Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Equal Rights: The Brush & Nib Studio Case vs The City of Phoenix

Just had to weigh-in on this. It's indeed strange that challenges to constitutionally-protected Equal Rights involve cake-makers and calligraphers! Don't even mention that an Equal Rights Amendment for Women to the U.S. Constitution passed years ago with the Arizona State House hedging and stalling to ratify it as the 36th State to make ERA the law of the land. It's all about discrimination in public accommodations. . .
Here in Mesa, Mayor John Giles has been waiting for the State of Arizona to decide while the city's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance waits for the leadership to get it approved. Corporations located here in Mesa have clearly expressed their feelings over discrimination in the workplace where the city does not even have an ordinance for protected classes that are employed here.
Image result for brush and nib case or is it all about artistic freedom and religious freedom?
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Story image for brush and nib case from AZFamily
Lawyers square off over Phoenix's discrimination ordinance in Brush ...
AZFamily-13 hours ago
... over Phoenix's discrimination ordinance in Brush and Nib Studio case .... Their case is based on speculation and hypotheticals, so it makes it ...
Gay discrimination case could turn on question of message conveyed
Arizona Capitol Times-15 hours ago
 
Arizona high court hearing case on religious freedom vs. discrimination
UPI.com-18 hours ago
 
Arizona justices consider whether business can refuse same-sex ...
Arizona Daily Star-14 hours ago
 
State high court to hear gay discrimination case
Eastern Arizona Courier-Jan 21, 2019
 
Phoenix LGBT wedding invitation case back in court
Local Source-AZCentral.com-10 hours ago
 
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RELATED CONTENT:
Brush & Nib Studio v. City of Phoenix - Alliance Defending Freedom
www.adflegal.org/detailspages/case-details/brush-nib-studio-v.-city-of-phoenix
 
While the case proceeds for Joanna, Breanna, and Brush & Nib, they continue to create art reflecting God's beauty. And they hope to soon have the freedom to ...

Web results

Lawyers square off over Phoenix's discrimination ordinance in Brush ...
https://www.azfamily.com/...brush/article_cce87356-1e95-11e9-924e-dbb04cbdbf18....

14 hours ago - ... over Phoenix's discrimination ordinance in Brush and Nib Studio case .... Their case is based on speculation and hypotheticals, so it makes it ...

Web results

Brush & Nib Studio v. City of Phoenix - Alliance Defending Freedom
www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/10037

 

Artistic freedom at heart of case Arizona Supreme Court will hear Tuesday ... WHO: Brush & Nib Studio owners Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, ADF Senior ...

Arizona Court of Appeals favors Phoenix in Brush and Nib Studio case ...


https://www.bizjournals.com/.../court-rules-for-phoenix-same-sex-discrimination.html
Jun 7, 2018 - Breanna Koski and Joanna Duka of Brush & Nib Studio ... This case is the first of its kind in Arizona, according to documents from the Court of ...

Arizona Supreme Court hears case on Phoenix LGBT wedding ...


https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/...case...brush-nib/2648514002/
10 hours ago - Phoenix LGBT wedding invitation case back in court ... Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studio, sued Phoenix in 2016, ...

Brush & Nib v. City of Phoenix | Lambda Legal


https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/brush-nib-v-city-of-phoenix
Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Arizona Court of Appeals supporting the City of Phoenix in its defense against a challenge to its ...

Phoenix Calligraphy Company Loses Lawsuit Over Anti ...


https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/.../brush-nib-studio-phoenix-anti-discrimination-9...
Oct 27, 2017 - Phoenix calligraphy company Brush & Nib Studio sued the city over its anti-discrimination policy. It didn't go great.
 
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Tuesday, January 22, 2019

“I Was Absolutely Afraid”: Indigenous Elder on “Mob Mentality” of MAGA H...

Viral social media video
Published on Jan 22, 2019
Views: 15,034+
https://democracynow.org - On Friday, thousands took part in the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C. The next day, video went viral of an interaction that took place soon after the march ended between an indigenous elder and a group of Catholic high school students from Kentucky who had attended a March for Life protest the same day. In the video, Omaha elder Nathan Phillips is seen peacefully playing his drum and singing while being encircled by the students—some of whom were wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats. The video appears to show the students taunting and mocking Phillips. Some of the students are seen making a tomahawk-chop motion with their arms. One student wearing a red MAGA hat is seen standing directly in front of Phillips while grinning and smirking. The videos sparked widespread outrage, but some commentators walked back their critique of the students after more videos were posted online. We speak to Nathan Phillips about what happened. He is a Vietnam-era veteran and previous director of the Native Youth Alliance.

