The O-town Scene

R.o.B.S. DJ finds publication’s A. column too personal SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ A Burbank DJ has filed a lawsuit against the alternative news weekly SCene for publishing his writ- ing without permission in its “Notes From the Underground” column. The column features facsimiles of notes, letters and other found objects from throughout the Santa Clara Valley area, in the vein of Found Magazine. SCene editor Michael Vincent said the feature has been running for five years, “and we’ve never had a problem,” but declined to comment further. Vincent said identifying details are blacked out or omitted to protect people’s identities. But Gabriel Ortiz, 31, host of a popular morning radio talk show, is argu- ing that a letter SCene printed June 2 contains enough iden- tifying details to cause him personal distress. He is suing the publication for $50,000 in dam- ages. Ortiz’ attorney, Juliana Walker, said her client has suffered humiliation and ridicule since the publication of the “very personal, very private” letter, in which Ortiz im- 26 O-Town Scene July 7, 2011 Couple calls shipping B. containers home ELLSWORTH, Maine _ A rural Maine couple calls home a pair of former shipping containers bought online for $1,500. Trevor Seip and Jennifer Sansosti have spent a year modifying the containers on their 63-acre property in Ellsworth, where they hope to eventually build a conventional home. Each container measures 20 feet long, 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. One is insulated, plumbed and wired. It boasts a bed and table that fold against the wall, a sink, a camp stove, a propane heater, a shower and a composting toilet. The other has a closet and a folding futon. Sansosti tells the Bangor Daily News in Monday’s editions every inch of the 160 square feet of floor space was used. Seip lived in Stroudsburg, Pa. Sansosti is from New York City. They said Maine is more tolerant of their unconventional housing choice. plores his ex-girlfriend to come back to him. Walker said details about Ortiz’ personal life described in the letter are topics he has discussed during his radio program. “There could be no doubt that my client was the author of this letter,” Walker said. “Any of KRSC’s 100,000-plus listeners who read SCene would have been able to identify him.” If no settlement is reached, the case is expected to go before a judge in Novem- ber. It’s hard to tell what’s true these days. Take a gander below, and guess if A. and B. are Real or B.S. (Answers at the bottom of the page.) ess.eal, by The Associated Pr. is r.S., by Emily Popek; BA. is B

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