this is shocking and unbelievable

what? that domestic violence happens? HELL NO. it happens in poor homes, in rich homes. in amish homes, in hindu homes, in white homes, in asian homes, in homes where there are kids and homes where there are no kids. most of the time it happens to women, but it does happen to men as well. it happens MOST of the time behind closed doors although sometimes right out in the open. so why am i shocked? this article states THERE IS AN AVERAGE OF A 20% CONVICTION RATE. what? 20% conviction rate? that is sick-making. that is a crime in itself.

are we not worth protecting? are we not taking domestic violence seriously? (the answers to those two questions is no and no obviously)

it's a crime stemming from insecurity. the abusers want POWER and CONTROL. a 2 day stay in the slammer isn't going to 'cure' that (and neither is a forced enrollment in some half-assed class by the way).

how many murders or near murders stemming from domestic violence have happened in connecticut of late? think about it


Courts In Connecticut Vary Widely On Handling Increasing Number Of Domestic Violence Cases

By JOSH KOVNER The Hartford Courant
BRIDGEPORT — - Jaime Acosta, with a two-year jail term hanging over his head for a domestic violence offense, squirms as he stands before Judge Maria Kahn in Superior Court.

He's in the crowded family violence courtroom for a progress report, and the judge has just reminded him he's got a choice: Finish an intensive batterers-intervention program and see the prison sentence and his guilty plea erased, or go to jail. Acosta opts for the program.

"Oh, and he's still having the jealousy issues," prosecutor Judy Stevens says of the 48-year-old Acosta. "I'll ask the program to address that in the classes," Stevens tells the judge, nodding at Roseanne Esposito, who is sitting a few feet away with a notebook on her lap. Esposito's agency runs the batterers' program.

Sounds simple, but this example of the teamwork in Bridgeport, and the fact that specially assigned prosecutors, public defenders, family-relations staffers and a judge handle every domestic violence case that comes into the courthouse, sets Bridgeport apart from many of the other courts in Connecticut.

Despite an increasing family violence caseload statewide, there remains a wide disparity in the way state courts handle these cases, from pushing defendants to go through intense programs under the threat of jail to going little beyond the standard prosecution..................

i understand loving your child

no matter what. i get THAT part. i don't get the part where you lie for them. where you actually FABRICATE FALSE EVIDENCE. where you deny they are capable of wrong doing when in fact you know in your heart of hears they ARE let's say sex offenders criminals. putting all that aside, to purposely lie to keep your child out of jail when you KNOW if that child is out of jail they most likely WILL CONTINUE TO hurt girls commit crimes..................that is beyond my understanding

if i were the judge and/or the prosecutor i would NOT allow that parent to see their incarcerated child AND i would impose a very heavy sentence upon them AND MAKE THEM DO THE WHOLE STINT
Sex Offender's Mother Gets Probation For Perjury
By DAVID OWENS The Hartford Courant

ROCKVILLE - The mother of a sex offender from Tolland has admitted that she lied during a court hearing two years ago as she tried to keep her son from being sent to jail.

Gail Shefelbine, 67, pleaded guilty to a single count of perjury in Superior Court and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. She'd initially faced nine counts of perjury.

Shefelbine was arrested in November 2008 after an inspector in the Tolland State's Attorney's office found evidence that she had lied and tried to fabricate evidence during a July 2007 hearing where the state sought to revoke Scott Shefelbine's bail and send him to jail.

Shefelbine, who's serving a 20-year sentence for sexually assaulting five girls, ages 14 to 18, was free on $1.5 million bail at the time and being electronically monitored as his case was pending. A judge also ordered that he not leave his parents' Mountain Springs Road home except for medical and legal appointments and church...........

don't forget my little chickies

it's the hartford marathon tomorrow!


