Trying to stop the railroad. After killing off the Timber Industry, this is job one.
Hank has the story: Another Bite at NCRA
...Earlier today, three Humboldt County environmental organizations — the Friends of the Eel, Humboldt Baykeeper, and the Environmental Protection Information Center — sent the NCRA a letter demanding that the agency reverse its decision to mortgage land in the City of Ukiah to pay off Novato....
Naughty or Nice
and the letter...
Cap has it - and all things railroad related... NCJ: HUMBOLDT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THREATEN TO SUE NCRA ABOUT BROWN ACT AND MORTGAGE OF UKIAH PROPERTY.
He asks So, why is it the Humboldt groups, and not Ukiah, etc doing it?
Damn good question!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Self defense
☛TS Hoopa shooting suspect surrenders himself
Flanked by a family member and his girlfriend, Thomas “T-Bear” Kinder peacefully surrendered himself to authorities Wednesday afternoon for his role in a New Year's Eve shooting in Hoopa that left a man hospitalized.
”Is there a reward for bringing me in? If so, she brought me,” Kinder joked after turning himself in to the Eureka Police Department main station. “She brought me in at finger point.”
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Lt. George Cavinta told the Times-Standard earlier this week that investigators believe Kinder shot a 33-year-old man with a handgun shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
In a phone interview with the Times-Standard just hours before surrendering to authorities, Kinder admitted to shooting the man, but said it was in self-defense.,,,
...Investigators and Kinder agree the New Year's Eve shooting was the result of an altercation that occurred several days earlier.
Cavinta said authorities had been searching for Kinder since the Dec. 28 altercation, when Kinder allegedly struck the man in the head with a flashlight. Kinder said that incident, too, was self-defense.
Kinder said he was walking home on Dec. 28 when he came across a large mud puddle on the side of the road. To avoid the puddle, Kinder said he crossed the lawn of a roadside home. The alleged victim then came out of the residence and he and Kinder exchanged words, Kinder said.
At that point, Kinder said the alleged victim and his brother, who was carrying a large knife, attacked him.
”I would have knuckled up if it had just been me and (the alleged victim), but his brother came out with a big knife,” Kinder said, adding that he used the flashlight he was carrying as a weapon, striking both men in the head, leaving them unconscious. “I did what I had to do to defend myself.”
Kinder was wanted by Hoopa Tribal Police after the incident, but didn't turn himself in, saying he hoped if he laid low the situation would blow over.
”Things just disappear out here,” he said. “I didn't want to go turning myself in to the tribal police because I didn't trust them.”
Kinder said his girlfriend, Erin Chenault, and a friend were then driving in his car on the afternoon of Dec. 31, when they were stopped by the alleged victim. Kinder said the man kicked his girlfriend in the stomach and tried to kick in the car window before saying he had a gun and was looking to kill Kinder.
When word of the incident got back to Kinder, he said he was worried for his safety and immediately looked to get out of the area.
”When he told my girl that he had a gun and was looking to kill me, that's when I went and dusted off my piece and put it on my hip,” Kinder said. “That's why I had the gun that night.”
Kinder said he asked a friend to give him a ride out of town, but the friend instead dropped him off not far from the alleged victim's house, refusing to take him any farther. Immediately feeling uneasy, Kinder said he then called his girlfriend to come pick him up.
A short time later, while walking along the road, Kinder said he heard a car pull up and thought it was his girlfriend before recognizing the car as the alleged victim's.
”He stopped at Marshall Road on the way to his house,” Kinder said. “He just slammed his car to a halt in the street and said, 'This is it, we're going to settle this right here and now -- it's over, Kinder.'”
Kinder said he started taking off his jacket, preparing for a fist fight, but claimed he noticed the alleged victim raising a revolver at him as he exited his car.
”The only reason I pulled a gun is because I saw him coming at me with his,” Kinder said. “I was ready to knuckle up. I don't go waving guns around. The only time I pull it is if the trigger is going to be pulled right behind it.”
Kinder said he fired a single shot into the man's abdomen before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement and media reports, Kinder said, have the story all wrong.
”Because (he) is not right in the head, I got stuck with making a decision I didn't want to make,” Kinder said, adding that he felt the situation was certain to have ended with either him or the other man shot. “I didn't want to get shot in the back running away. Now, I'm made out to be some kind of animal, but it didn't have to be that way. ...It was either him or me, what was I supposed to do?”...
Sounds plausible.
Update:
☛TS DA to consider charges for Kinder
☛TS Release denied for Kinder
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
DA News
◼ Convicted rapist sentenced to eight year
Richard Jesus Valentine, a 28-year-old man found guilty of rape in December, was sentenced in Humboldt County Superior Court Tuesday to more than eight years in prison.
For the charge of rape by use of an intoxicant, Valentine was sentenced to a total of eight years -- the maximum sentence for the offense. He was also given an additional eight months for possession of heroin. Public defender Jonathan McCrone, Deputy District Attorney Arnold Klein
◼ Man convicted in pipe attack gets seven years
A Blue Lake man convicted of attempted murder for striking his girlfriend in the head with a pipe, suddenly and apparently without reason, was sentenced Tuesday.
After accepting a plea agreement in late November, Thomas Wallace, 45, was sentenced to seven years in prison and to pay more than $16,000 to his former girlfriend, the victim in the case.... Wallace's attorney, Marek Reavis, Deputy District Attorney Randy Mailman
Richard Jesus Valentine, a 28-year-old man found guilty of rape in December, was sentenced in Humboldt County Superior Court Tuesday to more than eight years in prison.
For the charge of rape by use of an intoxicant, Valentine was sentenced to a total of eight years -- the maximum sentence for the offense. He was also given an additional eight months for possession of heroin. Public defender Jonathan McCrone, Deputy District Attorney Arnold Klein
◼ Man convicted in pipe attack gets seven years
A Blue Lake man convicted of attempted murder for striking his girlfriend in the head with a pipe, suddenly and apparently without reason, was sentenced Tuesday.
