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Michael Rodriguez of local cure violence group, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), has been arrested for alleged drug and gun offenses during a recent drug takedown operation in Orange County, according to the Office of the Orange County District Attorney [NY], as reported earlier this week by the NY Post.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, City of Middletown Police Chief John Ewanciw, and City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden, announced during a press conference held on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at City Hall in Middletown, NY, that fifteen defendants, Rodriguez among them. had been charged with various crimes including conspiracy to sell narcotics.

Orange County officials said the arrests were the result of a two-year long narcotics investigation that involved court-ordered eavesdropping. They said seven search warrants were executed during the investigation which resulted in the seizure of over 1516 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of around $50,000, over $167,000 in U.S. currency, and three illegally possessed handguns.

Over time, Norwood News has covered a number of successful events hosted by B.R.A.G., which has been operating in the North Bronx for several years now, while other local groups have sought to emulate B.R.A.G.’s work as a frame of reference for other anti-gun violence initiatives. B.R.A.G. is one of several community partners involved in Mayor Eric Adams’ strategy to end gun violence outlined in his “Blueprint to End Gun Violence” released last year, as reported.

The mayor also held a round table last year with various district attorneys to discuss his anti-gun violence strategy. Norwood  News readers weighed in on the mayor’s blueprint announcement at the time, while recently, Norwood News covered B.R.A.G.’s ongoing summer BBQ series.

B.R.A.G. is one of many programs operated by Manhattan-based nonprofit, Good Shepherd Services. When Norwood News reached out to the nonprofit for comment on Rodriguez’s arrest, a spokesperson for B.R.A.G. replied, saying, “We are aware of the investigation and the charges that have been made. While we work to learn more, our primary focus remains on the communities we serve and our programs that are helping to keep them safe.”

In the NY Post story, Rodriguez was described as the “head of [an] NYC anti-violence program.” In fact, as confirmed by Good Shepherd Services, Rodriguez is not the head of B.R.A.G., but is the program director for the B.R.A.G. North West site. As reported, according to its website, B.R.A.G. currently operates in three locations in The Bronx. B.R.A.G. North covers Wakefield, B.R.A.G. Northwest serves Fordham and Belmont, while B.R.A.G. West covers University Heights and Morris Heights.

Meanwhile, David Caba is better known as the face of B.R.A.G. in his role as vice president of the group, which works with teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25, mentoring and assisting in their development of conflict resolution skills. According to their website, between July 2017 and June 2021, B.R.A.G. responded to 1,035 disputes, organized 10,973 “interruption activities,” and worked through 2,353 “completed mediations.”

As reported, at one of the recent B.R.A.G. summer barbecues held in Fordham Manor, a representative for the group said they have been hosting peace barbecues in Kingsbridge since 2014, and in Olinville since 2016. “Cure violence is about credible messengers,” she said. “We maintain our community’s safety, so this is about coming together as a community and making sure we denounce violence, and what we do is done in a peaceful way.”

A week after that particular barbecue, Bronx elected officials joined various cure violence groups, including B.R.A.G., on Friday, July 14, at E 193rd Street and Morris Avenue beside St. James Park in Fordham Manor for a peace rally denouncing the shooting, three days earlier at the exact same location, of four people, including two children under the age of seven. Rodriguez was one of the speakers at the rally.

In an interview with Norwood News afterwards, Rodriguez was asked if there was anything additional he wanted to add on the topic of gun violence other than what he had already said during his speech. He replied, “I just want to say that….you know what I’m saying? We out here just for the community not to be afraid. We shouldn’t have to be afraid. I’m asking them continue their daily routines, continued their activities, you know?”

Rodriguez continued, “We know that happened [the shooting of the four people], but I don’t want the community to feel fear, where they don’t have to come outside anymore. That’s not how we supposed to be livin’ and I’m asking the community to, you know, just love each other more and love your neighbor. You know you live in the same building. You should be knowing who your neighbors are, loving each other, spreading love, but we don’t have to come out here and be afraid to come out to the park. No kid should ever feel afraid.”

As reported, the daylight shooting of the four victims had taken place on a sunny Tuesday evening on July 11 near a crowded St. James Park where hundreds were relaxing or playing sports. Two people were later arrested for the incident.

