Anoka City Forum

Windego Abandoned Project

In December 2006, Windego Park Society president, Erik Skogquist stated, "the Society has been successful as of right now without really having a project."

    Hold on. . .

There is another WPS project (besides the Anoka amphitheater) that should have been known to council, staff and certainly Mr. Skogquist.

It is sitting unfinished in St. Francis, four years past the projected completion date.

The Windego Park Society has been called "an untested, under-funded, relatively unknown group which cannot prove their ability to complete the (Anoka) project."

They can, in fact, prove their inability to complete a much smaller project.

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The WPS Anoka project has had estimates from one-half to a full million dollars.

The WPS St. Francis project is a one bedroom house.

Skogquist's Killing Anoka + Redrum Head Shop

There is a new manifestation of what's killing Anoka.   The facade of the new Redrum smoke shop is full of death symbolism.

The owner of the building and landlord is John Becker, the brother-in-law of Paul Pierce.  Pierce and Bjorn Skogquist are the councilmembers that delayed Riverspointe and caused the Condo project to miss the market.

Thirty people signed a letter to the editor in 2006 saying Mayor Skogquist had let it be known the Anoka River Run Car Show (using the condo building site) was more important than making progress on the Condo project.

Now Erik Skogquist, Mr. "no-more-rental", wants to continue these misguided stuck-in-the-past policies.  It's simplistic to say no-more-rental.  The discussion should be about the quality of rental as much as the quantity.  Hopkins has high quality and quantity and an actual vibrant downtown.

Resisting all new rental locks the city in bondage to the old and deteriorating.  We have a recipe for continued stagnation and decline rather than a plan for replacing and upgrading. 

You only have to see where the Skogquist (and ally Aaron Barr's) signs go to see who benefits by their policies. The Tribune called them low-end, predatory landlords: the Pierces, the Fischer's, the Corriveau's of Anoka.

Bjorn Skogquist delayed routine rental licensing for his constituents.

Erik Skogquist promises to resist new, upgraded replacement rental for his.

Killing the competition for the benefit of his moneyed special interest supporters.

Killing Anoka's future.

Demographics is still destiny.

Online Petition - Stop Murder Spelled Backwards Selling Drug Paraphernalia  www.gopetition.com/online/22252.html

Comment:  If "demographics is destiny":

Anoka is currently being systematically "marketed" to new people through the County welfare system and numbers of failed chemical dependency people each year.

Combined with paralysis in housing renewal, rental licensing, resistance to redevelopment. . .what will Anoka look like in 10, in 20 years?  And who will live here?

Who benefits but the Fischers, Corriveau's and Paul Pierce types?  It's not difficult to see why they support Aaron Barr and the Skogquist's.

Erik Skogquist the Collaborator ?

Erik Skogquist-for-mayor campaign rhetoric asks why Anoka's City Council "is killing car shows, farmer's markets and amphitheaters".   Abc newspaper 8-29-08.

For the record these three things are all still out there, alive and active:

• Anoka has had a car show for four months almost every Saturday every summer for the last six years.  The Anoka City Council (8-18-08) unanimously approved the car show through 2009 - to be run by council candidate Aaron Barr's organization. Members include Mark Peterson and Andrew Boho.

• We have also had a very nice farmer's market for many years. ---Thank you to St. Stephen's Church and Lyric Arts for this year's improvement with the added visibility and easy parking.  It's wonderful.  Fifth and Main. Thursday afternoon 2-5:30. Through October 16. Get there early for the sweet corn.

• Erik's amphitheater project is still advertising events and collecting donations.  He shouldn't be doing that if it was "killed", should he?

Erik Skogquist promises to work collaboratively should he add to his brother's eight years as mayor.

Hopefully casting inaccurate aspersions and spreading wrong information is not Erik's idea of being collaborative.

Letter to the editor. . .submitted by Linea Kirchner. . .censored by Peter Bodley.

Continually spreading misinformation is one of the accusations behind the councilmember recall effort in St. Francis.

