8/17/2017 Interior secretary decides: Leave Sand to Snow Monument alone - Hi-Desert Star: News

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Interior secretary decides: Leave Sand to SnowMonument aloneStaff report | Posted: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 9:46 pm

MORONGO VALLEY — The Sand to Snow NationalMonument will not be reduced or eliminated, Secretary ofthe Interior Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday.

The announcement ends the Department of the Interior’sreview of the monument, which starts in Morongo Valley andextends into the San Bernardino National Forest.

The statement is the first from the Department of theInterior’s review of national monuments in the Californiadesert.

Zinke has been reviewing 27 national monuments created byU.S. presidents.

Since the closing of the public comment period on his studyon July 10, Zinke has recommended no modifications to fiveother national monuments: Craters of the Moon, HanfordReach, Canyons of the Ancients, Upper Missouri RiverBreaks and Grand Canyon-Parashant.

“Sand to Snow National Monument has retained the protections it deserves, and the Interior should use thesame judgment for our other national monuments,” said Danielle Segura, executive director of the MojaveDesert Land Trust.

The land trust mounted a campaign to convince Zinke to let Sand to Snow and Mojave Trails stay as-is. Thenonprofit is running ads in newspapers today, including the Hi-Desert Star and the paper in Zinke’shometown.

Another new monument with ties to the Morongo Basin is still under review: the Mojave Trails NationalMonument, which includes Amboy Crater. Like Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails was created by PresidentBarack Obama in February 2016.

“Diverse communities across the desert fought for over a decade to designate all three of our Californiadesert national monuments. We encourage Secretary Zinke to recognize the public’s will and the uniqueecological and historical significance of places like Mojave Trails National Monument in his forthcomingrecommendations,” Segura said.

Congressman Paul Cook’s office has not commented on Zinke’s announcement. The 8th DistrictRepublican, from Yucca Valley, signed a letter with other Western Caucus congressmen stating that Sand to

Sand to Snow

The Department of the Interior posted thisphotograph of the Sand to Snow NationalMonument on its webpage along with anannouncement that Secretary Ryan Zinkewill ercommend no changes be made to themonument.

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Snow should be left intact. The letter encouraged Zinke to reduce other national monuments, includingMojave Trails and the Castle Mountains National Monument.

Zinke’s final recommendations on the rest of the national monuments under review are due Aug. 24.

8/17/2017 Sand to Snow National Monument escapes Trump ‘review’ threat

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Sand to Snow National Monument escapes Trump ‘review’ threat

By Jim Steinberg, The Sun

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

An easy-to-access wilderness getaway for 24 million SouthernCalifornians people has escaped a Trump Administration review thatthreatened to unravel its protections.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on Wednesday announcedthat the Sand to Snow National Monument is no longer under reviewand that he will recommend no changes be made to the existingmonument boundaries.

“The land of Sand to Snow National Monument is some of the most diverse terrain in the West, and the monument is home to incredible

geographic, biologic, and archaeological history of our nation” Zinke said, in a statement.

Sand to Snow National Monument was one of 27 under an unprecedented administrative review following anexecutive order signed by President Donald Trump on April 26.

The review targeted national monuments over 100,000 acres that presidents have created under the AntiquitiesAct of 1906 since 1995.

Reaction to Zinke’s decision was swift.

“Sand to Snow National Monument has retained the protections it deserves, and the Interior should use the samejudgment for our other national monuments,” said Danielle Segura, executive director of the Mojave DesertLand Trust, which has been quarterbacking a support campaign support for the two endangered California desertmonuments.

“Diverse communities across the desert fought for over a decade to designate all three of our California desertnational monuments. We encourage Zinke to recognize the public’s will and the unique ecological and historicalsignificance of places like Mojave Trails National Monument in his forthcoming recommendations.”

Secretary Zinke’s final recommendations on the remaining national monuments under review – includingMojave Trails National Monument – are due by August 24.

On February 11, 2016, President Obama signed a proclamation creating the 154,000-acre Sand to Snow NationalMonument, the 1.6 million-acre Mojave Trails National Monument and the nearly 21,000-acre Castle MountainsNational Monument.

Because of its small size, Castle Mountains was not on the review list.

“We are concerned that it could be added later,” said Frazier Haney, conservation director at the MDLT.

The Sand to Snow National Monument monument extends from Bureau of Land Management lands on theSonoran desert floor to 11,500 feet in the San Gorgonio Wilderness on the San Bernardino National Forest, says

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the U.S. Forest Service website.

Some 24 million Southern Californians are within a two-hour drive of the San Gorgonio Mountain region, thewebsite says.

Said Trump when he announced the April 26 order:

“Today, I am signing a new executive order to end another egregious abuse of federal power, and to give thatpower back to the states and to the people, where it belongs.

“The previous administration used a 100-year-old law known as the Antiquities Act to unilaterally put millionsof acres of land and water under strict federal control -- have you heard about that? -- eliminating the ability ofthe people who actually live in those states to decide how best to use that land.

“Today, we are putting the states back in charge. It’s a big thing,” Trump said, according to the White Housewebsite.

Since the closing of the public comment period on July 10, Zinke has recommended no modifications to fiveother national monuments of the 27 under review: Craters of the Moon, Hanford Reach, Canyons of theAncients, Upper Missouri River Breaks, and Grand Canyon-Parashant national monuments.

Some 2.3 million Americans responded during the comment period, and a study concluded that 98 percent ofthose were in favor of keeping the monument boundaries where they are, Haney said.

The idea that a few people can “unwind” protections established by national monument designations is of greatconcern, Haney said.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20170816/sand-to-snow-national-monument-escapes-trump-review-threat

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

8/17/2017 Prosecutor concludes closing argument in Colonies corruption trial

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Prosecutor concludes closing argument in Colonies corruption trial

By Joe Nelson, The Sun

and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> A prosecutor in the Colonies corruption trialfinished her closing argument Wednesday by telling jurors all theevidence surrounding a $102 million settlement between SanBernardino County and a Rancho Cucamonga developer points tobribes.

“The big $102 million question in all this is, ‘Was that settlement goodfor the county?’ ” Deputy Attorney General Melissa Mandel said ofthe November 2006 settlement approved with a 3-2 Board ofSupervisors vote.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is a line, and that line was crossed here,” Mandel told the trial’s two juries in theSan Bernardino courtroom of Judge Michael A. Smith. “It’s time to hold the defendants accountable for theircrimes.”

But a defense attorney told jurors late in the morning, “I think there’s reasonable doubt all throughout this case.”

District Attorney’s and state Attorney General’s offices are jointly prosecuting the case.

They originally charged three former county officials each with taking $100,000 bribes, which were reported ascampaign contributions, from Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum to gain approval for the $102 millioncourt settlement.

The settlement was the culmination of a nearly five-year legal battle over flood control work at a 434-acreresidential and commercial development in Upland funded by the Colonies Partners investor group, of whichBurum is a co-managing partner.

Defendants include Burum, former county Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin, former county Supervisor Paul Biane,and Mark Kirk, the chief of staff for former Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

Only Biane now faces bribery charges.

