MONDAY, AUGUST 11 2014 - AUGUST 17, 2014
riversideindependent.com
Alternatives program saves veterans from incarceration by Vickie Vértiz
graduation certificates during an afternoon ceremony at the Riverside Historic Courthouse. It was the third class to graduate since January 2012, when the program began. The program could not have a more timely arrival, given
through grass, etc. - at least, these were images my mind produced according to these sounds. After a second play of the Audiojack, we were asked to write down the story our imagination had sparked, and after the third, we had time to refine our stories. I had thought about a girl in 19th century France watching a guy running away from someone. Secretly, she folPlease see page 4
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the Obama Administration policy move on August 7 to improve the Department of Veteran Affairs. Veterans make up one in 10 inmates in U.S. jails. A survey in 2004 by the Bureau of Justice Please see page 2
Audiojack: A breakthrough in education which takes our imagination to another level by Jennifer schlueter When my friend invited me to an event at the Sonos Studio in LA to experience a sound movie, I didn’t know what to expect. After some welcoming drinks and snacks, we, approximately 40(?) guests, chose our seats in a semicircle around Audiojack creator and founder David Tobin. Each chair was equipped with a blindfold, a pen, and a notepad. David then gave us a short introduction of what was about to happen,
asked us to turn our phones off, relax, put the blindfolds on, and focus on our imagination so we could create a story along with the sound movie. As soon as the room got quiet, I listened to my first Audiojack - an “audio-based movie with no words, no music, no video, only sounds,” as the website describes it. I heard rain, doors squeaking, footsteps, horses trotting over cobble stones, someone running
California corrections officer of Riverside convicted in jury trial for filing a false claim Late August 4th, in the afternoon, Jose Tavares Hernandez, AKA: Jose H. Tavares, 41, of Riverside, was found guilty of one count of filing a false claim against the United States following a jury day trial before U.S. District Judge Josephine S. Tucker. According to the Indictment, around August 5, 2009, Jose T. Hernandez, a California Corrections Officer for the State of California, filed a false 2008 Federal Income Tax Return Form 1040X for himself and his wife with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The false Form 1040X, falsely reported $1,858,323 in federal income tax withheld and claimed a refund of $452,615 above a previous false refund he received of $769,963. The first false refund claimed for $769,963 was based upon a false OID-based tax return that he filed in March 2009 as a customer in a large OID scheme. Jose Hernandez was one of the customers of the OID schemes, approximately 15 of which were charged as part of the Old Quest/DLFRA set of 55 defendants in the related Old Quest cases of United States v. Arturo Ruiz, et al., SA CR 11209-JST, and United States v.
Riverside Courthouse -Photo by Terry Miller
A dozen military veterans successfully graduated Friday, August 1, from a program in Riverside County that provides alternatives to incarceration. The program is called Veterans Court and those who completed the program received
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Veterans Court graduation Continued from page 1
Statistics in the Department of Justice found that number of inmates had prior military service. In recent years, the rates of substance abuse and suicide among veterans have increased, citing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a frequent and invisible injury. In 2008 the RAND Corporation surveyed a group of veterans six months after their return and found that almost one in five had either PTSD or major depression. The Veterans Court serves exactly this segment of the veteran population. It provides resources to veterans diagnosed with PTSD, who have substance abuse or mental health issues derived from their time in combat zones. The program also treats vets who have had experienced childhood trauma, according to the court program officials. The way the program works is that, defendants have to plead
guilty or consent to their probation being reinstated and in exchange, have their cases heard in Veterans Court. Eligible participants include felons and misdemeanants. People are placed in 12- to 18-month-long treatment programs that include group therapy, substance abuse counseling, alcohol monitoring, and mental health services. The Desert Sun also reported that partner agencies include the Office of the District Attorney, Mental Health and Probation departments, the Office of the Public Defender, the Riverside Police Department, and the U.S. Veterans Administration. The Daily Beast reported in an article that, after Vietnam, the number of inmates with prior military service rose steadily until reaching a peak in 1985, when more than one in five was a veteran. By 1988, more than half of all Vietnam veterans diagnosed
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with PTSD reported that they had been arrested; more than one third reported they had been arrested multiple times. While data is not yet available for the veteran population that was in Iraq and Afghanistan, veteran advocates and prior data indicates that similar fates await those returning soldiers. With unemployment still at a high rate, followed by persistent mental health issues, and long waiting lists for counseling services, Veterans Court offers much-needed services and support. Superior Court Judge Mark Johnson oversees the program which meets weekly. Johnson who was an Army reservist was also a former defense attorney, providing insight into all aspects of experience the program participants may have. The Desert Sun noted that the keynote speaker at the ceremony was U.S. Marine Corps Major General Lawrence D. Nicholson, commander of the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton.
