MOVE 2012 Dance Competition

I'm not one of those grandmas who carry a brag book everywhere they go, but I do reserve the right to brag about my children and grandchildren if they do something good.

On Saturday, March 17, 2012, the children who belong to Center Stage Dance Academy's Ultimate Dance Force dance teams competed in the MOVE competition at the convention center in Tacoma, Washington. My youngest daughter, Korinna, and my granddaughter, Alyson, competed in the tap dance and production categories.

The photo above is of Korinna in stage make-up with dark glasses.

Alyson and Korinna belong to a team called "Tap Time." Their team includes seven advanced beginners who are between the ages of eight and eleven. For the competition, Tap Time danced to the old Blues Brothers' song, "Soul Man."

Two boys, Jake and Carson, played the Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood. Korinna and Alyson were among the five girls who played gangster molls. When they spun around, those dark glasses went flying into the crowd. The smiles on their faces show that the kids are having a good time.

When Korinna was five years old, she and her older sister, Kate, took ice skating lessons. Korinna saw a group of preschool "ballerinas" taking a dance class at the rink. She begged and pleaded with me to enroll her in the toe, tap and tumble class so that she could be a "ballerina" too. That was the beginning of Korinna's dancing career.

Alyson began taking dancing classes in Louisiana when she was three years old. She also enjoys gymnastics. Her dream is to become a cheerleader.

Korinna and Alyson clown around back stage. Technically, Korinna is Alyson's aunt. But the two girls fight like sisters.

Exercise is important for children. I didn't want my daughters to become couch potatoes because a sedentary lifestyle is so unhealthy. I wanted my girls to think exercise is fun. That's why Korinna and Alyson are in competitive dance.

MOVE was the first time that Alyson and Korinna have ever competed in an Ultimate Dance Force competition. It was also the first time that Tap Time competed this year. Some of their teammates competed last year. I'm proud to announce that Tap Time won first place gold at MOVE.

Washington Files Charges Against Gunshot Victim

Washington has recently experienced a rash of shootings by child. On February 22, an 8 year old girl was critically injured when a gun in a classmate's backpack accidentally discharged. On March 12, the 7 year old daughter of a Marysville police officer died after a sibling shot her with a gun found in their parents' car. On March 14, a 3 year old boy died after he shot himself in the head at a Tacoma gas station.

In late January 2012, my 15 year old daughter, Kate, was involved in the first of this series of shootings by child. Kate and her 15 year old boyfriend were visiting a 14 year old boy whose parents were not at home. The kids were in the 14 year old's bedroom when he pulled out a gun from under his mattress. Moments later, the gun accidentally discharged. A bullet shattered the 14 year old's jaw, hit the upper bunk bed and disappeared into the ceiling.

Kate and her boyfriend did not desert their wounded pal. They telephoned 911 and the victim's mother. They stayed with the victim until the police and an ambulance arrived.

On March 15, 2012, we received a letter from the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, Juvenile Felony Division. Charges have been filed against the 14 year old. He is being charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second d. We feel that the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney filed charges against Kate's friend in response to the other shootings by child.

Charges can be filed against Kate's friend because he is over 12. I am opposed to filing charges against him, especially felonies. I feel that a 14 year old is still a child. Teenagers don't make the best choices because their brains aren't fully developed. The incident was an accident -- the boy did not intentionally try to hurt himself or anyone else. He fractured his jaw, and his face will be scarred for life. He was hospitalized for almost a week and missed six weeks of school because of his injury. I'm also aware that some of his peers are teasing him about being stupid. I feel that this poor boy has suffered enough.

Kate does not know how or where her friend got the gun. It may have belonged to his parents. If it belonged to his parents, I feel that it was their responsibility to protect their son and others by keeping their guns locked up in a cabinet. Kate says that his parents did have a gun cabinet, but they didn't keep all of their guns in it. She saw the police confiscate the guns that were not locked up. Rather than blaming a 14 year old boy, the judge should punish his parents.

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney indicated that we could write a victim impact statement. Neither Kate nor her boyfriend was injured in the accident. They were merely witnesses. I'm very grateful that her 14 year old friend survived and that no one else was hurt or killed. This was a traumatic event for all of the kids involved. I plan to write a letter to the judge on the 14 year old's behalf, requesting that the victim be sent to counseling.

Kate's older sister has suggested that all the kids involved take a course in gun safety. She feels this will help them make wise decisions about weapons in the future. I would like to suggest this to the judge too.

