KBBF RadioLand By Serena Makofsky - December 2019
by Serena Makofsky
KBBF Reports on the Kincade Fire in Four Languages
KBBF Board Secretary Michaele Morales described how the station made a difference for many people in Sonoma County during the Kincade Fire. She shared that KBBF “…stepped up to the plate, providing information, and food distribution, to not only the Spanish-speaking community, but also our indigenous communities.” Edgar Avila, Director of Programming, helped organized bilingual and trilingual volunteers fluent in Mixteco and Triqui to report on the fire, containment, evacuations, and resources available.
Leila Miller reported in the Los Angeles Times that SRJC professor Rafael Vazquez went on the air when the fire started. He began by describing its progress and directing people to shelters but, by the middle of the night, also included an important update. Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore went on the air. Vazquez wanted the County Supervisor to assure people in Sonoma County that they could seek help without being asked about their legal status.
Further, Vazquez had Gore commit, in English and Spanish, that any county employee who did ask evacuees about their legal status would suffer consequences. Vazquez added, “I think that as a result, a number of people, instead of sleeping in their cars, instead of staying in other places, they were able to go to shelters.”
Board President Alicia Sanchez reflected on how this coming together was in line with the station’s mission. “They truly fulfilled KBBF founders’ vision of creating a strong multilingual voice that empowers and engages the community through its 24-hour coverage in four languages during this year’s Kincade fires.”
The Ongoing Fight for Justice for Cristian Nuñez
The Kincade Fire delayed the sentencing of Bryan Daniel Webster, who was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter after stabbing and killing Cristian Nuñez. Though a judge found Webster guilty on several charges in July 2018, Sonoma County D.A. Anne Masterson and Jill Ravitch offered a plea deal of involuntary manslaughter. This would reduce the sentence to six months served. After three years probation, the felony would be reduced to a misdemeanor. With Webster’s defense asking for home confinement, he might wind up never spending a day behind bars for killing Nuñez.
Add your voice to those calling for the D.A. to do her job. Call her at 707-565-2311 and remind her she should be on the side of justice.For updates, see the Sonoma County Injustice Facebook page.
Supporters can join the Nuñez family in court at 600 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, on 12/3/2019 at 1pm to hear the judge’s decision.
Join the supporters of KBBF by heading over to the www.KBBF.org website to make a monthly donation or a one-time gift.
