment of Sun City Anthem, please send me an e-mail asking to be put on the Unity volunteer/supporter list.   

Film Review: "Mongol"

Editor's Note: Charlyn Johnson, one of our newest subscribers, has suggested that we may enjoy and benefit from film reviews contributed by our readers. I think this is a great idea, and I hope some of you will want to contribute your own reviews for publication here. All you need do is e-mail your review to me and I will publish it, as I have done here, with "added value" in the form of such things as film posters and links to the theatrical trailers. Do let me know if you like this feature. This topic might also lend itself to your comments on film in general, favorite movies, performers, directors, etc.

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We kick off this feature with Charlyn's review of Mongol, an Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film.

Movie: Mongol

Review by Charlyn Johnson

Mongol is a sweeping historical epic that could have been titled Genghis Khan,the Early Years. For an epic, the movie isn't overly long at just over two hours (unlike most recent Oscar-nominated films).

Mongol begins with the nine year old Temudgin, our hero, visiting another tribe to select a wife. We watch Temudgin lose his family, bond to his wife, and we come to admire his survival skills.

The story ends when, as a young warrior, Temudgin's band of warriors overcomes a larger army and Temudgin then announces his intention to consolidate the Mongol tribes. Temudgin seems to have lived nine lives already, but he is still a young man at the end of this film, and rumor has it that two more films will tell the rest of his story. 

The history may be largely conjecture, but the movie feels real and authentic. The dialog is spoken in Mongolian (with subtitles), a language most of us have not heard spoken. The battle scenes are primitive, thrilling, and deadly but not particularly long or gory. The cinematography was grand.

We saw Mongol at the Regal Village Square 18 (at Fort Apache Road and West Sahara Ave). 

Here is a link to the theatrical trailer for Mongol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meetings and Events for Week of July 14

Here is a preview of Association meetings and events scheduled for the week beginning July 14, 2008.

Note: Most meetings are held in Anthem Center, but the facilities refurbishment project may require that meeting locations be changed to Independence Center. Check the locations for meetings you are interested in attending. All listed meetings are open to the public.

TUESDAY, JULY 15

The Finance Committee holds its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16

The proposed Government Affairs Advisory Committee meets with the Board in a joint workshop at 2:00 p.m.

The recently formed Council of Anthem Communities, representing all the communities in the Anthem Master Plan, meets at 6:00 p.m. This group was organized to represent the interests of the Anthem communities in dealing with the developer and preparing for transition to community control of the Anthem council, which the developer still controls.

THURSDAY, JULY 17

The monthly Board of Directors Town Hall Forum will be held at 10:00 a.m. in Freedom Hall.

Trumpets Negotiations Terminated

By now, many of you in the community may have heard that Boulevard Gaming Group has formally notified the SCA Board of Directors that it has withdrawn from Trumpets lease negotiations and no longer seeks to operate a restaurant in the former Trumpets space.

The Board President has issued a formal statement confirming the termination of negotiations, and a 10-page "e-mai blast" has gone out from management, containing the President's statement, a historical summary from Mike Dixon, and several previously confidential or unrevealed documents that the community should find interesting to read and think about.

The Board President's notification includes an announcement that a Board workshop, with resident participation, will be held at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on August 13 to discuss options for Trumpets going forward.

My initial perusal of the documents suggests that there was no one reason why Boulevard pulled out, and there will be ample time for community discussion of the latest developments on this blog and through other communications channels as we move along. I will certainly be writing more on the subject and will welcome reader input.

What I found most stunning, however, was the revelation that on June 3, failed Board candidate John Briggs, writing once again on the letterhead of the California State Senate, a body in which he last served 30 years ago, sent an intimidating letter to Bill Goff, a principal of Boulevard Gaming Group. In his letter, a copy of which is part of the package sent out to SCA e-mail subscribers today and available on the community website at www.sca-hoa.org, Briggs contradicts the official, legally grounded position of the Association that SCA is entitled to enter into a lease for the restaurant without a two-thirds vote of homeowners to do so.

But what is especially alarming about the Briggs intrusion into the negotiation process is the not very subtle threat contained in his letter to take "all of the legal avenues available to an aggrieved homeowner" to prevent Boulevard from going forward with a lease.

If you were an executive with Boulevard and received such a threatening letter from a resident, would you want to voluntarily place yourself into the middle of a situation where the threat indicated a certainty of legal problems for you before you even got off the mark and could begin serving the needs of our community?

And as much as I would prefer not to bring Board member Bob Frank into it, I am curious about the fact that Mr. Frank, who often works in tandem with Briggs and makes an issue out of publishing a multitude of documents that he thinks the community should see, even when they are confidential at the time Frank publishes them, saw fit not to publish or tell us about the Briggs letter. Mr. Frank owes it to the community to state unequivocally whether he knew about the letter, and if so, why he didn't publish it. And if he should claim that he had no knowledge of the letter, he should tell the community whether he approves of what Briggs did in a clear attempt to scuttle the lease negotiations.