[WA] 3 years since police chief murder-suicide, our DV Awareness Day, & CJFJC success

Today is three years to-the-day after Tacoma Police Chief David Brame fatally shot his wife Crystal and himself in a parking lot with their children running to the bloody scene, screaming for passer-by's to help mommy. No one could help her.

This morning I went to the News Tribune looking for the announcement to Tacoma citizens that today is Officially Tacoma's "Domestic Violence Awareness Day" - an official city action which was the first item on the City Council Agenda of last night's Tacoma meeting.

Enactment of such a day was a part of City of Tacoma's settlement agreement of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Crystal's family:

City, family settle Brame lawsuit
$12 million deal honors Crystal, protects public disclosure
The News Tribune
Sean Robinson & Jason Hagey;
September 14th, 2005
EXCERPT:
"...The City of Tacoma has agreed to settle the long-running lawsuit by the family of Crystal Judson Brame, who was killed by her husband, Police Chief David Brame, in 2003. Among settlement terms... Name the planned city-county domestic violence center for Crystal Judson; proclaim April 26 Domestic Violence Awareness Day..."

The City officially kept their promise. I thought THAT would be news, but it wasn't there.

While still online at the News Tribune I searched for "brame" anything on their website from today and found a paid for loving obituary for former Police Chief David Brame from his family, with a link to a guestbook that - at least at the time - had no entries.

I left a nice message that has to be reviewed for suitablity - and continued my search for any word at all that today is Domestic Violence Awareness Day in the City of Tacoma.

I went to the City of Tacoma website's NewsRoom and there was no mention of it.

I went to the City of Tacoma News Releases page and there was nothing.

I went to the City of Tacoma DOMESTIC VIOLENCE page, thinking "Surely."

But it wasn't there.

I went to a Google News search and it said 'Your search did not match any documents."

I decided to go online and transcribe the enactment from the video of the council meeting myself, but then our local independent internet publisher John Hathaway of the New Takhoman came through - sending his mailing list part of what I was looking for.

Mayor Baarsma declares April 26 Domestic Violence Awareness Day

WHEREAS, domestic violence occurs in every culture, country and age group and affects people from all socioeconomic, educational and religious backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, at the City Council meeting on September 13, 2005, the City Council proclaimed April 26 of each year as Domestic Violence Awareness Day in Tacoma; and

WHEREAS, the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, which opened on December 12, 2005 is funded by Pierce County, the City of Tacoma and is supported by other jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, the Center is operated jointly by Pierce County and the City of Tacoma and is modeled after a San Diego program that features a one-stop concept which brings together two groups of partners, community and non-governmental and criminal justice; and

WHEREAS, the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center serves all residents throughout Pierce County with services that are free and include victim advocacy, safety planning, electronic filing for temporary protection orders, criminal and civil legal services, housing, emergency assistance and chaplaincy services to victims of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, the City of Tacoma recognizes that domestic violence is everyone’s responsibility,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BILL BAARSMA, Mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim April 26, 2006 as DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY in the City of Tacoma, and we encourage all citizens to join with us in this observance.
(THANK YOU John Hathaway!)

Now there was still one important part missing of last night. Eileen OBrien. I typed it out so the good news can be shared:


EILEEN OBRIEN AT THE PODIUM of City Council, April 25, 2006

(Video timestamp 00:03:42)

"I'm Eileen Obrien and I'm here to represent the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center tonight. I want to thank you for the proclamation. And also it may be important for the council to be aware that up until late last week, since the center's been open, that it has had 440 visits by 311 individuals. In addition to that, just today alone, there were 9 individuals that came for services. So the center is up and running. It's running well. I brought pamphlets if you haven't seen one yet, so that you can see the pamplets that we're getting out, and the intent is that there will be more public awareness, more information going out to the public to make them aware that The Center is available and that they're there to serve domestic violence victims.
Thank you."

Mayor Baarsma asks for applause for the good work of the center, there's applause, and the mayor can be heard softly saying to her as she got the proclamation from him, "Thank you so much."

To see the part of the council that addressed this last night:

1.) Click this link to City Council meetings online.
2.) There you will see a "CLICK HERE" link. Click it.
3. ) There, you will see a link, "April 25, 2006 Council Meeting." Click it
4.) On that page, you will see that the first listed item on the Agenda is "Proclamations" - and the first listed Proclamation is "Crystal Judson Family Justice Center." Click that.

===================================================

Notes:

-- Online city council meetings stay available for a number of weeks and then are gone

-- News Tribune, ARE YOU SLEEPING? Please take every opportunity to point out the new domestic violence center and their services. Your article laying on any counter, anywhere could lead to life. Today was a newsworthy missed opportunity - and what Eileen OBrien reported was newsworthy food for the community SOUL. No? Yes? Anybody? Mic check. Testing... 1, 2, 3...

-- It appears my message to David Brame's guestbook may not be approved since a couple of messages have been approved and shown up. Maybe they are still deciding. I have some version of it on my clipboard, so it read something like this:

"To the Family of David Brame,

I am very sorry for your loss and all the pain that has come to you. Everybody wishes with you and Crystal's family that the hands of time could be turned back. As a community we will work very hard trying to ensure that a loss this horrendous and tragic never happens again. Through the two lives lost, the prayer, hope, and goal is that it will not be in vain. May we as a community make the deep pain of your and Crystal's family mean life for others."

I signed my real name and left my email addy.

The Guestbook link if you would like to leave a message for his family:
http://www.legacy.com/tribnet/Guestbook.asp?PersonID=17546487


-- Passing along what I got in an email today:

TO ALL,

THIS PROCLAMATION WILL BE DONE EVERY YEAR FROM NOW UNTIL THERE IS NO LONGER A CITY OF TACOMA, WHICH WONT HAPPEN. THIS YEARLY PROCLAMATION WAS A KEY ISSUE IN OUR NON-MONETARY DEMANDS AND SETTLEMENT WITH THE CITY OF TACOMA TO KEEP CRYSTALS NAME ALIVE AND TO REMIND ALL IN CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE GREATER TACOMA AREA HOW DEADLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS. ( 3 YEARS AGO TODAY, APRIL 26TH, SHE WAS SHOT/MURDERED )
CITY OFFICIALS HAD SAID EARLY ON THAT " DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BETWEEN CRYSTAL AND DAVID WAS A PRIVATE MATTER".

LET ME RE-ASSURE YOU THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT A PRIVATE MATTER, AND IT IS A MOST TERRIBLE CRIME THAT CAN AND WILL LEAD TO DEATH IF NOT ACTED UPON QUICKLY AND WITH THE RIGHT TYPES OF PROFFESIONAL HELP. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A CRIME AND NEEDS TO BE REPORTED IF YOU SEE OR HEAR OF IT.

I CONTINUE MY QUEST TO DO ALL I CAN TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY,THE STATE AND OUR FEDERAL GOV'T AWARE OF THE RESPONSBILITIES WE ALL HAVE IN STOPPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

DON'T MEAN TO PREACH, BUT WE MADE A PROMISE TO OUR BELOVED DAUGHTER TO DO WHAT WE CAN.

LUV TO ALL,

LANE & PJ. ( JUDSON )