Comment:   At what price credibility?  At what price character?

A quote usually attributed to Lincoln:  "If you can forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.   It is true that you can fool all the people some of the time;  you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time."

Comment:  Stirring up strife for political gain just hurts the candidate and it hurts the town. It seems that Erik is going to be exactly like his brother in his frequent departures from the truth and reality. One wonders what he is telling people door-to-door when he gets this strident in a public statement.

His brother had told people that the former mayor "made money off of land deals."

Windego: At what point fraud?

At what point does Bjorn and Erik Skogquist's Windego Park Society move beyond irrational optimism to misrepresentation to downright fraud ?

"We have seen better days."   William Shakespeare

• Windego Park Society's site plan has been denied by both the Anoka Planning Commission and the Anoka City Council.

• The lease is in default by their own actions.  See "Windego Lease in Default" on this site.

• WPS founder(Bjorn Skogquist) and currrent WPS president (Erik Skogquist) are facing legal action.  Mark McGowan is "pursuing damage claims for defamation, tortious interference with prospective relations, invasion of privacy, fraud and civil conspiracy".  Mark McGowan simply "presented information disputing the viability of the project".

• WPS and Skogquists couldn't handle a little scrutiny or deal with the issues.

Their style of "doing democracy" and attempts to silence facts and different opinions is what should cause concern in the voting public:  Be afraid, Be very afraid.

And yet the Skogquists continue to fund raise.  At what point does it become fraudulent to accept donations ?  At what point do they disclose to donors the current status of WPS.  At what point do they mention that funds may have to be raised and used for a legal defense fund?

Comment:   Disturbing images: Barb Thurston, the Skogquists mother, pacing and signaling strangely to her son Erik, at the Planning Commission meeting when Mark McGowan was presenting his information.    And then  later signaling to her son Bjorn, in the mayor's seat at the council meeting, to cut him (McGowan) off with a finger across her throat.

At other times the public sees Barb Thurston wrapped in the flag as a Daughter-of-the-American -Revolution, Remember-Constitution-Week-Lady.  Appearing as a promoter of patriotic endeavors.

She is a tireless campaigner for Skogquists-for-office.

Barb Thurston also serves as treasurer of Windego Park Society, causing some to call WPS the first "Skogquist family non-profit".

The political and family nature of WPS will be the first thing noticed on any grant application.  There would certainly be opportunity for chuckles all the way to the circular file,  "the mother is the treasurer!" . . . And the sons have never had full time employment.

The last two years they report having raised just under $25,000 each year  - mostly gone for "expenses".  It's interesting that is the number over which a full accounting would have to be done.

Anoka, we have seen better days.

Anoka Car Show: Non-Profit or Political Action Group?

Anoka has a Car Show - Anoka River Run. It is operated by RTCP "River Town Community Partnership" .

Recently this operation has come under a cloud of corruption and fraud.  There is serious lack of public trust.  There are no checks and balances. They charge fees and collect donations. They use city streets for 18 weeks each year.  There is the feeling that it is an unregulated cash cow.   Much like Windego Park Society. 

We need factual information.    We need full disclosure.

The Car Show was run as a business at first. RTCP took it over, claims it is now a "non-profit".   But official status is still pending after three years. If anyone has deducted a donation, are they guilty of filing a fraudulent tax return?   Will all the politicos on the board raise red flags at the IRS?  Will there be an accountability day for the City of Anoka:  "What were you thinking?"

Mayor Bjorn Skogquist and Mayor candidate Erik Skogquist both take credit for the Car Show in their campaign material.  RTCP is a reference account for "Skogquist Management".

Aaron Barr is the current RTCP president.  Barr was the neighborhood organizing force behind the HRA loss of $200,000 to correct blight on his neighbor's house, 302 Fremont (Barr said his property values were being affected). Barr also wants to be on the City Council and partners with the Skogquist's to that end.

