JACC Livability Forum Reconstituted Under Kip Browne's "New Majority" Leadership...

Photo By John Hoff

Info comes by listserv that the JACC "livability forum" is being revived, after a long dormancy under the ineffective "Old Majority" leadership which brought JACC to the edge of total collapse and financial ruin in the name of being "pro-community" and therefore "anti-revitalization." 

Here is the word that I heard, word for word:

For the first time in several years, JACC is holding a community/livability forum on May 21st at St. Anne's Senior Residence at 2323 26th Avenue N from 6 to 8 p.m.

This is an opportunity to come together, meet your neighbors and to discuss and contribute to plans for Jordan. All are welcome! Bring the kids. Get involved. Be part of the solution!

(Do not click "Read More")

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"True JACC" Lawsuit In The Jordan Neighborhood: Jerry Moore Takes The Stand, Takes The Fifth, And Then Takes Off (Part Three)

Photo By John Hoff, Dan Rother and Vladimir Monroe

After calling members of the JACC Board mere "figureheads" while staff members such as himself did all the "grunt work," former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore dug himself in deeper by claiming he tried to contact Kip Browne in October of 2008 in association with the JACC nominations committee, but said Browne didn't return his phone calls.

"That's a lie!" Kelly Browne whispered.

Browne, Jerry reiterated on the stand, NEVER called him back about matters with the Nominations Committee.

"He's lying," Kelly whispered. "And we have the emails to back it up."

Contempt for Jerry Moore hung thick in the room, like urine smell in a parking garage. Jerry Moore said he "disagreed" as to whether some appointees had 1 year or two year terms. (Later, Moore didn't seem able to point to where, precisely, in the JACC bylaws such an animal as a "one year term" existed.

In yet another example of blowing up a petty slight--the kind of petty slights you can reasonably expect when you won't share financial records with members of the Board of Directors, when you have inadequate formal education for the job, but you're raking in $60K a year--Jerry Moore said Browne had "chastized" him in front of "guests," talking about his "performance evaluation," which "I did not find hilarious or entertaining."

Moore denied he ever said...

"(Expletive) Anne McCandless, and also denied he ever told Kip Browne he likes to "kiss white people's asses." No, instead (Moore claimed) he merely told Browne he should be doing more for "the community" instead of "kissing ass."

Jill Clark asked about the "second iteration" of the Nominations Committee. Moore said he was told to "stay away" and he did.

Asked about the "fracas" or "fistfight" or "altercation," Jerry Moore gave his side of the story and it was, well, a rather odd account, to say the least.

Jerry said Mrs. Champion spoke to him that night. (JNS says: her relationship to State Senator Bobby Joe Champion is unknown, but she is NOT his wife) Champion told Moore "this gentleman said you're stealing from the organization." (By which she meant Dennis Wagner had said that of Jerry) At that moment, Wagner walked over grinning "I guess a sadistic way," Moore said.

"Did you ask him?" said Wagner, twice.

Engaging in his usual "charm offensive" tactic, which he has been known to use over and over, Moore suggested everybody could "sit down together" and chat about this some time. At that point, Moore claims Wagner hit him in the back, and it hurt.

However, since it was ONLY A FLESH WOUND, brave and gritty Jerry Moore tried to turn to talk to Champion again, apparently wanting to clear his name before he died of injuries from the SARCASTIC BACK SLAP. At this point, Wagner allegedly hit Moore's back AGAIN.

On the stand, Moore said he thinks "no means no" in the case of his back being touched by a man, so Moore had to "defend himself" from Wagner. At that moment, director P.J. Hubbarb "came across the room" and tried to hit Moore, according to Moore, and did manage to hit Moore "on the shoulder." At this point, Director Vladimir Monroe (pictured above, right) allegedly got Moore in a "full nelson" head lock, no doubt holding Moore still so Dennis Wagner could approach and touch Moore's back again and again...and "Miss Champion grabbed me."

(One member of JACC says Mrs. Champion was actually friendly to Moore, and grabbed him to "protect him." It is indeed a confusing event, and everybody appears to have their own version of events)

At this point, Moore said, some "church staff" pulled Moore upstairs. The "church staff" was identified to me as Deroyce Turner, a guy who bears a striking resemblance to deceased comedian Bernie Mac.

