Turner Construction Fired from The Santa Clara Valley Medical Hospital Expansion Project

I live around the corner from Valley Medical Santa Clara Hospital in San Jose California. The company I work for Streetwise Special Delivery Courier Service in Gilroy, California has done business with some doctors there. One of the services we provide is medical courier, so we picked up blood and tissue samples and delivered for them. I remember when they broke ground on this expansion project in 2009. It has been almost 7 years now and it’s still not finished, it was supposed to be finished in September 2015. Santa Clara County officials were fighting Turner Construction Company in San Jose California, who was working on the expansion project. Turner Construction is the biggest construction company in the Santa Clara County they are accused of delays and costing Santa Clara County and its taxpayers $100,000 a day or some $36 million a year. I personally don’t care who’s at fault, they just need to get it done. Well, Santa Clara County fired Turner Construction. Santa Clara County officials have brought in the Bolt Company out of Wisconsin for $440,000. They are a general contractor reported by Santa Clara County staff to, “conduct a comprehensive assessment of the status of the project prior to engaging a replacement contractor, which will include an estimated cost to finish the job.” Santa Clara County officials haven’t hired the Bolt Company, but they have a good chance to get the project. They finished a project in 2009 which was the Sutter Health project in Sacramento. After Turner and Sutter parted ways. What I don’t understand is why Santa Clara County officials did not due their due diligence and find the right contractor in the first place. They were probably thinking Turner Construction because they are from San Jose and from Santa Clara County. Well that came back to bite them. This project has increased steadily since construction started in 2009. The original $290 million bid Turner was charging, jumped to $350 million. There were about $31 million in change orders incurred over the years and brought the budget to $380 million according to the county. It is unfortunate for us the tax payers but Santa Clara County officials were trying to do this project on the cheap. Like my mother used to say you get what you pay for. Just maybe sometime in 2016 this expansion project will get done. I guess we have to wait and see.

LM
 http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/10/06/new-general-contractor-to-examine-troubled-valley.html
http://abc7news.com/health/county-considers-firing-contractor-after-delays-in-sj-hospital-expansion/964446/

Three Santa Clara County Jail Guards Face Murder Charges for the Beating Death of Mentally Ill Inmate Michael Tyree

 From left: Jereh Lubrin, Rafael Rodriguez, and Matthew Farris

Going to jail is one of the scariest things I could image. I have had family members go to jail for murder as well as being mentally unstable. I guess you have a 50/50 chance of get getting killed by another inmate, as well as a guard. Personally, if I was in jail, I would be more afraid of the guards as opposed to anyone else.

On Wednesday August 26, 2015 Michael Tyree a mentally ill inmate of the Santa Clara County Jail system, was beaten to death by three rookie guards. All because he refused to take his medication and not following the guards orders to get up when they were making their nightly rounds searching inmate’s cells. My question is why, did they allow three young rookies in charge of a whole floor? Given the mentality of most police officers. I would think they would have an older experienced person ones always overseeing the rookie’s. So many rookies get that authority and take it to a new level. A lot of them are more violent than the criminals. It seems they should be monitored at all times. Officers Jereh Lubrin, Rafael Rodriguez and Matthew Farris are charged with the beating death of Michael Tyree and the assault Juan Villa. Now there is going to be three more criminals, possible added to the already overcrowding prison system. Yes, the system failed Michael Tyree. There is no telling how many other inmates have died at the hands of guards. Santa Clara County Jail system needs to do better and someone has to answer for this tragedy.

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_28775655/san-jose-jail-death-three-guards-expected-be?source=infinite

Is The Site Of The New 49ers Stadium In Santa Clara Jinxed?

On Monday October 14, 2013 there was another death in Santa Clara, at the site of the new 49ers stadium. Sixty year old Edward Erving Lake II was an employee of Gerdau Ameristeel's in Napa California. Gerdau Ameristeel's is a subcontractor working at the stadium. 

While Edward Erving Lake II was having a bundle of rebar unloaded from his truck, somehow the bundle fell and crushed him. The investigation is on going. Authorities say the job site is safe. How in the world can they say this Santa Clara job site is safe? When less than 6 months this is the second death. In June of 2013 Donald White an 63-year-old elevator mechanic was killed, when he was struck by a counterweight while working in a shaft. That investigation is still on going. Now two investigations are on going for death at the new 49ers stadium in Santa Clara. If you ask me, this job site is jinxed. Is this about the money it is generating and the money it is going to generate in the future? Is that is why authorities are saying it's a safe job sight? Our prayers at Streetwise Special Delivery Courier Service, go out to the families of the workers who lost their lives. 

