REGULAR FEATURES

SPECIAL FEATURES

WHAT'S NEW

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WHAT'S NEW AT SSQQ THIS MONTH

STORY ONE

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DANCE PARTIES IN JULY

INDEPENDENCE DAY SWING/LATIN PARTY
Saturday, July 10th, 9:15 - Midnight,
Cover Charge $7
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party13.htm

Wear Red White and Blue or you'll be Stew!
Music: Swing in Room 1, Latin in Room 4, and Tango in Room 6.

CRASH COURSES 7-9 pm

BEG LINDY HOP - Gloria
ARGENTINE TANGO - Don
BACHATA - Linda
VIENNESE WALTZ - Judy
ZYDECO - Ronnie
SWING CHARLESTON PTRNS II - Maureen
 

THE SSQQ WESTERN HOEDOWN
Saturday, July 24th, 9:15 - Midnight,
Cover charge $7
http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/party14.htm

Dress Hoedown or Expect a Showdown (i.e., wear whatever you want)

CRASH COURSES 7-9 pm

BEG TEXAS TWOSTEP - Leo
INT TWOSTEP/POLKA: CIRCLE TURNS - Rick
NIGHT CLUB - Anita
DARYL'S FAV GHOST TOWN PTNS - Daryl
SYNCHRONIZED POLKA - Linda
DOWN AND DIRTY WHIP PTNS - Bryan S.

Music: Western, Waltz in Room 1, Whip, WCS in Room 4, and East Coast Swing in Room 6.

Manhunt Alert: The Hoedown Party is the party where we have our Annual Sadie Hawkins Manhunt. This year you ladies will hunt men for cash as well as glory.

Expect this to be a truly amazing event. Getting paid to catch men. Whoa boy!!
Maybe we should come up with some rewards for the men for eluding the women. Definitely!

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UPDATES ON THE SSQQ SEPTEMBER RHAPSODY
DANCE CRUISE  -  96 AND COUNTING!!

http://ssqq.com/information/rhapsody2004promo.htm

Marla Gorzynski

marla@ssqq.com
713 862 4428

STORY FOUR

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STORY FIVE

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Maureen Brunetti and Steve Gabino

Patty Oh, Maureen, Rick in "2 Girls 4 Every Boy"

Steve and Maureen in a Dip.

Steve and Gina Garza in the same Dip

Maureen and Bruce Hanka in a hand hold

Maureen and Paul Foltyn in the same hand hold

STORY SIX 

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STORY EIGHT

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STORY NINE

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STORY TEN

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STORY ELEVEN

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COMPLAINT OF THE MONTH:   SIX COMPLAINTS IN ONE MONTH!!   A NEW RECORD.

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 8:02 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Disappointment

Hi Rick,

I realize that you do not know me, but I have taken about 5 classes at SSQQ and absolutely have loved it until last night. I was signed up for Night Club, a dance class that I was waiting for. I had actually e-mailed you about it wondering when it was going to be taught and you responded and I waited. Well, I guess only 4 people were signed up and the class was cancelled. I was so disappointed but I do understand that you have rules to abide by. What really upset me and the reason for this e-mail was how it was handled. I was told that I can either join another class or get a refund. Fair enough.

I sought out a schedule to see what was being offered. When I asked if I could go home and see what I might want to take, I was told that I had to make the decision right then and there. So I asked if I could "view" a class to see if I wanted it. I was told no, either go to a class or get a refund. I chose the refund. Now I did not have any trouble getting the refund, but I felt that I was being pushed into a decision that I wasn't sure I wanted. I just wanted to see if I would like what was going on and if I was "qualified" to take it. I was going to go into the whip class or the Martian class but had no idea what they were.

I think the best way I could see this being handled is for you to come in. Now I realize that you are teaching a class, but all classes seem to have 2 people teaching and it would have been nice for you to relinquish the class to the other person for 5 minutes to come in and explain our options and maybe answer briefly what each class was.

I know I wasn't the only one that had questions about the other classes. And as I was standing there trying to take this all in, I was asked to leave because you were going to use the room. So I felt I was either being told to dance or get out. Now I realize that is not the attitude of the studio. I have enjoyed all my classes but I think that if a class is going to be cancelled, it needs to be handled with a bit more finesse.

We were all willing to go private lessons with it, but was told that was not an option, yet as I was leaving the instructor told me she would give me private lessons at $44 good for 4 people, which is a bargain. I asked her why she didn't say that in front of the others and she said that it couldn't be at this time. I told her that it may not have mattered but the option could have been discussed.

Again, I felt hurried and pushed into a decision. I want you to know that when a schedule for the month comes up, I eagerly go to it and see what classes I can take according to my schedule. I respect the studio and when I tell others that I take dance lessons, I am asked if it is at SSQQ. You are very well known around the Houston area (I am new to Houston, less than a year) and I will certainly not tarnish any reputation that you have worked so hard to obtain. That is not my motive at all. I just felt left out in the cold. Another class, crash course, that I had planned on taking was the Dallas two-step only to find out that was cancelled as well. I was told that that was going to be taught as a course so if it is, I would like to find out when. I was also told that the last weekend of July, Night Club will be taught as a crash course, which I intend to take. But I am still disappointed as were the others who were also waiting for this course. If  a course is taught so infrequently, maybe the numbers taking it should not count because those who have signed up are eager to learn it and are willing to wait for it to be taught. 

Thank you for taking time to read this.

RICK'S REPLY

I have thought about your letter for four days. I don’t know any easy way to answer you that will make you feel any better.

The class had to be canceled. Four people doesn’t even pay the instructor’s salary.

As for picking another class, I don’t really understand what the problem was, but going from room to room doesn’t seem a very good answer. Why disrupt the other classes?  And I assume you know we have serious objections to having people observe classes.

As far as me answering your questions personally, I can see helping you at Break, but as for leaving my class to answer your questions, I would have serious reservations about that. I was fighting enough serious disruptions to my poor students’ concentration as it was without adding another.

I can appreciate your sense of disappointment. You came a long way for a class you had looked forward to taking only to see it evaporate.  

As for your sense of being “hustled away”, I apologize for that, but on the other hand 20 people needed that room.

I don’t see a win-win here and for this I am sorry.

INCIDENT TWO: THE INFAMOUS ROOM ONE SHARING INCIDENT

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 10:04 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: irritation

I am writing to complain about your policy of doubling up room one. I get sick and tired of trying to listen to my instructor trying to talk over the loud woman on the other side of the curtain. I don't care what the others say, they are just afraid of speaking up and telling the truth. It is stupid to put two classes in one room and expect us to be able to concentrate.

But even more than that, I would like to see you show some respect and respond to my email instead of ducking it like a coward. This is the second time I have sent this email.
 

RICK'S REPLY

Mr. Biggs, I do not duck complaints. I think I must have mistaken your first email for spam. I get approximately 150 - 200 emails a day. Unfortunately at most only 1 in 50 is a legitimate email. Because my email address is on my web site, I think it has been distributed to practically every spam list in existence. The increased quantity of spam is truly a disgusting development.  I know for a fact I have begun to miss actual correspondence because I am so busy hitting the delete key. Your less than gracious statement serves to underscore my conclusion.

At this point if I don't recognize the name of the sender and it is a one-word subject, I have a tendency to deep six it in a flash. Spam is a very serious problem that has made email a huge source of frustration for me. After a recent 7-day vacation over Memorial Day, I returned home to 3,000 emails. Only a dozen were legit and it took me two hours to weed them out. Much of the extra traffic was created by my auto-responder, but nevertheless I can trace my increasing impatience with email to that incident.
I just happened to take a second look at your email today since the word "irritated" caught my attention. It is likely I missed it went you sent it the first time. Let me add that after I received your second email, I decide to start making a list of all the one-word emails I got. Over a 24 hour period, I received 32 emails besides yours with one word in the title. Let me add only yours turned out to be a legitimate email.

1. fantastic
2. dogleg
3. rocky
4. deceitful
5. conceit
6. scrimmage
7. alloy
8. glutinous
9. evolution
10. rototill
11. appeasable
12. demiscible
13. rough
14. improved
15. slat
16. pion
17. radiance
18. eardrum
19. deterrent
20. captious
21. confidant
22. tire
23. software
24. carve
25. proof
26. heretic
27. dissonant
28. bluebird
29. claimant
30. ecclesiastic
31. venison
32. immersion


As for your complaint, it is a legitimate one if perhaps a bit more angry-sounding than necessary. I don't think I can find a win-win on this issue. If I cancel Advanced Swing or Zoot Suit on Mondays and move to six rooms, then I upset the people who look forward to taking these advanced classes. If I hold two classes in Room 1, then I risk alienating some of our students, you included.

For now, I will simply ask my staff to work as hard as possible to lower their voices and coordinate the music. I will ask the instructors to experiment talking to their classes with their backs to the curtain. Finally I will ask the instructor on the larger side of the curtain to pull the students as far from curtain as possible.