Moore also mentioned Megan Goodmundson's alleged role in the melee. Moore said Megan "came over" and she was "screaming and hollering" but Moore "moved her out of his way" because "there was Hubbard swinging in front of me."

Listening to this gallant, self-serving version of events, Megan Goodmundson laughed out loud. It was not a forced laugh conjured up to intrude on proceedings. It sounded like a genuine laugh which she couldn't keep from escaping her lips. On the stand, Jerry Moore frowned. After he had RISKED HIS SAFETY for Megan, to be mocked, to be laughed at like this. Et tu, Goodmundson?

Turning to the subject of Moore's employment termination, Jerry Moore claimed he wasn't notified of any cancellation of his employment...not after the tumultuous meeting of January 14, 2009, no notification from then until the end of January. Nope. Nothing like that.

Jerry Moore was asked about the Housing Recovery Act. Moore said many millions of dollars were getting set to flow into North Minneapolis neighborhoods, some $68 million dollars.

Imagine how many lunches THAT would buy at the Monte Carlo, I thought.

"Had the issue of money to developers, contractors, real estate agents been an issue (in the neighborhood)?" asked Jill Clark.

Jerry responded that JACC wanted to make sure it was the "people in the community" who got the money. One can't help but think this is another one of those overly-broad phrases when it comes from the lips of Jerry Moore, a phrase like "our youth."

Now it was Defense Attorney David Schooler's turn to ask the questions. JACC Director Dan Rother sat in the front row, at times leaning forward intently. (Rother is pictured above, left) Many have credited Rother's relentless, even obsessive mission to get access to JACC financial records as being the catalyst which brought everybody to this point. One normally doesn't think of "vindicated" as a facial expression, but that's what Dan Rother's face said at that moment.

Before all the lawyers got involved, before the mess ended up in court and was dragged through the internet, Rother had seen the writing on the wall, and had been like Paul Revere riding and shouting, "To arms! To arms! MALFEASANCE! MISMANAGEMENT! TO ARMS!"

As he often does, Rother was wearing a knee length black garb, kind of like the Sultan of Brunei might wear around the palace when he doesn't want to be His Highness, he just wants to kick around. I call it Rother's "Matrix Casual" outfit.

Rother's expression was far away. All those months, all those phone calls, all those emails, the frustration of having to be accused of "harassment" in a court of law, while merely trying to get financial records to do one's fiduciary duty...

Victory. At last. And this was Rother's victory banquet. The main course, of course, was Jerry Moore with an apple in his mouth, his backside exposed to whoever wanted to come along and pat it sadistically, or put a big steaming hunk of Jerry Moore on their figurative plate.

But no way could victory be sweet at such a moment as this. Back in the Jordan Neighborhood, everybody who cared about "the community" was still fighting to deal with vacant houses, with social disorder, with all the awful manifestations of the foreclosure crisis made worse by the long leadership vacuum which had existed under the Myers/Moore faction.

So this was nowhere near the end. This was the beginning, and Rother was still a JACC Director, doing his best to help the neighborhood through its many problems. But, oh yes, for a moment...

One might savor the smell of grilled flesh.

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"True JACC" Lawsuit In The Jordan Neighborhood: Quickie Summary Of Wednesday's Court Proceedings, Judge Declares Two Witnesses "Not Forthright"

Photo By John Hoff, January 2009 JACC Press Conference

Proceedings were abbreviated today in the "True JACC" court battle, with only Bob Cooper taking the stand...mostly to testify about grievance procedures. The most notable part of the day was Judge Porter making a declaration that two witnesses were "not forthright."

Though the two witnesses were not named, it is assumed one of them MUST be former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore, whose answers on the stand had that quality of...

...Jello fruit salad trying to avoid being nailed to a wall, plus that whole taking the Fifth Amendment thing when asked about the location of JACC records. As to who was the other "not forthright" witness, it's clearly NOT Bob Hodson. You can call Hodson a lot of things, but not FORTHRIGHT? No, if anything, he was just a bit TOO forthright.

Speculation is the second "not forthright" witness might be E.B. Brown. Her long, painful pauses and tendency to talk about--oh gee--her email mysteriously fading in and out--did not seem to impress Judge Porter.

