PTRA Coffe Chat Closing

Coffee and Chat originally started back in 2003 or 2004 when a resident took it upon himself to help others this way every morning.

Since that time Coffee and Chat grew and the PTRA took it over and ran it as a real business and it made money.

Now after talking to Richard Craghead the out going President of the PTRA,Coffee and Chat is closing. This is what Richard Craghead told me face to face.

The reason sighted were: Internal conflicts,the present Coffee and Chat Moderator quitting and another reason I cannot state here due to confidentiality reasons but Coffee and Chat has come to an end. The sad thing is Coffee and Chat held it's own as far as finances were concerned.

This is kind of a bitter sweet and sad moment in the time of Paquin Tower. Alot of residents used to come down for Coffee and Chat when it was offered for free but due to no donations by it's users a "charge" had to be installed to be sure costs were covered. Those who did not understand why the new fees stopped coming down but the loyal Coffee and Chatters still came daily or as they felt like.

Coffee and Chat though also had alot of internal politics and controversy that came with it and alot of rumor mongering,liable slander and more which was one of the reasons I initially resigned and others before myself as well.

Coffee and Chat will be missed by some but not by all but it will be missed by those who truly believed in the concept of the Coffee and Chat sessions each and every morning and especially on the Holidays when alot have no family to go home to but those here at Paquin Tower.

Will Coffee and Chat return is another question that must be asked. Could it come back under CHA Resident Services in cooperation with Columbia Parks and Recreation Adapted Community Recreation Program? Who would run it daily and keep track of money,inventory and ordering of supplies? Would there be new rules drawn up?

Richard Craghead said until certain conditions are met that he is happy with that Coffee and Chat will stay closed forever but can the PTRA over ride CHA Resident Services and the Columbia P & R Adapted Recreation Program coordinators if they so choose to reopen it?

I am not saying that will ever happen but what if it did happen or if through the two latter groups mentioned they got somebody or a Coffee Company to "Donate the Coffee" during the week days to keep it open and all the two groups had to do was supply the cups and condiments what then?

Alot of possibilities are wide open and they do not require the approval of the PTRA Board. That is a fact my friends and residents of Paquin Tower.

Coffee Chat is closed for now and in a way I am one of those glad but sad to see it closed as it really needed a time out of sorts and IMHO it really needs better management by somebody who truly cares about it and the residents who use it.

R.I.P. Coffee and Chat.

Twenty Years of ADA

Aimee Wehmeier remembers maneuvering her motorized wheelchair out of a local grocery store about five years ago when a man in the parking lot gave her a quarter. She was puzzled by his action and asked what the quarter was for.

“To help you,” he replied.

She laughs about it even now, joking about what practical use a quarter is for anyone — in or out of a wheelchair.

Wehmeier, who has muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair her entire life, certainly wasn’t raised to put her hand out to depend on an occasional quarter for sustenance.

“My mom told me, ‘You better get a good job because you’ll never wait tables,’” she recalled. So, taking Mom’s advice, she left St. Charles after graduating from Francis Howell North High School in 1989 and moved to Columbia that summer.

It was one year before then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. ADA was considered the most comprehensive policy statement ever made regarding civil rights for people with disabilities.

Source and More:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/jul/11/twenty-years-ada/#c169678

Changing Of The Guard?

Looking for another resident to confirm but this I was told tonight.

Tonight I was informed that our PTRA President Richard Craghead stepped down from his position and that our Vice President Debbie Miner is now in charge.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be decided. There are things going on behind the scenes that most residents know about or suspect of going on and to alot who do care it is quite disturbing. This spills over also into the Parks and Recreation Program as well. I cannot disclose all of the things I see and know but well..... let's just say that.....well...not everything is as it seems to be on the surface.

I am not surprised at Richard resigning due to he has been in the position for four years now and due to alot of conflicts over the PTRA and what it does and does not do. Mainly what is lacks seriously in doing.

So who will step up or be placed as the new Vice President? Wanna take any bets folks? I have my thoughts but will keep them to myself until a later time. The other question is who will still be pulling strings from outside of the PTRA trying to get their ideas and ways of wanting things done voted in. Wanna take any guesses who that might be?