After accepting a plea agreement in late November, Thomas Wallace, 45, was sentenced to seven years in prison and to pay more than $16,000 to his former girlfriend, the victim in the case.... Wallace's attorney, Marek Reavis, Deputy District Attorney Randy Mailman
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
What? You thought there would be a bloody coup?
☛TS Leadership transition quick, smooth
The way the articles and blog posts are going, you'd think we never had new Supervisors take office.
The way the articles and blog posts are going, you'd think we never had new Supervisors take office.
For the Warmistas
You might as well turn up your thermostat and buy the car - and all the regular lightbulbs you want...
Five Ways the World Can End
(B)efore we get into detail, let's dismiss two things that won't cause the demise of the planet.
Global warming is bad for people who live in low-lying coastal areas and at the edges of deserts, but the truth is that Earth been much warmer throughout most of the past 500 million years, and life did just fine.
On the other side of things, a new ice age would end most human habitation of Canada, northern Europe, the northern U.S. and Russia, but the tropics would stay about the same — and there'd be a lot more land to go around in south Florida as sea levels dropped.
But at any given time, four of the five following scenarios really could cause the end of life on Earth — and the fifth almost certainly will.
Massive asteroid impact
Massive volcanic eruptions
Nuclear war
Black hole
The expanding sun
I'll take Global Warming any day.
Five Ways the World Can End
(B)efore we get into detail, let's dismiss two things that won't cause the demise of the planet.
Global warming is bad for people who live in low-lying coastal areas and at the edges of deserts, but the truth is that Earth been much warmer throughout most of the past 500 million years, and life did just fine.
On the other side of things, a new ice age would end most human habitation of Canada, northern Europe, the northern U.S. and Russia, but the tropics would stay about the same — and there'd be a lot more land to go around in south Florida as sea levels dropped.
But at any given time, four of the five following scenarios really could cause the end of life on Earth — and the fifth almost certainly will.
Massive asteroid impact
Massive volcanic eruptions
Nuclear war
Black hole
The expanding sun
I'll take Global Warming any day.
Anybody see T-Bear? w/update
☛TS Hoopa man shot on New Year's Eve
Authorities are searching for a man who is believed to have shot a 33-year-old man in Hoopa on New Year's Eve.
The suspect, 29-year-old Thomas “T-Bear” Kinder, is wanted by law enforcement for allegedly shooting the 33-year-old. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has so far declined to name the victim.
He's a Teddy Bear?
UPDATE: ☛TS Hoopa shooting suspect surrenders himself
Flanked by a family member and his girlfriend, Thomas “T-Bear” Kinder peacefully surrendered himself to authorities Wednesday afternoon for his role in a New Year's Eve shooting in Hoopa that left a man hospitalized.
”Is there a reward for bringing me in? If so, she brought me,” Kinder joked after turning himself in to the Eureka Police Department main station. “She brought me in at finger point.”
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Lt. George Cavinta told the Times-Standard earlier this week that investigators believe Kinder shot a 33-year-old man with a handgun shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
In a phone interview with the Times-Standard just hours before surrendering to authorities, Kinder admitted to shooting the man, but said it was in self-defense.,,,
...Investigators and Kinder agree the New Year's Eve shooting was the result of an altercation that occurred several days earlier.
Cavinta said authorities had been searching for Kinder since the Dec. 28 altercation, when Kinder allegedly struck the man in the head with a flashlight. Kinder said that incident, too, was self-defense.
Kinder said he was walking home on Dec. 28 when he came across a large mud puddle on the side of the road. To avoid the puddle, Kinder said he crossed the lawn of a roadside home. The alleged victim then came out of the residence and he and Kinder exchanged words, Kinder said.
At that point, Kinder said the alleged victim and his brother, who was carrying a large knife, attacked him.
”I would have knuckled up if it had just been me and (the alleged victim), but his brother came out with a big knife,” Kinder said, adding that he used the flashlight he was carrying as a weapon, striking both men in the head, leaving them unconscious. “I did what I had to do to defend myself.”
Kinder was wanted by Hoopa Tribal Police after the incident, but didn't turn himself in, saying he hoped if he laid low the situation would blow over.
”Things just disappear out here,” he said. “I didn't want to go turning myself in to the tribal police because I didn't trust them.”
Kinder said his girlfriend, Erin Chenault, and a friend were then driving in his car on the afternoon of Dec. 31, when they were stopped by the alleged victim. Kinder said the man kicked his girlfriend in the stomach and tried to kick in the car window before saying he had a gun and was looking to kill Kinder.
When word of the incident got back to Kinder, he said he was worried for his safety and immediately looked to get out of the area.
”When he told my girl that he had a gun and was looking to kill me, that's when I went and dusted off my piece and put it on my hip,” Kinder said. “That's why I had the gun that night.”
Kinder said he asked a friend to give him a ride out of town, but the friend instead dropped him off not far from the alleged victim's house, refusing to take him any farther. Immediately feeling uneasy, Kinder said he then called his girlfriend to come pick him up.
A short time later, while walking along the road, Kinder said he heard a car pull up and thought it was his girlfriend before recognizing the car as the alleged victim's.
”He stopped at Marshall Road on the way to his house,” Kinder said. “He just slammed his car to a halt in the street and said, 'This is it, we're going to settle this right here and now -- it's over, Kinder.'”
Kinder said he started taking off his jacket, preparing for a fist fight, but claimed he noticed the alleged victim raising a revolver at him as he exited his car.
”The only reason I pulled a gun is because I saw him coming at me with his,” Kinder said. “I was ready to knuckle up. I don't go waving guns around. The only time I pull it is if the trigger is going to be pulled right behind it.”
Kinder said he fired a single shot into the man's abdomen before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement and media reports, Kinder said, have the story all wrong.
”Because (he) is not right in the head, I got stuck with making a decision I didn't want to make,” Kinder said, adding that he felt the situation was certain to have ended with either him or the other man shot. “I didn't want to get shot in the back running away. Now, I'm made out to be some kind of animal, but it didn't have to be that way. ...It was either him or me, what was I supposed to do?”...
Authorities are searching for a man who is believed to have shot a 33-year-old man in Hoopa on New Year's Eve.
