LOSE’EM-ALL LOSES AGAIN
Dear Editor,
Hello to the great readers of the AVA. This is Timothy Elliott once again. I would like to ask for a moment of your time. Again, I am writing to voice my concern and frustration with Linda “Lose’em-all” Thompson of the Mendocino County Public Defender's office. I would like the readers of this great newspaper to help answer a few questions for me. And maybe give me some advice or your opinion on the wrong that has been done to me.
Okay, in the legal community there is a book called the California Criminal Procedures and Practices or CEB (aka, the Law Bible). It is a strict guideline for all attorneys practicing criminal law in the state of California. Basically it is a set of rules that an attorney must follow when defending or prosecuting a criminal complaint. Once I received this book I was totally engulfed in its information and was extremely enlightened on the specific duties, obligations and tactics a defense attorney must perform and explore when taking on a case and defending a client in a court of law. I was horrified to learn that my public defender, Linda ‘Lose’em-all’ Thompson ignored every basic procedure and practice. And these are basic and common duties and obligations that a defense attorney “must do” when taking on a case and preparing for trial.
The list of obligations includes, but is not limited to, visiting the crime scene under the same conditions as the incident took place. This is a crucial element of the investigation for the defense to ascertain whether anything at the scene would have made it difficult or impossible for eyewitnesses to make reports based on what he or she saw or claims to have seen.
• Interviewing all witnesses in the complaint as soon as possible after the crime or as soon as counsel receives the information.
• Subpoena favorable witnesses, impeach false testimony, confer with her client in a timely manner on defense or strategy…
These things are essential for an attorney to do in order to collect all available information and prepare a solid defense for their client. ‘Lose’em-all’ failed in these areas.
In Section 29.45 of the CEP there is a list of things defense attorneys must look for when selecting the ideal juror favorable to the defense. The defense attorneys should seek:
• People who are young.
• Liberals
• People prone to ask questions — don't make snap decisions.
• People willing to disclose their own personal information on questionnaires such as prior drug use and bias against certain crimes, and
• People belonging to “helping” organizations.
While the prosecution seeks the exact opposite as stated in the CEP Section 29.44:
• People who are older
• Conservative
• People prone to pass judgment and make snap decisions
• Have military or law enforcement background or relatives
• Tend to relate to the world in black and white terms
• Guarded in their response to personal questions and
• Linear thinkers.
So which group do you think my attorney chose to seek jurors from? Yes, she helped the prosecution to get its ideal jury. It seems my attorney has been acting as a silent surrogate prosecutor — ignorant or intentional. I's hard for me to believe that any practicing and experienced attorney could have made this many errors and ignored all the basic procedures and tactics thought to be mandatory in their profession without these being deliberately ignored and failed upon. And it's sad that the system silently supports this type of conduct and protects incompetent attorneys by implementing and acknowledging a thing called “sound trial strategy” which is a veil designed to mask the mistakes and wrongdoings to avoid the courts being flooded with winnable appeals. This is also just another way of saying “Hey, we just violated your constitutional rights for the appeasement of the public.”
But I tell you, in my case, Linda ‘Lose’em-all’ Thompson is going to have a hell of a time trying to explain to the court of appeals how any of these errors and failures can be considered “sound trial strategy.” There is no “strategy” in failing to investigate the crime scene, or interview favorable witnesses, or to impeach false testimony, or confer with her client regarding the strategy and defense, or systematically excusing jurors who are favorable to the defense etc. etc. Unless her “strategy” was to have me spend the rest of my life in prison. All of these things I say are true and is all public record for anyone willing to investigate her performance.
So I ask: Was I deliberately convicted by my own attorney? Or is she just plain dumb? What can I do now to have this conviction overturned and receive a fair trial?
I would ask anyone who has had Ms. Linda ‘Lose’em-all’ Thompson as an attorney and believe that she also mishandled your case and gave you a deficient performance to call 213-765-1000 and file a complaint. Because whether or not she was deliberate or ignorant in her actions as my defense attorney, an injustice has been inflicted upon me and will continue against many others.