Andrew Boho is another RTCP player as treasurer.  Boho is also a Skogquist neighbor, former council candidate and currently wants to be the DFL candidate for House District 48B.  Bjorn Skogquist is the Chair of Boho's committee.  See  http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/campfin/rpdetail/rp15834.html

There's more to Mark Petersen than he admitted to at a recent council meeting...  He delivered some outrageous, undocumented charges (out of order + Skogquist pretended not to know him) that, of course, got four lines in the Union. You can slander people that way and get abc newspapers to participate.

In fact, Skogquist routinely and effectively indulges in meeting and media manipulation, especially daring during election seasons.

Mark Petersen, "Mr. Full Disclosure", didn't mention the fact that he is a Skogquist supporter. His vacant home on Oakwood being a "Skogquist for Mayor" sign location in 2004 and 2006 and now 2008.  His actual home with Ann Kemp on Oakwood an "Erik Skogquist" for mayor sign location this year.

Mark Petersen, who said full disclosure is a subject near and dear to his heart, also didn't disclose that he's been functioning as the Car Show's secretary.

Update: Mark Petersen, being shamelessly overused by Skogquist, along with partner Ann Kemp, was also one of five people crawling around Anoka trying to steal your right to vote.  Where is the full disclosure, the open dialogue?  How can a guy in town since 2001 be so confident we need to radically change our form of government?

The same and more can be inquired of partner Ann Kemp. Her property info indicates a 9-26-06 entrance into Anoka and its divisive political scene.

So. . . Anoka River Run Car Show aka  River Town Community Partnership.

Non-Profit?  or   Political action group?

Windego = Vampire

At the Anoka City Council open forum on 7-21-08 Dr. Jim Rusin referred to Bjorn and Erik Skogquist's Windego project as a vampire that needs to be staked and killed once for all.

Even though Skogquist's Windego Park Society (WPS) had their site plan denied for non-performance, they apparently still have a lease with the city for this public property, the amphitheater. 

Dr. Rusin was suggesting that the council now take the next responsible step, show some leadership and cancel the lease on this unworkable project.

Even the occasional observer can see the accuracy of the vampire analogy.

Windego has been sucking the credibility of the city council, mayor and staff.

The way this unfeasible project is being handled continues to undermine public confidence in their judgment.

Councilmembers, Anderson and Skogquist can't overcome their bias and even be civil to the public. Skogquist indulges himself and disputes at open forum. Anderson actually orders Dr. Rusin to sit down.  (Thereby sparing Skogquist the embarrassment of admitting the lack of progress in fundraising.  Former side-kicks Paul Pierce and Dori Schumacher didn't have such good timing.)

Windego especially calls into question Bjorn and Erik Skogquist's ability to prioritize projects, make sound decisions, and move on when numerous insurmountable obstacles have been identified.

These protracted deliberations continue to showcase their inability to give straight answers or accept reality checks. Rather, the Skogquist brothers have chosen to irrationally accuse the brave realists of bad motives or criminal backgrounds.

Windego has been a vampire on the Skogquist's time, 20's, credibility, and political future.

And they don't see it, they don't have a clue.  It's clear they have lost all perspective.

It's clear they are ill equiped to participate in public policy discussions. They certainly have no business being in elected office.

Oddly enough, the Windego was an evil spirit in Indian lore that represented a degrading process of fear, paralysis, cold, insanity and finally death.

The Windego was a consuming creature much like the vampire.

McGowan's Reality Check Smeared

Mark McGowan brought a much needed reality check on very specific issues about Windego Park Society (WPS), Mayor Skogquist's pet project, run by his brother Erik Skogquist.

The meeting 6-16-08 was a new dysfunctional low even for Skogquist.

Finance, Lori Yager, seemed incompetent. She couldn't answer finance questions but attempted an engineering one. The city manager was invisible as usual.  Erik Skogquist did a lot of sideways dancing with one reckless thrust at the end.  Bjorn shamelessly assisted his brother and moderated his baby. And yet strangely abstained from actually voting.