The suspect, 29-year-old Thomas “T-Bear” Kinder, is wanted by law enforcement for allegedly shooting the 33-year-old. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has so far declined to name the victim.
He's a Teddy Bear?
UPDATE: ☛TS Hoopa shooting suspect surrenders himself
Flanked by a family member and his girlfriend, Thomas “T-Bear” Kinder peacefully surrendered himself to authorities Wednesday afternoon for his role in a New Year's Eve shooting in Hoopa that left a man hospitalized.
”Is there a reward for bringing me in? If so, she brought me,” Kinder joked after turning himself in to the Eureka Police Department main station. “She brought me in at finger point.”
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Lt. George Cavinta told the Times-Standard earlier this week that investigators believe Kinder shot a 33-year-old man with a handgun shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
In a phone interview with the Times-Standard just hours before surrendering to authorities, Kinder admitted to shooting the man, but said it was in self-defense.,,,
...Investigators and Kinder agree the New Year's Eve shooting was the result of an altercation that occurred several days earlier.
Cavinta said authorities had been searching for Kinder since the Dec. 28 altercation, when Kinder allegedly struck the man in the head with a flashlight. Kinder said that incident, too, was self-defense.
Kinder said he was walking home on Dec. 28 when he came across a large mud puddle on the side of the road. To avoid the puddle, Kinder said he crossed the lawn of a roadside home. The alleged victim then came out of the residence and he and Kinder exchanged words, Kinder said.
At that point, Kinder said the alleged victim and his brother, who was carrying a large knife, attacked him.
”I would have knuckled up if it had just been me and (the alleged victim), but his brother came out with a big knife,” Kinder said, adding that he used the flashlight he was carrying as a weapon, striking both men in the head, leaving them unconscious. “I did what I had to do to defend myself.”
Kinder was wanted by Hoopa Tribal Police after the incident, but didn't turn himself in, saying he hoped if he laid low the situation would blow over.
”Things just disappear out here,” he said. “I didn't want to go turning myself in to the tribal police because I didn't trust them.”
Kinder said his girlfriend, Erin Chenault, and a friend were then driving in his car on the afternoon of Dec. 31, when they were stopped by the alleged victim. Kinder said the man kicked his girlfriend in the stomach and tried to kick in the car window before saying he had a gun and was looking to kill Kinder.
When word of the incident got back to Kinder, he said he was worried for his safety and immediately looked to get out of the area.
”When he told my girl that he had a gun and was looking to kill me, that's when I went and dusted off my piece and put it on my hip,” Kinder said. “That's why I had the gun that night.”
Kinder said he asked a friend to give him a ride out of town, but the friend instead dropped him off not far from the alleged victim's house, refusing to take him any farther. Immediately feeling uneasy, Kinder said he then called his girlfriend to come pick him up.
A short time later, while walking along the road, Kinder said he heard a car pull up and thought it was his girlfriend before recognizing the car as the alleged victim's.
”He stopped at Marshall Road on the way to his house,” Kinder said. “He just slammed his car to a halt in the street and said, 'This is it, we're going to settle this right here and now -- it's over, Kinder.'”
Kinder said he started taking off his jacket, preparing for a fist fight, but claimed he noticed the alleged victim raising a revolver at him as he exited his car.
”The only reason I pulled a gun is because I saw him coming at me with his,” Kinder said. “I was ready to knuckle up. I don't go waving guns around. The only time I pull it is if the trigger is going to be pulled right behind it.”
Kinder said he fired a single shot into the man's abdomen before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement and media reports, Kinder said, have the story all wrong.
”Because (he) is not right in the head, I got stuck with making a decision I didn't want to make,” Kinder said, adding that he felt the situation was certain to have ended with either him or the other man shot. “I didn't want to get shot in the back running away. Now, I'm made out to be some kind of animal, but it didn't have to be that way. ...It was either him or me, what was I supposed to do?”...
Monday, January 05, 2009
Item 12 What's this?
Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's Meeting
District Attorney
12. Donation of District Attorney Department Vehicle to the County Motor Pool for Capitalization, Maintenance, and Insurance.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the donation of one District Attorney's Investigate Unit 2008 Vehicle (No. 04546) to the County Motor Pool for capitalization, maintenance, and insurance.
The County Office of the District Attorney Investigative Unit requested the purchase of one vehicle to meet the needs of the Unit's mandates under the newly established Worker's Compensation Fraud Unit. Purchase of this vehicle was included in an approved Supplemental Budget request dated September 23, 2008.
For the purpose of capitalization and maintenance, the office of the District Attorney would like to donate this vehicle to the County Motor Pool. this will also include the insurance for this vehicle.
Financial Impact:
Expenditure Appropriation for County Motor Pool costs are included in approved fiscal year 2008-09 Budget for the District Attorney Program budget unit 1100-205. there is no anticipated County General Fund impact.
No impact.
Back in September - item 11
District Attorney
11. Allocate one Full-Time Investigator (District Attorney) Fund 1100, Budget Unit 205, District Attorney, Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the allocation of one full-time investigator (District Attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205 effective immediately; Adopt the attached supplemental to provide funding for the position.
What is that? Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant? Why, it appears to be another vertical prosecution grant - a full -time one at that. One full-time investigator (District attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205) ($4,022 a month at A step, $48, 264 per year.) Funding for this position will be met through the Worker's Compensation Insurance Fund Grants...
The grant request was for $264,499 for July 1/08-June 30/09 - It's more of Gallegos realizing the need to investigate fraudulent business practices - wasn't that Tim Stoen's job that he never did?
So - who is the FULL TIME (Vertical) Prosecutor for Worker's Compensation Fraud? Who is working exclusively on Worker's Compensation Fraud cases?
Who is the Vertical Child Abuse Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on Child Abuse cases? It's not Jeff Schwartz anymore is it.
Who is the Vertical Domestic Violence Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on DV cases?
'Cause if you are taking grant money saying you are using for the required vertical prosecutor, and you don't have one, it will have an impact on the General Fund, because "Fraud is not a victimless crime." But it won't be Gallegos who will have to pay.