There was also talk from Jill Clark about trying to procure affidavits from (infamous neighborhood nut cases) Zack Metoyer and Al Flowers. The reason for the affidavits is unknown, but better wear asbestos gloves when handling such paperwork. Thou shalt not bear false witness, that's all I want to say about THAT.

As for Bob Cooper, he apparently spoke about Community Development Block (CDBG) grants. These grants are what makes an organization like JACC a "citizen participation government group" and (I would argue, as I have before) not MERELY a non-profit organization, but a true grassroots government something akin to an unincorporated township board, only subsumed into the greater power and authority of the City of Minneapolis. I would also argue that, having been a CDBG group, a kind of governmental authority "lingers" even between contractual periods.

Oh, and E.B. Brown gave Jill Clark a neck massage. Sorry to disappoint you all (sarcasm font) but no video exists for YouTube. Unlike (salivate) Ben Myers' deposition.

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"True JACC" Lawsuit In The Jordan Neighborhood: Jerry Moore Takes The Stand, Takes The Fifth, And Then Takes Off (Part Two)

Photo By John Hoff, January 14, 2009

Perched delicately on the stand, like a pet cockatoo amid filthy, crap-stained papers, former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore proceeded to criticize the Neighborhood Revitalization Program for its wicked desire to, well....revitalize neighborhoods, I guess.

Moore said JACC had been "heavily dependent" on NRP funding, but Moore wanted to transition into having more "private donors" because he thought such dependance on NRP was "dangerous" and put the organization "under the barrel," by which he presumably meant "under the gun."

(Regular readers, feel free to insert in-jokey remarks about "The Queen's English")

Moore said "policy makers will try to push the organization in a particular direction" so, for this reason, seeking private donors seemed the better option. Moore talked about some of the tensions in the neighborhood, saying...

"Many of the residents are afraid of our young people."

It wasn't clear what Moore meant by "our." Clearly, he couldn't have meant ALL young people in North Minneapolis. He certainly didn't mean my high-achieving math geek son coming over for visitation every other weekend, extended periods in the summer, and certain holidays. He probably doesn't mean the three young children of Hawthorne Neighborhood Chair Peter Teachout who endured the terror of their father's truck being torched by CRACKHEADS in the dead of the night on the Fourth of July. I should probably mention the Teachout family has one more child on the way. I doubt if he means the children of Don Samuels, the children of Anderson and Lisa Mitchell. 

In any case, there was the sweeping, all-encompassing phrase: "our" young people.

Because of the fear of "our young people," Moore said the neighborhood looked at programs like the "juvenile detention alternative."

There were, however, problems with JACC. The organization was on some kind of "probation" with the McKnight Foundation. There was an issue about the turnover of the Executive Directors. Under the leadership of Jerry Moore and the Ben Myers faction, JACC wanted to emphasize their "youth programs" instead of "the NRP stuff."

"Neighborhood groups can be self-destructive," Moore pontificated. "Dollars are used to control individuals." Asked what that means specifically, Moore referred to the City of Minneapolis gaining control of neighborhoods through NRP funds.

"NRP is trying to exclude people of color," Jerry declared.

Somewhere near this point came the noon break, and the defendants took lunch at a nearby cafe. Council Member Don Samuels joined the group, and was given a seat of honor at the head of the table. Not ordering anything to eat himself, Samuels accepted some leftovers from another person's plate.

"It takes a village to feed Don Samuels," quipped Megan Goodmundson.

This is something I've noticed about the intensely-bonded individuals who are part of the "pro-city" point of view in the tightly-knit neighborhood associations, the people working every day to bring about revitalization instead of urban decay. They will literally give you the food off their plate.

Back in court after lunch, Plaintiff Attorney Jill Clark cackled and then asked David Schooler, "What's your new secret papers, Mr. Schooler?" in a tone that might suggest they were BUDDIES. Kelly Browne sat and read "Bridge of Courage" about political oppression in Guatemala, though she apparently knew in her heart she needed to read the manual to her new washer and dryer, sitting in her purse, unread.

