First Chilean San Jose Miner Surfaces After Spending 69 Days Underground

Florencio Antonio Avalos Silva arrives on the surface.

Chile and family members celebrate rescue as the world watched.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 12, 2010

San Jose Mine, Chile - On Tuesday, the first rescuer Manuel Gonzalez Pavaz was lowered just before midnight into the mine, while the world watch through live coverage. Afterwards, Florencio Antonio Avalos Silva, 30, left the underground mine just after 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday Chile time. He arrived on the surface at about 12:17 a.m. and became the first of 33 trapped miners to be brought to the surface in a 13-foot tall rescue claustrophobic capsule shaped like a bullet. The capsule was equip with a communication device, an oxygen mask and tinted goggles for miners to protect their eyes from daylight or lights from media cameras when they reach the surface.
Avalos Silva had been underground since August 5, when a chamber corridor of the mine collapsed and blocked the exit about a half a mile from the surface of the San Jose mountain in the Atacama Desert.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñera in a press conference said, the San Jose Mine will not reopen until safety measures are established and can operate safely. Piñera assured that all the mines in Chile will be brought up to safety codes.
The second rescuer Roberto Rios was lowered and arrived at the mine shelter site at 12:44 a.m. and the second miner Mario Sepúlveda, 40, was prepared and began his journey at 12:55 a.m. to the surface. Sepúlveda arrived yelling of joy to the surface at 1:09 a.m. The next miner to surface at 1:50 a.m. was Juan Illanos Palma, 52. He reached the surface at 2:08 a.m. The fourth miner, Carlos Mamani Soliz, 24, from Bolivia began to exit the mine at 2:53 a.m. and arrived at the surface at 3:09 a.m. The rescue process will be ongoing for at least 46 hours. The miners have spent 69 days underground,
The operation to extract the miners began shortly after 6:00 p.m. (5:00 E.T.) and will take about an hour, including the turn around time to bring each miner to the surface totaling at least 48 hours. It will take a few minutes to strap the miner into the capsule, to hoist the capsule to surface will take between 10-15 minutes and to return the capsule to the underground shaft will take another 25-30 minutes, said Laurence Golborne, Mining Minister.
Each miner received new socks, underwear, and a green moisture resistant coveralls before surfacing. They will also get a take home towel, both the towel and coveralls will have their names on it.
The first five to be extracted from the mine would be the miners with the most technical experience, who are expected to advise the surface rescuers about getting the rest of the men out. The second group of five men will be those with minor medical conditions.
The foreman for the shift, Luis Alberto Urzua Iribarren, 54, is expected to be the last miner to surface and will go into the Guinness World Record as the longest miner to be trapped underground for more than nine weeks and survive.
More than 1,700 media personnel from 39 countries have been at Camp Hope to cover the last phase of the rescue. They brought their own noisy power generating equipment that can be heard all around the camp Hope.
The Chilean government also provided a major news televise network pool for the rest of world countries seeking to cover the history making event.
A Chilean mine executive, Leonardo Farkas has given a $10,000 dollar check to each family in the name of each of the 33 miners that were trapped and has set up a fund to collect donations.
Family members of 27 workers have filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against the San Jose Mine owners claiming that negligence contributed to the collapse of the mine. They are also planning to file a similar lawsuit against government regulators, according to media reports.
So far, the cost of the rescue has been estimated between $9.7 million to $22 million U.S. dollars. The San Jose Mine owners who also own other mines around Chile were planning to file bankruptcy to avoid paying for the rescue, according to their attorney. But the government intervene and froze all the assets of the San Jose Mine, including the other mines the owners have to make sure they do get to pay for the cost incurred and to help families with funds that were affected by the mine incident.
Other miners who escaped and were injured have been without work since August 5.

Photo and profile for each miner provided at BBC News link at: http://bbc.in/b96yYH

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Boat Skids Through Cesar E. Chavez Drive And Disrupts Trafffic Flow

Photo by Eduardo Velez

Boat blocked traffic flow along Chavez Drive

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 12, 2010

Milwaukee - On Friday, a vehicle hauling an antique boat in a trailer along Northbound on Cesar E. Chavez Drive lost the boat after it got loose from the trailer. The boat skidded Westbound and landed near the door steps of El Charro liquor store on the 1200 block of Chavez Drive.
The owner said he was taking the boat to get it restored, when the mishap occurred.
Two passers by helped recover the boat after traffic was blocked for about a half hour, according to Eduardo Velez, the Chupi's Beef Hotdog vender nearby. 
The boat apparently got loose after straps holding it gave way.

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Auto Catches Fire In Milwaukee's South Side

Officer uses fire extinguisher and a neighbors water host to try and contain flames. Photos by HNG

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 12, 2010

Milwaukee - A dark colored auto heading East on the 1500 block of W. Washington St. caught fire under the hood of the engine around 5:05 p.m. Officer Kuspa who arrived at the scene and used his squad car fire extinguisher to contain the flames.
Kuspa emptied the extinguisher and also used a water host from a nearby neighbor to water down the flames.
Milwauke Fire fighters arrived minutes later and put out the flames. No one was reported injured.