But realistically, I promise you that if I continue to field complaints as vehement as yours, I will have to find a way to reduce back to six classes for six rooms. Your email did not break the camel's back, but it definitely moved me a lot closer to throwing in the towel on double classes for Room One.
 

(Rick's Note: Not all the emails on the Room One problem were negative. Some were quite supportive.

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Friday, June 18, 2004 3:36 PM
To: ssqq@houston.rr.com
Subject: swing classes sharing a room

I am currently a student in Patty's advanced swing class. I have
absolutely no problem sharing the room with another class. Yes, it is a
challenge in some ways, and the class is totally worth it. Please do
not discontinue the advanced class.

Thank you for your consideration.

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 3:07 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Use of Room 1 for two classes

Rick, my wife and I were in the room last night when you talked about the complaints regarding the simultaneous noise from the two classes. I urge you to reconsider your possibly canceling advanced swing as a class. We are in the advanced swing class, so assuming I can handle the steps and moves, we will not be taking it again any time soon. As a result, this possible decision does not affect us, but it is not a good move to me for the following reasons:

(1) I don't believe most of the students care that much about the noise. It is the result of many people wanting to dance, and it is a minor convenience to most.
(2) I think it is more difficult for the teachers than the students. If the teachers have a positive attitude, it will pass to most students.
(3) We have learned many steps that may not be taught as much if advanced is done away with at this time. We have not taken Zoot Suit classes, but the curriculum for those classes is already set. If there is a need to divide Intermediate into two classes, the result will eventually be as if Intermediate and Advanced over time in my opinion.
(4) The noise from the music and the group behind the partition wall often makes more noise than the other group in Room 1. (RICK'S NOTE: THAT'S MY CLASS BEING TALKED ABOUT. HMM.)
(5) We want you to offer as much in training as the facilities will allow, and we want you to maximize your gross income. That way, we can go into the sunset learning new dances at SSQQ.
(6) Some people will complain about anything, and if you try to solve this problem by their complaints, it will be something else next time.

You spent a lot of money to put in the curtain (ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS), and I think it is fine
for the short time we are there.
(7) Don't let a few ruin it for the majority on this issue. I think a disclaimer before registering should suffice. It's a distraction at first, but if you are there to learn it quickly diminishes in importance.
(8) I hear more distracting noise in my living every night listening to three children and ourselves carrying on five different conversations while listening to the television, telephone conversations, and whatever else is happening. People should just learn to deal with it.

Often wrong but never in doubt, that is I. My wife feels the same way, but I don't want to speak for her; she is quite capable of that herself. Sorry for the long email, but I appreciate your efforts to listen to
the students, run a great dance studio, deal with the non-dance distractions yourself, and try to make a profit.

Rick's Note: The double use of Room One is a tough call.  There are several sides to the issue.

For example, the Southwest Whip Club runs THREE classes in one room at the same time.  They don't have a visual barrier like we do and their solution to the music problem is simple - they don't play any music.  Nor do they have a Parallel Class where people can take the class in a room all to themselves on another night at NO EXTRA CHARGE.

As I said, if the problem isn't solved by the instructors and complaints continue, I will go ahead and simply cut out a Monday Swing class.

In the meantime I have issued the following instructions to our Staff:

After sifting through all the complaints and suggestions regarding the use of two classes in Room One, I have come to one conclusion - the music problem is the biggest problem.

From now on, when two instructors are using Room One, I FORBID the use of the separate jukeboxes.

Instead, use the main sound system from the DJ on a rotating basis. This means the two instructors decide before class on what songs to play and what speed and "When". I say turn down the lights and make dancing to the music a special treat.

This way the timing, the speed, and the volume will be the same for both sides which is the fairest way to do it. This also means the instructors will need to plan somewhat ahead so they can coordinate when to play the music.

I will also ask Susan Schroeder to include Zoot Suit in the Room One rotation so the same instructors don't have to be in Room One every month. It might also be possible to rotate the classes within the month.

For example, Zoot Suit would be in Room 3 two nights of the month and in Room One two nights of the month by swapping out with the smaller Room One class. I will be happy to field your opinions on this idea.

OVERVIEW

I think in the case of the Room One complaints, one instructor was loud, so the other instructor got louder, and neither really talked. The students got caught in the middle and came to me. Now it's my job as "studio owner" to find a solution.

To me, the problem sounds exactly like a metaphor on the nuclear escalation btw the US and the Soviet Union. Although the stakes obviously aren't quite as high, there are some clear parallels. In our case obviously 'voice escalation' didn't work, so now we need to try "disarmament", i.e. lowering our voices and keeping the communication channels open btw the two instructors.

What I do know is the two Monday Swing instructors have to work as a team or it is "Curtains" for either Zoot Suit or Advanced. I can't put two ballroom classes in Room One since Tango, Cha Cha, Waltz and Foxtrot music don't mix.

I am not angry with anyone or blaming anyone. I too have found teaching in Room One stressful and difficult. All I am trying to do is come up with some solutions and compromises so we can continue to have four Swing classes on Monday. It is very important to me to have four Swing classes on Monday. We saw how destructive it was taking Zoot Suit off of Monday. Having seven classes on Friday is important too so we can boost attendance at Friday Western Practice Night.

Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation on this difficult issue.
 

INCIDENT THREE: RICK IS REFERRED TO AS A GESTAPO

Note: This letter is from an SSQQ Hall Monitor
 

Hi Rick,

I do not know the man's name but he was also rude to the instructor. When she was reading the information about what is happening and when….he told her, "DO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT NOW?  And she told him that it was part of her job and she could either do it then or after break…it took the same amount of time. He didn't say anything else.

He didn't like it because I made him show his receipt for the class. He told me you see me every week…can't you remember me? I told him it was my job and it was your rules. I have to see everyone's including yours. He said WELL RICK IS JUST A GESTAPO THAT'S ALL. I tried to explain we have lots of students and even if I remember you' I don't remember what class you are taking and when. He didn't say anything else.

Rick, even if you yell at us….we know you appreciate us because we do the very best we can to make your place a nice place to visit. I have made a lot of friends there and I love dancing. Your studio is the finest in Houston as far as I hear from most of the people who have tried other places. I love my job….I appreciate all the fine instructors who help me close and I wouldn't ever do anything to change this and I think I can say this for all the Hall Monitors. People come for fun and learning and they find both.
 

(Rick's Note: The last time I checked, I was expected to produce my ticket for the movie I had just paid for. At SSQQ, if you lose your ticket, we even have a backup system on the computer. The next time this gentleman behaves like this is the day he is no longer welcome at my studio)

INCIDENT FOUR: NO TIME TO TALK WITH RICK

From: 
To: marla@ssqq.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 8:48 AM
Subject: Time to Talk with Rick

marla,
first off i would like to offer my congratulations to you and rick.

i am sending this to you instead of rick hoping i might get a reply. i know the two of you are very busy with cruise and wedding coming up. i have been trying to meet and talk to rick about the dance classes and how my shift schedule affects my time. i have never been able to meet and catch him and talk in an uninterrupted atmosphere. the one time i did get to meet him and shake his hand another gentleman "rudely" walked in between us and started talking to rick and rick started talking to him and i was forgotten about. so there i was standing with my calendar open trying explain my shift schedule and i just embarrassingly closed it and walked away in the midst of people.

i started taking dance at ssqq last november 2003.

i live in victoria texas and work shift work. the way the dance calendar goes i will always have to miss one week completely and on the other week i have to take with another group. it ends up i only make two classes with my original class, miss one week and have to go with another class. but the last class has to be done "out of the window". in other words if classes finish for me on a sunday, i have to go into that next week to make up and i am out of the scheduled time that is on my payslip. one time i attempted this and when i checked in on a monday (i was scheduled for sundays), the lady tried to show me that my classes were over with, thus i tried to explain my situation which the look on her eyes made me stop.
so i have been trying to talk with someone to explain this so i dont drive 150 miles to be told my class is over.

it is too difficult to explain except in person.

right now i have not been to ssqq since march 2004 because i have been taking an emt course that will finish july end. then i wish to start back in august. so i guess i will ask to talk to you guys in october and then start from there.

i really enjoy your studio. of course i have never met anyone there, i just show up and dance and drive back home.

i took comp dancing from an instructor for two years in houston before they quit teaching. i was told about ssqq and decided to try it. of course i would like to be able to take more private lessons but dont know if the studio does that or whom to talk to. i want to do more in swing dancing and ballroom, since i did comp in c and w.

thanks for you time, wishing all the best to you and yours.

PK, victoria texas.
 

RICK'S REPLY

Patrick, I read your letter.

Are you really sure it is worth your while to drive 150 miles for a dance class?

You say you have trouble finishing the class you signed for in a single month.

And you say you haven't met anybody.

