Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com, YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Mitt Romney, PLEASE choose SARAH PALIN 4 your RUNNING MATE...
Friday, July 27, 2012
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD as of 7-27-12
1. Choose Shirt, Blouse, Jacket & MORE, and COLOR
2. Choose LOGO and/or DESIGN
3. PAY & SHIP via PAYPAL and CHOOSE Overnight, 2nd DAY or 1st Class U.S. MAIL.
MOST T-Shirts, with SHIPPING & HANDLING INCLUDED, start at $19.95...MOST POPULAR is (ON FRONT) "cHuRcH gEt 2 ThE bAtTlE..." and (ON BACK), "CHRISTIAN...u WeRe BORN 4 sUcH a TIME as THIS!" WEB LINK to be POSTED SOON...In MEANTIME, send ALL INQUIRIES to: dance4One11@yahoo.com,
Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
D.A.R.T. Announces NEW ORANGE LINE to IRVING CONVENTION CENTER, 3 NEW STATONS, and FREE RIDE Saturday, July 28, 2012: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/orangeline.asp
Dance4One DEBUTS as "DANGEROUS" on YouTube...
COMING SOON...
Dance4One ANNOUNCES, beginning in AUGUST, 2012, the MONTHLY PUBLICATION named The Dance'In NEWZ BOY...Content will feature REAL NEWZ, Political VIEWS and CONTENT, Religious and Faith-Based FEATURE stories, Restaurant & Company REVIEWS, Dallas & Surrounding AREAS Event Information, PAID Advertising & Sponsorships & MORE.
Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Saturday, July 21, 2012
OUR HEARTS HURT for YOU, Aurora...May YOU, the Victims, the Survivors & Families TRULY Rest in PEACE
Re-Posted by:
Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
FULL STORY on YAHOO at:
http://news.yahoo.com/aurora-shooting-possible-victim-unaccounted-27th-birthday-205219708--abc-news-topstories.html
Friday, July 20, 2012
Christmas in July at Austin Street Centre Presented by Tootsies & Cullwell & Son, The Men's Store of Dallas
Reposted by Dan Getz,
www.Dance4One.blogspot.comIt is not too late to join forces with Tooties, Cullwell & Son and The Austin Street Center Shelter for Men and Woman by contributing directly at https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=jL9jC2sM7GgyGhyAYyyyYlGq6ZO3grC22wsGXYu5b6xiENaGsgcDbsXZv9u&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d7283e7f0184a5674430f290db9e9c846
or by signing up for Volunteer Services at www.AustinStreet.org. Austin Street Center is located at 2929 Hickory Street, Dallas, TX 75226, and serves about 400 homeless individuals, children and families 365 days a year by feeding, clothing, providing shelter and many work, medical and community service related resources. The Christmas in July Event will take place on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, when the majority of donations and contributions are requested to arrive at the Center.
Recent ASC News
"Christmas in July" 07/25/2012
Austin Street Center’s “Christmas in July”
to Create Awareness of Year-Round Homelessness;
Partners with Tootsies and Culwell & Son
Austin Street Center has announced plans for “Christmas in July”, an opportunity for volunteers and donors to come together to help the homeless of Dallas.
“There is always an uptick of contributions and volunteers in November and December,” stated Volunteer Coordinator Liz McGregor. Director of Development Patton Chapman added, “We want to educate the public that homelessness does not just occur during the holidays…it is a year-round challenge.”
Area churches, synagogues and civic organizations are helping the “Christmas in July” event by donating selected items for the Austin Street clients.
Priority on this list is wheeled luggage and duffel bags, which Austin Street refers to as “Luggage for Love”.
“One of the biggest challenges facing the homeless is transporting their belongings,” said Keith Price, Executive Director. “Imagine, if you will, having all of your life’s belongings contained in a black trash bag that is always being repaired with duct tape.”
Wheeled luggage and duffel bags can help ease the Austin Street client’s burdens, as well as helping to simplify storage of their goods at the Center.