We asked Rodriguez if, in his opinion, he felt the gun violence epidemic was more of a problem of the availability of guns or culture / fear / mindset. He replied, “Oh, we all know that guns are not made here [in The Bronx/New York].” He continued, “You know, we know that Bronx has, basically…. we’re the only borough that has an I95 pipeline, you know what I’m saying? What’s going on? The guns are accidentally falling off the truck? We know that, so we asking, you know, the State officials, elected officials, you know, to put a better stop to that.”

In January 2021, as reported, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark Clark announced that another Bronx man active in an anti-gun violence movement had been charged with fatally shooting a second man in August 2020. Clark said the defendant, Mervin Joseph Moore, 37, of Sheridan Avenue in the South Bronx, was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Michael Gross and, at the time, remained in custody. He was due back in court on April 28, 2021. Norwood News has reached out to the Bronx DA’s office for an update on his current status.

Meanwhile, Orange County officials said the investigation into the arrest of Rodriguez and others was conducted by the City of Middletown Police Department, the Orange County drug taskforce, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the City of Port Jervis Police Department. Other law enforcement agencies who they said provided crucial help with the investigation included the New York State Police violent gang and narcotics enforcement team, the Orange County Sheriff’s special operations group, the Hudson Valley crimes analysis center and the City of Yorkers Police Department.

Orange County officials said among those arrested was Rodriguez, 48, of Yonkers, also described in the press release as “the director” of B.R.A.G., “a prominent anti-violence program that receives government money and works in The Bronx to promote safer streets.” Officials said Rodriguez was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and conspiracy in the second degree.

Rumors that something was amiss within a Bronx-based cure violence group had been circulating in the borough in recent weeks. Norwood News contacted City Hall on July 28 for a breakdown of funding provided to all such groups. We did not receive, and still have not received, a response to our request.

Meanwhile, Orange County officials said Rodriguez was accused of supplying cocaine to narcotics dealers in the City of Middletown and the City of Port Jervis and possessing two illegal handguns. According to Orange County officials, on July 26, a search warrant was executed at Rodriguez’s Yonkers home, which resulted in the seizure of 1516 grams (over 1.5 kilograms) of cocaine, $165,509 in United States currency, scales, a money counter, an unlicensed Ruger .380 caliber pistol, an unlicensed Bond Arms .357 caliber handgun, a vacuum sealer, digital scales, and jewelry estimated to have a value of around $50,000.

Norwood News contacted The Office of Bronx District Attorney for a comment on Rodriguez’s arrest. Clark said, “The allegations of drug trafficking and gun possession against Michael Rodriguez are shocking and disturbing, especially since he has attended anti-violence events and peace marches portraying himself as someone who cares about stopping the violence in our community. These charges are the exact opposite of the good work cure violence groups are doing.”

Orange County officials said it is alleged that Rodriguez regularly supplied cocaine to an Angelica Rodriguez, a/k/a “Jelly,” 39, of Otisville, NY, who would sell it in and around Middletown, and a Tiano Lopez who would sell it in and around Port Jervis. They said Michael Rodriguez is currently being held without bail in Orange County Jail pending his appearance in Orange County Court. They said the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has filed a notice of affirmative grand jury action in the City of Middletown Court with respect to his case.

Officials went on to say that The City of Middletown Police Department had been engaged in a two-year long investigation into cocaine trafficking in and around the City of Middletown committed by Angelica Rodriguez. They said the police department were later aided in their investigation by the Orange County drug taskforce, run under the supervision of a senior criminal investigator from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and a senior investigator from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to personnel from these referenced agencies, officials said the drug task force is composed of police officers from other Orange County police departments, including those from the Town of Montgomery Police Department, the Wallkill Police Department, and the Highlands Police Department. They said that after conventional investigative means failed to reveal evidence showing the entire extent of the narcotics conspiracy surrounding Angelica Rodriguez, officials from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office applied for permission to use court-ordered eavesdropping in the investigation.

During the course of the investigation, they said it was discovered that the same suppliers of cocaine who were providing Angelica Rodriguez and her co-conspirators with cocaine to sell, were also suppling narcotics to those in the City of Port Jervis, the latter also active in the investigation.

Officials said Angelica Rodriguez, who is not believed to be related to Michael Rodriguez, was arrested on July 27, and charged by a felony complaint filed in the City of Middletown Court with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, and conspiracy in the second degree, and is currently being held without bail in Orange County Jail, pending her appearance in Orange County Court. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has filed a notice of affirmative grand jury action in the City of Middletown Court with respect to her case also, officials said.