A bribery charge against Kirk was dismissed in July. Kirk still faces charges of improper influence of a publicofficial and conflict of interest. Former Board of Supervisors Chairman and County Assessor Bill Postmus, whoalso had been charged in the bribery case, entered a March 2011 plea deal with prosecutors for a reducedsentence in exchange for testimony in the Colonies case.

All the current defendants have denied any wrongdoing and maintain that the contributions, which were fromColonies Partners, where Burum is one of the managing members, were public donations to legal political actioncommittees and were part of Colonies’ attempts to mend fences after the contentious legal dispute and wereavailable online for public review.

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But Mandel said the defendants coordinated to conceal the real purpose of the $100,000 contributions to thePACs received in the months after the Board of Supervisors vote.

She said various alleged feints among the PACs included a fake board of directors and secret control, fraudulentor deceptive documents and transactions, and disproportionately large amounts from Burum, when compared tohis usual contributions. Burum, Mandel said, denied in 2009 knowing who was responsible for controlling thePACs or who served on their committees, and said he only contributed based on what they were pitching him.

Mandel added Burum used his wealth and power to purge his adversaries from public office, as he did withformer county supervisors Jon Mikels and Dennis Hansberger, both of whom staunchly opposed settling the civillitigation for what Colonies was demanding.

“He used his money to punish people in public office,” Mandel said of Burum.

The defense attacked the credibility of the prosecution’s two key witnesses, Postmus and former assistant countyassessor Adam Aleman, but Mandel on Wednesday told jurors not to dismiss all of their testimony.

They are characters in the story, but the case is built on exhibits, Mandel said.

Mandel said Aleman’s crimes are crimes of dishonesty. “You believe what is believable here, and you disregardthe rest,” Mandel said. “Every witness should be looked at closely. Look at the totality.”

She claimed Aleman’s testimony was corroborated about damaging mailers prepared to put pressure on Biane,political threats to keep votes for the settlement in line, and efforts to conceal how the PAC money was handled.

A trial is a search for the truth, Mandel said. “And your job is to keep an eye on the ball and not be distracted bysmoke and mirrors.”

The prosecution, with the burden of proof, will get a chance to offer a rebuttal after the defense attorneys makeclosing arguments.

The defense led off its final arguments with Mark Kirk’s attorney, Pete Scalisi, who told jurors, “I think there’sreasonable doubt all throughout this case.”

“The way I see this case and the way I see the evidence as it played out, none of our clients did anything wrong.... None of them are guilty of anything,” Scalisi said, adding that he felt the juries would return with not-guiltyverdicts.

He cited the testimony of three witnesses who vouched for Kirk’s character, including county supervisor andformer state Assemblyman Curt Hagman, Biane’s former campaign manager Tim Johnson, and Ovitt, whomKirk is accused of persuading to vote in favor of the settlement.

Ovitt testified during trial he voted the way he did because he felt it was in the best interest of taxpayers.

“Mr. Ovitt completely destroys the government’s theory, blows it out of the water,” Scalisi said.

Ovitt testified that Kirk did not try to unduly influence him, was adamant his vote was not based on somecorrupt intent, and that his decision was his alone and that he stood “accountable for it, not (Kirk).” He said hehad the “highest admiration” for Kirk during his testimony.

Wednesday’s court proceedings ended abruptly following the afternoon lunch break, when a juror informed thecourt she had to leave early due to a family emergency.

On Monday, a day before closing arguments were to begin, a juror was excused due to unexpected after-schoolchild care issues. The juror served on Erwin’s jury. Erwin has a separate jury because some of the evidenceagainst him was not admissible against the other defendants.

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Scalisi will continue his closing argument beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday .

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170816/prosecutor-concludes-closing-argument-in-colonies-corruption-trial

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

8/17/2017 San Bernardino County’s Vision2BActive campaign seeking ‘action hero’ nominees

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

San Bernardino County’s Vision2BActive campaign seeking ‘action hero’ nominees

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Do you know someone who cannot go a day without hitting the gym or who inspires others to get up and move?

San Bernardino County’s Vision2BActive campaign is seeking nominees for local “action heroes” in recognitionof physically active county residents or those who promote physical fitness and have inspired others in theircommunities.

Vision2BActive is a campaign of the Countywide Vision to improve health and wellness in San BernardinoCounty by encouraging residents to increase their physical activity and connecting them to existing recreationalprograms, amenities and activities in their communities.

Nominate an “action hero” at www.Vision2BActive.com or contact Bernadette Beltran atBBeltran@dph.sbcounty.gov or 909-387-6614. Anonymous nominations will also be accepted.

To learn more about the Countywide Vision, visit the website at www.sbcounty.gov/vision or red the blog athttp://wp.sbcounty.gov/cao/visionwire.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20170816/san-bernardino-countys-vision2bactive-campaign-seeking-action-hero-nominees

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

8/17/2017 Hoist hazards: Lack of preparation often key factor in rescue situations

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By Paola Baker Staff WriterPosted at 8:04 AMUpdated at 8:04 AM

San Bernardino County is home to beautiful wildland, with vast forests, deserts,creeks and rivers that nature lovers take full enjoyment in. But such abundantnatural treasures can also come with hazards — as many hikers have come torealize.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s and Fire departments have kept busy inrecent months with a series of hoist rescues throughout the region, where afour-man team flies to an often remote location to rescue a stranded victim andhoist them out of the area.

The team is frequently dispatched to certain popular areas, including the DeepCreek Hot Springs and the Aztec Falls, to rescue lost or injured hikers. Whilethis is fairly common for the time of year, an apparent uptick in rescues led tothe Daily Press looking closer into the issue. Here’s what we found:

Rescues cost money — but save more in the long run

The air rescue team gets deployed to an average of 50 to 70 hoist rescue calls ayear, as well as assisting in search-and-rescue calls. Just this year, the team hascompleted 34 hoist rescues, 14 of which were in the Deep Creek area, accordingto statistics provided by Aviation Division Corporal Mike Ells.

These rescues typically take up an hour of flight time, which Ells said costtaxpayers about $2,500 on average. This effectively means about $85,000 hasbeen spent on the 34 hoist rescues completed this year. These numbers mightmake one think that it could be easier, and cheaper for taxpayers, to simply senda team in on foot.

Hoist hazards: Lack of preparation often keyfactor in rescue situations

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Ells, however, argues that the cost of an average hoist rescue is offset by themanpower saved.

“In Mount Baldy, for example, it can sometimes take hours to get someone out ofthere hiking,” Ells said. “With us, we can get them out in 10 to 15 minutes. (Ahoist rescue) doesn’t pull manpower from other areas to help.”

Apart from saving time and resources, hoist rescues can lead to fewer or lesssevere injuries from a fall. Ells mentioned how in Aztec Falls, it can take a teamof 10 to 15 people an hour to hike in and carry the person out. If the person isinjured, it takes more time to drive them to a hospital, which can be risky forboth rescuers and the injured hiker.

“If a person is in bad shape, the faster they can get to the hospital, the better,” Ellssaid. “And you take a really good chance of the rescuers getting injuredthemselves, so it’s just easier to hoist them out.”

Preparation is key

Ells has been in the Sheriff’s Aviation Division for over 15 years, frequentlyparticipating in hoist rescues. His time with the team has led him to experiencevarious types of rescues, from a lost hiker who needs a little help in remoteterrain to more extreme examples.

