ESCONDIDO BOY, 5, DROWNS IN CANOE ACCIDENT
Printer-friendly version November 12, 2010 (Escondido) – Keona Kazuo Ferreira, 5, drowned after a canoe in which he was riding with his father capsized and sank on November 6th at Mission Bay. Despite resuscitative efforts, he was pronounced brain dead at a local hospital two days later, on November 8th. Printer-friendly version
ON THE SILVER SCREEN: BY HOOKER, BY CROOK, CAUSES OF FORMER GOVERNOR SPITZER’S RISE AND DOWNFALL CHRONICLED IN “CLIENT 9”
Printer-friendly version By Brian Lafferty November 12, 2010 (San Diego) – At the beginning of Client 9, Eliot Spitzer describes his rise and downfall as a classic Greek story archetype. You have the hero who overcomes all odds and becomes successful. Then he makes a fatal mistake that brings his downfall. What makes this story fascinating is that it isn’t fiction. Spitzer was New York’s Attorney General from 1999 until his election to the governorship in 2007. He was a man who aggressively went after bad guys no matter what the cost. He always looked out for his constituents’ interests. He wasn’t afraid of anybody and would never hesitate to bring down those who dare victimize his people. He wouldn’t think twice to even prosecute out of state businesses for crimes against his state. He was elected governor. Soon he had to deal with stalemate Republicans who became difficult to deal with. It wasn’t long, however, before tragedy of his own making struck. He cheated on his wife by seeing hookers, particularly one named “Angelina” (to protect her privacy, she is portrayed by an actress who transcribes her interview with the filmmakers). News got out and he resigned after an explosive scandal. What makes the documentary transcend “talking heads” is the passion in both the story and the people interviewed. Spitzer inspired a lot of hatred in his enemies and idolatry in his supporters. These feelings and the degrees of passion inherent in them show in their interviews. You have the corporate executives who play the “victim” card, feeling they were “harassed” by Spitzer. They take perverse pleasure in talking gleefully about Spitzer’s downfall and how they helped “contribute” to it. Another figure in the scandal was Ashley Alexandra Dupre, a call girl. While she isn’t interviewed, her appearances on talk shows are shown. Any notions of her being a victim are quickly dispelled and replaced with disgust when she is shown using the scandal for her own fame. She snags a gig as a sex columnist for the New York Post and even states boldly that whenever Spitzer’s name is in the news, she’ll make her appearance felt. This despite the fact that Spitzer, according to the documentary, only saw her once or twice. Despite the actions of these abhorrent figures, Spitzer does not get off the hook. Even he knows it. What Spitzer did was wrong and he admits everything he did was his fault alone. There is nothing defensible about his actions. What makes it all the more worse is that he is a hypocrite. He went after escort services only to use one himself in secret. The consequences are not limited to embarrassment and resignation. Important pieces of legislation introduced during Spizter’s tenures as both Attorney General and governor have been second-guessed and repealed or are in the process of being repealed. Just as heartbreaking is that the antagonists, the corporate executives he went after as Attorney General, have, in a sense, “won” and are free to continue their morally ambiguous practices without fear of being prosecuted. Meanwhile Spitzer is relegated to a new talk show on CNN, a man now powerless. Not even a full bottle of Listerine can wash that bad taste out of my mouth. Follow Brian Lafferty: http://twitter.com/BrianLaff Printer-friendly version
DRIVER SENTENCED IN FATAL CRASH THAT KILLED RAMONA MOTHER BRIDGETTE HALE
Printer-friendly version MADD JOINS FAMILY’S EFFORT TO CHANGE LAW, REQUIRE DRUG-TESTING IN FATALITY ACCIDENTS November 12, 2010 (El Cajon) – John Holsheimer has been sentenced to a maximum of 300 days in jail, five years probation, and 320 hours of community service for killing Bridgette Hale, mother of an infant son, in a head-on collision January 24th on Highway 67. Holsheimer must also undergo 90 days of drug rehab at his own expense, pay $4,700 in restitution costs to the court, and is prohibited from coming within 100 feet of a casino for the rest of his life. But Hale’s family believes the punishment isn’t enough. “The judge stated in his sentencing statement that Holsheimer was under the influence of drugs and was driving under the influence,” Ken Vanek, Hale’s brother-in-law, observed. A hospital blood draw reportedly found drugs in Holsheimer’s system, but those findings were not admissible by evidence under California law, because the blood draw was not ordered by law enforcement. California Highway Patrol did not order the blood draw, even though multiple witnesses reported seeing Holsheimer weaving on the wrong side of the road before the crash, and more than one called 911. Holsheimer told authorities that he