Tim Walker shares Spork-related correspondence

No doubt you have heard about Spork, the dachshund who bit a lab tech in Lafayette, Colorado and whose owners were hit with criminal charges by the bitten lab tech. Here is a post from Tim Walker, Spork's owner, on the SAVE SPORK Facebook group. The "Bensman" that Tim refers to is Lafayette City Council member Terry Bensman.

Tim Walker

Just wanted to let you know that we responded the following to the editor at WestWord today in response to the article to clarify some points.

Hi Michael,

I'm glad that you wrote the story regarding another perspective
regarding our pet Spork. There are a few things you should be aware of
and I'd like the opportunity to set the record straight!

1) "Bensman says he doesn't begrudge Tim and Kelly Walker, Spork's
owners, for spending many thousands of dollars defending their dog,
although he believes the price is so high because of a lawyer change
and various court maneuvers done by their choice"

The truth is we made a mistake. We hired a lawyer that came highly
recommended and paid him $2,500. He fouled up the submissions on our
behalf and it was very frustrating because we kept telling him that
the state law excludes vets for months. He said "that didn't exist".
When I mailed him the physical law (in December!) here is his unedited
response:

"I was unaware of this statute, passed in 2004. Haven’t handled a dog
bite case since 2000 or 2001. We’ll be able to put this statute to
use both in pretrial discussions with City Attorney and at trial, if
necessary. Shows Legislature views vet employees and dog groomers as
having essentially “assumed the risk” of bites. Thanks, [Name
Deleted]"

We could not leave our pet in the hands in someone who hadn't even
done basic research of the law. We sought at that time to find someone
who knew the law so we hired the Animal Law Center and paid them
$3,500 which we have spent. It will probably cost us another $4,000 to
proceed. That makes $10,000 we have spent fighting this charge and
this does not include time, loss of work, and incredible stress. If
Mr. Bensman wants to pay his his son or daughter's house down payment
to prove himself innocent in his home town he is welcome to it. Or if
he knows a better way than hiring a lawyer, I'd like to know it. That
is exactly what we were planning to use this money for and probably a
house in Lafayette. This probably won't happen now until we can save
again and it will not be here. Thank you for calling this "legal
maneuvering" without even a basic clue as to what happened. Trust us,
this is a huge strain financially and we will probably have to finance
our freedom but we will fight this charge. Not just for us but for
Wiggles and other animals suffering from inhumane laws.

2) Bensman says he's checked around, and the folks with whom he's
spoken only one remember one euthanization in the past couple of
years.

I do not know the numbers since 2007 (the law was only one year old at
the time) but everyone must be sensitive to the fact that 25 family's
have MOVED TO AVOID HAVING THEIR DOG EUTHANIZED OR KENNELLED. Can you
imagine the stress of that? It is the decision we have made as well.
We will move, if Lafayette continues to press this. We will not live
in a City that operates like this nor can we be responsible pet owners
with the existing laws and attitudes here. That's too bad, we've been
spending our money in Lafayette for 10 years and we have rescued one
Dachshund and will most likely rescue more in our time. Please know,
that, despite Mr. Bensman's rough homework, when we took Spork to the
Louisville Animal Hospital a week later (who performed what was the
originally scheduled surgery), the Vet told us that "this probably
will not have a good outcome for Spork" and was quite upset. We
inferred that they've had to actually do this unbelievably sad deed in
the past. The law allows euthanasia for the ticket we were holding at
the sole discretion of the judge. Would you leave it solely to that
avenue if it was your animal family member and you saw how this was
headed? I did not sense any compassion or respect for our rights in
Mr. Bensman's words. We are very saddened by them,

3) In it, Dodge says that he'll argue for this particular loophole to
be closed after the current controversy has been resolved.

Isn't that swell? Let's acknowledge that the law is screwing us over
and then wait until after we've all spent more money to do something
about it? This is the most preposterous thing we have ever seen in our
lives. We are flabbergasted that this law was analyzed for 5 months
and this time-bomb was just waiting to happen. Can you imagine the
ramifications if this goes forward? In my estimation, flat out,
ultimately, it would mean people simply could not take the risk to be
animal owners and any dog in a pound that even looks mean will die
there. People should be aware that the law in Lafayette states. "Any
animal which has caused injury to any person or animal or which has
unprovokedly attacked any person or animal or which has approached any
person or animal in a terrorizing manner or apparent attitude of
attack may be seized and impounded". Can you imagine the waste because
of the ambiguity and subjectivity that a dog had an "apparent attitude
of attack"? I want to know why the city spent our money for 5 months
creating a law that was inferior to the law it was replacing and which
has such obvious flaws.

4) His choice for a more appropriate headline for Spork stories? "'Vet
Tech Maimed by Spork the Dachshund,'" he says.