We did talk once over the phone. I remember going in how complicated you said your schedule was with the shift work and all, but you and I agreed to give it a try. At the time I thought our parallel class system would work to your advantage, but apparently it hasn't.

Now after reading what you have said, I honestly do not think the group classes are the way to go. Our studio just isn't set up for people to come and go as they please. We knew it was risky and there is no shame in throwing in the towel. My complicated dance studio and your complicated schedule just can't click without more energy put into it than it is worth.

Instead I recommend private lessons. You learn the material twice as fast and you are certain not to return home disappointed. Give Linda Cook a call
 

INCIDENT FIVE: THE VULGAR PROPOSITION

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 10:22 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: A Message To Rick Archer

Good Morning Rick,

I hope this message reach you without delay/problem. I wonder if you can give me a call at (W), so I can discuss several concerns with you.

My hours of work is Monday to Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM. I will be out from 1:00PM to 2:00PM for lunch. However, if you can just leave me a call back number that I can get in touch with you.

I am in the Intermediate Salsa class, going on to the advance level hopefully soon. However, there are several concerns popped up recently and I hope you can assist in either resolving it, relieving it, or eliminating it.

I have talked with Linda one time about one of my concerns. She suggested me to sent you a E-mail. I did not like the idea at the time, but now with this other issue coming up, I believe it is necessary that I talk with you, and soon.

Thanks.

RICK'S REPLY

I spoke with this woman for fifteen minutes by phone. She was upset because one of the men in her class had propositioned her for sex. Apparently he did it in a very crude, bold and vulgar way.

She was deeply offended. The man was highly disrespectful to her. And she resented his continued presence in class so much that she would not return until he was removed.

She only knew the man by his first name. I looked it up and found there was only one man with this name listed. I looked up his history. He had repeated Intermediate Salsa three times without bothering to move up.  My guess is he was no longer taking the classes simply to improve as a dancer.

So what do I in a situation like this?  My gut told me she was telling the truth. I have never received a complaint of this nature before in all my years. Not that I am so naive as to think it hasn't happened before, but simply no one has bothered to tell me about it.

Since the man appears to be a complete stranger to her, it also doesn't seem likely she is getting back at him for anything.

So I wrote the man this letter:

Mr. X,

I have received an extremely bitter complaint from a female student who shares a class with you.

She has accused you of making a highly vulgar sexual proposition to her on the premises of the studio in June 2004. She was deeply offended by this gesture and angered enough to bring the incident to my attention.

I do not know your side of the story. I simply know she identified you as the man who upset her. I also know that she provided enough information to make me feel she is telling the truth.

That said, I can't prove it. I chose not to confront you at the studio last week. As impersonal as email is, at least it allows us both to communicate about a sensitive matter without embarrassing you at the studio. If you feel this woman is in error, I am willing to hear your side of the story.

For now, I would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from taking dance classes at SSQQ in July 2004.

This does not mean you are proven "guilty" or admitting anything. It just means I would prefer you stay away and let this woman's anger subside for at least one month.

Thank you.

Rick Archer

Rick's Note:  In the Special Features section of this month's Newsletter, there are two incidents dealing with school supervisors who suspend or transfer school personnel whose only guilt was trying to do their jobs. In both cases I felt the Administrative people overreacted.

In this case, the man has yet not had a chance to defend himself.  This means I could be wrong.  On the other hand, the punishment is pretty light. He is not identified. He will not be fined. He will not be imprisoned. And he will not be threatened in any way. I simply politely asked him to give the woman a wide berth for a month. More than likely, we will never see her again. Most women find it easier just to move on. I will keep you posted on further developments.

In the meantime, let it be known that SSQQ is as much church as dance club. We won't tolerate disrespect to anyone. We want people of all sexes, all religions, and all races to feel completely at home here. And we don't like sexual predators.  Let's just leave it at that. 

INCIDENT SIX: THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

Dear Rick,

My wife and I are longtime participants in many of your dance offerings. We most recently completed Beginning Blank with blank and blank as our instructors. They were both excellent teachers (particularly blank) preparing us for our current Intermediate blank classes on blank. To our great disappointment our instructor for the first session was blank rather than blank.

If this is a one time only circumstance then not having blank this one time is acceptable. Otherwise, We don't feel it is in our best interest to continue on with blank as the instructor. If blank teaches the balance of the classes then we would love to keep coming. But, if not, we would appreciate a refund of our tuition or a free reschedule to blank's class at a later time.

Rick, it is truly not in my character to criticize another individual. But I must say, (as would most of the class) that blank is a totally inadequate instructor from both a technical standpoint and a general approach to teaching. We feel like we are taking a step backward with him as our teacher. While blank may be a good dancer blank's skill does not translate well to a teaching style.

RICK'S REPLY TO THE EMAIL:

It is my understanding that BLANK is away on a business assignment. I am unaware of the length of Blank's trip, but I feel certain Blank will return.

RICK'S REPLY:

I was too angry at the time to respond candidly to this email. This scathing email hurt worse than all the other complaints above combined.  The teacher in question is well known for their endless willingness to help students who are struggling.  Furthermore the teacher in question is perhaps the best person on the entire staff at motivating their students to stay and practice. Finally, I know the teacher in question loves to teach and is extremely popular with other students.

What is destructive about a letter like this is there nothing I can take back to the teacher. How can I ever help this teacher improve with a letter so devoid of content?  "inadequate from a technical standpoint".  What does that mean? "inadequate general approach to teaching".  What does that mean?

My guess is the initial instructor is an excellent teacher. Good!  And that the initial instructor has a style that their students grew accustomed to during the first month. Now the initial instructor is called away on business and has no idea of a return date. So the initial instructor asks a fellow instructor to cover. Makes sense to me.

But the substitute instructor has a different style. And the class doesn't respond well to the unexpected loss of their preferred teacher. So they start a bellyache campaign. Did you know I received ten complaint emails from this class?

I have no received one complaining email about the instructor in question in over a year. Suddenly I get 10 complaints in the span of a few days. Sounds like someone organized a write-in campaign to me.  Well, we heard you loud and clear.  We brought this instructor in for a long talk and hurt their feelings a lot in the process. Unfortunately not one complaint had a single suggestion we could take back to this instructor to help them understand what the problem was. So we were forced to make this person sit there and suffer without one lucid idea of what to say constructively.

I should know. I was the one who conducted the "visit to the office."

And you know what?  I still don't know what the instructor did wrong after all the stink that was raised. Not a clue.

The only thing this instructor is guilty of is trying to help out a friend. What blank did to generate the amount of hostility sent to me still remains a big mystery.

Refund. Fire them. Incompetent.

One hurting word after another and not one person offered a suggestion to help.

Well, something has to be done and something will be done. Read on.
 

---Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 9:58 PM
To: ssqq@houston.rr.com
Subject: teacher evaluations

How about having evaluations for the teachers about twice a year. With the feedback, hopefully, they can get better and better. And the students will feel as though someone is listening and cares. Thanks.

RICK'S REPLY

You asked for it so you got it.  The person above was one of the original contributors to the write-in committee. The letter above was their follow-up.

At the suggestion of my friend Ted Weisgal, the owner of Leisure Learning, we will make an addition to our program.

Starting in August, we will begin handing out "Instant Feedback" forms. Students will fill them out at the end of class anonymously.  Then if there is something they want to get off their chest, they can do it on the spot.

Hopefully a simple word to the wise can make expectations known up front and we can steer towards the middle of each class for the remaining three weeks.

This is too big a change to implement in July since I will be on vacation. So we will leave it at that. To Be Continued.

BEST NEW JOKES OF THE MONTH

Over the years, we have been sent countless numbers of jokes by our Newsletter Readers.  We have kept what we thought were the best.  At this point we have now have a Hall of Fame collection of over 600 jokes.  Many of them are real gems. We rotate these jokes on a monthly basis so over the year you get to read them all.

In addition to our "Classics", we also get many new jokes each month sent in by our students.  This section contains our favorites.  At the end of each year we add these jokes to the "Immortal Collection".

By the way, getting a joke selected isn't very easy since we have been collecting jokes for so long. It's tough to find a new one.  So if you send in a great joke and nothing ever happens, trust us - it is already on the Web Site.  If you don't believe us, email and ask about your joke!!  I am serious. I will show you where the joke is.

We greatly appreciate any jokes you would like to submit. Send them to Rick Archer at dance@ssqq.com

BETHANY DANIELS

This award goes to an SSQQ Staff member who does something beyond the call of duty.  In any given month, there are always at least 100 quiet acts of simple kindness performed by someone who works at SSQQ for which the person gets no credit, but our organization benefits from the gratitude.  The problem for me is that these many moments usually occur way under my radar. So if you have an instructor to nominate, please let me know and why!!   dance@ssqq.com

On the other hand, sometimes the move is dramatic enough to catch my eye so I can say something about it.