Other charges are expected to be filed against Angelica Rodriguez, officials added. During a traffic stop on July 14, they said police recovered thirty-six (36) grams of cocaine from a vehicle she had been driving. They said a search warrant executed at a storage unit she had been renting resulted in the seizure of a loaded Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol, cutting agents and a scale commonly used for the processing of cocaine. Officials said the pistol recovered in Angelica Rodriguez’s storage unit had been previously reported as stolen.

Ten other people with various upstate addresses were also charged with various offenses and released pending their next court dates, while three others, also charged, are still sought.

Orange County officials said Michael Rodriguez was arrested on July 26, following the execution of the search warrant at his home. They said the police and District Attorney’s Office are seeking the public’s help in locating Rebecca Concepcion, Michael Jackson, and Victor Pacheco, for whom arrest warrants have been filed in the City of Middletown Court. Anyone with information concerning their whereabouts should contact the City of Middletown Police Department.

The remaining defendants were arrested, arraigned, and released under bail reform laws on July 27. Procedurally, the cases against all the defendants will be presented to an Orange County grand jury, officials said. “There are still those who think that they can sell narcotics with impunity if they insulate themselves through the use of intermediaries,” said Hoovler. “This case exemplifies the benefits of coordinated and dedicated enforcement actions by police and prosecutors, and why no one who traffics narcotics in Orange County can hope to evade law enforcement.”

He added, “I commend the City of Middletown Police Department for commencing with this investigation and appreciating the benefits that working with the Orange County Drug Taskforce, and other law enforcement agencies such as the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the
Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.”

The Orange County DA continued, “This operation helped to disrupt the flow of narcotics being trafficked in Middletown and Port Jervis by bringing drug dealers, including Michael Rodriguez, to justice. It is unconscionable that the director of a respected group which has pledged to reduce gun violence and help at-risk youth would, himself, choose to become a major drug dealer, himself, and commit weapons offences. I hope that the poor example he has set does not disillusion vulnerable youth who might be tempted to follow his example.”

Hoovler said if they did, they will surely also follow Rodriguez to prison. “Cooperation and coordination between law enforcement agencies is essential when combating major narcotics traffickers,” he continued. “We are truly fortunate that the law enforcement agencies in Orange County are committed to working together for public safety.”

Meanwhile, City of Middletown Police Chief John Ewanciw said in part of the case, “I commend the dedicated detectives and police officers of the City of Middletown Police Department for their unwavering efforts in this case. I also commend and thank all of the other agencies who worked with us in this investigation. Law enforcement works best when agencies work together.”

For his part, Arteta added, “I know firsthand how dynamic these lengthy investigations are. They require a tremendous amount of resources, time and effort. We were happy to assist the City of Middletown Police Department in bringing this case to a close with a successful end product, shutting down a large-scale drug operation. I will continue to provide the resources on a county level to our partnering agencies; this drug-related activity will not be tolerated in our communities.”

City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden echoed the same sentiments, saying, in part, “This case underscores the value of inter-agency collaboration in combating illegal narcotics trafficking. Drug dealers do not recognize geographical boundaries, and successful outcomes are achieved when law enforcement agencies work collaboratively.”

The maximum sentence for the Class A-I felony of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree with a prior felony conviction is 24 years in state prison, officials said. The maximum sentence for the Class B felony of conspiracy in the second degree with no prior felony conviction is 8 and 1/3 years to 25 years in state prison. The maximum sentence for that charge with a prior felony conviction is 12 and a half to 25 years in state prison.

Officials said the maximum sentence for the Class B felony of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree is nine years in state prison and the maximum sentences for those charges with a prior felony conviction is twelve years in state prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory, who officials said also aided in the investigation.

When we asked Rodriguez on the day of the July 14 peace rally in Fordham Manor if there was any specific title he wanted us to reference in our story as regards his role within B.R.A.G., he replied, “Yes….. I’m better known as ‘Love’ in a community.”

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

*David Greene and Miriam Quiñones contributed to this story. 

The post Cure Violence Interrupter, Michael Rodriguez, Arrested on Drug & Gun Charges in Orange County first appeared on Norwood News.

The post Cure Violence Interrupter, Michael Rodriguez, Arrested on Drug & Gun Charges in Orange County appeared first on Norwood News.

THE RELATIONSHIP between the MBTA and its largest union appears to be undergoing a sea change under Gov. Maura Healey.

Under the administration of former governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, the Carmen’s Union and the MBTA were often at odds. It started in 2015 when Baker used the fallout from snowmaggeddon to push through the Legislature a three-year exemption from the so-called Pacheco Law, which regulates and restricts how state services can be privatized.