(By

Jeffrey B. Cohen

)

Technorati Tags:hartford marathon, hartford road closures
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

the following letter was sent to the hartford courant

and as far as i can tell was NOT published there. i believe mr drescher also sent it on to the manchester journal inquirer and i do believe it WAS published there.

as you are aware, smoke, fire and angels by mark robinson is a book and a subject that is near and dear to my heart. i was beyond appalled the courant prominently featured the OTHER book all over the front page for DAYS as well as all over their website for DAYS. it sickened ME and it sure as shite should have sickened the rest of the state world. the OTHER book never should have happened anyway. PERIOD. the OTHER book was written NOT to explain a story but to make a profit. of that i am sure

unlike the evil ugly filth spewed forth in the OTHER book, smoke, fire and angels tells the story of everyday brave heroic people. unlike the OTHER book, the proceeds from smoke fire and angels is going to a fund for the victims of the avon mountain accident.

just needed to get that off of my chest

and i'd like to thank mr drescher for his graciousness

Courant readers learned about two new books last week. The first is about the deadly Avon Mountain crash in 2005, written by Mark Robinson, a survivor. Based on interviews with other survivors, rescue workers and officials, the self-published book is an inspiring account of people coming together to save lives and help the injured. It is a remarkable effort. The author has earmarked all proceeds of sales to a fund to help other survivors. On Friday, the Courant placed a brief item about the book under Farmington Valley Local News.

The next day, the Courant reported on another new book, apparently based largely on the account of one of the accused killers of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters in 2007. This article appeared at the top of page 1 and jumped inside. The article says the author spoke with the accused three times in jail, and received letters from him describing his own relatively passive role in the events. Neither of the accused has yet come to trial. The article included lurid descriptions from the book and a self-congratulatory quote from the author.

The Courant’s treatment of these two books is striking. The crime-based book receives front-page attention, timed with developments in the pending trials of the accused killers. Robinson’s book gets a footnote. The Courant editors have delivered their own verdict on the significance of these books. I invite readers to decide which of the two is more deserving of their time, attention and money.

Howard Drescher

Mansfield Center

Technorati Tags:smoke fire and angels, mark robinson, howard drescher, the hartford courant, avon mountain accident
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

flowers

i wanted to link to

clearwater initiative. the more i read about u.s. army captain benjamin a. sklaver, the more i know how special he was
 Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Remembered As Hero, Humanitarian
By PETER MARTEKA The Hartford Courant


and another story:

Statement on the death of Cpt. Benjamin A. Sklaver

Editor's Note:

Ben Sklaver, 32, is the first cousin of Jodi Summit, of Tower, Minn. He was killed Friday while on patrol in Aghanistan. This statement is provided for regular readers of the Timberjay as well as media from across the country that are reporting on his death.


STATEMENT:
The family and friends of Benjamin A. Sklaver mourned his death and celebrated his inspirational life during funeral services held Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Congregation Mishkan Israel, in Hamden, Conn.
The son of Gary and Laura Sklaver, of Hamden, Army Captain Sklaver was killed Oct. 2 by a suicide bomber while on foot patrol in the Afghan village of Murcheh, located in Kandahar province in southwestern Afghanistan. A fellow U.S. soldier and an Afghan interpreter were also killed in the blast.
While Ben was just 32 years old, he had already made a tremendous mark in the world. A 1999 graduate of Tufts University, he went on to obtain a graduate degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, also at Tufts. He took a particular interest in assisting refugees and the poor in Africa. During his studies at the Fletcher School, he volunteered for the Army Reserve and following completion of his degree, he served with the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta in that agency’s International Emergency and Refugee Health Branch..........
pic: Army Captain Benjamin Sklaver hands out soccer balls to a group of children in Djibouti in 2006.  

it's not so much her failure to vote in other elections

although i DO think that is reprehensible. i have voted since i turned 18. i believe i've only missed voting in two elections since then (and they were minor ones, but still i feel guilt over them). as a general rule, there is NO excuse for an american to make it a practice NOT to vote.