 

From June 17 through July 18, SSQQ Whip and Ballroom Instructor Bethany Daniels will be starring in Main Street Theater's   "Seussical! The Musical" Seussical creates the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as it has never been seen before. As chaos erupts in the Jungle of Nool, it will take the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz (Bethany!!), and a gaggle of characters to bring harmony back to their world. The action begins when Horton hears voices from a speck of dust and discovers a tiny race of creatures, known as Whos, living on the tiniest planet in the sky! Although ridiculed by the other animals in the Jungle, Horton persists in his belief that the Whos exist. Meanwhile the citizens of Who are having some adventures of their own. JoJo, the smallest child in the city of Who is ostracized for the unpopular act of thinking…an activity not encouraged by the parents and teachers of Whoville. In spite of obstacles, JoJo and Horton attempt to do what they think is right, and soon the other animals of the jungle come to understand, as Horton has always known, that "a person's a person, no matter how small."

For tickets and more information please call 713-524-6706 http://www.mainstreettheater.com/mainstage/seuss.html Main Street Theater - Chelsea Market 4617 Montrose Blvd.

All this stardom is great. But why does Bethany win the prestigious "SSQQ Employee of the Month" award?

By day, Bethany holds down a demanding full-time job at the Jewish Community Center.  By night, Bethany had to commit to a month of rehearsals six nights a week and a month of performances six nights a week to be in the play.

That's a demanding schedule.  And isn't it safe to assume that a lady as pretty and vivacious as Bethany would have more than a few social offers a week to choose from? 

Yet with only one night off a week, Bethany came and helped teach Tango class as an assistant instructor. Bethany knew full well that we could probably succeed without her, but she was willing to continue her commitment as an instructor.

And while I am at it, let me add that Bethany is one of the most talented instructors we have ever had.  Bethany's unique talent is her ability to explain leads in a clear and concise way to our male students. At the same time somehow she magically is able to avoid hurting their feelings.  Her combination of tact, perception, and ability to analyze what went wrong and how to fit it is amazing to watch!  

I deeply appreciate Bethany's help.

Thank you, Bethany.  

THE WINNERS OF LAST MONTH'S SSQQ LOGIC PUZZLE

"Mara Rivas was getting sick and tired of driving back and forth back and forth between her house and the SSQQ Dance Studio. She often joked to her friends she ought to just sleep on the couch and save a lot of time. Then one day she noticed a condo for sale right across the street from the studio!!

After some inquiries and some hustling, Mara managed to buy the condo and then she invited all her best friends to come live with her!! At first, Marlies, Mack, Nancy, George, and James were all excited. They thought were being asked to move in with Mara as roommates for free!!

Then they got a little confused and thought all six of them were about to become the SSQQ version of "Friends". Several people drooled with anticipation at just how friendly things might get!  Mara's reputation was in great peril for a moment there.

Then they finally figured it out and realized they were actually expected to move into separate apartments and expected to pay rent to boot. Too bad, so sad. Fortunately they managed to keep their disappointment to themselves."

Unfortunately Mara got a little too excited for her own good.  She used very poor judgment and didn't take her time to think through every possibility.  As a result, every time she submitted an answer, she had a different man living in her condo!!

I mean, her reputation was headed towards the gutter due to some very poor decisions!!  I was so worried that perhaps unconscious desires were secretly sabotaging her ability to think clearly!! 

Then Mara got even more confused than I could have ever imagined. Mara has always struck me as a sensible girl, one who calculates each new move carefully. But for a moment there, Mara lost it completely and moved in with her best friend Marlies. I was too nervous to pry any deeper.

Finally, after one humiliating moment after another, Mara saw the error of her ways. She showed some pride by correctly identifying the location of the apartment she should have been in from the start.  I could not have been happier for her.

2004 June Winners:

1. Gary D’Antoni    (First time winner!)
2. Sorrell Warren   (First time winner!)
3. Connie and Jeff Woodman  (Eleven months in a row!)
4. Susan Arevalo   (Ten months in a row!)
5. Ritesh Laud       (Fourth month in a row!
6. Mara Rivas        (Second month in a row and now living independently!)
7. Ann Faget         (Eleven months in a row!)

I would like to take the time to congratulate my friends Gary D'Antoni and Sorrell Warren.  A month ago, they made the mistake of correctly solving the infamous Einstein Logic Puzzle which lives here on the SSQQ Web Site. This puzzle is no walk in the park. You have to have excellent logic skills to solve it.

So I challenged both men to take a crack at the Mara Condo Puzzle.  I said at the time that I would check back in a month and report their progress.  I am now pleased to report that with their Reason unclouded by any deep-seated desires, both Sorrell and Gary solved this difficult puzzle on their first try. Good work, guys!!

In the meantime, our champions continued to show their prowess. Connie and Jeff matched Ann wit for wit.  Susan continued to tail them one month behind, just waiting for them to slip!  Susan knows she is just one spot removed from the top and is hatching more plots than Dick Cheney looking for ways so she could take over!!

And our Salsa Superstar Ritesh Laud seems to solve each new puzzle effortlessly. He too is just biding his time watching for signs of unsteadiness at the top.

Truly, there is more intrigue in the SSQQ Logic Club than even Hamlet's Castle.

We can always use some new players in the SSQQ Logic Club. Check out this month's new puzzle and send me an answer!!  You can be a Contender!!   And as an added bonus you never know whom you might end up living with!  
 

THE NEW SSQQ LOGIC PUZZLE

Back in the 60s the Beatles became an instant sensation after their historic appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9, 1964. Practically overnight the Beatles skyrocketed to an incredible level of popularity here in America. People began to buy their music in record numbers. Furthermore at this point you could not turn on the radio without finding a Beatles song playing somewhere on your dial. The demand for Beatles music led to an odd coincidence. One afternoon at Radio Station KSSQ, DJ Rick noticed that the same 5 Beatles songs had occupied the top 5 spots in his station's weekly hit parade for 5 consecutive weeks.

After looking a little closer, Rick then discovered that all five songs had not only taken a turn at being Number One, they had alternated positions so cleverly that none of the songs had ever been in the same position more than once. In other words, each song was in a different position each week.

From the information, can you determine how each song ranked each week?

http://ssqq.com/archive/logicpuzzle19.htm
 

THE SSQQ JOKE PICTURE OF THE MONTH
Joke Picture

THE MOST PATHETIC PICTURE I HAVE EVER PUBLISHED... YES, IT'S HIM AGAIN.

http://www.ssqq.com/ssqq/jokepicture.htm

THE WORST SSQQ PUN OF THE MONTH
(There is no such thing as a good pun...)

THE SSQQ VOCABULARY WORD OF THE MONTH

SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE!!

SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE: SSQQ DANCE INSTRUCTORS RANDY WINFREY AND MELISSA GAUTHIER GET ENGAGED!!

