I installed Google Chrome to use as my main browser, and use it only when surfing trusted websites. Now I have the formidable task of finding all of my bookmarks.

I finished loading the apps I always run – InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Filezilla, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Adobe Acrobat, and my security stuff – Avg, Spybot Search and Destroy, Malwarebyte’s Anti Malware, HijackThis!, RKill, TDSS Killer, the list goes on!

Now I can get back to work with the updates to Stan Sperlak’s website. This escapade cost me two days of work.

Now I have a chance to relax a little, and clean up before Liz and I go to Ted and Sharon Keifer’s Goat Party! YEAH!

Ted owns a little spread in Greenwich – about 300 acres on the bay. This is the second goat party. I never had goat before Ted’s first goat party a couple years ago. It is excellent!

To cook it, he digs a pit, and puts leaves and branches int he pit, and puts the goat meat in, covers it with coals, and then buries the whole thing. The goat then cooks all day. Then we all help dig it up. Well, mostly watch as it is dug up.

You posts about Lauren are plentiful, all one need do is type her name in the search box on your blog to read them all in context.

You made many assumptions that were not true – which is all water under the bridge. Some day all the facts might come out, then again, maybe not. I know that at this point all parties involved with the Levoy have one focus, and that is to move forward and ensure that it is a success.

Which brings us to the final point – you don’t like the source of funding. A desolate and deserted downtown is much preferable to a thriving arts and theater district that is aided with some public money.

Political philosophies aside, the truth of the matter is – the “free market” was allowed to dictate High Street’s future. It was a dangerous place to be after dusk – I know because I was there! We had muggings at the Post Office after dark. ALL of the second floor apartments were filled with the worst tenants that would throw garbage on the sidewalks from the windows, spit on pedestrians – yes – this is fact.

The city in its wisdom decided to take control and devised a plan with LOTS of public input – many public meetings were held – to turn things around. Grant money was used to install pavers on the sidewalks – and the same naysayers today were screaming it was a waste of tax money to put new sidewalks in a derelict down town.

The street lamps were installed – and ditto from the peanut gallery. The city leaders did not care what the downtown became, as long as it was successful. They wanted storefronts filled once again. The public came out – hundreds upon hundreds – to support the arts district concept, and the mayor was NOT impressed. City commission felt that it would be a failure.

However, the public support was so overwhelming that they were swayed. The MDC funded the RRCA through grants. Vounteers worked n the project for two years before there was even a building. VOLUNTEERS ran it for the first couple years. the director worked for FREE for two years – not taking a salary or compensation. He worked 60 hour weeks.

And the complainers STILL whined and railed against it, doing everything in their power to shut it down. But not one of them ever gave a serious effort to opening a REAL art gallery.

Volunteers created 3rd Friday. Not the city – it was a few merchants, a few artists and volunteers doing it for free, using our own money to buy wine and cheese for openings.

If it were not for the impetus of the city backed RRCA, the rest of the pieces would not have fallen in place. Artisans walk was opened only because the developer saw the city was serious about supporting High Street due to the RRCA. The 500 block of High Street beginning with Botegga of Art opened ONLY because of the city’s commitment. That little bit of assistance ensure a ton of private investment.

The ratables on High Street have INCREASED in the past ten years due to the private investment.

If the Levoy were not able to secure the public investments, they would never have secured any private money, especially in this economy. And I don’t see any of the naysayers, or even the “supporters” rushing out to volunteer, or donate their own money.

It is fine to say you disapprove of the funding – but you are the one being disingenuous when you say you support it but would gladly see the whole project fail simply because you want them to not be able to secure funding in the only feasible way.

That is sort of like saying you want to go to California, and fully support the idea of driving there, but don’t want to put gas in your car.