#Patrice Apodaca

[robinsonranch]

Cameraman Stars in Volcano Ordeal : Rescue: Woodland Hills resident is recovering after spending two days trapped in a Hawaiian crater.

By PATRICE APODACA

Nov. 25, 1992 12 AM PT

As a movie cameraman, Michael A. Benson of Woodland Hills has seen harum-scarum disasters and hairbreadth escapes--at least the Hollywood versions--but this time he was the star in “The Great Flight From the Gas-Filled Volcano.”

Benson, who worked on “Terminator 2” and “Ghost” among other films, suffered lung problems from inhaling sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gas while trapped for two days in a Hawaiian volcano crater after a film helicopter crashed. He was in fair condition Tuesday after crawling into a net lowered from a helicopter that plucked him from the crater on Monday after an earlier rescue attempt failed.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Benson said by telephone from his hospital room in Hilo, Hawaii.

“I just have some lung problems because of the gases,” Benson said, adding that he could manage only a few sentences because an oxygen mask made talking difficult.

Cameraman Chris Duddy and helicopter pilot Craig Hosking, both from Los Angeles, reached safety earlier. They had also been treated for lung and eye irritation and released. They could not be reached for comment.

The three men flew into the Pu’u ‘O’o crater of the Kilauea Volcano on Saturday to film a segment for the Paramount Pictures Corp. production “Sliver.” The helicopter lost power and crash-landed on the crater floor about 150 feet below the rim.

About 275 feet below the rim is an active pond of molten lava, according to the National Park Service, which administers the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Hosking was rescued by helicopter from the crash site a few hours after the film helicopter went down, but Benson and Duddy, who had begun to climb out of the crater, could not be found.

Hampered by intermittent rainstorms, toxic fumes from the volcano and poor visibility, rescue efforts continued through Sunday. That afternoon, Duddy, 31, managed to crawl out of the crater.

But Benson, 42, remained stuck on a tiny ledge about 60 feet below the crater’s rim. He was in voice contact with rangers from the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and rescue workers from the local fire and police departments and the U. S. military, based on the rim above him.

By Monday morning, a momentary break in the weather allowed rescuers to fly a helicopter level with the lip of the crater and lower a rope with a net attached for Benson--who was out of sight of the helicopter crew. But the net caught on a rock and when Benson freed it, the helicopter, clear of the snag, shot upward. Then the weather closed in again, and the helicopter had to pull out.

A second attempt a short time later was successful. Benson managed to crawl into the net and was flown to safety.

“It was a very dangerous and difficult maneuver,” said Donna Cuttone, a park ranger.

Cuttone said that pilots working for the government are forbidden to fly into the volcano, and that other pilots limit their time inside the crater because the toxic gases damage equipment and cause breathing problems.

“They risked their lives, definitely,” by filming inside the volcano, Cuttone said. “We’ve all been absolutely amazed they all came out as good as they did.”

But producer Mace Neufeld, who worked with Benson on “Patriot Games,” said Benson was not one to take undue risks. “It was an unusual thing that you wouldn’t anticipate happening,” he said. “We did a lot of helicopter shooting over water and desert for ‘Patriot Games’ and had no problems at all.”

“Mike Benson is one of the best second-unit directors of photography in the business,” Paramount spokesman Don Levy said.

The park service estimated its cost for the rescue at nearly $46,000, including the cost of replacing equipment corroded by fumes, such as ropes, respirators and lights. By Tuesday, the movie helicopter and film equipment had not been recovered from the crash site.

Jane E. Russell, a publicist for “Sliver,” said she visited Benson in the hospital and “he looked to be in good condition and feeling well. His spirits are very, very good.”

Russell said Benson had been joined by his wife, Stephanie, and two children.

The volcano scene was being filmed as a background sequence for “Sliver,” a mystery starring Sharon Stone, William Baldwin and Tom Berenger that is being shot mostly on sound stages in Los Angeles.