Hi Rick, Sorry it took so long to respond, to many irons in the fire. Business trip to Washington in early May, Texas Classic C&W dance competition in Mid-May, and a trip to Maine over the Memorial Day weekend has kept me way too busy this month. Well, yes I asked Melissa to marry me on April 16 and she said yes! I had given her a 1/4 carat diamond promise ring on Valentine's Day as a pre-engagement, Melissa called it "Mini-Me", as a reference to the midget Dr. Evil character in the Austin Powers movies. She now has the big "Rock" if you want to see it. I lost count of how many times she asked me if the "Big One" was ready, but I really enjoyed keeping her off-balance about when it would be.
We are still mulling a date for the wedding as of now, looks like maybe sometime in April, 2005. I met Melissa while assisting Rachel Seff-Koenig in her Western classes in May, 2002. That particular group of people was very energetic and spawned several romances from that one class alone. Melissa was very popular in class as she has a very bright cheerful personality, is very cute, and I noticed that right away. However, she and Eduardo seemed to be keeping company together, so I bided my time and stayed in the shadows. When it was apparent that venture had faded, I pounced because I knew she would not be available for long. We started dating June 27, 2002 and have not looked back since. I should add that Rachel was very happy about the engagement and quickly added Melissa & I as a new notch on her matchmaker's post! The dance and romance magic of SSQQ has definitely worked for Melissa and I, we now thoroughly enjoy teaching our own western classes watching future budding romances in the making as well as helping people learn to social dance. We subsequently signed up for the famously successful August, 2002 cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's "The Rhapsody of the Seas", sponsored by SSQQ. The cruise could not have gone better, weather was perfect, the boat was perfect, the ports were perfect, Melissa was beautiful, and we had 150+ of our SSQQ buddies to hang out with!! This cruise more than made up for the Carnival Cozumel/Cancun cruise diverted to a mud hole (Vera Cruz) in August, 2001. We left Galveston and immediately set out discovering the ship. The Rhapsody of the Seas was incredible, it completely blew away Carnival's Celebration with it's decor, class and amenities. The second night at sea, the ship had the first formal night, the Captain's ball. It was great dressing up and having a 5-star dinner before heading for the main theater for some big-band dancing (Slow dance, West and East Coast Swing). There was formal picture taking with the ship's photographers in and around the atrium area during the formal night. After pictures, Melissa and I danced the night away! After arriving in Key West, we snorkeled for 3 hours out on the coral reef seeing many wonderfully colorful fish as well as a lobster or two, after that we hit the souvenir shops to spend some money, and then spent the rest of the night getting sloppy with margaritas at "Sloppy Joe's". This place has food, drinks, a live blues band , and an adequately-sized dance floor for say West Coast Swing. Key West has so many great bars to check out, it would take several cruises to get to them all! Next stop was Grand Cayman! We headed out for the Stingray Sandbar tour with a small entourage of SSQQers (about 10) and had a blast! Ask Maureen Brunetti, she was there! We got to touch, feed, and generally play with these gentle creatures in the swimming pool-like area of the sandbar. As a bonus, Melissa and I got to hold a stingray in our arms until the ray decided he had enough of that. What fun!! After the stingray encounter, the boat pulled off to an area nearby and we got to snorkel for another 30-45 minutes before time to head-in. Our boat captain, Eldon, then discovered that the boat engine would not start. After several minutes of trying to coax it to start, he gave up, but he told us, "No problem, my cousin is right over there, he'll give us a tow". So that's how we got back, his cousin's boat towed us in!! After the stingray tour, we got off at Seven Mile beach and finished the afternoon there riding a Jet Ski, getting something to eat, and catching some rays on this spectacular white sand beach. Our last stop on the cruise was Cozumel, and it was fabulous! We first headed to Playa Del Sol beach for some more snorkeling. They have a huge roped off area for snorkelers and swimmers that keeps the jet skiers out. We then visited the big thatched cabana area to get something to eat, and checked out the beach for some sun-tanning action. After that Melissa got a $20 massage from one of the masseurs on-site. We then headed back to the ship to clean up a bit for the next adventure, the BOND excursion. This consists of snorkeling for an hour, then riding an underwater moped called a BOND, and after all that a satisfying Fajita dinner with margaritas to finish it off!! We again saw many wonderful and colorful fish, the water at Cozumel is crystal clear, you can see to the bottom almost everywhere. Here's a tip, if you want zillions of fish around you for pictures when you snorkel, just take a couple of the little boxes of cereal from the breakfast bar aboard the ship and pop them open underwater, dispose of the box properly and you will have more fish than you know what to do with! Corn flakes work great, Fruit Loops seem to work even better!! On the way back to Galveston, the ship had another formal night which provided another round of eating, dancing, picture taking and memory making, we enjoyed the after dinner dancing immensely. We spent the balance of the trip, eating, dancing, sun-bathing by the pool, souvenir shopping, playing bingo, hitting the casino, and seeing the great evening shows in the main theater. We really enjoyed this cruise and look forward to going again soon!!
This cruise helped Melissa and I get to know each other even better, stoking our romance, and helping to cement the feelings that we had developed for each other. Since the cruise, Melissa and I have joined the staff at SSQQ as co-instructors in the C&W western classes on Sunday nights. I have also begun to dance competitively, and Melissa has been very supportive in helping me practice for the events. Melissa and I enjoy teaching very much, and we both look forward to continuing the dance & romance tradition at SSQQ. I hope this brings you up to date! We'll keep you abreast of things as the wedding gets closer!

(Rick's Note: No finer testimony to a bride-to-be has ever been written than the one above. Very eloquent and very sweet. Thank you, Randy.  And don't you all agree Melissa looks lovely in her picture!!)


SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE: SHARON CRAWFORD AND BILL SHAW ANNOUNCE THEIR ENGAGEMENT!

Sharon made this announcement to me the day before the July Newsletter came out. Don't got no pictures, don't got no story, all I got is I got to see da ring.  Sharon promises a picture and da inside scoop for next month. She better not try to get off the hook!!

(Rick's Note: Sharon and Bill have been going together for about a year and a half. Marla and I drove up to visit with Susie Merrill one weekend last fall. I could tell these guys were a happy pair. Their teamwork was flawless all weekend long. They were so relaxed and in harmony.  I have known Sharon for seventeen years.  She has definitely found the right guy. Bill Shaw is a great guy.)


A MYSTERY SSQQ SLOW DANCE AND ROMANCE ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THEIR WEDDING!!

All I am going to say is the information is hidden somewhere in this Newsletter.  Find it if you can.
 

VENUS AND MARS

Men Bashing
Contributed by Rick Archer

What do you call a handcuffed man? Trustworthy.

What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name? You didn't hold the pillow down long enough.

Why do only 10% of men make it to heaven? Because if they all went, it would be Hell.

Why do men like smart women? Opposites attract.

How are husbands like lawn mowers? They're hard to get started, they emit noxious odors, and half the time they don't work.

How can you tell when a man is well hung? When you can just barely slip your finger in between his neck and the noose.

Why do men whistle when they're sitting on the toilet?   Because it helps them remember which end they need to wipe.

How do men define a "50/50" relationship? We cook-they eat; we clean-they dirty; we iron-they wrinkle.

How do men exercise on the beach? By sucking in their stomachs every time they see a bikini.

How do you get a man to stop biting his nails? Make him wear shoes.

How does a man show he's planning for the future? He buys two cases of beer instead of one.

How is Colonel Sanders like the typical male? All he's concerned with is legs, breasts and thighs.

How many men does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer One: Only one. Men will screw anything.
Answer Two: Three - one to screw in the bulb, and two to listen to him brag about the screwing part.

What did God say after creating man? I can do so much better.

Why do little boys whine?  Because they're practicing to be men.

Why are hurricanes usually named after women?  A: Because when they arrive, they're wet and wild, but when they
go, they take your house and car.

What do most men consider a gourmet restaurant? Any place without a drive-up window.

What do you call a man with half a brain? Gifted.

What do you do with a bachelor who thinks he's God's gift to women? Exchange him.

What should you give a man who has everything? A woman to show him how to work it.

What's a mans' idea of honesty in a relationship? Telling you his real name.

What's the best way to force a man to do sit ups? Put the remote control between his toes.

What's the difference between Big Foot and an intelligent man? Big Foot's been spotted several times.

What's the smartest thing a man can say? "My wife says..."

Why are all dumb blond jokes one liners? So men can understand them.

Why did God create man before woman? Because you're always supposed to have a rough draft before creating your masterpiece.

Why do female black widow spiders kill the males after mating? To stop the snoring before it starts.

Why do jocks play on artificial turf? To keep them from grazing.

Why do men need instant replay on TV sports? Because after 30 seconds they forget what happened.

Why does it take 100 million sperm to fertilize one egg? Because not one will stop and ask for directions.

Why is it good that there are female astronauts? When the crew gets lost in space, at least the woman will ask for directions.

Why is psychoanalysis a lot quicker for men than for women? When it's time to go back to his childhood, he's already there.
 

(Rick's Note: Hey Guys, anyone got some retaliation ammunition?  Are we gonna let the girls have a laugh of this magnitude without fighting back??  Bring it on.  dance@ssqq.com )
 

THE SSQQ CLEAN SIDE JOKE PAGE
Clean Side Jokes

Over the years, SSQQ has been fortunate to receive many jokes sent to us by our Newsletter readers. We have compiled them into our Monthly Joke Page. At the end of the year, I will add the jokes that appear in our "Best New Jokes" column into this monthly "Hall of Fame" section. This way your jokes will become immortal!!

THE SSQQ BLUE SIDE JOKES!

The Blue Side Jokes are one of the great secrets of the SSQQ web site.  It is your reward for taking dance classes at SSQQ.  Anyone who is on the SSQQ Registration List is welcome to have access.

All you need to do to get the address is to email me from the email address you use to register for classes and request it. dance@ssqq.com  

Although the Blue Side is off-limits to the outer world and only SSQQ Students are invited into the inner sanctum of “Dirty Jokes”, each month we manage to find one that is printable. Please see below!!

