[Gathnet] Observations from Pilgrim Rest

[stuart g gathman]

Dear Gathnetters,

There are several items of interest for you all that I will try and 
report on since my last tome.

First of all….. Dah Da Dah…!!!! Meet Chief James Gathman USN. Yes Jim 
made it through 6 weeks of hazing and is now an official Chief Quarter 
Master aboard the USNS Paul Hamilton. Needless to say his parents are 
very proud of him. Best of all…. We get to see him in person tomorrow as 
he flies here to San Diego for a special training class here in one of 
our many navy facilities.

Second, I want to praise the Lord that I had a good report on my 
apparent bone cancer. As you may know, I am participating in a test of a 
new drug to help in the problems of osteopheroses (sp) which men who are 
taking the hormone treatment for prostate cancer are experiencing. 
According to the bone hardness test, my bones though big have lost some 
of their hardness. In the set of preliminary bone scans, they though 
they saw something like bone cancer in my neck. I took a CAT scan last 
Monday and received the wonderful news yesterday that I do not have bone 
cancer!!!!! I have now started the 2 year test program in bone building. 
(If I don’t have a placebo!)

A rather horrific experience happened to Anne, Anna, Rachel and I last 
Thursday. On Mexican independence day, we thought that we would take a 
trip to Old Town in support of the locally owned Plaza del Mundo 
restaurant which is losing it’s lease to a big New Jersey contributor to 
our former Governor, Grey Davis. (Money sure talks in politics.) Our new 
Governor, Schwarzenegger hasn’t reversed this as yet. Anyway, I decided 
to take the trolley just for the experience for the girls. We got there 
OK and had a nice lunch at the restaurant, looked around a bit and then 
boarded the trolley for the trip home. As we were leaving downtown San 
Diego, we picked up a bunch of “students” on the trolley and when we 
stopped at “Commerce and 25th “, there was a skirmish toward the back of 
the train. We were sitting in the first car fortunately. Anyway here is 
the article in the Union Tribune:


Two die, three injured in rash of violence in S.D., Chula Vista

By Pauline Repard
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 17, 2004


. . . . . .

San Diego police detained six teenagers after the 16-year-old girl was 
shot at a bus stop on Commercial Street, near Ocean View Boulevard, 
about 3:30 p.m. yesterday.

The girl, a bystander, was wounded in the chest. She underwent surgery 
last night. Police said the bullet may have hit several internal organs, 
and she was in critical condition.

Several teenage boys who were arguing on the trolley at 12th and C 
streets got off at Commercial and 25th streets, police Lt. Ray Shay said.

"They spilled off the trolley, one shot was fired and struck the girl. 
She was not involved, she was sitting on a bus bench," Shay said. He 
said police questioned dozens of trolley passengers and detained the six 
youths described as possibly involved.

Shay and Lansdowne said police will increase patrols at trolley stations 
and ride trolleys to ensure safety.

"We plan beefing up security in light of this incident," said Peter 
Tereschuck, San Diego Trolley president and general manager. "Crime 
happens all over the county. We're not immune. Sometimes it does happen 
on our system. This shooting took place off the trolley."

. . . . . .

Needless to say, that is the last time we take the trolley into San 
Diego! We were imprisoned on the trolley car for about 21/2 hours and 
finally were able to sneak out of the car to go another train and thus 
get home. We told the girls that they had just experience a field trip 
in the social sciences!!!! Fortunately, they really didn’t see any of 
the violence. The most dramatic thing they saw was a group of teen age 
girls that were waiting for the trolley with the victim and ran into our 
car of the trolley for safety. One collapsed on the floor right by our 
seat and was screaming and crying incoherently. However I was able to 
observe the fight taking place on the other side of the car in which 4 
or 5 boys were threatening another, probably the shooter. He kept waving 
something at them (probably the gun) and they would run back. (Of course 
if he would have shot at them and missed, the bullet would have come 
into our car!!!!! Our guardian angles were really looking out for us.

Other than the 24 hour flu this week, there isn’t much else to report.

Our prayers go out to gathnetters Kurt and Joni Glennon who live near 
Pensacola, Florida, where Kurt is a Navy flight instructor. They have 
just purchased a new home there. I wasn’t able to reach them via 
telephone but I hope they were spared major damage.

Judy and the rest of the family in Israel still need our prayers and 
they adjust to life without uncle Eli.

Love to you all,

Der altgrossvater