Sunshine on defamation
Badlands Journal continues its Sunshine period on local government with this series of correspondence regarding contributors to various lawsuits brought by the San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center through the years, particularly contributions made by the Kelsey Family.
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From: SJRRC [mailto:sjrrc@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 5:39 PM
To: SJRRC
Cc: San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; protectourwater@sbcglobal.net; SJRRC
Subject: confidential memo from SJRRC
Lydia Miller, President
San Joaquin Raptor RescueCenter
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced, CA 95341
(209) 723-9283, ph. & fax
raptorctr@bigvalley.net
SJRRC@sbcglobal.net
Confidential Memo
May 23, 08
For many years, the San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center (Lydia Miller) and Protect Our Water have worked on a wide array of projects for the benefit of the public and natural resources in the county and in the region and, in some cases, for your own quality of life. The Raptor Center has consistently maintained relationships with its donors characterized by mutual respect and a spirit of cooperation. In recent years, however, an unwholesome pattern has developed. Donors to Raptor projects have felt free to insult, scapegoat, libel and slander the Raptor Center and anyone they might associate with it, despite the fact that many of those indulging in these defamatory acts are those whose interests the Raptor Center has been working so hard to protect.
Lydia Miller and her associates have worked hard, honorably and largely successfully for the public, including you, for years. Defamatory statements by you and others must stop, as it has gone beyond differences of opinion and has reached the level of illegal interference with the Raptor Center’s business, including interference with collection of debts owed by other donors. As a result of defamatory statements, the Raptor Center is under tremendous political and financial pressure, and must act to protect its interests in the short term in order to preserve its reputation and continued ability to work in the public interest.
We are hopeful that with an understanding of the damaging nature of the ongoing defamation of the Raptor Center and its representatives you will stop slandering the names of people and organizations with whom you have often expressed a common interest.
Lydia Miller, President
San Joaquin Raptor RescueCenter
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced, CA 95341
(209) 723-9283, ph. & fax
raptorctr@bigvalley.net
SJRRC@sbcglobal.net
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Protect Our Water
—– Original Message —–
From: Riverdance Farms
To: ‘SJRRC’
Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 9:09 AM
Subject: RE: confidential memo from SJRRC
Ah-h-h-h !!! Karma
(“Riverdance Farms” is one of the numerous pseudonyms of Merced County Planning Commissioner Cindy Lashbrook)
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May 27, 2008
Badlands Journal
For Social, Economic and Environmental Justice
Raptor Center thanks contributors
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/?p=474
San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced, CA 95341
The San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the tremendous support through the years provided by a small group of prominent officials and organizations.
The Raptor Center knows that this expression of gratitude for contributions to its projects and lawsuits is long overdue. The Raptor Center apologizes for its tardiness, but hopes these contributors will accept our gratitude.
First, the Raptor Center wishes to express its deepest gratitude and applause for Lowmac, who for a decade has searched local, regional and national press every day for stories indispensable for our work and has distributed these stories to us and many others involved in work that supports and is supported by the Raptor Center. Lowmac also provides a complete weekly schedule of important meetings in the county. There is no way to thank Lowmac enough for the voluntary dedication and education Lowmac provides daily. Lowmac’s daily clipping service has been the best news digest in the Valley since 1999.
The Raptor Center needs to express its profound gratitude to the Natural Resources Defense Council for 20 years of diligent, painstaking and protracted representation in court and in Congress in our common effort to restore the San Joaquin River and its watershed.
The Raptor Center wishes to publicly acknowledge the long-time, consistent in-kind support it has received from Cal Eggs (Rebecca Farms.)
The Raptor Center would like to publicly acknowledge the Kelsey Family, long-time Snelling ranchers, for contributions to Raptor Center lawsuits through the years. The Kelseys have never sought publicity for their contributions and have consistently dodged the limelight for their deep commitment to natural resources, environmental health and wildlife species, at this time the Raptor Center believes that the public ought to know about the Kelsey Family contributions. The Raptor Center also thanks the Kelsey Family for gifts from its bountiful harvests through the years – the Clementines.