In addition to wheeled luggage and duffel bags, other items that will be part of the “Christmas in July” donation drive include:
- Gently-used clothing
- Personal hygiene products (for both men and women)
- Underwear and socks (for both men and women)
- Laundry bags
- Men’s shoes (size 10 and up)
- Men’s Big & Tall Clothing
- Women’s Plus-Size clothing
Tootsies, an upscale women’s boutique in Preston Center, and Culwell & Son, a men’s and boy’s clothier on Hillcrest Drive, will be accepting donations during the month of July. The gently used clothing will be part of the apparel assortment at Hope Benefit & Consignment, Austin Street’s store opening soon in Casa Linda Plaza.
The “Christmas in July” event culminates on Wednesday, July 25, when the majority of donations and contributions are requested to arrive at the shelter. The Hickory Street campus will be adorned with a Christmas tree and decorations, and sources close to Austin Street claim that Santa Claus will take a break from his summer vacation to pay the ASC clients a visit.
For more information on “Christmas in July”, along with donation and volunteer opportunities, please contact Liz McGregor, Volunteer Coordinator for Austin Street Center, at liz.mcgregor@austinstreet.org, or visit www.austinstreet.org.
This article was Re-Posted by:
Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Buddist Path by fellow Blogger, Chelle Ferris Bell
Click Link Below for Story...
http://www.realchelleb.blogspot.com/2012/06/buddhist-path.html
http://www.realchelleb.blogspot.com/2012/06/buddhist-path.html
Reposted by Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
The views in the above article are not necessarily the views of Dance4ONE, but would not have been re-posted if the article did not have some merit.
RE-RELEASE OF "Is the DART hitting the Bulls Eye or Even the Target? A 31 Day Journey THROUGH Art, Business & Faith"
When I first ran this story on October 26, 2011, I had the intention of disguising my identity until the last or 31st day. In retrospect that would have been a HUGE mistake. Although ALL of the information below has been presented in a CREATIVLY TRUTHFUL manner, the EXPANDED TRUTH is that I,
*More Information can be found on Dan Getz and Dance4One at www.Dance4One.blogspot.com OR by FOLLOWING @Dance4One on TWITTER or FACEBOOK. Names with asterisks may or may not have been changed for this story.
By Dan Getz, Blogger
When I met up with Joe* approximately 16 months ago, I found him under a bridge near one of the DART stations helping a family who had lost nearly everything, save a tent, a LOT of clothes, cooking utensils, several pets (including a rabbit in a cage), and several other assorted “survival-type” items. Although Joe quickly informed me that he had just lost his job, himself, he shared with me part of this family’s story. There was a father, a mother, a 19 year old son and I believe a brother of the wife, and then that brother’s wife (sister-in-law) of the mother.
Joe told me that he had met the mother a few weeks earlier pan-handling at an intersection maybe a mile south from where we were at. It was the middle of the summer in Texas
Lori, though obviously hungry, was more than eager to talk and explain herself, very much like an accused man or women insisting on their innocence. In fact, “She talked so much, Joe said, “I had to gently remind her that ‘It was okay. We could talk later, but right now it was important to eat, and listen to what I had to tell her.’” “What I had to tell her” Joe said, “was that I did not blame her in anyway, and although I was limited as to the extent I could help her (because, as you know I had recently become unemployed myself), I had several practical ideas of how I might be able to help, if she would just eat and listen.”
And that’s about where I left Joe the last time I saw him, approximately 16 months ago, UNTIL I ran into him at a Starbucks in North Dallas recently…I said, “Hey Joe, is that YOU. Do you remember me? I’m that guy that…
And Joe said, in the same overtly positive and optimistic tone he had carried throughout our several weeks of communication and interaction many months earlier, “Yeah, Yeah…I remember…Do you know what I just bought? It’s a 31 day Regional Pass for DART…I lost my motorcycle to the bank a couple weeks ago…I’m unemployed again…but I do still have a little in the bank and a car and apartment. So I figure I’m gonna learn the WHOLE DART SYSTEM NOW…while I’ve got a little “breathing room”, and hopefully find some work through my writing, blogging and travels on the DART system before the end of my 31 day pass.”
