Sharp

[ChriswUfGator]

You guys ought to lay off Stephen.

He is very passionate about these issues. People around here just love to paint him as a weirdo who just complains about everything and never does anything proactive, but that couldn't possibly be any further from the truth.

He has done a lot. When the geniuses at COJ accidentally backed a bulldozer through the side of his house (a historic former fire station) ruining it beyond repair, he made the best of it and went out there on demolition day to gather up all the historic bricks and give them away for free to other people who were doing restorations.

He opened the first decent restaurant in this area that served anything besides malt liquor, barbeque, or fried chicken. He had everybody driving into Springfield from San Marco and Avondale, and this was almost 10 years ago and AT NIGHT! A lot of you remember how scary it was back then. That really tells you something about the draw the place had. His businesses introduced thousands of new people to Springfield, back before it was 'hip', and at a time when most sane people wouldn't drive (much less get out of their car) over there at night without an armed guard.

He was one of the founding members of MJ. And in case nobody noticed, the real primary gathering place for the neighborhood isn't 3 layers or uptown market, it's this forum. Especially since SPAR takes their forum down whenever anybody criticizes them on it. 

Stephen just wants to see the right things get done for the right reasons. Quit ragging on him.

[jason_contentdg]

But others that have done a lot for the neighborhood are ripe for criticism? Double standard yet again, not that I'm going to criticize Stephen for whatever this SHARP thing is...but if you put stuff out there, it is going to be open for discussion and to disallow that when so much noise is posted on this forum seems a little hypocritical. 

[Springfielder]

First of all, and for the record, I happen to get along just fine with Stephen, however let's not make him or anyone else the savior of Springfield. There are plenty of us that have been here for many, many years...long before it was one of the premier places to live, but had the foresight to see the potential. I also feel that he's plenty capable of defending himself, and has demonstrated that.

I've lived in Springfield for well over 10 years, so I know quite well how the area was then compared to now. As for Boomtown, been there, enjoyed it and was sorry to see it close. As for giving away the bricks from the building, or that he's part of the founding members of mj....sorry, but I fail to see where that's relevant...in fact....

Isn't the thread about SHARP? I know that I've been trying to get information about it, more than the brief web page, that really tells you little to nothing about it. I'd like to know who the organizational members are, who is running it, who is accepting the $20.00 membership fee, I'd like to know if it has filed the paperwork to be a non-for profit. There's many, many questions that simply have not been answered.

If this organization is being spearheaded by someone that's doing so under a false name, then I don't see that as doing what's right for my community. If it's not a false person, then why hasn't the real person come forward to respond to my questions, or to those of others? If this is a real organization...again, why hasn't the person overseeing it stepped forward to clear the air and answer our questions? I'm not calling anyone in particular out on suspicions, but something sure doesn't 'feel' right about any of this.

[Springfielder]

I only emailed once, and was sent a form letter response...which is why there's been no other contact via that route. I also wasn't aware that there was another meeting last night, which I did ask to be on a mailing list to let me know of meetings, etc....and I was not notified. How are people to become involved, when we're not given notice of meetings? I cannot attend, if I don't know about them.

[Sportmotor]

...
dummyhead

[Dan B]

I suspect that If anyone thought "Jasper", or even this group existed, the response would be different. At least, it would be from me.

[Dan B]

Dont care at all about that. I just think its asinine that for someone who has melted down so completely about other organizations excluding people, that you would so completely support one that is going out of its way to keep people out, and is so secretive.

You keep trying to bring SPAR into this, but they have nothing to do with it.

[fsu813]

"I just think its asinine that for someone who has melted down so completely about other organizations excluding people, that you would so completely support one that is going out of its way to keep people out, and is so secretive."

- bingo. you can throw that blatant, hypocritcal statement on the pile with the rest of 'em.


also....

"SHARP isnt being spearheaded by Jasper, hes just one of the volunteers who is working on the SHARP Blog. This is one of the many embarrassingly ridiculous claims being made by the group doing all the talking.  Its not based on anything except him signing the first post of the blog welcoming people to the site."

- "jasper" also sent the response email to my inquiry. Speaking of which, both Dan & I received inappropriate emails from "jasper" and posted them. you took them down for some reason. if that's hijacking then i'm guilty as charged.


also....

i think it's all rather interesting, this farce drama. a three ring circus in my own backyard. who can resist?

If there is or ever will be such an organization with real people and it's positive for the neighborhood, then i wish it luck.

[Dan B]

Hehe. Yeah, you nailed it as always Stephen. Actually, the people who have approached me about all of this marvel at how funny it all is. I tend to agree.

If there is a real group, its a shame you have made such a mockery of them before they have had a chance to do anything of substance.

[fsu813]

but if you post the inappropriate email response from "jasper", you'll be accused of hijacking the thread.

per recent history.