Back in May - "Our program investigator will be actively involved in local civil organizations and business meetings (Rotary Club, professional organizations, CDIA, main Street Groups) to discuss trends in fraud and disseminate information.....
I can't believe he got the grant with the sketchy details on there. "Describe the county's efforts and the District Attorney's plan to obtain restitution and fines imposed by the court to the Worker's Compensation Fraud Account as the legislative intent specifies.
Answer. None. - FY2007-08
And bought a vehicle with the money. $22,500 for a 2008 Vehicle - Equipped with Law Enforcement radio: $30,000 @ 75% of vehicle costs=$22,500)
District Attorney
12. Donation of District Attorney Department Vehicle to the County Motor Pool for Capitalization, Maintenance, and Insurance.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the donation of one District Attorney's Investigate Unit 2008 Vehicle (No. 04546) to the County Motor Pool for capitalization, maintenance, and insurance.
The County Office of the District Attorney Investigative Unit requested the purchase of one vehicle to meet the needs of the Unit's mandates under the newly established Worker's Compensation Fraud Unit. Purchase of this vehicle was included in an approved Supplemental Budget request dated September 23, 2008.
For the purpose of capitalization and maintenance, the office of the District Attorney would like to donate this vehicle to the County Motor Pool. this will also include the insurance for this vehicle.
Financial Impact:
Expenditure Appropriation for County Motor Pool costs are included in approved fiscal year 2008-09 Budget for the District Attorney Program budget unit 1100-205. there is no anticipated County General Fund impact.
No impact.
Back in September - item 11
District Attorney
11. Allocate one Full-Time Investigator (District Attorney) Fund 1100, Budget Unit 205, District Attorney, Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the allocation of one full-time investigator (District Attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205 effective immediately; Adopt the attached supplemental to provide funding for the position.
What is that? Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant? Why, it appears to be another vertical prosecution grant - a full -time one at that. One full-time investigator (District attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205) ($4,022 a month at A step, $48, 264 per year.) Funding for this position will be met through the Worker's Compensation Insurance Fund Grants...
The grant request was for $264,499 for July 1/08-June 30/09 - It's more of Gallegos realizing the need to investigate fraudulent business practices - wasn't that Tim Stoen's job that he never did?
So - who is the FULL TIME (Vertical) Prosecutor for Worker's Compensation Fraud? Who is working exclusively on Worker's Compensation Fraud cases?
Who is the Vertical Child Abuse Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on Child Abuse cases? It's not Jeff Schwartz anymore is it.
Who is the Vertical Domestic Violence Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on DV cases?
'Cause if you are taking grant money saying you are using for the required vertical prosecutor, and you don't have one, it will have an impact on the General Fund, because "Fraud is not a victimless crime." But it won't be Gallegos who will have to pay.
Back in May - "Our program investigator will be actively involved in local civil organizations and business meetings (Rotary Club, professional organizations, CDIA, main Street Groups) to discuss trends in fraud and disseminate information.....
I can't believe he got the grant with the sketchy details on there. "Describe the county's efforts and the District Attorney's plan to obtain restitution and fines imposed by the court to the Worker's Compensation Fraud Account as the legislative intent specifies.
Answer. None. - FY2007-08
And bought a vehicle with the money. $22,500 for a 2008 Vehicle - Equipped with Law Enforcement radio: $30,000 @ 75% of vehicle costs=$22,500)
On the surface
it appears reasonable, presented as a coup and a win.
☛TS Hash receives 11 years in prison (Well, 5 1/2, if that)
Wes Keat speaks where the District Attorney should be speaking, a sign that something is wrong. If this was a win, Gallegos would have been all over it.
Manslaughter. Not murder. Because he was sorry in the instant after it happened.
So now, Hash was granted 45 days credit for time served. By California statute, Hash will be eligible for parole 51/2 years after his sentence begins.
And though The crime of voluntary manslaughter carries statute of limitations of six years, meaning the statute of limitations expired 13 years ago. Nevertheless, Hash was able to plead to the felony as part of the agreement.
It's another deal, and this time, though Gallegos can claim the family signed off on the deal, it is apparent that they are not happy about it.
That's the article. But there's more in the comments. And though I am no fan of the comments section of any local publications, I have to say, the story that unfolds there is a must read. Family members and friends weigh in. Better read 'em before they get pulled down.
CJ Saint Claire - "In the instant afterward, he was sorry it happened..." so Mr Hash casually cruises through the expiration of the statue of limitations, and after 18 years of anguish, mom says "time served is OK" - I cannot imagine the pain and, quite possibly, the liberation of from such awful torment.
...and for Hash - Here is a case where just being sorry just is not good enough, you just got handed a pass on this one.
Someone needs to take this incident to the star chamber.
Case closed, finally. Sadly. Welcome home Curtis."
***
whodem dat slewdem - "11 years is a very short sentence considering that at most he will do 80% of that time and could do as little as five years. eligible for parole in 5.5 years really means eligible in 3 years. I am sure that the family is more concerned with closure than this mans sentence and they are relieved that they found the remains. Hash got a pass."
***
Blue Lake Cousin - Mr. Gallegos; you and your staff should be ashamed of yourselves and your pathetic attempts to bring justice for Curtis. Steve Hash is a child molestor and murderer; he tormented my family for years with the knowledge of what he did to Curtis, and you want us to believe that he was sorry for his actions and that this was a "classic case of manslaughter?" Since you've already thrown Curtis under the bus, what about the other children of Humboldt County that came into contact with Steve Hash and his sick cronies! I hope this isn't the end of the investigation; you owe it to the people of this county to carry this investigation forward and make sure that other children get the justice that they deserve. If this case is allowed to drop, the people of this county need to vote you out of office; you are a failure to the people of this county and the justice system that is supposed to protect us."