Missouri Drops Charges Against the Mohlers

In November 2009, a tale of horrific child sexual abuse made national headlines. Burrell Mohler, Sr. of Independence, Missouri and four of his adult sons were charged with 42 counts of sexual assault involving his grandchildren. His brother, Darrel Mohler of Silver Springs, Florida, was charged with two counts of rape in Lafayette County, Missouri. The alleged abuse occurred from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties.

Shortly after the Mohlers were arrested, I discussed the case with my friends. Some felt that the psychologist(s) who treated the Mohler girls may have implanted false memories in their minds. One allegation that bothered us was that the little Mohler girls were forced to marry their uncles in mock weddings. Then the men allegedly raped the girls in a trailer or in a chicken coop. This allegation implied that the defendants, who were already married, were taking child brides and practicing polygamy.

Three of the Mohlers served as lay ministers in the Community of Christ church. Burrell Mohler, Jr. and his wife converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1982. (He was later excommunicated for conduct not related to child abuse.) The Community of Christ church is formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS.) The LDS and RLDS have been separate and distinct churches for more than a century. After Joseph Smith II was assassinated in 1844, Brigham Young led his followers to what is now known as Utah. Many of Joseph Smith II's followers who remained in Missouri, including Emma Hale, later joined the RLDS. Joseph Smith III became the president of the RLDS in 1860. In 2001, the RLDS officially changed its name to the Community of Christ church.

Unlike the LDS and FLDS, the RLDS never believed in or practiced polygamy. Belief in polygamy is one of the main differences between the churches. Was the psychologist(s) who treated the Mohler girls aware of this? Were the allegations made about the defendants based on hateful, anti-Mormon stereotypes? Because the Community of Christ church never believed in polygamy, accusing its members of taking child brides and practicing polygamy is about as absurd as making the same allegations about a Baptist or Catholic family.

Other allegations about the Mohlers were also questionable. The alleged victims claimed to have written notes about being sexually abused, put the notes in glass jars and buried the jars on the Mohlers' farm decades ago. The jars and/or notes were never found. One girl claimed to have had an abortion at age 11. According to Examiner.Net, the alleged victims claimed that several defendants took them to a pasture and forced them to have sex with a horse. They claimed that they had helped kidnap a 300 lb. man, killed him and dug a grave for him. They also claimed that the defendants kept a sex slave in their basement for two years. She gave birth to two babies, and one was buried under the basement floor. After the story was made public, a woman came forward and identified herself as the sex slave.

On March 7, 2012, Lafayette County Prosecutor Kellie Wingate Campbell announced that she was dropping all the charges. According to the Kansas City Star, the lack of physical evidence was a problem. Ms. Campbell stated that she doubted she could convince a jury that the bizarre allegations were true.

I am skeptical of stories about ritualistic sex abuse because I lived in southern California when the McMartin Preschool case took place. However, I feel sympathy for the Mohler girls who are now adults. Their desire to protect other children from sexual abuse was good. The prosecutor's decision must be painful for them. A person who suffers from false memories may be traumatized by them if he or she believes that the false memories are true.

I also feel sorry for the defendants. Burrell Mohler, Sr., age 79, and one of his sons spent two years in jail because they could not afford to post bail. Those who could post bail endured the humiliation of being publicly vilified. Darrel Mohler, age 74, died in his sleep at this Florida home last year without knowing the charges against him were dropped. Like the McMartins, the Mohlers' lives were completely ruined. It will be difficult -- if not impossible -- to rebuild them.

Was Joshua Powell a Murder Suspect?

On February 23, 2012, I attended Senator Pam Roach's press conference with Chuck and Judy Cox in Olympia, Washington. At this conference, Mr. Cox said that a Utah judge had signed a search warrant stating that Joshua Powell was a suspect in his wife's murder, not merely her disappearance. This is the basis of Senate Bill 6603. If passed, Senate Bill 6603 will make it illegal to award custody of a child to a suspect in an active murder investigation in Washington.

Last weekend, I shared this information online. I was surprised by some of the replies I received.

One person did not believe that Josh was a suspect in a homicide investigation because he was not in jail. I don't believe this is how our criminal justice system works. The police can't arrest a person simply because they suspect that person may have been involved in a crime. Law enforcement cannot hold a person in jail without probable cause. If the police make an arrest but do not have sufficient evidence to support the charges, a judge may dismiss the charges. This may make it difficult -- if not impossible -- for the prosecution to bring charges against a suspect at a later time.

If I'm mistaken about this, I'm sure that someone involved in criminal justice will correct me.

