Ringing Freedom's Bell In Sunnyside, Washington & Beyond Since 2008
July 13, 2011
Tuesday afternoon, a rainbow formed over Sunnyside. This snapshot I took does not do it justice.
Another event worthy of mention is the Bicycle Rodeo being held by the Sunnyside Police Department. It is from 6-8 tonight at the Law and Justice Center. For those that do not have bicycle helmets, the police department has some that they will be giving away at this event.
Sunnyside Police Department Flier
July 6, 2011 3 Comments
Yes friends, Sunnyside’s Promise has a video posted online for the world to see. I am now aware of this fact, and will enlighten you on it momentarily. Recently, I wrote a post about a video that Transformation Sunnyside has online. That post got the attention of Nate Bridges, who let me know about the Sunnyside’s Promise video.
After viewing the Sunnyside’s Promise video, I asked Mr. Bridges if I could sit down and discuss it with him. He readily agreed, and we met Tuesday morning. After the meeting, I came away impressed with how driven he is in supporting the Sunnyside’s Promise organization. In terms of the gang problem, it is important to have positive outlets for youth to engage in, as an alternative to the dead-end that gangs will bring. As law enforcement brings greater pressure on the criminal element in our city, we also need to have positive alternatives for our youth.
Sunnyside's Promise Board Chair Nate Bridges
Funding is always an issue in the non-profit world, and Sunnyside’s Promise has some unique challenges in this regard. While getting support from the City of Sunnyside, the Sunnyside School District, and Sunnyside Community Hospital, the organization is looking to also get increased support from the private sector. Many of the grant programs that Sunnyside’s Promise is engaged in pay for the programs and employees, but allow only a small percentage to be spent on administrative overhead.
Bridges says one of the reasons for making this video, is for corporate boards to see some of the things that Sunnyside’s Promise has going on, so they can consider including the group in their budgets for charity and community activities. These programs do not come cheap, as the group needs $180,000 each year to pay for its executive director, secretary, office space, insurance obligations, and employee benefits. Most of the other employees are paid through various grants.
The Yakima County Gang Commission failed to include substantial money for Sunnyside’s Promise in its allocation of funding to fight gangs in the county, an oversight that Nate Bridges says he has been told will not occur again in the future. Mr. Bridges is an appointed representative for the City of Sunnyside on the Gang Commission, but was out of town when the rest of the commission disbursed its funds last year. Mayor Jim Restucci also represents the City of Sunnyside on this commission.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported on the agencies that did receive funds through the gang commission, and a link to that article is at the bottom of this post.
In the YouTube video, Mr. Bridges says they were unable to show much of what the group does, due to concerns for the at-risk youth they are working with. If it becomes public knowledge that a gang member is trying to leave the gang, they may be victims of violence from other gang members.
One such case involved Diane Lopez from Outlook, that according to Bridges, had made the decision to leave the gang. She was involved with services from Sunnyside’s Promise, and unfortunately died after being shot in her home in Outlook.
Sunnyside’s Promise has helped eight or nine youth to remove tattoos, which also can not be pictured publicly. Those removing tattoos are also at risk from other gang members that may respond in a violent fashion at this. Such is the culture of those caught up in gangs.
The Sunnyside School District has referred over 90 students to Sunnyside’s Promise for its prevention and intervention programs. Bridges says the kids typically are referred after flashing gang signs and colors, or engaging in other behavior linked to gangs. School counselors are not equipped to deal with these kids to the extent that Sunnyside’s Promise is working with them.
In conclusion, the gang problem is complex. No simple cure, like getting a job at the local Wal-Mart, will cure it. The culture of gang life must not be allowed to take over the lives of our youth. Sunnyside’s Promise is striving to prevent that from happening. I wish them the best of luck in their endeavors.
July 4, 2011 4 Comments
This weekend, I am reading “The 5000 Year Leap, A Miracle That Changed the World”, by Cleon Skousen. As our nation celebrates declaring independence from Britain (something that 25% of us don’t know, according to a poll mentioned on the NBC newscast Sunday night), it is now more important than ever to become familiar with what the Founders envisioned for the structure and function of our government.
The book is full of wonderful quotations from our founders, and is devoted to 28 Principles of Freedom our Founders believed in.
“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence – it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” – George Washington
The book has chapters dedicated to each of the 28 principles, which I shall list here:
1. The Only Reliable Basis for Sound Government and Just Human Relations is Natural Law.
2. A Free People Cannot Survive Under a Republican Constitution Unless They Remain Virtuous and Morally Strong.
3. The Most Promising Method of Securing a Virtuous and Morally Stable People is to Elect Virtuous Leaders.
4. Without Religion the Government of a Free People Cannot be Maintained.
5. All Things Were Created by God, Therefore upon Him All Mankind are Equally Dependent, and to Him They are Equally Responsible.
