My March 2004 Journal by Robert Cooke

The Search for Rachel, a father's journal

Monday, March 1, 2004

We currently have 162 recipes entered into the cookbook program. There are about 35 more waiting to be entered. We still need more recipes. I'm going to remove the limit of ten recipes per person. If I don't, I'm afraid we will have to enter the bulk of the recipes right before the cookbook is ordered.

I have not heard anything new about the human remains found off Highway 620 last week. The medical examiner needs to run several tests before he releases any additional information.

Tuesday, March 2

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office released a preliminary report on the human remains found last week. The remains are those of a white or Hispanic male.

In the past few weeks I've received several requests to speak to organizations. I will take the time to do this because it helps spread the word about Rachel and other missing persons.

Wednesday, March 3

The bodies of the Hagon family were found on Monday in Mississippi. Law enforcement is investigating who killed them and why. A cousin has been arrested for their murder. I can't understand why someone would commit such violence.

I updated the thread on Rachel's Message Board today. It now contains a list of the 200 recipes submitted to date for our cookbook. We still need 200 more recipes. To view the cookbook thread visit Rachel's Message Board.

Thursday, March 4

I received a call today from the National Center for Missing Adults. They have requested I be a part of a team which will develop a law enforcement training package on handling a missing person case. I will fly to Phoenix next month for the first meeting.

I'd like to issue a challenge to readers of my journal. It would be nice to have recipes in our cookbook from all fifty states of the United States. We haven't received anything from Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, or Arizona. I'd like to request that people living in those states send at least one recipe to cookbook@rachelalert.org.

We have received recipes from Finland, Norway, Germany, and Canada. I know there are also journal readers in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. I'd like to issue the recipe challenge to those readers and readers from any other countries.

If you, one of our servicemen in Korea and Iraq, have time, we would be honored to have a recipe from you also. You guys have a lot more responsibilities than working an eight to five job, so please don't feel pressured.

Friday, March 5

I received several important phone calls today. The first was from Texas EquuSearch Director Tim Miller. A new tip has come in about missing Art Ramirez, and the family wants to so do a search tomorrow. I notified members of the Rachel Cooke Search Team. Mr. Ramirez disappeared last summer. We searched for him, but never found anything.

The second call was from a commercial advertisement agency. They are interested in helping start a public service announcement for missing persons. We discussed some ideas, and they are going to create a formal proposal.

The third call was from a lady who is helping to organize a children's health and safety fair in Austin this August. She came by the Rachel Alert Network table at the Round Rock Children's Health Fair last month and would like us to have a booth at her event.

One of the mothers who attended the last M.U.S.T. seminar is contacting Round Rock middle schools for us. We would like to start teaching a shorter version of the M.U.S.T. seminar in Central Texas middle and high schools.

The last call was from the National Center for Missing Adults. We discussed some additional items that will be covered in next month's law enforcement training course development meeting.

Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7

Travis County Search and Rescue and volunteers searched for missing Art Ramirez. An area had been identified through a tip, and it was searched by walkers, two horseback riders, and two search dog teams. My friends, Jinese and Mary from Houston, brought their search dogs for the search.

We are up to 250 recipes for the Rachel Alert Network Cookbook. I appreciate everyone who has sent in a recipe.

Monday, March 8

We had our monthly Rachel Alert Network Officers meeting tonight. We discussed the 2004 Run/Walk for Rachel, the M.U.S.T. seminars, and many other activities. RAN has really been busy the last seven months.

Tuesday. March 9

More recipes came by e-mail today. People from Arizona, Michigan, and Texas submitted new recipes. I think we will put only 400 recipes in the cookbook and then sell it for $10.00. We can probably sell more at $10 than at $15, and $10 is an even amount.

Today was primary election day. The Williamson County Sheriff position is up for grabs. All five candidates running are Republican, so the primary will probably decide who will be our new sheriff next year. There is also a good chance a primary run-off for sheriff will be needed.

Wednesday, March 10

My seminar at the Texas Crime Victims' Clearinghouse Conference has been accepted. The seminar on what to do if you have a missing loved one will be on Friday, May 7.

Rachel Alert Network has applied to two corporations for community service grants. We are hoping to receive a grant from at least one company. The money will help RAN bring the M.U.S.T. seminars to Central Texas public schools.

Thursday, March 11

We now have 300 recipes in the Rachel Alert Network cookbook. So far people from almost every state and people from Finland, Germany, Norway, UK, Canada, Australia, and South Africa have given us recipes.

Friday, March 12

I've been invited to speak at a KidsFest event in Saint Louis this July. They would also like to host a M.U.S.T. seminar there. I will have to check with Deborah Brown and she if see can fit it into her busy schedule.

I'm going to arrange a meeting with the Sheriff's Office next week. Janet and I are overdue for a briefing. I have received a few e-mail, updates which are nice.

Saturday, March 13 and Sunday March 14

This weekend the Rachel Alert Network received a recipe from New Zealand. New Zealand is the eighth country to have a resident submit a recipe.

The newest M.U.S.T. women/teen self-defense and awareness seminar is next week on Wednesday, March 24. The seminar will take place at Crestview United Methodist Church, 1300 Morrow, in Austin from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The class is free for females ages 14 and up. More information and directions may be found at rachelalert.org/must.