With Jerry back on the stand, sipping water with the lingering lips one might take to a glass of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Jerry Moore said there had been discussions in 2008 about declining to take "CPED" funds from the City of Minneapolis. The reason was the "organization leaders" (by which Jerry apparently meant the Ben Myers faction, at that time in the majority) saw CPED as having too many stipulations on the dollars.

"When did the 2008 CPED contract expire?" Clark asked.

"The last day of December, 2008," Moore answered.

"By mid-January, 2009, was there a new CPED agreement?" Clark asked.

"No," answered Moore.

Clark let the answer linger in the air, as though she had just gotten somewhere important. Oh, yes, the takeover by the Kip Brown faction in January, 2009 was ALL TOO CONVENIENTLY TIMED, now wasn't it?

Yeah, kind of like fighting the hijackers in the cockpit before they could fly that sucker into the White House.

Moore spoke about the numerous grievances filed by Dan Rother and Dennis Wagner. Wagner had about 30 grievances, Moore said. One of the grievances concerned Moore's eligibility to be the Executive Director, and the eligibility of board members. There were requests for ledgers to show expenditures check-by-check, line-by-line.

Addressing the finances in a way he apparently never did while Executive Director, Moore testified there had been discussions with the Ackerberg Group about JACC's "inability" to pay rent at the "JACC House" on 2009 James Ave. N. The idea was raised of moving out of 2009 James Ave. N. Moore said he didn't see the point of having so much space.

"Did you neglect to submit expense reimbursements to NRP?" Clark asked.

No, Moore said, he did not. He talked about the responsibilities of the accountant, clearly shifting the responsibility to her, then caveated by saying there were "a few months where the accountant had a death in the family" and "things fell behind." Seemingly defending the accountant, Moore managed to shift virtually all the blame to her and the dying family member, all the while using SUCH a sympathetic tone.

"Did you learn of conduct by Anne McCandless around the Otto Bremer funds?" asked Clark.

Yes, Moore said, McCandless (dared to demand) a copy of the report, and she communicated that "funds were being misspent." Moore said McCandless should call HIM with her concerns, but he "never got a call from McCandless." This testimony produced muted laughter from McCandless. The contempt in that room for Jerry Moore hung thick on the "groom's side" of the court room.

"Who solicited $400 from NRP to reprint the elections slate?" asked Clark.

That would be Kip Browne, Moore answered.

"What was the relationship between Robert Miller and Anne McCandless in the Fall of 2008?"

Over heresay objections by Schooler--overruled--Moore said McCandless threw a fundraising party for Miller's (abortive) Mayoral campaign against R.T. Rybak. The relationship between Miller and McCandless was apparently cohesive, from Moore's point of view. Anne McCandless would talk to Bob Miller and soon would come a letter, a phone call. Miller sent a letter "chastizing" the board for a decision they made about Moore's employment.

Clark asked about working to clarify the tax status of the JACC-owned "probation house." Moore said he had "several discussions" about that topic and he was "hopeful" that eventually JACC could get the taxes waived. Because of his meeting with "Mr. Cosgrove," Moore said there was "a plan in place" to work with the City Assessor on the tax issue.

"What was JACC's position in regard to the Minneapolis Advantage Program?" Clark asked, referencing a program which provides down payment assistance to home buyers, with the idea of turning empty, dangerous, boarded-up houses into vital, safe, healthy homes. Moore didn't agree with the program because good credit ("A credit") was needed to quality. So the proposal didn't pass the Executive Board. It was bounced back to committee.

"Some" thought this program was "a repopulation or regentrification tool," Moore said, and that "JACC wanted a tool to touch more than just a certain population." Jerry found the Minneapolis Advantage program "inequitable."

Skipping around in her questions quite a bit, Clark returned to the subject of Dan Rother's inquiries and grievances. Moore said he was doing "extra work" because of Rother, and Rother would call "early in the morning, and late at night." Jerry felt like he was Rother's "personal secretary" or something. Jerry went so far as to research IRS guidelines about "harassment of a non-profit." In between unlimited HBO at the JACC office, lunch at the Monte Carlo, and plenty of pizza, Moore mulled over the situation with Rother and thought how it seemed like "a ploy to make sure no work could get done."

"How did people conduct themselves at meetings?" Clark asked.

