Hundreds Turn Out for Brandon Jackson's Funeral

Hundreds of people from the community showed up to grieve the loss of young Brandon Jackson on Saturday

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/27/2011

As snow and hail lightly fell upon Altadena Saturday morning, at least 400 people attended the funeral service that was held for 18-year-old Brandon "Franchise" Jackson at the 1st Presbyterian Church on N. Lincoln Avenue.
The mourners came to show their support and love for the talented young junior at John Muir High School who was tragically taken from this world way too soon when he was after a party on Palm Street on Feb. 12.
The main auditorium was completely packed, as was the overflow room that had audio speakers set up. In addition, groups of people stood outside.
The atmosphere was extremely emotional, with many people unable to control their tears over this terrible loss. Most people who even agreed to speak to Patch declined to give their last names or wished to remain anonymous entirely.
One such man hit the nail on the head when he said anonymously, "He was a great kid. He didn't deserve this and that's all there is to it."
Another attendee, Darrell Gay, called Jackson the "sunshine of Altadena," adding, "He was a good guy and a motivational dude. He was part of the sunshine of this town."
When asked what measures can be taken to prevent senseless violence like this in the future, Gay said, "You can't prevent youth violence like this. You just can't, man."
Kelly, one of Jackson's classmates, said, "I never saw him down. I never saw him upset, even during the hardest times."
Jackson's nickname, "Franchise," was coined by one of his coaches, David Mitchell, according to Coach "T," who said, "We were blessed to have him every day."
Rev. Mark Buchanan, who officiated the service, spoke during his sermon about the importance of everyone in the community to "choose life, always choose life."
Jackson's family released a statement that read in part: "(We) respectfully acknowledge each of you for your acts of kindness, expressions of love, and many prayers during this difficult time."
Jackson was Benita Brown-King's fifth and last child, the youngest in a set of twins. According to family members, he was a practicing Christian who always had a smile on his face and always parted ways with someone by saying, "I love you," even if he had just been in an argument with the person.
He was very involved in numerous activities at Muir. He excelled on the Mustangs' football team, ran track, and played basketball for a traveling team. He was also a member of Mustangs on the Move and Outward Bound, two community outreach programs. He was recently presented the Mustangs Achievement Award for a 3.0 and above GPA and Student Athlete.
Following the service, the burial took place at Live Oak Memorial Park in Duarte and the repast took place back at Muir. One thing was crystal clear from watching this outpouring of emotion and grief: young, talented Jackson was taken away too soon for senseless reasons and he will be missed by many in the community.






La Salle Alumnus Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Benefit Concert Tonight

Several friends and family have organized a benefit art concert to help the 23-year-old, who was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Sierra Madre Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Horse-Owner Battling Cancer Looks Forward to Saturday Benefit Concert

Gino Buccola, a 23-year-old Santa Anita Park regular, was diagnosed with cancer last October without health insurance

By Justin Chapman, Arcadia Patch, 2/26/2011

Although Gino Buccola has been struggling with an unfortunate tragedy since Oct. 22 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that grew from a tumor on his neck, he has received nothing but undying support from family, co-workers, former classmates at , and friends, some of whom have organized a benefit art concert, which will take place Saturday night, to raise money for his mounting medical bills.

Buccola, who spent weeks in and out of the hospital at his own expense, got a job last February as a production assistant at TVG Network, one of the largest horse racing television networks that is headquartered in Santa Monica. His career goal is to be a horse race analyst on television.

But since he worked part-time he never received health insurance benefits from that company. He is now on his parent's health insurance but that was finalized after the surgery, diagnosis, and treatment.

He told Patch that "there's no retroactive coverage" since his diagnosis and treatment happened before he got on his parent's health insurance. "I didn't have insurance for ten months, and that was the worst part. That's when I went through all the chemo and treatments, during that short period."

According to Buccola's sister, Chanel, he has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy at City of Hope in Duarte, but his doctors have temporarily stopped treatment because they are optimistic about his progress. In the meantime, unfortunately, Buccola and his family have to pay for that expensive treatment out of their own pockets.

