Anita Venezia

Agenda 21: Coming Your Way Soon?

March 29, 2013 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

DANVILLE: TOWN FACING OPPOSITION OVER PROPOSED HIGH DENSITY HOUSING

The Town of Danville is facing fierce opposition to a proposal for more high-density, low-cost, multi-family housing projects to build 583 homes — ‘stacked and packed’ — with densities as high as 35 dwelling units per acre. The project does not include any Section 8 housing to be added to the seven such units already located in Danville.

The Town Council and Planning Commission Public Meetings over the past few months have been packed with more than 200 concerned, and often passionate, but civil residents. Many Danville citizens are against changing the General Plan’s existing zoning to add more cluster housing projects in twelve targeted Downtown parcels, with two adjacent to I-680.

Though many people in Danville are still unaware of the proposed clustered housing developments, hundreds of citizens have packed the public meetings. Voters express concerns that their elected councilmembers may appear to be relinquishing local control to outside advisory bureaucrat organizations such as ABAG—Association of Bay Area Governments. ABAG projects population growth, housing needs, and the areas’ jobs potential, and makes recommendations accordingly.

Some concerned citizens feel that council members may not be considering what is in the best interest of Danville by abdicating their once-promised platforms of adhering to the Town’s best interest, and conserving the community’s quality of life.

Some important facts: All communities in California are required by State law to provide for their “fair share” of regional housing needs allocations (RHNA). The “fair share” for Danville for 2007-2014 was defined by ABAG as 583 housing units, including 326 units of affordable to low income households. The Town’s preliminary fair share for 2014-2022 (not yet adopted by ABAG) will add another 555 units, including 306 affordable to low income, and very low income households. In addition, every eight years ABAG will make another demand for more high density low income units to be planned for Danville.

Current allocations are based on ABAG’s projections of 10% per decade growth in Danville. This is twice as high as the State Department of Finance projections of 5%. Danville’s actual growth in the 12 years from 2000 to 2012 was only 1.2%! These projections translate directly into higher pack and stack housing allocations. Many citizens are concerned that the Town has not challenged ABAG’s obviously erroneous projections. Town officials may fear that if they challenge the allocations, ABAG may retaliate.

ABAG has told the Town of Danville that they still have a 9.6 acre shortfall of affordable to low income, and very low income housing of 20 to 35 dwelling units per acre. To get a sense of what density looks like, visualize if three homeowners each lived on a 1/3^rd acre, an acre total, then imagine that there would be 35 homes on that same acre. 35 housing units to one acre equals density.

The other issue that has Danville citizens fuming is the proposed designation of Danville as a Priority Development Area (PDA). This is a brand new designation and it is voluntary—not mandated by ABAG or others. A PDA is defined as an area that plans for a significant increase in housing, including “Affordable” housing units which reduce dependency on automobiles. It is required to be near transit, which means within ½ mile of an existing rail station, ferry terminal, or served by bus or rapid transit corridor with minimum headways of 20 minutes during peak commute periods.

Opponents state that Danville clearly does not qualify as a PDA. They note that Downtown Danville is not an “area having the capacity for infill development at densities that can help sustain public transit, or that the residents would want to identify to the State bureaucrats as an area where future growth will be focused in the coming decades”. The only apparent reason that opponents see Danville’s reason to designate itself as a PDA is that it may possibly get transportation money from the state in the future.

Opponents state that this may be a slippery slope, fraught with risk and fear that the Town may eventually give up local control over its destiny to an unelected regional body. They note that the Town will likely risk mandated waivers to zoning densities and height restrictions, increased housing quotas, and unwanted outsider micro-management.

Friends of Danville is a group of concerned citizens who believe that additional dense construction may lead to further encroachment, impact crime rates, traffic, roads, police and fire services, already-crowded schools, and more vehicles will add pollution. (www.FriendsofDanville.org/ www.CitizensTownHall.org.)

At recent Town Hall Meetings sponsored by several local organizations and individuals opposed to the Draft Plan, Friends of Danville and SOS-Danville (www.sos-danville.com) made presentations about serious questions about the Plan. Former Congressman Bill Baker coordinated questions and comments from the audience about their concerns regarding the potential impacts in the Plan if passed in its current form. Audience members Joe Calabrigo, Danville Town Manager, and Councilmember Robert Storer weighed in with their own comments.

Maryann Cella, of SOS-Danville, had a spirited discussion with Joe Calabrigo about Measure S, an open space protection measure overwhelmingly passed by voters in the 2000 election. SOS-Danville is asking the Town Council to follow the recommendations of the Planning Commission in the Council’s upcoming vote on the Plan.

Opponents of the proposed projects are concerned that the sanction of such dense construction may be the first foot in the door to future clustered housing growth, and they maintain that more multi-family units are unsuitable for the community’s needs. Concerned citizens strive to conserve Danville’s elusive small town character, and preserve the atmosphere as a safe place to live, work and raise families.

Friends of Danville request that the Town of Danville consider the following: Remove Priority Development Area (PDA) Designation from Plan; Challenge Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) housing allocation, and reduce allocation to Danville; Revise Plan to meet only minimum legal requirement mandated by RHNA; Remove Optional Sustainability and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Section from Resources and Hazards, and do not adopt the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP); Remove all Bay Area One SB375 Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) Language from General Plan; Adopt Changes recommended by Maryann Cella; and withdraw from ABAG, Association of Bay Area Governments.

Update: At the March 5^th Danville Town Council Public Hearing, attended by 300+ residents, the Priority Development Area (PDA) Designation was not adopted due to insufficient Council support.

DOES AGENDA 21 RELATE?

On occasion, the subject of Agenda 21 arises when discussing ‘sustainable development’ and the tenets of extreme environmentalism that seems to challenge many communities.

It all started in Rio. Over twenty years ago in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro at the Multi-National Earth Summit, the United Nations’ members sponsored a comprehensible blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by governments, agencies and organizations of 178 nations concerning the direct affect of humans on the earth’s environment.

The Agenda 21 Plan, named for the 21^st century, spells out ‘sustainable development’ guidelines to all-encompassing global sustainable development. The powerful United Nations General Assembly has laid out plans to implement Agenda 21 that influences local government agencies and environmental organizations.

The widening of globalization of ‘sustainability’ and the shift in local decision-making powers addresses the inequalities in education and income, and mandates a halt to the Earth’s continued deterioration of the global environment.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 in Johannesburg affirmed the Agenda 21 framers’ full commitment for complete implementation with four targeted Sections:

I. Social and Economic Dimensions, Combat Poverty, Change Consumption Patterns, Change Populations to Sustainable Settlements and Promote Health;

II. Atmospheric, Combat Deforestation, Protect Fragile Environments, Control Pollution, Biodiversity, Manage Biotechnology;

III. Strengthen Roles in Major Groups, Roles of Children and Women, NGOs, Local Authorities, Indigenous Peoples, Communities and Farmers;

IV. Means of Implementation, Science, Technology, Transfer, International Institutions and Financial Mechanisms.

Repeating patterns in Agenda 21 target certain sections; ‘to spread wealth, and level playing fields’—designed by United Nations’ members to ultimately change our modes of doing business, and the running of our own cities.

Global government agencies can wield powerful jurisdiction in the most crucial areas. One example; organizations and their sub-groups are reaching across international borders to promote ‘sustainability’ recommendations by such acts as the manipulation of water supplies to targeted communities, and attempting control over what we grow and eat, and even how and where we live.

And on more personal levels, ominous controls spill over to our individual habits of food and drink consumption; even travel and fuel usage can be manipulated by the swelling of gasoline prices.

An example of the manipulation of water resources by California government agencies was when allocations to Central Valley Ag-lands were restricted, and diverted into the ocean to protect the ‘endangered’ 2.5-inch delta smelt. Thousands of acres of fields dried up, food production halted; fruit trees withered and died and thousands of jobs were lost.

STRUCTURE OF AGENDA 21 BLUEPRINT

The United Nation’s Agenda 21 poses as a plan for Sustainable Development, cloaked to impose tenets of Social Injustice and Socialism on the world. It is said to be a veiled agenda for the future founding of a One World Government per growth-limiting programs that focus on futurist survivalism.

Members of the Club of Rome, founded in 1968, advise the UN on global well-being over global wealth, and warn of the risk of eventual break-down of world economics and banking systems.

The collective concerns of the CofR are for the future of humanity and the planet, and promote the halt of population growth by demographic change to stop the bankrupting of nature. Through globalization measures; oil, ecosystems and water, they mainly concentrate on food production, health and employment.

Among the illustrious world citizens in the Club of Rome think-tank are; Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, Desmond Tutu, Maurice Strong, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Ted Turner and George Soros—members of diplomacy, industry, and academia that include many Nobel Peace Prize recipients.

The European Union countries, the EU, who are already diluted with less national identity, and porous borders, embrace the tenets of Agenda 21 and the possibility of funding opportunities.

A driving force behind the Agenda 21 Sustainability Developmental framework is the George Soros-sponsored ICLEI organization— International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives—which got its start with a Soros grant of $2,147,415. The ICLEI deeply entrenched the movement in the United States through Local Governments for Sustainability that allows for zoning changes, oversees energy efficiency such as smart meters, and promotes all things green.

Agenda 21 is not a Free Market friend; certain ‘Green and Sustainable’ companies that meet the mandated guidelines may get government funding. Some may stay in business, but many go under like the Solyndra fiasco, and ‘sustainability’ proponents are apt to target the ‘capitalist corporations’ for either valid or trumped-up environmental infractions.

And many critics maintain that through world-wide United Nations-sponsored Green Communitarianism, personal freedoms that we know today may eventually dissolve by regulations set forth by satellite agencies of slow-churning government machines.

Many detractors reject the all-encompassing tenets of Agenda 21, and its insidious indoctrination of extreme environmentalism propaganda, the implementation of radical change, and by surreptitiously inventing an ‘artificial paradise’.

Change is imminent. Government agencies on State levels can implement power, through long-range ‘planning’, by red-lining some targeted privately-owned flatlands, hillsides and ranchlands properties, and earmark for Wetlands, Open Space or Rangeland Conservation.

So what is Agenda 21 and why should we care? Agenda 21 is a United Nations 40-page document with language clearly defining Sustainable Developmental Guidelines scheduled to be implemented in the unknown future; “Land cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principle instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth, and therefore contributes to social injustices; if unchecked it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interest of society as a whole…”

Agenda 21 is viewed by its many international critics as social engineering, extreme environmentalism, and global political control. The UN-sponsored programs promote other nebulous points of interest too, referring to “precautionary principles, biological diversity, ecological integrity, and principles of inter-generational equity”.