The T quickly privatized its cash collection and counting operation and used the threat of more privatization to prod the Carmen’s Union into matching savings that T officials alleged privatization could offer.

For example, the Carmen’s Union accepted a contract that offered no wage increase in fiscal 2017 and a 1.55 percent average increase over the entire four-year contract. Prior to that contract, wage increases had averaged 2.7 percent a year over the previous 15 years.

In return for the wage concessions, the T guaranteed that Carmen’s Union members would continue to operate the T’s core bus and subway system.

When the Carmen’s Union contract was extended another two years in 2021, workers received an annual 2.5 percent wage increase.

Contract negotiations shifted dramatically this year with Healey in office. Privatization has gone missing from the T’s vocabulary. Instead of contract negotiations taking a year or longer, the T and the Carmen’s Union wrapped up talks in less than seven months.

The MBTA board on Thursday approved a new four-year contract with the Carmen’s Union that offers raises of 7 percent in the first year, 4 percent in the second, 3.5 percent in the third, and 3.5 percent in the fourth. Hourly wages for entry level bus operators jumped from $22.21 to $30.35

With the T desperate for employees, the authority also offered new incentives to keep workers eligible for retirement from retiring as well as longevity bonuses to keep current workers at the T.

Overall, the new contract will cost the T an extra $55.16 million. The Carmen’s Union represents 3,216 workers, or 52.5 percent of the T workforce. The Carmen’s Union contract typically becomes the template for contracts negotiated by the T’s other unions.

“It’s kind of a sea change in terms of the administration really behind the workforce and making the commitments and the investments that are required for a return to a first-class service level,” said MBTA board chair Thomas Glynn.

“The more we work with this administration we see more mutual respect, which builds morale,” said Jim Evers, the president of the Carmen’s Union.

Phillip Eng, the T’s general manager, said the authority has enough money in its budget to cover the extra cost in the first year and should be able to afford it in out years with the help of $20 million Healey set aside specifically set aside for worker salaries in a recent spending bill.

The post T unions look to do much better under Healey appeared first on CommonWealth Magazine.

LINKED PAPER
Yellow-legged Gulls from the Mediterranean are not only larger but also allometrically longer-winged than those from the Cantabrian-Atlantic. Marcos Pacheco, L., Tavecchia, G., Igual, J.M., Alonso-Álvarez, C., Arizaga, J., Galarza, A., Oro, D., Martínez-Abraín, A. 2023 Ardeola. doi: 10.13157/arla.70.2.2023.ra5 VIEW

Intuitively one would expect that Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis lusitanius) from an oligotrophic sea, such as the Mediterranean, should have smaller body size than gulls from the same species in the Cantabrian-Atlantic region of Spain, well known by its abundance in marine resources for waterbirds, due to its large intertidal surfaces and the occurrence of nutrient-rich bottom upwellings. However, Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls are larger than Cantabrian-Atlantic gulls.

Ornithologists from past decades detected that difference and had the suspicion that Cantabrian-Atlantic gulls could have some genetic influence from the northern (smaller) European Herring Gulls (L. argentatus) – a fact that was proved false later on by Pons et al. (2004).

The observed size differences (large enough to become obvious to the naked-eye), motivated the taxonomic differentiation of gulls from both populations as different subspecies, based just on expert opinion, at the end of the 1970s of the 20^th century.

Some authors provided empirical evidence of biometrical differences later on, although neither separating by sex, a serious problem in a species with a large sexual dimorphism, or separating by sex but relying on relatively small sample sizes (notably Pons et al. 2004).

In our study, we verified that Mediterranean gulls are indeed larger than Cantabrian-Atlantic gulls in all variables measured (weight, tarsus length, wing length, cranium-bill, bill-depth) by using a large sample size (>1,500 adult birds coming from 18 different colonies) and accounting for sex. We also confirmed that males are much larger than females in both regions.

Figure 1 Percentage differences in bill depth (BD), cranium-bill (CB), tarsus length (TL), wing length (WL) and weight (WE) between sexes in each region and between regions for each sex. MED: Mediterranean region; CA: Cantabrian-Atlantic region; M: male gulls; F: Female gulls.

We determined, for the first time, that the magnitude of the differences was quite constant in most variables measured, around 7%, regarding both differences between regions (irrespective of sex) and between sexes (irrespective of regions).

Differences in weight between regions were much larger than in all other variables and, in the case of females, were as large as the differences between males and females within populations (20%).

