Letters to the Editor – March 3, 2010 (Updated to include Feb. 24 letters)
Bungled justice for Nicole
I read Mr. Gallegos recent article in the Arcata Eye. Here is a man that says he needs a third term as Humboldt County District Attorney to finish what he started. That is a scary statement, especially if you are one of the victims of his incompetence.
I had the unfortunate opportunity of watching Mr. Gallegos try to prosecute what was suppose to be a murder case in Humboldt County Court. This man is no more a prosecutor than I am a brain surgeon. Mr. Gallegos was always late to court, could not answer any of the judge’s questions and always had the excuse that he did not have the case file with him.
The court-appointed, taxpayer-provided attorney for the defense made Mr. Gallegos look like a deer caught in the headlights and virtually kicked Mr. Gallegos’ butt all over the courtroom.
Some say that Mr. Gallegos needs to leave the courtroom to his deputies and administrate but he has proven that he cannot do this either. The morning that the preliminary hearing was to begin, Mr. Gallegos dropped the case into one of his deputy’s lap, and sent her into the courtroom late and totally unprepared.
After the preliminary hearing, Mr. Gallegos felt that with all of the publicity that this case was getting he could get some personal mileage out of handling the case himself, so he takes it away from the deputy after she spends day and night for a week getting up to speed.
After months of delays from the defense, numerous blunders from the prosecution and thousands of Humboldt County taxpayer dollars Mr. Gallegos decides he cannot prevail in the courtroom in front of a jury, so he plea bargains with the two who took my little girl’s life.
Mr. Gallegos then gives the file to one of his most talented prosecutors so she can go to the victim’s family and try to clean up the mess he made.
Mr. Gallegos did not show up for the sentencing hearing for Jason Whitmill or Anthony Flores which is a good thing because when Mr. Gallegos prosecuted Jason Whitmill back in 2007, he forgot to add his prior felonies which in turn allowed Whitmill out of prison a year early and 12 days before he killed Nicole Quigley.
I will remember this come June’s election and I hope and pray that everyone else in Humboldt County does, too.
Kenneth Quigley
McKinleyville
A horrendous mistake
Jeanne Bazemore, principle and teacher at North Coast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy, should check her head. Not only is it a total blow to minority ethnic groups and the Jewish community to have her students standing in the open with Nazi uniforms on, but it is also very dangerous and harmful to put her students in that situation.
What if someone came by and assaulted those kids? What sheer unprofessionalism and insensitivity all around on her part.
Jeanne says in the Times-Standard “The community’s reaction to a Nazi uniform in Arcata is comforting and means people are not willing to put up with that kind of behavior.” I agree, it is too bad Jeanne Bazemore doesn’t have the same respect or common sense.
Next time at least cover up the swastikas; such ignorance is harmful for not only minorities in the community but your students. Shame. A simple mistake like that could get one of your students knocked out next time. Do you want that on your conscience?
Signed,
John Hernandez
Arcata
Sneaky surveillance
If you’re concerned about controversial and possibly unlawful practices the Pentagon, CIA and other federal agencies use locally, you’ll also probably be interested in an organization intending to present the problem to Congress, similar to what the Church Committee did during the 1970s.
If, among other things, your business deals consistently fall through for no apparent reason, if relationships become distant or strained for no discernible cause, if you experience unusual appliance or electronic malfunction, or if local police aren’t interested in valid complaints, you may be a victim of organized stalking or electronic harassment, explains Freedom from Covert Harassment and Surveillance’s website.
Assisted by technology’s rapid advances, it’s not difficult these days for federal clandestines, with occasional help from local organized criminals and doublespeaking business owners, to shape public opinion or damage the lives or reputations of grassroots citizens who threaten the vitality of America’s corporate kleptocracy.
Humboldt’s police logs routinely list incidents of persons believed to be delusive, or who say they’ve been stalked. During Gallegos’ D.A. campaign, readers may recall someone broke into his home and adjusted its heater thermostat. Then, there was Arcata’s cannabis dispensary barraged with annoying phone calls. These civil problems aren’t always as mysterious or difficult to solve as they first appear.
If you’ve experienced covert harassment or organized stalking, it’s important to complete the survey and petition soon; FFCHS wants to arrange the Congressional hearing later this year. Visit freedomfchs.com, or phone FFCHS: 1-800-571-5618.