Their national strategies for sustainability are through partnership efforts, often NGO-sponsored, with the use of language very much like stealthily concocted Orwellian double-speak written to mean something other than what it actually seems. Could Big-Brotherism be coming to fruition?

A Ten Year Framework on Sustainable Production and Consumption is partnering with an organization called Economic Co-Operation and Development; the OECD. This author’s research could not locate if any of these organizations are government-sponsored, and was unable to confirm who is paying for these programs.

I did discover, however, that the U.S Department of Agriculture has a mission of advancing the principles and goals of sustainable development theory, through partnership collaboration and outreach.

Other mandates in the Agenda 21 documents are; limiting family size; virtual limitation of personal property; government control of fishing and hunting; cap and trade taxation and tariffs; rural depopulation; agrarian reform; exclusion of humans in the wetlands and wildlands; abolition of single family dwellings; control of aquifers to demolish livestock and produce farming. And, an ominous part of the plan is the Monsanto-style super companies’ clandestine development of chemical-resistant super-seeds, hoarded in vaults, for futuristic biosphere-bubble farming.

But, in addition to the abundance of internet information that purports all of this as factual; there are also the conspiracy-driven reports that FEMA-built communities await new occupiers, and that hundreds of planes are secretly spraying crops in the United States, Australia and other regions, unable to camouflage their tale-telling chem-trails of aluminum-chloride and barium that canopy our vast skies.

Could this all be Science Fiction theories of popular culture or harbingers of a New World Order? Think about it. Do your own research and look into the world-wide plans of global consciousness for the United Nations-inspired Agenda 21, and what the Movement may promise in our future, like a foundling, waiting on our own doorsteps.

COMING SOON TO A TOWN NEAR YOU

Readers may take this opinion piece with a grain of salt, or shrug it off as conspiracy theories, or Mon Dieu!—even as science fiction. Nevertheless, the global movement, with eco-spirituality and near-religious fervor, is a creeping ideology; and once the furtive foot is in the door, who knows what yet may come?

Things are already happening; some large parcels of private lands are in jeopardy. A salient example; the State of California, already controlling 51% of California as Public Land, hints of their interest in millions of acres of private ranchlands. Targeted land parcels may soon be forbidden to participate in ranching, farming, vineyards, mining, oil and gas exploration, as well as green energy; wind, solar or geothermal energy production. Agenda 21 guidelines on condemning private property as public domain could destroy property-owner rights as we know them today.

And Agenda 21 Brazil started in November 2012; Federal Brazilian Police, using extreme measures, forced thousands of long-time farmers from their Mato Grosso village at gunpoint, under the guise of returning huge tracts of land to ‘Indians whose ancestors may have lived there at some time’.

Gun-toting police evicted the villagers, stripped the community of property, burned houses, and dehumanized them with persecution, accusing them of being invaders of lands where once lived indigenous peoples. With government-issued orders, supported by the Agenda 21 Movement paradigms, they enforced the mandatory evacuation.

Filed Under: April 2013, Archives, Feature

Interview with Daniel Simpson

November 2, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

I interviewed Daniel Simpson at Danville’s READ Booksellers, promoting his memoir, A Rough Guide to the Dark Side. Had I not sat down with the author and heard his story first-hand, I may have imagined his memoir was fantasy. It was not.

As an ex-New York Times foreign correspondent, he is shrewdly well-seasoned and knows how to hit a nerve. The memoir is a journey to the dark side of reporting—and tweaking stories to fit NYT paradigms of Iraq war-time sensationalism, and smorgasbords of drugs.

The book’s theme is an acutely biting and critical indictment of modern media practices, and how Simpson got mixed up with Serbian underworld thugs. His adroit use of language, peppered with politics, moves through a mazelike exposé of journalistic practices that he deems to be, not only untrue at times, but often having objectives to purposely mislead. He states, in keeping with media convention, some facts are more factual than others, contending that the NYT is a blatant propaganda megaphone.

Daniel Simpson, 37, is an English Cambridge-educated historian. He cut his journalistic teeth at Reuters as financial correspondent in Frankfurt, and then war-torn Macedonia. In 2001 he covered Romania after regime change when Stalinist dictator Nicolai Ceausescu and his wife were assassinated in 1989. He interviewed the assassins whose act had put Ion Iliescu in power, but the executioners got no glory.

NYT noticed Simpson’s Reuters reporting and hired him for the Belgrade bureau to cover political turmoil after Yugoslavia disintegrated. Most Balkan war correspondents had been dispatched to Afghanistan after 9/11.

Simpson was twenty seven; admits to being enormously naïve about NYT expectations, and the post-war Serbian mood. Former Yugoslavia was an ethnic mosaic; many murdered for their beliefs and some Serbian war criminals already at the Hague tribunals.

News about WMDs and terrorism was leaking from many sources after 9/11; the U.S was preparing to invade Iraq. NYT asked Simpson to hype some “news” about Yugoslavia defense companies developing cruise missiles for Iraq. He writes “news came from the Belgrade U.S. embassy; robo-diplomats claimed to have some documenting evidence.” Foreign deskers “wanted stories ‘faked’ to align with the president’s plans.” Editors tweaked his filed reports. The Washington Post had already run with the story. Simpson states he wasn’t big on faked sensation; so he went AWOL on ecstasy.

At the onset of his journalism career, Simpson had had fantasies of adrenalin-inducing excitement, being a front-line correspondent, dodging bullets, scooping stories. The Balkans beat did not offer near-death experiences, albeit Serbia was in post-war turmoil. NYT, publisher of all the news fit to print, wasn’t challenging enough for Simpson; the idealist longed to change things, wanted to revolutionize Serbian youth with music.

“I really thought I could change the world,” he said wryly.

So, with a solid dose of cannabis-fuelled idealism, Simpson partnered with G, a gregarious Serbian concert promoter. The duo burst onto culture-starved post-Milosevic Belgrade to spearhead the 2003 ECHO music festival on the heels of the EXIT extravaganza held each summer in a northern provincial town.

His vision of promoting such an event did not include the doom factor, due diligence, or that he was navigating into the dangerous Serbian mafia underworld.

Distracted by festival planning, and disgusted with the NYT demands to sensationalize stories—Simpson quit. He had bigger fish to fry. So, in true gonzo journalistic style, he put himself in the middle of the action, the neophyte rock-star wannabe starred in his own story. But the protagonist was about to get ripped off.

DARK SIDE GETS DARKER

Although Daniel Simpson quit the New York Times a decade ago, he unabashedly references his former gig to promote his memoir, A Rough Guide to the Dark Side. “It opens doors for me. When someone hears I am an ex-New York Times reporter it adds clout. They all want an interview,” Simpson smiled.

Ten years ago, the then-27-year old journalist had reached a crossroad; the festival was a “transition mechanism” of magnanimous proportions. Sans street-cred or connections, except for G, he chucked journalism to produce the music festival. The man who earned a living asking questions, asked himself the sublime question—why? The answer to the esoteric question revealed he wanted to change things—he yearned to make a difference, bring the Balkans’ fractured factions together with music. He confesses he was heavily into drugs, and dealing.

Daniel Simpson’s avant-garde memoir, A Rough Guide to the Dark Side, reveals his journey; Kerouac’s On the Road comes to mind. Chapter titles reveal the mood; ZERO, LUST, HERESY and REVELATION, as does author’s note; “I hope this isn’t fiction, or one-sided…”

Simpson, with journalistic page-turner brilliance, starts with the killer first line, “I never really meant to join the underworld. I fell in.” He expected to connect with the youth, alter conflict-scarred Serbia by staging ECHO, a summer-of-love Rock Music Festival on Belgrade’s Big War Island in the Danube. He envisioned eclipsing the EXIT festival, a musical marathon-cum-political-protest that boasted 300,000.

Simpson’s memoir reads like fiction, but it’s not. Hooking with politically-connected street-savvy Serbian partners, the ECHO event emerged as Burning Man meets Woodstock.

Politicians and money-men met with Simpson on the strength of his NYT connection; it gave him clout. He knew the U.S. funneled funds to the Otpor youth group to mount resistance to oust Milosevic; some from three-letter U.S. agencies. EXIT had secured 200K. So Simpson, imbued with anti-establishment idealism, and armed by a drug-fuelled ignition switch, secured funding for the project. Drunk with resolve to make a fortune, and unbounded naïveté about the Serbian culture, he and partners succeeded in pulling off the ECHO Music Festival; albeit at great personal cost.

He conceptualized that ECHO would be the magnet to rally dissidents against political corruption, police brutality and decades of discontent, not permitted during Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. Simpson orchestrated ECHO unaware he was treading on dangerous territory; gangsters waited in the wings.

Simpson, still a NYT correspondent during festival planning, filed regularly. When Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was shot in broad daylight near Simpson’s flat, the Times wanted a sensational front page story. Bullets had shredded him; some thought the hit came from the Zemun underworld. Simpson had to work fast to file for the front page. He had a lot of distractions.

“I was lost in listening to hip-hop music, visions of how everything could be explained…I trusted G, not knowing if he would hoodwink me, he was a gambler man, fearless, charismatic…maybe he knew ECHO would be doomed. I didn’t want to just do a couple of DJ nights—I wanted a full blown Woodstock.”

He had to file the Prime Minister’s assassination quickly. Instead of doing “man on the street” interviews, Simpson asked his translator and her friends what they thought. He settled for ‘rent-a-quote’ opinions, and extrapolated from news wire cheat-sheets. He faked interviews with fake diplomats. “I can’t defend that ethically.” His memoir answers many questions, and tells why he made up stories for the New York Times.

The production of ECHO festival on Big War Island in the middle of the Danube was a logistical nightmare in post-war Serbia. Paramilitary security contractors with guard dogs were hired to protect money-takers and ticket-holders. Scuba divers searched the river for bombs. Simpson was peddling class-A drugs at the festival, an offense that could entail jail time. But precautionary measures did not prevent what was yet to go down with the Serbian mafia.

Over 150,000 attendees showed up for the 4-day raver; 100 acts and 300 artists on four stages. The Serbian army had erected a 600-meter pontoon bridge from Zemun to Big War Island in the middle of the Danube. Four circus elephants ridden by Russian acrobats lumbered across the bridge on opening day. Visitors from several nations flocked to the love-in at 25 Euros apiece. Cash rolled in. All went well until torrential rains knocked Sonic Youth out of the line-up on the last day. It was an island of mud. The storm was a harbinger of what was to come.

Simpson’s grandiose dreams were dashed—all the money was stolen. The catastrophic finale of the big cash rip off proved that maybe politicians and partners were in cahoots with the Serbian mafia. Simpson is not sure what role G played in the scenario, and what went down with the gangsters.

