The Life and Times...
Dave Laird
Hello Everyone!
I have been writing for ten years about the time and lives of Springdale, a
little hamlet in South Stevens County Washington. To some who either are
unfamiliar with the history of the town or its residents, it might seem that I
have been unfair or one-sided in how I wrote my stories or presented the
facts. Many of the characters I created over the years to replace their real-
life counterparts are often hilarious, passionate, unpredictable and yet very
responsible in how they go through their day-to-day lives.
Even the Spokesman-Review has taken its share of shots at the town's problems,
but not at the low-level person-to-person basis which I have followed. I once
lived there, and still maintain a financial interest in the Town of
Springdale. Moreover, unlike the Review, I know all of the cast of characters
in this real-life play on a first-name basis.
Until he became the Mayor of Springdale by one vote last month, Dan Hite was
just another of the strangely droll real-life counterparts of the town whose
lives are often both collectively dysfunctional and yet very complex. Town
Marshall Jerry Taylor, AKA Marshall Wallace P. Goldstar, and former Mayor Ray
Turner had many business dealings over the last ten years, but recently even
that amity has been marred by politics when Turner, who threw his support to
Hite during the election, nearly was nearly sued by the Taylors. Turner is
still, to this day, one of Hite's biggest supporters.
Mayor-elect Hite, however, has a demonstrable history of both public service
and incredible gaffes, both in and out of office, and his recent election
victory notwithstanding, that has not appeared to changed over time. If you
need help with fixing something, Dan Hite is always there one step ahead of
everyone else. Armed only with his wits, Hite has a long history of helping
others in need and railing against the system. Yet he is, as I have stated,
several times, functionally illiterate.
First, a bit of history. Six years ago, I authored a 4.3 million dollar grant
which established a new water well and water treatment facilities for the
town, following that one year later with a 6.3 million dollar FHA grant for
wastewater treatment facilities. At the time, my biggest opponent to funding
these necessary facilities was then-councilman Dan Hite, who once stated,
"...there ain't no future in these grants."
However, once the grants were written and approved, Dan Hite went to work for
Pat and Lonnie Anderson who, in theory, owned a general contractors license,
and not only worked on appropriate grant projects, but later became the town's
water commissioner, as well. Hite and the Andersons worked for on the Town of
Springdale's water system and, later, the sewer installation, for nearly three
years. Last year, when Tracy Colvin's house burned to the ground, the
ostensible contracting firm of Hite and Anderson also rebuilt the house from
the ground up, and collected the insurance money. I say ostensibly, because at
that time, they still represented themselves as being lawfully licensed as
general contractors. It appears now that a mistake in the paperwork was hard
at work, and another gaffe hit the streets.
The contracting license number listed in public records belongs to a Colville,
Washington firm, who has disavowed any knowledge of their actions. Moreover,
Hite neglected to pay both state sales tax and Labor and Industries for any of
the accumulated work that he had done. Yet another violation occurred when
they were they also ostensibly did the electrical rewiring and plumbing during
the home refurbishment, something which a general contractor cannot do, as
these tasks must be performed by persons holding specific contracting
licenses. (ie.,electricians and plumbers license)
Enter Labor and Industries, who last week served Mayor-elect Dan Hite with a
papers charging him with these contracting law violations. The $5000 punitive
damages which, thus far, have been levied, are minuscule compared to the
various other fines, penalties and assessments which are most certainly going
to follow.
I spoke this morning with both Hite and Lonnie Anderson regarding the latest
series of developments only to find both of them hastily preparing for an
appeals process regarding several hotly-contested votes in the recent Mayoral
election which is due to take place today in Colville. If we had the same
proportionate percentage of citizen activists busy here in Spokane, as there
are in Springdale, many of the Cowles-Barbieri projects which were completed
over popular dissent might never have been finished.
Of course, on the other side of the equation, Marshall Taylor just made
headlines again, with the arrest of a colorful self-ordained Islamic religious
leader, Dawud Ahmad Abdur-Rahman, AKA the Sheik of Springdale on marijuana
possession and multiple firearms charges. John Craig of the Spokesman-Review
gave a credible reporting of these facts in this morning's paper, and the
Sheik of Springdale is, at this time, still in jail awaiting an arraignment
hearing.