***
Cherri - would like to know if the people of Humboldt County are satisfied with their justice system. Please correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it....in Humboldt County you can molest a child of 14, you can murder this child and bury his body in the woods somewhere. The trick is to keep somewhat quiet about if for just long enough. Then after say 19 years of being free to do what you want, raise your own son maybe, make sure he can take over your possession and your affairs are in order, you can decide to confess on your own terms. You then get a speedy court date, and nice slap on the hand of an 11 year sentence, where you know you'll probably be home in a little over five years. Am I right about all this? Can a criminal living in Humboldt County do these things and get away with it? Tell me I am wrong. Tell me there is a justice system in place that would never allow such horrible disgusting crimes against our children to go unpunished. If you take a life, is it really swept under the rug if you keep quiet long enough? My name is Cherri Hairston and Curtis Anthony Huntzinger was my brother. Steve Hash molested him. Steve Hash is a child molester! Steve has picked up a dumbell and hit my brother so hard in the head that it killed him. I hope my brother didn't suffer long. I hope he died long before Steve begun to cover up his crime by burying him in the woods. Then Steve Hash kept somewhat quiet for 19 years. For 19 years he knew what he had done and where my brother was. He lived his life. He saw his own son grow up and he did nothing to ease my family's pain.I expect the D.A. is pretty happy with himself for closing a 19 year old case. But this is not justice. This is not justice. The crime of murder and child molestation was commited and the man who confessed to it may walk the streets of Humboldt County as soon as 2014. Is this what passes for justice in Humboldt County? I wonder if we would have taken justice into our own hands back in 1990 what justice would have been? If it would have meant that we would be walking free after so little years, less than the 19 my family spent being tortured, I would have surely done it. We tell ourselves not to take justice into our own hands, that the truth would come forth someday and Steve would pay. I think we were wrong. Steve got away with molesting, murdering and burying my brother. He dropped a brick in the water that is our family and we are still in its wake. He got away with 19 years of torturing all who loved Curtis. He got away with it all."
***
blue lake mom - "cherri you have been through to much. Your mother will have good reason for great joy, I believed chuck pierce when he said that God would have justice for her. I hope that steve hash's fate, finially frees you and your mother of the scares he has caused.
P.S
Mr.Paul Gallagoes, I think the motherly vote in Blue Lake just went south on you. TY. I hope every mother in Humboldt county remembers Curtis and his mother nancy and his sister cherri Huntzinger on election day..."
***
anonymous - "I know of someone who had "I support Gallegos" signs all over his yard. He's a convicted felon and not even allowed to vote in the first place.
Why do you think he wanted Gallegos in office? Again.
He's a felon, not in jail, and runs around this community making people think he is an upstanding great, and trustworthy guy.
Look very carefully into who you do business with.
If they are licensed in any way, you can get that information online or by calling the department they are licensed to do business through.
There are creeps on every corner who laugh at having "beat" the system and know exactly how to go about it."
***
really now - "I voted for Gallegos so correct me if I'm wrong,please: Gallegos assured us he'd protect community and families. He'd go after hard drugs and violence. This was the reasoning to go easy on small marijuana cases. The gate was opened for hundreds to move here and cultivate with NO threat of prosecution. Then the large growers were allowed to slide. Then the really large commercial growers were given passes. Now the child molesters and child murderers are able to plea out? AND the DA's office speaks like it's a victory? I'm outraged and would like to hear a reasonable explanation from Paul himself. This WILL be an election issue. This plea is an insult to our county and a disgrace to past Gallegos supporters."
***
There's more. And your heart goes out to this family who has suffered the worst imaginable horror, with years of pain, that even with closure will not heal.
In and of itself, it might be fine, on the surface. But add to that the bizarre plea deal with Kesser and others that are documented on this blog. The schizophrenic nature of Gallegos' prosecutions go on. And he should have the courage to stand up and act, as a DA should, as the spokesperson for the office, even when it is not comfortable. Stop sending Keat to do the dirty work.
It's worth noting - and it is noted in those comments - "I imagine there was a plea deal in exchange for locating the body. It's a hefty price, but it needed to be done. Although everybody knows Gallegos is weak! Look at Siskiyou County they are gonna fry people for the same exact thing." That would be ☛TS the Cook case.
☛TS Hash receives 11 years in prison (Well, 5 1/2, if that)
Steven Daniel Hash pleaded guilty on Friday to manslaughter in the death of Curtis Huntzinger, a 14-year-old Blue Lake boy killed in 1990.
As members of Huntzinger's family watched, Assistant District Attorney Wes Keat read the terms of the plea agreement, which stipulated Hash will serve 11 years in prison, and pay a total of more than $9,000 in restitution fines.
Following the reading, Hash wiped tears from his eyes and spoke directly to Nancy Huntzinger, Curtis' mother.
”I'm so terribly sorry,” he said. “For years, I've asked God, 'How come I'm walking around in the free world?'
”I know what I've done. I took everything Curtis had ... I took it all and it's real hard to deal with that. I've been dealing with that for years.”
Hash then thanked District Attorney Chief Investigator Mike Hislop and investigator Wayne Cox for their “thorough and competent investigation.”
Hash was granted 45 days credit for time served. By California statute, Hash will be eligible for parole 51/2 years after his sentence begins....
Wes Keat speaks where the District Attorney should be speaking, a sign that something is wrong. If this was a win, Gallegos would have been all over it.
According to Keat, after his arrest, Hash was willing to fully cooperate with investigators, and had explained to them all the events that led up to the killing. Based on his admission, and the available evidence, the charge of manslaughter was appropriate given the circumstances of the killing, Keat said.
In May of 1990, during a sudden quarrel at Hash's home, Hash struck Curtis Huntzinger in the head with a dumbbell, killing him, Keat said.
”In the instant afterward, he was sorry it happened,” Keat said. “It was classic manslaughter.”
Manslaughter. Not murder. Because he was sorry in the instant after it happened.
So now, Hash was granted 45 days credit for time served. By California statute, Hash will be eligible for parole 51/2 years after his sentence begins.
And though The crime of voluntary manslaughter carries statute of limitations of six years, meaning the statute of limitations expired 13 years ago. Nevertheless, Hash was able to plead to the felony as part of the agreement.
It's another deal, and this time, though Gallegos can claim the family signed off on the deal, it is apparent that they are not happy about it.
During the Friday hearing, Nancy Huntzinger also gave a brief statement thanking Hash for leading investigators to her son's grave.
