by Roger the Scanner Guy
Happy Birthday Brad wherever you are. June 11th, 1953-March 26th, 2004. Brad was my best friend for many years. We met in New House in 1981. The day he arrived there we clicked. He was my roommate. We were the most unlikely of friends. He was a red-headed, egg-headed intellectual. I was a big, tall, loud-mouthed kid. I was 23 and he was 29. I was the youngest there. There were a couple others but they stayed a few days at most. We were considered too young to be sober. It was only a matter of time for us youngins. Brad stayed Sober the rest of his life and died sober of Bone Cancer. I drank off and on through the years. I’d get involved in a relationship and after a time I’d get drunk that was my MO. Before I moved into New House I spent 3 weeks going to meetings at Fellowship Hall on State Street. After that a group of Homeless friends pretty much dumped me on the front doorstep of Alcoholics Anonymous on the 6th floor of the Granada building. Kathy C. who ran the office back then got me into New House on August 9th, 1980. I interviewed at New House One at 509 Chapala, and was sent up to New House 2, next to the County General Hospital at 250 North San Antonio Road, where I was accepted as a resident. I liked it there a lot. It was very serene. I had been there a few months when the assistant manager got ahold of me and made me do things I did not want to do. He told me if I did not do what he wanted me to do he would kick me out, back on the streets. Brad was there by then. Johnny Severino was the assistant manager. He was from New Jersey. He used to walk around New House in tight bikini underpants. He always had a cigarette in one hand and a near beer in the other. He was 41, handsome and built like a brick shit house. He’d stand in the archway while we were watching tv and say things like “I’m a real man, a Man’s man, the kind of man that other men admire.” I had my bags packed. I wasn’t about to do anything he wanted me to do back then. I was young, thin and handsome and I did not want to be a Man’s man. Then came the day he told me the things I would have to do to stay there, like The Gardening, The Dishes, Cleaning the bathrooms, emptying the trash… Bet you thought it was something else didn’t you?” he said with a wink. I did all of the chores. I thought others were paying him for my labor but I didn’t care. I was busy building my foundation of sobriety through hard work and discipline, and for me it worked. Sometimes I hated doing all that work. Mostly it was for no pay but the more I did and the harder I worked the less time I had to think. Thinking got me in trouble. I might not have stayed sober all those years but I grew up and became a man. I had the keys. I knew what I had to do: work, and it worked for me. Johnny Severino is gone now as is Brad but I’m still here, though one day when my time comes I hope I see all my old friends again. This is my home and my home is in my Heart. Here are your Scanner Reports.
Scanner Reports, Monday
- Suspicious male asleep on reporting parties couch HMA wearing a bright orange tee shirt. Hmmmmm (There is only one place I know of in town to get those shirts.) R.P. Locked in another room. 300 Block of Cooper Road.
- Subject disturbing or just plain disturbed- he pulled the fire alarm at SBCC. He is trespassing, disturbing, and under arrest, “Give that guy a bright orange tee shirt!” in custody.
- Patrol unit and Van requested to assist Frank 10 in the 700 Block of Lawrence Ave sounds like we’re going to need some more orange shirts!
- Animal control on a DOA rest in peace little one, animal.
- Sexual Assault occurred in the 3800 Block of State street.
- 459 Burglary Joes Cafe 536 State street.
- 594pc Vandalism Urban Outfitters 624 State street.
- A case of Animal Cruelty Suspicious circumstances Santa Barbara Junior High 700 Block of East Cota.
- 415 Verbal Domestic 600 Block of Del Monte.
- 484 Shoplifter in custody at 7-11 3430 State street.
- 415 Threats investigation Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital toward staff.
- SBPD traffic stop on a bicyclist 400 Block of State street.
- On another bicyclist 100 Block of East Cota.
- Vehicle into a building 136 North 3rd Street.
- Premises check 1200 Block of Punta Gorda.
- Check the Welfare of someone in a silver Toyota who activated their distress button State street at Hitchcock.