“There was a guy we once rescued that had been out in the Deep Creek HotSprings for four days in the winter,” Ells said. He mentioned the man’s clothesremained wet from snowfall during that period, which illustrated a larger point— the need for preparation.

Ells spoke about the various factors leading to a hoist rescue, such as a persongetting lost or being injured with a fall. Most rescues, however, are simply due toa lack of preparation — especially in Deep Creek, where summertimetemperatures can easily reach triple digits.

“We see a lot of heat injuries and heat exhaustion at the hot springs. That hikecan be a little rough, especially when it’s over 100 degrees out,” Ells said. “Manytimes, hikers just don’t bring enough water or don’t know the area well enough.They don’t prepare for the hike in and hike out.”

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Hazards do exist — Ells mentioned how injuries from falls tend to increaseduring summer months, when water levels at Deep Creek begin to decline. Butmost of the hoist rescues, which Ells said typically involve people who areunfamiliar with the area, could be avoided with a little extra work beforehand.

“Check the weather. Weather is a factor with us all the time,” Ells said. “Andknow the area. Research the area you’re going to. Bring extra clothes, extra waterand food, and make sure you let family or loved ones know where you are.”

Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or PBaker@VVDailyPress.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.

8/17/2017 Sheriff’s helicopter plucks Mount Baldy hiker who made a wrong turn

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Sheriff’s helicopter plucks Mount Baldy hiker who made a wrong turn

By Gail Wesson, The Press-Enterprise

Thursday, August 17, 2017

A 26-year-old Garden Grove man used his cell phone to call for help after he made a wrong turn off a MountBaldy trail Monday afternoon, Aug. 14, according a San Bernardino Sheriff’s news release.

High winds prevented a sheriff’s aviation division helicopter from picking up Steven Le due to high winds.

Members of the West Valley Search and Rescue team were activated, and found poor lighting and extremelydifficult terrain prevented them from hiking Le out so they spent the night in Goode Canyon.

Then Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s rescue helicopter safely hoisted Le and the team members off the mountain.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170817/sheriffs-helicopter-plucks-mount-baldy-hiker-who-made-a-wrong-turn

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

8/17/2017 Joshua Tree National Park celebrates global recognition for dark skies - Hi-Desert Star: News

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Joshua Tree National Park celebrates globalrecognition for dark skiesBy Leah Sanson, Hi-Desert Star | Posted: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 9:43 pm

JOSHUA TREE — A crowd of over 100 people gathered atthe Bell Center at Copper Mountain College Saturday tocelebrate Joshua Tree National Park’s designation as anInternational Dark Sky Park.

The night included speakers Tom O’Key, park RangerMarker Marshall, county Supervisor James Ramos andphotographer Wally Pacholka.

“I am happy to be here on behalf of San Bernardino County,”Ramos said.

“Being able to preserve areas like this has been reallyheartfelt throughout my district,” said Ramos. “Kids growingup in San Bernardino County need to know that places likethese exist.”

“We need to preserve land like this and our dark skies so that future generations know where they camefrom,” Ramos said.

Pacholka, who is a three-time Time Life “Picture of the Year” photographer, gave a well-illustratedpresentation of the starry night skies throughout the United States, which featured pictures from nationalparks across the country.

“I’ve been coming here for 50 years,” Pacholka said.

The park was designated as a silver tier park by the International Dark-Sky Association, meaning itpossesses “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that isspecifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment.”

“This is super exciting,” David Smith, superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park, said. “Luke Sabala hasspent over seven years pulling this together.”

Sabala, who is the park’s physical scientist, was instrumental in the recent designation.

“We think a lot of visitors come for the trees that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book and for rocksthat you can stick to like Velcro, but many come for their love of the night skies,” Smith said.

“There is nothing more magical than to leave the hustle and bustle of Southern California after a busy week,come into the park, and take in the gift of dark skies. Camping in the backcountry of Joshua Tree, you canwatch the Milky Way overhead. For so many of our visitors, national parks are where they come to discoverthe night.”

Celebrating dark skies

Those who played a key role in thedesignation of Joshua Tree National Park asa Dark Sky Association Park with thecertificate on Saturday night.

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After the ceremony, guests traveled into the park and to Sky’s the Limit Observatory to watch the PerseidMeteor Shower.

Joshua Tree National Park is considered a jewel among the Dark Skies Parks because of the preservation ofthe night sky despite its proximity to large cities, O’Key said.

“It pays you when you turn off a light,” O’Key said. “But it’s going to take the entire community to lightresponsibly.”

O’Key reminded the audience of ways they can help with light pollution, like having timers on outsidelights, making sure they’re not illuminating unnecessary objects and making sure they have a cover on thetop so light doesn’t spill into the sky.

Smith said the park will be working toward a gold designation next.

To achieve the gold tier, improvements to lighting will have to be made not just in the Morongo Basin northof the park, but also in the Coachella Valley to the west and south.

8/17/2017 Upland massage parlors busted in human trafficking operation

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Upland massage parlors busted in human trafficking operation

By Doug Saunders, San Bernardino Sun

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Four people were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking Wednesday when police raided an Upland massageparlor.

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security and Upland Police officers went undercover at severalmassage therapy businesses in the city.

The operation netted the arrests of Aura A. Renzu-Vasquez, 31, of San Bernardino; Ivette Serrano, 51, ofSouthgate; Maria Gonzalez, 39, of Montebello and Esmaranda Miranda, 34 of Riverside according to an UplandPolice news release.

Police say these people are suspected in a criminal network of human trafficking and prostitution.

The joint task force anticipate additional arrests in the near future.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 909-946-7624, Ext. 3363.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170816/upland-massage-parlors-busted-in-human-trafficking-operation

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

8/17/2017 AAE mourns sudden death of beloved second-grade teacher

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By Charity Lindsey Staff Writer Posted Aug 16, 2017 at 2:57 PMUpdated Aug 16, 2017 at 9:16 PM

APPLE VALLEY — A second-grade teacher at the Academy for AcademicExcellence died suddenly on Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency oncampus, school officials said.

Michelle Dale, 39, was found collapsed in her classroom and was transported to alocal hospital, where emergency personnel were unable to resuscitate her,according to Lisa Lamb, the CEO of the Lewis Center for Educational Research.

“It was after school. Students were dismissed for the day,” Lamb said.

Apple Valley Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Buddy Peratt told the DailyPress that emergency personnel responded to a medical aid call at 3:47 p.m. andfound an off-duty firefighter performing CPR on Dale when they arrived.

“We continued advanced life support measures on the patient and transportedher to (St. Joseph Health) St. Marys, but unfortunately she was pronounceddeceased,” Peratt said.

Dale, a High Desert resident, worked as a kindergarten aide before becoming asecond-grade teacher at AAE, where she worked for six years and was“absolutely loved by everybody,” Lamb said.

“Michelle was a beloved teacher who positively impacted hundreds of students’lives,” Lamb said. “She was one of those people who made everybody feelspecial.”

Peratt called it a “huge blow to our community,” noting that many of AVFPD’sfirefighters have kids who attend AAE.