If it seems as if Springdale is coming apart at the seams, it is not. This is
just business as usual in a highly contentious little town, and a wonderful
place to live, so long as you are willing to pick a side.
Dave
Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.
Euripides (B.C. 480-406)
... Cows In Orbit - The Herd Shot `Round The World.
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Connie Estell
Now that I have calmed down emotionally (somewhat), I can write about a personal
issue that reaches beyond my family, to everyone who has or will be a victim of a
violent crime.
As many of you know, my daughter was drugged, raped and video-taped without her
knowledge this past May. For seven months we have waited and waited and WAITED
for something.... ANYTHING to happen in the Adams Co. Prosecutor's office. Before
the last Asst. D.A. quit, she guaranteed the local Police Chief that she would
indeed charge and prosecute this case. ... Then she quit, along with Sandhaus'
other Asst. There was a new Asst. D.A. that lasted all of 3 weeks, then an
interim with no one to assist Sandhaus and now there is another Asst. D.A., who
used to work for Kitsap County and "has tried 100's of rape cases." (Sorry, but I
think that was an exaggeration.)
A bit over two weeks ago, my daughter was called by the D.A.'s office and asked to
come in and view the video (as she has never seen it and has no idea what is on
it). She was pretty shoot up at the anticipation of what she might see, so I
drove her to Ritzville. With her ashen face and shaking hands, she sat silently
most of the trip, her empty eyes looking off into nowhere. I must admit, my anger
grew during that trip, because I think the Prosecutor could have done this any
other day but the day before Thanksgiving.
Once she got there, there was no tape to be seen, just a barrage of questions.
Had you been drinking? How much? If you didn't like the guy, why did you let him
store his furniture at your apartment? (He had showed up the following day, before
we were aware of what happened, bawling and wanting to stay, but Steph told him to
get lost.... but being much like me, she felt bad for him and allowed him to store
a couple things at her apartment). Granted, these are probably pertinent at some
level, but there WAS the tape! After about 10 minutes, my daughter came out of
the prosecutor's office, whiter than I've ever seen her, tears streaming down her
face. She brushed past me, as if she couldn't get out of the building fast
enough. I had to call her name twice before I think she even heard me, to stop her
and ask what happened. She looked at me, through eyes so filled with pain, that
even writing this I find it hard to contain my personal emotions and said, "They
aren't doing JACK!!!"... I was shocked and asked... "What do you mean.. Aren't
they going to prosecute Steven!!???" "No", was the reply. Though I was not the
direct victim, a rage overcame me and I stormed back into the Prosecutor's office
and DEMANDED to see the prosecutors. They let me in with little fuss.
I have had dealings with David Sandhaus, through the problems I had with my son,
and always felt that he was there for the people and not for himself. Perhaps his
recent recall and personal litigation against the County Commissioners, he has
been distracted. Irene, the Assistant D.A. flat PISSED ME OFF. Treating me like
some idiot bumpkin, instead of answering the very direct questions I felt needed
to be answered. I wanted to know WHY they weren't prosecuting the case. Irene
informed me that in watching this infamous tape, that Stephanie didn't say 'no',
thereby indicating possible consent. I know that my reactions definitely were
hostile, as hard as I tried to contain my rage, I asked, 'Was she conscious in the
tape?". Irene indicated she wasn't... I could feel my voice rising as hard as I
fought to stay civil and not sound like some hysterical, ignorant mother, "So how
the hell could the girl say no!!?". I printed off reams of information of
Rohypnol and how in some cases the girls who are drugged even participate
sexually, but have no memory of the act, which is still considered a rape. I
asked Sandhaus right to his face if this was a matter of time and money and he
stiffened up in his chair and stated emphatically "It is NOT!" I asked Irene what
were the percentages that we would win the case??? 75%, 50%, 25%....???? No
answer. In fact, Irene would close her eyes, whenever I asked a question, as if
to discount my queries and when I finished she would start with her litany about
having to convince ALL 12 jurors that this individual was guilty. Sandhaus then
told my daughter that they would try and drag her morality through the mud, that
this tape would be viewed by the jurors, judge as well as the audience and the
media would probably be involved. Of course a 25 year old young woman would find
this prospect terrifying. What absolutely stuns me, is this IS the 1990's, when
women are supposed to be emancipated, who are no longer supposed to be the victims
in these rape cases. Further more, while they are threatening to bring up any
possible 'indiscretions' my daughter may have had, it could not be brought up that
the perpetrator was a habitual offender and had been in prison for 15 years, from
age 18, and in juvenile prior to that. It could not be brought up that in his
last crime, he threatened to kill someone if they didn't give the money over. It
could not be brought up that the local P.O. felt that this man is EXTREMELY
dangerous and will potentially be on America's Most Wanted in the next couple
years.... All because the criminal has rights, the victim has NONE. He's innocent
until proven guilty and she's a slut until proven that she was raped.
