Earth Quest Adventures

[Soapboxmom]

I've been following the project closely since the beginning and I have never seen a soapmom posting on any website that has been based on anything other than opinion. She doesn't have all the information of what has been going on behind the scenes, yet that has not stopped her from making accusations about members of the EMCID board and the project's developers. This is why there are a lot less soapboxmom postings at haif than there used to be.

By no means am I saying that this project may or may not be cancelled at some point. But as of now the EMCID and Contour Entertainment are still working to develop it. This is all we KNOW about the project at this time. Anything else is opinion.

If soapmom is ready to stick in a fork in it - let her. That doesn't mean EQ is done by a long shot. The project is still alive. They are having a town hall meeting about it on Thursday.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I have talked to almost everyone involved with the project and work closely with those reporting on this debacle. I have posted all the pertinent papers from the bankruptcy in their original form, numerous corporate filings, the EQ charity's 990 forms and am scouring the financial records The Tribune is sharing. Those are certainly not in any way opinion. Leon Cubillas stated that Contour has declined to come to the last several EMCID board meetings and update them. I spoke with Chris Brown on thephone in January. They did not have the funding seceured, though he said they were working hard to get it. As they don't want to come to the meetings I think that tells us where they stand.

I note that Don Holbrook, who has corresponded with me, has not named one successful project out of over a hundred he claims that allegedly created 50,000 jobs and had billions of dollars in them. Watch the news coverage coming and I think you will see Holbrook shown the door by several more towns and districts he has tried to peddle his projects to. His self proclaimed expertise in financing these projects has done nothing for Earthquest to be sure.

The public will never have all the information, but what is available suggests that there are serious concerns that need to be addressed. It does, at this point, look like the project is completely defunct with no way to recover any money. Read the summary of the bankruptcy filings and see the financials posted by The Tribune.

http://www.ourtribun...le.php?id=13430

http://www.ourtribun...le.php?id=13431

http://www.ourtribun..._2006-07-08.pdf

http://www.ourtribun...08-09-10-11.pdf

http://www.ourtribun..._2008-09-10.pdf

http://www.ourtribun...ard_2010-11.pdf

Edited March 20, 2012 by Soapboxmom

[Mister X]

Sorry Soapbox, you are still jumping to conclusions. You haven't PROVEN a thing. All those links are full of more questions than answers. You keep posting the same links to the same old articles that don't say ANYTHING conclusive about the future of EarthQuest. You can post those same stale links 500 more times and they still won't be any more convincing.

Other than Marlin/Atlantis filing for bankruptcy, everything else is based on assumptions, misinformation and conjecture. Just because Contour has not gone to meetings in Montgomery County doesn't prove anything - least of all that they are hiding anything from the public or are in trouble. It's totally possible they are waiting until they secure an investor before making any announcements in Montgomery County. It could be anything and you might even be correct. But you don't KNOW ANYTHING. So stop acting like you do.

Words like 'suggest' and 'it looks like' hold very little credibility. You can jump to any conclusions you want. It doesn't mean you know anything relevant to what is going on behind the scenes of the development.

Soapbox, stick in a fork in it and move on. When the EMCID and Contour give up on the project then maybe I will too. But you have less credibility than ANY of the people you come here to bash (Frank McCrady and Don Holbrook), so I certainly wouldn't bet the house on any wild guesses that you bring to the conversation.

Edited April 6, 2012 by editor
Removed personal attack

[Soapboxmom]

Those articles were published today, which hardly makes them old.

[Mister X]

Old? One of those links is dated 2008! That is hardly news. McCrady has already stated that some of the expenses that appear on those old documents were used on other ventures besides EarthQuest. That is what they do - spend taxpayer money on behalf of Mongomery county to entice businesses to come there and increase the tax base. EarthQuest is only ONE of the businesses they are pursuing. Duh.

