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A p r i l 25, 2002
Investigators getting on track nACCIDENT: Reports show no problem with the train tracks, alert signals or the brakes By Kathleen Gutierrez
Daily Titan Managing Editor
katie cumper/Daily Titan
Workers repaired tracks damaged in Tuesday’s wreck between a freight train and a Metrolink commuter train (right).
Preliminary investigative reports show human error may have been a factor in the fatal Placentia train wreck early Tuesday morning, the National Transit Safety Board chairman said in a news conference Wednesday. The crash involving an eastbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train and a westbound Metrolink commuter train injured 162 people and killed two passengers. Damage is estimated at $2.6 million for Metrolink, and $25,000 for the BNSF. “There is no question the Burlington train should have stopped,” said Marion Blakey, chairman of the NTSB. The BNSF was traveling at 20 mph at the point of impact. “A typical freight takes a full mile to stop,” said Mike Flannigan, chief investigator for the NTSB. “A good mile is not unusual.” The Metrolink train was at a complete stop for 10 seconds before the crash. “The Metrolink engineer had the time to leave the cab, then proceed to the first car to brace himself for the impact,” Blakey said. A video surveillance camera from a local storage business caught the crash on tape. Its angle shows the speed at which the BNSF struck, and the tape is going home with investigators who will enhance its images. The tape may have vital information for them, though it is
unknown at this time. “We do not have the equivalent of a cockpit voice recorder or video,” Blakey said, explaining the investigative need for the tape. Reports show that the BNSF rode its brakes for more than 1,700 feet before hitting the Metrolink train. It pushed the Metrolink back 337 feet, crumpling its cars and injuring most of its passengers. The engineer for the Metrolink told investigators he stopped because he saw the BNSF. The engineer for the BNSF did not apply emergency brakes until just past the red alert signal. Conductors for both trains have yet to be interviewed. Alcohol tests were negative for the BNSF engineer. Drug tests will not be available until Friday. “We are testing the possibility of fatigue [and] the 72-hour window before the crews came on duty,” Blakey said. Reports show that the BNSF train was traveling at 38 mph, and slowed to 30 mph when passing the yellow alert signal. He sped up again to 48 mph and did not apply brakes until the train passed the red alert signal. The speed limit on that area of track is 50 mph. Tests for both the brake systems and the signal system show that both were functioning properly, she said, adding, “The track was not a factor. We believe technology was a factor.” In the eastern part of the United States, trains are equipped with Positive Train Control Systems
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World of green at CSUF’s nARBORETUM: The garden show will host more than 100 related vendors as well as speakers and activities By Jenn Stewart
Daily Titan Staff Writer California’s largest garden show will be held at Cal State Fullerton’s Arboretum this weekend April 27-28. The 29th annual Green Scene Garden Show will be host to more than 100 garden-related vendors. “We will have everything from drought-tolerable cacti to tropical plants available this weekend,” said Janet Van Diest, director of the Arboretum. Speakers will give lectures on many
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aspects of home gardening. “Jungle Julie” Hunt will give a lecture entitled “4 Steps to a Fabulous Garden.” Just in time for summer break, the two-day event is an opportunity to get a garden started. “It’s the hot one to come to, it’s the one to be at,” Van Diest said. “It’s got the largest selection, the best prices and it’s all outdoors.” At the show this weekend, gardeners will be able to purchase a “fruit salad tree.” This hybrid tree offers multiple kinds of fruit on one tree. Van Diest suggested that this is the perfect tree for gardeners with smaller yards. For the gardeners with more space and experience, the show will also be exhibiting cycads, euphorbias, proteas, epies and many others. The publisher of Gardener’s Companion, Lili Singer, will give a
speech Sunday afternoon on “Spring Flowering Plants.” For those gardeners who happen to be without a garden, Julie Bawden Davis, author, will be giving a lecture entitled “Healthy Houseplants.” This year, the Nishiki Koi Club will also be returning with its entertaining Koi Auction on Sunday at 1p.m. “It’s wonderful to watch the big colorful fish and the auction is so lively,” Van Diest said. Participants in the “water garden” show, including the Koi Club, will be presenting koi and many other hard-tofind items for ponds and water gardens. “The California Rare Fruit Growers is one of our most popular vendors,” Van Diest said. “They sell everything form citrus to banana trees, coffee bean trees, star fruit and even Buddha hand fruit trees.” While the adult gardeners shop and admire the greenery, their younger
counterparts can have adventures on their own. The children’s garden will host free activities for children and their parents. Kellogg, one of the show’s sponsors, is having a children’s potted-plant activity, while Sally and Seymour Scarecrow enchant the youths with stories and lead a garden exploration. Knowlwood, another sponsor, will be selling hot dogs and hamburgers. The garden show will cater to shoppers’ price range. “Last year, I saw 50-cent cactus buds and $100 palm trees,” Van Diest said. “There is something for everyone.” Van Diest said that in the past five years the number of people coming to the garden show has doubled. “Saturday morning is the busiest, people are eager to get the best plants,”
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Poppies adorn the front of the Arboretum’s Heritage House.