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Historic Chilean Rescue To Extract Trapped San Jose Miners To Begin At 6 p.m. (5 p.m. E.T.) Tuesday

On Saturday a drill broke through the ceiling of the shelter where 33 miners are located after being trapped when a cave collapse on August 5.
Photos: Chilean government media pool

A two day operation will begin Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. E.T.) to bring the trapped miners to the surface

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 12, 2010

San Jose Mine, Chile - On Tuesday, Florencio Antonio Avalos Silva, 30, will be the first of 33 trapped miners will be brought to the surface in a 13-foot tall rescue claustrophobic capsule shaped like a bullet. The capsule is equip with a communication device, an oxygen mask and tinted goggles for miners to protect their eyes from daylight or lights from media cameras when they reach the surface.
The miners had been underground since August 5, when a chamber corridor of the mine collapsed and blocked the exit about a half a mile from the surface of the San Jose mountain in the Atacama Desert.
On September 17,  rescue workers from different countries, including the U.S. began to drill a various holes through solid rock at different areas. One of the drills finally broke through on Saturday.
The miners will be allowed to meet with designated family members and then will be taken to a temperary field medical facility at the mine property for two hours for medical examination, Some of the miners might be suffering from psychological conditions, according to Jaime Manalich, from the Chilean Health Ministry.
Family members have been staying in a make shift Camp Hope (Esperanza) near the mine.
The Chilean government has said, the miners have been working in solidarity, but family members of some of the miners say that several men broke away from the main group. They have been isolated underground for 68 days and differences between them, 32 Chilean and one Bolivian miner ages 19 to 63 was expected to naturally brew as a human reaction to being trapped together with fear of not surviving.
They will be kept from the media to help protect their privacy with family members. But most likely will meet Chilean President Sebastian Piniera who will be accompanied by Bolivian President Evo Morales. Morales said, he would be at the rescue site.
Once they all surface, the situation will change when they begin dealing with the media frenzy and barrage of questions. The miners have been coached on how to deal with the media. 
Healthy miners will be allowed more time to spend with family members before facing media questions. They will be flown by helicopter to the city of Copiapo about a15-minute flight for further treatment at a hospital.
The operation to extract the miners will begin at 6:00 p.m. (5:00 E.T.) and will take about an hour, including the turn around time to bring each miner to the surface totaling at least 48 hours. It will take a few minutes to strap the miner into the capsule, to hoist the capsule to surface will take between 10-15 minutes and to return the capsule to the underground shaft will take another 25-30 minutes, said Laurence Golborne, Mining Minister during a press conference on early Tuesday. Golborne did not release the name of the first miner to be brought to the surface.
At least five rescuers, paramedics and mining experts will descend first into the shaft and once they reach the cave where the miners are located, they will decide who will be the first group to begin their journey to the surface.
Each miner received new socks, underwear, and a green moisture resistant coveralls before surfacing. They will also get a take home towel, both the towel and coveralls will have their names on it.
The first five to be extracted from the mine would be the miners with the most technical experience, who are expected to advise the surface rescuers about getting the rest of the men out. The second group of five men will be those with minor medical conditions.
The foreman for the shift, Luis Alberto Urzua Iribarren, 54, is expected to be the last miner to surface and will go into the Guinness World Record as the longest miner to be trapped underground for more than nine weeks and survive.
More than 1,600 media personnel from 39 countries have been at Camp Hope to cover the last phase of the rescue. They brought their own noisy power generating equipment that can heard all around the camp Hope.
The Chilean government also provided a major news televise network pool for the rest of world countries seeking to cover the history making event.
A Chilean mine executive, Leonardo Farkas has given a $10,000 dollar check to each family in the name of each of the 33 miners that were trapped and has set up a fund to collect donations.
Family members of 27 workers have filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against the San Jose Mine owners claiming that negligence contributed to the collapse of the mine. They are also planning to file a similar lawsuit against government regulators, according to media reports.
Other miners who escaped and were injured have been without work since August 5.

Photo and profile for each miner provided at BBC News link at: http://bbc.in/b96yYH

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Man Who Shot Two School Girls At Playground Facing Six Counts Of Attempted Murder

Shooting victims expected to survive, police reported.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 11, 2010

Carlsbad, California - Police reported that on Friday they arrested Brendan L. O'Rourke, 41, after shooting two second grade Kelly Elementary school girls ages 6 and 7 in the right arm. The girls were shot while playing at the school grounds. They were taken to the Rady Children's Hospital for treatment.
On Saturday, police said that the bullets went through the girls right arms and both are expected to survive.
Just after noon on Friday, O'Rourke was seen firing his .357 cal. revolver at a crowded school ground. He managed to fire at least five shots.
Carlos Partida, who was working on construction nearby heard the shots. Partida saw O'Rourke walking away, while trying to reload. He jumped on his truck and ran over O'Rourke, preventing him from reloading. Partida got out of his truck and began to punch O'Rourke in an attempt to subdue him. Two other construction workers rushed over and helped Partida overpower O'Rourke. They were able to hold O'Rourke until police arrived.
When Carlsbad police searched O'Rourke, they found dozens of bullets in his pockets. They also found a canister of fuel that O'Rourke had intended to use.
O'Rourke is facing 6 counts of attempted murder and weapons violations, according to Carlsbad police.
Police are crediting Partida and two other construction workers for their quick action to stop O'Rourke. Which prevented other children from getting hurt, according to police Lt. Kelly Cain. 