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Wellness 2019: What's The Buzz? 2 Different Approaches

Well, the subject of Wellness was an unexpected topic to post about today. Walking around Main Street here in Downtown Mesa there was an event featured by the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce  at Jarrod's Coffee, Tea & Gallery and this page in the opening image from the Jan-Feb 2019 issue of The Arizona Beehive available at some downtown sidewalk racks.
THE 1ST 2019 HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUE.
The Arizona Beehive – Local. LDS. Love.  $19 year subscription
A newspaper for and about Latter-day Saints
The Arizona Beehive LLC.
1225 W. Main Street Suite #101-439.
Mesa, AZ 85201 480-304-5646.
You can also read the entire current issue online 
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Letter from the Publisher, Michael J. O'Brien:
"To assist those who wish to commit to a healthier and wellness-oriented lifestyle, we present our first Health & Wellness issue.
As members of the Church, we are commanded, by virtue of The Word of Wisdom (D&C 89), to live a healthy lifestyle. As with all commandments, we need help, motivation and goals to achieve what The Lord asks or especially commands us to do. Recall that He directs us as such because He loves us and wants us to be happy.
“…men are that they might have joy” (2Ne 2:25).
When we are healthy, we experience joy. Conversely, when we are not healthy, we find it difficult being joyful. The Lord wants and needs joyful servants!
To this end we invite you to explore the pages of this issue, checking out the articles, AND the ads from companies concerned about your health and wellness. We worked hard to provide content to appeal to all Latter-day Saint lifestyles. . . "
Link > http://arizonabeehive.com/ 
If you're interested in family histories, here's just one of the newspaper issues
The Sirrine Family: George Sirrine: One Of Mesa’s Founding Fathers
The Sirrine Family: George Sirrine: One of Mesa’s Founding Fathers
January 15, 2019
Brigham Young called George to help colonize Arizona. . . Once they arrived at the Salt River Valley, the party learned of ancient canals and determined to bring water to the mesa from the river. George set to work planting orchards, helping to organize a Zion’s Cooperative as well as building the first flour mill in the locale, . . When his first wife died during childbirth, George married Esther Ann Crismon. . . According to George’s great-grandson, Ronald Sirrine, settlers learned to build with adobe from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indians.
The Sirrine House, located in downtown Mesa, memorializes the building spirit of this pioneer family. The town’s only Victorian Era home still standing became a museum in 1986. [Blogger's Note: Other people might dispute that]
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The morning event at Jarrod's was a surprise - your MesaZona blogger just happened to walk in the door with no idea what's going on and happy to see a group of people here. Jarrod's is open for business to everyone here on Main Street for more than three years: the owner has totally up-ended the coffee business with walls filled with works of local artists, hosting arts and entertainment events all times of the day and evening.
The place is a comfortable social venue. There's a lounge area in the front, tables-and-chairs for 2, 6 or 8 conversations spread throughout, and an open-air outdoor space in the back.
East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
EVHCC - East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic growth and empowerment of all business enterprises within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix.
CONTACT THE CHAMBER
215 N Robson, Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 626-0091 X402
Link > http://www.evhcc.org/ 
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Welcome to Melaleuca,
The Wellness Company
Welcome to the largest online wellness shopping club. Our mission is to enhance the lives of those we touch by helping people reach their goals.
https://www.melaleuca.com/
Since 1985, Melaleuca has been manufacturing consumable products to help people live healthier, longer, and more vibrant lives. Unlike other companies, Melaleuca refuses to compromise on quality. It uses only the finest ingredients and a balance of science and nature to make more than 350 wellness products that millions of people around the world use every day.
Melaleuca products aren’t just better for your health and safer for the environment. They are also a better value. Because of their super-concentrated formulas and high-quality ingredients, they are much more effective than the diluted, cheaper grocery store brands. And since Melaleuca is a debt-free company that doesn’t rely on advertisers, middlemen, or shelf space at retail stores, the savings are passed directly to customers like you who enjoy “Exceptional products at reasonable prices.”
On Facebook > https://www.facebook.com/melaleuca
Featured Posts

Melaleuca is built on the proven performance of its exclusive wellness products. On January 5, 2019, at its annual launch event, Melaleuca introduced innovative new products, new flavors, and new looks—all designed to delight customers and enhance lives. Here is a quick recap of the January announcements… New Vitality Methyl B Complex!

 
 
 

 
 

Melaleuca - YouTube


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Serendipity: A Story Smack-Down | Mesa Farmers Market & Flea

