April Holliverse

I felt like a tourist on my first encounter at a theme park when I walked up the dusty embankment that led to a small gate on Nov. 21, 2008. As my eyes rose above the gate I was greeted by what looked like a black desert of char-grilled nothingness. The area looked like an ash-covered ghost town or the recent sight of the dropping of a test bomb. You could only imagine what once stood there. A teenage boy stood next to me and pointed to the area right ahead and called out a number identifying where he used to live. His eyes were alert and full of excitement I couldn't tell if the gleam in his eye was because I was a visitor he had never seen before or if it were a sign of the post traumatic stress that takes place after such an event has occurred. Besides, the brush fire spread rapidly engulfing everything the community once knew as home. Tyler's ashen face looked like he had just walked out of the raging wildfire.

"That was the club house" he said while pointing to the middle of what looked like a massive crater. He described how he and his friends played there, but there was no longer anything to see. If Steven Spielberg wanted to make a science fiction movie he could use this site as the place where the alien space ship launched its escape from planet Earth. The air was still smoky; a constant reminder of what California wildfires could do. An older woman stood near and appeared to be on the verge of tears, holding her fist near her chin and shaking her head in disbelief. This was Tyler's grandmother. Tyler's mother, Mary, stood near and her face seemed broken on one side like her heart must have been to have witnessed such an event. She looked exhausted and explained to me that she was tired of reporters holding cameras and recorders in her face, but politely gave me her phone number and said I could call her with any questions. She pointed to cluster of new vans camped out in the center of the singed community and said that they had been there a long time. I felt somewhat out of place, still trying to adjust to being a journalist and practicing the art of separating emotions from professionalism and realizing that there is a job that needs to be done.

Mary told me her story. Her family managed to evacuate just in time and her home was one of the few that was unharmed by the unforgiving blaze. Her mother and father had been visiting from Los Angeles on the night of the fire. The family lie down to sleep that evening when grandma's sleep was disturbed by unusual noises and the smell of smoke. She couldn't help but wake up. Maybe it was her maternal instincts. She looked outside and saw flames and people running with their belongings. She then woke her husband who was a war veteran and a hard sleeper. Mary said that she was sound asleep because she suffers from Sleep Apnea. She said that she uses a breathing machine that rocks her to sleep every night with its constant and steady mechanical humming lullaby and she heard nothing. Her mother, her father, herself and her son, Tyler grabbed what they could and got out.

I asked her if she was afraid on that evening and she replied, "No." She described the energy in the air as simply "flight" mode, but not fear. The family acted more on the kind of rational thinking that says 'pack up and get out fast.' Mary told me that this was third fire that the family had survived and that she was now encouraging her husband to move. She briefly described one fire that took place in the 90s when her son, Tyler, was only about 3-years-old. Her husband had a soft spot for the community but she no longer wanted to be there. The fire moved down the hill and invaded the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar, CA where families just like Mary's lived; only they weren't as lucky.

"You can replace items, but not lives," Mary said as she looked into my eyes with intensity and wisdom. My father, John, who stood nearby grabbed hands with the families mourning the burial site of burnt dwellings and we all prayed. The focus was simply thankfulness to be alive for the holidays. A Latino family walked up and grabbed our joined hands. They said that they spoke little English, but understood what this symbolic moment meant. Then we hugged one another and some of the former residents cried. This is where I stepped outside of being a journalist. If a photographer were nearby this would have been the most powerful and compelling photo of the evening. As we left the site Mary carefully made her way down the embankment and said, "I refuse to be a victim and will call myself victorious."

PASADENA - A 24-year-old stripped naked as she fled from Pasadena police during a car chase that reached speeds above 100 mph ending in a crash when her car flipped off the Golden Gate freeway Thursday evening authorities said.

Officer Jon Buchholz of the Pasadena Police Department was called with a complaint about a "woman breaking things" on the 2400 block of Mohawk. Buchholz found a woman harassing a man as she vandalized his home and attempted to push over his motorcycle, which was parked in his driveway said Buchholz.

When the woman saw the police, she jumped into a white Acura Integra and attempted pull out of the driveway. As Buchholz tried to block the woman's vehicle by moving his patrol car in front of her vehicle, she pulled around him and sped off of the curb.

Pasadena Police helicopters gave chase while directing Buchholz on the suspect's location on the road.

The woman started out by getting onto the westbound Interstate Highway 210 entrance where she got stuck behind another car that was waiting at a red light. "The light turned green and she took off!" Buchholz said.

The police followed the suspect who headed towards state Route 134 and then took the northbound state Route 170 to the I-5. Buchholz reported that the suspect bobbed and weaved between lanes and barley missed hitting big rigs.

"Her lights were off the whole time" said Buchholz.

During the chase, police noticed that the suspect began throwing items out of the car such as her purse, a water bottle, papers and what looked like clothing.