As for the new articles, what difference do they make? They are no less relevant in that they are based on incomplete data and assumptions. Every article you have ever created links for are based on somebody's (mostly yours) unprofessional interpretation and no intelligent person would ever take this stuff too seriously - which is probably why McCrady and Holbrook don't waste a second of their time responding to your dribble.

This is what I suspect is Soapmom's real gripe. Nobody takes her or her lame website very seriously. Soapmom has too much baggage. That scam website she runs made targets out of Marlin/Atlantis LONG before the EQ project ever started having problems. Anyone who ever killed two seconds of their time visiting that joke of a website could figure that out in a millisecond. Sorry, but it's hard to take that website very seriously when Soapboxmom, who is the admin (also the creator of 99% of all the postings there) uses that 'forum' as a nothing more than a personal blog - then proceeds to create links on other more legitimate forums to get people to go there - which they don't. Your frustration is obvious.

With a single statement the EMCID could discredit every word that appears in any of those links and any posting in your anemic website.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Mister X

[Pumapayam]

I think Soapboxmom's only purpose for joining HAIF was to promote her website and generate traffic.

I do appreciate the passion she has, but it does get tired quickly.

[Soapboxmom]

Sorry to disappoint you but the website I admin for does not generate any income whatsoever. My work online is strictly volunteer. I do not profit from it in any way.

The Earthquest Insitute charity took in around $996,000.00 for the 3 years it was active (2008-2010). Don Holbrook was paid a ridiculous $185.00 an hour. $328,955 was paid to Holbrook for 2008-2010 when the charity was active. That is 33% of the donations right into his hands. Deborah Thomas received $217,343.00. She was paid $134.84 an hour for her job as Chief Financial Officer as calculated from her 2009 earnings. Plus tens of thousands more was spent on professional services. Almost nothing went to the actual purpose of the 501 c 3. Now, the documents have vanished into thin air and no one is in charge of the charity. Everyone bailed when the gravy train dried up. So much for doing charitable work because one believes in the cause and believes in serving one's fellow man.

[Mister X]

Again this thread is supposed to be about the EarthQuest project. Not how much money Holbrook or Thomas or anyone else were paid for their services back in 2008. You don't know what they did for the project back in 2008. Just because the Institute has not materialized yet doesn't mean that the contributions that people made (either with donations OR with paid services) won't be utilized whenever or if ever the project gets off the ground.

BTW, the word "ridiculous" is just more opinion. You are continuing to base your arguments on incomplete data and making judgment calls about how much people should have been paid for their services, which is not your place and has no place on this forum IMO.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Mister X

[Soapboxmom]

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2007_4467685/east-montgomery-county-improvement-district-direct.html

East Montgomery County Improvement District directors approved contracts for services to the district.

These ranged from site surveying to retaining consulting services in connection with the Earth Quest theme park project at a special directors meeting Nov. 7.

The directors will retain Don Holbrook and the Vercitas Group for consulting services in connection with the for-profit theme park portion of the Earth Quest project.

Under the terms of the $25,000 contract, Holbrook will provide the district with outside consulting services connected with securing financing and investors, said Frank McCrady, EMCID president and CEO.

"We want to make sure he stays with the project and makes the presentations," said McCrady.

Holbrook has already been working with the project's promoters, founders and the district and was actively involved in the process that selected the site of the Earth Quest venture.

The district has five potential financing sources for the for-profit portion of the project, he said.

That is from November 2007. Don Holbrook hasn't lined up any financing. There isn't even the paltry 11 some odd million to buy the property at this point.

[Soapboxmom]

Don't forget the EQ town meeting tonight at 7:00 at the EMCID building.

Without financing and a change in leadership there will be no project!

[bachanon]

just a suggestion: if someone wanted to start a thread about alleged corruption of this or that in the anything goes category; go for it! it seems wicked to continually pounce on people who are excited about a project, regardless of the back-story. some of us aren't interested in the back-story of projects, which causes me to wonder why.....someone....doesn't start their own thread where no one will be annoyed if someone wanted to, say, get on their soap box.