AAE mourns sudden death of beloved second-grade teacher

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“Our hearts are broken for her family, the school and the community,” Perattsaid. “It’s a terrible loss.”

The school will have grief counselors on campus to support students, staff andfamilies.

“They’ll be here on site all week and there will be ongoing support for those whoneed it,” Lamb said. “We ask for privacy for her family and friends during thistime of grief.”

Charity Lindsey may be contacted at clindsey@vvdailypress.com or 760-951-

6245. Follow her on Twitter @DP_Charity.

8/16/2017 Discussions on Mt. Vernon bridge improvements underway - Inland Empire Community Newspapers

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Discussions on Mt. Vernon bridge improvementsunderway

Promises have been made before to make improvements to Mt. Vernon Street bridge, but

some San Bernardino residents and business owners say they’d have to “see it to believe it.”

“It’s been brought up a lot in recent years,” opined Mitla Restaurant manager Steve Oquendo.

“Yet, it’s never been done.”

San Bernardino County Transportation Authority officials have confirmed that they are

currently in the planning stages of transforming the bridge from a cracking, crumbling

overpass into a sturdy, reliable structure. They are receiving ample support from the California

Transportation Commission (Caltrans), Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and state and local

leaders to launch the project.

Construction is slated to begin in 2020, although state leaders are hoping to speed up the

rebuilding process.

By Anthony Victoria - August 16, 2017

Photo/Anthony Victoria: The Mt. Vernon Bridge, originally built in 1934, is quickly deteriorating from underneath and is in need ofimprovements. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, with the help of local and state agencies, are aiming tobegin construction of the bridge by 2020. They are the beginning stages of planning the bridge's improvements, according toPaula Beauchamp.

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SBCTA officials say they are encouraging the community to address their questions and

concerns to help them better understand how to move forward with reconstruction.

“We learn from residents to help guide our projects,” expressed SBCTA Project Lead Paula

Beauchamp. “We know how important this bridge is to the people of San Bernardino.”

The Mt. Vernon Avenue viaduct, first opened in 1934, experiences many problems and poses a

potential danger to motorists and pedestrians. It’s considered an obsolete and deficient

structure by Caltrans and has been closed several times due to structural cracking. The City of

San Bernardino voted almost a decade ago to prohibit commercial vehicles from travelling

through the viaduct.

Jenny Becerra, who lives in San Bernardino and works at the Esperanza Market on 5th Street,

said she wasn’t aware local leaders were focusing on fixing the bridge. However, she believes

it’s the right time to take action.

“Sometimes I’m afraid to drive over the bridge because it feels unstable and unsafe,” Becerra

explained. “I think fixing it will provide more security for drivers and residents walking

through. It will show people that our leadership does care about our problems.”

Leaders will have to spend $135 million to make improvements to the bridge, Beauchamp

confirmed. About $95 million will be provided by the state, $30 million by BNSF, and about

$10 million by the City of San Bernardino.

Beauchamp confirmed her agency intends to maintain the bridge’s historic features. Yet, the

bridge will be lengthened and widened, which may have an impact on surrounding businesses

and residents.

Despite the inconvenience the bridge’s reconstruction may bring, Assemblywoman Eloise

Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace) believes it’s well worth it. She’s worked with Governor Jerry

Brown and Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) to expedite the viaduct’s improvements

and is confident she has the support of city and county transportation officials.

“The community and businesses that occupy the Mt. Vernon area cannot afford to be cut off

from the rest of San Bernardino,” Reyes said. “At this pace the bridge will not be usable by the

time construction starts.”

8/16/2017 Discussions on Mt. Vernon bridge improvements underway - Inland Empire Community Newspapers

http://iecn.com/discussions-mt-vernon-bridge-improvements-underway/ 3/3

Oquendo believes the bridge’s temporary closing will have a negative impact on his business.

“Seventy five to eighty percent of our customers are coming south from Colton,” explained

Oquendo. “The bridge is their connection to the westside. If you put an obstacle in front of

someone, they’re going to go somewhere else. It’s just human nature.”

Nevertheless, Oquendo believes the improvement of the bridge will help boost morale on the

westside.

“I think it’s needed,” he said. “Once it’s done it will benefit our community.”

Anthony Victoria

Anthony Victoria is the Community News Editor for El Chicano and Colton Courier. For news leads, he can be

reached at his office: (909) 381-9898 ext. 208 or via email: victoriaanthony91@gmail.com

8/17/2017 Congressman Issa joins effort to get “Made In USA” label back on Ontario company’s Maglite flashlights

http://www.dailybulletin.com/business/20170816/congressman-issa-joins-effort-to-get-made-in-usa-label-back-on-ontario-companys-maglite-flashlights… 1/2

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Congressman Issa joins effort to get “Made In USA” label back on Ontario company’sMaglite flashlights

By Jim Steinberg, San Bernardino Sun

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

ONTARIO >> Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Vista, has joined the fightto allow Ontario-based Mag Instrument Inc. to return the “Made inUSA” phrase to its line of Maglite brand flashlights.

After visiting the company’s south Ontario headquarters Tuesday, andtouring several of its manufacturing lines, Issa said he plans tointroduce House legislation that would create a national standard foruse of the phrase which would supercede state standards.

“When you are making all this here,” Issa said, during a tour of thefacility that makes the aluminum tubing for Maglite flashlights, “you

are truly seeing something that doesn’t happen that much in the U.S. anymore.”

When Issa introduces his legislation, something he said would happen either later this week or next week, it willjoin a similar legislative effort in the Senate, S.B. 118, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, earlier this year.

California is the only state to have a standard for “Made in USA”, a law created more than 50 years ago, Issasaid. He quipped that Maglite could say it is “Made in USA” everywhere but California.

The California law, which requires 95 percent of products be made in the USA to be able to advertise as such,was a “sleeper” until plaintiff’s lawyers discovered it in the early 2000s, said Jerrold B. Reilly, Mag Instrumentcorporate counsel.

After attorneys’ won a $14 million judgement against an Oregon manufacturer, selling its product in California,Maglite discontinued using the “Made in USA” label in 2004, said Jim Zecchini, a Mag Instrument vicepresident.

The Federal Trade Commission regulations have been interpreted to mean that it can advertise being “Made inUSA” or “Made in America” if a substantial part of its product is of domestic origin, Reilly said.

Studies have shown that seven out of ten Americans would likely buy domestically made products, Zecchinisaid.

“But they have to know it’s made in America,” said Anthony Maglica, founder and president of Mag Instrument.

For some product lines, just two parts keep Maglites from wearing the coveted “Made in USA” label inCalifornia, an “O” ring and a tiny chip to control when the flashlight goes from a steady beam to a strobe.

Both pieces can be bought for pennies each overseas and are not made domestically, Maglica said.

To make them in the U.S. would make Maglites more expensive, he said.

8/17/2017 Congressman Issa joins effort to get “Made In USA” label back on Ontario company’s Maglite flashlights

http://www.dailybulletin.com/business/20170816/congressman-issa-joins-effort-to-get-made-in-usa-label-back-on-ontario-companys-maglite-flashlights… 2/2

Maglite is the last domestic flashlight company standing on the shelves of the giant super retailers, but it can’ttell potential customers it isn’t made in China, Maglica said.

