Rick Pennington comments on recent events...

This has gotten far beyond what it should be. We are sending emails, information packets and blog responses back and forth and all this does is perpetuate the situation . In hindsight there are probably many things that could have been done differently on all sides. The sad thing is that if we just took a step back we would realize is that there is no "your" side or "their" side, there is only our side. This issue is becoming an 800 lb. gorilla and polarizing the membership. I don't believe any of the candidates for any office is intent on hurting the union. We will never agree with everyone but we will have to, at times, put our personal opinions and differences aside to work for the good of the body. I imagine Admin is loving all the turmoil that this has caused. When this election is over, and for me it can't come soon enough, regardless of who is in what position we need to get back on track, work together, and provide a united front.

Humbly,
Rick Pennington

Rick Horey responds to Griffith's blog entry...

I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR UP A FEW THINGS YOU STATED IN YOUR BLOG. FIRST OF ALL ALOT OF PEOPLE DID KNOW ABOUT THIS RUMOR AND HAD FOR SOMETIME BEFORE I FOUND OUT. I HAVE HAD PHONE CALLS AND E-MAILS FROM MANY STATING THAT THEY KNEW OF THIS RUMOR AND THANKED ME FOR ALERTING THEM THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY. THEY APPRECIATED THE INFO SO THEY COULD CALL THE OTHERS INVOLVED AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE OTHER POINT OF VIEW FOR THEMSELVES. ITS SAD TO SAY BUT I CONDUCTED A MORE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION IN ONE HOUR THAN THE UNION OFFICERS DID. I TALKED TO EVERYONE INVOLVED AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CONTENT OF THE RUMOR WAS BASED ON A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF INFORMATION. SIMPLY BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT WAS MADE TO GET ALL THE INFO BY TALKING TO CHRIS AND ALL THE OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED. WE ALL NO HOW FAST RUMORS ON THIS JOB CAN SPREAD AND GROW. I THINK THAT IF ANY OF US HAD A RUMOR SPREADING AND GROWING ABOUT US WE WOULD WANT BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY TOLD, SO WITH WHAT I HEARD AT THE TABLE IN WHICH THE WORDS " REPRIMAND AND PUNISHMENT" WERE USED. I FELT THIS RUMOR SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT COULD HURT THE CHANCE OF A FAIR ELECTION, NOT TO MENTION THAT IT WRONGS CHRIS AS A UNION BROTHER. AND SINCE THE BALLOTS HAD JUST BEEN MAILED THAT DAY I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME CRITICAL SO I CALLED THE UNION VICE PRES. AND ASKED THEM TO SEND OUT A LETTER TO HALT THIS RUMOR. LATER HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THAT AFTER TALKING WITH BORG AND BACON THEY WOULD NOT. TO ADDRESS YOUR LAST PARAGRAPH YOU SAY THAT IN THE END OF MY LETTER I ENDORSED CHRIS PHILLIPS, MAYBE YOU SHOULD READ IT AGAIN. I SAID THIS MIGHT MAKE YOU REALIZE THAT YOU NEED TO VOTE FOR ALL NEW BLOOD IN THE UNION. THERE ARE THREE OTHER PEOPLE RUNNING FOR PRES. AND OTHER POSITIONS IN THIS ELECTION BEING VOTED ON SUCH AS E-BOARD,TRUSTEE, AWARDS COMMITTEE. I DIDN'T SAY WHO TO VOTE FOR, I SAID IF THE RUMOR WAS GOING TO AFFECT WHO YOU WERE GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU SHOULD DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND TALK TO EVERYONE INVOLVED BEFORE YOU VOTE. SO MAYBE THIS ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION ON WHY I WROTE MY LETTER. I THINK THAT BEFORE YOU WROTE YOUR BLOG LETTER YOU SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO EVERY ONE INVOLVED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS ISSUE AND IT MAY HAVE CHANGED THE WAY YOUR BLOG LETTER READ. I GUESS IN THE END JUST ASK YOURSELF THIS. IF YOU WERE PUT IN A SITUATION WHERE THE UNION WAS LOOKING INTO AN ALLEGATION TO SOMETHING YOU DID, WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO TALK TO YOU AND ALL THE OTHER INVOLVED PARTIES BEFORE THEY MADE THEIR DECISION. OR WOULD YOU SIMPLY DO NOTHING ? I THINK BOTH OF US KNOW THE ANSWER MIGHT BE THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULD DO THE SAME AS I DID AND TRY TO CLEAR IT UP OR GET THE CORRECT INFO OUT BY SOME TYPE OF E-MAIL. ITS NOT TO LATE TO CALL THE OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED SUCH AS PHILLIPS, ZAM, Mc CLATCHEY, SMATHERS, CH. SCHAFFER AS I DID. AS FOR MY OPINION ON HOW OUR UNION OFFICERS AND E-BOARD HANDLED THIS. EVERYONE KNOWS I HAVE NO PROBLEMS EXPRESSING MY OPINION. BUT BEFORE I DO I THINK ITS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ATTEMPT TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION

THANKS RICK HOREY

PS. PLEASE EXCUSE MY GRAMMAR AND SPELLING, SOME TIME AGO AT A RODEO I WAS KICKED IN THE SPELLING PART OF MY BRAIN.

SFD Press Release - Hotel Fire

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/21/2006
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 4301 West Sunset Drive
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99206

NARRATIVE: On Monday, November 20, 2006 at 5:58 PM, ten Spokane Fire Department companies; one Rescue Company, one Pumper/Ladder, five Engines and two Senior Ladder companies under the direction of Battalion Chief Joel fielder responded to a report of a fire in the kitchen at the Travel Lodge Airport Hotel, 4301 West Sunset Drive.

Firefighters arrived on scene within 6-minutes to find a five story hotel with fire showing from the roof and heavy smoke throughout the public-access areas of the lobby and restaurant. Firefighters immediately began an aggressive interior attack and focused on confining the fire to its area of origin while simultaneously confirming that all hotel residents were evacuated and accounted for. Engine and Ladder companies were successful in controlling the fire within 15-minutes with the assistance of positive pressure ventilation and vertical ventilation provided by Ladder companies. Companies had to be assigned one every floor to coordinate searches and locate hidden areas where fire had traveled vertically to the roof. The hotel had approximately 89 rooms with a current occupation of less than eight persons at the time of the fire. In all, nearly forty (40) Firefighters were utilized to mitigate the incident in approximately 60 minutes and there were no injuries to fire or civilian personnel.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire remains under investigation by SFD Investigators, however preliminary information gathered at the scene suggests the fire's cause was accidental. The area of origin was determined to be near a cooking area in the kitchen. Reports from employees indicate that the food "flashed" and produced a rapidly moving grease fire which traveled up the hood system and horizontally in the kitchen area. A hood and duct fire protection system was activated, however was not successful in keeping the damage limited to the cooking area.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The fire extended vertically through the ductwork and caused significant damage in the duct and void-space areas of nearly all floors and the roof. The kitchen suffered severe damage and the results of investigation will most likely be known late tomorrow.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: None Given

pdf of investigator supplemental agreement...

Click title to view.

Chris Phillips Response. Please click on this title to read document.

What a despicable way to end what was otherwise a clean campaign. I am disgusted and embarassed that we fight amongst ourselves like children. Poor timing, mis-information and hurt feelings once again...when will it stop so that we can move our membership ahead as a functional "team". Please see my reply to the recent unfounded accusations at this link.

Fraternally,
Chris

Chris Phillips Response.

Just to let you readers know, yesterday, Chris sent me a response to Greg's response. Chris' letter is 5 pages long. Because of its length, I didn't know if Chris wanted it as a linked document (easier to read, easier to print), or the whole thing cut and pasted onto the blog. It would be more accessible this way, especially if folks don't have WORD installed on their home computers, or the capability to view PDFs. But such a lengthy response would be a little bit more unwieldy. I emailed Chris, as soon as I received his post, asking him which he preferred. As soon as I hear back from Chris, I will post his letter in his chosen form.

Please, stay tuned!

Thanks, John