BUT that's not what bothers me the most about linda. what bothers me the most is her being part of an organization that brutalizes women, portrays them in negative lights and yes, even has MEN hitting women.

she could be mother theresa (but i am not mother theresa's biggest fan i must admit) but her acceptance and promotion of an organization that hinders and mistreats women is enough to say SHITE ON HER

violence against women is just wrong. period. even if it's play acting

A Senate Candidate Accustomed to Being Thrown in the Ring 

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

She emerges from an apparent coma and kicks her cheating husband in the groin. In a showdown with her daughter, she goes flying to the mat after her daughter smacks her in the face. And, after a black-booted bald man hoists her feet-first in the air, she falls on her back, bouncing slightly in her business suit before splaying helplessly on the ground. 

As Linda E. McMahon and her husband built a small family business into the billion-dollar empire of World Wrestling Entertainment, she was more than its chief executive: She was sometimes a character in its wrestling matches’ soap-opera style story lines involving family quarrels, infidelity and, of course, mock violence.

Now, Ms. McMahon is playing to a new audience, as she seeks the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who finds himself among the most vulnerable of Senate Democrats. Mr. Dodd, who has been in office for nearly three decades, is among the most powerful members of the Senate, heading the Banking Committee as it seeks to overhaul the nation’s financial system........

oh here's an example for you:

CANADIAN BROADCAST STANDARDS COUNCIL

NATIONAL SPECIALTY SERVICES PANEL

TSN re WWF Monday Night Raw

.......................For purposes of this decision, the principal event during the course of that episode is a tag team match between the Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and Devon) and Billy & Huck.  At one point during the match, the Dudley Boyz's manager/valet, Stacy Keibler, attempts to distract one of her team's opponents by provocatively wiggling her posterior.  When the wrestler ignores her, she becomes annoyed, climbs into the ring and hits him on the back with a championship belt.  This interference results in the automatic disqualification of the Dudley Boyz.  In their anger and frustration at being disqualified, the Dudley Boyz yell at Stacy and, as she tries to leave the ring, Bubba Ray grabs and pulls her by the hair.  While she pleads with them, he continues to hold her by the hair, before pushing her up against the ropes.  Bubba Ray then makes a ceremonious call for the "table".  Devon then brings out a folding conference table stored under the ring.  He hoists Stacy onto Bubba Ray's shoulders.  Bubba Ray then jumps off the ropes and slams Stacy into the table, breaking it. This scene is replayed twice.  Stacy then lies, apparently unconscious, in the ring, while the two male wrestlers give each other a congratulatory high-five.............................

to the family and friends of captain benjamin a. sklaver

our thoughts and our prayers are with you.

we (i think i can speak for EVERYONE here) are so very sorry for your loss. we are so very grateful for captain sklaver's service.

pic: dover afb. ap

Hamden Native Killed In Afghanistan
By PETER MARTEKA The Hartford Courant

HAMDEN - When the flag-draped casket of U.S. Army Capt. Benjamin A. Sklaver arrived at Dover Air Force Base Saturday, he was not only mourned by his parents and fiancee, but also by thousands of people in Uganda who simply knew him as "Moses Ben," the man who brought them clean and sustainable drinking water.

Sklaver, a 32-year-old Hamden native, was killed in an ambush, possibly by a suicide bomber, while on patrol Friday in Muscheh, Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. Major Charlie Jaworksi, a spokesman for the Army, declined comment on how Sklaver was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom since the Department of Defense had not officially released details early Sunday afternoon.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered the state's flag to half-staff in honor of Sklaver. In Hamden, Benjamin Sklaver's father Gary Sklaver was awaiting the arrival of relatives and friends from across the country and world who are coming for his son's funeral that has tentatively been scheduled for Tuesday. He said his son was a "very bright and ethical man" and was getting married to Beth Segaloff in June. ..


 

ahava kids is an organization i have supported in the past

as a matter of fact, i JUST sent them another donation. i really do hope attorney general richard blumenthal is WRONG and/or mistaken in this case (i really DO have my fingers crossed). oh, not for my money, but for what was supposed to be happening WITH my money and everyone else's money. damn damn damn if this is true

AG Says Orphan Rescuer Misused Cash

AG claims Ahava Kids founder misused $100,000

By LEANNE GENDREAU

Raymond Bechard’s mission seemed noble. The charity he founded claimed to serve vulnerable people -- victims of human trafficking and orphaned children with AIDS. But Attorney General Richard Blumenthal claims much of the money never went to help anyone other than Bechard himself.