"(His specific cancer) is very curable and the doctors are very optimistic about it," Chanel told Patch. "They really like how he's responding to the treatment at the moment, and he's looking good right now. Although he still has little nodes inside that they still have to clear up, the neck tumor has decreased massively."

Buccola was living in an apartment in Pasadena until he was diagnosed, at which point he moved back in with his family in Temple City. He has also slowly started getting back to work in the past couple weeks, and tries to maintain a positive attitude.

"He knew he had to have a positive attitude to get through this," said Chanel. "He's been getting a lot of support from lots of different people, from friends to La Salle classmates to co-workers at the racetrack. The support has really boosted his spirits. He definitely has his tough days but he tries to maintain a positive attitude."

Indeed, despite the horrific series of events that Buccola has had to endure the past few months, he acknowledges that the situation is getting better.

"The first month was the worst," he said. "After that I thought it was going to be bad. I lost my hair, I lost my car, I lost my apartment. Not being able to do every day activities, that was rough. But as it goes on it's been getting better. My doctors say things are getting better and I've met a whole bunch of people who have supported me and held fundraisers to help me."

The type of cancer that Buccola developed, Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at such a young age can most definitely be fatal if not treated properly. The cancer cells move very rapidly, as they did with Buccola, which he described as "very very scary." However, he feels he has received as much as support as can be expected and he's overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to him to offer a helping hand.

"I'm absolutely getting the support I need (emotionally and psychologically)," he said. "This is the third or fourth fundraiser they've had for me. My parents always made sure someone stayed the night with me when I was in the hospital, and my girlfriend has also been very supportive."

Buccola's ultimate passion, however, is horse racing. Since mid-January he has held partial ownership of a horse that the main owner, Mark Verge, and its trainer, Doug O'Neill, decided to name after him in early January: "Fight on Gino," a three-year-old Gelding out of Moscow Ballet will be ready to race at Santa Anita Park in a couple of weeks, according to Buccola.

Jenny Luna, a former classmate of Buccola's who performed in and worked on plays with him in La Salle's theatre department, helped organize Saturday's benefit concert.

"The goal of the benefit is to raise money for Gino, but it's also a community awareness event," said Luna. "We're trying to make it as cool and fun as possible, but also very La Salle-based, especially people who know Gino, so that we can create awareness of his condition and so people can start talking and maybe go to other events. We just want to raise money for him and his family because his situation sucks. And we want him alive."

Luna expects a good-sized crowd at Saturday's benefit and hopes it will be a big success. There has been a lot of outreach to the La Salle community to gather support for this important event. Most of the art that will be auctioned off was donated by students, faculty, and staff from La Salle. Luna said that the theatre department has been instrumental in making this event possible.

"The theatre department is really what's making this whole thing happen," she said. "They've donated money, space, lighting, and food."

The benefit concert takes place Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the St. James Methodist Church, and will include performances from Nick Guarna and Joey Cleveland, Adam Barnes, Jenny Luna, Sam Broderick, and Eddie Trager and Brad Steele, among others. There will be a $5 cover charge and organizers will be accepting donations and auctioning off art pieces and photo prints from Barnes, Jessica Luna, Alyssa Stefek, and more. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase. Any artists of all stripes are welcome to participate in the event. All proceeds will benefit Buccola's medical bills fund.

Then on March 24 another benefit is being held to celebrate Buccola's 24th birthday. The party and fundraiser will take place at Santa Anita Park from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be a cost of $10.50 per person for admission, parking and a race program. The party will be held at on the 5th floor with a $10 cover. All proceeds from this event will also benefit Buccola's fund.