And so…this is JOE’s story…
To Be Continued (in 31 ADDITIONAL segments)…
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
DART to RELEASE to DANCE4One ALL PUBLIC HEARING (6-26-12) DOCUMENTS THROUGH OPEN RECORDS REQUEST
From: Dan Getz <dance4one11@yahoo.com>
To: Caroline Misoi <CMisoi@dart.org>; Halfreda Anderson-Nelson <HAnderson-Nelson@dart.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: ORR Getz 9164
My address is Dan Getz, c/o Albert Cheng, 811 Wisteria Way, Richardson, TX 75080. I want to pick the documents up. Would that be at the Ackard Station. There was audio and video too. Will that type of documentation be in a CD and/or DVD or OTHER format?
From: Caroline Misoi <CMisoi@dart.org>
To: Halfreda Anderson-Nelson <HAnderson-Nelson@dart.org>; dance4one11@yahoo.com
Cc: Caroline Misoi <CMisoi@dart.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:46 AM
Subject: ORR Getz 9164
To: Caroline Misoi <CMisoi@dart.org>; Halfreda Anderson-Nelson <HAnderson-Nelson@dart.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: ORR Getz 9164
My address is Dan Getz, c/o Albert Cheng, 811 Wisteria Way, Richardson, TX 75080. I want to pick the documents up. Would that be at the Ackard Station. There was audio and video too. Will that type of documentation be in a CD and/or DVD or OTHER format?
Thank you,
Thank you,
Dan Getz
Website: http://www.dance4one.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Dance4One
LinkedIn: Dan Getz
Facebook: Dan Getz, Dance4One (Group & Page)
Email: dance4One11@yahoo.com
Phone: 469-828-8995
Be Art. Do Business. Have Faith. CONNECTING aRt & BuSiNeSs
ThRoUgH FAITH.
To: Halfreda Anderson-Nelson <HAnderson-Nelson@dart.org>; dance4one11@yahoo.com
Cc: Caroline Misoi <CMisoi@dart.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:46 AM
Subject: ORR Getz 9164
Mr. Getz,
Please provide DART with your mailing address so that we can complete processing your request. Please advice DART if you want to pick up the documents responsive to your request or you want them mailed.
Thank you,
This Email is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Sections 2510 et seq. and is legally privileged. Additionally, this message and any attachments to it may contain PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY CLIENT INFORMATION AND/OR ATTORNEY CORE WORK PRODUCT and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to which it is addressed. If you are not an intended recipient of this email, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use, dissemination or copying of the email or the information contained in it or attached to it is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete it and immediately notify the person named above by reply email. Thanks
From: Dan Getz <dance4one11@yahoo.com>
To: "njohnson@DART.org" <njohnson@DART.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 5:46 PM
Subject: Fw: DART PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED FARE INCREASES
To: "njohnson@DART.org" <njohnson@DART.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 5:46 PM
Subject: Fw: DART PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED FARE INCREASES
fyi Nancy...