...........just thinkin' out loud.

with that said, i'm not interested in this thread and i'm tired of having to come back to it because people can't be civil. please play nice. if you don't like the scene, start your own scene (thread) for like minded individuals........elsewhere. the alternative is removing every comment that is finger-pointy, he said she said they did ca ca.

dinosaurs are so 1990.

[Simbha]

just a suggestion: if someone wanted to start a thread about alleged corruption of this or that in the anything goes category; go for it! it seems wicked to continually pounce on people who are excited about a project, regardless of the back-story. some of us aren't interested in the back-story of projects, which causes me to wonder why.....someone....doesn't start their own thread where no one will be annoyed if someone wanted to, say, get on their soap box.

...........just thinkin' out loud.

with that said, i'm not interested in this thread and i'm tired of having to come back to it because people can't be civil. please play nice. if you don't like the scene, start your own scene (thread) for like minded individuals........elsewhere. the alternative is removing every comment that is finger-pointy, he said she said they did ca ca.

dinosaurs are so 1990.

Agreed. I'd like it if this thread could be focused on the status of EQ. The bankruptcy of the developers is of relevance to this, but the underlying reason for that bankruptcy isn't necessarily relevant.

I'm finding it difficult to wade through the 19 pages of back-and-forth. Could someone summarize what the status of this project is for me? I'm not lazy; I've just got a major headache from this thread.

[Soapboxmom]

Agreed. I'd like it if this thread could be focused on the status of EQ. The bankruptcy of the developers is of relevance to this, but the underlying reason for that bankruptcy isn't necessarily relevant.

I'm finding it difficult to wade through the 19 pages of back-and-forth. Could someone summarize what the status of this project is for me? I'm not lazy; I've just got a major headache from this thread.

There was an EQ meeting last night. Don Holbrook who was in charge of securing the financing and finding investors did not show. Contour was not in attendance either. Frank McCrady was asked numerous questions and the short story is he responded with "we are moving forward." The short answer is they have no money to go forward.

The property has a preliminary bid from DR Horton. The judge will rule on the sale and bidding procedures on March 29th. So, Contour, if it had any money, might have the chance to outbid DR Horton at auction or buy the property from the winning bidder (whoever that turns out to be) at a later date. But without investors and financing in place this project is for all practical purposes dead in the water. I doubt anyone would buy the land and risk carrying that expense without at least the additional $300,000,000.00+ needed to build the first phase already firmly lined up.

I think the only question folks need to keep asking EMCID in the future is how much money they have toward financing the project that is confirmed! All the plans and designs are in place. Basically, the only thing needed is the financing.

I should add the Earthquest Insitute is no more. Everyone involved has left but EMCID Board president Leon Cubillas and he is not touching it.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Soapboxmom

[Soapboxmom]

The Houston Press and The Tribune were in attendance and articles will be forthcoming!

[Mister X]

Great! So Frank McCrady says the project is moving forward. That is a relief. Thanks for the good news Soapmom. Just as I suspected, the project is still alive and they are still looking for financial backing. I think that is the best news we could realistically ask for at this point.

But, it doesn't sound like very much new info was announced last night that we didn't already know.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Mister X

[Soapboxmom]

http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=13441

The public concerns have reached county and state officials as well. State Senator Tommy Williams (R-4) said the issue raised some serious questions.

"It is important this matter has a thorough investigation. It is important that the improvement district will allow an investigation. The public has a faith in the district to uphold their fiduciary duty to the taxpayers, and it is very important that the full light of day shine on this matter. I am certain it will happen," Williams said.

[Mister X]

I bet the project gets back on track this summer. The EarthQuest Institute was started and funded by Marlin/Atlantis. It is on hiatus but members of the board expect that it will be re-formed after Contour is able to land an investor. But who cares - - the theme park is the money maker and there is no way the EMCID will stop the pursuit of this half-billion dollar project right in the middle of its development. To do so would be stupid. Throw everything out the window because a few yokels are getting cold feet? I think not. If they find any wrong doing with the Institute it will all fall back on Marlin/Atlantis, who is bankrupt.