6. All Men are Created Equal.
7. The Proper Role of Government is to Protect Equal Rights, Not Provide Equal Things.
8. Men are Endowed by Their Creator with Certain Unalienable Rights.
9. To Protect Man’s Rights, God has Revealed Certain Principles of Divine Law.
10. The God-given Right to Govern is Vested in the Sovereign Authority of the Whole People.
11. The Majority of the People may Alter or Abolish a Government Which has Become Tyrannical.
12. The United States of America Shall be a Republic.
13. A Constitution Should be Structured to Permanently Protect the People from the Human Frailties of their Rulers.
14. Life and Liberty are Secure Only so Long as the Right to Property is Secure.
15. The Highest Level of Prosperity Occurs when there is a Free-market Economy and a Minimum of Government Regulations.
16. The Government Should be Separated into Three Branches – Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
17. A System of Checks and Balances Should be Adopted to Prevent the Abuse of Power.
18. The Unalienable Rights of the People are Most Likely to be Preserved if the Principles of Government are Set Forth in a Written Constitution.
19. Only Limited and Carefully Defined Powers Should be Delegated to Government, All Others Being Retained in the People.
20. Efficiency and Dispatch Require Government to Operate According to the Will of the Majority, but Constitutional Provisions Must be Made To Protect the Rights of the Minority.
21. Strong Local Self-government is the Keystone to Preserving Human Freedom.
22. A Free People Should be Governed by Law and Not by the Whims of Men.
23. A Free Society Cannot Survive as a Republic Without a Broad Program of General Education.
24. A Free People Will Not Survive Unless They Stay Strong.
25. Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship with All Nations – Entangling Alliances with None.
26. The Core Unit Which Determines the Strength of Any Society is the Family; Therefore, the Government Should Foster and Protect Its Integrity.
27. The Burden of Debt is as Destructive to Freedom as Subjugation by Conquest.
28. The United States Has a Manifest Destiny to be an Example and a Blessing to the Entire Human Race.
“I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant, and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.” – John Adams
Our nation has a wonderful story. We should seek to learn about it, talk about it, and teach it to our children. It is truly a miracle that the Founders, coming from so many different backgrounds, could unite and support the Principles of Freedom embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
God Bless America!
June 29, 2011
Picture from DisZine
Cars 2 is a great movie for small children. Mater steals the show in this sequel. Some reviews and critics that I have read have expressed surprise that Mater gets the prominent emphasis in the sequel, but they may not be thinking about the boys under age eight that respond more to his character than that of Lightning McQueen.
As a person who self-professes love for movies, it is somewhat surprising that I only go to the movie theater a few times a year. There are many reasons for this, but a significant reason is that it is easier to watch a movie at home with small children, where it can be paused or stopped, and where they can be noisy without disturbing anyone. As such, I usually wait for family movies to come out on DVD.
Given this background, it comes somewhat as a shock to pay full fare for a first run flick. My kids’ mom watched the youngest child, while I took the older two to the theater. We saw a matinee (which is cheaper than the evening show) and it cost us 2,200 pennies to get in. This price was for one adult and two children. A scan of our ticket stubs is included in this post.
I won’t complain about the snack bar prices, as I know that is the only source of real profit for the theater owner. Most of the revenue from ticket sales goes to the big Hollywood studios. The snack bar is what pays the bills for the local theater operator.
Now, dating myself, I will note that when I was a teenager, I would go to the newest theater in my town, and pay three dollars for a matinee, or five dollars for an evening show. Enough with the talk of “back in my day” and back to this new movie.
Cars 2 is almost completely different from the original. Very little of the movie is set in the charming back-country fictional town of Radiator Springs. The sequel is like a James Bond, Agent 007, style spy flick. It comes complete with guns, explosions, and violence.
The bad guys consist of cars like Gremlins, Pacers, and Yugos.
One somewhat disturbing scene portrays a car being tortured, by having its engine revved up to the point that it explodes (off screen). As a father, this was the most uncomfortable part of the show for me.
Mater is mistaken by British spy “Fin McMissile” for an American agent he is to rendezvous with, and from there the hi-jinks continue until the very end. Lightning continues racing oblivious to the spy-action taking place around him, while Mater gets himself in the thick of the action without realizing what is going on.
The racing in this sequel is not modeled after NASCAR like the original, but instead has more of a Formula 1 feel, with international road courses in large cities around the globe. This is very different from Radiator Springs indeed.
I won’t provide any more spoilers here, but highly recommend this latest movie from the folks at Disney/Pixar that produced it.
Cars 2 is rated “G”.
June 9, 2011
Sunnyside Transformation Yakima Valley, also known as Transformation Sunnyside posted a video online made up of interviews with local residents. I thought it was interesting, and am embedding it here for readers to watch.