Thank you,
Dan Getz
Website: http://www.dance4one.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Dance4One
LinkedIn: Dan Getz
Facebook: Dan Getz, Dance4One (Group & Page)
Email: dance4One11@yahoo.com
Phone: 469-828-8995
Be Art. Do Business. Have Faith. CONNECTING aRt & BuSiNeSs
ThRoUgH FAITH.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dan Getz <dance4one11@yahoo.com>
To: "rchrisman@dart.org" <rchrisman@dart.org>; "jpena@dart.org" <jpena@dart.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 5:44 PM
Subject: DART PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED FARE INCREASES
From: Dan Getz <dance4one11@yahoo.com>
To: "rchrisman@dart.org" <rchrisman@dart.org>; "jpena@dart.org" <jpena@dart.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 5:44 PM
Subject: DART PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED FARE INCREASES
Randall and Janee, I have not forgotten my committment to contact you. Alot of the delay was a heart surgury I had a week ago yesterday t orrect a 45 year old birth defect that was life threatening. The good news is the 6 1/2 hour procedure known as an Ablation, which involved taking guidewires up my right artery and lasering a part of my heart that was not supposed to be there was 100% successful and it is as if I never had the defect know as Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
Randall, I can help you remove the $7.5 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTAGE in it's entirety, and then some. I am an freelance Operational and Finanial Analyst with 20+ years of Management, Accountng, Finance, Credit & Collections and Operational Analysis experience working for companies like MetroPCS, Frito-Lay and Haggard Clothing Company. I also have a FOUR YEAR B.A. in Advertising from Texas Tech University. I am going to provide you a one page report that I normally charge $1,000+ for to you on behald of DART for 100% FREE because I am an advocate of helping the COMMUNITY and to show you a sample of what I can do for DART.
I need about a week to complete my draft of the report and welcome your feedback. Blessings to you, Randall and Janee. Interestingly enough I wrote a story on a local Blueberry farm currently exploting the homeless, mentally unstable, women and handicapped individuals today. This type of discrimination is NOT what we want the perception to be of DART if these proposed fare increases go through in December, 2012. The link to the post on my blog today is http://www.dance4one.blogspot.com/2012/07/is-dr-blueberrythe-blueberry-basket.html.
Thank you both for your expressed willingness to LISTEN to the COLLECTIVE VOICES of THE PEOPLE.
Thank you,
Dan Getz
Website: http://www.dance4one.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Dance4One
LinkedIn: Dan Getz
Facebook: Dan Getz, Dance4One (Group & Page)
Email: dance4One11@yahoo.com
Phone: 469-828-8995
Be Art. Do Business. Have Faith. CONNECTING aRt & BuSiNeSs
ThRoUgH FAITH.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
PLEASE HELP THE ORPHANS IN PAKISTAN...TIMOTHY HOUSE
Shahzad s/o Fateh Masih
56-Boarding Road Christ...ian Colony
Toba Tek Singh
PHONE: 00923336877075
Posted and FULLY ENDORSED & VERIFIED BY: Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com, YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Thursday, July 12, 2012
An Eventful Day on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit BLUE LINE
An Eventful Day on the Dallas
By Daniel Getz, July
12, 2012
Reporting from Dallas , TX
When I decided yesterday to jump on the Blue Line at the
West End Train terminal with the intention of riding it to the end of the line
which was the Ledbetter Station, I really had no idea what I was in for, particularly at
the last 6 stops which primarily consist of South Oak Cliff…8th and
Corinth, Morrell, Illinois, Keist, VA Medical Center and Ledbetter.
Between Morrell and Illinois
So, with the perception of “someone in charge” who
apparently had some connection with possibly National Security, I quickly
stepped up the game a bit when I spotted a DART police officer on board this
particular train. As we passed, he
“knowingly” and “affectionately” said, “Hey Boss,” to which I “knowingly”
nodded an affirming nod acknowledging our “common ground” and “fraternal bond”. Soon after this brief “hello”, the Officer
began checking passengers to ensure they all held valid tickets. Very quickly he approached a young African
American Male and asked him, “Do you have a ticket?” When the youth immediately acknowledged that
“No he did not,” the Officer informed him that he MUST get off at the next
stop. The unidentified young man then
made a undetectable, though obviously disrespectful remark to the officer as he
turned to return to his friends who were waiting for him a little ways down the
aisle of the car. At that point, the
Officer said, “Excuse Me Sir. Do you
have any type of identification on you? To this inquiry the young man quickly snapped,
“No.” The Officer then brought to his
attention that, unless he had identification, and particularly a valid ticket,
he COULD NOT ever ride anywhere on the DART bus and train system. The young man was still much less than
respectful to the officer and slowly walked back to his seat leaving the
impression that he was still undecided as to whether he was going to comply
with the Officer’s directive to exit the train at the next stop. At one point, I made my presence even more
known to the young man with the appearance that I was ready to cover my
“colleague’s” back, should the current situation warrant additional
“enforcement” by stepping closer to the pair.