Figure 2 —Percentage differences in Bill Depth (BD), Cranium-Bill (CB), Tarsus Length (TL), Wing Length (WL) and Weight (WE) between sexes in each region and between regions for each sex. MED: Mediterranean region; CA: Cantabrian-Atlantic region; M: Male gulls; F: Female gulls.

The magnitude of the inter-regional differences was found to be larger for females than for males (as females were farther from potential functional limits by being smaller than males), but not in the case of wing length, indicating that plasticity in the “flight apparatus” was especially constrained, being similar between sexes.

We interpreted the consistency in the magnitude of differences between regions and sexes as some kind of maximum functional constraint, and suggest that the size of the effect detected could be used in the future as informative priors in Bayesian analyses or in a priori frequentist power tests when comparing gull species from different populations.

Additionally, we found that Mediterranean gulls were not only larger but had (in relation to structural body size) longer wings than Cantabrian-Atlantic gulls. Moreover, females, in both populations, were longer-winged than males.

We suggested that differences between populations in this trait could be explained by the fact that Mediterranean gulls are partially migratory, whereas those in the Cantabrian-Atlantic population are resident. Differences between sexes in wing length could be an adaptation for longer foraging trips by females to avoid competition with larger males.

Explaining why Mediterranean gulls were larger in other body traits was trickier, but we suggested that a larger body size could represent a competitive advantage in the unknown environment of the Cantabrian-Atlantic.

Previously, we discarded other explanations, such as differences in availability of anthropogenic food per capita between regions, because both areas had similar population sizes and large landfills in the past. Latitudinal explanations (related with Bergmann’s rule) also did not apply as colonies from both regions were too close in latitude.

New information available in the future on cumulated flight effort and foraging competition is necessary to test the hypotheses derived from our biometrical work.

References

Pons, J.M., Crochet, P.A., Thery, M. & Bermejo, A. 2004. Geographical variation in the yellow legged gull: introgression or convergence from the herring gull? Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42:245-256. VIEW

Image credit

Top right: Cantabrian-Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis lusitanius) © Alejandro Martínez-Abraín.

If you want to write about your research in #theBOUblog, then please see here.

The post Being larger against all odds appeared first on British Ornithologists’ Union.

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association members and frequent readers of this column have undoubtedly heard about Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1. ACA 1 is a direct and perennial attack on Proposition 13 that would change the state Constitution to cut the percentage of votes needed to raise special taxes, dropping it from the current two-thirds required under Prop. 13 to only 55%.

This year, hoping to capitalize on California’s dual crises of housing and homelessness, ACA 1 has been slightly altered to allow higher taxes for anything labeled “infrastructure” and for certain public housing projects.

Fortunately, while it is introduced every year, we always manage to beat it back. However, you never know when some deal may be struck that sees ACA 1 sail through. That is especially true in this new Legislature session. With so many new legislators, it is hard to guess what they are going to do. Bad bills pass all the time.

And this might be the year.

ACA 1 passed its first committee last week. What is most worrying is that while it unsurprisingly met with the approval of the tax and spenders (Tasha Boerner, D-Encinitas; Juan Carrillo, D-Palmdale; Matt Haney, D-San Francisco; Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey; James Ramos, D-Highland; Lori Wilson, D-Fairfield), only Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, voted no (Marie Waldron, R-Valley Center, didn’t vote).

Why is ACA 1 such a concern? Well, it would make it easier to raise taxes. It would lower the voter approval requirement for sales and parcel tax increases from two-thirds to 55 percent if the money would be used for “public infrastructure” or “affordable housing.” Proposition 13 mandates a two-thirds vote requirements for all special taxes, but ACA 1 would wipe out that protection for nearly all local taxes because the category of “infrastructure” covers almost anything.

That’s why it’s supported by a smorgasbord of government agencies and unions. In fact, the bill is being sponsored by the California Professional Firefighters association. By the way, these are the same folks that helped pass Prop. 19 to tax your kids out of your family home when they inherit it. Now they’re back for more. If you’re a firefighter, you should really question what your dues are going to.

To read the entire column, please click here.

The post Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 is a direct attack on Proposition 13 appeared first on Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

July to October is the season for mushrooms in the mountains of Oaxaca. Days are humid as clouds build up to an afternoon of rain. But despite the weather, people arrive at this time of the year to explore and to forage for mushrooms in the state’s cloud forest, located just a few hours from Oaxaca City.