Two of the interviews were done in Spanish, which presented a problem for me, as I do not speak that language. The solution came when I contacted a staff member at BLOGSUNNYSIDE LANGUAGE SERVICES, a division of BLOGSUNNYSIDE. The staff member gave me this summary of what the Spanish-speakers were saying:
The guy talking in Spanish is the owner of El Conquistador.
Paraphrased version of what he said:
“That us Hispanics unite more and combat all that is happening here–weapons and drugs. We need to unite in more things so what is happening doesn’t continue to this day in Sunnyside. I’ve been in Sunnyside since 94′ and lately there’s been a lot of different things going on. It is something much really different that is happening and hopefully everyone watching helps.”
The lady at the salon(paraphrased):
“We are tired here in the community of Sunnyside to see so many vagabonds. What we want is everyone to unite and make a change. Programs need to be created for the youth–more sports. What they had they took it away. That’s what I ask for.
Us parents are willing to support the kids but we need more programs created for them–more places for them to go. The police need to act when they really need to act–and more police should be hired. Our taxes should be invested in that. Something for the kids to do will help them avoid the streets and gangs.”
Having provided that explanation, let me further say that Transformation Sunnyside is an independent group not affiliated with me, or BLOGSUNNYSIDE. My posting of this video does not necessarily mean that I share the opinions expressed, or that those in the video share mine.
With that said, here is the video:
May 31, 2011 2 Comments
Sunnyside needs to have a meaningful conversation about both problems and solutions. By Sunnyside, I mean everyone in the community. By community, I mean Sunnyside, Outlook, Mabton, and other nearby areas that may or may not be in the city limits. By everyone, I mean all of us.
What I am about to suggest can be implemented in a multitude of ways, by any number of churches and organizations. Yes, I mentioned churches, and I will come back to that in a moment.
In a recent post, I mentioned some things I have heard in the community about why we have a gang problem that is so disruptive to our quality of life in Sunnyside. The series of “I blame” statements have really ticked off some people, that would just rather not have that kind of conversation. You know the type of person I am talking about here, they might be a family member saying something like:
“It’s really not proper for us to discuss your uncle’s alcohol problem.”
They will say this to you after your critical statement, immediately following your uncle’s arrest for DUI for the eighth time.
Much like families and individuals need to admit when alcoholism is a problem, we as a community need to come together to find solutions to our gang problem. Ignoring the issue, or not wanting to discuss it will not help the situation.
“Blaming” people or organizations will not solve the problem, but we need to understand different perspectives to help us all work together. All of the “blame” statements I listed, have been things people have said to me since I moved here. There are more that I did not list, and I am sure you have heard enough to fill entire books yourself.
I met an acquaintance of mine for coffee recently, and he shared with me an idea for churches to implement a mentoring program to help with youth. He said that he believes the median age of Sunnyside residents is 25. This means we need to engage this youthful population in more substantial ways than we are doing now.
Personally, I like his idea. I am aware of some conversation taking place between the City Manager and Council Members about the feasibility of starting Boys and Girls Clubs here, or having Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in Sunnyside.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters is proven by independent research to improve children’s odds for succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and breaking negative cycles.” Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters
I am in favor of all of these types of approaches.
There is no silver bullet that will solve what is a deeply entrenched problem that exists in a culture that has allowed it to grow.
News coverage of late has reported on suppression plan ideas from the Sunnyside Police Department. These are critical in eliminating the really bad offenders from the City. However, there is more that will need to be done by others outside of the law enforcement community.
If mentoring programs can help some of our youth, I am all for them. Let’s continue that conversation in Sunnyside. Let’s talk about some concrete steps we can take to stop the violence, while engaging those that are in the age group where they are most susceptible to falling into the destructive lifestyle of a gang member.
This should not be something we put off on government, although local government may be in a position to help facilitate some of the efforts. We need churches to engage the youth directly, and in a meaningful way. We need businesses and individuals to support these efforts, financially, and through volunteering.
To defeat the enemy, we need the entire community involved. The police department’s gang elimination strategy recognizes that other agencies and organizations need to help in this effort.
Let’s all have a meaningful conversation about it. We can not ignore the problem, and expect things to improve.
May 3, 2011 1 Comment
The Sunnyside City Council held a workshop meeting Monday night which included an update on the Yakima County Detention Facility, and a presentation from Sunnyside Police on their Gang Elimination Plan.
All members of the council were present, with the exception of Pablo Garcia, who begged off due to a work conflict. Council Members voted to excuse the absence. Theresa Hancock asked if it was required for Council Members to attend workshops. Mayor Restucci informed her that Council Members are required to attend ALL meetings.
