BOOK REVIEW: TRUE CRIME STORIES (PART II)
Printer-friendly version I’M IN THE TUB, GONE. By Richard James Carlson Publish America, Baltimore. 2004. 123 pages. Available at the San Diego Police Museum and on Amazon.com Reviewed by Walter Hall “Today is the final day of this life…” Only once in a long while do we encounter a book that just won’t let go. This is one of those books. The subject is suicide; the format is simple: a collection of the notes left behind. Identities are protected, but the texts are rendered just as they were found. Unvarnished. No commentary. Just a last wish, an edgy accusation, or a lonely cry against the coming night. Each voice wallops the unsuspecting reader from a different corner of life. An experienced SDPD emergency negotiator, Richard Carlson introduces the collected letters and notes with a personal appeal not to give up. He is addressing two audiences: those who would consider taking their lives and the rest of us. After absorbing even a handful of these notes, readers will find it difficult to argue. Carlson (photo, right) writes with the authority of someone who has been there, an officer who has looked suicide in the face and lost. It is a searing experience, one that officers never really forget. Yet, he asks the reader to consider these notes with empathy, not pity. He wants to keep the lines open, the possibility of survival alive. The title comes from one of the notes. “I’m in the tub, gone.” That’s the complete text – five words. Others ramble in no apparent direction before closing with “Good bye.” Long or short, they reveal a catalog of human emotions – some agitated, others resigned, all very close to the surface. Gradually, the text yields a number of common elements: confusion, regret, unrelenting pain, hopelessness and a desire not to hurt others. Very few use the moment to settle accounts. Rage rarely makes an appearance. Many express an all-too-human concern to be remembered well. “Just say (Fred) was a good guy.” Among the most moving are those that seek to comfort family and friends. Still more wrenching are messages from parents to children or pleas for someone to care for a child orphaned in the act. And then there are those authored on the second or third attempt. How does that happen? There are echoes of a lingering sense of responsibility. “Someone please tell my job.” Others carefully prepare grocery lists with instructions for the disposition of their belongings, and themselves. Occasionally, there are flashes of wry humor – though the circumstances render it darkly. “Peg, my PIN is 1144 to cash card. Please drain account.” What ties the whole together is the unmistakable humanity of those who put their final thoughts to paper. Who among us has not, at one time or another, felt the lash of such emotions? Who would not wish for a final resting place “…with lots of pillows”? These are the words of people in extreme situations, but they are not messages from a people apart. Suicide is a silent killer. It stalks all communities, without preference. It is a major, expensive and preventable public health threat. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S. with 33,300 fatalities in 2006 alone. Health authorities estimate that more than 12 attempted suicides occur for every suicide death. This unique volume asks us to think about that. And then, to act. Author and 30-year veteran of the force, Richard Carlson belongs to a new generation of San Diego police officers who have taken up the pen. This cohort now includes Gary Mitrovich, SDPD chronicler Steve Willard and at least a dozen others. Police fiction, by former police officials, has always found its audience. Joseph Wambaugh’s best-selling novels are well-known locally. But Carlson and Mitrovich are doing something different. They are writing first drafts of what will become the history of law enforcement, the agencies and the people, in greater San Diego. Interestingly, they are not laboring at the keyboard alone. The web site Police-Writers.com now hosts nearly 1100 officers, from 455 state and local law enforcement organizations across the U.S. Among them, they have published over 2300 books. An incomplete list on the site identifies 16 San Diego officer/authors. Their literary work ranges widely. Some are novelists writing young adult fiction and fantasy or paranormal romance titles, others create professional instruction texts such as Collision Analysis and Scene Documentation. (Visit http:www.police-writers.com/index.html) Fortunately for San Diegans, there is a growing contingent of serious-minded historians in the mix. And they’re busy. When they are not on duty, or writing, Carlson, Mitrovich and their SDPD colleagues serve on the board of directors of the SD Police Historical Association. Earlier this year, with Carlson at the helm, the Association launched the San Diego Police Museum on College Avenue, just north of El Cajon Boulevard. Before the doors opened, the cops had to become curators. A challenging transition from evidence collection, preservation and presentation to archival and museum stewardship followed. To their credit and our lasting benefit, they made it. The result is a community treasure, with abundant police lore for buffs and public safety education for parents, students and children. Volunteer docents at the Police Museum are professional, knowledgeable and welcoming. Even the best-informed visitors will learn something new. With the year-end holidays already on the horizon, the museum’s gift shop offers creative solutions – and some excellent publications. For visitor information see http://www.sandiegopolicemuseum.com/. In a highly visual and frequently entertaining way, the exhibits keep us connected to San Diego’s past. Their real subject is not a narrow history of law enforcement, but the evolving – and often rocky – relationship between the police and the community they serve. The Museum offers a chance to overcome the debilitating effects of our transience and limited attention spans. Without an understanding
GAME OF THE WEEK: TITANS TAME COUGARS IN 38-13 WIN