Just remember residents and this is a fact. The PTRA has absolutely no power at all. Zero,null,zilch,nadda none! You the residents yourselves have ALL OF THE POWER with your votes and your rights according to the PTRA Bi-Laws and your rights as a resident with in Paquin Tower. You have the power not the PTRA Officers or Alternates. The PTRA is nothing with out the residents with in this community. They cannot approve or vote into anything you the resident do not let them.

We all shall see in which direction this new venue of the board will be going but I can see there will be changes in one way or the other but just remember if you the resident of Paquin Tower do not like any Officer or Alternate on the PTRA you do have the right of a "Recall Vote" and all it takes is a valid reason according to the PTRA Bi-Laws and 20 signatures on a petition handed into the CHA Resident Services Coordinator to make it happen.

If you want your voice heard Yea or Nay show up at the PTRA Meetings held the last Monday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Paquin Tower dining room.

Hard Core Manager and Residents Save Basement From Flooding.

First off this is not about me this is only what I experienced from my point of view. It was "Team Effort" by all mentioned here.

Wow what a evening it was with the rains coming down in barrels like somebody opened up the flood gates on Bagnel Dam!!

Tonight as I was watching it rain I was watching the in house television channels and watched the entire parking lot begin to flood so I decided I should go downstairs and it is a good thing I did.

When I arrived on First Floor they had water in the dining room coming under the Emergency Exit on the West side of the Dining Room but that was not the big issue. They had it under control with Carmen and Robert Smith taking charge of that mini crisis.

I proceeded downstairs only to hear the sounds of women talking a lil high pitched and when I looked here was Penny Harrington our House Manager,Debbie Miner,Penny's Kids,Mike Barnes and John Ward mucking and using a Shop Vac to suck up water as fast as they could from in front of Penny's door to her apartment. Oh what a sight that was I assure you.

I got the key to the garage from Penny and found the squeegees, the large shop broom and propped open the basement doors plus reopened the main garage door.  We had to push all of that water somewhere and that place was outside asap!

First I gave Debbie a Squeegee and I took the other one and started pushing water into the laundry room to the drain in there. I did not want the water to get as far as the shop or the warehousing room.

Once we noticed the water going down we really put the push on to get the water all the way out. At that time Mussah showed up and the second Shop Vac went into operation. We pushed water as fast as we could go with Mike Barnes even using his power wheel chair as the motor and him holding the Squeegee in hand pushing water like a regular mechanical machine. Dam impressive seeing him work his chair with that Squeegee in hand.

Once I could I cleared the drains in the parking lot that were covered in junk from water run off. It was like 6 snow shovels full of junk. 

We finally got all of the water pushed out and dried out the best we could.

Great job goes out to Penny Harrington,her kids Ethan and Tarra,Debbie Miner,Mike Barnes,John Ward and Mussah for all of the hard work we did together.

 Especially Debbie Miner as her and I worked side by side to get a common job done as fast as we could. We do not usually get along but I had to joke with her as we worked about "See what it takes for us to have to get along" at which she could not help but laugh.

Ideas were given to Penny by Mike Barnes of the fact we need Sump Holes drilled into the basement floor is strategic locations so Sump Pumps can be used in these situations that happen each year. I have lived here at Paquin Tower 6 years now and each and every year it has flooded in the basement. This is obviously an ongoing issue that needs to be fixed.

Also it is quite obvious that Columbia's Storm Water System is inadequate to handle heavy run off of the magnitude that causes all City water run off storm drains to back up and flood every year.

 The solutions cost money yes but I really feel solutions need to be put into place in the basement of Paquin Tower so in the future we can better control these major floods we do get that totally try to overwhelm the drainage of the parking lot and then inundate the entire basement.

 Sump Pump Holes are a great idea. One in each of the two hall ways drilled about 3 foot down by 1 foot in diameter to accommodate a decent pump that will handle high volume of water quickly. These holes would obviously have safety covers that can be removed to insert the portable pumps that would be kept in the garage. Another pump hole could be drilled in the garage itself and even one in the warehouse room too.

Just some ideas I'm throwing out as Mike Barnes made the main suggestion.

All in all Paquin Tower Site Manager and Residents win another battle by working together for the betterment of the building.