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| Fight forum draws capacity crowd |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Tuesday, 25 September 2007 | |
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Tonight's Meeting Location Change!
 Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator Hundreds packed an auditorium at Apricot Valley Elementary Monday night to learn about the brawl at Patterson High School on Sept. 19 and the nearly 3½-hour lockdown that followed. School officials, a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department representative and two local pastors made up the seven-man panel that responded to people’s questions. Many attendees’ comments focused on better notifying parents when there is an emergency at school and on providing positive activities for youth. “We needed to do some healing with our kids,” said Patrick Sweeney, Patterson Unified School District’s superintendent of schools. “Slowly our kids can take back their school.” Sweeney opened the evening by recounting the day of the brawl. Someone pulled a fire alarm during a nutrition break at about 10 a.m., Sweeney told the crowd of more than 500. That led to most of the 1,600 Patterson high students gathering on the lawn along South Seventh Street. There, five or six fights broke out, Sweeney said. Some teachers and staff got the crowd under control, and within 10 minutes, all the students were back in classrooms.  Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator Police said four injuries were reported, the worst being a student’s broken collarbone after a school employee tackled the boy. “He broke his collarbone because he was about to hit one of our staff,” Sweeney said. Deputies eventually arrested nine students they suspected were involved in the fights. Those students and one other have been suspended, Sweeney said, and they could be expelled. A 10th student was suspended this week, he said. Only the students who did not stop fighting when school employees told them to will face expulsion, the superintendent said. It is suspected that those in the fight were members of the Runners — a fairly new gang that police say has developed over the past two years in west Patterson. Sweeney talked at the forum about a recent increase in gang activity since an Aug. 11 shooting in Crows Landing that left Emanual Moreno, 18, of Patterson dead. “They’ve been fighting and battling over turf ever since,” he said. Sweeney did not elaborate much on the Runners, but he told the crowd that more details would be available at a special City Council meeting. Following last week’s brief melee, students had to remain in class for three to four hours as police searched for a gun, which was never found. Several students used cell phones during the lockdown to communicate with their parents. However, the school district did not use its automated phone system to notify parents until nearly 1:30 p.m. Still, dozens of parents gathered on the school lawn on Ninth Street throughout the day, hoping to pick up their children. A major worry for many at the meeting was the way the school district told parents about the incident. “We will work on that,” Sweeney said. “We learned we need to do our updates a little sooner.” He added that each school would come up with designated areas where parents could go in case of emergencies. People asked questions and commented on last week’s fights by submitting written cards. Organizers read through dozens of cards written in both English and Spanish.  Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator Not everyone was happy with having to use cards to communicate with the panel, though. “Why couldn’t they just let them speak their minds?” Cindy Goin asked. At one point, a woman stood up and began making comments. Organizers asked that she write her thoughts on a card, but several people in the crowd said they should let her speak. When the moderator told attendees they would need to stick to the format, several others applauded. People also asked about ways to counteract gangs. Comments included requiring school uniforms and installing metal detectors. No school officials commented on the suggestion to use metal detectors, but Sweeney explained the district’s existing dress code. Students are not allowed to wear red and blue, the colors affiliated with the Norteños and Sureños, he said. Also, T-shirts cannot extend below a student’s fingertips when their arms hang by their sides. The Runners are known to wear extremely large white T-shirts. The two pastors on the panel talked about what role religion could play in keeping youth from gangs. “Teach them something spiritual that will get them through life,” the Rev. Ken Hasekamp suggested. The Rev. Michael East spoke more directly about the need for church in people’s lives. “Those that don’t send your children to Sunday school, you need to start,” he told the crowd. “We can do this, but through the church and Sunday school.”  Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator “We actually want to work with some gang members to get them to agree that the schools are off limits,” Mataka said. “We got to go to the corner where they’re at. (Because they’re in a gang) doesn’t mean they’re not human or able to be reasoned with.” While several people raised questions about gangs, the panel did not address those questions Monday night. Instead, they mentioned a meeting the following night at City Hall, where detectives with the county gang task force and Patterson’s gang detective would be on hand. “Tonight is one of many nights,” Sweeney told the crowd.
Comments
(14)
To: wow! you're right. I forgot about E.P.A.