The loss of that marketing edge is a major reason Maglite’s Ontario employment has plummeted from 1,200 to400, Maglica said.

Even the military isn’t using products with 100 percent American parts anymore, Issa said.

Because Maglite makes the machinery that is used in its manufacturing process, Issa said he is worried ifcompanies like this don’t survive, America will be at a tremendous disadvantage in a global war.

Those skills will have left to nations likely unfriendly, he said.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/business/20170816/congressman-issa-joins-effort-to-get-made-in-usa-label-back-on-ontario-companys-maglite-flashlights

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

8/17/2017 Case of severely injured puppy in San Bernardino investigated by District Attorney’s Office

http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170816/case-of-severely-injured-puppy-in-san-bernardino-investigated-by-district-attorneys-office&title=&templ… 1/1

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Case of severely injured puppy in San Bernardino investigated by District Attorney’sOffice

By Ali Tadayon, The Press-Enterprise

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Animal CrueltyProsecution Unit is investigating the discovery of a severely injuredpuppy in San Bernardino.

No arrests have been made in the incident, said District Attorney’sOffice spokesman Christopher Lee on Wednesday.

San Bernardino police Lt. Michael Madden said police could notfigure out where the puppy had been injured or whether it had beenabused or possibly hit by a car.

The 4-month-old Labrador was found with acid burns, an infection inone of its eyes and a jaw that was fractured in multiple places, according to San Bernardino-based animal rescuePoochmatch president and founder Lydia Savala.

A good Samaritan found the dog Aug. 8 at the Monterey Elementary School campus at 794 Monterey Ave.,Savala said.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170816/case-of-severely-injured-puppy-in-san-bernardino-investigated-by-district-attorneys-office

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

8/17/2017 Man falls off crane, dies, at port after chase in SUV stolen from San Bernardino dealer – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/16/man-climbs-crane-at-port-of-los-angeles-after-chase-in-suv-stolen-from-san-bernardino-dealer/?utm_source=… 1/4

By STAFF REPORT | Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: August 16, 2017 at 8:13 pm | UPDATED: August 16, 2017 at 10:59 pm

A man being pursued at the Port of Los Angeles (Credit NBC4 Los Angeles)

A man who climbed a huge crane at the Port of Los Angeles a�er he jumped from

a stolen SUV at the end of a lengthy police chase fell to his death late Wednesday.

A�er an hours-long standoff, TV news reports showed the man had fallen to his

death about 9:20 p.m.

NEWSCRIME

Man falls off crane, dies, at portafter chase in SUV stolen fromSan Bernardino dealer

8/17/2017 Man falls off crane, dies, at port after chase in SUV stolen from San Bernardino dealer – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/16/man-climbs-crane-at-port-of-los-angeles-after-chase-in-suv-stolen-from-san-bernardino-dealer/?utm_source=… 2/4

Earlier, the man had removed all of his clothing while perched atop crane 87,

which skies more than 100 feet high inside the West Basin Shipping Terminal. The

port terminal was evacuated and shut down shortly a�er the man drove through a

security gate at the entrance to the terminal, said Port of Los Angeles spokesman

Phillip San�eld.

The vehicle was �rst spotted by LAPD of�cers in the Wilshire Division. The chase

came through Torrance on Hawthorne Boulevard; Torrance police spotted him at

238th Street and gave chase south over the Palos Verdes Peninsula at high speed

toward the ocean.

Torrance police called off the chase due to dangerous conditions. Long Beach

police picked him up in their city and the chase moved through the city, returning

through Wilmington into San Pedro and ultimately into the Port of Los Angeles

complex.

The man, wearing a Kobe Bryant No. 8 Jersey, was seen on television driving up

and down the cargo terminal as dockworkers looked on.

He then got out of the SUV – it was seen rolling away – and began climbing a large

crane, at one point passing two workers on the way up. San�eld said the man is

sitting on a crane that is 120 feet above the water.

The SUV was reported stolen from a San Bernardino dealership Wednesday

morning.

“It was stolen from Mitsubishi of San Bernardino this morning around 10:30,” San

Bernardino Police Lt. Mike Madden said. “It is a new car. The suspect somehow

got the key and just drove off in the car.”

Madden said police don’t believe any force was used when the vehicle was taken.

“We were never in pursuit of it,” he said. “It had a tracking device alerting

authorities to it’s whereabouts.”

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Staff report

Tags:  Top Stories OCR, Top Stories PE

8/17/2017 San Bernardino river bottom fire in quickly surrounded; 1 arrested

http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170816/san-bernardino-river-bottom-fire-in-quickly-surrounded-1-arrested&template=printart 1/1

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

San Bernardino river bottom fire in quickly surrounded; 1 arrested

By Doug Saunders, The Sun

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> One person was arrested after firefighters responded to a vegetation fire in the bottomof the Santa Ana river on the outskirts of the city Wednesday.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. firefighters raced to Hospitality and Hunts lanes for a report of a brush fire.

They quickly surrounded the blaze with hose lines and put the fire out, officials announced on Twitter.

One person was arrested, but details were limited at the time of this report.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170816/san-bernardino-river-bottom-fire-in-quickly-surrounded-1-arrested

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

8/17/2017 Rent burden in Los Angeles, Orange County ranked nation’s worst; Inland Empire 17th highest

http://www.sbsun.com/business/20170816/rent-burden-in-los-angeles-orange-county-ranked-nations-worst-inland-empire-17th-highest&template=printart 1/1

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Rent burden in Los Angeles, Orange County ranked nation’s worst; Inland Empire 17thhighest

By Jonathan Lansner

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The rent check hurts in Southern California.

The typical renter in Los Angeles and Orange counties started 2017paying the nation’s biggest slice of their household income to thelandlord, while Inland Empire tenants had the 17th highest rentburden.

That’s according to online property tracker Zillow’s measurement ofrent affordability. These analysts compare local rents with typicalwages. I tossed their data into my trusty spreadsheet to find howfinancially challenging it is to live in Southern California.

By Zillow’s math, L.A.-O.C. rental expenses ate up 48.7 percent of a household’s budget in the first quarter.That’s up from 47.8 percent at 2016’s start. In the Riverside and San Bernardino counties, 36.1 percent ofincome was spent on rent in the first quarter, flat in a year.

Nationally, rents equaled 29.1 percent of income at the start of 2017 vs. 29.6 percent a year ago.

Renting locally has long been expensive compared to elsewhere in the nation, but it wasn’t always among thepriciest.

From 1985 to 1999, L.A.-O.C.’s rent slice of income averaged 36.2 percent, only 23rd highest among 317 U.S.markets tracked. Inland Empire renters paid 32.7 percent of their income to landlords, 52nd highest.

But since the Great Recession ended in 2010, the rent burden has risen dramatically in Southern California as aneconomic revival created a wave of jobs but not enough apartment construction. New renters chased too fewvacant units, which pushed up rents. As a result, L.A.-O.C. tenants had the nation’s largest average rent burdensince 2010; the Inland Empire ranked 16th.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/business/20170816/rent-burden-in-los-angeles-orange-county-ranked-nations-worst-inland-empire-17th-highest

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

8/17/2017 nbcnews.com

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/van-hits-pedestrians-barcelona-n793506 1/2

BREAKING NEWS AUG 17 2017, 11:48 AM ET

Van Hits Pedestrians in Barcelona Causing MultipleInjuriesby TOM WINTER, ALEXANDER SMITH and JON SCHUPPE

Several people were hurt Thursday in Barcelona when a van struck pedestrians in the city's LasRamblas section, police said.