Simpson admits to naiveté about encroaching on mafia domain. Manic idealism, high achievement tendencies and continual stonedness convinced him that techno, funk, salsa and soul music of Sonic Youth and Burning Spear could bring unity to disintegrated former Yugoslavia. He confesses to having cynical jadedness as first, describing the Belgrade war zone as “a miserable pariah”. But when he met G, nothing seemed impossible—charisma overtook judgment. Maybe things got lost in translation; G called American money the ‘one-eyed pyramid’. “Music had revolutionary potential…” In retrospect; perfect for ‘washing cash’.

He saw more than revolutionary potential; a blockbuster would generate cash while bringing splintered factions of the Balkans together. So Daniel Simpson, sporting a new Serbian soubriquet, Raoul Djukanovic, interviewed himself, generated a buzz, clinched funding and pitched the ECHO deal dreaming magnanimous dreams. Drugs were big in Belgrade, and being “mentally jellified”; the nightmare was yet to follow.

DESTINATION: OBLIVION

The festival had ample sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, but with the lack of due diligence of Serbian culture—ECHO failed. The promoters filed bankruptcy; police and printers threatened, performers’ expenses went unpaid. Some accused Simpson of being a British spy. His change-making dreams crumbled. Serbian underworld gangsters had struck a coup de grace with a vengeance.

Simpson said booking the bands was tough; “names bring faces…” Disappointing everyone was a fiasco, no one got paid. Maybe scalpers printed tickets; maybe security and partners were in on a scam. There was a lot of cash—who knows how it disappeared?

So ECHO did not end well for the ex-New York Times foreign correspondent, now seeking answers, trying to find himself. “I wrote A Rough Guide to the Dark Side as a catharsis; to be kind to myself…I wanted to be a better journalist. I needed to look inside myself, in reality I was lonely, I had anxiety and depression, I quit my job, lost a fancy title, took risks, had to look inside me, had to learn how to love others and myself. I searched for the meaning of life on a rollercoaster adventure.”

Simpson admits he may not have had the clout to produce ECHO had he not been with the New York Times, confessing to mild deceit. “I wanted to say something, do something; be someone.”

I was more interested in Daniel Simpson the journalist, than Daniel Simpson the concert-promoting drug-dealing addict. I told him that drugs did not define him, his brilliance as a writer is what defines him. At first I said I would not mention much about the drugs, or that he was a stoner, but I would be dishonest not to. The crux of his memoir hinges on drugs; it is the tour de force of his past.

I read A Rough Guide to the Dark Side and numerous NYT articles. Daniel is bright, has swift wit and a quick smile. The high-achiever is hard on himself, demands perfection, cuts himself no slack. He is very likable and laughs a lot. “I have not used drugs for four years,” he says, “I practice yoga; it has been a way of life since long before organized religion. I write about yoga.”

My final question was a surprise. My quest was to penetrate the masquerade; I needed more backstory on my interviewee. “Daniel, if you were to interview yourself, what would be your first question?”

Daniel Simpson’s answer was long; I would have to paraphrase and condense. His forthrightness surprised me. He frankly flaunts his failings, maybe to shock, maybe to be honest. A Rough Guide to the Dark Side tells his life in gripping staccato style. His dark side chronicles hallucinatory time passages through a hip-hop culture—evoked to sanction the retreat from himself and his outrageous actions.

I asked Daniel Simpson about his grueling book tour at Blackhawk’s READ, and wished him Godspeed. “I launched A Rough Guide to the Dark Side in London. I’m traveling by Greyhound across the United States, with stops in New York, Texas, North Carolina, California, Oregon, Washington, back to London, and then to India to be with my girlfriend.”

www.roughguidedarkside.com,at READ Booksellers, Danville and Amazon.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, November 2012

Washington Welcomed Tri-Valley Winners to Bath Ruth World Series

October 9, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

The Tri-Valley Babe Ruth 13-year olds are still reeling from the All-star Baseball team’s incredible winning streak through the Northern California Pacific Southwest Regionals, and the World Series Championship. Under the guidance of Manager Sean Venezia and Coaches Rick Fryer and Todd Moore, the team competed in the Babe Ruth World Series in Washington.

Adhering to the Babe Ruth League prerequisite since 1961, 120 boys from nine regional teams spent the week with local host families. As guests in local homes, it added a new dimension for the boys; banqueting at the Suquamish Indian Reservation, a Naval Museum visit and a Mariners game. Some went fishing in saltwater Puget Sound, rich with giant crab and salmon.

The first night kick-off of the Babe Ruth World Series started with a parade in host city Poulsbo. The grand marshal was Jim Lefebvre, former Dodgers 1965 National League Rookie of the Year, and Seattle Mariner and Chicago Cubs manager.

The champion baseball teams were presented at the World Series opening ceremonies, attended by dignitaries and U.S. Navy personnel. Planes flew overhead, and skydivers with red-white-and-blue parachutes delivered the game balls to the Gene Lobe Field. It was an exciting start to a week of the best of the best youth baseball.

The Babe Ruth League founded in 1951 in Trenton, New Jersey, was sanctioned by Claire Ruth herself. “Babe Ruth loved children and baseball; my late husband could receive no greater tribute than lend his name to a youth baseball program…”

Nationally, the league has about a million players on over 56,000 teams. Among the Babe Ruth League’s star alumni are; Nolan Ryan, Mike Trout and Alamo’s Joe Morgan. Tri-Valley Babe Ruth alumni include SF Giant’s shortstop Brandon Crawford, and two 2012 First Round Major League draft picks; Mark Appel and Stephen Piscotty.

The Tri-Valley Babe Ruth League was formed in 1990 with Dublin’s Camp Parks as home field, and has earned national recognition with ten World Series appearances and five World Series Championships.

This year the TVBR 13YO lineup boasts some of the league’s best players from Pleasanton National and Foothill, San Ramon, Tassajara, and includes several Danville Little League All-Stars who clinched the Nor-Cal Championships two years in a row. The 2012 World Series players are Dante Albanese, Ryan Bowman, James Cowick, Jared Dawson, Clark Eder, Jack Fryer, Darroch Koel, Jack Maloon, Max Moore, Jack Morgan, Matt Neswick, Josh Ott, Saiki Roy, Nicholas Venezia and Nathan White.

The team’s streak took them all the way to the Washington World Series Semi-Finals, before being knocked out by Greenville, North Carolina, who in turn yielded the championship to the Bryant, Arkansas team. The Tri-Valley All-stars are champs; they are our Boys of Summer.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, October 2012

Be A Light

August 5, 2012 by Anita Venezia 1 Comment

The poignant words; “be a light, be a light, be a light,” handwritten on the first page of Joshua Corral’s bible tells volumes about the 19 year-old U.S Marine, known to everyone as Chachi, who lived steadfastly by his humble mantra, as reported by his commanding officer, Captain David Russell, at the young soldier’s recent memorial in Danville.

It was while Chachi Corral was being a light to his fellow Marines that he volunteered to be the “sweeper”—the one who walks ahead of his unit, the one who sweeps the area for landmines and IEDs with a metal detector to protect his comrades following behind. Chachi had volunteered for the most dangerous of all jobs while walking across the arid terrain; to be the “point of the spear.”

His brother, Zack Corral, 22, told me how it all went down; how Chachi volunteered to lead the way, following his own personal quest by being the light; a beacon forging a safe and clear path for his soldiering friends when the buried bomb exploded on November 18, 2011. The 3rd Battalion, 7TH Marines from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre were in the deadly region of Sangin, northwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, when the killer IED went off.

By coincidence, one of his closest friends in the Marines was Zachary Rieff, also known as Zach, his brother’s name. Zach was supposed to fall back but he followed close to Chachi; he had Chachi’s back, and had said that if he were to die he would want to die with his buddy. The two friends were ahead of their unit, forging a safe path, when the IED went off. Chachi died of mortal wounds; Zach died shortly after.

Zack Corral shared at the memorial that his brother felt God gnawing at his heart, and when he joined the Marines he already knew that he would be deployed to Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Joshua Chachi Corral could not know that so soon after his unit’s arrival, a fatal hidden bomb would go off beneath his feet.

After graduating San Ramon Valley High School in the class of 2010, Joshua Chachi Corral volunteered for the Marine Corps and did basic training in San Diego with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Regiment. Several members of the same graduating class joined the Marine Corps; two were present at his recent memorial dedication—and some who served in Chachi’s battalion in Afghanistan, and who witnessed the explosion, were in the honor guard at the sculptural memorial’s unveiling.

VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING
The Town of Danville had recently celebrated the Grand Opening of the $8 million renovated historic Veterans Memorial Building of San Ramon Valley on Hartz at Prospect. Rear Admiral Mary P. O’Donnell, USCG Retired, in her inaugural remarks, drove home the heartfelt points that our nation’s warriors do not fear death, do not fear going MIA, do not fear being wounded; but the casualty of being forgotten is what they fear the most.

So, in the spirit of revering the memory of our military men and women for their selfless service, the trustees worked with the Semper Fi Foundation funding partners who sealed their commitment with a bronze iconic sculpture known as the “Battlefield Cross.” The sculpture dedicated to honor Lance Corporal Joshua Chachi Corral and all Fallen Heroes, now stands permanently outside the Veterans Building depicting the helmet on rifle and boots forming an ad hoc cross that warriors traditionally set on battlefields to honor their fallen comrades.

The Danville Fallen Hero Memorial was unveiled on a new summer’s day, 23rd June, when many veterans groups and hundreds of citizens honored the memory of those who gave their lives in service to their country, and Chachi Corral, our town’s own fallen hero; still in his teens when he gave his young life for our freedom—all gave some—some gave all.

SEMPER FI
Soon after Chachi was killed in action, his parents Denise and Arnie Corral, knew the importance of recognizing those who had sacrificed their lives in service to their country, and to honor their son’s wishes and memory were instrumental in supporting the needs of his fellow Marines. One month after his death in 2011, the Semper Fi Foundation was formed by a citizen’s group, spearheaded by Len Hack, with a defined mission to rally support for all United States Marines, fallen heroes and their families. The camaraderie between the Marine Corps and the Semper Fi Foundation was poignantly evidenced at the recent memorial celebration.

Captain David Russell, USMC 3/7, Chachi’s Commanding Officer, spoke at the memorial, about how today’s military is the most educated and highly trained, and go to battle with the most advanced weaponry in military history. He made the point that even with the most rigorous training and the best defense capabilities, there is no protection against the enemy’s seemingly innocuous improvised explosive devices buried in the sand, or on the roads, that have killed or maimed so many of our military.

Those who attended the Celebration of Life Memorial for Danville’s young fallen hero were imbued with a renewed sense of pride and respect for those who have fallen, and those patriotic citizens who honor their memories— especially the Corral family. The Town of Danville, known for its unique style of patriotism and commitment to honor our military, went beyond the anticipated by sponsoring a glorious day on the Community Centre green.