Zombie Factory Auditions Riverside Youth Theatre will be holding auditions for our October musical. Step into an unusual FUN planet of zombie characters who sing, dance and act to Broadway showtunes. We will teach our students to create their own unique zombie makeup along with creative costumes. Featuring songs and dance from current Broadway shows and ending with Michael Jackson’s classic “Thriller” dance. No experience required to audition. Casting: Students from 1st grade - 21 years, Singers (for solo work), Dancers (for some challenging choreography), Actors (for monologues). Vocal audtitions: Monday, Aug 11 from 4-6 pm. Be prepared to sing approximately one minute of a Broadway style song for your audition. No a cappella auditions. Dance callbacks: Wednesday, Aug 13 at 4 pm. Perfomances: Late October, One Weekend Info: www.RiversideYouthTheatre.org, Contact: Debbie Wolgemuth, (951) 756-4240.
Corrections officer files false claim Continued from page 1
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Osman Norales, et al., SA CR 11-247-JST. For more information regarding Old Quest/ DLFRA Scheme see: http:// www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/ September/11-tax-1298.html Unlike many of the charged customers, Hernandez was a customer of both fraudulent OID tax schemes of Old Quest and DLFRA. Having filed a false OID-based tax return from both of those schemes, he actually received a tax refund of approximately $769,000 from his first fraudulent OID-based tax return. After that refund was frozen at the bank by the IRS and he was informed by both the bank and the IRS, rather than withdraw from the scheme, defendant instead filed a second fraudulent OID-based
tax return, claiming an income tax refund. The Indictment charges defendant for the second false tax return he filed. Evidence at trial included testimony by IRS Agents. As part of the investigation, IRS agents interviewed Hernandez. During the interview He made various admissions, including that he had received the IRS Frivolous Filing Letter, knew that his first refund had been frozen, and other notice evidence. Further evidence introduced at trial included certified IRS records (including tax returns, communications from defendant, and defendant’s tax filing history); (documents seized during search warrants; (documents provided by defendant; and bank records.
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ER closures increase risk of death at surrounding areas Washington, DC—Patients who were admitted to hospitals in the vicinity of a hospital that had closed its emergency department had 5 percent greater odds of inpatient mortality than patients admitted to unaffected hospitals. The risk of death was more pronounced for non-elderly patients and patients with time-sensitive conditions such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI or heart attack), stroke and sepsis. The results of the California study are published today in the August issue of Health Affairs (“California Emergency Department Closures Are Associated with Increased Inpatient Mortality at Nearby Hospitals”) http://content.healthaffairs. org/content/33/8/1323.abstract. “The shrinking number of emergency departments combined with a growth in emergency patients is having a demonstrably dangerous effect on the people of California,” said senior study author Renee Hsia, MD, FACEP of the University of California San Francisco in Calif. “Furthermore, emergency departments and trauma centers – which often experience greater financial pressures than their parents hospitals overall – are more likely to close at hospital with negative profit margins. Therefore, ER closures may widen disparities by further reducing access to care in communities that are already characterized by having vulnerable patients and underpaid hospitals.” Between 1999 and 2010, 48 emergency departments closed in California. During that time, 16,246.892 patients were admitted to California hospitals from the emergency department, onequarter of them near a recently closed ER. Patients admitted to the hospital in the geographic vicinity of other emergency department closures had 5 percent higher odds of inpatient mortality than patients who were admitted in areas where no emergency department had closed. Odds of morality increased by 10 percent for non-elderly adults, by 15 percent for patients
with AMI, by 10 percent for patients with stroke and by 8 percent for patients with sepsis. Researchers speculate that the closure of emergency departments increases pressure on surrounding emergency departments as well as on patients who depend on them. The increased mortality may be attributed to increased travel time to farther emergency departments as well as increased wait times or crowding in ERs with bigger populations dependent on them. “Emergency department closures have ripple effects on patient outcomes that should be considered when health systems and policy makers decide how to regulate ER closures,” said