Sincerely,
Bradley Mack
Arcata
Trees vs. business
Regarding Richardson Grove, one question: “how is it that ANY business, large or small, is allowed to determine the fate of a California State Park, land that belongs to everyone in the entire state?”
For those who are interested in this inquiry, “why is a State Park, which is, by definition, held in trust for all the people of the State of California, being altered for the benefit of a small portion of one county’s business population?” there was a public forum on Wednesday, Feb 24 at 7 p.m. at Garberville Vets.
The Humboldt County representative for Economic Development mentioned, at the first public forum (Wednesday, Feb. 17, Bayside), that there are 15 Humboldt County businesses that need the road widened through the Grove so that they can have bigger STAA trucks.
Apparently cutting the trees allows them to cut their business expenses and make more money. That’s nice for the businesses, but what about the rest of the people in the State of California?
Where does it say in our state laws that a State Park, such as Richardson Grove, can be rearranged to suit the business needs of any one particular section of the state? Does this mean that any State Park in California can be rearranged to suit the business needs of any local community?
Think of all the State Parks you know and what it would be like if they are subject to the whims of the personal needs of any portion of the local population.
Richardson Grove is not a County Park. It does not belong only to the people of Humboldt County. It belongs to the whole State… all the people of California, not just those who live in the northern half of the state.
No matter how desperate, local businessmen do not have the right to disturb trees held in public trust, just to better their own, individual profit/loss margins, particularly when their personal gain is the public’s loss.
When these giants die because their roots have been severed in the attempt to widen the road, everyone in the State of California will be the losers.
This wrong-headed “proposed project” is not in the highest good for the greatest numbers. It represents the kind of short-sighted thinking that has, in the past, resulted in impoverishment for all.
Glenda Hesseltine
Eureka
Arcata’s theme song
I enjoy reading Ross Rowley’s “Set Up/Tear Down” columns almost as much as I enjoy his bass playing and singing with the Delta Nationals—and that’s saying a lot.
I’m prompted to write about his article of Feb. 17 because his point about old melodic themes from movies and TV really hit me: I remembered nearly all those old tunes.
I sometimes feel a little sorry for the young people I work with because their musical world is so lacking in melody. Will they be able to hum along with their inner soundtrack and wax nostalgic 40 years from now thinking about the tuneless hip-hop they’re listening to now? I think not.
OK, what does the Arcata soundtrack have for theme music? There are any number of Grateful Dead sets that might work and the Marching Lumberjacks/Crabgrass Band repertoire would be hard to argue against (it’s the sound track of my summer!), but how about Pink Floyd’s “Money”: it rocks (like Arcata), but with an edgy seven beats per measure and it expresses our love/hate relationship with the old skid grease.
I hope other readers will send in more ideas for Mr. Rowley. We might hear them sent up at a Delta National’s show this summer!
In the mean time keep Ross at the keyboard and in the Eye as well as at the fretboard and behind the mic.
Humming along,
Michael Bickford
Arcata
Not-so-lucky CHaRM
After reading “CHaRMed, I’m sure” last week, let me say that I’m not charmed about the downsizing of ACRC.
Yes, after supporting the ACRC for 39 years it’s narrowing down to a very small window of use (I myself have supported ACRC for as many years, as I have never redeemed any CRV money).
Yes, my car oil and reusables will still be accepted there, but for we who live in the county and who have garbage service will not have curbside recycling, yet alone a curb.
We live outside of Blue Lake, where Recycology will surely not pick up recyclables for many years, if ever. The bins that used to be provided at Blue Lake meant less driving of individual cars from outlying areas, instead one truck per week was needed to haul the bins back to the processing plant near Samoa (= less carbon footprint).
After April, we will have to take our recyclables to McKinleyville, Eureka or Trinidad. All of this is less efficient (= greater carbon footprint) for all of us who don’t have curbside service.
I fear many folks will not make that extra effort and resort to roadside dumping, or landfill at best. That’s a real charmer I’m sure.
I’m sure someone has thought this all the way through, they just have failed to let us in on the plan.
Mark Cortright
Arcata
Attention shoppers: Meter Maids, Petty Tyrants & 9%, Oh My!
While my wife was shopping , I was stopped by Arcata Officer Miller who asked me to stop enjoying the Plaza riding my Trikke. I told him that I had visited City Hall and found no law against it. And I mentioned I had recently spent $1,300 at Simply Mac.