According to McCrady, if Horton is able to purchase the portion, then the new project developter, Contour Entertainment, can begin working more extensively after June.

"We are ecstatic," McCrady said of the bid. "We feel that [Horton] brings a great deal of stability to the transaction."

McCrady said that if Contour could not secure the funding, then other interested developers could step in.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Mister X

[Soapboxmom]

These expenses are downright criminal:

http://ourtribune.co...le.php?id=13452

http://ourtribune.co...le.php?id=13451

Edited April 3, 2012 by Soapboxmom

[Mister X]

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/minor-league-team-hinges-on-earthquest/article_4376fbf6-2d35-5624-ab47-9c1e262ab188.html

Another good reason to build EarthQuest. It comes with a minor league baseball stadium. Kudos to the EMCID and Frank McCrady for staying the course and bringing some real game changing businesses to East Montgomery County. After the project gets back on track no one will care HOW they built it.

[TheNiche]

These expenses are downright criminal:

I would suggest that anyone that is a constituent to the EMCID should consider filing a complaint with the Montgomery County District Attorney's office (http://www.mctxdao.org/). If the county attorney is unresponsive, consider forwarding the complaint to the Texas Office of the Attorney General (https://www.oag.state.tx.us/).

Mister X, its probably best for the project if you bowed out gracefully at this point. Your objections to soapboxmom have become a comedic foil. Unless that was your intent, of course, in which case bravo sir!

[Mister X]

Bow out?... Or what?... Am I really worried about trying to protect the good name of Mister X? Not really. Handles come and handles go. I don't have anything to lose by showing my support for the project. And neither does the project. Thanks for your concern Niche, but I'm sure I speak for the rest of HAIF when I say that when I need your advice, I'll ask for it. - by the way, rest assure, I'll never ask for it. Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge, but not in your case.

Internet bloggers, unwanted-newspaper columnists, and bored, unrespected muckrakers from north Texas can say anything they want but the ONLY OFFICIAL word anyone has about the project is that the EMCID board and Contour Entertainment are still pursuing the project. I'll bow out when the EMCID and Contour Entertainment bow out. Unless of coarse someone else comes to rescue the project. I will admit tho it is kind of entertaining to watch people get there panties in a wad over such a fun, silly, whimsical thing as a dino-park. Soapboxmom is foaming at the mouth over this. Comiedic foil? Are you kidding? Obviously I want to see the project get built, but this is f'in hilarious.

I haven't read anything in any of those unwanted lawn newspapers that I would consider proof of wrong doing or worthy of a TAX PAYER investigation. As USUAL, the info is so incomplete. Did you READ that article? - "As of press time, the Tribune has to wonder if the taxpayers paid for these costly, personal expenses." - They don't know who paid for what or why or what for, yet had NO problem insinuating that there was wrong doing. I'd be surprised if the Montgomery County District Attorney's office or the Texas Office of the Attorney General ever have even the slightest involvement of EarthQuest based on the Tribune/Observer's 'wondering'. I certainly HOPE they have bigger issues to deal with these days.

Thing is, I've yet to hear from anyone who ACTUALLY donated to the EarthQuest Institute complain about anything at this point. Where are they? Why hasn't that pulitzer prize winning Atascocita Observer/Tribune contacted those people if they are so concerned about where their money went? The official word from the EMCID board at the latest town hall meeting is that the EarthQuest Institute was founded by Marlin/Atlantis who are now bankrupt and that the Institute is currently on hiatus. They expect the institute will be re-formed after the bankruptcy hearings are complete. Frank McCrady of the EMCID expects that Contour will be able to work on the project more extensively after June, when the bankruptcy is sorted out. And lastly and most certainly leastly - soapmom expects that it is time to stick a fork in the project yet just can't seem to let it go herself for some reason. Fascinating.