[allafricayouthsplatform-blog]

Retired Newport Beach Cardiac Surgeon’s Book Reflects on Youth in Apartheid South Africa

By Valerie Takahama “A Boy Named Courage” is Himmet Dajee’s engaging new memoir, co-written with Patrice Apodaca, about growing up as the son of a domineering Indian immigrant father in South Africa. The memoir twines historical events—the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, Robert F. Kennedy’s “Ripple of Hope” speech at the University of Cape Town, the Soweto uprising in 1976—with the Orange County…

[sadmmann]

He was selfless, curious, loving and brave. He was an active member of the JROTC program at Stoneman Douglas High School. He loved to play basketball just as much as he loved to watch the Houston Rockets. He enjoyed jamming to hip-hop and had hopes of attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Most importantly, Peter Wang was adored by many and cared for by all. “He was rather quiet, but he was always happy and always smiled. Pete was well-liked and an entertaining joy to have in my room,” JROTC Sergeant John V. Navarra said. Peter was born on Nov.9, 2002 in Brooklyn, New York to his father, Kong Wang, and mother, Hui Wang. He was the oldest of his two brothers, Jason and Alex Wang. Though he was born in the United States, he lived in his parents’ native country, China, for two years as a baby. Back in Florida, Peter attended Westchester Elementary in Coral Springs where he met his eventual best friend, freshman Gabriel Ammirata.Together, they grew closer as they journeyed through Sawgrass Springs Middle School and watched their favorite anime shows, “Naruto” and “Dragon Ball Z.” They both went on to continue their academic careers at MSD, but while Ammirata became involved in band, Peter joined JROTC. “We’ve known each other for such a long time, and it’s pretty cool how we ended up at the same high school. It was fun growing alongside him and his cousins,” Ammirata said. “We’d eat at his parent’s restaurant and have hot pot all the time. I loved anything Asian he fed me. Thinking about it all is like pure nostalgia.” Aside from indulging in Asian cuisine together, they often spent late nights gaming and talking to each other over Skype. Their favorite games included NBA 2K, Naruto Shippuden and League of Legends. Though he never fully got into the craze, Ammirata says that if Peter was here right now, he’d probably be playing Fortnite. “He was open to any kind of conversation. When we play, I can talk about whatever with him, from the latest ‘Flash’ episode to the type of shoes I should get. He was really kind-hearted.If you’re feeling down, he was the type of guy that would cheer you up,” Ammirata said. Every year, Ammirata celebrated the Lunar New Year with Peter and his family. They would go to the Wang’s restaurant and engage in light-hearted banter, while stuffing their faces with sushi and dumplings. Peter would invite Ammirata to his Fujianese Association events for other new year festivities. They both especially enjoyed receiving lai see, red envelopes containing “lucky money.” “Feb.16 was Chinese New Year.If he would’ve been able to make it one more day, it would’ve been the third year in a row celebrating it together. If he would’ve been able to make it one more day, we would’ve seen the new ‘Dragon Ball Super’ film and watch the heck out of it together,” Ammirata said. Apart from his embracement of his Chinese heritage, Peter grew up with an enduring affinity toward sports. In fourth grade, he picked up basketball and later became involved in taekwondo and swimming at the Coral Springs Aquatic Center.Peter advanced all the way to red belt, but upon entering high school, he was met with an all-too-familiar dilemma: the decision between academics and athletics. Although Peter enjoyed delivering powerful roundhouse kicks and jabs, he valued his school work over participating in sports. Though his taekwondo career ended in his final year of middle school, his involvement in JROTC was just getting started. In JROTC, Peter’s talent and intellect carried him quickly up the ranks.Senior Angelyse Perez, Peter’s Bravo unit commander, reported that he was an excellent marksman and was about to be promoted to the “A” team. “Peter was definitely passionate about being a part of the marksman team. I was surprised to hear how good he was,” Peter’s cousin Aaron Chen said. “I suppose it was all the video games he played.” Though they were cousins, Chen said that he and Peter grew up together like brothers; they saw each other and spent time together everyday. As children, they fought furious Pokémon card battles and lashed in intense PC gaming sessions.“He was the only person on my level when it came to games. He wasn’t a professional, but it wasn’t like he didn’t know what he was doing. I stopped collecting cards or playing those games because Peter played with me and there’s not really a point to it now,” Chen said. Chen spoke lovingly of Peter, reflecting on some of their perhaps not so school-appropriate memories. They grew up causing playful mischief and cracking inside jokes. “Peter was never sad, and he always made jokes. That was the essence of Peter,” Chen said. “He never got down about anything. He just wanted to make others laugh.” When Peter was not at school, he enjoyed hanging out with friends, playing basketball and watching anime. “He would watch so many animes. At one point, I remember he said ‘there are no animes for me to watch anymore,’” Peter’s little brother, Jason Wang, 11, said. He also spent much of his time with family, frequently taking care of his younger brothers.The boys grew close both as family and as best friends. They would play video games late into the evening and watch films together in the home theater. They often bonded over campaign mode on Halo or iPad games.When Jason and Alex were bored, Peter was there to keep them company. In addition to being their brother and best friend, Peter served as their mentor and role model. “He was kind, he was generous, he was smart. Whenever I don’t get something [in school], I can ask him. Then he says ‘okay let me help you.’ He teaches me and if I don’t get it, he teaches me again until I do. I believed in him. I trusted him. I [could] depend on him,” Jason Wang said. Peter’s mom remembers how Peter always listened to her. Whenever his parents asked anything of him, he followed.Also, whenever Peter asked anything of his parents, they did it for him. “We work hard for the kids. Everything we do is for them. We want them to grow up happy, so we try to provide the best for them,” Hui Wang said. As a child, Peter strived to become a pilot and attend West Point. The longstanding values of courage and bravery that characterized his personality are said to parallel those taught at the university. Peter stood by these values up until his last moments when he held the door open to help his classmates escape to safety.“We teach in JROTC the values of honor, duty, respect, loyalty, selfless service and courage, but I haven’t gotten to those lessons yet. So he learned those things from home. He was a good person and a good cadet. We never know what we are going to do in a situation like that, but Peter made us all proud,” Sergeant Navarra said. His dreams and story of heroism inspired veterans and West Point graduates across the nation. As a result, Peter was posthumously admitted to the West Point class of 2025.It was a rare honor from the university, which brought both comfort and tears to his friends and family. West Point also granted him a Medal of Heroism, the highest honor for a JROTC member. “It was clear from his classmates and the other members in JROTC with him that this was the type of person he was. They weren’t surprised he would take this kind of action to save people,” West Point alumnus Chad Maxey said. In a time of apparent hopelessness, Peter’s heroism has touched and moved the lives of many.While the community suffered from the darkest of humanity, his bravery kindled the hearts of the nation to action. “Let this selfless young man be held up as a shining symbol of the best of humanity and a beacon of hope for a future that will soon reside in the hands of his generation,” writer Patrice Apodaca said in a LA Times article. Peter will forever be remembered for his humor, heart, courage and valor.To the witty friend who was always quick to crack jokes and make everyone laugh, to the loving brother who was always there to look out for his family, to the obedient son who revealed to his parents the feeling of true love, to the noble hero who put others before himself, to Peter: MSD misses you, loves you and will always stand beside you.

