Fairgrounds, Huscroft House, Skosh and God

DERAIL THE SALE!
Here's my question for the day... Is there any resident of Orange County who actually wants the Fairgrounds to be sold? Other than the current Fair Board, that is... Based on the recent public meetings held in Costa Mesa, I'd say the answer is a resounding NO!

FOLEY AND LEECE LEAD THE WAY
Last night the Costa Mesa City Council, following an outstanding presentation by Councilwoman Katrina Foley and Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece, heard dozens of residents and other stakeholders present their individual views on this subject. Heck, they were even serenaded by blogger Vern Nelson, who appeared in a red, hooded cape, and sang "Tainted Sale" to the music of "Tainted Love", which brought down the house. Even Mayor Allan Mansoor cheered him when he finished.

HISTORY AND PLANS OUTLINED
Foley and Leece outlined the history of this sale scheme and gave the audience the time line that we face if the sale is to be stopped. They also presented the steps the City is taking to slam the door on potential buyers. It was announced that, during their closed session meeting, the council had agreed to proceed with plans to make a bid outright for the Fairgrounds and authorized spending $250,000 dollars of staff time toward that planning.

THREE-PRONGED ACTION
The upshot of the meeting was a three-pronged motion presented by Foley. To quote Foley, "The first part is to prepare a letter to all Orange County legislators and Speaker of the Assembly requesting that they put forth legislation to cancel the sale. The second part to prepare a letter signed by all of the city council members to demand that the governor terminate the sale. And, thirdly, to authorize member Leece and myself to personally communicate our city's position to the governor, state elected and local officials and representatives to work with the City Manager in making it our top priority to stop the sale." The motion passed unanimously. Now the hard work begins because the time constraints and holidays will severely tax a staff thinned by budget constraints.

FAIR BOARD TO BE INVESTIGATED?
One interesting issue was broached by one speaker - that of the possible illegality on the part of the Fair Board and their hired representative in the sale of the Fair. As mentioned in an earlier post, R. Scott Moxley at the OC Weekly, HERE, indicated that the county attorney was pursuing legal action. The Orange County Register, HERE, further reported today that the State Attorney General declined to investigate because he is the legal counsel for the Fair Board. The buck has been passed back to the county, where District Attorney Tony Rackauckas will be asked to investigate this allegation. It was also suggested that Federal authorities take part in this investigation.

WHERE WAS RIGGY?
Another question arose as I watched the proceedings on television tonight - where's Riggy? Costa Mesa Planning Commission Chairman Jim Righeimer has been omnipresent at every other meeting on this subject and had begun his own effort to place the subject on the ballot. He's been taking a lot of flack over the past week or so for his censoring of comments on his Save The Fair web site and, reports have it, that he's had at least one toe-to-toe heated discussion with a member of the public who questioned his motives.

HE'S STILL A CARPETBAGGER...
My opinion of Riggy has not changed over the past couple years. I've referred to him as a carpetbagging political opportunist, who used his GOP connections to get himself appointed to the Planning Commission after helping get Mansoor re-elected two years ago after having resided in Costa Mesa for only a few months. I don't like his heavy-handed approach on the Planning Commission, which is now made all the more onerous because he's been joined by Steve Mensinger and Colin McCarthy - all three have strong developer ties. To me, that's like asking the fox to be housemother in the chicken coop.

A NEW LOWER PROFILE?
I was suspicious of his motivation with his Save The Fair scheme and the passage of time has done nothing to change my opinion. Hopefully, the council action last night will eliminate any need for him to insert himself into this process.

A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON TAKING...
A sidebar at the meeting was the concern expressed by several residents about the evolving sale of the Huscroft House on Bernard Street. After the city bent over backwards helping the buyer of that derelict building in the form of financial incentives and relaxation of zoning issues, it seems the owner has sold the place to an outfit that plans to use if for a recovery home! Actually, it sounds like it's a series of recovery homes, to stay within the 6-person-per-house rule.

NEIGHBORS APPREHENSIVE
This has created much angst among residents along that street, several of whom have purchased homes in an adjacent development assuming the Huscroft House would remain an owner-occupied dwelling and be an anchor of a revitalized section of the Westside of town.