had been up all night gambling at a casino and could not remember where he had been for a substantial period of time during the 24 hours prior to the crash that killed Hale and seriously injured Holsheimer, who suffered a broken femur. ECM research revealed that Holsheimer previously paid a fine for crossing a double yellow line in San Bernadino County. He gave CHP a fake ID and was facing charges of felony credit card fraud in Nevada. Yet CHP found no reasonable cause to order a mandatory blood draw. In Holsheimer’s case, had blood tests proven that he was under the influence of drugs, he could have been charged with a felony and faced many years in prison. Instead, he could only be charged with a misdemeanor and could be out of jail in as little as 90 days. Blood tests are done in only a small fraction of fatality accidents nationwide. But according to the National Highway and Safety Administration’s 2007 National Roadside Survey, 11% of drivers on weekend nights tested positive for illegal drugs. The rate of drug use rose to 16% when prescription and over-the-counter drugs were included. In 2008, the National Transportation Safety Board reported over 30.5 million drivers on the road under the influence of illicit drugs. California DMV records indicate 1489 fatalities due to alcohol DUI, 749 fatalities due to drug DU and 2,489 serious injuries due to drug DUIs in 2007. Other studies have shown correlations between drug use and vehicle accidents. In Australia, a study of 3,400 fatally injured drivers found that drugs other than alcohol were present in 26% of cases; 10% had both drugs and alcohol. Marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug detected in numerous studies of accident victims and fatally injured drivers. Other drugs commonly found include benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, and amphetamines. How many more drivers might be found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs if testing could be done in all fatality accidents? Some states do have mandatory blood draw laws already on the books in cases of fatality accidents. Others allow hospital blood draws to be admissible as evidence. But not California. Now Hale’s family has joined with the families of two other East County fatality accident victims in calling for legislation to require blood draws of drivers in all fatality accidents and consider the possibility of allowing hospital blood draws to be used in court. Mark Taylor was killed when an unlicensed driver who admitted drinking alcohol earlier in the day made an illegal U-Turn. Keith Sexton died in a head-on crash after a driver crossed a double-yellow line. No blood tests were taken in any of those cases. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has joined the effort. “MADD supports the legislation of mandatory blood draws,” Paula Meyers, victim services director and law enforcement liaison for MADD’s San Diego chapter wrote in an e-mail to Vanek. She added, “We support you all the way to Sacramento.” The families have been working with San Diego Assemblymen Nathan Fletcher and Joel Anderson to draft legislation. A spokesman from Fletcher’s office confirmed that the legislator is very interested in carrying the measure and is currently having legislative counsel review language to assure that it will pass constitutional muster. Meanwhile, the families of those who have died hope for action soon, before more lives are claimed. “How many more people need to die?” Vanek asks. “These three poor souls, Bridgette Hale, Mark Taylor, and Keith Sexton should be memorialized in new legislation, and we are begging Nathan Fletcher and Joel Anderson to carry the bill and call it `Bridgette’s Law,’ he concludes. “It is the right thing to do.” Printer-friendly version
DRIVER, 19, SENTENCED IN FATAL HEAD-ON COLLISION NEAR STEELE CANYON
Printer-friendly version November 12, 2010 (El Cajon)—Baseball player Andrew Bellati, 19, pled guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter in a head-on collision January 22 that killed David Norman Reid, 50, and injured three others. Yesterday, a judge sentenced Bellati to five years of probation and eight months in custody, with credit for three months time that he has already served. Bellati was driving his girlfriend, a basketball player on Steele Canyon’s team, to a game when he lost control of his Mustang on a rain-slicked highway, crossed the center line and collided head-on with a mini-van driven by Reid. “CHP reported when I was there that the speedometer was frozen at 80 mph,” Leonard Villareal, public information officer for San Miguel Fire, told East County Magazine following the tragedy. Reid’s son, Garrett, 17, suffered numerous broken bones but has recovered, ECM news partner 10 News reports. Bellati’s passenger suffered a concussion. Bellati also suffered major injuries. A former star player on the Steele Canyon baseball team, Bellati graduated in 2009 and was drafted by the Tampa Bay’s rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. He earned a 2-5 record and a 4.04 ERA with the Princeton Rays of the Appalachian Rookie League this summer. According to ESPN, his fast ball has been clocked at 88 mph. But on January 22, speed proved deadly in the fatal accident at Highway 94 and Campo Road in Spring Valley, just west of Steele Canyon High School. Bellati’s sentence was the result of a plea bargain and reflected the wishes of Reid’s widow. According to the prosecutor, Mrs. Reid “does not want to ruin the young man’s life,” 10 News reported. Printer-friendly version