At the finale of the bitter-sweet memorial service, a mariachi band played and the celebrants followed the music to have lunch at an array of food kiosks in the park. At the conclusion of L.Cpl. Joshua Chachi Corral’s celebration of life there were embraces, smiles and tears, but above all, a sense of remembrance for those who gave their all for their beloved United States of America.

The sentiment was best said by Spike “Go Navy Baby” Schau, coordinator of the patriotic motorbike Warriors’ Watch Riders, who has racked up over 700 military escorts on his Harley Electra Classic. “That’s what we do.” Spike smiled with resolve; his vest heavy with medals, buttons and pins. The local Warrior Watch Riders is a group of about 30 bikers who welcome home unsuspecting soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. “We never forget our fallen warriors; about 60 bikers joined our military escort to Travis AFB last November to welcome Chachi home and with American flags waving, we rode along in the funeral parade to his family in Danville on his last ride home.”
Semper Fi, Chachi. Be a light, be a light, be a light…

Filed Under: Archives, August 2012, Feature

Police Dogs of Danville – The Wow of the Bowwows!

July 7, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

The Danville Police Department, besides having an impressive complement of Contra Costa County’s finest, spearheaded by Chief Steve Simpkins, also has the devoted protection of two Patrol-Certified K-9 Unit super dogs that faithfully assist their partner/handlers in tracking and catching the bad guys.

I met the two Belgian Malinois shepherd dogs and their intrepid K-9 Cop partners, Officers Mike Ireland and Tom Rossberg while attending the 2012 Town of Danville Citizen Police Academy course.

The interactive instructional program, coordinated by Sergeant Jason Haynes not only builds bridges, but also familiarizes local residents with Police Department methods and the behind-the-scenes routines that support and protect our community, and the myriad of law enforcement challenges that face the officers in the field. Sergeant Haynes will conduct another popular and instructive Citizens Police Academy series in the fall.

It was coincidental that one of our instructors for the evening class, Officer Ireland and his 10-year old partner police dog Donna had just returned from a neighboring city emergency call. The hardworking canine cop had just sniffed out the place of an armed robbery, got an odor hit on the would-be robbers, and followed the scent trail to where the getaway car was parked. Top Cop Dog Donna is a super canine sleuth, who graduated from the KNPV Canine Academy in Holland, and is certified with honors.

Officer Ireland explained that K-9 Units are among the first to be called to the potentially dangerous situations; known as the “point of the spear.” The most danger in any emergency situation is usually at the onset until the problem is evaluated and the perimeter contained.

I wasn’t quite prepared for my excited admiration at meeting the two highly-intelligent furry Danville Police Department dogs, Donna and Chef, and after learning about their 500+ hours of Schultzhund protection-dog training in obedience, specific-object detection, handler respect and patrol work, I decided to learn more about the relatively unknown Belgian Malinois breed.

What I learned about the brave Super Dogs was eye-opening; their multiple abilities include the tracking of missing persons, tracking and taking down felonious suspects on Bark and Hold commands, or finding drug stashes within minutes. I researched the Belgian-bred working dogs, now popular in Europe and the United States, and doggedly discovered dog piles of surprises.

The social animals have a long working history with humans, first introduced in Belgium in the early 20th century as deterrents for police on the beat, and were later trained in nose work. The friendly dogs constantly show their need for human company, work-for-reward activities and playful socialization. In most cases they are loyal to their masters, and do not bite handlers or their families. They are hard-wired with unbounded energy, curiosity, the desire to please, and work for nothing more than verbal praise or the simple reward of a tennis ball throw-and-fetch game or rubber kong toy.

The Malinois breed is a cousin of the German shepherd, in that they are both sheep herders bred mainly for function over form. Their snouts and ears are black and their square-proportioned bodies have mahogany and tan short coats. The dams are 55-65 lbs., the sires 65-75 lbs., and their height should be 24 to 26 inches, about the same dimensions from breastbone to rump.

DOGS OF WAR AND K-9 UNITS
A 500-hour work-specific trained Malinois costs about ten thousand dollars, are usually in service for six to seven years, and have an expected 14-year lifespan. The dogs are not cross-trained in specific disciplines; such as bomb-explosive detection, drugs or dangerous substances detection, or human search and rescue. Each dog is trained for a specific job to prevent confusion, example; a search and rescue animal’s tracking mission is more time-sensitive than that of a cadaver dog.

Military War Dogs, called MWDs, are trained in CTD, Combat Trackers; EDD, Explosive Detectors; or SDD, Specialized Small Dogs, such as the feisty nose-worthy Fox Terriers that work on submarines. SAR, Search and Rescue soldier dogs are specifically trained to find humans lost in battle zones or under bombed buildings.

The Malinois dogs have a high prey drive, protective traits and are very obedient, making them perfect for object-specific detection, police work and search and rescue. A detection dog is nose-trained to find objects by a sample smell and a search and rescue dog is able to track a person with the scent of a piece of clothing. Dogs can find dope, bombs, explosives, and people in dangerous situations, but the high-value working animals are never sent on suicide missions.

The K-9 Unit dogs have so proven their worth in the field, that in recent years, the New York City Police Department has cut their manpower and doubled the ranks of the canine units. The super dogs also play a significant part in airport security.

The Malinois’ claim to fame is that they are obedient, alert, active and happiest when working; they do their job well to please and have a high drive to receive a reward. They may show some neurotic behaviors if they do not get enough exercise and stimulation, and they need constant obedience training for new, challenging tasks. They have supersonic hearing, and as detection dogs, their glory noses have a super sense of smell with olfactory factors 250 times stronger than humans.

When police dogs, certified in narco-detection, are set to sniff out drug stashes, they can differentiate multiple odors such as marijuana, methamphetamines, heroin and cocaine, even though the drug dealers may have attempted to confuse the super sniffers by camouflaging drugs with coffee beans, air-fresheners or fabric softeners.

The dogs’ noses can so powerfully detect specific odors that they can even isolate and identify single compounds within a scent—like defining the individual spices that season a pot of minestrone soup, or categorizing the multiple ingredients on a single pizza—one at a time. The sniffer dog squads can smell out a single odorous needle in a giant haystack, and their super noses never make mistakes, even when identifying explosives, firearms, fire accelerants, narcotics or finding a drowning person in moving water.

The K-9 Unit dogs are considered such important assets to the Police Force that many canines are sworn officers and have their own ID numbers and badges. An attack upon a police dog can have the same serious consequences as the attack on the person of a police officer. According to California Penal Code 600, the statute states that anyone who willfully tries to kill or inflict bodily harm to a service animal—horse or K-9 Unit Police dog—is committing a felony punishable by fines and prison.

In potentially dangerous situations the dogs are fitted with ballistic protection vests. In many cases, if a beloved police dog is killed in the line of duty, it is given a full honors funeral as a loyal and dedicated member of the Police Force.

SUPER WORKING DOGS
So where else do these super dogs work? What other daunting tasks are they given? Where do their strengths lay when it comes to working for a living?

In short, the extraordinary Belgian Malinois are Bionic Super Dogs. It was one of these fabled furry four-legged fabulous members of the MWD Elite Canine Team, who, working with Special Ops on Operation Neptune Spear, was the first paws-on-the-ground rappelling out of the high-tech Stealth Black Hawk helicopter, and first into the Abbottabad compound to take down the world’s highest-value-target, Osama Bin Laden.

The elite canine units are an integral part of the legendary Navy Seals most impressive arsenals. Soldier dog Cairo, canine sniffer extraordinaire, stealthily led the raid with the Navy Seals into the bull’s-eyed building, checking for explosives, and then like a night jackal, giving a silent all-clear to proceed to the specified target.

We know how that 40-minute glorious take-down raid ended, and the incredible bravery and heroism of the 24 elite Navy Seals. I wonder how the Super War Dog Cairo was rewarded for his courageous work with the Navy Seal heroes in bringing down the most hunted man on earth. My best guess for the canine’s work-for-reward job would be a lifetime supply of tennis balls and a giant rubber kong toy!

The Malinois shepherd dogs are so obedient, intelligent, trainable, and said to be able to do ten men’s work, that the four-legged warriors are employed in the U.S. Military Forces, Navy Seals, Border Patrol, Police Force Drug Investigations and Bomb Squads, Secret Service, CIA, FBI and SWAT Teams.

The Armed Forces call upon the services of the intrepid canines in multiple disciplines, and it is estimated there are about 4,000 such soldier dogs in their ranks. They are trained for many jobs, including the Airborne dogs that jump from planes alone or with handlers in parachute deployments from as high as 30,000 feet.

The MWD units deploy bionic dogs of war that parachute into dangerous situations wearing canine protective night goggles and tactical assault K-9 Storm Vests with infrared night-sight cameras and intruder communication systems with earbuds to hear their partner’s commands. The dogs parachute from high-tech helicopters; their legs running before they hit the ground, land acrobatically on rough terrain, and immediately rappel into action. Canine tactical assault vests protect the dogs against shrapnel, gunfire and knives, making them truly super-natural soldiers.

DARING DOGS OF DANVILLE
The Belgian Malinois protective dogs are daring, loyal, and likeable, unless they are commanded to attack and subdue identified targets. Their 600-pound jaw pressure can do just that. According to Officer Ireland, most men are more afraid of dogs than bullets; under command, dogs can disable most bad-guys in seconds. In short, with a handler’s hand-voice bite-hold commands, a dog can single-footedly stop a perpetrator in his tracks.

The Danville Police K-9 Units are valued assets to the department, while adding their playful canine expertise and furry fun to the job of keeping the peace in the town of 44,000 residents. Officers Ireland and Rossberg are dog handlers extraordinaire who love their loyal best friend canine partners, Donna and Chef, who go home to their families after working their shifts.

The Malinois shepherd dogs are pinnacles of personal protection with a loyal willingness to work and please, adept with endurance and remarkable courage. They stand bravely foursquare and elegant; ears pricked for the happy shrieks of children or the hand-voice commands from their human colleagues, with tails wagging and mouths open in unmistakable canine smiles.

Officer Ireland’s Top Cop Dog Donna was honored at her retirement ceremony for valiant service to the Department by Chief of Police Steve Simpkins at the July 3rd Danville Town Council Meeting.

Contact www.danville.ca.gov, ssimpkins@danville.ca.gov, Phone: 925.314.3701

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, July 2012

Gypsies – Who are they and where did they come from?

June 10, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

When researching the mysterious Gypsy culture to feature in my next novel, I discovered an abundance of misconceptions, and little-known history of one of the world’s most misunderstood and maligned ethnic groups. For about a thousand years the Gypsy diaspora spider-webbed across Europe and their global population is now estimated to be about ten to twelve million.