Buchholz said that the chase reached an end when the suspect sped up to 110 mph while heading northbound on the I-5 towards Sylmar. She lost control of the vehicle at Filbert Street and San Fernando Road. "The woman's car flipped over three times" said Buchholz. It came to a stop landing in the dirt shoulder of the I-5.

When police reached the vehicle, the woman appeared uninjured except for a few cuts on her legs, but officers quickly noticed that she was naked. She also screamed, spoke incoherently and admitted to taking acid. Police pulled her out of the vehicle after she refused to get out and as one officer searched the car he found a live Chinchilla stuffed under the seat cover authorities said.

The woman attempted to use her vehicle to charge a California Highway Patrol officer's car according to Buchholz. "She was charged with felony reckless evasion and assault with a deadly weapon against a CHP officer," said Buchholz.

"It turns out that the man she was harassing was her tutor and he denied that they had a relationship." The suspect was taken to Holy Cross Mission Hills Hospital and remains in jail awaiting trial. The police refused to release the suspect's name for her privacy.

The Progressive Homes for the Elderly is located at 7010 S. Denver Ave. in Los Angeles and on what looked like another routine day at a retirement complex there was a quiet but long awaited celebration going on amongst the residents.

What makes this retirement home special is that it was built and founded by Mr. T.W. Coggs who was also a minister. It is also a non-profit and provides affordable housing for its residents. The men and women living here have all gotten the opportunity to live through the best and worst times in America and they recently got a chance to watch history in the making again.

Election Day took place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, and the residents who managed to find the strength in their frail bodies or a ride to the voting polls said that they were proud to participate in the historical event and felt blessed to still be living to witness what some may call a phenomenon. "Just think what it's going to mean to my great grandchildren. I am happy, not just for black Americans, but for all of us," said Betty Burst, 74, a resident at the complex.

I asked other members of the quiet community to take a moment to turn back the clock and give their personal testimonies on history and what to expect in the future. Frequent themes discussed were segregation, poll taxes, voting rights, civil rights and, of course, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech. This was a staple of just about every conversation. They opened up a treasure chest of wisdom and real life accounts of how things used to be in America. Between the walls and halls of the building people with a human story go to sleep at night. Who knows what they dream about and how vivid or vague their childhood memories are, but what they share with the next generation is invaluable. The Progressive Homes for the Elderly has rooms the color of Pepto Bismol and bricks that make the place look more like a hospital than a place to retire, but the residents call it home.

 Tuesday's results were groundbreaking and when it was announced that Sen. Barack Obama would be our president elect the retirees said that they felt both happy and hopeful. "I'm glad that I am old enough to see history made. We need a change and I hope that this is it," said Ben Simpson, 73.

Aubrey Echols, 69, sported a plaid shirt, appeared to have cheeks full of cherries and leaned against the security guard's desk as he reflected upon history. Echols talked about poll taxes and the impact that it had on the African American community. He said that poll taxes were implemented by the government to prevent blacks to vote by making voters have to pay a fee before they could vote.

He also described his experience of being one of the first blacks in Texas to drive a bus and when dissatisfied with the salary how he complained and got a higher paying job in a bakery where he was also one of the first blacks to work in. When asked if he voted Echols giggled and said, "Why of course!" He said that he has been voting since after Eisenhower was in office. Echols said that he did not believe in segregation and understood the value of education even though he lived in the south growing up.

"I feel real, real, real good about him becoming president. I think he'll be one of the greatest presidents, if not the greatest," Echols said about the president elect.

Janet Echols quivered as she spoke about how proud she was to see Barack Obama win the election. "The seniors at Progress Homes for the Elderly who never ever voted before this year got out because of his inspiration and voted," Echols said.

She smiled as she gave me a tour of the complex, described the amenities and introduced me to her mother, Carlene Coggs, 87, whose late husband, Reverend Coggs, owned the complex. Echols also showed me the dining room and said that one meal a day was included in the resident's rent. She pointed to two colorful murals hung on each side of the room. She said that one was a tribute to the jazz greats of history and the other was of her mother and father. The Los Angeles Times newspaper stand positioned directly in the breezeway of the entrance and containing only three papers was evidence of the tenants reading habits.

Earl Rudolph Spearman a.k.a. "Mister Baby," 67, was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and strutted into the room for his interview and wore a multi-colored dashiki while showing all of his teeth as he grinned for the camera. Spearman had more of a philosophical approach to the times saying, "40 years ago Dr. King had a dream and 40 years later the dream is a reality...A person's character speaks louder than the pigmentation of his skin," when referring to Obama. He described the victory as though it were an unstoppable force that Americans had been waiting for.