"jasper" basically called Dan a jackass. he called me a bigot, in so many words. what did he call you?

[fsu813]

This calls for a thumb war!

[tufsu1]

Here's the viewpoint of one non-Springfield person...

There seems to be quite a buzz about the secretive and insular SPAR....and how they took down their message boards when things got controversial recently.

But the same thing has happened here...at least 2 (maybe 3) threads regarding SHARP have been removed from the site because they were "hijacked"...and the SHARP goup itself and its meetings also seem quite secretive.

If this impression is somehow wrong, please enlighten me.

[Dan B]

Dan.

You seem to want to cause a flame war.

Youve been angry with me ever since your friends Barry Owen and Craig Van Horn stole me and John's things from Boomtown and screwed us on a lease agreement so that your pal Barry could take over the whole of 9th and Main.

You were 'booking bands' for them at the time.  If I remember your emails correctly, you were 'saving the neighborhood' and 'bringing back main street' by doing this.

Well that didnt turn out so well.

Barry lost everything, and Craig Van Horn was exposed for the conman that he was.

This didnt keep you from telling everyone in the neighborhood how much of a liar I was, and that Craig was instead a good guy, did it?

You werent involved with our business dealings, but that didnt keep you from representing yourself as having been privy to the details.

You were apparently either still on the SPAR board, or had just stopped being on the SPAR board, and then further went to other people in the business people in the community as a SPAR character witness on Craig's behalf.

You amped up your crusade, inserted yourself into the internal politics of our board, and attempted to convince my partners that I should somehow be 'gotten rid of'.

You then sabotaged as many threads as you could for months with the same kind of slanderous atttack on every post that I made, until finally you made yourself so upset that you resigned as a moderator, that didnt keep you from changing your mind and begging to be reinstated, however.

Which you werent.

In the meantime you have called me names for almost two years, told outright lies about my business at boomtown, and done everything in your power to undermine or discredit anything I have anything to do with Dan.

This is unhealthy behavior, and it is usually the sign of a deeply immature person with issues that they should seek help for.

I have worked diligently and hard for my community most of my life.  I have spent several millions total on my projects over the years, and have nothing negative or unhappy to say about my career, successes and mistakes and all.  Luckily for me, disgruntled manipulative liars like yourself who think its ok to invade people's privacy, bully, and in general act like an underachieving 14 year old, most of my life has been chronicled in the several hundred news articles and media that have been about my projects dan.

Im sorry that you are still pissed that the shoddy behavior of your con man friend, Craig Van Horn and his hapless mark, Barry Owen didnt pan out the way you planned, but don't you think its time you gave your spiteful little campaign a rest?

While you have been doing your best to blacken the names of Joe and Gloria, destroy the business plans of Robert Van Winkel, and embarrass the largest landowner in the neighborhood Chris Hionides into submission, what have you actually positively done in the neighborhood or in the public life of the city that built rather than destroyed?

Or maybe since you don't have a damned dime in the game except your mortgage, you feel empowered to just be a big swinger, after all, its no skin off your nose, right?

It cannot possibly be such a coincidence that within a few weeks of your return to these forums, that the only discussion in the neighborhood are aggressively more angry and negative.

This is exactly the same thing that happened last time you were actively engaged on our forums, incidentally , and I for one don't really appreciate it.

There are differences in the neighborhood.  There are disagreements.

Occasionally there are people whose time for leadership has passed.

But these things are something that people in Springfield can work on without you enabling every situation to be a blood bath. 

Why don't you kids back off and try and get some perspective?

Im not going anywhere, and these constant terrible exchanges from springfielders are unfairly portraying the neighborhood in a very very very bad light.

Now you are angry that another group is working without asking your permission.

Well um.

Who cares how you bellow about it?

Yes, clearly I am the problem, because I am the one who implodes about 5 times a year, and tries to rehash everything in new and exciting, though typically inaccurate ways.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition, DSM IV-TR, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders, defines narcissistic personality disorder (in Axis II Cluster B) as:[6]
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
requires excessive admiration has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes It is also a requirement of DSM-IV that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfies a set of general personality disorder criteria.

[Dan B]

Wanting to go to hear what someones vision for the community I live in is "crashing"?

In that case, I have also crashed Shadco, SPAR, SACARC, and city council meetings from time to time.

BTW, calling BS on your statement (though admittedly, there is alot to chose from)

None of these people bothered to email for details until after the one meeting was already over

Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:35:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: XXXX<XXXX@XXX.com>
Subject: SHARP?
To: sharpjacksonville@gmail.com
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0-1458431376-1255455343=:93572"
Content-Length: 1221

[thelakelander]

Checking in a little closer after a hard day's work.  This thread is a mess.  Are all of you Springfielders really going to have me play the role of daddy and babysit this crap?  Let's get this thing immediately back on topic or it will be closed.