I would like to thank you for your time once again.
Timothy S. Eliott II
Ukiah/Hopland
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REMEMBERING JACK OWENS
Editor,
I read several weeks ago that Bill Owens’ brother Jack passed away. I knew Jack Owens who lived in Fortuna. Everyone around the Fortuna area love ol’ Jack. When my father passed away Jack was at the funeral paying his respects. As a young boy Jack would give me spending money, five dollars here and there. I never knew him to drink, smoke or swear. He was a legend in the logging industry. The last time I visited Jack, he put on a pot of coffee and made me feel good about myself. Jack's good friend for many years was my brother Jim. I just wanted to let Bill know that I feel your pain. We all will miss Jack. God bless you and comfort you.
Respectfully,
Ronnie Scaife
San Quentin
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TUNE IN, TURN ON, DROP IN
Editor,
The Fine Art of Tuning a Brook—
What you need is a tiny brook, some distance from the house, and a thermos of coffee and a sandwich and some LSD.
You take the LSD and walk to the brook. Put the coffee near the bottom of the chosen section. Go back up. By this time the LSD will be suggesting unusual but real things. Now you start to go down the road, listening intently. It will be making sounds, some melodious and lovely, some discordant, some just sound/noise. Now you start to tune the brook.
You rearrange rocks and gravel to tune in the sounds just right. You will know when you have it down right and you will crawl on down the hill. It's okay to dig out little basins with your fingers to make micro-waterfalls for high notes. Bass notes are more difficult. Keep going and keep intensely focused on the sound. Nothing else matters.
When you get to the bottom, stop and wash the mud off your fingers. Drink some coffee and eat the sandwich. This will seem odd, but keep at it.
Now you start back up the hill. The sound you have made going down may have changed and your perceptions as well. Keep true to the right thing. Now as you go, erase every trace that anyone has ever been there. No muddy rock bottoms, no footprints, no kneel marks. Nothing.
The melodies are all. They change by the yard. Your knees are cold, but your senses are all hot. Trust them.
You get to the top again. Now move off to the side about 10 paces. Lie down and listen hard. Close your eyes and listen hard. If something needs fixing, you will head toward it as if under remote control. Fix it. You can and will.
Take a sip of the cool coffee. Pour out the rest. Walk slowly home. When you get there, your mother will ask, “Where have you been all day? Dinners nearly done.” You say, “Just wanderin’, mom.” She smiles.
Phip
Willits
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THE BASIC ED PROBLEM
Dear Editor:
Regarding education: the basic problem with public school education is simply that “underachieving” students often have working parents who cannot make time to teach them (as we all must) to use profitably our system of classroom education. Most of them do not have the time, energy or money to make the effort and many don't even know how.
I invite your readers to write in and suggest a national economic strategy to work towards solving this basic problem.
Bob Pritchard
Clow Ridge, Philo
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A SWELL EXHIBIT
Editor:
I highly recommend the current exhibit at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah: “Seaweed, Salmon and Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast” which opened on July 19 and will run through November 4.
The exhibit handout, prepared by the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians, invites us to “enjoy exploring the California Indian food traditions through a savory mix of photographs, food samples, ethnographic artifacts, recipes and oral histories.”
It should be required viewing for all symbolic “locavores,” particularly the SWELLS: Superior Wellborn Economic Locavores Living Sustainably.
Cheers,
Don Morris
Skunktown/Willits
PS. I’ve noticed quite a few abandoned vineyards lately — “Grapes Gone Wild.” Feral grapes that mature without irrigation should make primo wine. What about forming bands of guerrilla gleaners to harvest abandoned crops? Ditto for the Thomas pear orchards in Ukiah Valley that to my knowledge aren’t being harvested.