Blumenthal has filed a lawsuit against Bechard, accusing him of pilfering up to $100,000 of $250,000 raised through Ahava Kids, Inc., an organization Bechard started in 2004 that was supposed to be a non-profit.

The Ahava Kids Web site shows sad children’s eyes and claims “your love is their last, best hope.” The plea for money says donations would help rescue victims in the United States and throughout the world.

Funds were also meant to go toward operating a hotline and safe houses, including one in Connecticut and one in Georgia, as well as to help prostitutes and to distribute AIDS medication to orphaned children in third-world countries..........

they (finally) caught and arrested heather brown

who is accused of robbing six banks in six days. it was only a matter of time. although i did think they'd catch her before now


Suspected Serial Bank Bandit Nabbed

Lawyer says drugs could be behind robberies (duhhhh)

By AMANDA RAUS

With the hood of her sweatshirt covering her face, Heather Brown, 34, was escorted into the Montville State Police barracks to be booked. She's been formally charged with the September 21, 2009, robbery of a Citizen's Bank in Montville. Police believe she could be responsible for five others in the area.

"Different law enforcement agencies are probably working on their arrests warrants as we speak," said State Police Sgt. Chris Johnson.

After evading authorities for a week, police tracked down Brown in the north end of Hartford. They say they had information that she may be buying drugs in the area, so they staked out the neighborhood. When her truck pulled in, they quickly arrested her................

pic from the article at nbcconnecticut linked above

and now for something COMPLETELY different!

i do so hope she or he finds it's way home. they don't belong in connecticut and our weather is getting COLDER now.

Manatee makes waves at Milford harbor
By Michael P. Mayko
STAFF WRITER

They weigh about 1,000 pounds, stretch about 10 feet long and rarely swim past Georgia.

But on Saturday afternoon a manatee, often called a sea cow, seemed to enjoy the attention and even posed for pictures as it swam and surfaced in the warm waters of Milford Harbor.

Kristin Richardson and her husband, Rick, were among the nearly 200 people who came down to the harbor to get a rare look at the threatened species Saturday afternoon.

"I was extremely shocked," said Richardson, who, with her husband and their 3-month-old son, Cole, were strolling through an arts and craft fair on the Milford Green when they decided to take a detour down to the dock shortly before 2 p.m.

There, near the footbridge behind the library, was the manatee basking in the attention.............

pic: from the connecticut post article (seems to be no credit there) Saturday afternoon a manatee, often called a sea cow, seemed to enjoy the attention and even posed for pictures as it swam and surfaced in the warm waters of Milford Harbor.

does she think she's NOT going to get caught?

i don't understand, i don't. she gets OUT of the joint after doing time for robbery and now she's at it again (allegedly although this sure as shite appears to be a picture of HER ROBBING A BANK).


Bank Bandit Strikes Again

By BEN SOSENKO

Another day, another bank in Connecticut is robbed. The Connecticut Bank and Trust Company was robbed just before noon Saturday morning. That makes six banks in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that have been robbed since last Monday and police think it is all by the same woman.

The woman police are calling a "person of interest" in the robberies is Heather Brown of Norwich. The New London Day reported that Brown was recently released from prison for a bank robbery in Groton City three years ago.

Each robbery has the same pattern. The woman captured on surveillance pictures has walked in to the banks, claimed she had a bomb, and walked out with cash.