Monday, March 15

I was mistaken about the workshop I will be attending in Phoenix. The meeting to start developing a training program for handling missing person cases for law enforcement is next Tuesday. I hope I can add a victim's family perspective to the process.

Tuesday, March 16

I have made all of my reservations for my trip to Phoenix next week. It will be a quick trip, but hopefully I will make a worthwhile contribution to the training course on adult missing person cases.

A good friend of mine lost her mother this morning after a long illness. Please pray for JR and her mother.

Wednesday, March 17

We received a recipe from the tenth foreign country today. One of our men serving in Korea sent in a local beef dish for the Rachel Alert Network cookbook.

It's been nice to see my daughter JoAnn more this week. She is on spring break from the University of Texas at Austin. Kids grow up so fast.

Thursday, March 18

We had two more people volunteer for the 2004 Run/Walk for Rachel. We are doing well on volunteers although we do need about five more people to sign up.

I finally finished the on-line registration for the Run/Walk. People can access the on-line registration or print out a form and mail it in. Links for both of these are on the rachelalert.org/run information page.

Friday, March 19

Everything is set for my trip to Phoenix next week. I hope the initial meeting to form a missing person training course for law enforcement is very successful. A lot depends on who has time to take part in the workshop.

Activity has picked up again on Rachel's Message Board. Very few messages were posted the past two months, but a lot of new messages are being created. There is a link to the message board on the top of the home page of rachelcookesearch.org.

Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21

I had numerous personal issues I needed to handle this weekend. I did not get a chance to work on anything relating to Rachel or Rachel Alert Network.

Monday, March 22

I flew to Phoenix this afternoon. Tomorrow I will attend a workshop to develop a missing person case training program for law enforcement.

It's hotter here than in Texas. The funny thing is some of the mountain resorts still had snow skiing yesterday.

Tuesday, March 23

I attended the first planning meeting for a missing adult case training program today. The training is targeted for law enforcement and other agencies which work on missing person cases.

Members on the planning committee included people from the National Center for Missing Adults, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a representative from the Alzheimer Association, representatives from Fox Valley Technical College, an FBI agent, and law enforcement personnel from Arizona, Washington state, Missouri, and California.

We identified the requirements and set some goals for the training course. The mission statement was also developed. The next meeting will probably be in a month or two.

Wednesday, March 24

Today was a busy day. I flew back from Phoenix this morning, worked a half day, and then we hosted another M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness seminar. The weather was bad, but we still were able to train 21 more women tonight. I wish I could convey the importance of the class to all Central Texas females. I think they need to take the time to learn what the M.U.S.T. seminars teach.

I forgot to mention that yesterday NASCAR driver Darrell LaMoure stopped by the Center for Missing Adults to see me. Mr. LaMoure displays pictures of missing adults on his racecar during NASCAR races. Rachel was featured during a November 2002 race. Darrell is a wonderful and caring man.

Thursday, March 25

One of the Round Rock middle schools contacted me about having a M.U.S.T. seminar at their school. Two representatives from the school will attend the next M.U.S.T. seminar on April 20 at B's Gathering House in Round Rock.

We talked to some University of Texas students about having a M.U.S.T. seminar on campus. October may be the best month to do that. U.T. has a "Take Back the Night" program then which helps promote safety on campus.

Friday, March 26

I added more recipes to the Rachel Alert Network cookbook. We are less than 40 recipes away from our goal of 400 recipes. We still need recipes from Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, Vermont, and Delaware.

A few interested sponsors for RAN have come forward. It will be nice if we can have financial and equipment sponsors.

Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28

My cousin Lanny is a delegate to the Republican Party State Convention. He asked me if I wanted to present anything to the party for adoption. I told him about my idea of a Texas or National Missing Persons' Day. Lanny asked me some questions, and we decided to push for a U.S. National Missing Persons' Day.

Lanny and some other delegates presented the idea to the Travis County Republican Meeting. The motion passed, and Lanny will present it at the state meeting this week. Hopefully the motion will make it to the Republican National Convention and later make it to Washington D.C. where it will be passed into law.

Monday, March 29

I will be flying to Albany, New York, this weekend to attend the State of New York Missing Persons' Day event. Several families and friends of missing persons will be there. I want to meet everyone there, and I'd like to see how they set up the day. I think the State of Texas also needs a Missing Persons' Day. This morning I cut my foot and had to have five stitches. I have to stay off of it a few days. Hopefully by this weekend it will be better.

Tuesday, March 30

We have enough recipes to complete the Rachel Alert Network cookbook. Over 370 recipes have been received, and I want to leave room for families and friends of the missing to submit a recipe if they want to. We are also missing a few states. Later this week I will publish a list of states from which we don't have recipes. It would be nice to have someone from all 50 states submit a recipe. Texas EquuSearch issued a search announcement today for a missing young man in Galveston County. Before I could add the announcement to Rachel's site, his remains were found. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Wednesday, March 31

I was unable to make it to tonight's advanced.M.U.S.T. seminar because of some repairs to my house. Our instructor Deborah Brown, her brother Dan, and my sister Elaine were able to train the seven females who came.

We need to get the attendance higher for the M.U.S.T. classes. Females are attacked everyday in this country. Every woman in the U.S.A. needs to know techniques like the ones the M.U.S.T. seminars teach.

I've been asked to do a short presentation at the New York Missing Persons' Day event. The presentation will be about Rachel Alert Network's mission and goals.