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The police, school, and city council took no prisoners. They made a major sweep of that town and changed it quickly. It's a LOT different now. They cleaned HOUSE! report abuse
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I don't agree with the "card question" format.....Allowing the panel to pick and choose what would be answered and or read. Hopefull they pulled these questions at random....rather than sifting through and selecting the ones that they "have answers for". Something certainly needs to be done....but I'm not sure that the kid who pulled the fire alarm needs to be charged with "terrorist acts". I say we save that charge for terrorists. The mayor should of most certainly been there....and in my opinion should of been the first to show up and the last to leave. Did she really not attend? WOW...thats not right at all, I felt like going....but the 7 hour drive nipped that one.
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The meeting should of been a moderater controlled open mic', each person would be allowed to ask one question(not comment) and then would have to take their seat while the question was answered. report abuse
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I believe that the new homes should be sold with morals and not to the gangbangers of the bigger cities. Before we had problems between the nortenos and the surenos, but people knew that they were fighting about insignificant stuff. Now that we have new people here they make their own stupid little childish clicks and want to rule Patterson. I agree with WOW and there should be a sweep strating with high authority that is involved in turning their heads at many of the wrongful things that happen in this town. Schools are a place for children to learn not to go and be afraid and wonder if they are going to come home that day, it is not a war zone. If these gangsters want to fight then put them in the front line of the war.
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i was told that tonghts meeting will be at Apricot VAlley @ 6
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 o pm. That it is supposed to be a mix of card questions and open forum comments. The mayor along with the rest of the council will be in attendence and will be addressing multiple topics. As far as my comments as charging the kid with a terroist act.I stand by that 100%. Reason being that in todays society for any charge to hold any weight you have to be charged with an terroist threat or act.You will get more jail time for threating to blow someone car then molesting a child. It is a fact and until the laws change I say terroist act for the kid!! you charge him with some low level civil disobedience charge and that kid will laughing all the way to trash pick up day and back.What lesson has he learned or his parents! report abuse
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While I do not teach here in Patterson, I do teach high school in the East Bay. The major problem here is holding students accountable for their actions. At my school, we have a ZERO tolerance policy for any fighting, dress code issues, unsafe activities, etc. If the administration wants to get serious about curbing all of the problems that keep creeping up in Patterson, they will have to monitor the school more closely. Parents also need to be more involved...I agree. But you have to make sure that the school isn't sending mixed messages about what is allowed and not allowed (i.e. one teacher lets you get away with dress code violations, one is hard-nosed about it) Consistency and communication will be the key to reforming Patterson High School. Incidentally, the reason why I live in Patterson and choose to teach in the East Bay--there were few/no (I never got a solid response) resource officers on campus when I moved here several years ago. Now that is just crazy to have a school of this size and not enough security--no matter WHAT demographics you might have. Safety of our kids should be priority number one.
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thats the problem here...I would have to say that none of our gov't officials had a kid pulling an alarm in mind when they instated additional terrorists laws, it wasn't a terrorist act. This kid, if they can catch who pulled the alarm, should most certainly be punished...including being expelled. I think that he/she should be prosecuted to the full extent of whatever crime is fit. But I don't think we should miss-use any terrorism laws to lock these kids up for 5-10 years. After all isn't the point rehabilitation? Prosecute him to the full extent of the crime...and counsel the troubled kid who has probably never learned right from wrong. Flip him now....and add a contributing member to society. I agree with your outlook on the situation. But I guess I'm a gla*s half full type of guy! But in the end...i don't think it will not pay to lock a 17 year old up for 5-10 years(or even 2-3 years), because they won't have a chance when they get out. As an un-educated non-vocational adult. Certainly they should have to spend some time locked up but....counseling s due....and I certainly think that courts need to "ORDER" mandatory family counseling when incidents like these happen.
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I agree with 'Get Tough'! The students do need to be held accountable for their actions. I like the idea of a no tolerance policy.....implimenting and then sticking to it. If student's decide to break the rules they will have to face the consequences. That's how it works out in the real world, and so should it in our schools. I also agree with the concept of parenting happening in the home, not in our schools. Teachers and school faculty members work very hard for very little, and I am appalled that so many of these whiny parents are asking the school district to give kids more to do. School's educate kids.....not entertain them! There are plenty of school activities, such as sports, drama, band, colorguard, and cheerleading, among others which any student is welcome to participate in. Hey parents, how about setting a bit of time aside to spend with your children too, instead of trying to pa*s them off to the rest of the community?
