Sunset for Lovelle

It's been a year this weekend since Oakland police officers Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Dan Sakai were killed in the line of duty. As I wrote last year, I've known members of the Dunakin family since I was in college. It's hard to explain what the effect of having someone you know being murdered is. But a couple months back on a Friday afternoon I took the dog out to Pt. Isabel for a sunset frolic along the bay, and here is what was produced .

Sunset for Lovelle

As I watch the sun set over the Golden Gate,
marveling as our star rotates,
creating life's elements,
my thoughts are drawn to the seconds between when Lovelle Mixon
decided to point a gun to Mark Dunakin's head
and when he pulled the trigger.

Lovelle:

Did you considered you'd never see our star set again?
In your nuclear rage, at men wearing stars,
did you know you were igniting a super nova
that would counsume your own light?
You wanted escape from a star,
but you created four black holes,
that in shadows of the most serine moments
pull our thoughts back with their gravity.

Letters from the Files

I was cleaning out my office at work the other day and came across these two letters from one of my tenants when I owned some property up in Billings MT. My Dad was managing the properties for me at the time. We had a sewar pipe failure on Thanksgiving weekend 1997. Getting a plumber before Monday was impossible, and one of my tenants sent the following letters. I have kept them all these years, because they are such a fun read. I typed them as they read.

For the record: we had all this fixed by the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

__________________________________________________________________
Nov 28 1997 301 S 29 Billings Mt 59101

STAN PISEL, WOBMAT INVESTMENT GROUP AT ALL

I don’t’ think it’s my fault that the plumbing is messed up; I am white folks, I was born and raised on the right side of the tracks; There’s NO WAY I would flush anything other than toilet paper. When Bob from Alpine Plumbing was hereon Monday Nov. 24. I understood him to say that its his opinion that when the plumbing was put in 60 years ago; it was done wrong AND is not up to modern codes; I further understood him to say that toilets and sinks have been emptying into the basement, the moisture has rotted the support beams. HELLS BELLS, no wonder there a jillion million roaches. Also there are 3 trees on the North side of the building, it seems likely that there could be tree roots contributing to the problem; I have been very much in convenienced by this putrid mess; As it is now this building is not fit for human habitation. I am mad as a hornet; Here’s what I want you to do;

Lay off the darn booze, Get your sorry buns in gear, Locate a one bedroom that’s in walking distance of the Unitarian Church at 2032 Central; On Dec 3 rent at $29.95 U Haul truck, and help me move. Don’t even think about giving me a hard time about anything.

You don’t want the building inspector and health dept. in here.

Autumn Melvin
CC: Landlord Tennant Assoc.
Gerry Spence.

______________________________________________________________

Dec 1 1997
301 S 29 Billings, MT 59101

Stan: I pay rent on time, I put lots of time & effort into scrubbing, washing, vacuuming, keep the place clean. I am sober & in my right mind at all times. I DON’T appreciate your habit of coming in here STORMING and BITCHING at me about the cost of replacing parts on the heater that are old and worn out. That’s not my fault. Its not my fault that plumbing need replacing. IF I HEAR ANY MORE BITCHING ABOUT THE EXPENSE OF MAINTAINING A 60 YEAR OLD STRUCTURE: I GONNA CHEW YOUR BUNS TILL THE PAINT PPEELS OFF THE WALL: THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR YOU SON.

AT THIS POINT, THE TOILET IS CONTRARY ABOUT FLUSING. STILL LEAKING WATER AROUND THE BASE, THE STINK OF SHIT IS SO OVERPOWERING: I FEEL NAUSIEATED ALL THE TIME. I DON’T THINK THIS PLACE IS 275. I AM WILLING TO PAY 225 ON DEC 3, PAY THE OTHER AFTER THE PLUMBING HAS BEEN PUT IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. IF THE PLUMBING HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND THE FOUL ODER REMOVED FROM THIS building BY JAN 3 1998 ISHOW MOVE OUT ON THAT DATE THIS IS YOUR NOTICE. YOU HAVE KNOWN FOR AGES THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE PLUMBING. YOU HAVE FIDDLEY FARTED AROUND ABOUT MAKING ARRANGEMENTS TO GET THE JOB DONE. I AM FED UP OUT OF PATIENCE. YOU NEED TO GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE WHISKY BOTTLE. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. I AM GOING ON 60 YEAR, RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH GALL STONES AND WALKING PNEMONIA. I DON’T NEED NOR WILL TOLERATE ANY GUFF FROM THE LIKES OF YOU.
PLEASE SHOW SOME RESPECT.

AUTUMN MELVIN.