At this point, the young man re-joined his friends who openly mocked the
Officer and most likely me as well.
Throughout this exchange with his friends, I stared him down, though he
could not possibly detect my eye movements behind…did I mention…my DARK, INTIMIDATING SHADES.
As the train came to a stop and the doors were opened the
“hoodlum” made no apparent movement to exit the train as he had clearly been
directed to do. I moved closer,
continuing to stare him down with my dark…intimidating…shades. Nothing.
Finally, at the last possible moment he ran towards the open door. Quickly ascertaining that he had absolutely
no intention of staying off the train, I ran out after him just in time to see
him re-entering the train through the open door of the next car. As he did this, I yelled, “HEY!!” ran up to
the door he had just entered but was just now closing behind him only to
discover that because the train was just about to leave the station, the door
would not open for me. I then just as
quickly realized that I had left my two bags in the last car of the train while
in pursuit of this kid who did not believe it was necessary for him to purchase
a valid ticket in order to ride the D.A.R.T. train. I quickly found a .A.R.T. Police Officer who immediately radioed the train
driver of the train I had just exited, and they proceeded to coordinate a quick
search of the train, secure my baggage and confirm that the train, within 3
stops would reach the end of the Blue Line at Ledbetter, and then be coming
back in my direction to return my baggage to me. I then asked the Officer that if I simply
waited for the NEXT BLUE LINE train on the other side of the platform, would
THAT be the train my baggage was on? He
quickly affirmed my belief that there were no other trains in between the one I
had exited, and the presumably SAME train that would be returning on the other
side of the platform.
I waited approximately 30 minutes when the FIRST BLUE LINE
TRAIN rolled into the Illinois 9-1-1
button on the DART ASSISTANCE intercom only to discover that while I could hear
the dispatcher on the other end, they could not hear me due to a presumed
broken speaker or wire. After a few more
moments I found a DART police officer obviously chatting on his cell phone with
a wife or girlfriend. After patiently
waiting for several minutes, he agitatedly asked, “Can I help you?” Again summarizing my “situation”, he quickly
accessed that he needed to end the call with the female on the other end of the
line, but then was less than helpful in assisting me as he told me, “That is my
train. I need to get on that train. I am sure your bags are ok and they will
bring them to you as they have indicated.”
When I reminded him I had already been waiting an hour, and politely
asked him to PLEASE at least relay my concerns on his radio after boarding the
train, he agreed to communicate with his fellow officers that I was STILL
waiting for my bags at the 8th and Corinth station.
5 or 10 minutes later, I spotted another DART police officer
on the other side of the tracks. Seeing
me, she said, “Are you the passenger who is waiting for his bags?” When I immediately affirmed this, she
directed me to “Stay on my side of the tracks and a train carrying my bags
would soon be arriving with a DART POLICE OFFICER to deliver my bags to me in
person, but to STAY where I was and NOT board the Train. A few moments later, I spotted an officer
near the front of the train that had just rolled in with my two bags. I thanked him for all of their efforts in
securing my baggage and was able to continue my journey, which by this time was
to return to the West End . Before I reached the end of my “journey”
there was an attempted theft of a cell phone by a DART passenger from another
DART passenger who inadvertently left his cell phone charging at the station, a
car I discovered whose Air Conditioning was completely broke and blowing large
volumes of hot air and a mistake I inadvertently made where I ended up on the
Red Line at the Dallas Zoo.
While national security was most likely not at stake, I had
to wonder if a day like this could possibly be routing on at least some parts
of the DART rail system? Maybe? Probably? Undoubtedly? I guess I will have to continue to ride the
various lines, buses, TRE connection to Ft.