What I presumed about ‘Gypsy Tribes’ roaming in colorfully painted bow-top caravans, foot-loose and fancy-free, seemed to have evolved over time to be somewhat stereotypical, romanticized, fictionalized, and at most contrived. So I decided to explore the history of Gypsy culture and correct my delusions.

For centuries, the Roma ethic groups have been enslaved, persecuted and exiled—longer than most minorities—having no terra firma homeland, government representation, or even a common language.

Firstly, referring to the multi-national ethnic groups as Gypsies is considered non-PC by present standards, confirmed to me by foremost authority on the Roma, Professor Ian Hancock, who advised the correct term is Romani. In this piece I interchange both terms to make my point.

Romani scholar and advocate, Ian Hancock, Ph.D., is professor of linguistics at the University of Texas, Austin who states; “Gypsies were fictional, Romanies are actual people…” His comment prompted by his daughter’s teacher, who threatened to ‘sell a naughty school boy to the Gypsies’, thus insulting the child who herself is Roma.

Professor Hancock, authority on Romani Studies, and ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, finds that Romani, as a multi-national ethnic group, are disadvantaged in a non-Roma gadze world because of the lack of a common language. He made the salient point when addressing the First World Congress in 1971 in his own Romani language; “To achieve the unity of our language will be the first step towards achieving our unity as a people…” He agrees with the integration of all European Romani, but feels total assimilation would result in “identity death.”

The lack of a singular common language spoken by the many transnational ethnic Romani groups hinders their communication. Most speak their host country’s language, and among themselves, converse in as many as eighty unique dialects and languages that crystallized centuries ago in Anatolia, becoming enriched with Persian and Byzantine Greek loanwords.

The history of the Romani original migrations may be speculative, not written-recorded per se, but scholars agree the gradual exodus started around the 9th century from India’s northern Punjab region over a thousand year period. The theory is supported by common chromosomal markers of Asian populations that geneticists have found in many global Gypsy cultures.

Doctor Hancock supports a possible theory that the Indic exodus and diaspora of the Dom may have begun as early as the 5th century, and over many centuries they established their deep roots in Europe. It is thought the 9th century exodus may have been a warrior caste to repel the Islamic invasion, and itinerant castes of metal artisans, puppeteers and entertainers roaming westwards, presumably along the Silk Road route.

The dark-skinned nomadic tribes of animal traders, metal smiths and musician-entertainers, were decimated over many centuries; some sold into slavery in Afghanistan, and others settling in Tabriz, Persia. About 100,000 of the westward wanderers flourished in Byzantium Constantinople. In Greece, thought to be cursed Egyptians, earned the moniker Gypsian that evolved to the term Gypsy.

Continual persecution forged the Romany’s destiny to roam, and centuries of enslavement possibly lead to their nomadic existence, able to escape in the dark of night. The sky was their tent, the earth their carpet, their illumination, the moon and the sun, and dense forest canopies their fortresses. Longtime nomadic existences, and being devoid of a cultural determination, forged a common outsider sentiment of the wanderers, and the Gypsies constant drifting migrations became the centerpiece of their rootless lives.

Around the 14th century, Gypsy tribes splintered to North Africa, mingling with the Islamic Moors who invaded Spain; the Iberian Peninsula now enriched with Moorish architecture and the Gitano Flamenco. By the time the fragmented tribes had radiated their spider-webs across Europe, they had garnered reputations as snake-charmers, circus masters, bear-baiters, camel and horse traders, blacksmiths, musicians, dancers, acrobats, puppeteers and sometime looters of treasure.

The Romani had endured centuries of slavery, especially in Romania, finally gaining their freedom after the Abolishment of Slavery in the 1860s, at which time many immigrated to Britain and the Americas.
The short-lived Romani freedom from slavery was assaulted in the late 1930s when Hitler came to power. The Nazis arrested thousands of Central European Roma; some were executed by mobile killing squads, and up to 220,000 were exterminated in concentration camps. Without a common voice, and decades devoid of advocacy, Gypsies remain among the most forgotten of all Holocaust victims, and whose war-time history has ostensibly gone unheard for nearly eight decades.

FABLES, FACTS AND FALLACIES
Elders are revered in Roma communities; the oldest often pronounced king of the Gypsies who oversees adherence to Romani purity laws of birth, marriage and death customs. When a Rom takes a bride, some as young as twelve, the groom’s family pays the ‘bride price’ to the father to reimburse his lifetime ‘investment’ in his daughter. Even in modern times these traditions prevail; the U.S. ‘bride price’ may be negotiated for about $15,000.

The Romani peoples typically prefer exterior work; construction, gardening, stone-masonry and metal forging trades, and many women may sell flowers, trinkets or tell fortunes. Their innate preference not to work inside buildings may result from past travails, not purposefully nomadic, but because they were scorned for centuries, and not allowed to settle permanently.

A case in point in England is the recent 2011 Dale Farm situation in Essex, whereby a group of about eighty Gypsy-like Travellers were evicted by the city from their caravan-dwelling pitches, as being camped in uninhabitable green belt zones. Known as Irish Travellers, the groups pitch caravans on open space so they can send their children to school. Their lifestyles echo the Gypsy culture, but ethnically may not be Romanichal Roma per se. Today there is heightened awareness with liberal media and human rights activist support, and their voices are loudly heard.
Caravan-dwelling colonies may not all consist of bone fide Roma or Irish Travellers; many disadvantaged people borrow Gypsy lifestyles without affiliation to any ethnic group, thus may be culturally adopted due to social and economic factors and not based on bloodlines within an ethnic paradigm.

MODERN ROMANI—UNTOLD STORIES
The culture of the Gypsies has long been portrayed in art, literature, music and film; mysterious, romantic, and superstitious; reinforced by such fictional images as Bizet’s Carmen and Victor Hugo’s Esmeralda. But what we are conditioned to perceive may not be true. Research paints another picture of the ethnic multi-linguistic Romani, who left us no historical tradition of writing per se, or clues linking us to their ethnocentric perspectives.

In order to improve conditions and misconceptions about Roma ethnic groups, humanitarian councils have been initiated to break the cycles of poverty and stereotyping. The Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 was mandated by a 12-European nation initiative, whereby programmes would improve the socio-economic status, social inclusion of Romani minorities, and allow for a higher profile of their European organizations. Their committed goal is to close gaps between the near-twelve million Roma and the non-Roma in Central and Southeastern Europe.

Since the European Union was initiated—whereby forces joined, allowing EU member citizens to travel freely without visas—the flood gates opened for many Roma in search of better lives. Romania and Bulgaria were the last nations to enter the EU, and thus emigrants, including Romani, entered France, Italy and Spain.

Along with the undocumented emigrants came the criminals, and serious crimes lead to racial tension and prejudice for the newcomers. It was just a matter of time that the Roma got caught in the mix, often living in poverty-ridden ghettos, without sewers and running water. After government crackdowns on crime, the marginalized ethnic group again took on the mantle of ‘foreign’ pariahs. They had sought a better life, but found scorn and grinding poverty, still roving from nation to nation—still part of the voiceless invisible people without a common homeland.

When crime among the migrants escalated, governments in France and Italy (with already a half million Italian Zingari) cracked down on Romanian and Bulgarian Roma immigrants. In 2008, Italy initiated fingerprinting and identification of all Roma men, women and children, causing a national civil rights outcry.

In France, President Sarkozy ordered the expulsion of thousands of Bulgarian and Romanian Roma, and was hotly criticized that the Romani were already European citizens, free to move to countries of their choice. To expel the ethnic Central Europeans from France was illegal under EU guidelines, and as images of exiled Romany families boarded ships in Marseilles, the world was stunned that the Roma’s thousand-year exodus had not yet ended.
After research, I am more apprised of the much maligned Romani culture, and hopefully have journalistically righted some misconceptions.

Research shows that many famous personages are said to have Romani blood; Pablo Picasso, Mother Teresa, Rita Cansino Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Roger Moore, Sir Sean Connery, Sir Charlie Chaplin, Helen Mirren, Django Rheinhardt, Yul Brynner, Elvis Presley, and someone born as William Blythe IV, who later changed his name to Bill Clinton.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, June 2012

Oakland Zoo – A History as Told by the Founder’s Daughter

May 1, 2012 by Anita Venezia 3 Comments

My curiosity about the Oakland Zoo was sparked after reading the novel FREEIN’PANCHO by New England author Lloyd Prentice, telling a story of a boy growing up in the Oakland Hills in the 1950s. The crux of the story occurs in the pristine Oakland hills with a boy shortcutting to school through the Oakland Zoo when Skyline Boulevard was lined with shady groves and stables. I read the book presuming the Mr. Snow character to be fictional—but he was not—the Snow family founded the Oakland Zoo. Prentice, in his youth, had himself lived in the hills, had cut through the zoological gardens to school and placed his fictional cougar ‘Pancho’ in the storied zoo. While visiting his old East Bay stomping grounds, he attempted to meet Barbara Clark whose family founded the Oakland Zoo, ninety years ago.

The zoo’s founding fascinated me, and on a rainy morning I met Mrs. Clark for a delightful interview. She recounted how the zoo actually came about, and that their family home was on the zoo grounds where she lived during childhood.
“We lived in a Victorian house right in the zoo, the house is still there, and we heard the animals at night. There were groupings of cages; lions and bears were across the way, and cages for small animals like monkeys, and the aviary was on the hill; he even had eagles. I remember Simba, the lion…”

Barbara Clark’s grandfather Henry A. Snow founded the Oakland Zoo in 1922, and her father Sidney Snow brought it to fruition at its present location. Sid Snow was a well-known St. Mary’s football player and catcher for the Oaks Baseball team. By the time the East Bay Botanical and Zoological Society (EBZS) emerged, Sid Snow already had a following of dedicated people to help him realize his family’s dream; to provide Oakland with a small zoo with live animals. The community donated lumber, paint and supplies to build a new home for the zoo animals.

Sidney Snow and his father H.A. Snow were big game hunters, and in the early 1920s went on a two-year safari to Africa to capture live animals for the zoo. H.A. Snow, Sidney, wife Virginia and daughter, Sidnia, went to the Arctic in 1924, where they secured a polar bear for the fledging zoo. They ventured onto ice fields with local hunters, lassoed a male polar bear, loaded him onto small boats and then to a ship’s hold and sailed the massive bear to the Oakland harbor. The family was devastated when the polar bear, ‘Wrangle,’ sadly died in its specially-built new home.