“Wine demands a hundred explanations. Beer speaks for itself.” — Hubert Harrier, sales manager for Freistadt Brewery, Bavaria. “Bavaria On Tap,” National Geographic Traveler, September 2007
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DEM FOR WENDY
Editor,
As a registered Democrat ever since I achieved U.S. citizenship thirty-four years ago, I am appalled by a smear campaign against Wendy Roberts, candidate for 5th District Supervisor in Mendocino County, that appears to be linked to the local Democratic Party. I challenge the Mendocino County Democratic Central Committee to publicly dissociate itself from the lies and innuendos currently being spread, and to take steps to ensure that its mailing lists are not used for such sleazy tactics. Roberts is a Democrat with a deep commitment to balancing environmental issues and the economic health of Mendocino County. She has studied the issues, delved into the county's budget, and visited with people of every political persuasion throughout the Fifth District to learn of their concerns and to seek common ground on which to re-build our struggling economy. To do this necessary work requires engaged, informed citizens and qualified leaders. Wendy Roberts is such a leader, and I shall be proud to vote for her as our next 5th District Supervisor.
Maureen Eppstein
Mendocino
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LITTLE ISRAEL
Dear Editor,
I see you received another letter from a raving anti-semite. (Oops — sorry. The politically correct term is now “anti-Zionist.”) I wish to thank Mr. Boyer of San Diego for informing us that Israel is “a little jerkwater country,” and that “ultra-orthodox Jews” are “pretty much useless for anything except making motorsport tricycles.”
He says, he wonders how such a little country filled with such stupid people “effortlessly” got nuclear weapons. I suppose he can't conceive of a country able to keep secrets. He says maybe Israel “had a little help,” I suppose hinting at a dark conspiracy that evil America gave the bomb to evil Israel. Nuclear powers do not give bombs to non-nuclear powers as it reduces their own power. (The US did give Britain some help, but Britain had already given us help. The “Manhattan Project” involved both countries, and Canada also supplied some of the uranium.)
It's no longer very secret that Israel, which has some of the world's best scientists, built their nuclear bombs in South Africa, a large, rich country which produces uranium. The two nations shared information and resources and together both obtained nuclear bombs.
I suppose my admitting to this fact will make leftists hate Israelis even more as they so deeply hated the pre-1991 South Africa. Israel, which is very small and was three times invaded by far bigger countries, the first two times receiving no US aid, was simply trying to survive. America is a very big country invaded by no one in World War II. Was Israel cooperating with South Africa less justified than the United States giving a great deal of aid to Stalin's Russia?
Sincerely,
Michael Carson
Ione
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MY FAIR BANKER
Editor,
(sung to the tune of “Get Me to the Church on Time”)
We'll bury Wall Street in the morning, The funeral begins at nine: That's when we'll clobber / All of the robbers, But get them in the hearse on time.
We're gonna be there in the morning, They'll get comeuppance for their crimes: We'll throw the liars / Onto the pyre, But get them in the hearse on time.
If you see Geithner, Go chop him up; Then make Bernanke Drink the poison cup.
Their market rallies are so boring, Propped up with stolen public cash: We'll hire destroyers / To crush their lawyers, But get them to the hearse, Stuff them in the hearse, For God's sake get them in the hearse On time.
Susie de Castro
Fort Bragg
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LIKE ANYBODY CARES
Editor,
For the first time since 1980 I'll be voting the straight GOP ticket.
I'm fired up over Meg and I'll even take the moderate Republicans in the other three positions over the LibDem hacks that comprise the Demo Losers' ticket.
Since we are all going to benefit from Meg in Sacramento we should all be contributing and not letting her pick up the whole tab.
Jerry Brown, a failed former governor, failed Oakland Mayor, failed Presidential candidate, failed Attorney General and a gay wannabe straight.