THANK YOU, LINDA DIXON
This whole deal was bad from the beginning, but then-councilwoman Linda Dixon carried the torch for that ramshackle building and the council at the time got snookered. When will we learn? The City Attorney will investigate to see what, if anything, can be done. They shouldn't hold their breath, as our friends down in Newport Beach can tell you.


MONAHAN WAS CITED AND FINED
On the subject of councilman Gary Monahan's illegal banner on his pub, city officials tell me he was issued a citation late last week and has 30 days in which to pay the $75.00 fine and remove the banner. If he fails to do so he will be cited again, this time with a $200.00 fine and another 30 days to take the banner down. If he continues to thumb his nose at the city he will be cited a third time and fined $500.00. If he doesn't remove the banner after that citation the issue will be turned over to the city prosecutor for disposition. We all remember what a bang-up job he did with the Benito Acosta criminal trial, don't we? He dropped the ball and the case was dismissed.

ABUSE OF POWER
I expect Monahan will continue to rack up the fines and write them off as a cost of doing business. The time line above will take him through the football season. However, I fully expect to see another similar illegal banner in March, advertising March Madness, and the process will begin all over again. As I've said before, Monahan seems more than willing to abuse his position on the council for his own personal gain and ignore any rules he doesn't like. Thanks to all of you who voted him back into office after a dozen years of these kinds of shenanigans.

IT'S OFFICIAL - "IN GOD WE TRUST"
Oh, yes... at the end of the council meeting, after many impassioned speakers on both sides of the issue, the council agreed with Wendy Leece and voted, 5-0, to hang the motto, "In God We Trust", in bold brass letters on the wall behind the speaker's dais. Of the many excellent presentations we heard on this issue, Byron de Arakal's suggestion struck me as the best compromise. He thought, if we really had to have a patriotic phrase hanging behind the council, it should be the first three words of the Constitution- "We, the people"... I agree.


A WORD OF CAUTION
I encourage the city staff to use great care when placing that motto on the wall behind the Mayor's chair. We sure don't want Mayor Mansoor to look like the motto is running through his head - even though it would likely find no obstruction to impede it.

O.C. Fair Sale Pot Is At Full Boil

FAIRGROUNDS SALE A HOT TOPIC
The sale of the Orange County Fair and Events Center as a theoretical method of balancing the state's budget continues to generate more heat than light.


MUCH PUBLISHED OPINION
Much has been written in the local media recently on this subject, including on this blog. The President of the current Fair board, Kristina Dodge - who could probably buy the Fairgrounds from her petty cash account - wrote an opinion piece in the Daily Pilot HERE. The editors of the Daily Pilot opined that the Fair should stay, HERE.

LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Following the most recent Costa Mesa City Council meeting last Tuesday night Daily Pilot reporter Mona Shadia gave us her take on the proceedings HERE and Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit dragged himself away from his law books to cover the meeting, which he summarizes HERE.

RIGGY WANTS A BALLOT MEASURE
Republican activist, Costa Mesa Planning Commission Chairman and councilman-wannabe Jim Righeimer has taken the cause of keeping the Fair intact under his wing and has written two columns in the Daily Pilot to generate interest in a ballot measure to accomplish that goal, HERE and HERE. Stand-in City Attorney, Harold Potter, opined last Tuesday that the City cannot put this issue on the ballot - something do do with liability if it scares off a potential buyer. He was directed to present more information to the council on this issue.

NEW ORGANIZATION'S MEETINGS TO BE CLOSED TO PUBLIC
Then, to the surprise of very few following this issue, our friends at the Newport-Mesa Daily Voice tells us HERE that the new Orange County Fair and Events Center Foundation - which includes many of the current Fair Board members - have decided that their meetings will not be open to the public. Remember that smell when you drive past a squashed skunk on the road? That's what I smell with this decision, and it's certainly an example of the reason there is so much distrust of this board and their real motives for trying to purchase the Fairgrounds on the cheap. By the way, we still don't know who is on that new board. We do know Dodge and political kingmaker Dave Ellis are apparently on the board, but the other four members from the current Fair Board have not been identified, nor have the two residents of Costa Mesa or other members.