- Public Assist for Snake in a yard in the 3400 Block of Sweetgrass Ave.
- 2000 Block of DLV suspicious circumstances.
- 2500 Block of Borton Drive overdose in a brown van.
- Assault on a bus driver possibly MTD subject also spit on the reporting party Chapala at Figueroa.
- Minor injury accident 300 Block of East Figueroa.
- Premises check Vera Cruz park.
- Bicycle stolen from a female who gave chase from the Breakwater restaurant in the Harbor, suspect caught by SBPD at Skaters Point good catch!
- 1300 Block of Punta Gorda first reported as a 415 Domestic, then an Overdose serious.
- Overdose 13 Year old Female 400 Block of East Clark.
- Suspicious Subject a Smoker with a Bull Horn tattoo on his forehead 200 Block of West Victoria.
- 415 Transient at Smart and Final another subject insisting on shoplifting.
- 800 Block of West Victoria overdose 15 year old.
- Burglary at Wash and Fun on San Andreas.
- 415 Transient BMA yelling at employees and just being an all around pain in the ass at Rite Aide 35 South Milpas street last seen pushing a shopping cart on Carpinteria reporting party wants contact. SBPD on foot patrol 500 Block of State street.
Scanner Reports, Tuesday
- Check the Welfare of a subject slumped over in a wheelchair at the county Adminstration Building 105 East Anapamu.
- 415pc Transient parked in the driveway 35 North Calle Caesar Chavez.
- Premises check East Beach Vollyball courts.
- 415pc Transient harassing employees at Dominos in the 3000 Block of State street.
- Alert 2 at the airport plane landed safely had engine trouble.
- Suspicious male in a black sedan tried to sell reporting party marijuana Anapamu at State street.
- Drunk driver at the Habit in the 5700 Block of Hollister in a late model Ford F-150 smells like booze according to reporting party.
- Suspicious subject on the roof of Chicken Little 1236 State street wearing a grey hoodie. He turned out to be a service man working on the air conditioning.
- West Main at Black Road vehicle accident.
- Male under the influence walking away from AM-PM 1919 State street South on State street got him First West Pedrogosa.
- Water Rescue off Surf Beach near Vandenberg Unknown circumstances.
- 415pc Male at Amtrak yelling refusing to leave also pushed an employee.
- Leaf blower 3618 State street AM-PM.
- Med Call for a subject on the beach 600 Block of East Cabrillo.
- Gas main break 1900 Block of Eucalyptus Hill Road.
- Per Amtrak There are undesirable people on the tracks wearing orange vests and driving trucks.
- Probation check 816 Cacique.
- Woman heard yelling 415pc East Bound on Brinkerhoff from the 500 Block.
- Premises check Marshalls 900 Block of State street.
- Non injury Accident Alamar at State street vehicles blocking.
- 602 Trespasser on the RR Tracks at Milpas.
- Premises check Ellings Park.
Starting to heat up a bit. Time to start pounding the water again a gallon per day..Have a great WEDnesday…Peter, Molly, Belinda, Angel Baby, Pooh Bear, Midnight, Merlin, Shadow, FREDDIE!, Maxwell, Lola, PoPo,Tom Cat, Clancy, Tiger, Tomicina, Tiny, Andy, Fish Heads One and Two, Poncho, Denny Deem, Jerry, Walter, Fred, Jonathan, C.J.,Brad, Billy, Carl, Stan, Kent, ELMO, Patrick, Christy, Diana, Jim, Rambo, Sherry, Eddie, Bambi, Pat, Mavis, Mark, Willie, Lafayette, Ted, David Cox, Po, Marty, Cop John, Bommy, Poppy, June, Muskie, Isabelle, Jerry, Debbie, Ken, Bengie, Ricky, Mrs MacArthur,, Magruder, Don, Edwin, Cory, Crazy Ed, LUCY! STOBIE THE HOBO, John Hancock, Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle, Ron Santo, John Havlick, Tom Petty, and Chris willing we will see you on FRYday.
Later, Roger