Emma Gilbert who works near the CBT in Windsor says she is shocked it happened here. "A bank robbery is just unheard of in Windsor," Gilbert said. "It's something very real that people don't expect to happen every day."......

the half door's 10th anniversary is today

the half door

do stop by if you're in the greater hartford area. it's a low country boil AND a bbq. i'm vegan BUT i will tell you everyone was raving about the chow AND i brought my pops home some ribs and my car actually smelled GOOD (i'm not even kidding).

anyway, you will not see me tonight. if you know me you know i keep odd hours. i did my time there earlier. DO GO. music, food, beverages and of course eddie and erin behind the bar

perhaps more evidence found in the murder case of annie le

wow, i would have thought they went over that area with a fine tooth comb. it's rather odd an employee found the new evidence in a drain pipe (as in what was an employee doing looking in a drain pipe???? although i guess the pipe could have been clogged and maintenance could have been asked to look into it and THEY found the clothing. hmmmmmmm don't know. all speculation on my part)

and once again there are ALL sorts of links in the courant story which is the link below


Potential New Evidence In Yale Murder Case
The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN — - State police on Sunday returned to the Yale research lab building where the body of 24-year-old graduate student Annie Le was found a week earlier after the discovery of potential new evidence.

The State Police Central District Crime Squad was called to 10 Amistad St. after an employee discovered clothing in the basement area, apparently in some kind of drain pipe. The evidence was removed for testing.

On Wednesday, the Western District Crime Squad was called to the building to flush out and search other drain pipes in the basement area. No additional evidence was found.

Officer Joe Avery, a New Haven police spokesman, said police recovered "possible evidence or something related to the case," but he declined to elaborate.

"We've never really been totally out of there," Avery said. "We've been back and forth, and we're still in and out of there. This is a big case, and we're going to cross every 't' and dot every 'i.'"............



Funeral Set Today In California For Slain Yale Graduate Student Annie Le
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. - A funeral for Annie Le, the Yale graduate student killed earlier this month, has been scheduled for today in California, a family spokesman said.

Family members and close friends will attend the funeral at Holy Trinity Church in El Dorado Hills, Calif., said the Rev. Dennis Smith, a New Haven pastor who has served as a family spokesman.......

the moral of the story is

don't come across the border from ny and try to sing karaoke in connecticut! there are lovely pics of the SUSPECTS at the link below if you're so inclined to see 'em



Belted After Belting Out Badly

By LEANNE GENDREAU

More than a New York woman’s ego was wounded when six women beat her up over a bad karaoke performance in Stamford, police said.

The 25-year-old woman from Port Chester, New York, was singing at Bobby Valentine’s Restaurant on Wednesday night when six women made some derogatory comments about the victim’s inability to sing, police said. What she was singing, we have no idea.

Then, in a move that makes Simon Cowell seem kind, the girl fight started, according to police.....

more smoke fire and angels (book) coverage

 

smoke fire and angels

my friend mark robinson

was interviewed by wfsb yesterday

they don't say anywhere in the interview ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE BOOK (which can be purchased through the site smoke fire and angels) go to a fund for the victims and their families. SO I'M SAYING IT (again).

i read half of the book a long time ago when mark gave me an initial draft of the first few chapters. i was impressed then but i am more impressed now. mark not only tells you the story of the victims and those that shared their lives BUT he even tells you about the inner workings of a dump truck, the history (as in geology) of how avon mountain got here. he gives us background on the angels (including one doc who treated people at the scene and disappeared into the smoke never to be identified). mark did amazing reasearch.

the book is $20.00 (all inclusive). order it from the site please (if you get it in borders they keep part of the proceeds). OR if you see me anywhere, i have copies. i'll always have copies with me. just stop me and say HEY A ROSE IS A ROSE, toss one o' them thar books over ta me!

channel 3 video link

Surivor Details Avon Mountain Crash In Book
Author Tells Stories Of Victims, Rescuers
AVON, Conn. -- A survivor of the deadly Avon Mountain crash is telling his story in a new book.A dump truck slammed into traffic at the base of the mountain in 2005, killing five people.Crash survivor Mark Robinson not only lived through the crash, but also interviewed nearly 100 witnesses and victims for the book, “Smoke, Fire And Angels.”“I don’t remember a thing – it’s just a blank in my mind – and so naturally I’ve had a curiosity,” Robinson said. “I was in the front row of this event and I don’t remember a thing.”On July 29, 2005, Robinson said he was on Route 44 headed from Canton to Hartford, where he worked at ING. He said he was thinking about how he should have left an hour earlier.....

smoke fire and angels

just a couple of my previous postings

here
here
and
here

i knew andy at cool justice would have a posting

and his is the one i want to link to

Jim Irwin, 1936-2009, Friend Of Young Writers

Irwin founded the Young Writers Trust in 1998. Douskey, an original board member of The Trust, has also served as President of IMPAC University in Punta Gorda, FL.

