TUCSON, AZ:  CA NASVO Office Moves:
The NASVO Special Services Office has moved from Sacramento, CA to Tucson,
AZ due to staff shortage and in an effort to cut costs.  The new address
and phone number is 11625 E. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ, 85730, 
(520) 722-1968.
NEW ORLEANS, LA:  GUN-TOTING JUDGE:
The same judge who is the father of all speedy trials, Judge Frank Shea,
reached for an equalizer, a gun kept in a drawer of his court bench, and
whipped it out in open court in the middle of a cussing match with a
defendant he had just ordered to jail.  Shea states that he feared his
interlocutor, however the defendant in this case was handcuffed and shackled 
with leg irons.  His response when questioned about his western-style 
show-down, was, "I couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a base-fiddle," a 
remark that does not give much comfort to anyone sitting in Shea's court.  
When in doubt, duck!
AUSTIN, TX:  WHAT?  DFS CAUGHT LYING?!
According to the NASVO/VOCAL chapter of Austin, TX., the Rutherford
Institute has announced filing a lawsuit against the state's Department of
Family Services.  This suit has come about due to the on-going dialogue 
with VOCAL members and local victims of child abuse laws.  Apparently,
sources revealed that DFS personnel have admitted falsifying family income
downward to qualify otherwise unqualified children in their custody for
Medicaid coverage.  There is some evidence that the agency has been 
double-dipping, as many of these children are also covered by family
medical insurance.  It is suspected that other agencies in other states
are utilizing the same illegal practice to obtain funds.
PHOENIX, AZ:
Donna Turner, President and Ruth Barr, Vice-President of Arizona VOCAL have
been picking up where the late Mary Margaret Chapman had left off.  As they
entered a committee hearing in the State Legislature, they received a round
of applause after introduction as Arizona VOCAL.
Arizona VOCAL is also investigating state CPS's involvement in the removal
of American Indian children and their placement in county foster care, a
violation of federal law and the treaties with the tribal councils 
throughout the southwest. The law requires children with as little as 1/16th 
American Indian heritage be placed through the tribal council of the tribe 
of the child's heritage.  According to both Donna and Ruth, children with as 
much as 1/8th heritage have been placed without tribal council approval in 
county foster homes, with little regard for ethnic and cultural needs for 
the children.  Some have been placed for adoptive services outside Federal 
guidelines.
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*            SPECIAL APPRECIATION and GRATITUDE GO TO:                    *
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Larry and Vernina Bergen, Washington State VOCAL, for their assistance in
providing victims of child abuse laws special care and services.
Al Rupp, San Diego VOCAL, for his continuing efforst for reform in 
California, the U.S. Congress, and for his on-going assistance to hundreds
of people throughout the country.
Graham Jeambey, Colorado VOCAL, for his continuing selfless effort in 
keeping both NASVO and VOCAL focused on it's goals.
Donna Smith, Colorado VOCAL, for her twenty-four vigil on the national
800 hotline, referring individuals in need to their closest VOCAL group,
and for providing tireless volunteer efforts in communications both by 
phone and by mail.
Terry Dawson, John Cloud, and the members of the five new Texas Chapters
of NASVO/VOCAL for their unflagging, selfless determinations to effect 
legislative change to child abuse laws, and administrative changes in the 
child protection agencies in Texas.
Carol Kilzer, Tennessee VOCAL, for her continuing selfless efforts to the
victims of child abuse laws in that state and for her continuing support
of NASVO.
Donna Turner, and Ruth Barr, president and vice president of Arizona
VOCAL respectively, for their assistance in the Eleventh annual 
NASVO/VOCAL Conference in Tucson.
~~~ ReneWave v1.00.wb2 (unregistered)
--- Mankind = One Family
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