PUBLIC HEARING ON NOVEMBER 9TH
On November 9th Assemblyman Jose Solorio and Assemblyman Van Tran will co-host a hearing on the sale of the Fairgrounds in the Costa Mesa City Council Chambers, from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. I called Solorio's office to see who will be speaking, but was told the panel is still being assembled. (UPDATE: Solorio's office confirmed the tentative attendance of Councilwoman Katrina Foley, Jeff Teller of the Orange County Marketplace and Rick Hansen of the Equestrian Centrer. More to follow as names are confirmed.) I also contacted the City to see if, since this meeting will occur in the Council Chambers during normal business hours, the proceedings will be televised - live or taped for future viewing. I just received a reply - the meeting WILL be televised live on CMTV, Channel 24, and on streaming video (for those outside the city) and will also be included in the replay rotation for future viewing. According to the announcement, a reservation to attend the meeting in person is required, as implied in the last line. Here is the text of the announcement of the meeting:

KEEP AN EYE ON THIS PROCESS!
Based on the recent activities on this issue, there is much public interest in retaining the Fairgrounds as-is - with all the amenities and features intact. The way things seem to be shaking out, if we don't pay very, very close attention to this process we're going to find the Fairgrounds sold for a low-ball price to a group that will then manipulate the Costa Mesa City Council into re-zoning it for major development purposes.

WHENCE THE FAIR?
One question that continues to linger is the status of the group that was appointed by the Governor to run the Fairgrounds. We know the Fair, itself, is guaranteed by the terms of the Request for Proposals for the sale that the Fair is to run unobstructed next year. The actual closing of the acquisition occurs in October, 2010. If the Fairgrounds does, in fact, get sold to someone who wants to put a casino, a toxic waste dump or high rise condos on that 150 acres, what happens to the Fair? Well, if you stand on your tippy-toes and look southeast you'll find a perfect location - the Emperor Agran's Great Boondoggle, er, Park! Yep, it's a perfect place to carve out a couple hundred acres for a new, improved Orange County Fairgrounds. Don't you suppose some of those folks on the Fair Board have thought just a little about that?

DON'T BLINK!
Stay alert on this issue or it will be a done deal before you finish unwrapping your Christmas presents!

Indecision And Vacillation Prevail

TOO MANY DEVELOPERS MEANS TROUBLE
Tonight's Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting demonstrated, loud and clear, the difficulties that can arrive when the commission is dominated by developers - a fact that is exacerbated by the fact that the commission is running with only four members following Jim Fisler's resignation in August. The City Council has not yet selected a replacement for Fisler, which makes the commission even-numbered and can lead to the inability to make a decision. That was not the case tonight, however.

BUFFA'S SLICK PRESENTATION
After listening to a very slick presentation by former mayor Peter Buffa on behalf of the current owners of the withering South Coast Home Furnishings Center requesting approval of significant changes in the center, including the use of LED signs, it was clear that all members of the commission wanted to find a way to make this plan work. One might have been apprehensive about this project when they recalled that Buffa was part of the City Council during the creation and approval of our current municipal white elephant, Triangle Square - a center that has been in trouble since the day it opened and, except for a couple gin mills, is a virtual ghost town.

TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE IT RIGHT
However, residents of the "state streets" turned out in large numbers - more than 50 residents were there hear the issue and to speak - to protest the plan. It seems that when the original project was processed those folks - who live directly across the 405 freeway from the development - were never consulted nor provided an opportunity to express an opinion on the signs that were erected. Those signs make a significant impact on the neighborhood in the form of lighting overflow that has been distressing for many of the residents since the center was built. The signage was handled at a staff level - a fact that was acknowledged by the senior staff member present on this subject. Neither the Planning Commission nor the City Council addressed the sign in the approval process. The neighbors were at the meeting tonight to be sure that slight wasn't perpetuated this time around.

INDECISIVE - WHY?
After several hours of discussion and speaker comments the Planning Commission failed to make a decision! Commissioner Colin McCarthy was on the right track - to deny the project as presented. That move would have given the applicant a chance to promptly appeal it to the City Council and, in the interval, address the items that were clearly problems for the commission and residents. No, the majority - Chairman Jim Righeimer, Vice Chair Sam Clark and Commissioner Steve Mensinger - chose to kick the can down the street to a special Planning Commission meeting next Monday. One can only hope for an even greater turnout of residents to voice their concerns - again.