Harry Hines, 87, said that he is originally from Houston, Texas and is also a member of the Jackie Robinson Post Veterans Club. His hands reminded me of my grandfather's hands planted firmly in his lap as he spoke. He wore shades like Ray Charles and when he removed them I saw the gentle character behind a cracked but confident voice. He said it was tough when blacks couldn't vote back in the 1920's when he was young. "I didn't think I would live to see this happen in the history of the world! It lets you know you can be anything you want to be," said Hines as he described his satisfaction with America's choice for the next president.

When the dominoes began to slap against the table the conversations began. Beneath the teasing and declarations of who was going to beat who and who was the domino champ the topic of politics emerged again. It was then time for me to say good by and thank you for the visit.

  Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The second presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain took place in a town hall setting in Nashville, Tennessee and was moderated by Tom Brokaw. Brokaw asked questions regarding the current economic crisis, what each candidate's plan was to resolve the crisis, foreign policy, the deployment of U.S. troops overseas and even how each candidate thought that they could improve their role as president. The Gallup Organization selected uncommitted voters by electronic mail who sat in stands on either side of candidates.

McCain reminded me of a bulldog when making remarks to Obama who shot back with his own remarks in defense. Some responded tht McCain won while other said that Obama won. I liked the fact that Obama presented a solution to the current economic crisis and natural in his answers while McCain appeared to use every chance he got to attack Obama and his inabilities to be president. Overall, the answers from both candidates were more detailed, but I am looking foward to the next debate. 

 I spent the day at the E-Z Laundromat and internet cafe located in Culver City. This is my favorite place to do laundry, grab a muffin and a Tahitian Vanilla Chai Tea and read a newspaper or magazine. I always meet interesting people there and get a lot of reading done. This is a safe, clean and positive environment and it's close to home. The perks are that everything is conveniently within reach such as refreshments, food, internet and laundry. This place makes doing laundry fun and cool at the same time.

    Photo provided by Reuters Photographer, Carlos Barria

                                                  Image from www.puccimanuli.com

Spinspotter.com serves as mediator between Americans who think that general news is biased or one-sided and the press itself. They want to authenticate or 'de-spin' the news which is a good way of saying hold the press accountable for the messages that it disseminates to the public. The website allows 'volunteer' Americans to set the facts straight. Spinspotter.com's mission statement states, "We have no desire to "take on" journalists...We simply want to bring transparency and fairness to the press, and have fun doing it." (http://spinspotter.com/mission).

Although, in the last paragraph of the mission statement they say that they have shareholders whose interest is to make the news more objective and ethical, but I would ask who are these investors, why are they so interested in this mission and who's to say that they don't carry any opinions or biases? There is also a Journalism Advisory Board consisting of journalists, authors, columnists, TV producers, CEO's and educators which can be found under the 'team' tab for web browsers and bloggers who want to know who's critiquing their work.

After reading the mission statement I got started by reviewing the rules of Spinspotter. The first thing I asked was how does this website tool work? Spinspotter technology is clearly explained as a means of spot-checking articles for words that indicate a spin. The Spinoculars seem to be a handy tool to help users navigate an article and highlight what's incorrect, inaccurate or slanted.

Overall, I found the Spinspotter website highly informative, explanatory, educational and easy to use. I liked the definitions and examples of such terms as 'reporter's voice' versus the 'passive voice.' This was broken down in a way in which everyday people can comprehend.

Another website tool called Newstrust.net is a non-profit social news site committed to 'finding good journalism.' At Newstrust.net viewers are invited to a 'news hunt' in which they can review provocative articles, evaluate the media and discuss amongst each other. This website is less of a step-by-step guide to critiquing an article but more of a means of reviewing the content of news articles. One topic up for discussion was news coverage of the 2008 election extracted from trusted news sources such as The New York Times and The Huffington Post.

Websites such as POV and PBS Engage have also collaborated with Newstrust.net which shows their support, gives the site credibility and demonstrates its promotion by other sites.

Blogs are created by everyday people here too. Laura Miller of Salon.com talked about books that Sen. Barack Obama has read in her article. Newstrust.net blogger, Terry Gamble, commented by saying:

"As the paradigm of assessing a candidate shifts from congeniality (ie: "Who would you most like a beer with?") to intellectual heft, the quality and content of each candidate's literary and cultural preferences are of more interest. This article gives interesting insight into what Barack Obama reads and why." (www.newstrust.net)

The site overall, seems to be pretty self-explanatory and user-friendly, although it took me a little while to get familiar with how it works because it has less of a "how to" style like Spinspotter.com. Newstrust.net allows users to use tools such as RSS feeds, rate the article, make a comment, share personal blogs with others and choose topics to elaborate or critique with tabs at the top of the homepage. I prefer Newstrust.net because it allows users to make their case about a particular article and discuss with others compared to Spinspotter.com which seems to allow users to act as virtual police officers on a mission to take back the truth.