Officials Say Rubio Canyon Wall Will Finally Be Removed Within a Week

The illegally built wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed that neighbors and activists said could cause damage to infrastructure will finally be removed in about a week or so, according to county and state officials

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/18/2011

The seemingly never ending saga of the illegally built wall in the streambed at the bottom of Rubio Canyon may be nearing an end, according to county and state officials, after the homeowners worked out a mitigation plan with LA County Public Works and the California Department of Fish and Game.
Months after the county issued a stop-work order to Moninder and Ruchi Birdi for building a 10-foot retaining wall in the Rubio Canyon streambed in September, the wall and all the tools used to build it remain to this day. This has had many Altadenans concerned, especially in the midst of winter and a storm on the way this weekend.
That stream, located just north of where Rubio Canyon Road turns into East Loma Alta Drive, is what's called a blue-line stream. It has certain legal standing and even if you own the property, as the Birdi's do, you cannot do work on it. Essentially it is undevelopable land.
After submitting a mitigation plan to the county and Fish and Game, the Birdi's promised to remove the wall about a week or so from now. The exact date of the wall's removal, however, depends on the weather, according to state regulations.
"Part of the stipulation is that (Moninder Birdi) can't (remove the wall) when it's raining or about to rain," said Andrew Hughan, Public Information Officer for Fish and Game. "It's about to rain so he might wait until the weather subdues a little bit. Once he removes the wall he has seven days to submit to our department what's called a 'Final Wall Demolition and Debris and Removal Plan.' He's good to go as far as we're concerned to take the wall down, and once he's done and submits the plan, we'll be happy."
Mitch Miller of county Public Works reiterated that the Birdi's received approval from Fish and Game to remove the wall, as well as the county's blessing.
"The county issued its permit to the Birdi's a month ago," said Miller. "The removal of the wall should start within the next week or so."
As Patch in November, officials from Public Works claimed that the wall was supposed to be removed three months ago. The delay comes to no surprise to some local activists, such as Paul Ayers, staff counsel of the Save the Altadena Trails nonprofit organization, who said at the time he was doubtful that the county would even do anything about the situation.
"They should have regulatory agencies swarming all over them," Ayers . "Unfortunately my experience is the county won't do anything. At the end of the day what usually happens is there's some kind of casualty and there's a lawsuit."
Ayers added that he doesn't think the Birdi's are bad people intentionally working against the public interest; they were just ignorant about the rules they were violating.
"I would like to think the county will do something about this, but you really have to rattle favors at them to get anything done," Ayers said.
The Birdi's had hired workers that, according to Moninder Birdi, misinterpreted his instructions by grading the streambed and building the stone wall in a position that could divert the entire stream to the east, potentially causing untold property damage during the rainy season to local neighbors and infrastructure and pipes that connect to mains that run into Pasadena, which are owned by the Rubio Canyon Land and Water Association.
The property, which includes the Birdi's home and an old octagonal building that once was a Boy Scout facility and the gateway to Camp Huntington before the bridge and dam to the south were built, is still littered with tools, wheelbarrows and other equipment surrounding that building.
"(Mr. Birdi) was cited for the stream abatement thing, and late last year I looked at this issue and if I remember right the homeowner was stuck between county and state regulations," said Hughan in response to why the removal of the wall has taken longer than initially expected by all parties involved. "This homeowner put up the wall and now he has to take it down. He's had to go back and forth with county agencies and the state several times. Our biologist is well aware of the situation now, and she's going to be keeping an eye on it more carefully now that a schedule has been set."













Murder Trial for 2007 Altadena Shooting to Begin in March

Although her partner has already changed her plea to guilty, Mesha Arshaz Dean maintains that she shot and killed 32-year-old Monroe Miles in Altadena out of self-defense almost four years ago

