A Political Scandal Brews Upstate; On Pot Shops, It's State vs. Feds; Note to Truckers: Get Some Rest; A Fast Reversal on Mass Memorials; The Cabbie and the Curse of No. 666
A Fast Reversal on Mass Memorials
Since the war in Iraq began, 140 soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., have lost their lives, including 20 in May alone. That grim fact has forced commanders to make delicate decisions about how to properly honor the dead. Their answer, initially, was to consolidate memorial services into one ceremony just once a month. But last week, Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby responded to accusations of callousness toward fallen soldiers and suspended the plan. Services will now be held every Wednesday, and units will have the option of scheduling individual or joint memorials.
The Cabbie and the Curse of No. 666
It burned to a crisp one Good Friday, and the only thing left, according to local legend, was the number 666. It has been involved in at least one accident. Clearly, says San Francisco cab driver Michael Byrne, "there is a lot of negative energy" around his taxi cab.
Since having the cab blessed at the Mission Dolores did not seem to do the trick, Byrne appealed to the San Francisco Taxi Commission to have his medallion number changed.
"The problems ... are of great severity," wrote the commission's Executive Director Jordanna Thigpen in support of Byrne's case. "The number 666 has been associated with evil and with Satan for hundreds of years. ... Revelation describes Armageddon and offers the number 666 as a method of recognizing the followers of 'the beast,' or evil."
But the commission last week voted 5 to 1 against the request. "666, what's next?" cab driver Tom Stanghellini asked the commissioners. "What about Medallion 13? Or 1313?" Said Commissioner Patricia Breslin: "Where does it end? I lived at a residence numbered 666, and I did not go over to the dark side."
With Chris Wilson, Emma Schwartz, Nikki Schwab and Associated Press
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