jjardine's blog

Tuesday's press conference to announce the FBI's indictments against those involved with the Road Dog Cycle case in Denair was unusual in this respect: I can't recall any other press conference that was attended by friends and family members in a show of support for the defendants. The crowd included former Assistant Sheriff Myron Larson, who worked many years with defendant Raul DeLeon, who is a captain at the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, and a former bailiff who worked with defendant Dave Swanson at the courthouse.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Bob Foster, a long-time Modesto resident who died recently of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Foster was one of those unsung heroes every community relies upon to become a better place, and he was involved in many things, including video-taping high school graduations, along with aiding social programs, arts, sports, you name it. He also spend a great deal of time with the Modesto A's and then the Nuts.

One of his best friends, John Cox, has scheduled a Bob Foster tribute night July 6 at John Thurman Field. Tickets will be on sale at the park. The purpose will be to honor Foster, but also to raise awareness and cash for ALS.

There will be a brief ceremony and photos of Foster shown on the big screen, and his grandchildren will throw out ceremonial first pitches.

Last week, I took my wife's car in for recall work at a local dealership. Nothing major -- just something to do with an emissions setting in a computer element. While I waited for my ride to work, I looked at a full-size pickup in the showroom. It's a 4x4 that, according to EPA estimates, will get 14 to 17 miles per gallon. OK. But what really caught my eye was a sheet stuck to the window, telling me that, at 15,000 miles per year, I could expect to pay roughly $2,400 for gas. Below, it read: Based on $2.80 cents per gallon. So I computed that same mileage to the $4.21 per gallon I paid this morning. That same truck, at 15,000 miles per year, would cost $4,500 a year in fuel.

Who would have believed we'd ever be pining for $2.80-cent gas?

One of my real gripes about the Internet is that it gives people the ability to rip others with no accountability.

In my May 11 (Sunday) column, I wrote about Walter Woodley, who was an exemplary employee for the city of Modesto for 33 years despite the inability to read. He'd suffered a prolonged high fever that damaged parts of the brain that enable a person to associated letters with the sounds they represent. He's spent the past three years learning to read through the Stanislaus Literacy Center's Readingworks program.

Atop the column on Modbee.com, three people posted comments. Two were positive toward Walter's story. One gave his full name, another a first name.

But a third commenter wrote a snotty diatribe _ the kind you would expect from someone who hides behind the e-moniker of "wishiwuzfishin.'

This is what he wrote:

Well that shows what kind of people the city hires, hey, you dont have to have an education or even know how to read to work for this city. No wonder this place is so crappy to live, and this guy worked for the city for 33 years before admitting he couldnt read? I wonder who did his book work for him, his wife and kids?
wishiwuzfishin | 05.11.08 - 9:08 am | #

The state legislature didn't go far enough when it passed new laws prohibiting drivers from talking on hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel. I wrote about this in my Sunday (April 13) column.

But why limit it to phones? Why not  include electric shavers, too?

Seeing other drivers holding cellphones to their ears is commonplace. But it'd been a while since I'd seen guys shaving while driving. Monday, I saw two gents -- maybe a minute apart -- shearing themselves while barreling down Briggsmore Avenue.

 One seemed to keep his eyes on the road while mowing his face with a Norelco. The other, though, repositioned his rear-view mirror and leaned toward the center of his car so that he could look at himself while shaving. If that isn't dangerous enough, imagine the possiblities for trouble if he spilled the Aqua Velva during his post-shave splash-on.

Someone needs to invent a hands-free electric shaver _ maybe even one that doubles as a cellphone. Or maybe these stubbly drivers simply could apply some Neet to their faces and then wipe off the residue when they get to work.

The lead of my Tuesday column dealt with the theft of a slide from the Small World Preschool & Christian Elementary School in downtown Modesto. The kids had raised the money themselves for their play structure, only to have someone steal the slide and the canopy a week ago.

Tuesday morning, a man called the school. He'd found a slide dumped in his back yard, and had no idea where it came from until he saw my column. So the kids' faith will be rewarded. They'll get their slide back, as well as other offers of help from community members.

Nuts and bolts won't do. This time, they need to rivet the slide to the structure to make it tougher for vandals to take.

This, from story out of Pennsylvania last week:

"PITTSBURGH (AP) _ The jury in the fraud trial of celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht declared an 'impasse,' but the judge instructed them to return Monday for more deliberations."

Celebrity pathologist? What's next? A celebrity podiatrist? Would Count Dracula today be referred to as a celebrity phlebotomist (one who draws blood)? Or how about a celebrity astronomer -- a great addition to "Dancing with the Stars"? Nothing should surprise you in this era of 24-hour news cycles and cable TV talking heads.

Wecht is charged with 41 counts of fraud, accused of using county staff to send information, on county time, to his private practice. The jury is still deliberating.

Wecht was hired by Scott Peterson's defense team to inspect the remains of Laci Peterson and unborn son Conner, but did not testify turing the trial.