April BS 22: It Could Get Worse - Chris Holmes
April BS 23: The Dangerous Looking Biker - Chris Holmes
April BS 24: The Mini Skirt - Gary Richardson

All you need to do to get the new address is to email me from the email address you use to register for classes and request it. dance@ssqq.com

July Blue Side Jokes
July BS 01: The Koala Bear & the Hooker - Dana Pattison
July BS 02: Love in the Ozarks - Gary Richardson
July BS 03: The Casino and the Blonde - Richard Barrett
July BS 04: Will You Marry Me? - Sharon Russell
July BS 05: Rodeo Romeo - Mary Collins
July BS 06: Dopey Meets the Pope - Donna Ruth
July BS 07: The Blonde Phones Home - Ralph Volz
July BS 08: Picking a Fight in the Bar - Maureen Brunetti
July BS 09: The Old Man and the Old Lady - Richard Barrett
July BS 10: The Texas Hookers - Carole Nelson
July BS 11: Cajun Vacation - Pat Roberts
July BS 12: The Kid and the Boyfriend - Andre Faust
July BS 13: The Married Couple - Andre Faust
July BS 14: The Neighbor - Chris Holmes
July BS 15: The Ape and the Little Old Lady - Janis Howard
July BS 16: The Ugliest Wife in the World - Mike Guillory
July BS 17: The Clever Stock Boy - Bobby Bush
July BS 18: Me Tarzan, You Jane - Mary Collins


Although the Blue Side is off-limits to the outer world and only SSQQ Students are invited into the inner sanctum of "Dirty Jokes", each month we manage to find one that is on the edge of printable. This next joke is one of my very favorites. Contributed by former SSQQ Instructor Mary Collins, it is a classic display of very poor judgment on my part by printing it… which automatically means it's a great joke!  

July BS 18: Me Tarzan, You Jane
Submitted by Mary Collins

One day Jane met Tarzan in the jungle for the first time. She was very attracted to him; he was so muscular and handsome.

During her questions about his jungle life, Jane asked how he managed for sex. "What's that?" Tarzan asked. So Jane found a huge banana and plunged it repeatedly into an overripe mango.

Tarzan nodded immediately with understanding. "Oh, Tarzan use hole in trunk of tree," he replied.

Horrified, Jane said, "Oh, Tarzan, you have it all wrong! Let me show you how to do it properly!"

With that, she took off her clothes, laid down on the ground, and spread her legs wide. "Here, Tarzan," Jane said pointing to the appropriate spot, "put your big banana in here."

Tarzan removed his loincloth, stepped closer, sniffed a couple times, stepped back, then suddenly gave Jane an almighty kick in the crotch!

"OWWWWWW!" Jane screamed in agony. Jane rolled round and around on the grass writhing in agony as Tarzan watched her with a worried look. Finally she managed to breathe again. With a gasp Jane said, "Gee whiz, Tarzan, what in the hell did you do that for?"

"Tarzan check for bees first!"
 

START OF THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION

SPECIAL FEATURE ONE

Rick's Note: This is a story I have followed with interest over the past couple of years. It involves a school teacher who was dismissed from her job after reporting a gun shot had been fired into her room.  No one believed her and she was subsequently forced to leave her job.

I realize that for legal reasons and matters of taste the Chronicle writers toe a narrow line when they report the facts.  As a result some of the writing is dry and repetitive. It would be much more fun if I could add my opinions between the lines, especially in this one. 

However I have no first-hand knowledge of the case, so I will hold back other than to say I hate it when people are treated with such senseless hostility.

Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: TUE 03/05/02

Teacher fired revolver into empty class, police charge

By RUTH RENDON
Chronicle Staff


FRIENDSWOOD - A Friendswood Junior High School teacher who reported gunshots fired into her classroom in November has been indicted on a charge that she brought a gun onto campus.

Authorities said teacher Norvella Susette Gibson fired a shot into her own classroom before the school day started Nov. 30. A few hours later, Gibson reported someone had fired three shots into her classroom. That led to a four-hour lockdown of the campus.

A Galveston County grand jury Friday indicted Gibson , 54, of Kemah, on charges that she carried a weapon into a place where possession of a firearm is prohibited.

A bullet casing from a .357-caliber Magnum revolver was found in Gibson 's classroom in a temporary building at the campus at 402 Laurel, Friendswood Police Chief Robert B. Wieners said. The bullet had pierced a wall and skimmed the teacher's desk before landing on the floor. No one was hurt.

The day of the shooting, police reported three shots were fired between two portable buildings.

"We conducted a broad-based, intensive investigation and were able to establish that it was one shot that was fired, instead of the original three that were reported," Wieners said. "We were able to identify the approximate time of the shot being fired earlier in the morning before school started when no students were on campus and present in the classroom."

The chief said witnesses reported hearing a gunshot at 6 a.m.

Gibson , who goes by Susette, reported to campus administrators at 9:12 a.m. that shots had been fired.

The 20 children who were in Gibson 's classroom also were interviewed. The majority said they did not hear any gunshots, while some said they thought they heard something, Wieners said.

The police chief would not comment on why Gibson would have fired a gun into her own classroom.

"They did a pretty intensive investigation, and based upon witness statements that they were able to gather and some of the findings that they were able to uncover, it led directly to her," said Mo Ibrahim, an assistant Galveston County district attorney.

Gibson was unavailable for comment, but her husband, Paul, said police "are just trying to pin something on somebody because they don't want to admit that something like that happens in their neighborhood."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a deal about trying to get her out of that school over there. My wife hasn't done anything," Paul Gibson said. "Everybody in this part of the country knows my wife, and she's got a good reputation. She's been teaching there 19 years, and this is just a bunch of garbage."

Susette Gibson , who has been on administrative leave with pay since Nov. 30, taught language arts and reading, said Karolyn Gephart, a spokeswoman for the school district.

"This is just one of them political things," Paul Gibson said. "I'm not saying that they may get away with something, because I don't know what they got. They can't have anything, because she ain't done nothing."

Paul Gibson said he would like to see a thorough investigation.

"There's been no investigation on anybody but her. There are other people that are much more involved in this than she would ever be. They just won't touch it," he said.

Paul Gibson said authorities first tried to pin the shooting on him, but he was a patient at the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center that day.

"When they found they couldn't pin it on me, they turned around and started to work on her. It's all a Friendswood political thing, that's all it is," he said. "It's just a handful of political stuff that those good old rich folks in Friendswood just don't want to put up with. I guess they are going to try their best to get my wife out of there and make her lose her retirement."

The day of the shooting, the 860-student campus of seventh- and eighth-graders was ordered into lockdown. Classroom doors were locked, lights turned off and pupils ordered to sit on the floor against a wall. All other schools in Friendswood were alerted to keep students inside.

Students at the junior high school were dismissed early that day after a search of lockers and backpacks turned up nothing. Police used metal detectors to check pupils before they went home. No gun was recovered.

Wieners said no gun has been recovered from Gibson .

School Superintendent Walter Wilson said the district had not had any problems with Susette Gibson . "She has been a good employee," he said.

If convicted, Gibson could face two to 10 years in prison. A warrant for her arrest is expected later this week.


Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: THU 05/16/02

Board OKs termination in gun-firing /Teacher indicted on weapons charge could appealdismissal

By RUTH RENDON
Chronicle Staff


FRIENDSWOOD - The Friendswood school board is proceeding with plans to fire a junior high school teacher accused of firing a bullet into her own classroom.

Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to notify Norvella Susette Gibson that her contract is to be terminated, school district spokeswoman Karolyn Gephart said.

Gibson, 54, of Kemah, has been on paid administrative leave since the November incident. She was indicted in March on charges of carrying a weapon into a place where possession of a firearm is prohibited.

"I told them (the school district) there was a thing of `innocent until proven guilty,' " Gibson said. "Considering that I've been with them 19 years and never, ever had any kind of problem, I would think they would consider that. Apparently, they all decided I was guilty because that's what the police said."

Police said Gibson fired a shot into her own classroom before the school day started Nov. 30. She reported a few hours later that someone had fired three shots into the room, leading to a four-hour lockdown of the campus.

Police found a bullet from a .357-caliber Magnum pistol in Gibson 's classroom in a temporary building. They said it had pierced a wall and skimmed the teacher's desk before landing on the floor. No one was hurt.

Although police were told that three shots were fired, Chief Robert B. Wieners said investigators found that only one had been fired and that it was fired before any pupils were on campus.

Witnesses reported hearing a gunshot about 6 a.m., Wieners said, but Gibson reported the shooting shortly after 9 a.m. He said police never found a gun.

After the shooting, the 860-pupil campus of seventh- and eighth-graders at 402 Laurel was ordered into lockdown. Classroom doors were locked, lights turned off and pupils ordered to sit on the floor against a wall.


Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: SAT 10/12/02

Examiner faults teacher's firing / Hearingfinds Friendswood district acted improperly in gun case

By KEVIN MORAN
Chronicle Staff


FRIENDSWOOD - A 19-year Friendswood teacher indicted on charges of bringing a gun onto school grounds was wrongfully terminated, a state examiner concluded.

Friendswood police and prosecutors maintain that Norvella Susette Gibson fired a bullet through the wall of her own temporary classroom building about two hours before classes began on Nov. 30.

The Friendswood school board voted in May to dismiss Gibson - not for allegedly shooting into her classroom but on grounds she made two false reports to superiors about gunshots being fired during class time.

But the school district failed to conduct any investigation of its own and the board based its vote on "hearsay which was arbitrarily provided" by police, attorney Robert J. Thomas said in a recommendation that the district reinstate Gibson, 54.