Dr. Rusin made the most sense to many people when he voiced his disgust, "just kill the damn thing. This thing has to die. Move on."

Mark Freeburg had the clearest thinking and reasoned list. He characterized WPS as just another romantic, futile effort like Mayor Skogquist's scandalous loss of $186,000 on 302 Fremont.

Carl Anderson actually joined the mob and proved himself biased and ungracious growling, "just go home."

Council could have been at least courteous and thanked McGowan for the important issues he brought to their attention that have perhaps been overlooked.   Council basically received a free feasibility study.

Mr. Skogquist, the elder, couldn't find his gavel when his groupies (and Carl Anderson) were heckling and out of order.  And, in fact, as mayor he sincerely thanked that part of the audience for their outburst!

The heckling and then the deliberate libel/slander of McGowan at the very end by Mr. Skogquist, the younger, all seemed a little too coordinated.

One question is:  was the slander "due diligence" done months ago?  Or was it an attempt to dig dirt between the Planning meeting on the 3rd and the council meeting on the 16th to discredit a person?

It's the weakest, most desperate position:  Can't answer the issues?  Smear the man.

They say politics doesn't develop character.  Politics only reveals character.

Windego, an Anoka Comedy.

Our local Anoka newspaper doesn't have a comics/humor section.  But the Windego Park Society, aka Bjorn and Erik Skogquist, news releases more than made up for it.  They'll be missed.

Their "main mature event" this season (January thru July 2008) was the Chalk drawing on the sidewalks.

They raised 18 X $20 or $360.00.  This organization needs $675,000 by December 2009. (In 2007 WPS reported a net of $1,891 toward their goals).

A personal favorite in the humor category was "the hazardous waste drop off that was scrapped".

The Skogquist brothers advertised on the Anoka City reader board to drop off hazardous waste at Barb Thurston's residence on 3rd Avenue. 

Must be some kind of passive/aggressive dynamic going on here: Barb Thurston is their mother.

Maybe they thought, hey, it's almost Mother's Day. . .let's get Mom something everyone needs more of: hazardous waste.  We don't have enough of our own for an impressive gift so we'll ask strangers to drop off theirs.

Apparently a caring adult stepped in and saved the hazmat crew a trip to Anoka.

Bitsie

Warning : Further Making Sport:  Please do not read if you are easily offended or if you have no sense of humor.

Submitted from conversations :  "What Windego needs to do is appeal to the big money.  They need to take their events up a notch.  They have got to build some credibility.

They should take their annual Chalk drawing and add bubble blowing!

And that annual garage sale. . .they have got to think about adding a lemonade stand."

"That should do it."

Also:  It's almost as if Skogquist's are mocking the good will of Anokans, as in, "How lame can we be and still keep the lease?"  Or maybe they need to keep it alive through the election season so they can blame the city council for it not working out.

Windego Magic Money

Windego Park Society president, Erik Skogquist, was questioned, "What happens to donations if the project does not go ahead?"

Mayor Skogquist's brother, Erik, answered (with a straight face), "The donations are sitting there in escrow until we as an organization prove we can spend it or it goes back to them (the donors)."

WPS income for 2007 was $23,935 with expenses of $22,044.    Net income of $1,891.

By definition escrow is "to keep intact in the control of a 3rd party."

So, this fantasy Windego money can both be spent and kept safely in escrow.  It is consumed, yet somehow still exists.       And who exactly holds the escrow?

The mayor's brother, now candidate for mayor himself, was then asked how much money is on hand.

WPS is a fund raising organization and yet Erik Skogquist stated, "they haven't focused much on the funds this year"; but he thought it was five percent of goal of $675,000. ($33,750).

Staff stated money on hand was $7,000; up from $5,000 in 2006.

Maybe they have Magic Windego Bucks. $7,000 seems like $33,750.

And maybe there is a Bizarro Windego World, where blarney is as easy as breathing.