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Feds In Mexico Offer $1.2 Million For Information Leading To 14 Missing Children

Mothers of missing children at press conference.

Adriana Guadalupe and César Castañeda Bernal
Photos by Milenio

Children missing since February 2009

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 9, 2010

Mexico City, Mexico - On Friday, the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGRDF) reported that a $1.2 million reward (15 million pesos) has been offered for information leading to the whereabouts of 14 children that were kidnapped for child trafficking from three cities. In total, 8 boys and 6 girls who disappeared around February 25, 2009 from three orphanages, they are Casitas del Sur in Tlalpan, Mexico, Centro de Adaptación e Integración Familiar "CAIFAC" in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and La Casita in Cancún, Quintana Roo.
The children were identified as Ilse Michel Curiel Martínez, Sergio Iván Cuadrilla Trejo, Jorge Cuadrilla Trejo, Bryan Cuadrilla Trejo, Asale Israel Juárez Ojeda, Natanael Isai Juárez Ojedas, Hefziba Magdalena Juárez Ojeda, Jesús Alejandro Espinosa Sánchez, Adriana Guadalupe Castañeda Bernal, Julio César Castañeda Bernal, Diana Lizeth Bernal Hernández, Frida Jardines Paniagua, Ambar Abigail Bretón Blanco and David Rangel García.
The PGRDF added a reward of $400,000 ($5 million pesos) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of three suspects identified as Clementina Juárez Pérez, 47, Eder Omar Dueñas Castro, 31, and Gerardo Tejada Martínez, 39. The suspects operated the Iglesia Cristiana Restaurada and are wanted for child trafficking.

Clementina Juárez Pérez

Eder Omar Dueñas Castro

Gerardo Tejada Martínez

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Jose Gonzalez Garza, El Conejito Restaurant Icon Passed Away In Milwaukee

Photos by HNG

Known for reasonable priced good tasting tacos, enchiladas and huevos rancheros Milwaukee restaurant icon dies.

By H. Nelson Goodson
October 8, 2010

Milwaukee - On Thursday, Jose Gonzalez Garza, 75, well known as " El Conejito" passed away after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by a daughter and son. On Friday, Conejito's Place was packed as usual with people eating and enjoying Garza's original steak tacos and Conejito's tasty margaritas and drinks. Many customers seemed not to notice that Garza was missing, but word of his death began spreading throughout the South side of Milwaukee by word of mouth and other parts of the city by news reports. Garza became well known for his ability to befriend customers who later became Conejito's regulars.
Other customers began to stop by at the restaurant on Friday to take pictures outside and inside. Conejito through the years expanded the restaurant into three sections. Two sections served as bars and restaurant sitting areas and the third was used as an over fill area and hall for special occasions. Even Bill Richardson (Dem.), Governor of New Mexico had a fundraiser at Conejito's in 2008 when he was running for President in the primary.
In 1972, Garza opened Conejito's Place and Restaurant at 539 W. Virginia St. and began selling delicious Mexican style tacos, enchiladas and huevos rancheros at a real cheap price in Milwaukee's South side. Manufacturing and office workers from all over the area would stop at Conejito's to cash their checks, before Check Cashing places were established. While at Conejito's, they would have a few cold ones and some tacos.
Garza hung a large framed picture of Cheech Marin posing with him and claimed Marin was a good friend who would finish a couple of bottles of tequila with him.
Garza also allowed for community newspapers to put their papers at the restaurant so his customers would keep informed with Hispanic community events. He was also well known for his charity and inkind contributions to members and community at large. For example, Marla Possell from Milwaukee recalls in the early 70's Conejito would donate food for Hispanic inmates in correctional institutions. Possell and the late Julia Mendoza would stop at Conejito's and collect large trays of steak, beans, rice, lettuce and tomatoes for making tacos for Wisconsin Mexican inmates. Garza never asked for a penny.
The late Donna VanRuth, former owner of the Acapulco Restaurant at the 600 block of W. National Ave. would also along with Garza donate prepared mexican food.
Garza would also help find employment for newly arrived Mexican immigrants in the area. He was very patriotic and grateful for his opportunity in the U.S., and also celebrated his Mexican heritage during community events, according to Possell. He will be greatly missed. 
Visitation will be held Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Advantage Funeral Home, 11030 W. Forest Home Ave. in Hales Corners, and from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, followed by a funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes church, 3722 S. 58th St. in Milwaukee.

Jose Gonzalez Garza "El Conejito"

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