I know, I know... it isn't about EarthQuest anymore, its about removing Frank McCrady from the EMCID board, punishing Marlin/Atlantis for past business practices long before EarthQuest was dreamed up and calling Don Holbrook insulting names because he doesn't work for free.

The only ones complaining about anything are people who are losing their patience waiting for groundbreaking (which I can totally relate to), people who can't stand seeing the govt spending tax dollars in the name of improving the community (who probably drink their own moonshine and are married to their own fathers) and people who don't want or never wanted the project to be built at all (who can burn in hell - remember I REALLY love theme parks). I'm sure they will adapt tho once they see that volcano spitting out roller coasters.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Mister X

[TheNiche]

You misunderstand. Your devout cheerleading is more an embarrassment for the project, hence my calling it "a comedic foil," than for your handle. I don't care enough about your handle to bother insulting it. Give me a break.

There was a time when soapboxmom's criticisms were poorly founded, and I gave her plenty of grief for it. Whether by refining her understanding of the world, persistence, or sheer luck, she finally latched onto a thread that was worth unraveling. Kudos.

[Mister X]

You misunderstand. Your devout cheerleading is more an embarrassment for the project, hence my calling it "a comedic foil," than for your handle. I don't care enough about your handle to bother insulting it. Give me a break.

There was a time when soapboxmom's criticisms were poorly founded, and I gave her plenty of grief for it. Whether by refining her understanding of the world, persistence, or sheer luck, she finally latched onto a thread that was worth unraveling. Kudos.

Nothing should be more embarrassing than suggesting that the Montgomery County District Attorney's office or the Texas Office of the Attorney General will ever get involved into the EarthQuest project. But I'm sure you are WELL used to it by now. How much money will the tax payers be willing to spend to discover that the East Montgomery County Improvement District is in the business of spending money in order to attract businesses to improve districts within East Montgomery County? Now THAT'S comedy.

Rah! Rah! Rah! GooooooooooooooEarthQuest!

Edited April 3, 2012 by Mister X

[TheNiche]

My understanding is that Montgomery County ADAs are on salary. So yeah, its not about their budget. It's about the difference between investigating petty thefts in The Woodlands or meth labs in Cut and Shoot, and investigating official misconduct or other such high-profile concerns. All it takes is public awareness and demand. And I've got to say, your comedic responses to 'mom' are only fueling the fire.

[RedScare]

Nothing should be more embarrassing than suggesting that the Montgomery County District Attorney's office or the Texas Office of the Attorney General will ever get involved into the EarthQuest project. But I'm sure you are WELL used to it by now. How much money will the tax payers be willing to spend to discover that the East Montgomery County Improvement District is in the business of spending money in order to attract businesses to improve districts within East Montgomery County? Now THAT'S comedy.

Rah! Rah! Rah! GooooooooooooooEarthQuest!

Considering that the Montgomery County District Attorney just indicted 7 people in Patton Village for public corruption last month, I'd say that they don't have bigger fish to fry. Look on the map. Patton Village is a stone's throw from this project.

[Soapboxmom]

Cynthia Calvert, like me, has the charity's documents and a calculator. She dug even further than I had and it is a shocking and well researched expose:

http://www.ourtribune.com/article.php?id=13443

[Mister X]

My understanding is that Montgomery County ADAs are on salary. So yeah, its not about their budget. It's about the difference between investigating petty thefts in The Woodlands or meth labs in Cut and Shoot, and investigating official misconduct or other such high-profile concerns. All it takes is public awareness and demand. And I've got to say, your comedic responses to 'mom' are only fueling the fire.