Poets get slammed at local pub for Comm nPERFORMANCE: Fifteen artists gathered to share their work with the crowd at Off Campus Pub Tuesday By Shannon Gladys
Daily Titan Staff Writer Clanging beer mugs, distant laughs and muffled conversations couldn’t drown out the magic that unraveled on stage at the Poetry Slam Tuesday night at Off Campus Pub. Even a swaying drunk man was quietly drawn to the stage like a moth to light. The steady cadence of the poetic beats were sometimes hypnotizing, always attention grabbing. Over several hours that evening, 15 contestants demonstrated their gift of rhyme not only in the hopes of winning the grand prize of $100, but also
to bring poetry to Orange County. “In the end it’s about getting as many great poets out here as possible,” said Marcus Omari, 24, a speech communications major at Cal State Fullerton. Omari, who has been writing poetry since high school, placed third in the Poetry Slam, which was a part of the Comm Week activities. The Association of Orange County Poetry Hosts (AOCPH), a small group of poets and local community participants, conceptualized the Poetry Slam. During the contest, each poet had three minutes to deliver his or her prose. No props or costumes were allowed. Once they finished, five judges rated their poetry on a scale of one to ten. The six highest scoring poets went on to compete in a second round for the win. The master of ceremonies, Steve Ramirez of AOCPH, instructed the poets to “check their egos at the door and engage the audience.” He then offered a “sacrificial” poet to warm
up the eager crowd and deliver the pace of the evening. Then the games began. Sultry red lights illuminated the contestants. Those lucky enough to have their poetry memorized had an advantage in the dimly lit room. Most of the poems were non-rhyming and had individual flow and form according to the mood of the author. Several poets shared intensely personal experiences. One female contestant told of the injustice done by the absent father of her child. She promised to use her poetry to mark his days and “dig his grave.” Her powerful words silenced the normally chaotic room. Another contestant, Katrina Taylor, 26 of Los Angeles, relayed her personal worth to the room and vowed not to be denounced to a music-video bimbo. As the poets struck chords in the attentive crowd, claps, laughter and snaps could be heard. Yes, snaps. Snapping acts as a response of encouragement during poetry that
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keeps with the beat of the words. A particularly entertaining part of the evening involved a call and response of haiku between the crowd and a contestant. After several failed attempts to a get a timely response from the crowd (which sounded like a kindergarten class) the poet abandoned the crowd and gyrated around the stage during his sexually humorous poem. Throughout the night, pockets of enthusiasts and friends cheered at the sidelines creating a warm environment that embraced jittery nerves of those onstage. After each poet has performed onstage, those with the six highest scores competed in a second round for the win. The judges were selected randomly among the crowd at the beginning of the evening. All contestants had their own reasons for selecting the winners. “A lot of it was how they interacted with the crowd,” said judge Diana Gonzalez, 20, a communications
major with an emphasis in print journalism. “And, it was their message.” Katrina Taylor, a crowd favorite, made it to the second round of competition. She had never competed in a slam. “It was my first time doing a slam,” she said. “I wasn’t prepared, but said ‘what the hell?’” She believed that unless poets inspired changed with their words, they would be known as “just another poet.” “It should absolutely have a message,” she said. “You have an audience. Why not make them leave with something. That’s my whole thrill.” This was the first in what will hopefully become an annual event, said Mike Sprake, of AOCPH. “We all got together in February and decided something should be done about National Poetry Month,” said Sprake, 53, who originally came from Manchester, England.
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