LM

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/worker-killed-49ers-stadium-construction-site-20566766

Principal at an Elementary School in Santa Clara Charged with Selling Drugs

On September 24, 2012 Principal Eric Dean Lewis, 42, was charged with six drug related crimes, including sales of methamphetamine, Ecstasy and the date-rape drug GHB, which is used in small doses as an intoxicant by those in the club scene. He was arrested September 20, 2012 at a Cal-Train station in San Francisco, where he had agreed to pick up an undercover agent he ''met'' through a gay dating website. How dumb was this educated fool? He should know you can’t trust most of the people you met on those dating sights. Eric Dean Lewis was a principal at Montague Elementary School in Santa Clara. Lewis faces a maximum sentence of eight years and four months if he is convicted. Prosecutor Daniel Rothbach said “there is no evidence that Lewis was selling or using drugs with children.” The community was shocked when they heard this news. Shawna Yacoub a parent said, "We were really quite disappointed because Mr. Lewis is quite respected here." Santa Clara Unified School District Superintendent Bobbie Plough said, "I think our hiring process is pretty thorough. We do extensive background checks, reference checks and we've never had an incident like this before."

 Eric Dean Lewis is not the only principal to be charged with trying to sell drugs to undercover officer. David Groover, principal of Partin Settlement Elementary School in Kissimmee, Fla., was arrested on June 15 after allegedly providing drugs to an undercover Sheriff's deputy. What in the world has come over our leaders in education? Are they doing this to supplement their income? Are they doing this because their addicts? You never know about what a person is into, they may look all squeaky clean but are not. Do you think they were watching too much Breaking Bad?

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_21621310/santa-clara-elementary-school-principal-charged-selling-meth?source=rss

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8822785

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/18/david-groover-florida-principal-drug-sting-arrest_n_1605849.html

William Lynch Acquitted For Beating the Priest Who Molested Him 37 Years Ago

In 1975 William Lynch’s life changed forever, while on a camping trip with the Church. William Lynch alleged that Priest Jerold Lindner molested him when was seven years old, while he was in a tent. On May 10, 2010 William Lynch drove from his San Francisco home to the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, where Jerold Lindner lived. William Lynch comforted Jerold Lindner about the molestation and William Lynch beat up Jerold Lindner. William Lynch testified that he went there to get Jerold Lindner to sign a written confession, of the alleged molestation. William Lynch said the priest “leered” at him "with the same look in his eyes" the priest had during the alleged molestation. "I felt at that point he was a threat to me," Lynch said, during his emotional testimony. Lynch said that on "one level" he knew that the smaller, much older priest wasn't a physical threat to him. But he said another part of him reverted to when the priest allegedly assaulted him, and fear took over. "As a rational adult, I'm not afraid," Lynch said. "But part of me is stuck where I was as a child." William Lynch said after he punched Lindner twice, the retired priest grabbed him by the throat just like he grabbed 7-year-old Lynch during the alleged molestation in 1975. June 20, 2012 Jerold Lindner was on the witness stand repeatedly denied molesting William Lynch. On June 21, 2012 he invoked his Fifth Amendment right, against self-incrimination and refused to testify any further. Santa Clara County DA’s office was charging William Lynch with felony assault. If convicted William Lynch would have spent four years in jail. The jury heard all the evidence they acquitted William Lynch on Thursday July 5, 2012, with a jury split 8 to 4. They convicted William Lynch of misdemeanor assault, this means no jail time. Pat Harris a defense attorney wants the Santa Clara County DA’s office, to prosecute Jerold Lindner for perjury. The DA’s office should prosecute Jerold Lindner for perjury. Jerold Lindner needs to be held accountable. There has been hundreds or probably thousands of priests got away with this kind of abuse throughout the years. The Catholic Church would pay off the victims and the priest would go on living their lives. This has to stop the priest need to be held accountable with jail time. Did William Lynch have the right to comfort his attacker? Yes. Was he right in punching him? No. I know I am the type of person who would have probably done the same thing. Until you have been in a situation of molestation, you never know how you would react. When you come face to face with someone who has violated you never know what you would do.

LM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/01/william-lynch-trial_n_1641314.html

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/07/06/man_acquitted_of_assaulting_retired_priest_in_us/

RECYCLED WASTEWATER

Image via Wikipedia

Our water supply is dwindling. It’s coming down to recycling wastewater.
Here in San Jose Ca. and Santa Clara Ca. were in a drought situation. I
think recycling wastewater sounds gross, but what other choice do we have
our rainfall season isn’t enough. I think the water district should come
up with a program that gives consumers a bigger incentive to cut there
water use that might help. Orange County is already recycling wastewater;
I sure would like to poll the people to see how many exactly drink water
from the tap.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/08/03/focus7.html?b=1249272000^1870338


LM