Another person repeatedly demanded that I post "credible evidence" proving that a Utah judge signed a search warrant stating that Josh was a suspect in Susan's murder. I can't post the search warrants online. I don't have access to them because (1) I'm not a party to the action; (2) I don't work for law enforcement or for CPS; and (3) I'm not a professional journalist. I am merely a concerned citizen who attended the press conference because I wanted to know what my state senate intended to do to make sure that what happened to the little Powell boys does not happen to other children. I shared the information I received at the press conference because my readers want to know what was said there.

If you want copies of the search warrants, try to obtain copies of them from the courts yourself.

Senator Pam Roach has represented Washington's 31st District since 1991. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Brigham Young University is her alma mater. Although she and the Coxes belong to the same church, I do not believe that a woman in her position would provide false information at a press conference. She has too much integrity for that.

If you don't believe that Josh was a suspect in a homicide investigation, I refer you to the Pam Roach Report at pamroachreport.blogspot.com. In her article entitled "Roach, Powell Grandparents Question Child Protective Services," Senator Pam Roach wrote:

"Roach and the attorneys for the Cox family emphasized that DSHS knew Utah's West Valley City Police Department was conducting a murder investigation based on Susan Powell's disappearance and that they were looking at Josh Powell as a suspect. The attorneys noted that search warrants had been issued in Nevada, Utah and Washington."

I also refer you to Senator Pam Roach News at www.senaterepublicans.wa.gov/roach. The following is taken from an article entitled, "CPS Questioned by Roach and Powell Grandparents."

"Roach and the attorneys for the Cox family emphasized that DSHS knew Utah's West Valley City Police Department was conducting a murder investigation based on Susan Powell’s disappearance and that they were looking at Josh Powell as a suspect. The attorneys noted that search warrants had been issued in Nevada, Utah and Washington."

A Day at the Farm

Enough of these dark, depressing thoughts! Today I choose to be happy. I'll show you more of the beauty of Washington.

Last month, Alyson's third grade class went on a field trip to the Wilcox Family Farm in Roy, Washington. Kristina and I served as chaperons. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn about farms, chickens and eggs.

The Wilcox Family Farm was founded by Judson and Elizabeth Wilcox. A young, newlywed couple, the Wilcoxes took the train from Toronto, Canada to begin married life in Seattle in 1903. A gold rush was taking place in Alaska. Judson went to Alaska, hoping to strike it rich. He returned to Seattle about six months later, without any gold. Judson worked as a clerk in his brother's outfitting company and moved his wife into a brick house on Queen Anne Hill.

In 1909, Judson went on an excursion to a farm near Harts Lake in Roy. He fell in love with the wilderness. Without consulting Elizabeth, he traded their house in Seattle for the farm. Then he went back to Seattle to tell his wife what he had done. Elizabeth agreed to move to the country. With their two little daughters, the Wilcoxes took the train to Roy and moved their household goods with horse drawn carts. In 1909, Judson and Elizabeth founded the Wilcox Family Farm.

This is the one room schoolhouse where Judson and Elizabeth Wilcox's children attended school. It was originally located on the shore of Harts Lake. It was scheduled to be torn down, but the Wilcox family paid to have it transported to their farm and restored to its original condition. Now visitors can see what a turn of the century schoolhouse looked like.

In the beginning, things were rough. The Wilcoxes milked cows, raised hogs and chickens, and planted a huge garden. As their family grew, Judson and Elizabeth decided to get into the egg business. He built a hen house and ordered baby chicks from back east. When the chicks arrived, most were roosters. But roosters can't lay eggs!

Judson and Elizabeth's son, Truman, became a full-time partner in 1935. At the beginning of World War II, the Wilcoxes owned 5,000 laying hens. The farm was one of largest egg producers in the state of Washington.

The Wilcox Egg Farm continued to grow under the direction of their grandsons, Jim and Barrie. Both earned their doctorates in business from the University of Puget Sound. A fourth generation of Wilcoxes also participates in the family business.

The photographs below are of a cage free hen house. Cage free hens are permitted to roam and socialize as they wish. The farm currently produces organic, cage free and Omega 3 eggs. Their hens are fed a strictly vegetarian diet and aren't given any hormones or antibiotics. The Wilcoxes also practice sustainable green farming. Sustainable green farming means that the farmer protects the land and watersheds by avoiding the use of pesticides and harmful chemicals.

According to our tour guide, cage free hens are permitted to roam through the hen house and socialize as they wish. There are approximately one million hens on the Wilcox Family Farm. It takes a hen about 26 hours to lay an egg. The hens on the farm produce about one million eggs per day.

On Saturday, March 31, 2012, the Wilcox Family Farm will host its annual Easter egg hunt from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Perhaps we will see you there.