August 2009 Archives
The Oakland Tribune and various Oakland area television news stations are reporting that Long Beach Police Chief Anthony Batts has accepted a position as chief of their city's police department.
Chief Batts did not immediately answer calls and e-mails sent by the Press-Telegram and the LBPD's media relations division said they had no information about the chief leaving Long Beach for Oakland.
But Mayor Ron Dellums of Oakland sent out a press release Tuesday afternoon announcing the hire Tuesday afternoon.
"Chief Batts is an extraordinarily capable police chief whose professional expertise, outstanding leadership skills and brilliant operation savvy make him the right choice for Oakland," Dellums said in his press release.
More information to come as it develops.
Chief Batts did not immediately answer calls and e-mails sent by the Press-Telegram and the LBPD's media relations division said they had no information about the chief leaving Long Beach for Oakland.
But Mayor Ron Dellums of Oakland sent out a press release Tuesday afternoon announcing the hire Tuesday afternoon.
"Chief Batts is an extraordinarily capable police chief whose professional expertise, outstanding leadership skills and brilliant operation savvy make him the right choice for Oakland," Dellums said in his press release.
More information to come as it develops.
For the first time in the more than 15 years I've worked at this
newspaper I have had to consider taking down information soliciting donations for
a 4-year-old gang shooting victim because more people called to berate
those raising the funds than to help or offer condolences.
It's a sad day when people can't get past their own politics or prejudices and see the most important thing here is a 4-year-old boy, who was playing with other children his age, narrowly missed being murdered when a group of gangsters got into a fight in the middle of a public street and someone pulled out a gun and began blasting indiscriminately.
The victim, Josue Hercules, and his family had nothing to do with the crime yet they have paid dearly for it. His parents spent many sleepless days in the hospital not knowing if their son would live or die. When his condition improved they still had to struggle with the uncertainty of whether he would be permanently brain damaged by the bullet that ripped into his neck at the back of his skull and skirted his brain, lodging behind his forehead next to one eye.
Josue's father works hard at an auto body repair center and his mother is taking care of the couple's five children at home. They would like to move from the area, and so the company Josue's dad works for graciously stepped in and started raising money to help the family.
Certainly there are valid arguments for not helping in this situation, or with any fund-raiser or charity. What people should not do is call the business and berate its owner and staff for exercising their right to try and help.
Any valid argument some of these people might have had for not donating was completely negated by their hateful personal attacks, many of which focused on irrelevant issues such as race.
As a veteran crime reporter I know there are gang attacks where race is part of the motivation for the crime. This was not one of those situations. Josue may be Latino, but at the age of 4 it should be painfully clear to anyone with an ounce of sense that he was merely an innocent bystander.
There is a cliche that no good deed goes unpunished, and sadly I can say I see evidence of that everyday. This time, however, even I, a jaded cops reporter, am appalled at the behavior of some people.
There's another saying that my mother used to tell me when I was a little girl. I'm sure most of you know it and can recite it with me: If you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all.
As a strong advocate of freedom of speech I don't typically agree with the old fashioned notion, although in cases such as this I think it's one we can all consider. Especially before some of us might launch a vicious and unprovoked attack that serves no purpose other than to prove to the jaded that decency is no longer a virtue we possess in our community.
And consider this, if you will. Loss of basic decency and respect for others is what got little Josue into this situation in the first place. The gunman did not stop to think about him and the other children playing nearby, or the people who were in the street, or those riding in their cars or even the people sitting in their nearby homes. So for those of you who show no decency to an innocent child now I would say you are running the risk of being not much better than the shooter.
It's a sad day when people can't get past their own politics or prejudices and see the most important thing here is a 4-year-old boy, who was playing with other children his age, narrowly missed being murdered when a group of gangsters got into a fight in the middle of a public street and someone pulled out a gun and began blasting indiscriminately.
The victim, Josue Hercules, and his family had nothing to do with the crime yet they have paid dearly for it. His parents spent many sleepless days in the hospital not knowing if their son would live or die. When his condition improved they still had to struggle with the uncertainty of whether he would be permanently brain damaged by the bullet that ripped into his neck at the back of his skull and skirted his brain, lodging behind his forehead next to one eye.
Josue's father works hard at an auto body repair center and his mother is taking care of the couple's five children at home. They would like to move from the area, and so the company Josue's dad works for graciously stepped in and started raising money to help the family.
Certainly there are valid arguments for not helping in this situation, or with any fund-raiser or charity. What people should not do is call the business and berate its owner and staff for exercising their right to try and help.
Any valid argument some of these people might have had for not donating was completely negated by their hateful personal attacks, many of which focused on irrelevant issues such as race.