There's something about East Valley Tribune Staff Reporter Jason Stone's story that really 'bugs' your MesaZona blogger. Here's the simple story line: The City of Mesa has wanted to revive a downtown farmers market for years. The owners of a successful downtown sandwich shop have wanted to create one . . . OK.  Other Arizona cities [close-by Gilbert for example]have made their Farmers Markets success-stories. The City of Mesa never got it right . . . and they think that partnering-up with two owners of a casual sandwich can?
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It's "a unique blend" for sure and it is funny:
“It’s actually funny,” said Kelsey Strothers, co-organizer of the market with her husband, Jim Bob. “We met with the mayor’s office and some of the people there to say, ‘Hey, we want to put on a farmers’ market.’ And they said, ‘We are literally putting out an RFP for a farmers’ market right now.’”
HEY! HEY! Just a serendipitous moment. NOT
"They’re all hoping that serendipitous moment is the beginning of a successful, long-running weekly community event".
Who's the "They" ? Whomever the they might be, they're throwing elements of anything usually included in street fairs. Farmers Markets are Green Markets for agricultural products: grains, freshly-harvested vegetables and fruits, fibers, nuts and oils, herbs-and-spices, chicken and duck eggs, dairy products like fresh milk, yogurt and cheeses, meats and poultry and farm-raised fish or products locally-grown or processed: honey, baked goods, salsas and condiments - all of which are perishable. Health-and-nutrition and wellness and well-being.
Local artisans and hand-crafters who use locally-originated materials are showcased:  gems and minerals and fossils and petrified woods, metal workers, weavers, furniture, pottery and ceramics, blankets and bowls, embroidery and stitchery, hand-crafted metals.
Flea markets are for "collectibles" and a mish-mash of stuff.
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According to Jason Stone's article on 17 January 2019
Farmers market to fill big downtown Mesa void
Jeff Robbins, a Mesa management assistant in the City Manager’s office, said the creation of a farmers’ market to rival those in nearby communities was among the top responses out of 10,000 they received in a 90-day online social media campaign last year for citizen engagement named Imagine Mesa.  Actually it started way before that and it had nothing to do to rival farmers markets in nearby communities:
“We really took that [online survey] and ran with that,”  Robbins said. It's Mesa's latest attempt at establishing a farmers' market presence. . . "I'm not quite sure why they stopped operating, but it's been a little while," Robbins said. ? HUH? HUH?
If Robbins did his research he would have found out.
The reasons why:
1. Hardly anyone shops for farm-produced goods in downtown Mesa.
Downtown Mesa is considered a "Food Desert" by many, with a few small neighborhood markets the exceptions. Supermarkets in shopping centers have taken over. 
2. Residents in downtown Mesa were not attracted to either the locations chosen or the quality of the products presented by vendors or the day chosen - Friday. 
3. Complaints about high prices
4. Vendors stopped showing up due to lack of sales and low customer turn-out.
Robbins said “We did a lot of research in the market – what works, what drives traffic,” Robbins said. “We wanted to create an event with multiple activities."
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People can go and have an experience at a farmers’ market.”
OK....but do the people mentioned really have the experience to pull this off?
 "The city felt strongly that they wanted to have a farmers’ market presence. So, it put out a request for proposals since that was something we were already passionate about.”
OK. Many people for many years have wanted any kind of a market downtown for years - - years way before that  "Imagine Mesa" campaign.
Three years ago an on-site tour here in Downtown Mesa by the President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank John Williams [he's now the President of the New York Federal Reserve], noted that there is a lack of a fresh food market downtown that's open 7 days a week.
The mayor and his chief-of-staff were somewhere in the 24-member group .
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Back to Jason Stones article
"That passion extends to the Strotherses, two Evergreen District residents who own Worth Takeaway at 218 W. Main St. They have turned the sandwich shop, which is about a mile from Pioneer Park, into a huge success in less than three years. . .
OK. . . Is making sandwiches a successful small-time business in some way a qualifier to develop a farmers market where one person has a degree in "dietetics"??  
The Strotherses’ plan was exactly what the city was looking to establish. . ."
Robbins said.
So what does the city do? Turn to two sandwich-shop owners: Kelsey and Jim Bob Strothers - to scale-up their small casual made-to-order sandwich success at 118 W Main Street into a one-day weekly seasonal Pop-Up event Mesa Farmers Market & Flea in Pioneer Park on 526 East Main Street opposite the Mesa LDS Temple that is closed for a 2-year renovation. “Essentially, it’s a business for us,” Kelsey said. “We personally felt passionately about operating it as a business and operating it from the standpoint we thought would be the most successful.”
O yeah [see the sign] LET'S GET THIS BREAD
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The Strotherses originally said it was all a dream and they wanted to give back to the close-knit downtown community by opening up a market designed for families who weren’t only interested in buying fresh foods but also wanted a place to gather. “Our goal was to create some fun culture in the area and provide another option for entertainment and dining,”
OK. How:  
The organizers’ private LLC is paying for the majority of the cost to put on the market.
(See that sign on the wall in the image above right: LET'S GET THIS BREAD)
No mention of who - the organizers - are. Just "a private LLC" Limited Liability Corporation created to partner with the city supposedly to stage a weekly seasonal one-day a week event in a public park for which they will rent for $100 per day.
The city's newsroom had this to say as part of a public relations push after city approval of the RFP in October 2018. Different reasons are stated to start off the presser.
 
Mesa Farmers Market and Flea [click the underlined link to open the press release]January 3, 2019 at 8:53 am
Starting January 19, Pioneer Park will host the new Mesa Farmers Market and Flea on Saturdays. The market is designed to help Arizona small businesses flourish by providing a fun and inviting sales environment and to make fresh, healthy options...
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Take-Away from the city's press release:
". . . Mesa Farmers Market and Flea was developed by downtown Mesa business owners Kelsey and Jim Bob Strothers, from Worth Takeaway, which was named the 2018 Best Sandwich Shop by the Phoenix New Times.
"We are excited to bring Mesa Farmers Market and Flea to Pioneer Park," Kelsey Strothers said. "There will be a unique blend of local farmers, food vendors, artists, home goods, apparel and other makers participating each week."

Yup that "unique blend" makes it official.
Signed, sealed and delivered 
They're all hoping.
Good luck!
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