Duo on trial for sandwich robbery By Randy Kalp
OCEANSIDE — An armed robbery for several chicken sandwiches could place two young men behind bars for several years. The alleged holdup only lasted five minutes, but Moses Talr Simeta and Rafael Fructoso Gonzalez could face up to five years in prison. Prosecutors allege the duo robbed the ampm on Douglas Drive in Oceanside around 4 a.m. Aug. 30. At a preliminary hearing Oct. 8, Oceanside police detective Douglas Baxter testified the night clerk told police he went to confront Simeta after he noticed the 21-year-old stealing hot food items, and that is when Gonzalez, 20, who was standing near the counter, raised his shirt to show a handgun and said, “Let him take what he wants.” The victim told authorities that as he followed the duo out to their car, Simeta pulled out a gun as they backed out of the parking lot, waved the weapon in the air and said, “Man, just go back in the store,” Baxter testified. Simeta and Gonzalez both admitted to stealing the sandwiches, but denied using any weapons. Their attorneys argued to have their charges changed to petty theft counts citing surveillance video taken from the TURN TO ROBBERY ON 33
4 accused in string of hotel hits By Randy Kalp
OCEANSIDE — A foursome accused of a string of hotel holdups this past spring will have to stand trial on robbery charges relating to the four incidents, a San Diego Superior Court judge ordered Oct. 9. During a six-day period this past May, prosecutors allege Samuel Edwards, 26; Clayton Matthew Gaunce, 19; Rashun Lavelle Mitchell, 20; and Tiffany Brown, 20, were involved in a string of armed stickups in North County, which included two robberies at the Best Western on Oceanside Boulevard. Following the Oct. 9 preliminary hearing, Deputy District Attorney Allen Brown said three of the four robberies occurred in Oceanside, the first was at the Holiday Inn Express on Vista Way around 11:30 p.m. May 24, which was followed by the holdup of the aforementioned Best Western around 2:50 a.m. May 25 and 2:30 a.m. May TURN TO HOTEL ON 29
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RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
OCT. 23, 2009
Dog owners demand more parks time for pooches By Wehtahnah Tucker
ENCINITAS — Some dog owners are still up in arms over the limited hours set aside for off-leash activity by canines at city parks. The city currently allows off-leash dogs from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Viewpoint, Orpheus and Sun Vista parks. A trail segment between Encinitas Boulevard and Mountain Vista is also available for off-leash dogs from dusk to dawn. Dog owner and activist Susie Cohen held a press conference Oct. 7 to garner attention to the plight of dog owners who she claims are treated unfairly. At least 18 dog owners received $445 tickets on July 31, when plain-clothes officers in unmarked cars entered four city parks after off-leash hours expired at 6 p.m. Cohen said many of the people who received tickets are senior citizens on fixed incomes and cannot afford to pay. “We think it (issuing tickets) was just done for the money,” she said. Cohen said she would like to see a city policy that does not restrict hours or days for off-leash dogs at parks. “If the City Council would pass
DOG PARK DRAMA Vickie Schipper and her 3-year-old service dog, Leo, enjoy time with other dogs at View Point Park. Photo by Wehtahnah Tucker
this it would make the tickets retroactive,” she claimed. Cohen also claimed that the City Council is delaying a vote. “It’s been four weeks (since the last public meeting discussing the issue). What
are you doing?” she asked. Cohen competed for attention with at least 40 dogs that ran around the park during her presentation. During a regular meeting Sept. 9, the council directed
city staffers and the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider adding two locations for off-leash dogs to access, including Glen Park and Hawk View Park. It also directed staff to research
whether increased hours were possible at the three current off-leash park locations. At least two councilmen indicated support for creating separate off-leash dog areas from the general park. Councilmen Dan Dalager and Jerome Stocks said off-leash dogs should have their own area if possible. Several dog owners support an all-access approach to off-leash dogs at city parks. Vickie Schipper was present at View Point park during the press conference with her service dog, Leo. “We need a place for them to play,” she said. Julie Rose, who received a ticket for having her dog, Shanti, off-leash after hours at the same park said she was granted an extension. She supports the idea of creating a separate area for dogs to play as well as extended hours and days at increased locations. “We have to go to a park every day because I don’t have a yard,” she said. Dog owner Bob Shaughnessy said he brings his 3-year-old dog, Cody, to View Point park three days a week. He supports expanding the evening hours, especially in the winter. “It gets dark so early and there aren’t any lights here,” he said.