Police said it wasn't clear whether the collision was accidental or intentional. There have been anumber of terror-related car attacks in Europe in recent months.

Police respond at an incident in Barcelona. Jordi Sans

Authorities in Barcelona are asking people to avoid the Ramblas area, which is popular with tourists.

Rachel Mersky, a product designer from Oakland, California, told NBC News she was walking in thearea and heard a commotion. "Suddenly everyone starts screaming and running and falling over eachother and crying, so clearly I started running too," she said.

8/17/2017 nbcnews.com

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/van-hits-pedestrians-barcelona-n793506 2/2

People lay on the ground after a van hit pedestrians in Barcelona. @silvipirata via Twitter

She said she followed police closer to the scene but it had been blocked off by then.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

8/17/2017 Billions in new spending for housing, water, parks and more could be on the 2018 ballot - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-housing-water-parks-loans-ballot-20170817-htmlstory.html 1/4

Billions in new spending for housing, water, parksand more could be on the 2018 ballot

By Liam Dillon

AUGUST 17, 2017, 12:05 AM | REPORTING FROM SACRAMENTO

Californians could vote on billions of dollars in new spending for low-incomehousing developments and water and parks improvements next year.

Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers are considering five proposals that wouldfinance new homes for low-income residents, build parks in neighborhoodswithout them and restore rivers, streams and creeks among dozens of otherprojects. The Legislature is likely to decide how much money would be borrowedand where it would be spent before it adjourns for the year in mid-September — adebate that legislative leaders say is pressing.

“We know that housing is such a major crisis up and down the state of California,”Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) said. “The issue ofaging infrastructure goes hand in hand. We need to strike while the iron is hot.”

Voters have long backed bond financing, which allows the state immediately tospend more money than is otherwise available and pay back the debt with interestover time. Over the last four decades, California voters have approved $164billion in bond spending while only rejecting $18 billion, according to thenonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

But statewide bond proposals have been relatively few in recent years, withBrown and others bemoaning California’s “wall of debt,” which rose substantiallyduring the economic recession and budget crisis as the state’s credit rating sunk.The governor supported a $7-billion water bond in 2014, but opposed last year’s$9-billion measure for school improvements, both of which were successful.

Brown is supporting bond spending in 2018. He’s announced that he’ll back alow-income housing bond as part of a package of measures to deal with thehousing affordability crisis.

8/17/2017 Billions in new spending for housing, water, parks and more could be on the 2018 ballot - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-housing-water-parks-loans-ballot-20170817-htmlstory.html 2/4

How much lawmakers will agree to spend on housing hasn’t been determined.The pending proposal calls for $3 billion to finance new construction of homes forlow-income residents and preserve existing units. But that amount of money willdo little to dent the state’s housing crisis and advocates want more.

State Treasurer John Chiang, who is running for governor, recently releasedprivate campaign polling that showed voters would be willing to support a $9-billion affordable-housing bond to build many more homes than could beconstructed under the bond currently in the Legislature.

“This is an opportunity to do something at a much larger scale,” Chiang said.

Housing is also competing with other major issues. De León has written a bondmeasure that would authorize nearly $4 billion in spending on water and parksimprovements. A second bond from Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), which focuses more on parks than De León’s plan, also is pending.

Two outside groups have put forward initiatives that propose much higherspending on water projects, and they’re influencing the debate at the Capitol.

One measure, which has support from agricultural interests, calls for $8.7 billionin boosts to water infrastructure through funding conservation, recycling andstorage projects as well as $200 million set aside for Oroville Dam repairs. Theother, which is backed by organizations including the Nature Conservancy andEnvironmental Defense Fund, would dedicate $7.9 billion to improving drinking-water quality, protecting water systems from the effects of climate change andimproving state and local parks. Supporters of both measures said they’d preferBrown and lawmakers agree to a plan with enough funding directed toward theirpreferred projects so that they could abandon their efforts. But they realize thereare many competing priorities and limited interest to endorse too much spendingin general.

“You can see a pretty big squeeze play going on there,” said Joe Caves, anenvironmental consultant and author of the Nature Conservancy’s preferredmeasure.

Brown, De León said, has agreed to support a water-and-parks bond in additionto one for housing. Brown’s office declined to comment.

8/17/2017 Billions in new spending for housing, water, parks and more could be on the 2018 ballot - LA Times

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$3.1 billion for parks improvements in Assembly Bill 18 by Assemblyman Eduardo

Garcia (D-Coachella)

$450 million for voting system improvements in Assembly Bill 668 by

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego)

$3 billion for low-income housing development in Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Jim Beall (D-

San Jose)

$3.8 billion for water and parks improvements in Senate Bill 5 by Senate President

Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles)

$500 million for Salton Sea improvements in Senate Bill 701 by Sen. Ben Hueso (D-

San Diego)

$7.9 billion for water improvements in a proposed initiative supported by groups

including the Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund

De León said his goal also is to agree to a bond package that would eliminate theneed for competing ballot initiatives.

“Negotiations are always fluid and dynamic,” De León said. “We’ve hadproductive conversations. We cannot work at cross-purposes with each other.”

Despite the focus on the big-ticket items, supporters of more limited spendingplans hope there’s enough room for them too.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla is pushing a $450-million bond that wouldupgrade voter systems across the state. Counties are relying on outdatedtechnology — one county, which was not named in a legislative analyst’s report,had to purchase replacement parts for its voting machines on EBay because themanufacturer doesn’t make them anymore — and the state needs to invest now innew technology and equipment to boost security and reliability, he said.

“If it doesn’t happen, it’s only a matter of time before the equipment itself beginsto fail at increasing rates,” Padilla said.

While Brown and lawmakers are expected to put some bond measures on the2018 ballot by the end of the legislative session, they still have plenty of time toadd more when legislators return in January.

The proposals for bond measures under consideration for the 2018 ballotare:

8/17/2017 Billions in new spending for housing, water, parks and more could be on the 2018 ballot - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-housing-water-parks-loans-ballot-20170817-htmlstory.html 4/4

$8.7 billion for water improvements in a proposed initiative from Gerald Meral, former

deputy director of the state Department of Water Resources

Support our journalism

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

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ALSO

State Senate bills aim to make homes more affordable, but they won'tspur nearly enough construction

California voters could be asked to borrow $450 million for updatingaging elections systems

Political Road Map: Gov. Jerry Brown's wall of debt has crumbled, butthere are more walls behind it

Updates on California politics

8/17/2017 California confronts its Confederate past as monuments are abruptly removed - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-confederate-hollywood-20170816-story.html 1/4

T

California confronts its Confederate past asmonuments are abruptly removed

By Esmeralda Bermudez, Corina Knoll and Anh Do

AUGUST 16, 2017, 4:25 PM

he backhoe crept into the graveyard as the city lay still.