Worth Denton
This article was written by and about Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Is Dr. Blueberry/The Blueberry Basket Farms in LaRue, TX Exploiting the HOMELESS, Disabled, Handicapped, Women, the Mentally Unstable, Migrant Farm Workers & MORE…An INDEPTH and INSIDE Look at the Trade Practices of The Blueberry Basket Farm.
Is Dr. Blueberry/The Blueberry Basket Farms in LaRue,
TX Exploiting the HOMELESS, Disabled, Handicapped, Women, the Mentally
Unstable, Migrant Farm Workers & MORE…An INDEPTH and INSIDE Look at the Trade
Practices of The Blueberry
Basket Farm.
Reporting “LIVE” from
Center, Dallas , TX
My name is Daniel Getz and for the last 132 days I have been
strategically placed in a unique position and assignment where I have dwelt
with and lived with the homeless, mentally unstable, the disabled and
handicapped, and most recently women and migrant workers within the Greater
Dallas, TX area. I will not go into all
the details of the hows and whys of this position here. Perhaps some day I will, but not today. Suffice to say I have seen many injustices,
prejudice, and discrimination at many levels of society towards this genre of
PEOPLE and on more than one occasion have felt compelled to speak up for these
that seem to have no voice of their own (Proverbs 31:8), and have done so to the capacity
that I as one, am able to do.
When my assignment recently took me to the Blueberry Basket Farm in Larue, TX
recently I was appalled at not only the manner in which I was treated, as a perceived homeless man scrounging
at the bottom of the barrel of society to pick as many $3 per basketful of
blueberries as I could (at first I could
only and barely gather ONE basket per hour, but quickly got up to the pace of
the fastest pickers which was TWO baskets in about 50 minutes or roughly $6 per
hour), but the manner in which the homeless,
mentally unstable, alcoholics and drug addicts, disabled, handicapped, women and the predominantly Hispanic
migrant farm workers that we worked along side of, were continually and
constantly mis-treated and yelled at and demeaned by one of the owners (Cary Ware, cell phone # 214-952-5323)
and management of the Blueberry Basket
Farm in Larue, TX (near Athens, TX and about 90 minutes east of downtown Dallas,
TX).
To start my “journey” I was picked up outside of the Austin
Street Centre Shelter at 2929 Hickory Dallas , TX 2:00 p.m.
on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 . I had met Cary approximately a week earlier,
gotten his cell phone # and had called to find out when he would be coming by
the Austin Street Centre Shelter to pick up workers, a practice he regularly
did according to the shelter I had been living at for the past three or so
weeks. Cary Cary Cary Cary Larue , TX
The first day I decided to go ahead and pick my first two
baskets of blueberries. Although
untrained and somewhat aimlessly choosing the patches to pick from, I quickly
discovered how grueling of work this really was, and was a bit discouraged of
the effort required to make my goal of about $150 during the several days I
planned on staying there. Since we did
not arrive at the farm until about 4:00 p.m. ,
most workers were not planning on starting until the next day, but I decided I
was here to work (and get a story) so chose to set my mind on picking
blueberries, no matter how hard or hot it was.
So I did.
That night about 20 of us stayed in converted school buses
that each slept about 16 in
bunk beds and had electrical window unit air conditioning installed in the
front window of each bus. One of the
workers who was heading back to Dallas, TX that night graciously gave me his
blanket which I was very grateful for by about the middle of the night since
the air conditioning was run full blast and tended to be quite cool by early
morning. I was also able to shower in
one of the buses that had a fully functional toilet, sink and shower through
what I would term as an elaborate irrigation and pump system that connected a
sizeable underground“network” of
facilities throughout the “camp” through a centralized pump house that I
learned pumped water up to the surface from an underground spring. After a small but hearty meal was served, I
turned in for the night.