After Hash had left the courtroom to be returned to his cell, Nancy Huntzinger said she was ambivalent about Hash's agreement, and was simply happy to have her son's body returned to her.
”I told (DA investigators) when we got Curtis back, he (Hash) could get time served,” Nancy Huntzinger said.
Since Curtis Huntzinger's body was found in a shallow grave under a stand of young redwoods, between Blue Lake and Korbel, officials have used the word “closure” to describe the conclusion of the 18-year long search for his body.
But for some members of the Huntzinger family -- the other victims involved in the killing -- the word is hardly descriptive.
”Closure? I mean, that's like it's the end,” Nancy Huntzinger said. “It will never be the end. I will never forget Curtis. I will remember him as long as I can breathe his name.”
That's the article. But there's more in the comments. And though I am no fan of the comments section of any local publications, I have to say, the story that unfolds there is a must read. Family members and friends weigh in. Better read 'em before they get pulled down.
CJ Saint Claire - "In the instant afterward, he was sorry it happened..." so Mr Hash casually cruises through the expiration of the statue of limitations, and after 18 years of anguish, mom says "time served is OK" - I cannot imagine the pain and, quite possibly, the liberation of from such awful torment.
...and for Hash - Here is a case where just being sorry just is not good enough, you just got handed a pass on this one.
Someone needs to take this incident to the star chamber.
Case closed, finally. Sadly. Welcome home Curtis."
***
whodem dat slewdem - "11 years is a very short sentence considering that at most he will do 80% of that time and could do as little as five years. eligible for parole in 5.5 years really means eligible in 3 years. I am sure that the family is more concerned with closure than this mans sentence and they are relieved that they found the remains. Hash got a pass."
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Blue Lake Cousin - Mr. Gallegos; you and your staff should be ashamed of yourselves and your pathetic attempts to bring justice for Curtis. Steve Hash is a child molestor and murderer; he tormented my family for years with the knowledge of what he did to Curtis, and you want us to believe that he was sorry for his actions and that this was a "classic case of manslaughter?" Since you've already thrown Curtis under the bus, what about the other children of Humboldt County that came into contact with Steve Hash and his sick cronies! I hope this isn't the end of the investigation; you owe it to the people of this county to carry this investigation forward and make sure that other children get the justice that they deserve. If this case is allowed to drop, the people of this county need to vote you out of office; you are a failure to the people of this county and the justice system that is supposed to protect us."
***
Cherri - would like to know if the people of Humboldt County are satisfied with their justice system. Please correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it....in Humboldt County you can molest a child of 14, you can murder this child and bury his body in the woods somewhere. The trick is to keep somewhat quiet about if for just long enough. Then after say 19 years of being free to do what you want, raise your own son maybe, make sure he can take over your possession and your affairs are in order, you can decide to confess on your own terms. You then get a speedy court date, and nice slap on the hand of an 11 year sentence, where you know you'll probably be home in a little over five years. Am I right about all this? Can a criminal living in Humboldt County do these things and get away with it? Tell me I am wrong. Tell me there is a justice system in place that would never allow such horrible disgusting crimes against our children to go unpunished. If you take a life, is it really swept under the rug if you keep quiet long enough? My name is Cherri Hairston and Curtis Anthony Huntzinger was my brother. Steve Hash molested him. Steve Hash is a child molester! Steve has picked up a dumbell and hit my brother so hard in the head that it killed him. I hope my brother didn't suffer long. I hope he died long before Steve begun to cover up his crime by burying him in the woods. Then Steve Hash kept somewhat quiet for 19 years. For 19 years he knew what he had done and where my brother was. He lived his life. He saw his own son grow up and he did nothing to ease my family's pain.I expect the D.A. is pretty happy with himself for closing a 19 year old case. But this is not justice. This is not justice. The crime of murder and child molestation was commited and the man who confessed to it may walk the streets of Humboldt County as soon as 2014. Is this what passes for justice in Humboldt County? I wonder if we would have taken justice into our own hands back in 1990 what justice would have been? If it would have meant that we would be walking free after so little years, less than the 19 my family spent being tortured, I would have surely done it. We tell ourselves not to take justice into our own hands, that the truth would come forth someday and Steve would pay. I think we were wrong. Steve got away with molesting, murdering and burying my brother. He dropped a brick in the water that is our family and we are still in its wake. He got away with 19 years of torturing all who loved Curtis. He got away with it all."
***
blue lake mom - "cherri you have been through to much. Your mother will have good reason for great joy, I believed chuck pierce when he said that God would have justice for her. I hope that steve hash's fate, finially frees you and your mother of the scares he has caused.
P.S
Mr.Paul Gallagoes, I think the motherly vote in Blue Lake just went south on you. TY. I hope every mother in Humboldt county remembers Curtis and his mother nancy and his sister cherri Huntzinger on election day..."
***
anonymous - "I know of someone who had "I support Gallegos" signs all over his yard. He's a convicted felon and not even allowed to vote in the first place.
Why do you think he wanted Gallegos in office? Again.
He's a felon, not in jail, and runs around this community making people think he is an upstanding great, and trustworthy guy.
Look very carefully into who you do business with.
If they are licensed in any way, you can get that information online or by calling the department they are licensed to do business through.
There are creeps on every corner who laugh at having "beat" the system and know exactly how to go about it."
***
really now - "I voted for Gallegos so correct me if I'm wrong,please: Gallegos assured us he'd protect community and families. He'd go after hard drugs and violence. This was the reasoning to go easy on small marijuana cases. The gate was opened for hundreds to move here and cultivate with NO threat of prosecution. Then the large growers were allowed to slide. Then the really large commercial growers were given passes. Now the child molesters and child murderers are able to plea out? AND the DA's office speaks like it's a victory? I'm outraged and would like to hear a reasonable explanation from Paul himself. This WILL be an election issue. This plea is an insult to our county and a disgrace to past Gallegos supporters."
***
There's more. And your heart goes out to this family who has suffered the worst imaginable horror, with years of pain, that even with closure will not heal.