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It's a shame that only 4 years ago, problems like this in Patterson were held to a minimum. I left for University 4 years ago in the hopes of returning and raising my family in Patterson. But after attending recent Apricot Fiesta's and now, reading about the negative activities in the community, I've come to the decision that Patterson is not a place to raise the youth. Especially now with the influx of parents who seem to not share a pa*sion of education nor discipline. I'm very embarrased of my home-town and my high-school. The campus appears to be turning into a slum year after year, and the streets are completely unsafe to walk at night. A firm hand is needed to corral these gang-bangers. It is unfortunate we can't send the disruptors off to Iraq where one can test their true machisimo. Yet, I'm afraid they will continue to terrorize the students who are actually trying to gain acceptance into our nations' University's. I sure hope Dr. Sweeney and administration take a firm stance against the decay of PHS. I trust they will, as Dr. Sweeney has done great for the district.
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Just to let you all know, the mayor did attend the first meeting, she sat in the first row. She was not part of the panel because this meeting was set up by the school board. The speaker did mention that the mayor and the city manager were present and questions could be directed to them. No questions were directed to them, so they did not get a chance to speak.
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This is just a thought, but I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of Challenge Day? I have been checking out the website, and I think that maybe we should try this at our school(s). The website is www.challengeday.org Maybe if enough positive adults and children got involoved, we could try this out. I think at this point and time, we as parents need to get involoved as well.
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Everyone might want to check out these short videos. It helps describe Challenge Day.
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The card question format went smoothly, the panel did not pick and choose which questions to answer, believe me I was there and some of those questions sounded like a 5 yr old asked them. The card format helped eliminate the parents asking the same questions over again and kept the meeting flowing smoother and faster. Believe me if everyone spoke, I think we would still be sitting at the meeting today. Besides, if they let everyone speak their mind, the meeting would have dragged on, and not everyone who got a chance to ask a question would have been heard.
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I see kids everyday walking home from school with the xxxxx size shirts on!!! did they not see the front of the irrigator.I see where this is going real fast.This kind if attitude is what will keep the problems and unruly kids empowered!
Who ever pulled that fire alarm should be charged with terroist actions. I think that was sick and vile!Pulling the alarm is how alot of those school shooters baited the other school kids before they picked them off like game.
The mere fact that the mayor was not at the meeting says a whole lot.But I figure since she says there is no Patterson gang problem and then the police say different guess she could'nt show her face..b/c she would be real busy eating crow!!!
I see that they are going to play pansy to mainstream society.Lets not get serious now, but well do it later..so typical.
Kudos to the teacher that slammed that little punk!!!! I hope that puts all other little jerks on notice!! Serves that kid right!!!! If my son ever tries to swing on a teacher..I hope to god a teacher checks his a**!
Someone needs to defend the status of a teacher and protect the innocent kids because PJUSD sure is not.My firend works at the high school and some 10th grader called her a f-ing bi*c*!That is why I want harsh rules and punishemt to be put in place.All these poorly raised children are taking away valuable time from the kids who want to learn, attend school, and feel safe.
Im also sick and oh so tired of the poor little gangster song and dance.Come on now this Patterson not Watts!
They are kids with nothing productive to do and parents who don't want to take the time to raise them. I want parents to be held accountable and disrespectful kids to be addressed a.s.a.p!
Many of my tax dollars already go to supporting gang members in prison.I would like to see my money go to programs that are so grossly underfunded.
Maybe if these folks got turned in the right direction sooner, we will not have to pay for there 3 hots and a cot later!
Patterson needs a clean sweep like what happened in East Palo Alto a few yrs back.They took care of all the pushers,hookers,and gang bangers real fast.They have a zero tolerance for grafitti,when somethning get tagged no later then the next day it gone.The School district adopted strict dress and behavior code for both parents and children.It worked and E..P.A is now a small thriving town just like Patterson could be.