LAKESIDE FIREFIGHTERS DOUSE CAR FIRE
Printer-friendly version November 12, 2010 (Lakeside)–The Engine 3 crew from Lakeside’s Lake Jennings fire station (fs3) responded to a vehicle fire in the 13000 block of Highway 8 Business Wednesday night. Engineer Chris Downing had little trouble finding the location of the fire as it was putting up a large, black smoke column visible from a distance. Luckily, the vehicle’s driver had stopped in the middle of a parking lot with no other vehicles or structures in close proximity, Lakeside Fire reports. Firefighter Shawn McKenna knocked-down most of the flames within a few minutes, using a preconnected hoseline flowing water from Engine 3’s booster tank. The Captain, Engineer, and Firefighter then worked together to access the engine compartment and extinguish the remaining fire. Although the vehicle was a total loss, no injuries or other property damage occurred. Printer-friendly version
VETERAN’S DAY TRIBUTE: NAVAL PILOT HONORED AT CRASH SITE IN LAKESIDE
Printer-friendly version On a dark, cloudy night in 1961, Lt. J.G. Thomas Allen Ryan, 23, crashed a Navy jet fighter plane onto a mountainside in Lakeside. Four decades later, a group of Lakeside residents hiked to the crash site to pay homage to the military pilot’s memory. By Betty McMillen November 11, 2010 (Lakeside)–A Lakeside hiking group celebrated Veterans Day in an unique way recently. Dennis Richardson led his hiking group over rocks, through brush, over boulders and up, up a mountain to the site of an old military airplane crash site. Scroll down for the full story, plus view a video of the event by Billy Ortiz. Pat Macha, an airplane crash site archeologist from Orange County, came to town to do a survey and document the wreckage. Macha has researched and observed over 800 crash sites in the USA and has written three books on his observations. On this hike, he set up two U.S. flags by the wreckage and led the hiking group in a brief memorial to honor the pilot who died in this crash back in 1961. His friend, retired Park Ranger Tom Maloney, an expert in flora and fauna, came along for the adventure as well. Lakesiders who were along for the adventure in 95 degree weather were Billy Ortiz, a video photographer, Pam Wilmers, a medical assistant, Chuck Palmore, a Lakeside Fire Captain and me, a Lakeside historian and reporter. According to Macha’s research, the plane was a Navy F3H-2 jet fighter. Lieutenant J.G. Thomas Allen Ryan, the pilot, was only 23 years old. He was on his way back to Miramar Naval Air Station with his squadron, a group of four in the formation. The others were able to stay with their flight leader and landed safely. For unknown reasons, Thomas crashed into the side of the mountain; darkness, clouds and poor weather conditions played a role in the accident. After careful observations, Macha and Maloney came to the conclusion that the plane impacted lower down the side of the mountain. To their surprise, the airplane engine was blown up toward the top of the mountain–sitting precariously and plainly in sight; debris covered a half-mile area. The crash had been hidden by thick brush for many years until the Cedar Fire in 2003, when the wreckage was suddenly visible. Macha stated that most folks don’t realize how many airplane crash sites there are in the U.S. that happened during routine training exercises, especially with the older planes of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Now with the newer technology the planes are much safer to fly. Ortiz, who was photographing the hikers’ expressions while viewing the crash site, said it was different for him because he was looking at everything through a three-inch viewfinder. When he got home and started editing his video his emotions started to flow and he was touched by the care Macha had put into the memorial for a pilot who had lost his life while protecting us. This was Ortiz’ first time at filming an airplane crash site and he found it to be "absolutely exciting." Hike leader Richardson, a photographer for East County Magazine, observed, "It is fun to go on a hiking adventure with a bunch of people and everyone got back safely. There are many other crash sites in East County, especially under the Miramar flight path." He reminded hikers that it is important that when folks find crash sites to not disturb them or take souvenirs away. He asked that if you know of other crash sites to please e-mail him with any details you have so he can do further research. His e-mail address is jarden88@cox.net. Printer-friendly version
GROSSMONT HEALTHCARE DISTRICT BOARD SEEKS TO HEAL RIFT
