>
>
>Note: Two articles appear on the Times Standard front page related to
>Gypsy. Two pictures also appear.
>
>Picture one: Caption: "Two hundred people gather at the Humboldt County
>Courthouse on Thursday to eulogize activist David "Gypsy" Chain.
>
>Picture two Caption: "A casket containing the remains of David 'Gypsy'
>Chain is moved from a mortuary Thursday in Pasadena, Texas."
>
>Article One: "Rally lauds dead activist - Chain's kin has lawyer at
>death site"
>
>By Suzanne Zalev
>The Times Standard
>
>EUREKA - A local attorney representing the family of an environmentalist
>crushed by a tree last week will be investigating the scene of the death
>today.
>
>Arcata lawyer Steve Schectman [note: Steve represents ex-PL timber
>faller Stan Chandler along with Bill Bertain, Kirk Boyd and Mark Harris;
>and the residents of Stafford and Elk River along with Bertain]
>addressed a crowd gathered in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse on
>Thursday afternoon. He said that David "Gypsy" Chain's family has asked
>him to find out what happened when Chain was killed last Thursday on
>Pacific Lumber Co. land near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
>
>"As far as I can tell, its the only independent investigation going on,"
>Schectman said.
>
>The family has not decided if it will sue PL," he added.
>
>Several hundred people gathered Thursday at the gazebo in Old Town for
>singing, speeches, and remembrances of Chain. The group walked to the
>courthouse for more songs and speeches.
>
>Chain was killed while he and several other activists were trespassing
>on PL land. A tree cut by a logger fell on him. Earth Firsters say the
>loggers knew they were there and were deliberately falling trees in
>their direction. PL officials have said the loggers didn't know
>protesters were in the area and that the death was accidental. Earth
>Firsters have called for involuntary manslaughter charges to be filed
>against the logger who cut the tree and for an independent
>investigation.
>
>The results of Schectman's investigation will not be made public. PL
>gave permission for him to investigate on company land, but the
>agreement includes confidentiality, he said.
>
>Others at the rally also worried about impartiality of the
>investigation. people carried signs that said "Human life or money, what
>is important?" "Pro-worker, anti-Maxxam (PL's parent company)," "How do
>you spell murder? PALCO" and "Is this the Tiananmen Square of America?"
>
>John Paulson of Eureka carried a sign that said "Maxxam out of Humboldt
>County," Paulson, 52, a self employed house cleaner and gardener, said
>he thinks the investigation should be opened to include a citizen's
>group. She and Mark Mueller, 38, a self-employed assembly worker, and
>his wife, Nina Greenberg, 38, a registered nurse, came to the rally to
>show their support.
>
>"Earth First needs our support and David Chain needs to be remembered,"
>Mueller said.
>
>"People need to see there are a lot of people who support the
>environmental issues," Greenberg said.
>
>Mueller, who was wearing a tie and business clothes, said it was
>important for "regular people" to be there. He said he's glad the Earth
>First members are there to protect the forest and wishes he could do it.
>
>"Citizens need to be more active in a peaceful way," he said.
>
>Law enforcement officials from the Humboldt County Sheriff's department
>and Eureka Police Department were on alert for possible problems at the
>rally. There were none, but a security gate and metal detector were
>erected at the entrance to the courthouse.
>
>Meanwhile, a blockade of the road leading to the logging site where
>Chain died remains. Activist Jason Wilson said Thursday that he's been
>at the site for most of last week.
>
>"People are pretty stressed ...but people are also very strong," Wilson
>said.
>
>Article two: "Pacific Lumber cited for illegal practices" [Please note
>that PL was not cited, ie given a citation, which can lead to a
>misdemeanor charge - see below - they were simply given a violation of
>which they have been given hundreds of already]
>
>EUREKA - The State Department of Forestry has found Pacific Lumber Co.
>in violation of forest practice laws in the area where activist David
>"Gypsy" Chain was killed by a falling tree last week.
>
>PL received two notices of violations this week, said CDF Deputy Chief
>John Marshall - one for being too close to a marbled murellet survey
>area and one for not reporting changes to the company's timber harvest
>plan.
>
>There were two units of land in the company's timber harvest lan near
>Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, he said. there was logging activity
>under way in one unit last week - the one Chain was in when he was hit
>by the tree. No activity was allowed within a quarter-mile of the second
>unit before Sept. 15.
>
>PL employees were within 800 feet of the marbled murellet area working
>on a road around Sept 10, Marshall said. PL officials discussed the plan
>with the Department of Fish and Game, he said. There's a dispute about
>what was agreed to, but regardless, PL should have officially amended
>its plan, Marshall said.
>
>###
>
>PL was cited in mid-July for three misdemeanor violations of the FPA. A
>pre-trial was held yesterday in Judge Timothy (See-no-evil) Cissna's
>court. After some discussion by PL's attorney about how they would talk
>CDF or the DA into dropping the charges, while the Deputy DA Andrew
>Isaccs said, "No way," the matter was set for trial on November 9 at
>8:30, the judge to be announced later. PL had plead Not Guilty last
>month.
>
>
>
>
>
>
David M. Walsh
P.O. Box 903
Redway, CA 95560
Office and Fax(707) 923-3015
Home (707) 986-1644


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