EX-ECM INTERN JOSEPH ROCHA LEADS NATIONAL EFFORT TO HALT ABUSE OF U.S. SOLDIERS
Printer-friendly version BREAKING NEWS: TODAY SERVICE MEMBERS LEGAL DEFENSE FUND SENT A LETTER TO DEFENSE SECRETARY GATES, URGING NEW INVESTIGATION OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER WHO ABUSED ROCHA AND OTHERS By Miriam Raftery November 17, 2009 – In an exclsuvie interview with ECM yesterday, Joseph Rocha shared details of abuses he and other endured during Naval training as a dog handler in Bahrain. Defense documents reveal more than 93 counts of humiliating physical and sexual abuse against U.S. soldiers—gay and straight, men and women—by Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Toussaint. Astoundingly, this shocking abuse of our own troops occurred after photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghrab sparked international outrage. Yet to date, the military has not held Toussaint accountable. Now a legal group representing military members and a three-star admiral in Congress seek a new investigation which could end in a court martial and examination of failures higher up the command chain. Rocha now leads a national effort to halt abuse of troops and overturn the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue, don’t harass” policy. He provides compelling evidence that the policy is used as a cover to abuse men and women in our armed forces—and silence witnesses from speaking out. He also seeks answers to why a woman who mentored Rocha and tried to stop the abuse was ignored, then committed suicide after enduring threats and intimidation. November 17, 2009 (San Diego) – Joseph Rocha dreamed of graduating from the Naval Academy. At 18, he enlisted in the Navy and went to Bahrain, where he soon passed exams and completed training to serve in a specialized K-9 unit as a handler for bomb-sniffing dogs. Rocha, who is gay, found himself immersed in a two-year nightmare in which he had no recourse to speak out for fear of losing his career. “I was force-fed dog food and tied to a chair in dog feces,” he told ECM. “I was forced to similulate gay sex, surrounded by military attack dogs.” (Read details of Rocha’s first-person account published October 11 in the Washington Post( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100902570.html). Rocha was not alone. Many others suffered at the hands of Toussaint, according to the military’s own investigations. “He forced a straight woman to be hand-cuffed to a bed nude for the dog trainings,” Rocha told ECM. “There was solicitation of prostitutes using government funds and government vehicles.” Those who tried to speak out faced punishment for their actions. There is an instance of a woman coming forward and reporting a sexual assault,” Rocha noted. “A rumor was started that she was a lesbian, just to shut her up.” His mentor and best friend, Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Valdiva, a Sailor of the Year and second in command of the unit, tried to stop the abuse of soldiers but her pleas were ignored. Then the Navy announced plans to charge Valdiva for failing to stop the abuse. Learning of the charges, Valdiva committed suicide in her room in Bahrain. “The day she killed herself, she was unjustly threatened,” Rocha told ECM. “She felt completely hopeless and knew there was absolutely nothing she could have done to stop this tyrant. She tried several times and was publicly ridiculed.” Rocha also faults the Navy for leaving her unsupervised over a long weekend after delivering news about the charges, which he stated violates Navy policy. A report on the abuses, issued the very day that Valdiva killed herself, failed to mention her death. “Her family to this day has been refused unredacted reports of her death,” Rocha said. As a Petty officer 3rd class, Rocha was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy prep school. But he resigned so that he could speak out about the abuse publicly, knowing it would cost him his dream of going to the Naval Academy. Meanwhile, Toussaint was promoted. Following a Youth Radio investigation into Rocha’s claims, a new investigation was launched by the Navy. ( View his video interview on Youth Radio: http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/navy-launches-investigation-on-joseph-rocha-dadt-case/ and see documentation: http://www.youthradio.org/taxonomy/term/2246/feed ) As a result of Rocha speaking out and pushing for the new investigation, Toussaint was removed from active duty, forced to resign effective January 2010 and censored for his role in hazing sailors. A hearing on his pension is also slated. But to Rocha and others, those actions amount to a mere slap on the wrist. Violation of a single count of the Uniform Military Code of Justice is grounds for a court martial. Toussaint is accused of violating 93 counts. In October, Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA), a three-star admiral, sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy calling for a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy which prevented Rocha from speaking out earlier. “Failing to treat everyone with the same level of dignity and allowing acts of assault or battery to go unaddressed, would be counter to not only our national values, but to the concept of brotherhood and sisterhood that I learned is so essential to—and such a key part of—the spirit of our armed forces,” he wrote. Rocha, who interned last year with ECM, recently won a San Diego Press Club award for his political reporting in ECM on the April Boling-Marti Emerald City Council race. But while suffering abuse in Bahrain, his voice was initially silenced by fear of retribution. Today, November 17, Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (Read the letter: http://www.sldn.org/news/archives/sldn-urges-secretary-gates-to-immediately-investigate-failures-of-leadershi/) . The letter asks Gates to initiate a thorough investigation of sexual and physical abuse against Rocha. SLDN executive director Audrey Sarvis asks why Toussaint was given “what amounts to an administrative slap on the wrist, promoted, and allowed to retire? Something went haywire in this investigation and SLDN calls u8pon Sec. Gates to expeditiously find out what went wrong and why there were repeated failures of leadership up and down the chain of command.” In a press statement released today, she adds,, “We need to send a clear message from the Department of Defense that our military has zero