What entailed over the next several days was almost like an
unfolding nightmare…constant confusion, bickering and yelling over basket
counts, quality of berries picked, times to pick, etc., etc…However, that first
evening I was “tapped on the shoulder” to meet one of the lead workers in
“Processing”. I quickly learned and
ascertained that for some reason this individual had picked ME to fill in for
another regularly scheduled worker who had taken a few days leave and that this
position paid the top labor rate of $8.00 per hour for fairly mindless and easy
work that required an alert and responsible individual to “sort” the berries,
throwing out small berries, red and green berries, smashed berries and then
quickly separate berries that were still connected together by a small stem,
and discard any “foreign material” into several side bins while the berries
moved down a conveyer into their final “resting place”, a pint-size plastic
container that had already had two stickers placed on them with one sticker
being a “Dr. Blueberry” identification sticker and the other being a map and
advertisement promoting the fact that they allowed individuals to come out and
pick their own blueberries in a designated area we as pickers were not allowed
to pick from (the sticker placement was a task we performed each morning in
order to cover our $10/night “room and board”).
I felt very blessed to have this assignment, although this worker’s
goodwill in choosing me did not go unchallenged by other jealous workers, but
in the end the worker’s choice held for two days, or about 7 or 8 hours of
$8/hour work. In that time, I also was
able to “secure” another two job that paid $6 per hour where I helped one of
the managers of the farm take in and account for the baskets of blueberries
each worker brought to Processing and a one-time job that included cleaning up
the Outside Processing Area and throw away trash. Although not a great wage, these jobs were
MUCH EASIER than hunting for blueberries and gathering two baskets per hour to
achieve the maximum possible of $6 per hour, and THAT wage was only sustainable
for the most enthusiastic and energetic workers who found it within themselves
to maintain a pace that SOME were able to achieve an outstanding amount of 20+
baskets per day, something I was never able to muster up within me. However, each day that I got some hours
working at either $8 or $6 per hour, I always chose to still pick around 5 to 7
basketfuls of blueberries each day until around Sunday, July 1, 2012 when my
complete earnings had reached $128, not a large amount for 3 to 4 days of 10 to
15 hour days of work (at 3 fifteen hour days, or 45 total hours, that only
comes to an average of $2.84/hour).
Since I had an upcoming heart surgery scheduled for 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 3, 2012 (and had
clearly informed the management, owners and others about throughout my time
there) I had originally planned to leave on Sunday, although I knew I would
have to settle up later on wages since payday was always on Mondays. On Sunday things turned what I can only label
as “insane”. The day started out with a
light rain and we were told to sleep in since berries could not be picked while
wet. The morning was pleasant and the
rain quickly stopped for the most part, but there was even occasional light
rain while we were taking care of our rent charges by placing stickers on the
plastic pint-size blueberry containers mentioned previously in this
article. At a certain point I decided to
take my laptop and write a letter, and chose a place close to the Processing
Area that was actually outside a small RV that was occupied by a very sweet
elderly African American lady that I had befriended earlier in the week and had
practiced Buddhism for about 30 years.
After about 45 minutes, one of the apparent managers wanted to know what
I was doing and gently informed me that ALL WORKERS had to begin picking
blueberries immediately. I was in the
midst of telling her that I was preparing to leave today, but if needed, would
be glad to begin picking blueberries, particularly since the temperature had
dropped somewhat and began packing up my things in my backpack when another
lady named Marilyn, I believe, began
yelling obscenities at me (and who had yelled at me for no apparent reason the
day before telling me to go away since I did not live or belong here, which was
right outside the Processing Area and I was in-between work assignments at the
time with about an hour “dead” time) which consisted of “asking” me why I was
not picking blueberries and “DEMANDING” that I comply immediately or I would be
fired. I tried to explain that I was
trying to do just that and needed only a few more moments to pack my bag, and
then finally in desperation informed her I really was sick as I had been
hacking and coughing up flem the entire time I was there. At that point the elderly lady came out of
her small RV and seemed to be in shock and “Marilyn’s” tone softened just a
little as she then told me I could not work because of being sick, although her
demeanor and tone was still extremely harsh…
The next several hours and entire next day were what I can
only describe as “hell”. Marylyn
continually told me SHE would drive me back to Dallas, TX but in the end told
me she had to haul a trailer and refused to go downtown with that trailer (I
believe due to the fact her driver had no license and that the trailer tags may
have been non-existent or expired), but that Cary was returning to Dallas, TX
at an undisclosed time that ended up being around 9:30 p.m. that night (I later
ascertained that the “normal” trips to Dallas, TX took place anywhere from
11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and NOBODY could ever tell you when, precisely they
were leaving. I ended up, exhausted,
sitting on a chase lounge chair about 9:00 p.m.