And on the first weekend of August this year, a festival will celebrate mushroom season and the culture in the towns of San José del Pacifico and San Mateo Río Hondo.

“Our main mission in the Wild Mushroom Festival is to meet every year to jointly celebrate the arrival of the rainy season and, with it, the mushrooms,” says one of the festival’s founders, Ariadna Pinacho Cruz, who also runs a beautiful restaurant on the outskirts between San José and San Mateo called Huitzil.

Huitzil pays homage to the area’s mushroom culture: its open-air dining room surrounded by wooded land showcases local mushrooms in beautiful broths, alongside steak and blended with pasta.

Pinacho remembers learning how to forage and identify wild varieties from her father.

“As a child, he used to take me to the forest for a walk to look for mushrooms during the rainstorm,” she says.

The pine trees, mist, rain and mushrooms of the environment here brings “a little piece of the forest to the palate of our diners.”

Pinacho has been running the event since 2020 in collaboration with two partners, Cesar Kevin Pérez Pacheco and Erik Gasgar. The festival consists of a guided walk with local mushroom growers and mycologists. Attendees get a unforgettable encounter with the fungi kingdom and learn how they function in an ecosystem.

The Wild Mushroom Festival’s experts teach the importance of fungi as food and how it fits in with local gastronomy. They also identify the toxic fungi in the region, and discuss mushrooms’ general impact on the health sector and society.

They also teach the importance of the sacred mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe within the culture of San José.

For decades, Oaxaca’s mountains have famously been a destination for pilgrims seeking to explore the “magic” properties of mushrooms thanks mainly to American amateur mycologist Robert Gordon Wasson, who traveled to Oaxaca in the 1950s to investigate rumors of a hallucinogenic variety in the region. His article in Life Magazine, “Seeking the Magic Mushroom” (1957), about his experiences at a velada (vigil) in the village of Huatla with the Mazatec healer Sabina Sabe, inspired travelers worldwide — including many rock stars and celebrities of the era — to pursue the world of mushrooms.

San José del Pacifico didn’t become known for its mushrooms until the 1970s, when an eclipse drew visitors to this town above the clouds. As with Huatla, there is a tradition of using “magic” mushrooms. Cruz remembers trying them for the first time when she was 14.

“They are very good for curing diseases, healing the mind, spirit, soul, clearing the conscience and many more benefits,” she says. “It is a healing introspection that I do only once a year, every August 22. First I take a temazcal [an indigenous traditional sweat lodge experience], like my dad, to detoxify my body, relax and prepare myself for the medicine.”

“Later it is the taking of the sacred mushrooms in the forest to be able to connect with Mother Earth and have your own healing,” she says.

Anna Bruce is an award-winning British photojournalist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just some of the media outlets she has worked with include Vice, The Financial Times, Time Out, Huffington Post, The Times of London, the BBC and Sony TV. Find out more about her work at her website or visit her on social media on Instagram or on Facebook.

The body found in the ocean near the cliffs off Old Government Road in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision on July 30 has been identified as 39-year-old Seth Kapiliokalani Waltjen of Hilo, according to Hawaiʻi Island police.

On Aug. 1, an autopsy was performed on Waltjen. The forensic pathologist ruled Waltjen’s death was consistent with drowning, and ruled out foul play. Final autopsy results are pending toxicology testing.
 
Waltjen was initially reported as a missing person on Sunday morning after he failed to return from ʻopihi picking and diving on the evening of July 29.
 
On Sunday afternoon, divers with the Hawai’i Fire Department located Waltjen’s body in waters several hundred yards offshore.

Three weeks ago, a search ended for a 29-year-old woman from Pāhoa, Shanice Ogata-Staudinger, who went missing July 9 while picking ʻopihi in the area of Kahakai Boulevard and Papio Street in Pāhoa — at a spot commonly known as “Hau Bush.”

During the search for her, Deputy Chief Eric Moller with the Hawaiʻi Fire Department said that picking ʻopihi (snail) is “a pretty dangerous practice.”

There have been several other cases of ʻopihi pickers dying or needing to be rescued over the past 13 years:

• In 2010, fire department divers located the remains of 41-year-old Josph Pacheco Jr. who had failed to return from picking ʻopihi. He was found about one mile north of Papai Bay on the Big Island.

Detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section are continuing the investigation of Waltjen. It is currently classified as a coroner’s inquest.
 
Police ask anyone who may have information relative to this case, to call the police department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311, or Detective Jeremy Kubojiri of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2378 or email [email protected].