COMMISSION AND CLARK BACKHAND RESIDENTS
This is a real slap in the face of the residents that took the time to present their very valid concerns and will likely not accomplish a thing. The Planning Commission in the past has complained that important items heard the the commission have evoked virtually no community interest, but then a large number of people subsequently turned out if the item made it to the City Council. Tonight the commission virtually turned it's back on the residents who did turn out and commented. Not only that, but Clark admonished the attendees that, although they had every right to speak on an issue, they should really pick one or two spokespersons. In my view, someone should remind Clark that he's up there to hear the people, not chide them!

THE PROCESS WILL NOW DRAG OUT
The applicant - who has an anchor tenant for the new, improved center, on the hook and is trying to reel it in - expressed concern about delaying the process, which will now happen because this issue cannot possibly be posted for a hearing before the next council meeting on October 20th. It will be lucky to make the cut-off date for the meeting on November 3rd.

WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?
Personally, I don't understand the problem... All the commissioners acknowledged driving the neighborhood in question, to experience the light issue first hand. They all also acknowledged having separate, private conversations with the applicant or his representative. One would have thought that many, if not most, of the issues would have been at least preliminarily discussed during those contacts.

RIGGY AND STEVE
From my view, Righeimer and Mensinger were bending over backward to help the developer to the detriment of the residents. McCarthy understood the issue and was on the right track. It's going to be very, very interesting to see how this pig moves through the snake...


MENSINGER THE PIT BULL
On another note, later, while addressing another issue on the agenda, Mensinger put on his pit bull hat and, several times, wondered out loud what it takes to get Public Services Director Peter Naghavi to do his job! Those were his words! One such comment would have been too many, but repeating it several times was completely inappropriate. He frequently forgets that he's not President of the Planning Commission - he can't bully people like he can in his business or on the Pop Warner football field. Someone needs to remind him of his role, which includes the requirement to treat people with civility - particularly the hardworking members of the beleaguered city staff. What a jerk!

Riggy Drops A Bomb

RIGGY, THE MAD BOMBER
At the Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting Monday night Chairman Jim Righeimer dropped a little fiscal bombshell for those few in attendance and watching at home.

PLANNING REVENUE DOWN TWO-THIRDS!
During his comments section he mentioned that Building Permit revenue had been running consistently around $25 million each quarter for the past several years. He then told us that, for the first quarter of 2009, those revenues were $8 million! Yikes! That gives us just a taste the kind of issues the City Council will be dealing with at their study session Tuesday afternoon and evening.

EXPECTING A FULL HOUSE TUESDAY AFTERNOON
In light of the critical nature of the budget this year I expect that Conference Room 1A will be packed for the study session. Typically, only 15 minutes total is set aside for public comments in study sessions, regardless the number of speakers. That might get complicated... I guess we'll find out..


NO SECOND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING IN JUNE
Riggy mentioned that, because there is no work for them to do, there will not be a second Planning Commission meeting in June. The next meeting will be on July 13th. He also mentioned that consideration is being given to holding only one Planning Commission meeting each month - like the Parks and Recreation Commission - due to the sparsity of items to be heard by them. Sadly, this is a real sign of the times...

NEW TIME BEGINNING IN JULY
And thanks to Riggy for reminding us - and specifically me by name - to set our VCRs and Tivos to record that meeting at the new start time of 6:00 p.m. instead of the traditional 6:30.

Weekend Announcements and The Week Ahead

Geez, take a little weekend trip and strange things happen at home!

FOLEY ANNOUNCES NEW GIG
First, my friend, Katrina Foley, announced to the world this weekend that she has formed a new firm, The Foley Group. She and her associate, Teal Anderson, will provide the professional legal muscle in this new venture. According to her note, Katrina will continue her employment litigation practice, but will grow her practice to include artist and athlete management as well as non-profit corporate organization and compliance services for organizations working with children and youth sports.

Beginning June 8th Foley and Anderson can be reached at their new digs:
The Foley Group, PLC
1600 Dove Street, Suite 101
Newport Beach, CA, 92660
949-502-8800
949-502-8801 fax

The partnership of Lents & Foley has apparently been dissolved. One can assume that, with that dissolution, Katrina may now participate in discussions and votes taken regarding the Costa Mesa Senior Center. Previously her partner was legal counsel for the Center, which created a conflict of interest for Katrina.