In and of itself, it might be fine, on the surface. But add to that the bizarre plea deal with Kesser and others that are documented on this blog. The schizophrenic nature of Gallegos' prosecutions go on. And he should have the courage to stand up and act, as a DA should, as the spokesperson for the office, even when it is not comfortable. Stop sending Keat to do the dirty work.
It's worth noting - and it is noted in those comments - "I imagine there was a plea deal in exchange for locating the body. It's a hefty price, but it needed to be done. Although everybody knows Gallegos is weak! Look at Siskiyou County they are gonna fry people for the same exact thing." That would be ☛TS the Cook case.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Changing of the guard
☛TS After 26 years on the bench, Judge J. Michael Brown retires
...Some civil attorneys made disqualifying Judge Brown their first order of business when dealing with any case, a simple yet affective way to avoid dealing with Brown's demands of expedience and preparedness.
”Some people didn't appreciate that,” Gallegos said of Brown's demanding judicial style. “But, what I will tell you is you knew the rules in Judge Brown's courtroom. If you weren't prepared to deal with the rules, fair enough, you could file a disqualification and try to stay away from Judge Brown. But, the truth was, he was fair.”
Brisso also said he never flinched in standing up for Brown's fairness.
When representing an insurance company some time back, Brisso said the question arose as to whether to waive a jury trial and let Brown decide the matter from the bench. Because some judges have a tendency to rule for the plaintiffs in such cases, Brisso said his client was concerned about leaving the matter to Brown.
”I just laughed and said, 'I've got so much confidence in Judge Brown's fairness that if his mother was on the other side, I'd still waive a jury trial and let Judge Brown decide it,'” Brisso recalled....
He'll be missed.
☛TS Hinrichs sworn in as Humboldt County's 28th judge
Is Restoration Hardware a local business - anymore?
Yes, it once was. But is it now? ☛TS Local vigilance needed to preserve business ☛TS Eureka Restoration Hardware to shut its doors
As the TS notes Restoration Hardware was established in 1980, when Eureka resident and founder Stephen Gordon was restoring his Queen Anne Victorian house. Days spent tracking down missing bits and pieces of authentic period hardware, lighting fixtures and finishes led Gordon to realize there was a market for such items.
But someone in the comments points out that Restoration hardware is far from local these days...In 2007, Restoration Hardware Inc., the Corte Madera home-furnishings chain, agreed to sell itself to a private-equity firm for $267 million.
Restoration Hardware had been struggling in the aftermath of the housing slump. In 2006, it earned $3 million on revenue of $713 million; in 2005 it lost $29 million on $582 million in revenue. After this move, Sears got in on the sale and attempted to buy Restoration but that fell thru to and the company was sold to private equity firms Catterton Partners and Tower Three Partners LLC who now have a controlling interest in the company. Gary Friedman, chairman and CEO, also has an equity interest from this sale. Friedman was the former president of Williams-Sonoma.
The stock price for Restoration Hardware has slid continuously since 2006, when it was trading above $9 per share. In 2007 it hovered below $3 per share. Then in June of 2008, Restoration Hardware, Inc. announced that the acquisition of the Company by a group of investors including Catterton Partners and Gary Friedman, the Company's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, had been completed. The terms of the merger agreement, which was approved by shareholders in June of 2008, all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Restoration Hardware, other than those exchanged by certain shareholders participating with Catterton Partners in the transaction, received $4.50 per share in cash. After the purchase, the new owners announced that they would be closing 2 of its 100 stores in the United States and would open up a new store in Canada.
Guess of all the stores to close, the little one where it all started landed on the chopping block because it wasn't profitable to keep in open to cater to such a small group of folks in Humboldt.
Others say the Eureka store was profitable. Is it just that we are too far off the beaten track?
And how do you go about protecting local business? There's a faction that believes they have to keep out "Big Boxes' in order to do so, but, once again, the Big Box did not close this store, and it could be argued that Resto IS now in Big Box territory as a big chain itself.
There's been an ongoing discussion
As the TS notes Restoration Hardware was established in 1980, when Eureka resident and founder Stephen Gordon was restoring his Queen Anne Victorian house. Days spent tracking down missing bits and pieces of authentic period hardware, lighting fixtures and finishes led Gordon to realize there was a market for such items.
But someone in the comments points out that Restoration hardware is far from local these days...In 2007, Restoration Hardware Inc., the Corte Madera home-furnishings chain, agreed to sell itself to a private-equity firm for $267 million.
Restoration Hardware had been struggling in the aftermath of the housing slump. In 2006, it earned $3 million on revenue of $713 million; in 2005 it lost $29 million on $582 million in revenue. After this move, Sears got in on the sale and attempted to buy Restoration but that fell thru to and the company was sold to private equity firms Catterton Partners and Tower Three Partners LLC who now have a controlling interest in the company. Gary Friedman, chairman and CEO, also has an equity interest from this sale. Friedman was the former president of Williams-Sonoma.
The stock price for Restoration Hardware has slid continuously since 2006, when it was trading above $9 per share. In 2007 it hovered below $3 per share. Then in June of 2008, Restoration Hardware, Inc. announced that the acquisition of the Company by a group of investors including Catterton Partners and Gary Friedman, the Company's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, had been completed. The terms of the merger agreement, which was approved by shareholders in June of 2008, all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Restoration Hardware, other than those exchanged by certain shareholders participating with Catterton Partners in the transaction, received $4.50 per share in cash. After the purchase, the new owners announced that they would be closing 2 of its 100 stores in the United States and would open up a new store in Canada.
Guess of all the stores to close, the little one where it all started landed on the chopping block because it wasn't profitable to keep in open to cater to such a small group of folks in Humboldt.
Others say the Eureka store was profitable. Is it just that we are too far off the beaten track?
And how do you go about protecting local business? There's a faction that believes they have to keep out "Big Boxes' in order to do so, but, once again, the Big Box did not close this store, and it could be argued that Resto IS now in Big Box territory as a big chain itself.
There's been an ongoing discussion
Saturday, January 03, 2009
The Fox is applying for the Henhouse Manager position...
click on image to enlargeDon't say I didn't warn ya.