THE WHO’S WHO OF THE FIRST ZOO
The first zoo location was on Senor Don Peralta’s Rancho San Antonio, and later purchased by Ellis. A. Haines in 1857. In 1888 the land passed to Frederick C. Talbot, owner of Pope and Talbot Lumber Company, where he built a mansion and ran a cattle ranch. His schooners transported lumber, exotic woods and trees from all over the world in the ships’ holds. Talbot’s large mansion, on land that was later the zoo, burned to the ground in 1921. In 1932, under ownership of Norman De Veaux, Sidney Snow’s friend, the Bank of America negotiated that the property be held for public use as a natural history park by the City of Oakland. The City rejected the offer.

In 1935 Mr. Snow took possession of the 475-acre parcel and started building the zoo; two years later founding the Alameda County Zoological Society. Sidney Snow formed a Board of Directors and paid the mortgage and taxes out of operating revenues. The City of Oakland voted a budget of $4,800 per year in 1939 for the care and feeding of the animals.

Through Sid Snow’s tireless negotiation, the State of California State Park Commission, under the Joseph R. Knowland chairmanship, acquired the East Bay Botanical and Zoological Society. The Society, City and State approved the master plan, and in 1958 water lines, grading and fencing got under way, including an elephant house for the harmonica-playing Asian pachyderm, Miss Effie Oakland.

“My father picked up Effie at the Oakland docks and spent two nights with her to get her accustomed to the new place. When I walked my daughter Linda in the stroller from our house, Effie recognized us and pushed her buggy. My father had Rosie, a chimpanzee, and wanted to raise the two together. We took the donkey and cougar to Oakland parades. My father built a stand and the cougar rode the donkey; the platform had to be out of nipping range of the donkey’s ears! People loved them.”

The zoo, at 98th Avenue and Mountain Boulevard, grew to an arboretum and exotic zoological gardens with annual membership fees of $1.00 per year for juniors, $2.50 for individuals, and $5.00 for sustaining members. The East Bay State Park was dedicated on May 21st, 1950.

“We had Blanca, a Cappuccine monkey, Kiki, a de-skunked skunk, and a cougar and her cubs. In the early days I helped my mother collect the money at the gate—ten cents per person and 25 cents a car,” Mrs. Clark remembers.
Barbara Clark showed me framed movie posters on the wall, explaining that her father and grandfather loved animals so much that they produced two feature length films in Hollywood; “Cougar,” featuring Jay Bruce that premiered at the Capitol on November 3, 1930, and “Hunting Big Game in the Arctic with Gun and Camera,” a dashing adventure photographing animals in their frozen wild habitats.

We spoke about our own safari experiences in Africa and the thrill of being among wild creatures in their natural milieu. “I was on safari with my husband in the 80s, and a rhino approached our vehicle. The rhino looked me right in the eyes—just a few feet away,” Barbara shuddered.

YOU TOO CAN SNOOZE AT THE ZOO
The 565-acre non-profit Oakland Zoo offers many outreach programs; visiting ZooMobiles, Summer Zoo Camps, and exciting adventures for adults and children who want to spend a night on the wild side among 660 native and exotic animals. For $45 to $60 per person mini-groups of 15 can have sleep-overs in the Education Centre, snuggle close to the action and explore the zoo at night. Visitors are also invited to ‘Feast with the Beasts’ by bringing grapes, melons and apples for the herbivores, and see big cats eating dinner. Memberships range from $66 to $99 annual dues and receive discounted admission and the newsletter ROAR!

One of my favorite attractions is the meerkat dome; the territorial Southern African insectivores, named ‘lake cats’ in Afrikaans. In the wild, they live in clans of 20 or more—super colonies have as many as 50 members. The under two-pound hierarchal creatures live in veldt burrows, and while foraging elect a single guard sentry to keep watch with binocular peripheral vision. The endearing meerkats may evict non-members from the colony and loudly alert approaching predators, earning the Bushmen’s ‘Sun Angels’ moniker.

The Oakland Zoo is microcosmic of global wild habitat dwellings, offering regular excitement to both zoo keepers and visitors. In January, an 80-lb, six-foot baby girl reticulated giraffe named ‘Maggie’ was born to proud parents; father Mabusu and mother Twiga. This May, three baby river otters will make their zoo debut by venturing out of their night house after learning to swim.

The Oakland Zoo, under Executive Director Dr. Joel Parrott, is dedicated to the protection of all animals, as evidenced by the mercy adoption of the surviving tiger of the Ohio tragedy, and recently by transporting four sister tigers from Brownsville, Texas whose owners could no longer care for them. It is estimated that only 3,000 to 4,000 tigers live in Asian natural habitats, and double that amount as captive pets. With a generous FEDEX partnership, the quartette of tigresses was transported from Texas to Oakland Airport; crates were forklifted and trucked, two at a time, to their new zoo home. To keep the female wild cats calm en route, Calvin Klein’s Obsession, the tigresses’ favorite fragrance, was sprayed in the hold.

The four fabled fragrant felines were ready for their close-ups upon arrival at their new forever home—the legendary Oakland Zoo.

Visit: www.oaklandzoo.org, reservations: 510.632.9525, 9777, Golf Links Road, Oakland.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, May 2012

Jukeboxes – The First Playlists

April 4, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

I fell in love the first time to the music of the jukebox. I remember the day well; a wintry Sunday at the Pam-Pam Cafe and the song that stirred me was Sinatra’s All the Way. A dark-haired guy had put a coin into the Wurlitzer, and when the song played he glanced over at me with inviting eyes and smiled. I was gone at that very moment; sent straight to heaven by Sinatra’s magic and a glance.

The music from a jukebox may very well have ignited many such romances; a nickel rolled into a slot and then the simple spin of a record sending intoxicating music drifting across a crowded room and into the consciousness of young starry-eyed lovers.

Jukeboxes were leased to diners and coffee shops where people gathered, enabling one person to manipulate the ambiance by the power of a single nickel. Yes, the guy with the coins owned the joint, albeit for just a few minutes. The music-making machines were also located in Prohibition-era speakeasies where Jazz-Age people tangoed or danced the Charleston, and then jukeboxes appeared in wartime PXs, canteens and clubs, sending jitterbugging soldiers and USO girls swinging. The 1950s heyday of Select-O-Matic models saw acrobatic jiving and cool bebop. The word ‘juke’ derived from African Joog, aptly meaning wicked wild dancing.

For Pre-Boomers and Happy Days aficionados seeking a 1950s fix with a heavy dose of nostalgia, all senses will be satisfied with a visit to Danville’s Blackhawk Museum where an entire lower floor gallery exhibits one of the world’s best collections of vintage jukeboxes. Upon entering, Golden Age music sets the stage and jukeboxes’ riotous colors flash rainbow neon tubes—the iconic eye-candy music-makers ranging from 1929 to 1967.
Mid-century jukebox music may stir memories as the era’s leading vocalists sing familiar Hit-Parade songs; Memories Are Made of This; You Are My Destiny; Love Me Tender; April Love; Jailhouse Rock; Volare; Chantilly Lace; Witchcraft; and Peggy Lee’s Fever.

The jukebox did not just appear; it evolved from other music-generated automata. The first coin-op model phonograph appeared in 1889 in San Francisco’s Palais Royale, and the 1929 Depression spawned the first electronic version when a nickel bought a song. Jukeboxes could be defined as the earliest offering of standard song ‘playlists’—popular music all encapsulated in one big box.

Their popularity burgeoned when moving pictures moved from movies to talkies—film industries switching from silent to sound—crossovers to dialogue brilliantly spoofed in such classics as Singin’ in the Rain and the Academy Award winning masterpiece The Artist.

Music flourished on the Jazz Age scene, with cleverly-crafted songs by Cole Porter, Ira and George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Hoagy Carmichael. When the market crashed in 1929, musical entertainment screeched to a halt; the last thing on the minds of laid-off workers in bread lines, were songs.

Music for the Masses:
Music was a luxury; only those who could afford theatre tickets heard concerts until melodies were generated by boxed mechanisms, amplified by cornucopia-shaped horns. Thomas Edison invented the first music machine in 1901, thus becoming instant luxury items for the wealthy and shared public venues. Few early 20th century recording artists became as famous as composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff who was probably the very first recording star, followed by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. It may very well have been the first time that classical themes and opera were introduced to the masses.

The popularity of hand-cranked Victrolas lasted through the first quarter of the century, and knocked into oblivion in the mid-30s when coin-operated multi-record Automated Phonographs were introduced. The automated machines grew from Post-Depression era cathartic needs for uplifting music in public places.

By the time pay-to-play jukeboxes were introduced, the fast-growing music industry realized that automatic coin-slot machines made money and were perfect venues to hook the public to their vast catalogues of music. The synergy between songwriters, music publishers, producers and recording artists was to be the perfect marriage to market music to the masses and voila!—the jukebox embedded itself in the culture as pure Americana.

The jukebox, magical keeper of songs, also became entrenched in global cultures broadcasting American music to the world. Pre-war years saw people swooning to popular music, written and produced with mass-listening in mind, setting hearts pounding, and the stirring rhythms igniting dancing, jiving and fox-trotting in canteens, clubs, cafeterias and cafes.

Jukebox styles evolved with kaleidoscopic colors and flashing lights that stimulated visual and auditory senses. They became iconic symbols for music-lovers; stirring monolithic memories to those who memorized top-chart songs, listening ad finitum to tunes ruled by the guys with pocketsful of nickels.

As Jon Snyder of the Blackhawk Museum points out; musicians and music industry moguls courted jukebox manufacturers and renting agents, who in turn courted location venues, and together they forged alliances to sell new music releases, splitting percentages and raking in the big bucks.

By the mid-30s, American music played on jukeboxes around the world, and the subsequent promotional angles singlehandedly caused record sales to soar. Once-obscure singers gained instant fame. Recordings by Victor, Columbia, Decca and Capitol Records were played thousands of times daily in self-contained money-generating media. Royalties, during the sales of 78rpm shellacs to the 45rpm victorious days of vinyl, set singers and musicians on trajectories to stardom. Thousands of jukeboxes blanketed big city night clubs and gas station diners; the smallest burgs knowing the biggest names and teenagers from farm to range knew every song.

Big name Wurlitzer out of Buffalo, New York emerged at the turn of the century manufacturing church and movie house organs, and then introduced music sound boxes that played as potently as a big band itself; an orchestra in a box. Wurlitzer 1015 played 78- standards and then in the 1950s introduced conversion kits that changed device mechanisms to 45rpms. Today, the Wurlitzer 1015 model is very sought after, fetching a whopping $16K.

Seeburg jumped on the bandwagon of auto-generated music in the 1930s, emerging as a serious player in the 1950s with Select-O-Matic100-record selection capabilities; and iconic ‘53 Seeburg M100C model anchored Happy Days TV show to the period. The man, who may very well have inspired the Rock-and-Roll term, was jukebox industry player, David Rockola. The rarest, single survivor, Rockola President Model is worth a cool $150K.