I certainly wish Katrina Foley and Teal Anderson the very best of luck with this new venture.

**********

ADIOS, "CMunimPRESSed"
Then I noticed that our old anonymous buddy who publishes the consistently clever CMunimPRESSed blog has decided to fold up his tent. That's a shame, because the wit and perception displayed on that blog has been fun and refreshing. I expect a certain activist in Mesa North will be pleased to read about the CMunimPRESSed's demise. I'll miss it. I suggest you slide your cursor over to the right side of this page and click on the link to that blog, then scroll back through the archives to refresh your memory - and to enjoy his comments as he pokes that certain puffed-up hypocrite from Mesa North with a sharp stick.

Adios, amigo...

**********

AN INTERESTING WEEK AHEAD

ANOTHER "RIGGY" SHOW MONDAY
This week promises to be an interesting one... Monday we have yet another Planning Commission meeting - at 6:30 at City Hall. Tune in to CMTV to watch the Righeimer-led quintet once again play fast and loose with the rules and make applicants squirm. Maybe they should call this "bullying 101".

BUDGET STUDY SESSION ON TUESDAY
Tuesday is the much-anticipated City Council Budget Study Session, at 4:30 p.m. in Conference 1A, which might be followed by a special adjourned council meeting at which the council may provide the staff with direction on the budget. As proposed right now the 09/10 budget will be 18% smaller than the year about to expire the end of June.

BUDGET WORKSHOP ON THURSDAY
On Thursday, at 6:00 p.m., also in Conference Room 1A, the staff will hold a public workshop on the new budget. In the recent past only a half-a-hand-full of residents have attended. I hope for a greater turnout this year, particularly in light of the extreme financial distress our city now finds itself in due to the economy and the capriciousness of our state leaders.

In-N-Out - In Or Out?

PLENTY OF QUESTIONS
At their meeting Monday night the Costa Mesa Planning Commission gave approval to In-N-Out Burger to build a new restaurant in town at the location of the former Kaplan's Deli, on Harbor Blvd. at the 405 Freeway. You can read Alan Blank's article in the Daily Pilot HERE.

ATTACK DOGS IN ACTION - AGAIN
Even though the plan was approved, everything was not all rosy for the developer. Chairman Jim Righeimer and his tag-team partner, Steve Mensinger, demonstrated one more time just what developers in our city will face as they bring projects forward.

APPROVED, WITH GREAT UNKNOWN COSTS
The project was approved - without the signage requested by the applicant - and it included a condition of approval that the applicant didn't like. I can't blame them. It dealt with the need to replace a chain link fence with something spiffier - like a block wall with wrought iron, for example - and also required them to work out an arrangement with the city and Cal Trans as to just who would be responsible for the maintenance of roughly 1500 square feet of landscaping. Depending on how those negotiations go, the costs to the applicant could be very significant.

MC CARTHY TRIED MEDIATION - AND FAILED
Both Righeimer and Mensinger assumed their bully demeanor and made it clear that because they, as developers, had done such projects in the past, they expected the applicant to follow their demands. Rookie commissioner Colin McCarthy, a real estate lawyer, twice tried to get Riggy and Mensinger to back off, and was joined by Vice Chair Jim Fisler - to no avail. They dug in their heels and refused to modify their demands. The motion approving the project - with the contested condition of approval - eventually passed unanimously.

BULLYING DOESN'T GET IT
I don't like what I see in Righeimer and Mensinger on the Planning Commission dais. They demonstrate impatience with applicants and Riggy short-cuts procedures. Last night, for example, he failed to give the applicant a final chance to address the contested issues before calling for the vote. He's making up the rules as he goes along, which is certainly a change in atmosphere from other recent Planning Commissions, who followed the rules and conducted hearings with professionalism, decorum and respect.