Gavin Newsom, a straight wannabe gay, whose inane “gay marriage” stunt in 2004 reelected George Bush. Thanks, Gavin. I used to have to call him (1996) every Monday morning to get the money he owed to the food service company I worked for and it was always the same excuse, his (first) wife forgot to mail the check from his Cow Hollow restaurant.
Kamala Harris, nonbeliever in the Second Amendment and the most inept DA since Terrence Hallinan. She's a black wannabe white.
Babs Boxer, AIPAC's ever reliable 94th vote in Congress, and a multimillionaire champeeen on them little guys. Sure, Babs. Anyone that moves from Marin to Oakland should be a candidate for a new DSM category.
We are surviving our 30th year in the crime-ridden hellhole called Oakland, the past thirteen as homeowners.
Texas is looking better every day !
Cheers,
Michael Hardesty
Oakland
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BLACK OPS
Editor:
Alexander Cockburn uses the shorter term “conspiracism” to sharpen his disapproval of “nutjobs” who advance “conspiracy theories.” But we need another term, “covertism,” for conspiracies that do happen, as with covert operations.
This will help us to understand that “conspiracists” are deluded and bad, and covert operations investigators, or “covertists,” are shrewd and good.
Yours,
Gordon Black
Mendocino
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SMART BRAINFOG
Greetings AVA staff and readers:
In the throes of moonscaped San Bruno, PG&E is bringing us their ingenious means of making money called Smart Meters. Yet some would call it a dumb idea. Why? In a word it’s a personal deal. Smart meters are intrusive and clearly not tested, which in the PG&E legacy of smart moves is something to be concerned about. The meters appear to charge more. Let us add a small ingredient of nonsmartness: the electric meter version is not compatible with grid tie solar systems. Hmm? Not only untested, not well thought out!
Actually, Smart meters are here in some areas. Ukiah has brought its city the electric version and PG&E has installed the gas version there. This is the first test area in Mendocino County. Apparently Ukiah will allow opt outs. If you experience sleeplessness or any odd feelings call the city power company.
There are three major concerns with the Smart meters (electric and gas.) These units communicate with the office. PG&E reps say the former communicates down the power line (although repeater antennae is being used in a Willits residential community with no gas meters) and the gas version via wireless or RF to some always operative secondary site (a pole.)
The problems:
1. Inaccurate operation. Not all meters, but enough log more power consumption then normal. Is it a concern? State Senator Dean Florez thinks so, as he demanded an investigation. PG&E just purchased a study that said their meters weren’t left behind, and are as smart as touted. The errors were supposedly caused by hot days, and extended periods. Senator Florez responded that study was inadequate, and not attending to specific complaints. Ironically, the company’s claim that the meters would save clients money. One person noted her bill rose 300% from $200 to $600. She could not afford keep her house warm for her children.
2. Intrusion into one’s home, or real trespass. Whereas the old meters quietly monitored consumption, the new ones can eventually talk with new Smart appliances and do it as often as every 15 seconds with or without the Smart stuff inside. The results are directed through unsecured air to the internet, (bastion of security) where momentary use records are documented to help clients save power. Hackable personal information: daily use, time of occupancy and marketable information (via PG&E, possibly horizontally mining) to Smart product makers or Smart thieves.
3. Health concerns — especially by those already sensitive and by those willing to stay in the control group with no wireless. There is a population of folks not using wireless devices or being extremely careful that do not want these devices in their personal space. Real specific studies on wireless show a dangerous concern of brain tumors, sleep disorders, heart arrhythmia, fogged cognitive process and sperm reduction. The US media seems to be blacking this information out. The US FCC is ignoring these studies and has made undemocratic edict that says Americans can not discuss the health issues in wireless situation. Studies in the US since the 1980s are indicating problems and oncologist are talking about cell phone tumors. One San Diego oncologist told a TV reporter he was cautious with his cellphone, would not allow his children to use it and had no wireless in his home. He is taking a precautionary approach with his family. Many European countries already acknowledge hyperelectrosensitivity (HE) to wireless (called Electro Smog.) In Sweden 10% of its population has a HE disability and must live in sanitized state houses with no electro activity. Ireland has document 5% of its population and many European countries are pulling wifi in schools and warning parents to keep cell phones from their children because of the www.bioinitive.org report by a collective of concerned scientist. You may wonder why Europe is paying attention. Many European countries provide their residents health insurance and are looking for ways to minimize costs. Thus a precautionary approach makes sense in dollars as well as in health.