Shouting, Moore answered. Yelling. He'd never been on a board like this. People were told to "shut up and sit down" and claimed "I was threatened by people." On the other hand, Moore said, there were times people were "cool and calm."

Claiming he was "fearful" of Dan Rother--a gregarious gay man who got fixated on the notion that he was, oh gee, entitled to look at the JACC books, being on the BOARD OF DIRECTORS and all--Jerry sought a harassment/restraining order against Mr. Rother after an incident of "standing, gesturing, pointing" which made Jerry Moore feel "fearful." Rother had been "all up in my space" and "dipping into my private life." Rother had been trying to contact Jerry by phone, and Jerry pointed out "I was doing other work outside my job," including the Northside Marketing Task Force.

(Moore has reportedly been removed as the chair of the Task Force)

MOORE said that ROTHER said that MOORE said Stu Ackerberg's group was "a bunch of faggots," which Moore denied saying. The sense of this controversy having some aspects of a playground dispute certainly lingered in the air near THAT moment. In the hearing over the restraining order, Moore claimed the judge thought Rother was "pushing it" and blaming Jerry for stuff going on with JACC. Moore said the judge spoke to Rother and warned him. All these things Jerry said in a somewhat forceful tone, making his point. The point about how the restraining order was, ultimately, not granted....that part Jerry kind of mumbled, like an afterthought.

This part he said forcefully:

THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE FIGUREHEADS AND HAVE TITLES BUT THE GRUNT WORK GETS PASSED TO THE STAFF.

TO BE CONTINUED....This coverage is only possible by donations, see PayPal button, and sorry to be a bother but...bloggers can't live on air and water like a spider fern.

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"True JACC" Lawsuit In The Jordan Neighborhood: Jerry Moore Takes The Stand, Takes The Fifth, And Then Takes Off... (PART ONE OF FOUR)

The Naked Truth, Flickr.com Photo

Jerry Moore didn't appear to know which hand to raise to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.



Jerry's left hand jerked up, first, to waist level. Then he switched to his right. He swore the oath. I waited for the ground to open up right then, with the smell of brimstone and a roar.



Oh, wait, I thought...he hasn't actually SAID anything, yet.



Well, except...







...the part about swearing to tell the truth.



(Double checking for the ground to open up...)



Jerry Moore said that, in 2004 or 2005, he was elected to the JACC Board. What was his basis of eligibility? Jerry said he "owned property" in Jordan. Some hours later, at lunch with Don Samuels and a number of JACC plaintiffs, I was treated to a colorful description of the property Jerry owned, known as the "shoe shack."



The shack in question was "barely standing," and was a "blighted piece of property" according to one highly-creditable witness who saw it often. Canopy-type tents were rigged up, their posts in white 5-gallon buckets weighted down with...whatever. Rubble. Debri. Crap.



The shack was located at Broadway and Logan. The shack had little value, unlike the land on which it sat. Adjacent to the shack were vacant lots, and the "shack land" was owned by a guy from the "outer rings of the metro." At that time, the land on which the shack sat was the key to a "development proposal." I was unable to obtain a definitive answer about whether Jerry's interest was in both land and shack, or merely the shack. I asked if anybody could provide me a photo. I reiterate the request.



At the time of Jerry's ascent to the JACC board, ubiquitous super-volunteer Megan Goodmundson made inquiries about what Jerry's eligibility was. Jerry spoke of having ownership in a "business." According to Goodmundson, "In hindsight, our vetting wasn't as good as it should have been." So it was Jerry's vague interest in the "shoe shack" allowed him to weasel his way to the JACC board. There were rumors--I heard these rumors said aloud at lunch with several of the defendants--that cartons of cigarettes were sometimes sold at the shack, ripped off from "convenience store smash and grabs." This is unconfirmed. Dispute and contrary information is welcomed in the comments sections.



Jerry's interest in the nebulous "business" was about as nebulous as the business itself. He was some kind of "secretary" for an organization associated with this business, which was supposedly involved in "fundraising for youth."



Jerry spoke about how, at one point, the Neighborhood Revitalization Program froze Jerry's monies in a dispute over what was supposed to be in Jerry's contract. JACC filed a grievance with the NRP policy board and, as a result, funds were released, Jerry said. Meanwhile, JACC went through the process of screening candidates for Executive Director but--as is so often the case--the interim "ED" had the inside track, and that horse was Jerry.