It had come for the six-foot granite monument with the bronze plaque, a salute to the Confederate

Army veterans interred below.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery had housed the marker since 1925, but the recent events in Charlottesville, Va.,

had sparked phone calls, emails and social media rants calling for its removal. An online petition circulated.

Vandalism threats were made. By Tuesday, the word “No” had been written across the monument in black. The

staff of a generally beloved institution was overwhelmed; the monument owners uneasy.

And so at 3 a.m. Wednesday, the monument aged with a green patina was excavated, covered with a blue tarp

and carted away in a pickup, a patch of fresh sod patted into its place.

A Confederate memorial has been removed from Hollywood Forever Cemetery. (Kevin Waite / Special to The Times)

8/17/2017 California confronts its Confederate past as monuments are abruptly removed - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-confederate-hollywood-20170816-story.html 2/4

Sitting far from the battlefields of the Civil War, California is often viewed as a region far removed from that

era. But historians say racism ran rampant through the state and that the emancipation proclamation was

widely unpopular. There also were high-profile legislators who spoke in support of slavery or slipped off to fight

for the Confederacy and found a significant number of supporters.

California remained a Union state during the war. But Southern California was a “hotbed” of Confederate

sympathizers, many of whom had migrated west from Texas and Kentucky, and boasted a Confederate

newspaper, said Glenna Matthews, author of “The Golden State in the Civil War.”

“In some ways, Los Angeles was a militarized town in order to keep the Union in control, because a lot of the

local politicians supported the Confederacy,” she said.

For those who go looking, there are Confederate tributes scattered across the state. In recent years, those

symbols have been up for debate, with many calling the tributes heralds of racism, while others argue that they

help preserve the past.

Around the same time that Hollywood Forever removed its Confederate memorial, a similar ritual was

underway in downtown San Diego.

The city quietly removed a plaque honoring Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, which for

decades sat at Horton Plaza.

“San Diegans stand together against Confederate symbols of division,” Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in

announcing the move.

California has been grappling with uncomfortable symbols of past racism and cruelty for years.

In 2009, officials changed the name of Malibu’s Negrohead Mountain (which was itself a 1960s refinement of

the N-word that formed its original name). The peak, an unlikely memorial to a former slave, was renamed

John Ballard Mountain.

In 2014, California adopted a law banning the display or sale of merchandise with the Confederate flag on it.

The next year, activists pressured the Long Beach Unified School District to change the name of Robert E. Lee

Elementary weeks after a young man who had posed with the Confederate flag in photos fatally shot nine black

men and women in Charleston, S.C.

A year later, the school board voted the campus would no longer be the namesake of a Confederate general, but

that of Olivia Herrera, a woman who founded a nonprofit that serves impoverished neighborhoods. Around the

same time, a school in San Diego named after Lee was also given a new moniker.

Though debates about homages to Confederate leaders are far from new, tensions have deepened since the

white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, where a counter-protester was killed. The rally was planned in protest

8/17/2017 California confronts its Confederate past as monuments are abruptly removed - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-confederate-hollywood-20170816-story.html 3/4

of the removal of a statue of Lee.

Such tributes smack of racism and need to go, many say. But others argue there is validity in both preserving

the past and honoring the fallen.

Patrons of Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, where about 300 Civil War veterans are buried, including

some Confederates, worry that the outrage against such symbols is misplaced.

"Where do you stop? Where do you draw the line?" asked La Habra resident Ebbe Rosendahl, who arrived

Wednesday to tour the antique headstones. "It doesn't erase the past if you want these monuments gone. You

want to learn from the past. If people don't see it, how can they remember if mistakes were made?"

The 52-year-old was curious about California’s Civil War connection, which he had heard little about.

"I feel history should be alive and breathing,” Rosendahl said. “Why would we hide what happened? We're told

that George Washington was a slave owner. If that's the case, why are his statues and tributes still everywhere?"

The group that owns the Confederate monument that once stood at Hollywood Forever said it does not condone

violence, slavery or white supremacy. The marker was merely a show of respect for people who had died. The

group said it felt forced into removing the grave marker so that it would not be defaced or cause problems for

the cemetery.

“We really think that anything to do with a cemetery has to be respected,” said Scarlett Stahl, president of the

California division of United Daughters of the Confederacy. “It’s shocking to me that this would happen in the

United States of America. There is an awful lot of hatred being displayed throughout the country on both sides.

I’m uncomfortable. I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way in the United States. It’s very surreal.”

For now, the monument will be kept in storage. If the group decides to return it to the cemetery, officials will

consult with the state Department of Consumer Affairs and local police to follow necessary regulations, a

cemetery spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, hours after the monument was removed, the grounds of the cemetery were nearly empty, with

only security and police standing by in case of protesters. They never appeared. The remains of at least 37

Confederate veterans and their families remained undisturbed.

esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com

corina.knoll@latimes.com

anh.do@latimes.com

Times staff writers Veronica Rocha and Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

ALSO

8/17/2017 Climate Lessons from California - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/opinion/california-climate-snow-heat-trump.html?_r=0 1/3

https://nyti.ms/2vFLZhZ

The Opinion Pages | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Climate Lessons from CaliforniaBy NOAH S. DIFFENBAUGH AUG. 17, 2017

Stanford, Calif. — California faces serious risks from climate change. Some arealready being felt, like the severe heat this summer and recent episodes of extremelylow snowpack in the mountains, which the state depends on for much of its water.Those are among the key messages in a new climate science report now under reviewin the White House. The good news is that California has been working hard to catchup with the climate change that has already happened, and to get ahead of what isstill to come.

The past five years have painted a clear picture of what is in store for California,according to numerous scientific studies that underpin the new assessment: Risingtemperatures will bring more frequent and severe hot spells, intensifying heat stress;more precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow, increasing storm water runoff;snow that does fall will melt earlier in the year, leaving less for the warm, dry season;and more moisture will be drawn out of soils and vegetation, increasing stress oncrops and ecosystems. All of this will lead to more frequent and severe water deficits,punctuated by wet periods with increasing flood risk.

Add rising sea levels, more extensive flooding during storm surges and theacidification of the coastal ocean, and California faces a phalanx of climate-relateddangers to human health, agriculture, industry, economic productivity, andterrestrial and marine ecosystems.

8/17/2017 Climate Lessons from California - The New York Times

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As the new report makes clear, California is not the only state facing such risks.However, California has been particularly ambitious in its efforts to reducegreenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience in the face of climate changeuncertainty. The state’s hard work over the past two decades has yielded severallessons for cities, states and countries that face intensifying climate-related stresses.

The first is that it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also enjoyinga thriving economy. Since 2001, California’s economy has grown, while itsgreenhouse gas emissions have fallen. The state recently renewed its landmark cap-and-trade program, which limits total statewide emissions while allowing amarketplace to determine the price polluters must pay. The goal is to reducegreenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

This goal is ambitious and provides a powerful example for those seeking tosimultaneously create jobs, stimulate innovation and reduce emissions. But thereduction still won’t be enough to stabilize the climate. That will require bringingglobal greenhouse gas emissions effectively down to zero, so still greater reductionswill be needed to meet the United Nations targets.