Bedtime stories are cherished events for many children By Alyx Sariol
CARLSBAD — “Once upon a time … ” has lulled children to sleep for years. But now, as family dynamics change and loved ones are separated by distance, divorce or deployment, children frequently fall asleep without these soothing words. Heather Hultgren knows how special it is to hear those magical words, and has vowed to never let an opportunity to do so be missed. As the creator of Cherished Voices, a personalized storytelling product, she hopes that every child will be connected to loved ones through the nostalgic process of hearing a bedtime story. Hultgren has worked one-on-one with authors, including Justin Matott and Marianne Richmond, who
write inspirational books perfect for story time. The books have beautiful illustrations that will delight children as they listen to a story read by someone special. “They’re heartwarming books that make kids feel so special and so unique,” she said. The process is simple — order a gift package, dial the toll-free number and start reading. When you finish reading, Hultgren takes over and creates a personalized CD with the recorded story to include in the gift package. With 18 books to choose from, Cherished Voices is great for birthdays, welcoming new arrivals and just reminding little ones of how great they are. Classic books like “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch, who person-
ally approved the book with Hultgren, are also available. Cherised Voices has proven to be a really special experience for deployed parents wanting to connect with their little ones at home in a special way. Capt. Rosanna Brown was stationed in Baghdad when she acted as a guinea pig for the Cherished Voices process. She read “Hooray for You” for her young daughter back in the states, a book celebrating just how great a child is. “It was the perfect message I want to send to her,” Brown said. With a simple phone call and surprisingly clear reception, Hultgren was thrilled to connect Brown with her daughter through such a unique way. She
hopes that other soldiers will hear about the product and use it as a way to comfort their children, whether they’re deployed for three months or a year. “Items that can make it a little better — a little easier — are so important,” Hultgren said. As the Christmas season rolls around, Hultgren is offering a “Donate a Gift” program so people can chip in and help a solider send a gift package to their child. People can split the cost of a gift to brighten the day of a child whose parent is serving our country during the holiday season. While children will delight in stories like “Hooray for You” and “You Are My Wish Come True,” they aren’t the only ones
who will benefit from a personalized story reading. Cherished Voices offers stories like “When Did I Meet You Grandpa?” and “When Did I Meet You Grandma?” so kids can read to their grandparents, letting them know just how special they are too. Hultgren’s youngest, 6year-old Kayla, picked out a story to read to her grandma. “I wanted to read a book to her because she likes books,” Kayla said. “She thinks I’m special.” With this unique and special keepsake, children and adults alike are sure to live “happily ever after.” To learn more about the Cherished Voices product or to donate a gift package to the troops, head to www.cherishedvoices.com.
Misprint trebled dose of vitamins for psoriasis treatment Dear Dr. Gott: I recently wrote you regarding my experience with psoriasis, for which my husband (a pathologist and professor) recommended that I take fish oil and vitamin D3. I had very good results and wanted to share them with your readers. When I read my letter in the paper, it said that I was taking 1,000 milligrams of fish oil and 2,000 IU of vitamin D three times a day. This is not what I said.That means anyone who tried this remedy is taking three times as much as they should, and this is a huge amount. Please print a retraction. Dear Reader: Consider it done. There was a misprint in the original column, and “three times daily” should have been “D3.”
DR. GOTT Second Opinion I would like to mention that I don’t believe any harm will come to anyone who took the tripled dose. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, people over the age of 14 should not take more than 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily; however, several nutrition scientists have challenged this, citing recent research studies that show up to 10,000 IU of D daily is acceptable. So, in my opinion, a short-term dosage of 6,000 IU daily will not be harmful. As for the fish oil, many
physicians recommend normal, healthy people consume about 2,000 milligrams daily. That is double what you were taking and just under the misprinted triple dose. Again, a short-term treatment at the elevated dosage should not cause any harm. So, readers, please accept my apology for not catching the error and for those trying this alternative treatment, please reduce your dosages to 1,000 milligrams of fish oil and 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 to once a day only. Dear Dr. Gott: My husband is an 80-year-old man who frequently gets hiccups, which sometimes last for days. They seem to come on for no reason and leave for no reason. The doctors he has seen don’t know how to cure them.
Two years ago, he was in the hospital for five days while being treated for pneumonia. He had hiccups for four days and was seen by quite a number of doctors. No one had a cure. Finally, the hiccups just stopped. We would be so very happy if you could suggest some cure. Of course, he has tried drinking out of a glass backward, breathing in a paper bag, eating a spoonful of peanut butter and any other home remedy that has been suggested. Do you have some cure?
include eating small meals, eliminating carbonated beverages and beverages that contain alcohol, and controlling sudden temperature changes whenever possible. More extreme measures include hypnosis, acupuncture, medications such as muscle relaxants, nerve block, or the insertion of a nasogastric tube or vagus-nerve stimulation. Before you accept his fate or commit to a surgical procedure, do a little more research. Perhaps something simple will provide the answer.
Dear Reader: I’m sure that you have tried every home remedy imaginable. Have you considered having him bite on a lemon, using smelling salts, drinking iced water or scaring him? Some other minor tricks
Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the book “Live Longer, Live Better” (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; (800) 6057176). Write him at Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016.