Plaintiff attorney Jill Clark walked up to Jerry Moore with a copy of what was purported to be Jerry's employment contract. Excitement rippled through the ranks of the "New Majority," which has been faithfully attending hearings in large numbers, while the "bride side" of the room looks as sad as an unrumpled bed in a honeymoon suite.



The document was introduced as Plaintiff Exhibit 16. Defendant Attorney David Schooler objected in regard to whether the document could be authenticated, especially as JACC records had DISAPPEARED. Jerry said it was a copy from his own records. Schooler objected because it was a copy, not the original. Overruled.



The document--which even "Old Majority" Chair E.B. Brown had apparently never managed to see--was introduced into evidence.



TO BE CONTINUED...

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"True JACC" Lawsuit In The Jordan Neighborhood: "You Know Better Than That, Ms. Dejvongsa," Admonishes Judge Porter...

Photo By John Hoff, JACC Press Conference, January 2009

Dokor Dejvongsa took the stand yesterday, merely a tasty appetizer to the main course: grilled Jerry Moore.

All the same, her testimony had some notable moments, including an answer so argumentative--something about people picking which rules they liked, ignoring the rest--that, without waiting for Defense Attorney David Schooler to object, Judge Porter asked, "How much of that do you want stricken?"

David Schooler responded....

Something like he wanted the last half stricken. With a baleful, no-nonsense look, Judge Porter looked at the witness on the stand and said, "Miss Dejvongsa, you know better." (Dejvongsa is an attorney, the partner of Ben Myers. Since Ben Myers does criminal defense, I guess that makes her his "partner in crime?")

Despite some rather unkind remarks in the hallway that Dejvongsa must have gotten her law degree out of a Crackerjack box, or words to that effect, the young attorney seemed poised, intelligent, although a bit strident. Understandable, however, given how badly her side is getting its bacon fried. Word comes secondhand that, early yesterday morning, Judge Porter ruled against dissolution of the JACC corporation as an option, saying this was "not properly pled."

OH!!!!! Just because it's not your birthday doesn't mean you won't get SPANKED sometimes.

In the courtroom as Dokor testified was a member of the Minneapolis Mirror, which is sort of the contrarian internet publication of Minneapolis, its articles known to take positions at odds with whatever somebody ELSE manages to write first, and better.

Some examples:

# T.J. Waconia fraudsters: Not such bad guys, just ask their friend Jim Watkins.

# Johnny Northside is bad for writing about the reality of the rough life of Annshalike Hamilton. (This murder is still unsolved)

# Minneapolis Advantage program is a plot to bring about gentrification in North Minneapolis. (Unknown what is meant by "gentrification," unless it means "occupied by people instead of boarded up.")

So, yeah, the Minneapolis Mirror was there but hasn't managed to write anything quite yet. I checked. Maybe the sight of Jerry Moore on the stand--nervous as an acne-scarred teenager trying to pin a corsage on prom night--made the Minneapolis Mirror think twice about coming down hard on the side of the "Old Majority" in the Jordan Neighborhood. I kind of doubt that, though. This much is true, however: you can't write a good article if you aren't taking notes.

But I'm sure one can still try one's hand at an EDITORIAL, where only a rarified thimbleful of facts are needed for flavor.

Where were we? Oh, yes, Dokor "Should Know Better" Dejvongsa on the stand. Dejvongsa testified about first becoming involved with JACC in the Fall of 2006. She took on a project with a committee to amend the bylaws, which many agreed were "outdated." Towards the end of her term, some issues came up with Kip Browne. To make a long story short, the board never approved the final version of the bylaws.

Defense Attorney Schooler asserted, through his questions, that only 5 board members were needed, according to the bylaws, so there was no need to install officers prior to elections. Dajvongsa said so few board members wouldn't be "a good representation of the community."

She didn't say much else that was notable. At 11:20 a.m., spectators in the courtroom were far more fascinated with Jill Clark's horrible facial twitching, which was OFF THE SCALE. But then a ripple went through the crowd as Dokor finished up, and former JACC Executive Director Jerry Moore was called to the stand...

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