In addition, the school board never saw a videotape showing three Friendswood Junior High School students burying a pistol at an unknown location and saying they didn't like Gibson , Thomas said.

The videotape was made the same day Gibson claimed a bullet pierced her classroom wall and landed on her desk, just inches from her and just a few feet from 20 students, Gibson attorney Anthony Griffin said Friday.

The videotape, which Thomas termed "exculpatory," was delivered to school officials by a parent of one of the three boys who made the tape, Griffin said.

Griffin said he hadn't seen the tape but believes it shows Gibson did not fire a weapon.

Authorities say Gibson panicked the entire school by making a false report of shots into her classroom at 9:12 a.m.

Gibson, who taught language arts and reading, could not be reached for comment Friday. When she was indicted, however, her husband, Paul Gibson, said his wife did nothing wrong.

Thomas was named independent examiner by the Texas Education Agency. After Gibson appealed her case, Thomas held a hearing at which school officials, Friendswood police and others testified.

Although the board voted to fire Gibson , she has remained suspended with pay while the appeal proceeds, said Houston attorney Jeff Horner, who represented the district at the TEA hearing.

Thomas said school officials lacked access to evidence gathered by police and there were large gaps in police documents provided to him.

Thomas recommended the district put Gibson back to work.

"No Texas public school teacher should be terminated based on rumor, speculation and/or assumptions," Thomas wrote in his findings.

But Wieners said police did not present their criminal case in the civil hearing.

"The public needs to understand that our reports and evidence have been reviewed by the district attorney and a grand jury."

Wieners declined comment on investigators' handling of the tape or other details of his department's investigation of the case. Thomas said police failed to interview the boys who made the tape.

"I can't talk about it point-by-point, but the district disagrees with many of the factual and legal conclusions made by the hearing examiner," Horner said.

Thomas said, however, that Friendswood police investigator Eric Price "corroborated that a bullet was found on the desk of Ms. Gibson and that the bullet had hit papers on her desk and struck another object in the classroom and landed back on top of Ms. Gibson 's desk."

When Gibson reported a gunshot into her room, the junior high school was locked down for four hours while police investigated.


Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: THU 11/14/02

School board votes to oust teacher / She allegedly fired into classroom

By RUTH RENDON
Chronicle Staff


FRIENDSWOOD - The school board ignored a state hearing examiner's recommendation and terminated a 20-year teacher accused of firing a gun into her classroom last year.

Norvella Susette Gibson , who taught language arts and reading, still faces charges of carrying a weapon into a place where possession of a firearm is prohibited. She faces two to 10 years in prison if convicted. A trial date has not been set.

When reached at her home Wednesday morning, Gibson said she was not aware of the board's decision but added that she was not surprised.

Gibson said she would appeal to the Texas commissioner of education.

The school board voted 6-0 Tuesday evening to fire Gibson, 54.

During a hearing last month before attorney Robert J. Thomas, who was appointed as an independent examiner by the Texas Education Agency, Thomas said the school district was wrong in terminating Gibson .

The school board in May notified Gibson that her contract was being terminated - not for allegedly shooting into her classroom at Friendswood Junior High but on grounds that she made two false reports to superiors about gunshots being fired during class time.

Thomas recommended that the school district reinstate Gibson because the district had failed to conduct its own investigation and relied on "hearsay which was arbitrarily provided" by police.

No one was hurt the day of the shooting, and police did not recover a gun from Gibson .


Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: THU 03/18/04


Teacher's weapon charge is dismissed /Friendswood case dropped in January

By KEVIN MORAN Chronicle Staff

FRIENDSWOOD - Galveston County prosecutors dropped a felony weapon charge against former Friendswood teacher Norvella Susette Gibson, who was accused of firing a shot while at school.

Friendswood Police Chief Robert Wieners said Wednesday the charge was dropped in January.

Police arrested Gibson on a charge that she fired a bullet through the wall of her own temporary classroom building about two hours before classes began at Friendswood Junior High School on Nov. 30, 2001.

Wieners said in a prepared statement that he learned Wednesday from the Texas Board of Education that the charge had been dropped.

Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said Wednesday he did not know if anyone at Wieners' department had been notified in January that prosecutors dropped the charge because of insufficient evidence for conviction.

"Both the prosecutor and the lead detective on the case are out of town, but I would certainly be surprised if the prosecutor assigned to the case did not give notice to the detective of the dismissal," Sistrunk said.

Wieners did not return calls Wednesday, so it was unclear why he got word of the case's outcome from state education officials. Department spokeswoman Karen Peterson said Wieners issued a news release about the case's disposition Wednesday so the public would know the outcome.

Gibson , 56, who was a 19-year Friendswood school teacher, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. She has denied wrongdoing.

The incident resulted in a four-hour lockdown at the campus, with many police officers and other emergency officials involved. No one was injured when a bullet pierced the building and damaged a piece of furniture, Wieners said.

A Galveston County grand jury indicted Gibson in March 2002 on a third-degree felony charge of carrying a gun illegally on a school campus, Wieners said. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

After an October 2002 hearing, a state board of education examiner ruled that the Friendswood School District improperly fired Gibson after the incident. The board first fired her on grounds she made false reports to superiors about gunshots being fired during school hours.

Among other reasons for the ruling that the dismissal was improper, the examiner said the district failed to conduct its own investigation of Gibson 's conduct and there was evidence that some students might have fired a gun.

In November 2002, the school board rejected the examiner's ruling and refused to reinstate Gibson.

(Rick's Note: What a pathetic story. I think the principal and school board should be put on suspension for a while to see how it feels to be wrongfully humiliated. What do you want to bet she never got an apology either??)
 

SPECIAL FEATURE TWO

Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: TUE 06/08/04
Section: A
Page: 16
Edition: 3 STAR

HISD paying $90,000 to settle whistle-blower suit

By JASON SPENCER
Staff



The Houston school district disclosed Monday that it is paying $90,000 to settle the whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former Sharpstown High School assistant principal Robert Kimball .

Both Kimball and the Houston Independent School District also signed a contract agreeing not to discuss the details of the settlement or the lawsuit's allegations. HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said he could not disclose whose idea it was to prohibit Kimball and the district from talking about the case.

The settlement requires Kimball to resign from the Houston Independent School District. In return, HISD promised him a neutral job reference.

Neither side admitted any wrongdoing. Kimball had sought as much as $250,000. His annual salary was $59,000.

The settlement money will come from tax dollars in HISD's general fund, Abbott said.

Kimball 's lawsuit, filed in April, accused HISD of punishing him for accusing Sharpstown administrators of reporting false student dropout numbers to the state for the 2001-2002 school year. Sharpstown reported zero dropouts that year. A Texas Education Agency investigation found 2,999 students with questionable data and reclassified them as dropouts.

HISD pulled Kimball out of Sharpstown about a week after he voiced his concerns, according to his lawsuit. The district initially assigned Kimball to an administrative desk job. From there, he spent time at two elementary schools this past school year, handling tasks that Kimball considered inappropriate for an assistant principal, such as alphabetizing lunch cards, the lawsuit said.

A TEA-appointed monitor has reported good progress in HISD's effort to clean up a dropout reporting system that had district-wide flaws.

(Rick's Note:  Shouldn't there be a story about some HISD Administrators who were fired, demoted, or suspended?  After all, my fellow good citizens, you and I are the ones being punished. That's your money and mine that are paying Mr. Kimball.  Not that I begrudge him one cent; he suffered preposterous treatment!   It would just be nice to see a study about the bullies who punish others because they can't admit they are wrong getting their just due.  And wouldn't it be fun to see some judge suggest the administrators and board members chalk up some of that 90 Thou?? 

This story and the previous one about Susette Gibson make school administrators look foolish. What are these people thinking?  And the school boards don't come out looking very good either.  Why is it so difficult to admit a mistake?  I wonder if anyone bothered apologizing to Mr. Kimball in addition to handing him our money?)
 

SPECIAL FEATURE THREE

(Rick's Note: I do not for a moment hesitate to extend sympathy for the Gypsies who suffered at the evil hands of the Nazis as well as the Jews and all the other victims of this horrible regime. However if I recall correctly, wasn't it the Nazis who were guilty of the crime?  Why sue the makers of an inanimate object that is not even remotely capable of directly injuring a human being?

Did you know that SSQQ has a complete section on RESPONSIBILITY?  If you are curious to read about the McDonalds Hot Coffee case, the Killer Whale Story, and much more, click here.)

SPECIAL FEATURE FOUR

Houston Chronicle
06-19-04

Miami - A teacher’s aide who forgot to put away her marshmallows and hot chocolate at Yellowstone National Park last year was taken from her cruise ship cabin in handcuffs and hauled before a judge Friday, accused of failing to pay the year-old fine.

Hope Clarke, 32, crying and in leg shackles, told the judge that she had been required to pay the $50 fine before she could leave Yellowstone, which has strict rules about food storage to prevent wildlife from eating human food. Customs agents found a warrant claiming Clarke had not paid her fine.