SUICIDE PROMPTS TRAFFIC ALERT ON I-15 AT ESCONDIDO
Printer-friendly versionUpdate 2:40 p.m. Traffic is now moving without delay in this location, IPN has informed ECM. November 17, 2009 (Bonsall) – A traffic alert has been issued around 12:30 p.m. today following death of a man who jumped off an overpass at I-15 southbound near old highway 395 near Bonsall, north of Escondido, Incident Protection Network reports. California Highway Patrol and Escondido Police are at the scene. Traffic is delayed, although lanes remain open. The man’s body was reported near the side of the freeway around 11:30 a.m., according to the the San Diego Union-Tribune. Printer-friendly version
CRACKDOWN ON TEEN DRIVERS TODAY, SANTEE SHERIFF STATION ANNOUNCES
Printer-friendly versionNovember 17, 2009 – Today the Santee traffic deputies along with area school resource officers and the Santee COPPS Unit will be conducting a juvenile driver enforcement detail. Special attention will be given to all drivers near schools. Drivers will be stopped and cited for all traffic violations including use of cell phones and texting while driving. Juvenile drivers will be cited if they are not in compliance with provisional license restrictions. The juvenile driver compliance detail is intended to promote juvenile safety through education and enforcement and hopefully decrease the risks associated with teen driving during the holiday season. School Resource Officers have organized a series of events to increase community and juvenile awareness regarding social host ordinances and alcohol and drug use, with an emphasis on drunk driving. Printer-friendly version
SHERIFF’S K-9 VOLUNTEER RESCUE DOG RECEIVES AKC’S ACE AWARD
Printer-friendly version November 17, 2009 (San Diego) – William D. Gore, Sheriff, San Diego County, today announces one of the department’s K-9 Search and Rescue volunteers has received an American Kennel Club ACE Award ~ Honorable Mention. Only five dogs are selected for the honor. Sheriff Gore commented, “We are extremely fortunate to have Snickers and his owner, Pam [Medhurst], on our Search and Rescue Team. Snickers and Pam are critical to the mission of finding the lost and missing in San Diego County. We couldn’t do the job without them.” Snickers is an eight-year-old beagle from a local San Diego breeder. He began his training when he was only eleven weeks and passed his certification test at one year; thereby working for San Diego Sheriff’s Department his entire life. His first search was for Jahi Turner, where Snickers met a Riverside bloodhound handler who was so impressed with the dog’s work that he invited Snickers and his owner, Medhurst, to training exercises outside the county. In fact, Snickers has been to several seminars in Colorado where he has run very advanced trails. Snickers received his nickname "Sergeant," when a Search and Rescue Coordinator, so impressed with the work, jokingly said he was giving Snickers a field promotion. The name stuck and now he is commonly referred to as Sergeant Snickers. In 1999, The American Kennel Club took action to express its time-honored respect for the extraordinary canine-human bond, as well as its appreciation for the innumerable ways in which dogs meaningfully contribute to our lives. That initiative gave rise to The AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), which celebrated its first presentation year in 2000. To qualify, the dog is required to be AKC registered or an AKC recognized breed, and have performed some exemplary act, whether large or seemingly small, that has significantly benefited a community or individual. One award is given every year in each of the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service, and Exemplary Companion Dog. When appropriate, dogs earning honorable mention will be selected. Each of the five honorees received a cash award of $1000 and an engraved sterling-silver collar medallion to be presented at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. Their names will be engraved on a plaque that hangs permanently in The American Kennel Club Library in New York City. Dogs receiving honorable mention will be awarded an engraved bronze medallion. When not performing acts to help local law enforcement, Snicker’s leads a dog’s life. "As for his favorite food–well he is a beagle, so all food is great, and his favorite toys are tennis balls and soft squeaky balls," a press release from the Sheriff’s office notes. Printer-friendly version
TERM LIMITS INITIATIVE FOR SUPERVISORS REACHES SIGNATURE GOAL FOR JUNE BALLOT