Rest in peace little Hero♥

[duaneodavila]

Oregon Is Now The Only Remaining State With Old Jim Crow Jury System

One wouldn’t expect normally forward-thinking Oregon to be the last vestige of a particularly odious legal convention, but after last night’s elections, that’s where it sits. Louisiana voters resoundingly passed Amendment 2, eliminating the state’s acceptance of non-unanimous felony verdicts and leaving Oregon as the sole remaining state with this stain on the books.

The Louisiana measure passed with over 64 percent of the vote, a hefty total until you realize the law enjoyed bipartisan support with endorsements from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Lousiana Republican Party. Unfortunately, law enforcement officials up to and including the state’s attorney general put up a fight against eliminating the law and managed to bring about a third of voters with them to keep a system around that allows people to be convicted of a felony even when two jurors vote to acquit. No wonder Louisiana has the second-highest incarceration rate in the country.

These laws are byproducts of the Jim Crow era, designed to minimize the impact of minorities who might find their way onto a jury. In Louisiana, this unequivocally meant suppressing the influence of African American jurors. In Oregon, a state that actually banned black people from moving there until 1926, the jury rule focused more on non-Northern European immigrants from across the Atlantic. As the newspaper The Oregonian put it when Oregon passed its version of the law in the 1930s, “The increased urbanization of American life and the vast immigration into America from southern and eastern Europe, of people untrained in the jury system, have combined to make the jury of twelve increasingly unwieldy and unsatisfactory.”

Amazingly — or perhaps, sadly, not amazingly — the Supreme Court has upheld these non-unanimous systems. After indicating in Duncan v. Louisiana (1968) that the Sixth Amendment required unanimity, the Court stepped back in Apodaca v. Oregon (1972) and Johnson v. Louisiana (1972) to allow the states to continue railroading people into prison over the reasonable doubts of their peers.

But yesterday, finally, Louisiana turned the page and put an end to this nonsense. It’s time for Oregon to do the same.

Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.