Problem one has a few more issues. Specifically there is a lack of testing, apparently something PG&E seems to forget before doing big things like saturating the entire state with new untested technology. In particular, the electric meter versions are causing fires. This is not a rare event and thus one wonders how the California PUC can allow this saturation process to continue seems very odd. One person on the San Bruno fire internet coverage wondered if a smart meter might have been the point of ignition to that very sad event.
Another test issue concerns people with pacemakers. This is obvious in hospitals and convenience stores, but not for PG&E. These folks must avoid the meters or have their heart rate disrupted. There is nothing on the meter warning about this. PG&E now acknowledges this yet has not labeled any meters!
Problem two also has a subset. The trespass impacts other equipment like computers, baby minders and other wireless devices. Apparently the disruption is damaging sensitive electronic gear. If one complains about this trespass or intrusion, PG&E quickly removes the meters to protect the other device and its operation. This may explain in a reverse way why the meters are creating errors. The meters may be listening to the wrong devices (my conjecture.)
The combined problem is that the PG&E monopoly, (PG&E Reps remind concerned folks when they call they are the only supplier in town) is not willing to allow folks to opt out at least on the phone. The company is also now using a stealth approach. That means they show up, disrupt your power without an announcement and install the meter. This action leaves disrupted sensitive equipment. Concerned residents have found that they can post a well secured sign on their old meters saying they do not want a meter. Do it now if you want no change out. One can find signs at www.emfsafetynetwork.org or just make one. Some folks noticed out-of-state, unmarked trucks doing “Pole maintenance.” The pole maintenance is actually the installation of a sub station Smart antenna that will broadcast through their home to the neighborhood. I recommend that folks create a sign saying “No Smart Devices on this pole!” for each pole near their property and put it on a secure stake next to the pole. One Willits family has discovered this the hard way. The family is literally losing sleep over it. No one in the house is sleeping properly now. This is the first symptom of EH. If you live in apartment and have the misfortune to have all of the meters on a common wall, you will be sieged by wireless signals (Chronicle article last Sunday.)
A concerned group of citizens will be circulating a petition following 20 other counties and cities and the State of Hawaii to say no to this dumb idea. The old meters worked and caused no health effects. The petition demands a moratorium on not just the use, but also the concept of blanketing a community with wireless. It demands the support of our county, cities and state legislatures. If one sensitive person lives in a neighborhood, can a monopoly violate their personal rights to health, trespass their homes (owned or rented,) and expose them to the potentially severe discomfort of wireless? I can be contacted at toxictrespass@saber.net.
Mendocino County is a county that has a Precautionary Principle in its laws. It is a logical approach to protect folks from untested new technology that has some evidence of toxicity. There is clear evidence of such and citizens are already complaining about these impacts via health impacts (lack of sleeping, high frequency noises, brain fog and more.)
Greg Krouse
Philo
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POLS GONE WILD
Editor,
All I need to know about Dan Hamburg I learned from Joe Wildman and… Dan Hamburg.
After reading Joe Wildman's tepid endorsement of Dan Hamburg despite his view that,"…there's something about Dan that's just hard to get over,” I was struck by how close, yet how far, it was from what Joe told me about six years ago. At a Ukiah Daily Journal Thursday morning get together at Schat's Bakery, I asked Mr. Wildman how in the world Dan Hamburg could have possibly lost to Frank Riggs. Without hesitation Joe opined, “Because he was so #%@*ing lazy. He would never return phone calls and never did any constituent services.” Of course, don't take my word for it, ask Joe. He's an honest guy and I am sure he will remember the discussion.