and accidentally fell asleep. At 11:30 I woke up and was informed that they had
already left for Dallas 9:30 p.m. and that for some reason they made
absolutely no announcement as they usually did, and simply, and quietly had
boarded the open bed pick up truck and departed for Dallas, TX without
bothering to REALLY look for me (they claimed they did, but being only about 100 feet from where the truck
departed from, finding this very difficult to believe). I reluctantly but dejectedly accepted the
fact I was not going back tonight and climbed into my bunk on the bus…
On Sunday, it seemed like things were in the process of
changing for the better and that order was being instituted amongst the
ranks. Bad Workers and Managers were
fired, assurances of better accounting and procedures were promised and Marylyn
promised that instead of waiting for wages until about midnight as was the standing practice on Mondays, that we
would be paid by 6:00 p.m. At about 11:00
p.m. we FINALLY were handed our envelopes. At first I was relieved to FINALLY have my
$128, but when I looked at the calculation of only $77, I quickly realized that
although signed for, I was missing an entire day of pay, worth $51. Furthermore, when I opened up the envelope, I
quickly realized that although the figure $77 was written on the outside of the
envelope, there was only $62 cash inside, and they did NOT deduct for taxes as
NONE of our Social Security or Identification documents were EVER
REQUESTED. I was a bit unsettled, but in
the end they promised to take those whose wages were incorrect, and one by one
go over the “books” to determine the reason for the shortage. Although Marylyn was very aggressive, cocky
and repeatedly told us if we were wrong, we owed her $5 for her trouble, time after
time, the workers were right and she counted out the additional cash to rectify
the situation. The fact that these
issues were ultimately corrected made me somewhat confident that my
mis-calculation would be remedied to my satisfaction, UNTIL Marylyn IMMEDIATELY
stated that my $51 was not anywhere in the books and that she could only split
the difference. At this point she had
not even looked at the books, and when she did, ultimately discovered she had
confused “Dan” (me) with a Danny adding my wages to his (which he never
disputed of course) and found my $51 entry on the books. She also quickly made up the difference
between the $77 stated, and $62 cash making me “whole” at the $128 I had earned
while at the Blueberry Basket Farm in Larue , TX
The “final straw” for me was when we all got back to where
we were SUPPOSED to load up and go to Dallas, TX (with the number of people who
had stated they were going back to Dallas, TX I incorrectly assumed there would
be several vehicles returning to Dallas, maybe even one of the school buses
Cary Ware had previously took all of us to Walmart in Athens, TX to purchase
incidentals and groceries at, but found out quickly that I was terribly
mistaken as there was only one small open bed pick up truck returning to the
Austin Centre Shelter in Dallas, TX that night and the bed was already
jam-packed with men desperately “holding their positions” and would not budge
or move for me, despite my continued pleas that I “HAD” to return to Dallas for
a pre-scheduled heart surgery that very next morning at 7:00 a.m. After about four very firm “NO’s” I went to
speak to the driver which turned out to be Cary
This story was compiled and written by Daniel Getz, www.Dance4One.blogspot.com,
YouTube 12131966dan, FACEBOOK (Dan Getz & Dance4One), Twitter @Dance4One
and LinkedIn (Dan Getz).
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
COMING SOON...Is Dr. Blueberry/The Blueberry Basket Farms in LaRue, TX Exploiting the HOMELESS??
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Sarah Palin for PRESIDENT of the USA in 2012
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