Update:   Now Erik Skogquist is running for mayor.  He's now claiming the current mayor and city council have resisted this project.  When, in fact, WPS had a green light and were only able to raise a net of $1,891 towards the project.

It's interesting Skogquist raises just under the $25,000 that would trigger a fuller accounting.

Erik Skogquist wants to your next mayor.  Anoka, be afraid, be very afraid.

Manager pimps finance

You can understand Erik-for-mayor and Bjorn-for-commissioner Skogquist running amok of sound financial principles, honesty and basic accountability.  You can understand freely running afoul of Roberts Rules of Order and not excusing yourself from presiding over your family's non-profit.

They are, after all, only preparing for a great future in politics where such things are expected. (And apparently there were no adults in the room familiar with meeting procedure.)

What is harder to understand is two professionals going along with the fraternal finaglings. City Manager and Finance presumably want to keep working in their chosen professions, maybe even advancing to larger responsibilities. One would think they would want to be building their credibility. Not destroying it.

For the record: Request for Council Action on December 18, 2006. Originating Department: Administration.  Prepared by: Tim Cruikshank, City Manager

Comments by Lori Yager, Finance Director:  "The Windego Park Society has laid out a reasonable financial proforma to plan for the construction and operation of an outdoor amphitheater. Minnwest Bank has indicated that the Windego Park Society has demonstrated the level of financial detail needed to obtain financing."

The Jackal Pup

Letter to Editor, reprinted on the "Anoka City Forum" - Anoka Union -   6-21-07:

"Recently the Anoka newspaper did a piece on a start-up Windego Dinner Theater.

The article said, "Finally, a professional dinner theater has arrived in the Anoka area."

And "people won't have to drive down to Chanhassen to see quality dinner theater."

For the record, the Anoka area has a proven, high quality, professional dinner theater that is, in fact, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The Seasons Dinner Theater presents family orientated, humorous theater in a very nice setting. see www.theseasonsatbunkerhills.com for more information.

Maybe the Anoka newspaper could do a feature story on The Seasons Dinner Theater. It could serve to review and honor 20 entertaining years of successful dinner theater here in the north metro."

        ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Comments: It's hard to understand how Anoka newspaper staff could have missed this. They have printed information on the Seasons Dinner theater for twenty years. Somehow they stepped out of reality and joined make-believe-land.

The land where things are so, just because someone says so.

The land where you don't know what you are talking about, you just "give it a shot."  Ala Windego Park Society president Erik Skogquist.

As far as Windego Park Society goes. . .you'd think a legitimate start-up endeavor would do a little research on similar, competing efforts. Who's doing what, how's it going, how is it done successfully, is there a market for this service?

What is the chance for success if you haven't answered these most basic questions?

There's a great African proverb about the impudence of youth: "What is impertinence?  When the jackal is born in August and there is a flood in September and the jackal pup says "Good gracious! I never saw such a high flood!"

Erik Skogquist was a (no doubt adorable) toddler when the Seasons Dinner Theater got started.  Without due diligence or basic research, how could he be expected to know anything?

Now, what's the newspaper's excuse?

Anoka's a Joke

Tell me Anoka is not a Joke.

After midnight on December 18, 2006, with brother Bjorn Skogquist presiding, the City of Anoka granted a lease to property owned by you, the taxpayer, to an organization run by an Erik Skogquist.  Erik is the 23 year old "president" of something called "the Windego Park Society". Mother, Barb Thurston, is the treasurer.

Erik maintains a MySpace page on the internet.  The average age of a MySpace user is 14-21.

He lists his occupation as "Aseessor/Inspector". Also "Master of the Universe". In the real world assessors usually work for cities and counties assessing properties for tax determinations.

He enjoys rabble rousing for causes he believes in and recently got excited about crushing his old car into scrap metal for $40.

His girlfriend posted a reminder to get some groceries and to update his page. . .cause "All the cool kids are doing it."

The Simpsons are his first choice for television and he'd like to meet Slick Willy.

He posts about "What is up with Satanism. . ."