Printer-friendly version by Christopher Mohr (RANCHO SAN DIEGO) September 25 – Steele Canyon’s football team is not happy right now. After the Cougars’ 38-13 loss to Eastlake Friday night, head coach Ron Boehmke gathered his players in a circle on the field, and told them in no uncertain terms that this performance was not acceptable. The players knew it, the fans knew it, and after Coach Boehmke’s postgame speech, half the people in Blythe knew it too. It’s the kind of reaction you would expect after a big loss. Steele Canyon’s margin of error was smaller in this game, especially when facing a team as talented on offense as the Titans are. The multiple weapons of Eastlake’s offense pose problems for opposing defenses, even when you make few mistakes. Tony Jefferson can run the ball well and demonstrated that fact against the Cougars, rushing 20 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. Chris Fletcher and Daniel Diaz each had rushing and receiving touchdowns for the Titans. Unfortunately for the Cougars, they gave up three turnovers, and Eastlake converted two of those turnovers into touchdowns. Any coach will tell you that each turnover is a potential 14-point turnaround as the team losing the ball deprives themselves of a touchdown while giving their opponent a previously unexpected opportunity to add a touchdown to their tally. In this game, that meant a potential 28-point turnaround against the Cougars, three points greater than the margin of victory by Eastlake. Fletcher’s play on the defensive side of the ball set himself for later success on the offensive side of the ball. On Steele Canyon’s opening drive, he intercepted a pass from Brad Boehmke (coach’s son) and three plays later caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from D’Angelo Barksdale to give the Titans an early lead, 7-0. "I dropped back and saw the safety come over and he was trying to go over to the outside route, so then I saw [Fletcher] open up in the middle and just threw it to him," Barksdale said, describing his read of the play. The Titans extended their first quarter lead to 14-0 on a five-yard touchdown run by Jefferson. Steele Canyon was able to take a page out of Eastlake’s book by forcing a turnover and converting it to points. In the second quarter, defensive lineman Joey Alegria intercepted a pass from Barksdale. Just three plays later, Brad Boehmke connected with Cody Simpson on a 27-yard touchdown pass. The point-after attempt failed, but Steele Canyon was back in the game, and went in to the locker room at halftime down 14-6. In spite of three turnovers and six penalties for 65 yards by Eastlake, Alegria’s interception was the only turnover that Steele Canyon converted to points. The balance sheet of turnovers that helped versus those that hurt did not show a credit balance in the Cougars’ favor. A big play by Diaz in the third quarter added further insult to injury. After catching a short pass, he broke loose and with the help of a couple of nifty moves, scored on a 67-yard touchdown play. "I think the outside linebacker when I was going in motion, he kinda went with me, but I knew I had a little edge on him, I was a little ahead of him and was able to beat him down the sideline," Diaz said about the touchdown reception. "The last guy actually had a good angle on me, but I had to slow it down and make a cutback." On the next drive for Eastlake, Diaz added an eight-yard touchdown run, effectively putting the game out of reach for Steele Canyon. Simpson’s three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown and Alex Perlin’s 14 rushes for 61 yards were among the bright spots in an otherwise frustrating night for the Cougars. As far as what a team does to bounce back from a disappointing loss goes, Cougars’ offensive lineman Yousif Khoury discussed the work the team performs following the game: "Tomorrow’s meetings, film, get back to it Monday morning, first block weight training, just get back into the rhythm," he said as he described the more routine tasks ahead. "We’re going to see which blocks we missed, which blocks we should have had, which linebackers we need to cover, stuff like that. We’ve got to protect the quarterback better." Steele Canyon (1-2) stays at home this week to face Santana, while Eastlake (2-0-2) returns home to face Poway, a team that shares their nickname, in a battle of the Titans. Christopher Mohr is a freelance writer in the San Diego area. He writes articles for BleacherReport.com and is a huge Chargers, Padres and Detroit Red Wings fan. Scoring Summary __________________________________________ Eastlake 14 0 21 3 – 38 Steele Canyon 0 6 0 7 – 13 __________________________________________ First Quarter E – Fletcher 30 pass from Barksdale (Urrutia kick) E – Jefferson 5 run (Urrutia kick) Second Quarter SC – Simpson 27 pass from Boehmke (kick failed) Third Quarter E – Diaz 67 pass from Barksdale (Urrutia kick) E – Diaz 8 run (Urrutia kick) E – Fletcher 7 run (Urrutia kick) Fourth Quarter SC – Watson 1 run (Bruder kick) E – Pacheco 24 FG Printer-friendly version
TSUNAMI ALERT ISSUED FOR WEST COAST
Printer-friendly versionSeptember 29, 2009 (San Diego) 4:30 p.m. — Federal experts have issued a tsunami advisory for possible dangerous currents in coastal areas of California and Oregon following a magnitude-8 earthquake in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says an advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is imminent or expected. From the Nationwl Weather Service Bureau in San Diego: PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WATER… OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS. TSUNAMI ADVISORIES MEAN THAT A TSUNAMI CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG CURRENTS OR WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR VERY NEAR WATER IS IMMINENT OF EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS NOT EXPECTED FOR AREAS IN AN ADVISORY. TSUNAMIS ARE A SERIES OF WAVES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERAL HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL TIME. ESTIMATED TIMES OF INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL FOR SELECTED SITES IN THE ADVISORY ARE PROVIDED BELOW. SANTA BARBARA-CA 2111 PDT SEP 29 SAN FRANCISCO-CA 2131 PDT SEP 29 LA JOLLA-CA 2116 PDT SEP 29 CHARLESTON-OR 2132 PDT SEP 29 CRESCENT CITY-CA 2120 PDT SEP 29 SEASIDE-OR 2205 PDT SEP 29 FOR ARRIVAL TIMES AT ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS SEE WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV Printer-friendly version