So where does one go from here? Civil cases?? My daughter is beat down and
tired. Throughout this case, she has gone through serious bouts of depression,
gained weight and lost the luster than used to glow from her. She had ambition
that few could match and was vibrant and fun and laughed all the time. To see all
that this has caused, leaves me unable to speak, for the lump in my throat and
barely able to type, for the tears in my eyes.
And just when you thought you had heard it all, or been through the wringer more
than enough times, Sandhaus calls my daughter on her 25th birthday to inform her
that he had found the tape ... That it was "never lost" (there was some question
about that the day we went there the first time). He viewed the tape and told her
it was "disgusting, sick, that she was completely passive and that he couldn't
imagine a human being doing this to another person". Hello???? Sounds like a man
who is pretty convinced that he was sitting there watching a helpless female being
raped and yet still chose to do nothing about it, for fear of losing the case.
Probably wouldn't look good on their stats sheets to have a loss on their record,
with all the political hubbub going on in the Adams Co. Prosecutor's office. By
the same token, I don't know if I could have bear to see this animal get off,
after going through the trauma of a lengthy court trial. Somehow it doesn't make
sense to me, that the defendant is allowed to hire his own attorney, but the
victims are stuck with the Prosecutor's office, like it or not.
We are told we can't take justice into our own hands. I keep pondering, "Why the
hell not!" Of course, I don't think I am capable of harming someone, though I
don't know anymore. I have seen a side of myself that I didn't know existed prior
to this incident. I have seen someone who can be cold-blooded and hard, who could
potentially pull a trigger without flinching or feeling remorse. The rapist
should feel lucky that I can keep it inside, except for the tears that come too
easily anymore and the anger than never stops gnawing at my gut.
The hard part is learning to put it behind us I guess. Where does one start? I
don't know. Perhaps by sharing my frustration and the facts in a forum like this
heals a bit of the wound. Albeit a small bit, but something.. However, don't let
your guard down. This could happen to you. Your family could be next and the
prospect of getting justice is very slim in today's world of protecting the poor,
down-trodden, gee-their-mommies-didn't-understand-them criminals, while casting
stones at law enforcement officers who has just as helpless as we are, because
they are the middle men. Every cop in this case ADMITTED (off the record of
course) that they KNEW this guy was guilty and they are ALL angry at the
prosecutor's office's decision to no charge the criminal in this case. They say
what goes around comes around.... I pray that it is true.
So the next time, you think a cop is acting a little harsh, perhaps you should
consider that they are as sick of the bullshit as everyone else is.
Connie
Dave Laird
Hello Connie!
Tuesday December 02 1997 12:16, Connie Estell wrote to All:
CE> From: Connie Estell <ces...@televar.com>
CE> Subject: Re: The Life and Times...
[Horrible tale of perversity gone unchecked deleted to save bandwidth.]
For those who do not know, I have been in close contact with Connie and her
daughter throughout this entire ordeal and have tried, in my own way, to be
the best friend and advisor that I could be for both of them. While I have
seen a lot of grim, bitter criminal cases over the years, the situation with
regard to Connie's daughter's case reeks to high heaven of justice gone mad.
However, there is hope.
Tonight, by accident, I received a message from Becky in Mississippi who spoke
of a show on 20-20 of several women who suffered fates similar to Connie's
daughter. When the justice system ignored their pleas for help they banded
together in a class-action civil lawsuit against the perpetrator, and WON
their case, after all.
CE> So the next time, you think a cop is acting a little harsh, perhaps
CE> you should consider that they are as sick of the bullshit as everyone
CE> else is.
