Home Spanish Poster English Poster Provide Information Links Searches Journal Tributes

The Search for Rachel, a father's journal

Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3

Reservations are starting to pick up for this Tuesday, October 5's, M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness seminar. We still have room for more females. Information and directions may be found at rachelalert.org/must.

Sunday we celebrated my daughter JoAnn's 20th birthday. She's really growing up fast. I wish Rachel could have been here. I wish we had been able to spend Rachel's 20th birthday with her.

Monday, October 4

I put together the registration forms and information handouts for tomorrow's M.U.S.T. seminar. Rachel Alert Network always has child and adult information for anyone who wants it.

We need volunteers to work the RAN booth at Wesleyfest in Georgetown on November 6, 2004. We will be selling RAN cookbooks and other items as a fundraiser. Two shifts are available: 10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. Please send an e-mail to info@rachelalert.org if you would like to work one of the shifts.

Tuesday, October 5

Thirty-four women and teens attended our M.U.S.T. seminar tonight. Our instructor, Deborah Brown, did a great job teaching the class. I think everyone there went home with valuable self-defense and awareness skills.

I received the actual LONDON OBSERVER newspaper which contains the story on Rachel. The article covers more than a page and a half. It's the longest printed article written about Rachel to date. I'm going to scan the article so people can get an idea of how it is formatted with the pictures. It won't be readable,but the whole article is available at www.observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1307571,00.html.

Wednesday, October 6 and Thursday, October 7

We added an advanced M.U.S.T. seminar next Tuesday, October 12. The seminar will be at B's Gathering House in Round Rock from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The beginners' M.U.S.T. seminar is required before taking the advanced seminar.

Friday, October 8 through Sunday, October 10

Murdered Lori Hacking was buried this weekend. Her husband has been charged with her murder. It's horrible how something can build up to murder. My thoughts and prayers go out to Lori's family.

I turned in a couple of leads to the sheriff's office this past week. They are looking into the leads.

Monday, October 11

The Rachel Alert Network Officers meeting was tonight.We discussed the upcoming M.U.S.T. seminars, the Christmas Stroll bake sale, and the WesleyFest booth. If it's possible, we want to schedule a January M.U.S.T. seminar and post the date and time soon. This will give people plenty of notice.

Because of a shortage of volunteers to work the WesleyFest, we may have to cancel our booth. Volunteer workers are always a problem for organizations. There are not enough people to go around.

Tuesday, October 12

We had over 20 women in the advanced M.U.S.T. seminar tonight. They reviewed last week's seminar and learned some new self-defense moves. Everyone practiced each move with a partner.

The cookbook sales are still going strong. We have sold over two-thirds of our supply. If demand stays strong, we will order some additional books.

Wednesday, October 13 and Thursday, October 14

We had a couple of people volunteer to work in our booth at WesleyFest in Georgetown on November 6. Rachel Alert Network will be selling cookbooks and handicrafts. All proceeds will go to support M.U.S.T. seminars and RAN's other activities. I hope a lot of people come by our booth.

Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17

We have already started to collect ideas for the three year remembrance of Rachel's disappearance, which will be January 10, 2005. It's not something we are looking forward to, but we do want to let people know Rachel is still missing and we would like them to continue to pay attention to any clues that may be out there. Last January we really tried to celebrate Rachel's life. I'd like to do that again.

We are working on scheduling a M.U.S.T. seminar in January. I will be updating the schedule later this week. It will be posted on rachelalert.org/must.

Monday, October 18

Fox Valley Technical College has posted some preliminary 2005 dates for law enforcement training classes. We will be teaching in Phoenix, Appleton, Wisconsin, and a few other locations throughout the United States. It will be interesting to see the various law enforcement agencies when they host one of the missing person training classes.

I mailed out some of Rachel's bumper stickers and buttons today. We are still offering them free of charge. They can be picked up at various Central Texas locations. The locations are posted on www.rachelcookesearch.org/bumpersticker.

Tuesday, October 19 and Wednesday, October 20

The M.U.S.T. seminar information page on rachelalert.org has been updated to include the November 14, 2004, seminar. I also updated the event calendars on both rachelcookesearch.org and rachelalert.org.

Thursday, October 21

An Amber Alert was issued for an abducted Houston 4-year-old boy today. His mother was found stabbed to death in her estranged husband's Houston apartment.

Police are searching for young Jesus Martinez-Alvarado and his father, 31-year-old Avelino Martinez-Alvarado. Jesus Martinez Alvarado, a 4-year-old male, is 4 feet tall and weighs 30 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. It is not known what clothing he was wearing.

Jesus is believed to have been abducted by Avelino Alvarado Martinez. Martinez is 31 years old and has brown eyes and black hair. He is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is believed to be driving a 1993 light brown or beige Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Texas license plate VS-2034.

Friday, October 22 through Sunday, October 24

I placed the corrections in some of our cookbook stock. We need to have at least 200 cookbooks ready to sell at WesleyFest on November 6 and the Georgetown Christmas Stroll on December 4. I added a thread on Rachel's message board for the bakesale. We will accept donations of baked goods from people. Details may be found on Rachel's message board.

Monday, October 25

I was looking over the Rachel Alert Network calendar, and I am pleased at the number of M.U.S.T. seminars we have taught this year. By the end of the year, we will have taught a total of eight beginner's seminars and six advanced seminars.

The beginner's seminars averaged around 35 students. Although we could have handled twice that number in the seminars, we did train around 300 women and teens this year. Our goal was to train 1,000 females this year, but we found getting people to come is the hardest part. We will continue to offer the seminars as long as the class size remains above 25 students.

Tuesday, October 26 and Wednesday, October 27

I changed the expiration dates on all of Rachel's reward flyers. To keep from having to update them again in mid 2005, I put December 31, 2006, as the expiration date. I pray that it doesn't go on that long. We have been through enough. It's time for Rachel to be found.

Thursday, October 28 through Sunday, October 31

I have enough cookbooks corrected for the WesleyFest next Saturday. Rachel Alert Network will have a booth in the front lawn area of the Wesley Retirement Home on East University Ave. in Georgetown. WesleyFest is open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. We hope to see a lot of people there.

Texas EquuSearch is also having a fund-raiser on Saturday, November 6. The TES event will take place from 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. at Bobby's on the Bayou, 2622 Greens Rd., which is near George Bush International Airport.