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (San Diego) – Organizers of an initiative to require term limits for San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce that they have gathered approximately 120,000 signatures—far more than the 77, 587 required to qualify for the June ballot, East County Magazine has learned. “We know that the signatures are good, because they’ve been verified by the Registrar as they’ve been collected,” Evan McLaughlin, spokesman for the campaign, told East County Magazine this evening. The drive to establish term limits for Supervisors was led by San Diego County employees. If approved by voters countywide in June 2010, it would limit Supervisors to two four-year terms. McLaughlin said the measure has broad support. “You will see Republicans and Democrats from East County signing onto this campaign formally in the next few weeks,” he said, adding that several prominent elected officials from East County have pledged to endorse the measure after it qualifies for the ballot. Official certification by the Registrar could take up to two weeks, he added. No incumbent has lost a reelection bid in more than a deadline. All five supervisors have been in office since 1995 or earlier. Dianne Jacob, who represents East County, has served as Supervisor since 1992, along with Ron Roberts and Pam Slater-Price who were elected the same year. “The County Supervisors have shown that they are unaccountable and that there are no consequences for being unaccountable, whether it’s fire protection or fiscal responsibility,” McLaughlin said. “They have insulated themselves by an archaic system of political patronage…For the last ten years, they have controlled a $100,000 slush fund for political favors and they’ve drawn their own districts during reapportionment. They’ve devised a system that’s led to a permanent incumbency,” he said. McLaughlin called Jacob “unaccountable to firefighting needs of our county,” noting that the Supervisor has been on opposite sides from firefighters on some issues. He added, “For her to watch a $100 million fund being doled out for political patronage, that doesn’t scream taxpayer watchdog or fiscal responsibility to me.” Jacob, in a July interview, told East County Magazine she believes term limits “reflect the philosophy that voters are too stupid to decide for themselves when to turn an underperforming official out of office.” She added, “The hapless and ineffective California Legislature is a prime example of the terrible consequences of term limits.” Carl Meyer, who led a successful recall effort against Potrero planners over Blackwater’s plan to build a private military base in his town in East County, supports the measure. “It’s telling that the County’s own employees are so fed up with lobbyist deals behind closed doors—land use development that benefits sprawl developer interest versus the communities’ interest,” he said in a July interview with ECM. Laura Cyphert, head of the East County Community Action Coalition, opposes term limits, which she calls “forced choice.” In July, she observed, “I believe that we, as Americans, should have the freedom of choice to elect those candidates whom we believe are most qualified.” Jacob shares the ECCCAC’s opposition to Sunrise PowerLink and used a portion of what McLaughlin terms “slush fund” money to rent a room for the ECCAC to address Lakeside residents across the hall from where SDG&E was making its pro-Powerlink presentation. Steve Rivera, regional director for the California Democratic Party, says that ”non-responsiveness of the board to the public” has created conditions that led to the initiative filing. “All five Supervisors are Republicans, though the County now has a majority Democratic registration,” he observed. Support for the measure is bipartisan, McLaughlin emphasized, citing Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood as an example of a prominent Republican who has endorsed the measure. "I will be voting for it," La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid, who previously ran against Jacob, told ECM. Tomorrow’s press conference announcing formal presentation of signatures will be held at the County Registrar of Voters Office at 10 a.m. Printer-friendly version
WATER, WATER EVERY WHERE: WATER MAIN LEAKS CAUSE FLOODING IN LA MESA & LAKESIDE
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – A series of water main breaks in East County over the weekend have led some area residents to ask what’s caused so many infrastructure failures. On Friday, November 13th, a water main break at the corner of La Mesa Blvd. and 4th Street sent large amounts of water flowing down La Mesa Blvd. and Allison Ave., causing damage to at least two businesses including the new Bella Mesa Art Gallery. Heartland Fire dispatched a response at 11:29 a.m. Fire crews closed roads and evacuated some businesses and restaurants. But damage could have been worse. “We got lucky,” Sonny Saghera, public information officer for La Mesa Fire Deparetment, told East County Magazine. “We were actually right by that when the call came in,” he said, adding that quick action by Helix Water to shut off the water helped minimize damage. “The break on Friday at Allison and La Mesa Blvd. was from a piece of eight-inch cast iron that was left in the ground during an upgrade in 2003. We are investigating how that happened,” Kate Breece, public affairs manager for Helix Water District, informed East County Magazine. “The three customers were were impacted have been high-lined, moving the pipe out of the “planter” area and into the street,” she said. Helix had cleanup crews on the scene within an hour to help minimize damage to customers’ properties. “We closed the hold on Friday night to allow for normal commerce and scheduled a midnight shutdown in order not to impact businesses and passerby,” Breece said, adding that pipe repair will be completed later this week or early next week. On Sunday at 11:50 a.m., a water main break at Rolando Knolls and Gordon Way in La Mesa caused minor damage to two homes, Heartland Fires. A La Mesa Fire engine was dispatched, arriving within minutes to close roads, contact Helix Water and assist with water removal. Helix Water shut off water to 32 homes and