O please. Nothing I do makes any difference to mom. Like everyone else around here I just post my opinions and observations for my own amusement. Haif is only ONE of many web forums mom sends duplicates of her postings. I or no one even acknowledges most of them on some of the other forums, but does the lack of discussion make any difference? No. She is a one man forum on this topic. I think on one forum she posted about 30 postings with no one fueling her fire. It was just rant after rant expressing her outrage that Frank McCrady treated a potential client to steak when he should have taken them to McDonalds or something. She's more obsessed with this project, I mean the people behind the project, than I am. But unlike me, her goal is trying to STOP the entire project because she has a personal problem that started with Marlin/Atlantis years ago, and now Frank McCrady and the EMCID board. Threads that were started in various forums (like haif) that existed to discuss the project have all been hijacked and turned into her own political agenda, complete with photos of Frank McCrady and his family eating in restraunts as well as other EMCID board member photos she copied and pasted from the EMCID facebook page. This usually keeps going until she gets banned or the thread gets closed. It's not really her links to articles that bother me (everything the EMCID has done, right or wrong, will come out eventully and people will be held accountable) (I'm pretty sure that even THEY are aware of this) as her comments calling the people behind the project 'criminals' without ANY evidence, but with instead pounds and pounds of excess baggage steming from something Marlin/Atlantis did years ago that nobody on earth but her cares about.

See. I really don't care what has to happen to get EQ built. Frank McCrady can personally bust into people's homes and steal their wallets if that's what it takes. Houston needs this project as much as any other project being discussed on this board IMO. So, for every mom posting telling us it is time to stick a fork in it when at the same time, the EMCID and Contour are on record as pursuing the project, I feel a need to post reminders (even comical or light-hearted ones) that mom is basing her opinions on incomplete data. She post opinions as facts, and I must do my part to remind people that as of this date no one has officially been accused of doing anything other than trying to get EQ built in crappy economy.

So far, we have a list of expenses that people are making all kinds of unfounded assumptions about. It does not seem unreasonable to me that some of these expenses were used to tour successful theme parks and resorts and see first hand by the EMCID what was done right and what was done wrong in order to build the best project that they can. I think a successful theme park in Houston is going to require a high quality product. I don't think that the Montgomery County District Attorney is going to go after the EMCID board based on the documents printed in that article by the neighborhood news rag. It might be worthy of a meeting, but a publicly funded full investigation could could cost more than the money the EMCID board spent on research and steak dinners. I would rather see investigation money go back into the project even if it never ultimately happens. At least THAT MIGHT help increase the chances of the project moving forward. Any money spent by the EMCID thus far without a theme park to show for it in the end is wasted no matter what. I don't see an investigation in to EMCID expenses helping the project happen any quicker. It might require Frank McCrady to retire, or change his business practices, but how will it help the county get any money back. It won't. The only way EMC will ever get a return on anything the EMCID board did (good or bad) is for EQ to move forward.

Rah! Rah! Rah!

Edited April 3, 2012 by Mister X

[Soapboxmom]

http://www.ourtribune.com/article.php?id=13481

[Mister X]

I still have not heard of ONE person who ACTUALLY donated to the EarthQuest Institute complaining about anything.

From the 'news article' - "Although Parmer notarized the certificate, it is still unclear the ties between EMCID and EQI. The Tribune has been unable to establish a consistent or definite relationship between the two entities".

In other words "we don't know anything and have nothing of any merit to report at this time but we want you to read our free, unwanted, lawn litter 'newspaper' anyway". That 'newspaper' sure has a lot to say about nothing.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Mister X

[TheNiche]

Have you donated to EarthQuest Institute? If not, maybe you should.

[Mister X]

The official word is that the institute is on hiatus and will be re-formed. Others say there is no institute right now and they may be right. If they ever re-organize it, I might donate. I never got a chance to go to any of the fundraisers, although I wanted to. If I had already donated I would have done so knowing perfectly well that there would be some extra risks in donating to an organization that had not yet been firmly established.

If I had already donated to the institute I wouldn't be panicking right now either. If Contour or the EMCID walk away with no one to step in to complete the project then I would not be happy. But that hasn't happened and the EMCID is on record as still pursuing the project. In fact, they say that there are several other developers willing to come in if Contour doesn't.

I would say that keeping this project on track is the best thing the EMCID board can do for the people who have already donated. Anyone trying to delay this project is not helping anyone. All the money that has been invested or donated will be gone forever unless the project moves forward.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Mister X