***
In case you can't read it, it is a ficticious business name statement from the Ferndale Enterprise. Mitch Trachtenberg and Richard Salzman going into the voting santification business.
Friday, January 02, 2009
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved...
◼ Telegraph.co.uk Global warming: Reasons why it might not actually exist
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved, according to the Telegraph's Christopher Booker. Sceptics have long argued that there are other explanations for climate change other than man-made CO2 and here we look at some of the arguments put forward by those who believe that global warming is all a hoax.
Some icebergs are melting -but not necessarily because of mankind's actions Photo: REUTERS
Temperatures are falling, not rising
As Christopher Booker says in his review of 2008, temperatures have been dropping in a wholly unpredicted way over the past year. Last winter, the northern hemisphere saw its greatest snow cover since 1966, which in the northern US states and Canada was dubbed the "winter from hell". This winter looks set to be even worse.
The earth was hotter 1,000 years ago
Evidence from all over the world indicates that the earth was hotter 1,000 years ago than it is today. Research shows that temperatures were higher in what is known as the Mediaeval Warming period than they were in the 1990s.
The earth's surface temperature is not at record levels
According to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies analysis of surface air temperature measurements, the meteorological December 2007 to November 2008 was the coolest year since 2000. Their data has also shown that the hottest decade of the 20th century was not the 1990s but the 1930s.
Ice is not disappearing
Arctic website Crysophere Today reported that Arctic ice volume was 500,000 sq km greater than this time last year. Additionally, Antarctic sea-ice this year reached its highest level since satellite records began in 1979. Polar bear numbers are also at record levels.
Himalayan glaciers
A report by the UN Environment Program this year claimed that the cause of melting glaciers in the Himalayas was not global warming but the local warming effect of a vast "atmospheric brown cloud" over that region, made up of soot particles from Asia's dramatically increased burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
Temperatures are still dropping
Nasa satellite readings on global temperatures from the University of Alabama show that August was the fourth month this year when temperatures fell below their 30-year average, ie since satellite records began. November 2008 in the USA was only the 39th warmest since records began 113 years ago.
h/t; Fred
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved, according to the Telegraph's Christopher Booker. Sceptics have long argued that there are other explanations for climate change other than man-made CO2 and here we look at some of the arguments put forward by those who believe that global warming is all a hoax.
Some icebergs are melting -but not necessarily because of mankind's actions Photo: REUTERS
Temperatures are falling, not rising
As Christopher Booker says in his review of 2008, temperatures have been dropping in a wholly unpredicted way over the past year. Last winter, the northern hemisphere saw its greatest snow cover since 1966, which in the northern US states and Canada was dubbed the "winter from hell". This winter looks set to be even worse.
The earth was hotter 1,000 years ago
Evidence from all over the world indicates that the earth was hotter 1,000 years ago than it is today. Research shows that temperatures were higher in what is known as the Mediaeval Warming period than they were in the 1990s.
The earth's surface temperature is not at record levels
According to Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies analysis of surface air temperature measurements, the meteorological December 2007 to November 2008 was the coolest year since 2000. Their data has also shown that the hottest decade of the 20th century was not the 1990s but the 1930s.
Ice is not disappearing
Arctic website Crysophere Today reported that Arctic ice volume was 500,000 sq km greater than this time last year. Additionally, Antarctic sea-ice this year reached its highest level since satellite records began in 1979. Polar bear numbers are also at record levels.
Himalayan glaciers
A report by the UN Environment Program this year claimed that the cause of melting glaciers in the Himalayas was not global warming but the local warming effect of a vast "atmospheric brown cloud" over that region, made up of soot particles from Asia's dramatically increased burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
Temperatures are still dropping
Nasa satellite readings on global temperatures from the University of Alabama show that August was the fourth month this year when temperatures fell below their 30-year average, ie since satellite records began. November 2008 in the USA was only the 39th warmest since records began 113 years ago.
h/t; Fred
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Wordpress v Blogger
For those who are interested - here's a side by side comparison
◼ The Ultimate Blogger Wordpress Comparison Guide.
I'd note that Blogger has recently added future publishing (use it all the time), comments notification, and import posts.
Maybe it is like the Mac/PC thing, but I like Blogger alot better. Much more user friendly, I feel like I have a lot more flexibility...
But besides what is noted in the link above - Wordpress has a couple of advantages - the most useful is that each comment comes to you with the IP address, email address and optional url attached, so you know exactly who made each comment, don't have to guess and extrapolate using counters and visitor paths. Of course the IP doesn't tell you the actual name, and the email address submitted can be phony, but it would be nice if Blogger added that someday.
In Wordpress, you can also edit comments - correct typos or take out bad language and leave the rest of the comment.
In Wordpress you can block people by IP.
And, re: spam control - I think I have only had 5 or 6 total spam comments posted by bots - and word verification puts a stop to that if it is a problem. So I really don't understand the HUGE numbers of supposedly blocked spam comments Wordpress claims (thousands and thousands).
I'm curious - since so many local bloggers have switched to Wordpress - what you think is better, what advantages you find...
◼ The Ultimate Blogger Wordpress Comparison Guide.
I'd note that Blogger has recently added future publishing (use it all the time), comments notification, and import posts.
Maybe it is like the Mac/PC thing, but I like Blogger alot better. Much more user friendly, I feel like I have a lot more flexibility...
But besides what is noted in the link above - Wordpress has a couple of advantages - the most useful is that each comment comes to you with the IP address, email address and optional url attached, so you know exactly who made each comment, don't have to guess and extrapolate using counters and visitor paths. Of course the IP doesn't tell you the actual name, and the email address submitted can be phony, but it would be nice if Blogger added that someday.
In Wordpress, you can also edit comments - correct typos or take out bad language and leave the rest of the comment.
In Wordpress you can block people by IP.
And, re: spam control - I think I have only had 5 or 6 total spam comments posted by bots - and word verification puts a stop to that if it is a problem. So I really don't understand the HUGE numbers of supposedly blocked spam comments Wordpress claims (thousands and thousands).
I'm curious - since so many local bloggers have switched to Wordpress - what you think is better, what advantages you find...
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