What hasn't been answered is any reasonable explanation for how a Vet
Tech could be bit in the face by a dog with 3 inch legs, in the arms
of its owners? I wonder if Mr. Bensman is aware that neither the
police nor animal control never, ever got Kelly's side of the story
(which shocks us to this day). The news can't show Kelly's police
report because there isn't one.

Thanks for keeping it level.
3 hours ago · Report

LinkedIn, negotiating, & other stuff

Dear friends,

Here are the upcoming Ask Liz Ryan and Stay Sharp! seminars:

Wednesday evening, October 28, 2009, 6:15 p.m. Teleseminar: Job Search Essentials with Liz Ryan (virtual event). Cost: $10.00 Registration: http://asklizryanjobsearch.eventbrite.com

Thursday, October 29, 2009, 9:00 a.m. Stay Sharp! Seminar, Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder. Liz Ryan presents "Using LinkedIn: What Entrepreneurs, Consultants and
Job-Seekers Need to Know." Cost: $25.00 Registration: http://usinglinkedin.eventbrite.com

Friday, October 30, 2009, 9:00 a.m. Stay Sharp! Seminar, Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder. Attorney Joyce Colson presents "Ten Tips for Negotiating the Sale,
the Job, The Deal." Cost: $25.00 Registration: http://www.asklizryan.com/staysharp.html

Friday, November 6, 2009, 9:00 a.m. Stay Sharp! Seminar, Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder. Liz Ryan presents "Consulting and Contracting for the Rest of Us: Zeroing
in on Your Consulting Value and Brand and Reaching Your Market." Cost: $25.00 Registration: http://www.asklizryan.com/staysharp.html

Friday, November 13, 2009, 9:00 a.m. Stay Sharp! Seminar, Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder. Dave Taylor presents "Getting the Hang of Facebook." Cost: $25.00
Registration: http://www.asklizryan.com/staysharp.html

Friday, November 20, 2009, 9:00 a.m. Stay Sharp! Seminar, Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder. Jeff Finkelstein presents "12 Critical Strategies For Effective Email Communication: How to Make Sure Your Emails Are Read." Cost: $25.00 Registration: http://www.asklizryan.com/staysharp.html

Questions? Please write to Jackie Marrinan at jackie@asklizryan.com

Thanks! Liz

Liz Ryan
www.asklizryan.com

"Building Your Online Soapbox" Friday October 9 in Boulder

BUILDING YOUR ONLINE SOAPBOX: Personal Branding for Your Business or Your Job Search

Boulder, Colorado, October 5, 2009 -- National career-advice and social-media expert Liz Ryan presents the seminar, "Building Your Online Soapbox: Personal Branding for Your Business or Your Job Search" on Friday, October 9 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
at the Eggcredible Cafe in South Boulder, in the third of a weekly series of business seminars featuring national experts based in Colorado, sharing practical business advice in a casual wisdom-over-breakfast setting.

Liz will help entrepreneurs, service providers, corporate folks and job-seekers wade through the jungle of social-networking sites and tools from LinkedIn and Facebook to Twitter, blogs, podcasts and online communities, understanding which tools are most critical for a business-growth or job-search endeavor and how to leverage social media tools to build visibility, credibility and community online. Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive and a syndicated columnist whose career and social-networking advice reaches 50 million readers per month. She is the author of "Happy About Online Networking The Virtual-ly Simple Way to Build Professional Relationships" and the founder and leader of the 25,000-person Ask Liz Ryan online community.

"Building Your Online Soapbox" will be offered at the Eggcredible Cafe, 5397 South Boulder Road, Boulder, and will cost $25.00 to attend. Register online at http://www.asklizryan.com/staysharp.html or write to Jackie Marrinan, Member Services Manager for Ask Liz Ryan, at jackie@asklizryan.com.

Boulder Burn

I've been casting my local networking net a bit wider lately. It's been bugging me for awhile that I travel all over the country on a regular basis and yet I don't get past downtown Denver more often than every six months or so (excepting the occasional trip to the Tech Center). I wanted to see what was up outside of my ecosystem northwest of Denver, so I ventured forth. And here's what I found.

It matters a lot where you hail from, around here. Back in Chicago, it was obvious that you weren't poverty-stricken if you lived in Kenilworth and people would assume you were a first-generation immigrant if you lived in Bensenville or in the Belmont-Central neighborhood. But every city has those bits of baggage attached to various neighborhoods. Here in Denver, there's more at stake based on your neighborhood than just your income. There's a lot of zip-code-related judgment going on.