In a related story there is no word the nationwide search for the name unknown Houston-based dance teacher who escaped a park ranger manhunt for the same crime earlier in the day. The only clue was a mysterious "SSQQ Schedule" found at the scene of the crime.

(Rick's Note: if something strange happens at my wedding, now you know what happened. Please don't turn me in!)
 

SPECIAL FEATURE FIVE

THE NICKEL WORTH THREE MILLION DOLLARS

Donald W. Doyle Jr., chairman and CEO of Blanchard, said although two coins have sold for higher prices in the bidding-war atmosphere of an auction, the $3 million sale of the 1913 Liberty Head "V" nickel is the largest transaction ever by a retail brokerage firm to a buyer.

"Only five 1913 Liberty Head nickels are known to exist, and of them, only three are in private hands and potentially available for acquisition," Doyle said. "For Blanchard to have had a part in its sale is an exceptional honor."


The other two 1913 Liberty Head nickels are in museum collections. One is in the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian's Museum of American History, while the other is in the American Numismatic Association's National Money Museum in Colorado Springs, CO.

"This coin is to numismatists what the Mona Lisa is to the art world," said Bruce L. Smith, one of the Senior Account Executives at Blanchard who negotiated the nickel's sale.

One side of the coin features the Liberty Head and the 1913 date, while the reverse has the "V." The only nickels with this design and date, they are believed to have been struck surreptitiously by a U.S. Mint employee in 1913. They did not surface publicly until 1919 and were in the possession of a former Mint official. However, the intrigue surrounding the nickel has been fueled by a storied past.


Rich History: King Farouk, Traffic Jams, Basketball and "Hawaii Five-O"

The $3 million nickel sold by Blanchard - named the Olsen Specimen for a previous owner - has the richest history of the five coins. Coin collecting is known as the Hobby of Kings, and this nickel was actually once owned by a royal, King Farouk of Egypt, an avid collector of coins and other fineries.

The Liberty Head nickel captured the attention of Texas millionaire B. Max Mehl, who more than anyone else is responsible for making the nickel famous. Mehl launched a million-dollar advertising campaign during the Depression, stirring the general public's interest by offering top dollar to anyone who found one of the prized nickels. People envisioned becoming rich and began combing through their change to find the nickel.

Streetcar conductors caused traffic jams as they stopped to examine the coins used for fare by riders in hopes of finding a sought-after 1913 Liberty Head nickel. While Mehl never owned one, he popularized coin collecting as a hobby and stimulated sales of his coin-collecting book, which went through 30 printings.

Mehl was not alone in his passionate pursuit. The nickel's lure spans generations. Dr. Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team, was another previous owner.

The Olsen Specimen grabbed Hollywood's attention as well. It starred in a 1974 episode of the television crime drama "Hawaii Five-O." The episode, titled "The $100,000 Nickel," was the story of a thief who teamed up with a con artist to steal the famous coin. They used a slight-of-hand trick to swap the original coin for a carefully crafted fake at a coin convention. The crime duo couldn't elude Steve McGarrett, the head of an elite crime investigation unit. He was able to recover the nickel, arrest the thieves and put the Olsen Specimen back into the owner's hands and the public's conscious.

Obviously, the nickel surpassed the $100,000 price tag used in the television series. Since 1974, the Olsen Specimen's value has increased 3,000%, making it a lucrative investment and treasured piece of American history.


Sale of "Amazingly Beautiful" Coin Took Three Years

A 1913 Liberty Head nickel sold for $1 million in 1993, another sold for $1.5 million in 1996, and a third sold for $1.85 million in 2001. It is entirely possible that this nickel will reach the $5 million mark as the popularity of rare coins continues to grow, Smith said.

"In fact, investments in rare coins have outpaced the growth in gold bullion," he said.

Under terms of the sale, neither the new owner nor the previous owner of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel can be identified because of privacy and security concerns, Blanchard officials said.

Smith worked for three years to bring the deal to fruition and two years to place the coin.

"Anyone involved with the industry is aware of the coin, and I had been following its story for some time. About three years ago, a client expressed some interest in seeing whether the Liberty Head might be available to purchase so I began to watch the nickel closely," he said.

Eventually, two of his investor clients asked for information on the coin, and one ultimately was the purchaser.

Smith described the new owner as a collector and astute investor who owns a number of other significant coins. Smith said the new owner sold "a handful of other coins" at attractive prices to raise the funds to acquire the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which is now the star of his collection.

"Just being part of something this important is fantastic," Smith said.

He and the new owner also share many "similar goals and aspirations in our life" in addition to finance, including mission work and church-related activities. "It is especially meaningful for me to place this coin in his hands," Smith said.

Plus, Smith has had a thrill that most coin collectors only dream of: He may not own it, but he has held one of the most famous coins in the world.

"The coin is amazingly beautiful," Smith said. "It's just in immaculate condition."

Interestingly, when Smith began his quiet watch on the 1913 Liberty Head nickels, it was believed that only four of the five coins were still in existence. It was thought that the fifth coin had been lost in a 1962 automobile accident that killed its owner, a coin dealer.

But last year, when the American Numismatic Association (ANA) was planning a display of the four nickels that could be located, a million-dollar reward was offered to anyone who could produce the fifth nickel, regardless of its condition. The deceased dealer's family responded, bringing a coin that an expert previously had determined was a fake. Much to the family's surprise, six experts at the ANA conference examined the coin and found it to be the real thing.

As a result, all five of the 1913 Liberty Head coins were shown together at the 2003 ANA Convention in Baltimore, MD, for the first time since their debut at the 1920 ANA Convention and probably the last.

Origin Shrouded in Mystery

The coin is so valuable not only because five exist, but also because its origins are surrounded in mystery.

The five nickels are believed to have been produced at the Philadelphia Mint in early 1913 just before the nickel design was about to change from the Liberty Head, produced from 1883 to 1912, to the Indian Head that was minted from 1913 to 1938.

Because these coins were struck before the official adoption of the Indian Head design, producing the five Liberty Head coins with a 1913 date was not illegal even though no other Liberty nickels with that date were ever produced.

Speculation is that an employee of the Philadelphia Mint struck the five 1913 Liberty Head nickels in January or February of that year. Although not illegal, the production was probably unscrupulous. Samuel W. Brown, a numismatist and an assistant curator of one of the collections in the Philadelphia Mint, definitely was involved, and he eventually produced the nickels.

The collector world first learned of the nickels existence in 1919 when Brown advertised in the Numismatist, the coin association's magazine, offering to buy the rare Liberty Head nickels. By then, he was no longer a Mint employee.

Later, Brown made it known that he had five of the coins and took them to the 1920 ANA convention, which was the first time anyone had seen them.

Some historians speculate that Brown may have waited until 1919 to disclose the coins' existence because he wanted to make sure the person who actually struck the coins had died. Others observe that 1920 was the year that the seven-year statute of limitations would have expired for prosecution of anyone removing government property from the Mint. As is the case with so much of the nickel's history, the real story will probably never be known.


May 20. 2004

Mysterious Liberty nickel fetches $3 million

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was minted under mysterious circumstances, owned by royalty and celebrated in an episode of TV's Hawaii Five-O was sold Thursday for $3 million US.

"Many argue this is the most important coin in our history," said Bruce Smith of Blanchard and Co., which brokered the sale. "I think it's the most beautiful." Neither the buyer, described as both a collector and investor, nor the seller was identified.

At least two other coins have sold for more, both at auction. In 1999, an 1804 silver dollar sold for $4.14 million. Two years ago, a 1933 $20 gold piece went for $7.59 million.

The $3-million coin is one of only five Liberty Head nickels minted in 1913. The design had been discontinued in 1912 and the mint was switching over to the Indian Head nickel.

The U.S. Mint sometimes ran off coins as tests and the coins may have been struck that way, Smith said. They surfaced in 1920 in the possession of Samuel Brown, a former mint employee, and have soared in value ever since.

"The innocent view is that it was the test of a handful of coins," Smith said.

"The less innocent view is that Samuel Brown knew he would have a valuable investment down the road."

During the Depression, Texas millionaire B. Max Mehl sparked dreams of wealth by offering a $1,000 reward for one of the 1913 Liberty Heads. The offer was said to have regularly caused traffic jams as streetcar conductors took time to examine the nickels passengers paid as fare.

One of the nickels sold for $1 million in 1993, another went for $1.5 million in 1996 and a third fetched $1.85 million in 2001.

The coin sold by Blanchard is considered the second-best in quality but the one with the most colorful history.

Called the Olsen Specimen for a previous owner, it once belonged to King Farouk of Egypt, an avid coin collector. It was also owned by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and was the subject of a 1973 episode of Hawaii Five-O, titled The $100,000 Nickel.
 

SPECIAL FEATURE SIX

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