So, after more of a hassle he threatened me with a citation. He said he would come up with “something” to cite me for.
It was not a pleasant sunny afternoon with this petty tyrant with obviously a fragile ego.
If there is no law involved here, What is a law-abiding citizen to do?
I would suggest that if we are to have “Law & Order” that the police might be more respected if they didn’t “wing it” as the day goes on.
I have sent a paraphrased version of this “Complaint” to The Arcata Chamber of Commerce, the Eye, the Journal, Simply Mac, the Co-op, Village Real Estate, the Times-Standard, and I talked it up plenty with anyone who had the time.
The question remains. Does Arcata want customers to shop there?
Yours truly:
George Kirkpatrick
Fieldbrook
Note: Article 13, Sec. 300 of the Arcata Municipal Code states: “It shall be unlawful for any person to ride any bicycle upon any sidewalk of the City in a business district. Pedestrians shall have the right of way on City sidewalks.” – Ed.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE
DEATH BY GOVERNMENT : —-This whole government manufactured Swine flu scare reminds me of the same thing the gubment people-controllers tried to pull off decades ago when President Ford was in office. It didn’t fly then and we shouldn’t fall for it now. There are news reports of people suffering serious ill effects from vaccinations, including immediate and permanent hearing loss, and worse, and there is a strong anti-vaccination movement that’s still going on. I think the very term ‘Swine’ flu shows what the government really thinks of the American people. – We have to remember that government basically loves disasters, emergencies, etc, because it always ‘justifies’ the expansion of MORE GOVERNMENT size and power toward a planned police state. I think if history is objectively studied, it shows that most disasters in the 20th and 21st Centurys (war, desease, famine, etc.) are and have been created by government (even some ‘natural’ disasters) toward that end, and we have to quit being victims. We should realize that if government could get a real plague going (and I’m sure they’re working on it) they would certainly do it for the opportunities to declare Marshall Law, and what they really want is FORCED VACCINATIONS, flu shots, etc, to inject the whole population with physical and mind altering drugs for political reasons of population subjugation. — WAKE UP, PEOPLE – and realize that the single greatest cause of death in the 20th Century has been GOVERNMENT everywhere, and if we don’t cut the SIZE of government at all levels, the massive death by government will simply continue until our noble heritage is GONE. – WAKE UP ! – and get organized at : ednemechek@verizon.net or 1-800-JBS-USA-1 for FREE DVD and info. packet or see: (JBS.org).
——–Sincerely,
Ed Nemechek
Landers
Love Humboldt thanks
Thank you to the over 750 lovers of Humboldt who came out for the premiere of Love, Humboldt, 16 short films on Saturday at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. The response was far more than we had hoped for and we are grateful that so many people came out in support. We gave out 300 tickets and took RSVP’s for over 250, for a free event!
Safety concerns and venue capacity limited the numbers of folks we could allow inside. We are so sorry to have been forced to turn away over 200 of you at the door. We are working on a second screening for you…stay tuned!
Thank you to the caterers and producers who gave their best treats for the premiere: Celebrations Catering, Wildberries Marketplace, The Looking Glass, North Coast Cooperative, Cassaro’s Catering, Old Town Coffee & Chocolates, Murphy’s Market & Deli, Loleta Bakery, Bless My Soul, Los Bagels, Henry’s Olives, Six Rivers Brewing, Lost Coast Brewery, Fish Brothers, Cypress Grove Chevre and Eel River Organic Grassfed Beef.
Thanks also to KHUM and FilmHumboldt, the Heirloom Tomatoes of the Locally Delicious cookbook, the Arcata Theatre Lounge, Xtreme Limousine, Humboldt Area Foundation, Hotel Arcata, Sun Valley Floral and the Blue Lake Casino.
You can now see the first film in the series, “the glance,” photos from the premiere, and the winners of the “I Love Humboldt” video contest at HumboldtMade.com and connect with over 1,200 friends of Humboldt Made on Facebook. It’s a way you can personally help the Humboldt economy grow for the good.
Love, Humboldt!
Jacqueline Debets
Economic Development Coordinator
County of Humboldt
Thanks, unknown ladies
On Tuesday, Feb. 23, my daughter hit a telephone pole near McKinleyville There were two ladies driving behind her that called 911.
If either of you read this, THANK YOU so much… BLESS THE BOTH OF YOU…
A Grateful Father…..
Madi Simmons
Arcata