"EX PARTE"? WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT?
Another thing that I find curious is Righeimer's question of his fellow commissioners inquiring if they had had any "ex parte communications" with the parties to the items before them, as though that's a problem. The term "ex parte" is a legal term derived from the Latin and means "By or for one party". I'm not sure what is driving this line of inquiry by Righeimer, but the implication that having private conversations with developers and applicants before the commission is somehow out of line is misleading at best and certainly should offend his fellow commissioners and their predecessors. Every good commissioner in recent memory has considered it his or her job to do just that - visit sites and talk with the principals of the projects to get a clear understanding of the issues.

COUNCIL NEEDS TO REIN-IN RIGGY
I don't know if the applicants will appeal the project to get the wall and landscaping demands sorted out and to re-address the sign issue, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they do. Riggy's playing fast and loose with the rules and we're going to see many of these kinds of situations during his tour as Chairman. The City Council needs to get this resolved in a hurry or they're going to be seeing a lot of appeals of this Planning Commission's rulings.

2009 OC Marathon This Weekend!

Well, folks, the 2009 Avia Orange County Marathon is upon us! You can read all about it HERE.

THREE DAYS OF FUN AND EXCITEMENT
This fun-packed three-day event occurs this weekend, beginning Friday, May 1, with a Health, Fitness & Nutrition Expo, Event Registration and merchandise sales.

Saturday there will be more of the same but will also include the Kids Run the OC event at the Orange County Fair and Event Center.

Sunday is the big day, with races scheduled to begin in the early hours - around 6:30 a.m.. You can read the complete Schedule of Events HERE.

Parking and Directions information can be found HERE.

Maps and descriptions of the courses can be seen HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions will be found HERE.

MAKE A DAY OF IT!
This promises to be an outstanding, world-class event and I encourage residents to find a special viewing place along the course, bring some sun screen and make a day of it.

PLAN YOUR TRIPS AND BE PATIENT
Take some time to review the course layout because this event promises to make a snarl of traffic in our cities for a big part of Sunday. Plan your trips ahead of time and be patient.

A BIG THANKS TO RIGHEIMER
I would be very remiss if I didn't thank my favorite carpetbagger, Jim Righeimer, for playing a huge role in getting the OC Marathon to Costa Mesa. Even though the big races begin at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and wind their way through Newport, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, the races end at the Orange County Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa. This is quite an accomplishment and we owe much of this to the efforts expended by Riggy. Thanks, Jim.

The Winds Of Change

ALL HANDS ON DECK - FINALLY
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting tonight, though brief, was interesting nonetheless. It got off to a good start because all five members showed up for this meeting.(Note: original image - a tornado - apparently caused some readers consternation. So, I swapped it out for the unambiguous image now shown.)

RIGGY TAKES THE HELM
Right off the bat, as anticipated, Carpetbagger Jim Righeimer was elected, 3-2, as the Chairman. Fisler and Sam Clark voted no. Then, in a surprise to me, Steve Mensinger nominated Jim Fisler to retain his seat as Vice Chair, who was confirmed unanimously.

SELF-SERVING SERMON IGNORED
Before the considerations for Chairman were made - and while Fisler still had control of the dais - he provided a little self-serving sermon about the Planning Commission's role in city government and made his point that he thought the person elected as Chairman should have many years as a city resident, with years of experience on other commissions (he specifically mentioned the Parks and Recreation Commission) and committees. Obviously, he was talking about himself. Of course, the new guys just ignored him and chose Righeimer. One had to chuckle.

NOT YOSEMITE SAM, BUT...
There's a new sheriff in town now. It's clear that a "Righeimer" Planning Commission is going to be one that will enforce the rules or force changes to them. I suspect we'll see this group - at least the majority - cutting fewer applicants some slack in their applications. I expect to see fewer conditional use permits and variances issued. This was evident tonight when the proposed restaurants at the location at 19th Street an Harbor Blvd., where the Pasta Connection lived for four decades, were denied because of inadequate parking. Fisler was a happy guy because he's tried to get the previous commission to take a stronger stand on parking. Way, way too many strip malls and shopping venues in this city are severely under-parked.

DONN HALL ILL
Mention was made tonight about the illness of former Mayor and most recent Planning Commission Chairman Donn Hall's illness. Hall is apparently in the hospital because Fisler mentioned it tonight during the meeting. During his decades of service to this city he proved to be a "man of the people", frequently getting his hackles up when he felt personal rights were being violated by "the system". We wish Donn Hall and his family well...