summoned a water truck to deliver water to residents during repairs until water was restored at 630 p.m. Breece said the break Sunday in the Rolando area was caused by a piece of six-inch cast iron pipe that was put in the ground 62 years ago and was scheduled for replacement. “We have replaced over 75% of the cast iron in our district, and we replaced it at a rate of about 5 miles each year,” Breece said. “As the temperature falls in the autumn, we sometimes experience a number of breaks as the cooler ground temperatures and cooler water temperatures appear to weaken cast iron.” Last fiscal year (2008-09), Helix Water had a total of 40 breaks, of which seven were cast iron. So far this fiscal year (2009-10), there have been 17 water main breaks, of which 6 have been cast iron. In the Eucalyptus Hills area, Lakeside Fire responded to a water main break in the predawn hours on Sunday in the 11200 block of Manzanita Road. “An assessment was made of the downstream area and only minor flooding was found,” Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District, wrote on Heartland Fire’s blog. CHP closed Manzanita Road briefly until Lakeside Water District’s crew arrive on scene to control the leak. ECM has requested info on cause of the Eucalyptus Hills break and will publish the response here once received. Printer-friendly version
CONTROLLED BURN AT CUYAMACA RANCHO STATE PARK WEDNESDAY; SMOKE MAY BE VISIBLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (Cuyamaca) — Personnel from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, in cooperation with CAL FIRE, will conduct a controlled burn on Middle Peak north of Cuyamaca Peak on Wednesday. Smoke and flames will be visible from many areas in the county due to high altitude location. Residents in Ramona will have an especially clear view, although the burn is many miles away. The burn will begin about 9 a.m. and should conclude by 4 p.m., with patrol operations continuing for several days. Due to many dead trees in the burn area, smoke may continue to be visible for several days after the burn is completed. The purpose of this burn is to clear 70 acres of vegetation and make the area ready for planting of 20,000 tree seedlings early next year as part of ongoing reforestation efforts in the Park. Removal of this vegetation will not only make the job of planting easier, but allow the seedlings a much better chance of survival by reducing competition for sunlight and scarce water. Removal of dead trees will also assist in the reforestation efforts and help to make the Park safer for visitors. While the vast majority of controlled burns help prevent more devastating fires by removing brush during favorable weather conditions, controlled burns have sparked some recent controversy. The Loma Fire, which burned 435 areas near Santa Cruz in October, may have been caused by a controlled burn, fire officials have reported. http://www.firehouse.com/topic/wildland/controlled-burns-may-have-caused-calif-wildfire. In 2000, a controlled burn that flared out of control charred 37,000 acres near Los Alamos. http://speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1359b-1.html. Locally, a controlled burn during the 2007 Poomacha Fire has been blamed on loss of a home and damage to other properties, eyewitnesses have informed East County Magazine. East County Magazine is notifying our subscribers about this controlled burn via the Viejas Wildfire & Emergency alert e-mail system. If you have not yet signed up, just click the "subscribe" button at the top right of our homepage. Subscriptions are free, and you will never receive any junk mail — only alerts about major fires or other regional emergencies in San Diego County. Printer-friendly version
CATERER TO THE STARS SHARES HIS FAVORITE THANKSGIVING STUFFING RECIPE
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (Hollywood) — As an event planner for over 30 years, Randy Fuhrman has dazzled clients from corporate executives to Holllywood celebrities with his impressive spectacles and fine cuisine. He has produced parties and events for Nicolas Cage, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Joan Rivers, and Diana Ross. His corporate clients include Walt Disney Studios, Warner Brothers, MTV Networks, Capitol Records, Ernst & Young, and a host of others. Fuhrman has been using healthy, local melba toasted stuffing since he was a kid. “My tip for making it extra special is using a bundt pan for a crisp outside and very moist inside. Then, after baking and cooling, I pour buttered peas into middle,” he reports. Now, he shares the juicy details with East County Magazine. The Best Holiday Stuffing 2 bags (6 oz) of Mrs. Cubbison’s dressing, your choice of herb, or cornbread 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup sliced celery 1lb sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter (’til golden & crisp) 1 cup butter 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup sherry Method In a bowl, open your bags of dressing and pour in. In a sauce pan, melt your butter & sherry. Heat your stock ’til simmering. Add the onions and celery just to get your onions soft. Add your cooked ’til crisp mushrooms and stir. Pour over your stuffing mix. Stir or blend well, ’til everything is moist. Note: If you like moister stuffing, go ahead and add more stock. I always make extra so I have left overs for the next few days. Some other things you can add: 1/2 lb cooked Farmer John Sausage 1/2 cup Sunsweet Cherry’s or Cranberry’s 1 cup of sautéed in butter pecans Fuhrman’s websites are http://www.randyfuhrmanevents.com and http://www.randysbrowniesandcakes.com. For more holiday cooking tips and recipes for turkey and stuffing, visit http://www.thanksgivingtips.com. Printer-friendly version