The Raptor Center expresses its gratitude to Merced County Planning Commissioner Cynthia Lashbrook, for her contributions to help fund lawsuits the Raptor Center has undertaken. Although Commissioner Lashbrook’s commitment to the Merced environment and farmland has been manifest for years, the Raptor Center hopes that our acknowledgement will add to her fine reputation.
The Raptor Center wants to thank the Merced County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for its outstanding contributions to projects and especially to lawsuits through the years. It has been a great relationship and we sincerely hope it will continue for many years to come.
The Raptor Center expresses its gratitude to several members of the board of directors of the East Merced Resource Conservation District for contributions to projects and legal funds through the years. The EMRCD has labored long and hard for the good of the natural resources in eastern Merced County.
The Raptor Center is grateful for the financial support it has received through the years from the Peninsula Community Foundation of Palo Alto.
The Merced Fish and Game Club has generously contributed to the Raptor Center for many years and the Center wishes to express its deep gratitude to its members.
The Raptor Center realizes that these select individuals and groups are only a handful among the many who contribute to its work on behalf of the natural resources of Merced County. From time to time, we will publish more names of other contributors. We hope, by publishing these short lists, to give proper, public acknowledge for all the quiet, unheralded work these fine, public-spirited and concerned citizens have done behind the scenes to help protect our environment and wildlife species in Merced County.
San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced, CA 95341
raptorctr@bigvalley.net
SJRRC@sbcglobal.net
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(This is what the Raptor Center received for its expression of gratitude.)
Herum Crabtree Brown
Attorneys at law
Steven A. Herum
sherum@herumcrabree.com
June 25, 2008
Ms. Lydia Miller, President
San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced CA 95341
Re: Removal of false information from website
Dear Ms. Miller:
This office represents Jon Kelsey. Mr. Kelsey asked me to write to the Raptor Rescue Center and demand that false information published on your “Badlands Journal” website be immediately removed.
A posting on www.badlandsjournal.com, dated May 28, 2008, and titled “Raptor Center thanks contributors,” states:
The Raptor Center would like to publicly acknowledge the Kelsey Family, long-time Snelling ranchers, for contributions to Raptor Center lawsuits through the years. The Kelseys have never sought publicity for their contributions and have consistently dodged the limelight for their deep commitment to natural resources, environmental health and wildlife species, at this time the Raptor Center believes that the public ought to know about the Kelsey Family contributions. The Raptor Center also thanks the Kelsey Family for gifts from its bountiful harvests through the years – the Clementines.
This statement is false and places Mr. Kelsey the Kelsey Family in a false light. As you know or should know, the Kelsey Family has never contributed to any “Raptor Center lawsuits.” Accordingly, please remove this entire passage from your website immediately. Please contact me within five (5) days of the date of this letter to confirm that the misleading material has been removed.
Very truly yours,
STEVEN A. HERUM
Attorney-at-law
cc: Client
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—– Original Message —–
From: SJRRC
To: sherum@herumcrabtree.com
Cc: SJRRC ; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 2:05 PM
Subject: Raptor reply to June 25, 2008 letter
Steven A. Herum
Herum Crabtree Brown
Attorneys At Law
2291 West March Lane
Suite B 100
Stockton, CA 95207
209-472-7700
sherum@herumcrabtree.com
July 10, 2008
Via: Email
Re: Raptor reply to June 25, 2008 letter
Dear Mr. Herum,
Late last week we received your letter of June 25, 2008, and provide
this response.
The statement from the “Badlands Journal” quoted in your letter is not
false, and is in fact a true and accurate description. Your concerns regarding the accuracy of the information are unfounded.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please feel free to
contact us.
Lydia Miller, President
San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center
San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center
P.O. Box 778
Merced, CA 95341
(209) 723-9283, ph. & fax
raptorctr@bigvalley.net
SJRRC@sbcglobal.net
cc. Interested Parties