Women take heat for nude calendar
City rejects funds for fire station
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From Washington Times, print edition, direct link to article unavailable at present.
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Women take heat for nude calendar
City rejects funds for fire station
By Maria Alicia Gaura
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
CARMEL, Calif.--A dozen women who posed nude to raise money for a fire station thought their efforts would be welcomed by this cash-strapped city.
But much to their surprise, the more than $40,000 raised by the Carmel Fire Belles' fund-raising calendar has been sharply rejected by city officials who say the cash is too hot to handle. Accepting it, they say, could offend sensibilities and expose the city to costly sexual-harrassment lawsuits.
"I feel belittled and insulted by the people responsible for bring down a good cause and good people," calendar girl Paula Weber, 85, told city officials at a public hearing. The most senior of the models, Mrs. Weber is pictured hiding coyly behind a pair of firefighters' coveralls.
"You can't collect money for one thing and give it to anothers," said fellow calendar girl Patty Ross. "We are in a corner here."
The rebuff has stirred a tempest in this teapot-size town, with some of the Fire Belles vowing to force the city to accept their donation and city officials suggesting that the would-be donors find someone else--anyone else--willing to accept their money.
"Other fire departments might be willing to take it, and tsunami relief could use the money," City Administrator Rich Guillen said.
The calendar girls--ranging in age from 51 to 84 at the time the pictures were taken--say they have been treated like girls from a frontier brothel trying to donate brownies to a church bake sale.
City officials say they are not prudes but must be vigilant about exposing the city to lawsuits charging them with sexual harassment, sex discrimination and maintaining a hostile workplace environment.
Mr. Guillen said that if the city accepted the proceeds of a nude calendar, it might encourage city staff to post the calendars in their offices.
"If the council accepts that money, anyone could say that [the city] is sanctioning the calendar," Mr. Guillen said.
City Attorney Don Freeman could not be reached for comment, but has said that accepting cash raised by the calendar could serve as the basis for workplace lawsuits even if the calendars are not posted in a city workplace.
So these gracious citizens, apparently inspired by the movie Calendar Girls, who were trying to be responsible citizens, helping to raise money for their favorite cause are now being told "thanks, but no thanks".
Argh! What kind of screwed up crap is this, that these efforts could go to waste because of the stupidity, and ultra conservative political correctness of the city leadership in Carmel, California.
Assuming that the calendars are tastefully done, I don't see a reason why this should even be an issue. The fire department needs the funds, the funds have been raised, and they were raised with a specific purpose in mind. Accept the funds with a statement that the city and fire department appreciate the generous donation but notes that the city, nor the fire department officially endorse the actions of the Fire Belles.
Surely the city attorney is bright enough to write some sort of disclaimer that would pass muster so that the money could be accepted and the effort won't have been in vain.
Washington Times site is here
Women take heat for nude calendar
City rejects funds for fire station
By Maria Alicia Gaura
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
CARMEL, Calif.--A dozen women who posed nude to raise money for a fire station thought their efforts would be welcomed by this cash-strapped city.
But much to their surprise, the more than $40,000 raised by the Carmel Fire Belles' fund-raising calendar has been sharply rejected by city officials who say the cash is too hot to handle. Accepting it, they say, could offend sensibilities and expose the city to costly sexual-harrassment lawsuits.
"I feel belittled and insulted by the people responsible for bring down a good cause and good people," calendar girl Paula Weber, 85, told city officials at a public hearing. The most senior of the models, Mrs. Weber is pictured hiding coyly behind a pair of firefighters' coveralls.
"You can't collect money for one thing and give it to anothers," said fellow calendar girl Patty Ross. "We are in a corner here."
The rebuff has stirred a tempest in this teapot-size town, with some of the Fire Belles vowing to force the city to accept their donation and city officials suggesting that the would-be donors find someone else--anyone else--willing to accept their money.
"Other fire departments might be willing to take it, and tsunami relief could use the money," City Administrator Rich Guillen said.
The calendar girls--ranging in age from 51 to 84 at the time the pictures were taken--say they have been treated like girls from a frontier brothel trying to donate brownies to a church bake sale.
City officials say they are not prudes but must be vigilant about exposing the city to lawsuits charging them with sexual harassment, sex discrimination and maintaining a hostile workplace environment.
Mr. Guillen said that if the city accepted the proceeds of a nude calendar, it might encourage city staff to post the calendars in their offices.
"If the council accepts that money, anyone could say that [the city] is sanctioning the calendar," Mr. Guillen said.
City Attorney Don Freeman could not be reached for comment, but has said that accepting cash raised by the calendar could serve as the basis for workplace lawsuits even if the calendars are not posted in a city workplace.
- Distributed by Scripps Howard
So these gracious citizens, apparently inspired by the movie Calendar Girls, who were trying to be responsible citizens, helping to raise money for their favorite cause are now being told "thanks, but no thanks".
Argh! What kind of screwed up crap is this, that these efforts could go to waste because of the stupidity, and ultra conservative political correctness of the city leadership in Carmel, California.
Assuming that the calendars are tastefully done, I don't see a reason why this should even be an issue. The fire department needs the funds, the funds have been raised, and they were raised with a specific purpose in mind. Accept the funds with a statement that the city and fire department appreciate the generous donation but notes that the city, nor the fire department officially endorse the actions of the Fire Belles.
Surely the city attorney is bright enough to write some sort of disclaimer that would pass muster so that the money could be accepted and the effort won't have been in vain.