Mills made slug-proof coin-box machines and invented remote units where table patrons chose tunes-on-demand from juke joints. Enter Automated Musical Instruments Company, AMI in 1941 that perfected flip mechanisms for two-sided play and 200-45rpm record selections. Seventy five percent of new record releases went straight to jukeboxes, carpeting nations with the newest music, and if carousel play counts were good, it stayed, otherwise was purged.

Multi-colored illuminated jukebox styles evolved during the Golden Age, diverting from drab ho-hum cabinets that first housed the mechanisms. Artistic stylists borrowed Art Deco and Moderne sleek, lustrous lines that had advanced fresh looks for ship and automobile design; streamlined, seductive, sexy and geometrically innovative visuals that were subliminally indicative of sensuously intoxicating music drifting from the new magical boxes.

Jukebox design reflected period styles, such as Wurlitzer’s 1941 flashy ‘Peacock’ model that warrants a price tag of $23K and the Bandbox model $24K, topped by the rarest Gables Kuro model for $125K; only four existing in the world.

Jukebox Saturday Night – Frankie, Elvis and Pat Boone
The jukebox was the marquee, if you will, showcasing golden voiced superstars; the vocal heroes of favorite playlists. Hit Parade singers still resonate; Frankie, Judy, Ella, Satchmo, Dean, Elvis, Everly Brothers, Kingston Trio, Connie Francis and Pat Boone.

When the 1950s saw a post-war generation emerging, the jukebox yielded to the seduction of the new box on the block; the television set. Jukebox culture had run its course; the competition of black and white screens housed in sleek teak cabinets became the focal point of American family rooms, and storied jukeboxes were relegated to obscurity along with defunct Victrolas.

As Blackhawk Museum’s Jon Snyder states, “The 50s were the saturation point for the jukebox, and is the time when it enters the collective memory of so many…new models moved to high-end night-clubs, the older models to the diners—ironically the very jukeboxes where the rock-and-roll culture began to flourish, even though the Golden Age of jukeboxes had already waned…”

Twenty one iconic Golden Age jukeboxes are exhibited in Danville’s Blackhawk Museum, the monolithic building anchoring the Blackhawk Plaza. “Jukebox Saturday Night” is featured in the lower gallery of the world-renowned museum where one of the world’s most important antique, classic and vintage car collections is on permanent exhibit.

Blackhawk Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, CA 94506 Enquiries: 925.736.2280 www.blackhawkmuseum.org

Filed Under: April 2012, Archives, Feature

Wings of Valor – Avian Wartime Couriers

March 10, 2012 by Anita Venezia Leave a Comment

What do Xerxes, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte and General Pershing have in common? They all dispatched field maneuver orders, battle results or other vital messages by carrier pigeons. No human could outrun sunlight, arrows, spears, or bullets, but the lowly bird could carry messages to home destinations by soaring high above fields, valleys, mountains or seas.

As far back as 3,000 years ago Egyptians, Persians, Etruscans and Greeks sent messages by carrier pigeons, and secured the precious birds in purpose-built dovecotes with as many as 2,000 pigeonholes. Romans built coops, called columbariums, throughout the empire and introduced pigeon culture to the Mediterranean and Britain. Fortresses housed the working birds in lofts above observation towers to protect the couriers from predators or theft, and in medieval times, pigeon sanctuaries were only owned by privileged classes in castles or chateaux.

As this photo (at Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy) reveals, author Anita Venezia’s love affair with pigeons is well documented.

At the height of the Industrial Revolution when the first telegraph lines were connected in 1860, Paul Reuter ironically employed a fleet of 45 pigeons to deliver closing stock prices for the new communication technology, and the banking Rothchilds used birds to send market results. Recently in Orissa, India, the internet put fleets of postal bird carriers out of business, and the Afghani Taliban has forbidden all bird ownership to prevent pigeon-grams.

Pigeons are not always a good thing; overpopulations in metropolitan cities cause extensive damage, such as the culprits in Venice, estimated at 130,000, targeted for vector control because they cost the city over a million euros a year. The once-quaint habit of tourists feeding the pushy pigeons that literally carpet St Mark’s Square for all-day bird banquets is now outlawed, and licensed birdseed vendors have been put out of business. The pesky birds perch in cornices and apertures of Venice’s delicate historic buildings and churches, and claw and peck at calcium-rich marble facades. The attractive nuisance of the iconic pigeons soaring over St Mark’s Basilica may soon be a thing of the past.

Homeward Bound
Pigeon research shows their efficiency; they can fly at speeds of 75 mph, but average 50 mph on 600-mile trips. The birds, of the Columba genus, set goal directions with a natural ‘compass’ enabling them to determine relative flight routes by detecting the earth’s magnetic field and spatial odor distribution. Flying by olfactory navigation, they are oriented to their home lofts by instinct, visual landmarks, roads, buildings and other man-made features.

Messenger homing birds have worked for room and board for millennia, but few pigeons have actually been awarded with medals for heroism, as those which flew in the Great War, and then again when they were called into service in World War II.

During World War I, when battles were fought on many fronts in unforgiving foxholes, muddy trenches and the fields of Flanders, lowly pigeon carriers had daunting tasks of flying messages through poison gasses and flying shrapnel. At the brutal battle of Verdun, thousands of pigeon batches relayed messages, but one heroic bird named “Che Ami” entered into legend by saving the lives of 200 Americans on October 4th 1918. German gunfire had already killed over 300 soldiers, trapped behind enemy lines, and the remaining 200 were being bombarded by their own friendly fire. Twelve courier birds had already been shot down and “Che Ami” was the only one left. An officer attached a canister to the bird’s leg with a message, “We are along the road parallel 276.4, and our own artillery is dropping a barrage on us. For heaven’s sake stop it!” Even though the bird was shot, it returned to the loft; 25 miles in 25 minutes.

When the pigeoneer soldier retrieved the message in the coop, “Che Ami” was on his back bleeding; he had a hole in his chest, his leg was blown off and an eye shot out, but he had saved 200 men of the 77th Infantry Division. His handler made him a wooden leg and the hero pigeon received the French Croix de Guerre medal for heroism. “Che Ami” was decommissioned, sent home on a troopship, and met by General Pershing in New York. The bird died on June 13th 1919, and his frail body was preserved. The hero bird of the Great War remains a legend, displayed with its Croix de Guerre medal, standing forever proud, mounted on a wooden leg in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

When the United States entered World War II, they ‘drafted’ pigeons into service for intelligence communiques; the British were already using the valiant vector courier program. The Germans too had couriers, controlling entire homing pigeon racing unions, and even trained falcon interceptors to take down the British messengers. Predator programs on both sides proved problematic; falcons, unable to discern the German couriers from British ones, intercepted anything that flew.

When the British First Airborne Division Signals parachuted into Holland, pigeons were carried in chest-attached baskets or air-dropped as intelligence vectors. The Confidential Pigeon Service was used by the Dutch and French resistance by attaching vital messages to birds to carry 240 miles across the English Channel. When intelligence could not be radio-transmitted, due to interception or inability to thread wires over rough terrain, combatants fitted pigeons with aerial micro-cameras to capture enemy positions, and during the Invasion of Normandy, the birds were invaluable to allied operations by carrying dispatches to the allied beach raiders. During a fierce battle at Monte Cassino in Italy when British troops were stranded behind German lines, they used their last three courier pigeons that arrived with SOS dispatches minutes before B52 bombers were taking off to bomb the area.
Pigeons also worked as lifesavers in naval and Coast Guard search and rescue operations, and were standard passengers aboard ships, planes and bombers, trained to carry messages about downed planes or ships lost at sea. As pigeons can differentiate colors, on rescue missions, they alerted searchers to survivors wearing red or yellow, bobbing in the waves.

With courier successes, the US Government conducted a national census of racing pigeons, and when the Signal Corps issued a call for both genders at $5 each, they secured hundreds of thousands of birds. The American Racing Pigeon Union patriotically offered their most prized birds for the war effort; their 600-mile fast-flyers, and G.I. pigeoneers cross-bred the fastest birds with the best homing instincts, putting the sturdy inductees through rigorous training. They moved field mobile lofts daily for three weeks for birds to memorize aerial bearings of their combat coops.

When couriers were ready for combat missions, it was discovered that males were driven by hunger, jealousy and sex. If a male saw its mate with another male at the onset, the fear of a ‘Jody’ bird scenario would make it fly home faster; a staggering 96 percent reaching their destinations.

Thirty four of our animal kingdom fine feathered-friends proved courage beyond the call of avian duty, and for distinguished service they received the coveted Dicken Award. Many stories tell of MIA or POW couriers or of incredible bravery under fire—like dark-feathered “Blackie Harrington” who served at Guadalcanal, and though badly wounded completed his Pacific missions. “Blackie” was rewarded a cushy retirement; servicing in a breeding loft, as was blue-checked “G.I. Joe” who flew for the 56th Infantry, and gallantly saved a thousand men from a bombing raid in 1943.

Many pigeons have been honored by the countries they served, the men they saved, and how their unique flight service affected battles. Though bird fanciers have paid as much as $132,000 for a single stud pigeon; the storied war birds were priceless as life-savers. The beloved little heroes of the feathered animal kingdom deservedly ‘won their wings’ and the birds of the air have justly earned a revered place in wartime history.

Racers of Alamo
While researching, I serendipitously found a local pigeon-racing enthusiast, John Bellandi, owner of Alamo Feed & Grain, noted for its life-size horse on the roof. I spoke with Charles Petrovich and learned that racers are homers, but homers are not necessarily racers. Racing pigeons are prized for speed and pedigreed bloodlines. “The Red Hen,” originating from the Belgian Janssen brothers, was imported in 1963 by breeder extraordinaire, Hank Vernazza. “Red Hen” was an upper echelon class of royal bird blood and the source of Vernazza’s fame among multi-club combines. Birds are registered through combines to compete in Young Bird or Old Bird Races; trucked in and tossed from places like Idaho or Nevada to fly home, the winning times clocked at arrival on the board.

Charles explained, “Birds don’t fly over mountains, they fly road routes, following my truck and then take off. When I arrive at my Antioch loft, they’re waiting for me. We have overfly handicaps — the difference could be 100 miles between lofts.” I asked about homers and racers. “Our birds are bred and trained for speed. We call the wild pigeons ‘barnies’.” I knew about barnies — they nested at my house.