As a veteran crime reporter I know there are gang attacks where race is part of the motivation for the crime. This was not one of those situations. Josue may be Latino, but at the age of 4 it should be painfully clear to anyone with an ounce of sense that he was merely an innocent bystander.
There is a cliche that no good deed goes unpunished, and sadly I can say I see evidence of that everyday. This time, however, even I, a jaded cops reporter, am appalled at the behavior of some people.
There's another saying that my mother used to tell me when I was a little girl. I'm sure most of you know it and can recite it with me: If you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all.
As a strong advocate of freedom of speech I don't typically agree with the old fashioned notion, although in cases such as this I think it's one we can all consider. Especially before some of us might launch a vicious and unprovoked attack that serves no purpose other than to prove to the jaded that decency is no longer a virtue we possess in our community.
And consider this, if you will. Loss of basic decency and respect for others is what got little Josue into this situation in the first place. The gunman did not stop to think about him and the other children playing nearby, or the people who were in the street, or those riding in their cars or even the people sitting in their nearby homes. So for those of you who show no decency to an innocent child now I would say you are running the risk of being not much better than the shooter.
You never know who, or what, you're going to see in court.It's one of the things that makes the beat so much fun, and terrifying, and annoying.
Take today for example. I'm heading up the escalators to the fourth floor for a sentencing in a murder case (which was postponed, of course) and I swing around the hall corner to find Duke, a massive caramel-colored pooch with pretty brown eyes and a regal bearing sitting sphinx-like in front of a pair of courtroom doors.
Duke was kitted out in a helper dog kind of a harness and was very well behaved for his master.
It made me imagine what it would be like if I were to bring one or both of my dogs, both rescue animals, to the courthouse.
If I brought Spartacus, the mutt who is afraid of everything, he would probably cower in the corner and try to hide behind my legs, tangling us up in the leash and nearly breaking my neck in the process. At least that's what he does in the park, or on Second Street, or anywhere I take him where we find lots of people.
Or I could bring Julii, the pure bred Lab my husband and I adopted after her owner went into a home because he had Alzheimer's and couldn't care for her. No one wanted her because she was already about 8 years old, but you would never guess it judging my her energy and can I say how much easier and nicer it is getting a dog already trained and past the puppy stage.
If Julii came to court with me, she would do her very best to greet everyone, and I mean every single person, she saw with her cold, wet nose and nudge them all for a pat on the head.
Then again, I could bring both and let chaos take over completely. It would be fun, but probably not advisable.
My thanks to Duke's owner, though, for bringing a little joy to the otherwise dreary courthouse hallway today.
Members of the public are invited to attend a Long Beach City Council budget meeting that will focus on cuts slated for the Long Beach Fire Department, including the partial closure of two fire stations.
The meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., will include plans for the closure of Fire Station 18, located on Palo Verde Avenue near Wardlow Road, and Fire Station 1, located on Magnolia Avenue between Ocean Boulevard and Broadway in the heart of Downtown. The plan calls for the closure of Station 1's operations at night and to close Station 18 during the day. The stations would share a single fire engine, reducing the department's budget by $1.6 million.
The meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., will include plans for the closure of Fire Station 18, located on Palo Verde Avenue near Wardlow Road, and Fire Station 1, located on Magnolia Avenue between Ocean Boulevard and Broadway in the heart of Downtown. The plan calls for the closure of Station 1's operations at night and to close Station 18 during the day. The stations would share a single fire engine, reducing the department's budget by $1.6 million.
Another measure will reduce two fire crews at Station 14, located on Elliot Avenue near Appian Way in the Belmont Shore/Belmont Heights area, to a single, five-man crew to cut another $1.2 million. Those firefighters will operate an engine and a ladder truck, which will respond to calls as a single unit, rather than conducting separate operations as they often do now.
In all, the Fire Department is slashing $3.2 million, or 4.4 percent, from its budget to help with the city's projected deficit of nearly $40 million.
Short of stealing candy from a baby, or a coin purse from a little old lady, there aren't too many things lower or more pathetic than stealing a 12-year-old bulldog's little red wagon.
Yet here we are again, with at least the third theft of Rosie the Bulldog's ride.
Rosie, who most of us know thanks to the social activism of her owner Justin Rudd, has become a much beloved fixture in the Belmont Shore area. Riding around in her red wagon, with her name emblazoned across a full-size license plate affixed to the back, was a common and cheery sight at the beach, on Second Street and anywhere else Rosie's heart desired.
Inside the wagon was a gray Nike yoga mat, to give Rosie and her little brother, Riley the Bulldog, a no slip grip while trundling along.
The wagon was a large one with big rubber tires, about three-inches in diameter.
They sell for about $100, Rudd says.