Depending, of course, on who the cop is... You haven't met Spokane Police
Chief Mangan yet. 8-)
Dave
We commit to be grateful for luck,
pay the thunder no mind,
listen to the birds,
and we won't hate nobody.
-Eubie Blake
... Big Toe: A device for finding furniture in the dark.
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Dave Laird
Good morning Becky!
Becky Kivak wrote:
> Sorry all. I caught just a part of this and could not tell which show
> it was and thought it was 20/20 and in my urgency to let Connie know
> in enough time to watch I was wrong. No sooner than I hung up the
> phone did I realize by watching more that it was Prime Time Live or
> some such (can you tell I rarely watch television?) What I saw of it
> made me anxious to get a copy of the shows transcript. Becky
That's a character trait I LIKE. You don't watch television? I wasn't
able to contact Connie last night, although I suspect she might be
present at this morning's Gathering, in which case I will tell her more
about it then. Most of these television documentary news shows do sell
copies of their transcripts to the public, and if you can let us know
what the show was, I will get a transcript of it. 8-)
Dave
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**********************************
* Dave Laird, The Wag of Spokane *
* dla...@cet.com *
* OR dla...@phoenix.circuit.com *
*Online in Spokane, WA since 1989*
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Connie Estell
Becky Kivak wrote:
> Dave Laird wrote:
> >
> > Hello Connie!
> >
> > Tuesday December 02 1997 12:16, Connie Estell wrote to All:
> >
> > CE> From: Connie Estell <ces...@televar.com>
> > CE> Subject: Re: The Life and Times...
> >
> > [Horrible tale of perversity gone unchecked deleted to save bandwidth.]
> >
> > For those who do not know, I have been in close contact with Connie and her
> > daughter throughout this entire ordeal and have tried, in my own way, to be
> > the best friend and advisor that I could be for both of them. While I have
> > seen a lot of grim, bitter criminal cases over the years, the situation with
> > regard to Connie's daughter's case reeks to high heaven of justice gone mad.
> > However, there is hope.
> >
> > Tonight, by accident, I received a message from Becky in Mississippi who spoke
> > of a show on 20-20 of several women who suffered fates similar to Connie's
> > daughter. When the justice system ignored their pleas for help they banded
> > together in a class-action civil lawsuit against the perpetrator, and WON
> > their case, after all.
>
> Sorry all. I caught just a part of this and could not tell which show
> it was and thought it was 20/20 and in my urgency to let Connie know
> in enough time to watch I was wrong. No sooner than I hung up the
> phone did I realize by watching more that it was Prime Time Live or
> some such (can you tell I rarely watch television?) What I saw of it
> made me anxious to get a copy of the shows transcript. Becky
>
I caught a piece of it Becky...Must admit watching made my heart double in pace...
But I'm going to send for the video-tape too (maybe two and send one to our
illustrious D.A.)
Conster the Monster
Becky Kivak
Dave Laird wrote:
>
> Hello Connie!
>
> Tuesday December 02 1997 12:16, Connie Estell wrote to All:
>
> CE> From: Connie Estell <ces...@televar.com>
> CE> Subject: Re: The Life and Times...
>
> [Horrible tale of perversity gone unchecked deleted to save bandwidth.]
>
> For those who do not know, I have been in close contact with Connie and her
> daughter throughout this entire ordeal and have tried, in my own way, to be
> the best friend and advisor that I could be for both of them. While I have
> seen a lot of grim, bitter criminal cases over the years, the situation with
> regard to Connie's daughter's case reeks to high heaven of justice gone mad.
> However, there is hope.
>
> Tonight, by accident, I received a message from Becky in Mississippi who spoke
> of a show on 20-20 of several women who suffered fates similar to Connie's
> daughter. When the justice system ignored their pleas for help they banded
> together in a class-action civil lawsuit against the perpetrator, and WON
> their case, after all.
Sorry all. I caught just a part of this and could not tell which show
it was and thought it was 20/20 and in my urgency to let Connie know
in enough time to watch I was wrong. No sooner than I hung up the
phone did I realize by watching more that it was Prime Time Live or
some such (can you tell I rarely watch television?) What I saw of it
made me anxious to get a copy of the shows transcript. Becky
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