Today, the Connecticut Young Writers competition continues to affirm the work of young poets and writers while celebrating their accomplishments. The Young Writers Trust has given more than $182,000 to Connecticut’s best young writers since 1998.

IMPAC Chairman Jim Irwin and retired Connecticut State University System Chancellor William Cibes expanded the Young Writers Program from Litchfield County to cover the entire state in 2000.

IMPAC, a leading global productivity firm, sponsors the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, which, at 100,000 euros, is the largest in the world for a single work of fiction.

Jim Irwin was a great friend to young writers all over the world. He was a fierce and relentless advocate for free expression.............
pic:
-- Photos Courtesy of Connecticut Young Writers Trust
Jim Irwin, right, at the Litchfield Inn several years ago with friend and colleague Franz Douskey, the poet and writer.

domestic violence - BREAK THE CYCLE

over the years i've worked at various shelters for women and children. i've done everything from yard work to washing windows to cooking to holding the hand of a crying woman to holding the hand of a laughing woman.

shelters for victims of domestic abuse are (unfortunately) more than necessary. i have read due to the economy, many (in other states) have been closing. we can't let that happen UNTIL WE STAMP OUT ABUSE

interval house

Men Announce Domestic Violence Initiative
By HILDA MUÑOZ The Hartford Courant

HARTFORD — - Some 30 prominent men from businesses, television news stations, law enforcement and several other agencies in Connecticut gathered at the Legislative Office Building this morning to announce a new initiative in the battle against domestic violence.

The men pledged to help Interval House, a non-profit domestic violence intervention and prevention program, combat the crime by helping to educate children and families to raising money,

"Domestic violence is a cycle that can stop if we provide the leadership. I truly believe that men can make a difference. We're coming to learn, listen and lend a hand, but also to lead," said Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

Blumenthal is chairman of Interval House's Men Against Domestic Violence Campaign: "Men Make a Difference." They have been recruiting men to join their efforts since July.

One of way of breaking the cycle is awareness, Blumenthal said, and several television news stations have vowed to help with education and outreach. Brad Drazen, a news anchor for WVIT 30 ( NBC Connecticut), is planning on doing public service announcements with Blumenthal..............

that's a wrap on the investigation of the murder of annie le

may she rest in peace. may her family, friends and fiance find peace in their lives as well. the world was devastated, i can only imagine how they feel

New Haven Police Done With Le's Murder Investigation; No More Arrests Expected
By ALAINE GRIFFIN The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN — - Police have wrapped up their investigation of the slaying of Yale graduate student Annie Le and are not expecting more arrests, the police chief said Monday.

Police Chief James Lewis said that police on Saturday seized a vehicle owned by the father of Raymond Clark III, but he declined to say why police sought a search warrant for the vehicle.

"But don't read anything into that," Lewis said. "It doesn't mean that somebody else is going to be arrested. We're finishing up the process of looking at evidence and sometimes you never know where that evidence will take you. But for now, we've made the only arrest we expect to make. "

Clark, 24, an animal laboratory technician at Yale, is charged with murder in the killing of Le, a third-year doctoral student in pharmacology at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.......

............In a press release, police said that Dearington asked the department to clarify a report in The New York Post that said the suspect "broke the bones and mangled the body of" Le "to fit it through a wall."

"This information is false and this myth must be dispelled at the request of the state's attorney," Lewis said in the press release.

Lewis told The Courant that such a report needed to be corrected.

"We'd prefer not to have inaccurate statements out there, particularly ones that are so shocking to the public," he said........