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| Standing room only - An Update |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Wednesday, 26 September 2007 | |
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School fight forum draws capacity crowd  Jonathan Partridge/Patterson Irrigator 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 superintendent of schools Patrick Sweeney. “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 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. 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 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 more details would be available at a special City Council meeting. Following last week’s brief melee, students had to remain in class for 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. 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.  Jonathan Partridge/Patterson Irrigator 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.” John Mataka, a member of a Nation of Islam study group in Modesto who attended the forum, said after the meeting that his group plans to try to reach teens on the streets directly. “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. To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Comments
(8)
 written by Concerned citizen , September 26, 2007
I understand that everyone believes in something to get them through the day but when Rev. Michael East spoke about taking our kids to church and that would solve all the issues was very offensive. In my eyes why not let me deal with my kids in a appropriate manner instead of getting involved and saying we can not spank etc. I am not a church goer put I will tell you what my generations and the ones before me would sure enough never talk back and act the way that kids do now days forget child abuse what about parent abuse you want us to step up and do more but when we do we do it wrong and we should just talk it out yes talking it out with the gangs is gonna chnage there outlooks what a joke.
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Both of the above comments show how communities come together and collabrate sound ideas to better our situation. YEAH RIGHT! If you can not offer any real soulutions how about this situation please use your brilliant I.Q. that is above room temp to stop pointing the finger, crying, and belly acheing about something, your right , you know nothing about, and you offer nothing in return. Why don't you put your gripeing where your actions are and voulunteer at the high school as a yard duty person or something and really show something positive. Instead you want to pa*s the buck and blame everyone else for a problem that is in every town in 2007. Look at Salinas a similar farming town community. It's the capitol of the norteneno gang. Or better yet you become an elected official so I can blame you for all the worlds problems. I say shut up or stand up! You have no right ranting what so ever if you yourself have done nothing to help better the situation. Now get off your holly than thou, einstien, the shy is falling kick and DO SOMETHING voulunteer.
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I'm at work and I had to respond to the previous writings and it's this. To all of us PARENTS who attended both meetings (Community and City council)and who submitted questions, comments, and even stood before the mirophone to ask questions in (English or Spanish) THANK YOU! (it's not much)
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Whether our I.Q.'s are above or below room temperature, I'd rather stand among those with leadership skills and not afraid to fight than those who coward beind a tree and throw stones. I am going to continue to support the police, fire, city council, neighborhood watch, and our schools in everyway shape, and form to solve the problems in OUR community. Period. One more thing. To Pattersonite: They didn't say whether their I.Q. was in Celsius or Fahrenheit! *lol* report abuse
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"One more thing. To Pattersonite: They didn't say whether their I.Q. was in Celsius or Fahrenheit! *lol*"
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Absolutely cla*sic....LOL!!!  report abuse
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To those who think that Builders should enforce the owner occupied clauses of their contract, it is an unforceable clause. The Builder puts it in there to deter renters and investors, but in reality, it would be a waste of money to try and fight with the courts.
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Also, think about all these investors who filled out mortgage applications and checked the box that said they were going occupy the house. Most builders did not even know the percentage of buyers that were investors. Trust me! Have the mortgage companies go after the investors who swore under penalty of perjury if you want to get mad about builders. report abuse
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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. Just take a few minutes and check out their videos. http://www.challengeday.org/wa...files.html
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This has helped a lot of schools right here in our area. Let me know what you think. report abuse
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I agree that the school should wear uniforms, it would help and cut the cost down on parents for clothes. I used to wear one for 7 years and it did help. Yes gangs are everywhere some area more than others.
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Patterson already had gangs issue before the builders came, lets start their 1st. Parents do need to get invloved but you must look beyond that some parents can't even find themselves let alone the kids report abuse
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And to tell them that schools are off limits? What good does that do? There are still gangs. Do they really expect gang members to respect school wishes? My god!
This whole situation just sickens me, and the way "officials" want to handle the situation is asinine and disgusting. Are they just trying to appease parents who are ignorant to the realities of gangs? Not that I'm some expert, but I do realize that making these kids wear certin clothes for a few hours a day and telling them to respect school hours and property WILL NOT DO AN OUNCE OF GOOD! Also, eliminating the schools nutrition period is ridiculous! Like that will stop gangs! I realize the lunch period is being extended to make up for the loss, but that just gives the gangs that much more time during lunch to again pull the fire alarm and start fighting again.
I'm so disgusted with this whole situation and I'm disgusted with the lack of intelligence involved in dealing with these problems.
I certainly don't have the answers, but the proposed "solutions" to the problems are insane. Our biggest problem is having to do with the investors who bought houses in the neighborhoods and have been renting their homes to people who come from areas where there are gang problems. They leave the areas, but bring their gang mentality with them.
Most people who bought homes here were under contract with the builders to have the home purchased be owner occupied for at least 2 years. There were a lot of investors who broke this rule. They rent to anyone from anywhere hoping they will get their monthly check, and if they do they're happy. They could care less about where the money is coming from.
And for those who say going to church and Sunday school will solve this problem? I again say "puhlease!" Many gang affiliates already have religion as part of their lives. If you examine their families you'll find strong religious backrounds in some cases. But, somehow they justify their gang activities. Some of these kids come from a long line of gang members. Mom or dad or both have been, or still are, affiliated in some way. Do you really think appealing to these parents will make an ounce of difference?
There are a lot of reasons why kids are in gangs. I certainly don't have a solution to the problem, but I do realize that if the builders of the new homes would have enforced their contracts there would be a lot less people relocating into this neighborhood because of the low rents. I just can't wait for the housing market to change.....
I feel like some of our leaders and officials are coming up with asinine solutions to the gang problems because they know that the average person will fall for it. They are taking advantage of people who are gullible and believe that stupid solutions like school uniforms will solve a gang problem. Or is it that those who are in charge are stupid and gullible enough to believe that the useless suggestions they propose will really work? Anyway, there are those of us who actually have an I.Q. above room temperature who know that what the officials propose is just a bandaid on a severed artery.