County Commissioner Kevin Bouchey, who is also Chairman of the county’s gang commission, addressed the City Council and informed them that the county would continue to cut bed space for juvenile defenders unless municipalities like Sunnyside dramatically increase funding for them. Bouchey said that the county currently spends 82% of its budget on law, justice, and public safety issues, but it is still not enough to provide jail space for juveniles.
Municipalities like Sunnyside rely on the county to house juvenile offenders because it falls under the auspices of Yakima County Superior Court. Under the proposed plan, the county would commit to keeping at least 42 beds for juveniles, and use additional funds from municipalities to pay for some additional beds.
Deputy Mayor Paulakis asked if parents of juveniles could shoulder some of the cost of keeping their kids in jail. He was told that in Yakima County the sliding fee scale that is charged to parents does not collect very much, if at all, in most circumstances.
Council Member Vlieger noted that in 1995 the county had twice as many juvenile beds, despite not having revenue from the 3/10 sales tax for law and justice. ”What happened?”, asked Vlieger. Bouchey said expenses have outpaced revenue.
Mayor Restucci noted that even if Sunnyside joins the plan as proposed, the city would still not have any dedicated juvenile bed-space, but would be sharing with everyone in the county.
Council consensus is to bring the matter back for further discussion at another workshop, with greater detail from the county on how funds are being spent, and how a new “gang court” for juveniles will impact the detention center.
Sunnyside Deputy Police Chief Phil Schenck
A large portion of the meeting was spent as Deputy Police Chief Schenck and Officer Chumley reviewed their strategy for making Sunnyside the safest community in the state of Washington.
Schenck said that we need to break with some of the ideas that have been tried in the past because they are not working. He said that the police can not be everything for everybody, and that they need to focus on what they do best: suppression. Schenck said it is critical to work with other agencies like CPS, the hospital, and Sunnyside’s Promise, as they are needed to solve the problem. However, he said, the role of the police should be on stopping gangs.
“If we don’t stop gangs, we will not see businesses take off, or new industries come to Sunnyside. That is not acceptable; we want opportunities for our kids,” said Schenck.
The presentation was patterned in some respects after military doctrine for fighting terrorism, with counter-insurgency strategies being employed. Schenck is a former U.S. Army officer, and has a lengthy career in law enforcement. The call for “total warfare” against gangs was made, with a community-wide effort required to make it successful.
Schenck cautioned that trying to implement everything in the plan immediately would not effective, as additional resources and staffing are needed for some of the component pieces. For example, the Sunnyside Police have not yet hired a crime analyst that will help them target patrols to problem areas, while maintaining general security for the rest of the city.
Officer Chumley spoke of Winston Churchill calling for eliminating every means of support for the enemy in World War II. He said the same needs to be done in the fight against gangs. Chumley also noted that Sunnyside is not the first to compare gangs to terrorists. He said the state of California labelled them as domestic terrorists in legislation passed in the 1980′s.
Schenck and Chumley both said that the community feels terrorized, and cited increasing numbers of applications for concealed weapons permits to back it up.
Schenck said that prevention and intervention efforts are useful and needed in the community, but can only be effective if we have suppression that works. He added, “The suppression side is the most cost effective thing that is needed right now.”
The council decided to consider a resolution of support for the plan at a future meeting.
March 23, 2011 9 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
Recently, a resident of the City of Sunnyside received a utility bill from the city, and being a responsible person, promptly paid it. The city was kind enough to put a notice in Spanish on the bill, notifying the resident of the due date for payment. This was encouraging to the resident, who happened to have some extra Mexican Pesos laying about, and enjoys living in a city that is sensitive to people of diverse backgrounds. The resident made their payment at City Hall, and went about their business unaware of the pending police visit they were about to receive.
Billing From the City Includes Both English and Spanish Information
What the resident did not know, however, is that the Chief of Police would be dispatched to hunt them down for the heinous act of paying the bill in such currency. The City Manager penned a letter to the resident, declining acceptance of the payment, and threatening to tack on additional fees if they did not render unto Caesar in U.S. dollars. Here is a copy of the letter:
Mark Gervasi's Letter Delivered Under Armed Messenger
Attempts to reach City Manager Mark Gervasi with questions regarding payment policies for utility bills, taxes, and fees were unsuccessful this week. It is not clear if the city has any formal policy regarding payments made by residents, or when such a policy may have gone into effect. It is also not known if the police will be dispatched for anyone else seen flashing pesos within city limits.
February 10, 2011 2 Comments
The first nominee for the “Soft On Crime Hall Of Shame” was first announced on the Friends of Sunnyside website, and is now being listed here:
- WA State Senator Prentice
Senator Margarita Prentice of Seattle killed an anti-gang bill that was overwhelmingly passed in the State House and endorsed by every police chief in Washington. She is our first nominee for the “Soft on Crime Hall of Shame.”
Stay tuned…
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