Printer-friendly version Board rejects Jim Stieringer’s application for district staff job. Now Stieringer, who retired Friday, asks for his Board seat back–but his future remains in limbo November 11, 2010 (La Mesa)—Grossmont Healthcare District Board member Jim Stieringer resigned Friday “in order to be considered for appointment to the Project Liaison Monitor position,” he stated in a letter to Board President Gloria Chadwick. But after questions arose about the propriety and legality of such a move, Stieringer’s application for the $60,000 job was rejected by the Board after a closed-door meeting. He now wants his $6,000 a year Board seat back. But the Board and its legal counsel have yet to determine whether or not it can or will comply. The District advertised the staff job in the San Diego Daily Transcript and on the District’s website, but not in other local media, nor were subscribers to a District newsletter notified of the opening. “I am extremely disturbed that the GHD has been secretly looking to fill the position,” Ray Lutz, founder of Citizens Oversight Programs, a watchdog group, stated in a letter to Grossmont Healthcare District chief executive officer Barry Jantz. “It’s strictly against the rules of propriety of conflicts of interest.” Lutz believes hiring Stieringer to fill the staff position would be illegal. He cited a publication by the California State Attorney General, which states that “once the board member retires, the district may enter into an employment contract with the former board member, so long as no discussions concerning such employment took place between the board member and his or her colleagues or staff prior to the date of retirement.” Lutz added, “He absolutely did know.” Citizens’ Oversight has posted documents related to this issue on its website at http://www.copswiki.org/Common/GrossmontHealthcareBoard, along with a video of Lutz’ testimony before the board. Jantz agrees that hiring Stieringer could raise potential issues of transparency and conflict of interest, but said the Board was well aware of such issues even before Lutz raised them. “The Board asked for a closed session yesterday. As soon as everyone understood that Director Stieringer had retired and submitted an application, members immediately said `Let’s have a closed session and get legal counsel,” Jantz told East County Magazine in a phone interview this morning. “We are completely aware of the increased watchdogging going on in the media,” he said, adding that it would be unrealistic :”for anyone to think that there could be some orchestration of a board member getting a position and that no one would notice.” That said, Jantz indicated that the Attorney General rule cited by Lutz may apply only to an elected board member applying for an appointed position, not a staff position hired through personnel procedures by the District. He said that recently in National City, a city council member resigned and was hired as Fire Chief. “That apparently was legal, so I think the whole question of whether you can or can’t is open to interpretation.” Jantz has now been directed to include the Projects Liaison Monitor position as part of an ongoing program management team in preparation for Prop G projects at the hospital. The position may be contracted, rather than an employee job, he noted. Jantz took issue with Lutz’s assertion that the position could simply remain vacant and that he should be able to manage the workload single handedly. “We’ve finished so far a $41 million project and we’re about to now start on another $180 million of projects, three of which will be happening almost simultaneously,” Jantz noted. “You don’t go from $41 million to $180 million worth of work without increasing your administrative staff, though it may be contracted, not district staff.” He said the job was advertised in the Daily Transcript because the publication is where construction positions are usually advertised. But he called Lutz’s proposal for the District’s e-mail list to be notified “a solid recommendation” and said broader notice will be provided for future positions. Jantz praised the board for its oversight. “We stand by what we did and the Board has taken appropriate action,” he said, adding that what happens next remains in limbo. The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is November 19, but a special meeting may be called earlier to consider Stieringer’s request to rescind his resignation. Legal counsel is currently reviewing the request to determine the Board’s legal options—but for now, Stieringer is off the Board. If the Board declines to accept Stieringer’s request to rescind his resignation, the vacancy would likely be filled by the Board appointing a successor. If the Board fails to do so, the Board of Supervisors could appoint a new member or call a special election. Due to cost concerns, filling the slot by appointment (if Stieringer’s resignation stands) would be highly likely, Jantz confirmed. If the resignation stands, one point is clear. “Resigned Board members are not allowed to reapply,” Jantz revealed, adding that legal counsel has informed the Board that California law stipulates that an elected official who resigns cannot apply for the vacancy. Whatever the outcome, Jantz predicts, “I would fully anticipate that we have a can of worms on our hands either way.” Printer-friendly version