And he should know. Rosie has had three or four wagon's stolen from Rudd's side yard. One was kindly replaced by a good Samaritan and Rudd became so accustomed to putting new wagons together he purchased an electric drill just for that purpose.
But the latest violation still stings, Rudd says.
"We started locking it up, bringing it inside at night, but sometimes we still leave it outside," Rudd said, noting the yard is not one easily accessed and the wagon is usually covered by bushes and an air conditioning unit.
"I can easily get another one, but it's a sentimental thing," Rudd adds. "Besides, I don't know why you want to take someone's beat up wagon anyway."
During one of the last heists, some neighborhood children found the back panel of the wagon near the Colorado Lagoon. That was great, Rudd says, because the license plate that bears Rosie's name was on it.
This time there is no sign of her wagon nor her vanity plate, which was a gift.
And everyone knows a diva can't ride without her vanity plate.
Aside from the pleasure of the wagon and its amenities, however, are some practical issues.
Rosie's ripe old age means she can walk maybe half a block on a good day before her arthritis gets the better of her. Her younger brother is more spry, but even Riley likes to chill out in the wagon on long trips and while eating at one of the many sidewalk cafes that line Second Street.
"And bulldogs are too big to carry around," Rudd says. "You can't fit them in your purse."
Rudd filed a police report, to the amusement of some officers, and is hoping that the tight-knit neighborhood will keep an eye out for the missing wagon.
And if you're the thief, he's hoping a change of heart will prompt the wagon's return.
Rosie and Riley undoubtedly hope for the same.
Anyone with information, e-mail Rudd at Justin@JustinRudd.com.
Yet here we are again, with at least the third theft of Rosie the Bulldog's ride.
Rosie, who most of us know thanks to the social activism of her owner Justin Rudd, has become a much beloved fixture in the Belmont Shore area. Riding around in her red wagon, with her name emblazoned across a full-size license plate affixed to the back, was a common and cheery sight at the beach, on Second Street and anywhere else Rosie's heart desired.
Inside the wagon was a gray Nike yoga mat, to give Rosie and her little brother, Riley the Bulldog, a no slip grip while trundling along.
The wagon was a large one with big rubber tires, about three-inches in diameter.
They sell for about $100, Rudd says.
And he should know. Rosie has had three or four wagon's stolen from Rudd's side yard. One was kindly replaced by a good Samaritan and Rudd became so accustomed to putting new wagons together he purchased an electric drill just for that purpose.
But the latest violation still stings, Rudd says.
"We started locking it up, bringing it inside at night, but sometimes we still leave it outside," Rudd said, noting the yard is not one easily accessed and the wagon is usually covered by bushes and an air conditioning unit.
"I can easily get another one, but it's a sentimental thing," Rudd adds. "Besides, I don't know why you want to take someone's beat up wagon anyway."
During one of the last heists, some neighborhood children found the back panel of the wagon near the Colorado Lagoon. That was great, Rudd says, because the license plate that bears Rosie's name was on it.
This time there is no sign of her wagon nor her vanity plate, which was a gift.
And everyone knows a diva can't ride without her vanity plate.
Aside from the pleasure of the wagon and its amenities, however, are some practical issues.
Rosie's ripe old age means she can walk maybe half a block on a good day before her arthritis gets the better of her. Her younger brother is more spry, but even Riley likes to chill out in the wagon on long trips and while eating at one of the many sidewalk cafes that line Second Street.
"And bulldogs are too big to carry around," Rudd says. "You can't fit them in your purse."
Rudd filed a police report, to the amusement of some officers, and is hoping that the tight-knit neighborhood will keep an eye out for the missing wagon.
And if you're the thief, he's hoping a change of heart will prompt the wagon's return.
Rosie and Riley undoubtedly hope for the same.
Anyone with information, e-mail Rudd at Justin@JustinRudd.com.
With the recent heat wave has come a wave of warnings from local authorities, including Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and the South East Area Animal Control Authority, telling residents of the dangers of keeping pets closed up in cars.
Cooley is scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday, complete with a poster pooch named Bilby who will be on hand for photo ops, to make it clear that his office takes animal cruelty cases seriously and will prosecute pet owners for the life-threatening deed of keeping animals locked in cars.
The animal control authority posted its warning earlier this month, saying it receives an average of 14 calls every month for animals in distress inside vehicles during hot weather.
Cooley is scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday, complete with a poster pooch named Bilby who will be on hand for photo ops, to make it clear that his office takes animal cruelty cases seriously and will prosecute pet owners for the life-threatening deed of keeping animals locked in cars.
The animal control authority posted its warning earlier this month, saying it receives an average of 14 calls every month for animals in distress inside vehicles during hot weather.
Continue reading Pets and hot cars don't mix.