I learned something from Dan Hamburg a couple of years ago while having lunch with him and John McCowen. While I was trying to convince him that some type of ballot initiative was needed to make our marijuana laws more consistent and reduce commercial grows in Mendocino County (a precursor to Measure B), I asked why he didn't run for Supervisor. After all, David Colfax appeared to be tiring of the job. Dan told me, “I don't see that happening again. You know, you get that job and people think they own you. They call at all hours and I just don't need that.” ’Nuff said, Dan.
Ross H. Liberty
Ukiah
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CRUELTY TO WALLIS
Editor,
Judge Cindee Mayfield presided. At the last hearing Judge Mayfield passed the buck, er, returned the case to Judge Behnke. Yet here she was again hearing this case? Cindee Mayfield wasn't even sure whether she had given Wallis's Shi Tzu to Angela Hooper who had been scheduled for an “Appeal” or to Aeryn Richmonde who was not on the court calendar. Ms. Richmonde, allegedly Doctor Richmond, had lied in court about Wallis supposedly not paying for the dog. The receipt for the dog, paid by postal money order, is right here in Wallis's file. The Small Claims judgment for the furniture Wallis bought from Aeryn was a money judgment only. The furniture was included in the dog receipt. No dog was mentioned in the Small Claims judgement, only a money judgment, for money Wallis did not owe. Yet Judge Mayfield used that decision to award Wallis's dog to Aeryn. She also denied Wallis's request to correct the judgement. That request was based on the receipts for the dog which Cindee Mayfield refused to examine.
This 4th hearing was docketed for an Order for Injunction and Civil Standby so that Nutmeg, officially in court custody, does not have to spend 30 days in dog jail, er, quarantine. The hearing was to request a police officer to accompany Wallis to get her dog. Judge Mayfield denied any request to correct the judgment (of Judge Behnke) which was not on the docket. Judge Behnke had agreed that the dog was Wallis's.
Attorney Barry Vogel, assessing this confusing mess, stated to Wallis, “It's your dog.” He also suggested to Wallis that she write a letter to Angela requesting her to return the dog at a neutral location. Angela did not reply. Therefore Wallis requested a court standby to get her dog back. The subject of the hearing was never addressed.
Wallis Williams is hard of hearing, has suffered hearing difficulties since childhood. Repeatedly the court judges have failed to aknowledge her telling them she had difficulty hearing the court prcedures. She wears hearing aids in both ears. I did not realize how deficient her hearing is until, the other day, I banged at the front door of her small apartment three times. She did not hear me until I banged even louder at the window screen. Her little Shi Tzu Nutmeg would have alerted her immediately to the presence of someone on the porch. Refusing to return her dog to her is an act of JUDICIAL CRUELTY, ONE AMONG MANY.
Sincerely,
Dorotheya M Dorman
Redwood Valley
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GIVES LEAVES A CHANCE
Editor,
A LEAF HEALING—
Joy Greenfield, the victim of the Covelo DEA raid, was recently at my river garden for a joint interview with a French reporter.
For show and tell, I pulled out my uncomplicated hand-crank wheat grass juicer, which I got off the internet for $50.
I pulled some indica leaves off my garden plants, making them totally fresh, and began to crank them thru the grinder, stems and all.
It took a lot of cranking to get a partial shot glass full for the three of us, Armelle, Joy and myself. High CBD leaf juice is quite bitter in the spirit of true medicine, but not too much to handle. I insisted that it not be diluted. Concentrated medicine is the best test.
We drank the juice together. A shot of bitter was invigorating!
Joy called later that day with this news: "Pebbles, I have to let you know, by the time I got to Willits from the coast, my sinuses were totally cleared, like I have never experienced.