ATTENTION, VETERANS: LIBRARY WANTS YOUR STORIES–& HAS HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR VETS
Printer-friendly version November 11, 2010 (San Diego)–San Diego County Library is honoring veterans throughout the month of November. Veterans are encouraged to utilize dozens of online resources featured on www.sdcl.org/veterans-resources. The Library also invites vets to submit photos and tell their story to the People’s Post online or at designated libraries, including two in East County. The San Diego County Library Virtual branch (www.sdcl.org) is now featuring a Veterans Resource page that offers assistance in: • Transition to civilian life • Benefits • Money assistance • Jobs, • Government • Organizations • History and recognition. Veterans are encouraged to submit pictures of themselves with their library cards to libcommunity@sdcounty.ca.gov to be posted online as a tribute to those who have served our country. Additionally, veterans are also being invited to tell their story and have it posted online by making an appointment with the People’s Post, a digital storytelling partnership that records stories of the San Diego community and shares them online, by calling (858) 495-5037 or visiting one of these sessions: Solana Beach Library, 157 Stevens Ave: Tuesdays 3-7 p.m. and Thursdays 3-6 p.m. Bonita Library, 4375 Bonita Rd: Mondays 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Ramona Library, 1406 Montecito Rd: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information on San Diego County Library’s veterans’ project, visit http://www.sdcl.org/ or contact your local branch. Printer-friendly version
EAST COUNTY VIDEO ADVENTURE: REDISCOVERING LOS COCHES CREEK DAM–AND A TOWERING HIDDEN WATERFALL
Printer-friendly version By Billy Ortiz Adventurist/Historian November 11, 2010 (Lakeside) – This video adventure reveals an exciting discovery in my search for East County history. Reading about the history of the Lakeside Inn, I discovered that the innkeepers needed a water source, so a dam was built on Los Coches Creek back during pioneering days in the 1800s. An old black and white photograph of the dam captured my imagination. I’d assumed that when the flood channel was built in the 1880s, the dam may have been destroyed. So I was excited when Pam Wilmers, a friend, told me a story of riding her horse to a waterfall back in the 1970’s. I just had to take a look. As I hiked up Los Coches Creek and seemingly back into time, I heard the sound of water flowing over the spillway in the distance. It was hard to contain my excitement. At first I thought maybe it was the sound of water gushing over the large boulders in the creek. Much to my amazement, however, I discovered it was the Los Coches Creek Dam–exactly how it looked in that vintage photo. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. The waterfall, it turns out, was the spillway of the dam!There it was, a sentinel from the last century, just waiting to be rediscovered. It had been raining all week, so there was no shortage of water flowing over the spillway in a fourteen-foot-high cascade. As this footage reveals, the appearance of the forgotten dam has not changed; it’s still there and is in excellent condition—130 years later. What a beautiful site! I hope one day it will become a recognized California landmark. View this video adventure. Printer-friendly version
RESCUE TASK FORCE MOUNTS RELIEF EFFORT FOR CHOLERA VICTIMS IN HAITI
Printer-friendly version November 11, 2010 (El Cajon) – Rescue Task Force, a nonprofit organization founded in El Cajon, and World Emergency Relief of Carlsbad are sending relief to victims of the cholera outbreak in Haiti. More donations are sought as the death toll rises. More than 724 people have died since the outbreak began in October, and more than 11,000 have been infected. A thousand new cases a week are being reported, according to BBC news. “We are shipping 10,192 packets of urgently requested Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS). These ORS units will treat 3,000 people,” Gary Becks, spokesman for Rescue Task Force, said. “This is in addition to units previously shipped and distributed last week that treated 4,000 people.” Aid workers are battling the disease and fear it will spread through tent camps that still house over a million survivors of the Easter Sunday earthquake that devastated the island nation. Donations may be made online at www.rescuetaskforce.org, or by texting the word R-E-S-C-U-E to the number 50555 to make a $10 mobile donation to Rescue Task Force to help families and children in Haiti now. Reply with YES when prompted and $10 will appear on your next phone bill or be deducted from your prepaid balance. Printer-friendly version