By Justin Chapman, Altadena Patch, 2/11/2011

It's been almost four years since a 22-year-old woman's attempt to take back custody of her child led to her friend allegedly shooting a 32-year-old Altadena resident, and the trial is set to begin at last.
Mesha Arshaz Dean, now 26,  stands accused of shooting and killing Monroe Miles, 32, after she and Vanessa Marie Ochoa attempted to take Ochoa's child from his father's home in Altadena.  
Monroe Miles, the child's uncle, was chasing after the two women and attempting to stop them by force.  According to Dean's attorney, she plans to argue she shot Miles in self-defense as he was hitting her and trying to impede their escape.
Last Wednesday Dean appeared in LA Superior Court for a trial date scheduling and readiness hearing.  
Though Dean's fate is still up in the air, Ochoa has already accepted responsibility for the events of that day.
Though she originally pleaded not guilty, she changed her plea on May 20, 2010, to guilty on all three counts that they have both been charged with: kidnapping, endangering the life of a child, and murder. She will receive 14 years and four months in state prison when she is sentenced March 9, according to court documents.
Dean, though,  is the one who admittedly pulled the trigger that day, though she maintains that she did so out of self-defense. She will go to trial March 22, about a week after Ochoa has been sentenced and locked up. They are both currently being housed in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.
Though the relationship between Dean and Ochoa is not explicity spelled out in court documents, various media reports have described them as being romantically involved.
So what set this unfortunate chain of events in motion? Court documents indicate that on Sunday, March 18, 2007, Dean and Ochoa arrived at 4023 Canyon Dell Drive in northwest Altadena, the home of Ochoa's 4-year-old child's father, Mark Miles, who has custody of the child and was not home.
The child's grandfather let Ochoa in when she asked to see her son, Manaen Miles. She then grabbed the child and ran outside, where Dean was waiting in the driver's seat of her silver Nissan sedan, holding a loaded gun.
The boy's uncle, Monroe Miles, ran after Ochoa and recognized Dean.  According to later testimony by LA County Sheriff's Department Detective Elizabeth Smith, the boy's father and Monroe's brother, Mark Miles, told her in a conversation on the day of the murder and abduction that several months prior, Dean had shot him. The incident was never reported.
According to Dean, when Monroe saw her in the car, he yelled out, "Is that the bitch who attacked my brother?"
Smith testified at Dean's preliminary hearing that Ochoa tried to bargain with Mark Miles to keep him from reporting Dean to the police.
"Mark told me he refused to tell police who shot him," Smith testified. "Mark told me Vanessa told him he could have custody of (the boy) if he wouldn't tell police Mesha Dean shot him."
But despite that bargaining, the question of how to split custody of the child was never resolved.  During the preliminary hearing, defense attorneys brought up the fact that there was no official court order determining who had the legal right to custody of the child.
Dean told Las Vegas Channel 8 Eyewitness News reporter Alyson McCarthy in a jail interview that she feared for her life as Monroe got into the car after chasing Ochoa and the child out of his house and began punching Dean while Ochoa shielded her son with her own body as she climbed into the vehicle.
 She then admitted that was when she fired the gun at Monroe Miles, but said she thought her life was in danger.
Monroe Miles died about an hour after being shot in the neck and the back of the head. After the shooting occurred, Dean and Ochoa drove the child across state lines to their home in Henderson, Nevada.
They were arrested there a couple days later on March 20, 2007. An Amber Alert went out the night of the shooting, which helped Las Vegas police locate the women and take back the child, who was unharmed.
In her guilty plea, Ochoa also admitted the allegation that Dean was armed during the commission of the crime, as well as the fact that the victim of the kidnapping was under the age of 14 years and "was kidnapped with the intent to permanently deprive the father of custody of that child."
After the child was recovered, he was transferred to the care of his great uncle, Dan Mack, and his wife Sandra, until a family court hearing master requested the child's birth certificate in order to award full custody to his father, Mark Miles, who got his son back about a week later.
Nearly four years later, however, Dean's trial date has just been set. According to her defense attorney, Ed Murphy, this murder case has special circumstances.
"The normal time that a special murder case takes to go to trial is two to three years from the day of the shooting," Murphy told Patch. "So we're about a year late, right? The delay is certainly not a result of the defense requesting postponements. That's for sure."
Court documents indicate that both the original prosecuting attorney, Mary Murray, and the attorney who later replaced her, Tamu Usher, requested extension after extension for a variety of reasons, including waiting for DNA evidence to be analyzed.  In addition, Murphy was involved in several other murder trials that were already taking place.
Murphy estimates that the trial will take about five to six weeks.