"By the time I got to Covelo, suddenly water was pouring out of my left eye, my bad eye, down onto my shirt, there was so much of it. It was some kind of healing.... I think you're on to something.
Now I won't have to make teas. I'll just drink the leaf juice to keep my pressure up. Your garden is beautiful."
Joy has uveitis and glaucoma, a congenital eye condition since childhood.
When she drank the leaf juice, the high cannabidiol dose didn't get her "high" but it healed her.
* * *
I am humbled by this development. This is evidence that
"throwaway leaf" from a small backyard garden can produce the basics of healing.
We have created a monoculture of bud, to the detriment of the whole plant. Breeding plants for high psychoactivity THC with resinous bud has been overemphasized for decades to the detriment of low psychoactivity CBD (cannabidiol), which is more highly concentrated in leaf than bud, and is known to aid pain, arthritic and spasticity conditions, even migraines which have vomiting at the end, a spastic release.
CBD leaf may prove to be the most important part of the medicine for numerous conditions, despite being shunned on the market because there's no money in it. (I& was carrying pounds or ounces of leaf all 10 times I was arrested — I considered it providing a medicinal touch at an affordable cost.)
Project CBD is well underway among pro-cannabis doctors doing research into how CBD sustains health, despite low psychoactivity.
Backyards, like mine, small strictly organic natural laboratories, are doing hands on research toward a common goal.
All we are saying, to put it in slang, is Leaf us alone.
Pebbles Trippet
Elk
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BROOKTRAILS DEVELOPMENT
Dear Editor:
At the Sept. 14 meeting, the Brooktrails board had on the agenda a “discussion of whether to proceed with environmental work related to enlarging Lake Ada Rose and related projects (2nd Access Road, etc.).” Because the board didn’t receive a report detailing the cost of these projects from AES (Analytical Environmental Services) in a timely manner, they decided to postpone a decision until the next meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 28.
At this upcoming meeting, I will be presenting the results of a survey sent out with a letter from Holly Madrigal that asked for residents' opinions on Brooktrails issues, including a 2nd access road. This letter was approved by three former Brooktrails board members: myself, Richard Estabrook and Bob Whitney. The surveys that were sent back show that residents have definite opinions on Brooktrails issues. I would like other Brooktrails residents to come to this meeting to hear about the survey results, and share with the board their vision of the future development of Brooktrails.
Ginger Pohlson
Brooktrails
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SOCCER SPORTSMANSHIP
Dear Coaches and Parents,
I am dismayed by the fact that as President of the Ukiah Valley Youth Soccer League, I am having to write to each one of you describing inappropriate behavior by teams, players, parents and coaches. The whole intent of youth soccer is to bring the sport to as many children as possible in a safe, fun and good spirited atmosphere. This year the soccer board has received numerous complaints regarding poor behavior by coaches and parents that range from cussing at the referees, yelling at calls made by the referees, parents threatening coaches, parents cussing at other parents and such. This is not what was intended to happen on the soccer fields in front of our children. If we hope to have good teamwork and a healthy attitude towards sports then we must be aware that how we conduct ourselves as adults. Our children watch how we behave and if we scream and yell because we did not like the call of the referee then our children will think that this is appropriate behavior. This is not good sportsmanship.
I have instructed the referees that if the game gets out of hand with poor behavior from the parents and or the coaches then the game will be cancelled. The coaches are responsible for their parent’s behavior. The parents cannot be on the same side of the fields as the coach nor should they be coaching from the sideline. The referee is the person in control of the game and should be listened to since he/she is the one who has gone through training. If the behavior does not stop the league may even have to resort to disbanding teams since good sportsmanship at the adult level appears to be non-existent.
I am sorry to say that this is the first year that we have not been able to manage tempers and personalities among the coaches and parents without a letter to all. To those of you coaches and parents who bring a positive attitude to the field thank you, your teams will have a wonderful time playing the game and the players will remember their time with you as a fun time.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Gonzalez, UVYSL President
Ukiah
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