The fun part about networking around Denver is noticing folks' reactions when you say "I live in Boulder." Some people have no reaction at all. Others immediately see you through freak-colored glasses. "Really, what made you choose Boulder?" is a question I get asked a lot. I say, "All the boulders there." I have had people say "I didn't know there were businesspeople in Boulder." Or they assume that your business is in the realm of hash pipes or organic tea towels.

There are plenty of people around who believe that if you live in Boulder you must be an anarchist vegan. You must worship prairie dogs and other creatures and be a Buddhist, and clothe your children in natural fibers. One man asked me "Did you know what Boulder was like before you moved there?" I asked him "In what respect?" It was cat-and-mouse. He didn't want to say "Did you know it was so earthy-crunchy?" because he didn't want to offend me in case I was that way too.

People hate Boulder because it's so lefty, or because it's so yuppified. People hate Boulderites because they dress like they're entering the Tour de France when they go out to get a quart of milk, or because of their $800 strollers, or because they look like they slept in a dumpster. The good thing about living in Boulder is that there are all sorts of people around ready to hate you for a wide variety of reasons. I've never lived in a hateable spot like Boulder before, so it's kind of novel. I enjoy asking people "What exactly bothers you about Boulder?" The answers vary a ton. To me, it seems fear-based. Isn't contempt the flip side of fear?

Here are some of my favorite reasons people give for hating Boulder:

1) People in Boulder would drive past an abortion clinic to save a prairie dog.
2) I hate Boulder because people there think the rest of the people in the state are ignorant.
3) Boulder people built that Green Belt to keep people from other towns out.
4) Boulder is anti-growth and that is anti-Colorado.

My husband says "You should tell people you live in Boulder County." Well, what good is that going to do? For Pete's sake, I live on a city street in Boulder one mile from Pearl Street Mall. Anyway, if you hate Boulder and you'll hate me by extension, I'd rather know it than try to hide behind the county.

Plus, I am not one hundred percent standard-issue Boulder. I get acrylic nails and I have highlights in my hair. I wear makeup more than half the time. And my kids eat junk food from time to time and they get to watch TV. So right away I'm out of the spec.

But I'm proud to be a Boulderite, with all the baggage attached. I could have moved to Highlands Ranch or Greeley or anywhere, but I picked the lefty Republic. If someone's going to judge me on that basis, do I really care to know him or her?

The 25 Douchiest Colleges: CU is Number Ten!

Here is the article, which cracked me up.

Superintendent King on Classroom Fees

Yesterday three of my kids started school. Last night came the barrage of forms to be filled out and requests for special fees. I wrote to Superintendent Chris King about the fees issue. Here is my note to him, and his reply (received this morning: fast!).
Cheers,
Liz

----------------------------------------------------------
Dear Superintendent King,

Congratulations on the start of the new school year. I would love to get your thoughts on a start-of-school issue.

I have five kids in BVSD schools and some questions about fees.

I completely understand and am happy to pay fees for my kids' extracurricular activities and special for-credit classes like marching band. I'm concerned, though, about what seem to be mandatory fees for 'regular' classes like art and science. No mention was made when the kids signed up for class last Spring, about these special fees, and some of the classes are required. I'm not comfortable with the slew of requests/demands for fees, ranging from nine to twenty-five dollars, from my children's classroom teachers. I have
a few questions related to these fees:

1) Are they voluntary, or mandatory?

2) Do the individual teachers set the fees?

3) Is there an accounting of the cash and checks that are received, the expenditures that are made and any funds remaining at the end of the term?

4) If a parent (me, for instance) chooses to opt out of the classroom fee, what happens?

Thanks very much in advance for your help. I am very sensitive to budget pressure and all of the other constraints within which our teachers and administrators operate, but I'm also not comfortable spending fifty or more dollars per child in addition to what I've already spent on school supplies, uniforms, semi-voluntary school fundraising donations and other expenses.

yours,

Liz Ryan

SUPERINTENDENT CHRIS KING REPLIES:

Hi Liz:

Fees are voluntary in most cases. Many classes ask for donations, as opposed to fees, and you should know clearly when you are being asked for a donation versus a fee.

Fees can be charged for consumable materials, but you should have the choice of not buying the consumables and still participating fully in the class. These consumables should always be optional.

Fee amounts are set by the Board of Education. Teachers recommend an amount, which needs to be fair market value, and the board approves the amount. For example, a teacher can't decide to charge a flat rate – say $20 – for classroom materials. The materials must be itemized and the amount needs to reflect what the items actually cost.

You should be able to opt out of fees and donations with no consequence. In some cases (like art) you may have fewer materials to work with or materials that are not as nice, but you should still be able to take the class, earn an A, and otherwise participate fully.

Michele Deberry, director of activities, oversees the fee process. If your experience with fees is different than what I have described, please let your principal and Michele know. I am copying her.

Best,

Chris K

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

Here is me singing "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." :-) Liz