In the wake of the acquittal of four LAPD officers indicted
on charges of police brutality in the videotaped beating of black motorist
Rodney King, several instances of unrest were reported at the Esplanade Manor
here in Chico.
Pat Rupp announced that he could not sleep.
Melinda Long, shoeless activist for the rights of the
mentally ill, teamed up with long-time police benefits show entertainer, Anita
Rose, in a singing duet consisting of a two hour set of slave music and a
Vaudeville purse act. Proceeds from the event will be forwarded to Rodney King
to “buy himself something nice.”
Arvada King (undetermined relation) announced that she would
be retiring after more than 10 years of service at the Manor. Said King, “I
drive in the fog sometimes at night—I don’t want to be mistaken for a black
motorist and beaten.”
In widespread defiance of authority, clients at the Manor
have been smoking in their rooms and allowing the cigarette butts to smolder on
their carpets.
One client, Elizabeth Coolidge, announced that she would
keep an all night smoking vigil outside her room until she had consumed 56
cigarettes, one for each of the inflicted blows on the taped beating.
Other clients, demanding cigarettes, donuts and coffee
stormed the kitchen and SNC office.
One client, Janet Cree, an undercover CIA agent, on
assignment from West Sac., was seen taking
part in the looting. She emerged from the kitchen with 5 cans of Folgers, with
a street value of $500.
Larry Rowe was arrested for public drunkenness, but this was
believed to be unrelated.
Dennis Shoenick and love guru, Glenda Stowe, began a week
long love-in to protest the violence.
Mark Ginter used the opportunity to promote some of his more
controversial art pieces, in particular, one depicting a black man engaged in
full penetration intercourse with a white woman.
Bob Shepherd today said that he would be doubling his
medication until further notice.
In the confusion following the kitchen break-in, staff
members were seen loading their cars with meat and dairy products from the
well-stocked Manor refrigerator/freezer. One female staff member made off with
an entire pie.
A fire gutted the smoking table, but determined residents
sat at the table throughout the blaze and continued to sit on the charred metal
frame well into the morning.
Sereena Mills staged a one-woman hunger strike slightly
after lunch but reversed her decision when she discovered that mashed potatoes
and gravy were to be served for dinner.
Medication Attendant Steve Knorr barricaded himself inside
the Med Room, responding only to knock knock jokes and requests for Pamprin,
which he slid under the Med Room door.
Night shift attendant Andrew Golding called for an end to
mopping and sweeping duties because “those mop and broom handles look an awful
lot like nightsticks.” When asked if this ban would apply to pool cues, he
responded curtly, “that is an entirely unrelated matter,” and stalked off
toward the Rec Room.
Desiring to take part in the incendiary protest, Mike
Goldman, an Antabuse patient, helped out by making non-alcoholic Molotov
cocktails.
Dan Beacon was arrested in Sacramento for looting a Thrifty Drug store.
Steve Couvrette, weekend night staff, only had two words
regarding the violence in LA—“Send me.”
