Feature Archives

12/20: Gary Webb: Do What He Did by Al Giordano
12/16: Update about the memorial service
12/15/2004: A Memorial Service for Gary Webb, the late investigative journalist, will be held in Sacramento on December 18th. Webb died as a result of two gunshot wounds to the head. A coroner determined that the cause of death was suicide, largely due to the presence of a suicide note. Some wondered if Webb died of "Potential Witness Syndrome." However, his ex-wife said Tuesday that Webb had been distraught for some time over his inability to get a job at another major newspaper. 'The way he was acting it would be hard for me to believe it was anything but suicide.' Webb had reportedly paid for his own cremation earlier in the year. Apparently, he had sold his house last week, because he could no longer afford the mortgage, and was also upset that his motorcycle had been stolen. (More) Memorial Webpage for Gary Webb

Code Pink, the Ranging Grannies, and even some delegates were on hand as a crowd of young, old, and in between marched from US Senator Barbara Boxers office at the Federal building, to the state capitol where the CA electoral delegates were meeting with "black boxes" in hand. A couple of delegates (Chuck & Diania) actually addressed the crowd and said that they too were disgusted at the blatant computer vote fraud, and voter disenfranchisement in this last "election". They also stated that they were going to try to talk the other delegates into refusing to cast their votes until the Ohio recount had been done. For pictures and report, go here .

Since early July of 2004, 210 Stockton owner-operator truckers working out on the rails and ports in Stockton have unionized with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and won several victories. Today, 20 workers for the Kach Trucking Company went on strike as well. Harjit, a IWW organizer from the bay area, commented that, "One worker estimated that they are losing over $1,000 a month", and that's $1,000 that is going straight into the companies pockets. Workers are being swindled out of over time pay, being forced into making extra trips that are not paid for, and also having to cover tire, fuel, and other costs themselves. Read full report here.

12/04/04: Contingents from four LBGTI community organizations participated in Fresno’s Magical Holiday Parade for the first time ever on December 4th. Members of Queer Fresno, the local chapter of the Stonewall Democrats, Central California Alliance and Central California Pride Network marched in the Diamond Jubilee rendition of the parade in downtown Fresno. Read a report on the parade by Dan Waterhouse here. Another article and photos of the parade are available here.

An Elk Grove man died in November in a confrontation with Sacramento County sheriff's deputies after officers used pepper spray and shot the man twice with 50,000-volt Taser stun guns. Sheriff's officials said Ricardo Zaragoza struggled with four deputies who wanted to take him in for a mental health examination after his family called officials saying he was acting erratically. Sheriff's officials and family members said officers shot him twice in the chest with Taser guns. Family members, however, said officers used excessive force to control him. The death could be ruled a homicide, but as of late Monday it was still labeled as "undetermined," coroner's officials said. The department started issuing the stun guns in 2001, as a non-lethal way to subdue suspects. Arnulfo Zaragoza Jr. said his brother, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at age 20 while he was a student at the University of California, Davis, had been taking his medicine but had not eaten for five days. Read full report on the police killing here.

Tuesday evening, by a unanimous vote, the Sacramento City Council repealed in it's entirety the portion of the Parade Ordinance banning the innocent possession of everyday items at public gatherings that has been in place since last summer's WTO/Ag meeting in Sacramento. The ordinance puts resistrictions on gatherings of people protesting, and what items that they can have on them by labeling various items "weapons". Report here.

11/24/04: Madera home care workers marched on Tuesday, in response to the Madera County Board of Supervisors voting to give themselves a raise this year while refusing to increase the wages and benefits of home care workers. Madera workers have been fighting for living wages since March 2003 when they joined the union. The workers are asking for $8.50 an hour with benefits, and the county has countered with a $ .25 an hour raise with no benefits. The march ended by filling the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand a living wage. Video coverage of the march, rally, and presentation to the Board of Supervisors is now available from Elfie and Maia Ballis at SunMt. In Fresno, more than two hundred nurses from the University Medical Center walked the picket line on Tuesday. The issues are improved retention of experienced RN's, a "union shop," and patient protection through adequate staffing and objective pay scales. UMC nurses were forced to strike when management failed to bargain in good faith after the recent assignment of a federal mediator to the more than year-long negotiations.