To get the coop scoop, I checked into an online chat room. One pigeon fancier posted that the fastest bird ever was probably “True Grit,” found as an egg in a coop, incubated by a hen and whose bloodline was of unknown parentage. Others of legendary status are “Super Crack,” “Dreamboy,” and “Eurostar.” I followed chit-chat that the Belgian Janssen breeders had the best pedigreed bloodstock, still dominating in high-end auctions.

Pigeon racing is still a viable big-stakes sport with 15,000 registered lofts, and Queen Elizabeth’s high ranking loft won first place in 1990. In South Africa, the Sun City Million Dollar Race pits over 4,000 international birds all vying for a $1 million purse. Pigeon squabs are airlifted, trained and acclimatized in the grueling African veldt before the big race. Even also-rans win big purses and expensive cars—in short there are no birdbrained contestants in this sport — it for is for winners who fly fast and soar high.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, March 2012

New Trends in Indie Writing and Publishing

January 29, 2012 by Anita Venezia 1 Comment

I recently attended a Trade Show at the Oakland Marriott Convention Centre sponsored by the NCIBA—Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, where traditional publishing conglomerates, independent and boutique publishers, distributors and authors exhibited. As a longtime features writer and debut novelist, my heart raced anticipating face time with decision-making publishers who may have the potential to send my own recently launched self-published novel, Crosswinds at Campo Carcasso, to bestseller heaven. So imbued with enthusiasm and a good dose of naïveté, I entered the great hall to promote my book.

Research confirms that independent and boutique publishers are giving the traditional big houses a run for their money with evolving seismic changes, proving that market share bites are rustling more than just pages. Additionally, the siphoning off from Amazon.com and e-Book sales, for over 40 million IPads and Kindle devices (5 million sold since Kindle Fire launched in November), impacts the bottom line.

I came away from the Trade Show ignited with twin emotions of enthusiasm and trepidation about the marketing, promoting and selling of my own novel that we indie authors must zealously pursue to propel our works into the marketplace, lacking the luxuries of mainstream PR support.

Internet and digitized technology has morphed much of the publishing and printing industry to short-runs and print-on-demand PODs. In 2011, Amazon.com sold more e-books than hardcover and paperbacks combined leading to Jeff Bezos’ statement; “the physical book and bookstores are dead…” Digitization affects many industries; over 250 Indie Booksellers now sell retail product online at Google e-Books. Traditional publishing is altered forever; technology has spawned spin-off full-service independents offering varieties of genre publications. Not only books, but magazines and newspapers are begrudgingly yielding a substantial market share to computers, Nooks, Ipads and Kindles. Millions of front and back-listed titles are accessed by the mere flick of a finger within seconds. Unless books have entered the public domain, DRM (digital rights management), is often recommended, however, there are pros and cons, and with millions of books selling daily, the logistics of authors’ royalties could be a nightmare.

Many die-hard ‘real book’ readers have been heard lamenting nostalgically about the smell of the ink, the turn of the page, the rustle of the paper. Are we that close to the digital divide—already losing the physical book? Even I, the epitome of a techno idiot, and still holding on tooth and nail to the 20th century, succumbed to digitization, ordering a Kindle Fire before launch day. With new toy in hand, I jumped on the digital bandwagon and purchased the e-book version of Crosswinds at Campo Carcasso.

Indie Authors Unite
In my naïveté, and neophyte of the subject at hand, I merged into the world of indie authordom inflamed with enthusiasm about achieving best seller heaven. At launch, my book was already sold globally; Ingram Books distributing on Amazon, B&N and other sites. A perceived surgical marketing endeavor and a PR blitz brought bookstore signings; sales and testimonials were great. So, anticipating a Da Vinci Code-style bestseller — the sweet smell of literary success danced in my head. When sales hit a plateau, I realized I had to become, not only an indie writer, but also a one-woman marketing department—all this after thrashing out Crosswinds at Campo Carcasso in 750 lonely days, and suddenly finding myself beset with the business end of being an author, when all I really want to do is to write.

Evidence mounts that the synergy between indie authors, traditional publishers and independent booksellers, is minimal. Their bottom line is profit, not discovering debut novelists. Authors must find creative ways of penetrating the insulated walls encircling publishing protocol, and competing with half a million annual titles all vying for a place in the literary sun.

So, armed with a quest to make a killer first impression, I ventured onto the convention floor with a steely attitude and my novel. I approached a New York publishing rep, book in hand, eyeing the iconic orange cover of Kerouac’s On the Road. I chatted with a man who told me how to get a manuscript to an editor. I had already sent query letters to editors to no avail. “Buy Writer’s Market, send editors queries, it may go to the right person or the slushpile…and then again maybe not…”

I already knew the routine and moved to another publisher; “Good morning, my name is Anita Venezia… can you help me?” He smiled wanly and offered me a sugary doughnut—I whiffed the sweet smell of near-success and then greeted a woman with whom I had shared the hotel elevator, memorizing the badge names of who’s who on Publishers’ Row. She took my book, promising a look-see and placed it in her briefcase. I had succeeded in getting Crosswinds at Campo Carcasso into the hands of a New York publisher — mission accomplished.

Armed with the slim likelihood of piercing mainstream publishing shields, I introduced myself to my distributor, Ingram Book Company. En route to my booth at Island 15, I approached Tom Faherty who shared valued insight and steered me to Cameron Publishing for an interesting story angle. Cameron Publishing was founded in 1964 by the late Robert Cameron, commissioned during World War II to capture aerial images of strategic sites. His photography led to pictorial calendars and aerial view books. Chris Gruener manages the Petaluma boutique publisher/distributor and showed me their catalogue that included the photograph-rich book Oyster Culture by fellow Capetonian, Gwendolyn Meyer with Doreen Schmid.

An innovative booth buzzing with energy, and a quintet of cardboard cutout characters attracted me; Indie writer/designer Joy Evans and songwriter Kayla Gold, creators of the Earth-Guard Adventure Team, offered a 16-book series of young-set stories and song CDs, so kids can act out their own adventures as computer whizzes, trailblazers and engineering dynamos.

Island 15
I returned to my booth, Island 15, shared with other indie colleagues also pursuing alternative venues in the literary jungle. Booth mate Lloyd R. Prentice introduced his books, Freein’ Pancho about an Oakland Hills boy coming of age in the 1950s, and new thriller The Gospel of Ashes. As president of Writers Glen Publications, Prentice shared his vast expertise about publishing, and our brainstorming started the ball rolling with Hut Landon, the NCIBA Executive Director to establish a booksellers’ Seal of Approval for indie writer/publishers. We have also formed an Indies online forum with several writers already on board. Bonnie and Gregory Randall of Windsor Hill Publishers, Walnut Creek, presented their novels; Elk River and a series of Sharon O’Mara edgy spy thrillers that very well may put 007 to shame. Our most serendipitous Island 15 booth bait was legendary Scorpions Rock Band drummer-songwriter, Herman Ze German Rarebell, the rocker promoting his own biography And Speaking of Scorpions…

The booth opposite us was an epicenter of activity for Pinnacle Award Winner, How to Survive in a World Out of Control by J.B. McIntyre. New Age metaphysical aficionados were awed by the author’s philosophical aspects of inner perceptions of reality. My fascination of the esoteric subject ignited a request for author interview; I asked J.B. McIntyre if he foresees staying power of his philosophies: “the book is NOW, timeless, becoming more relevant as changes force each individual inward.” Becoming more brazen, I asked him to define a ‘mystic’; “a mystic wants to experience directly the truth of all teachings, to go beyond dead words of religions, and experience God directly. Mystics teach of a divine union with the infinite.” I asked with whom he would choose to spend a day, living or dead; “The one person I would wish to spend a day with, and ask limitless questions would be the greatest mystic, the Christ. He spent his entire life absorbed, and his mystical journey was to change the world forever…” My last question was about belief in God; “Belief is a small part of the mind’s ability to manifest; faith takes you farther than what is coming to you. In a state of knowing, one’s inner guide confirms beliefs. My heart tells my whole being there is a loving Creator, it is felt in the temple of my soul…”

In search of marketing strategies for Crosswinds at Campo Carcasso, I ventured to the NABE Island and I introduced myself to 25-year marketer extraordinaire, Al Galasso. I handed him my novel and asked advice about cooperative promotions; I had finally found an answer to my dilemma. NABE, National Association of Book Entrepreneurs was exactly what I needed; an organizational conduit for indie authors—membership camaraderie, promotions, publishing and marketing tips. After navigating their website; BookDealersWorld@bookmarketingprofits.com, I realized a synergistic advantage.

“If you never join another organization, you’ve got to join IBPA…” Cynthia Frank advised. “They are the best resource for publishers…they’ve got your back…” I thanked the Cypress House Publisher from Fort Bragg and glowed with enthusiasm when I heard she was a San Ramon Valley High graduate. So taking Cynthia Frank’s advice, I emailed IBPA, Independent Book Publishers Association, and received a prompt reply about cooperative marketing programs, education, industry information, book awards, advocacy and participation in trade shows from the Executive Director Terry Nathan. I have since learned a wealth of heretofore unknown information through membership, and my initial confession of naïveté holds true as I am apprised of new trends from the inner sanctum of publishing.

So in a nutshell, the upshot of attending the NCIBA Show; I encountered colleague Lloyd Prentice, who spearheaded a movement to encourage independent booksellers to establish a Seal of Approval for Indie Writer/Publishers, and with whom I assisted in establishing an online indie writers’ forum. I joined the NABE marketing team and esteemed IBPA (www.ibpa-online.org), and learned of Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, www.BAIPA.org, a generous-spirited volunteer network.

I met some inspiring indie author/publishers—entrepreneurial mavericks all—venturing into new realms of creativity, not only writing, publishing and promoting their own literary works, but also have proven that the pen is mightier than any sword, and that powerful words may very well move mountains. A word to the wise to indie writers frustrated about finding editors and publishers; write, write, and keep on writing—there are many innovative venues available and a host of publishers to bring your literary works to the marketplace.

The NCIBA sponsored several educational series; How to market e-books, using Facebook to promote, children’s rep picks, author buzz sessions, afternoon tea with Philippa Gregory, The Lady of the Rivers. The Friday keynote speaker was docu-filmmaker Michael Moore, fresh to the podium, breathless from attending the Occupy Oakland event; claiming his last documentary message called for revolt.

The sunrays of the show, across from Island 15, was the Sunburst Publishing team of Lowell James and David Smith of Zenith Cove, Tahoe—publisher/marketers of the inspirational book How to Survive in a World Out of Control by J.B. McIntyre—a 2011 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award winner.

Filed Under: Archives, Feature, February 2012

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Gypsies – Who are they and where did they come from?

Oakland Zoo – A History as Told by the Founder’s Daughter

Jukeboxes – The First Playlists

Wings of Valor – Avian Wartime Couriers

New Trends in Indie Writing and Publishing

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