Dr. Hsia. “As it stands now, the people who are most put at risk are those who are most vulnerable – the poor, the underinsured and the very sick.” ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
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Applications being accepted for Riverside Police Department’s Juvenile Intervention Program The Riverside Police Department’s Community Services Bureau is accepting applications for its next scheduled juvenile intervention program. O.W.E. – Opportunity With Education was created to provide education and mentoring to our youth through positive interactions with police officers, educators, prosecutors, and other professionals, rather than the influences from the culture of criminal elements. This is not a boot camp or “scared straight” type program,
but one designed to positively redirect “at-risk” youth between the ages of 12 to17 (middle & high school age), through topic lectures, tours, physical fitness, community service, and close order drill. Choices and consequences will be stressed throughout the program, and the opportunity to build selfesteem, leadership qualities, and change to positive social behaviors will be available to all participants which will aid in breaking the cycle of criminal behavior, while encouraging
them toward success. The goal of O.W.E. is to help parents and their children bring a sense of “Family” back to their homes. The parent(s) & legal guardian(s) of program participants must fully support O.W.E. and the staff for their child to be enrolled, and are required to attend the morning session of each class for group counseling and topic lectures. We are currently accepting applications for the next session starting early September 2014. O.W.E. is held at California
Baptist University from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each Saturday for fifteen consecutive weeks. The O.W.E. program takes place twice a year from September to December and February to May, with applications accepted throughout the year. The O.W.E. program is free to participating families and you do not need to be a resident of Riverside to apply. To apply online, please go to www. rpdonline.org/owe. For questions or inquiries, please emailrpdowe@riversideca.gov.
Education breakthrough: Audiojack will spark your imagination Continued from page 1
lowed him into a cave, where an unknown creature tried to harm the intruders; however, they got away. “Is anyone willing to share their story?” David wanted to know. Several people raised their hands. All of the sharers stories differed, but some similar aspects could be found. The variety of people’s accounts is the exact point of an Audiojack, according to David. Designing the sound movies, he has his own stories in mind, but always keeps them completely secret, even from his parents. Thus, there is no right or wrong answer, people are eager to share, and surprised how their creativity just
flows. This method has proven especially valuable for students and the blind community. They are not afraid anymore to share their thoughts, and happily engage in class. Before Audiojack had become popular, its creator wanted to make sure it would have a lasting impact, and not just be something fun. Inspired by his mother, a teacher, education has always been of utmost importance for David. Audiojack lesson plans for different markets and countries were developed, and thoroughly tested for years. When this confirmed a huge success, David brought his company to the large scale where it is today: The website www.au-
Audiojack event at Sonos Studio, Los Angeles. -Courtesy Photo
diojack.com has been translated into 30 languages, and is also usable for the blind. Audiojack lessons adhere to Common Core Standards and are used in k-12 education. Because the sound movies have no language barrier, the whole world can access, use, and profit from them. Individuals, schools, and other organizations can subscribe to the program on the website. For the near future, David plans on launching a program with which people are able to create their own Audiojacks. It still stuns David that he created something that improves people’s quality of life, stimulates their creativity and develops their critical thinking skills. He goes to schools and education conferences to introduce Audiojack and the positive feedback he is getting
is incredible: “A blind girl told me that through Audiojack she felt as if she was able to see for the first time,” he recalled. On another occasion, at the renowned Perkins School of the Blind in Massachusetts, an official told David that he had cracked the code for the blind, that they had been waiting for something like Audiojack. David described this moment as “sobering,” because it charged him with even more responsibility. These events make him work harder and are his drive to continue his mission to give back to people. Audiojack is more than just a job to David; it’s his passion. For more information, i.e. on how you, your school, or your organization can subscribe and profit from Audiojacks, contact Audiojack on www.audiojack.com