The second lesson is that adapting to climate change requires understandinghow the climate is changing. California has mandated regular scientific assessmentsof historical changes and possible future trajectories. This scientific process hasyielded deep insights about the nature of what’s happening in California. And thoseinsights have provided a foundation for decision making, like incorporating trends intemperature, snowpack and runoff into managing the state’s crucial groundwaterreserves, and the planning and operation of its infrastructure.

In contrast to the obfuscation and denial about climate science by the Trumpadministration and much of the Republican congressional caucus, California hasinvested heavily in understanding climate change and in finding “climate-smart”solutions that can create jobs, improve energy efficiency and decrease emissions,while also building resilience to the climate change that has happened and to a rangeof possible future outcomes.

The third lesson is that, despite all of the progress, we need to work harder toensure equity and justice for all residents in the face of a changing climate. It is well

8/17/2017 Climate Lessons from California - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/opinion/california-climate-snow-heat-trump.html?_r=0 3/3

documented that poverty increases vulnerability to climate-related stresses. For

example, during severe heat events, those who cannot afford air-conditioning or whomust labor outdoors are considerably more vulnerable than those who have access toindoor air-conditioning. Likewise, during the recent drought, thousands ofCalifornians suffered without running water for months, highlighting the severeinequality and associated vulnerability in the state. The government has sharpenedits focus on ensuring that revenues from the cap-and-trade program benefitdisadvantaged communities, but environmental justice remains a critical concern.

The United States recently officially informed the United Nations that it plans towithdraw from the Paris climate agreement, as President Trump vowed to do. Hisrejection of climate science and the international community’s efforts to address theintensifying risks of global warming stands in stark contrast to the extensivescientific evidence that climate change is now being felt across America.

In response to President Trump’s abdication of international climate leadership,many states, cities and corporations are searching for ways to fill the void. Californiaoffers lessons of what has worked, and what is still left to be done.

Noah S. Diffenbaugh is a professor of earth system science at Stanford.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion),and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

A version of this op-ed appears in print on August 17, 2017, on Page A23 of the New York edition with theheadline: California’s Climate Lessons.

© 2017 The New York Times Company

8/17/2017 UCSD researcher says Breitbart misused his study on refugees and TB - The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-refugees-tuberculosis-20170816-story.html 1/3

A

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UCSD researcher says Breitbart misused hisstudy on refugees and TB

By Kate Morrissey

AUGUST 16, 2017, 4:40 PM

San Diego researcher said a recent Breitbart article on Starbucks’ push to hire refugees misused data

from his study to promote fear of tuberculosis in the county’s new arrivals.

Starbucks held a hiring event last week for refugees in El Cajon as part of the coffee chain’s commitment to hire

10,000 refugees in the next five years. The Breitbart article questioned whether Starbucks would screen its

refugee hires for tuberculosis given what the article said was a “100 times greater” likelihood that a San Diego

County refugee would have active tuberculosis than the general U.S. population.

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This July 30, 2009 photo shows X-rays from a tuberculosis patient at A. G. Holley Hospital in Lantana, Fla. (Lynne Sladky / AP)

8/17/2017 UCSD researcher says Breitbart misused his study on refugees and TB - The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-refugees-tuberculosis-20170816-story.html 2/3

That math is wrong, according to Dr. Timothy Rodwell, a professor and physician at UC San Diego whose 2013

study Breitbart used in its calculations. It is impossible to determine the rate of active tuberculosis among San

Diego’s refugees from the information in the study, he said.

“That’s not something I would’ve written in an article,” Rodwell said over the phone. “It’s not an accurate use of

information.”

Tuberculosis is a bacteria infection that generally affects the lungs and is transmitted through the air when

someone with an active case coughs, sneezes or spits.

At 8.0 cases per 100,000 people, San Diego County as a whole had a higher rate of active tuberculosis in 2016

than the national average of 2.9 cases per 100,000 people, according to data from the county and the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. California is one of twelve states, including Alaska, Hawaii and Georgia,

whose rates were higher than the national average last year.

The majority of active tuberculosis cases last year, at 74 percent, occurred in San Diegans who were born

outside of the U.S., according to the county. Of those 189 cases, a little over half were from Asia, particularly

from the Philippines and Vietnam. About a third were from Mexico, and eight percent were from countries in

Africa.

The top five countries for refugee arrivals to San Diego County in 2016 were Iraq, Syria, the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Afghanistan, according to data from the State Department.

People can also have latent tuberculosis, meaning that they have a little of the bacteria in their bodies and they

are not contagious.

Refugees coming to the U.S. are screened overseas for tuberculosis within three weeks before their scheduled

flights if they have lived in a country where the CDC has determined the risk is high, according to the CDC.

Within 90 days of their arrivals in San Diego County, refugees are screened again through the Refugee Health

Assessment Program, which is run by Catholic Charities, a refugee resettlement agency, in partnership with UC

San Diego. In addition to refugees, the program screens asylum seekers and other new arrivals.

Refugees who have positive blood tests and chest x-rays are taken to a county health office for sputum tests,

according to Robert Moser, head of Catholic Charities in San Diego. If they are diagnosed with active

tuberculosis, the county follows a protocol to quarantine and medicate them. If they are found to have latent

tuberculosis, they are prescribed a 9-month medication that reduces the risk of becoming active cases.

“The general public doesn’t need to be concerned about getting something from a refugee,” Moser said.

An employer could screen for tuberculosis, according to Alor Calderon, director of the Employee Rights Center,

as many in the medical field do. Every employee would have to go through the screening, he said, because if an

employer screened only its refugee employees, that could be a case for discrimination.

8/17/2017 UCSD researcher says Breitbart misused his study on refugees and TB - The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-refugees-tuberculosis-20170816-story.html 3/3

Starbucks did not answer questions about whether it would screen for tuberculosis and reaffirmed its

commitment to hiring refugees. Its first focus, a spokeswoman said, is hiring those who helped the U.S. military

in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter

Copyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune

This article is related to: San Diego County, Iraq, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, El Cajon

8/17/2017 You're not the only one thinking about leaving L.A. because of rising rent prices - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-renters-los-angeles-20170816-story.html?89877 1/2

I

You're not the only one thinking about leavingL.A. because of rising rent prices

By Jack Flemming

AUGUST 16, 2017, 5:45 PM

t’s no secret that Los Angeles is expensive. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,340, a

4.8% increase from July of last year.

Now, it appears that renters’ pocketbooks can’t keep up with the soaring costs.

According to a study from Apartment List, 77% of renters in L.A. plan on settling down in a new city, compared

with the national average of 64%.

The study, which surveyed 24,000 renters, found that rising costs are the largest concern; 49% of renters in

L.A. cited affordability as their biggest reason for leaving. They also listed jobs (18%) and safety (11%) as factors

for moving.

Among those planning to skip town, Riverside and Phoenix were the top in-state and out-of-state destinations,

respectively.

Rising housing rates are pushing L.A. renters out of the area, a new study shows. (Melpomenem / Getty Images)

8/17/2017 You're not the only one thinking about leaving L.A. because of rising rent prices - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-renters-los-angeles-20170816-story.html?89877 2/2

However, don’t expect a mass exodus or less traffic during rush hour; renters in cities across the country are

considering a move west. Los Angeles ranks in the top three out-of-state destinations for renters in about 40%

of metro areas in the country, as people eye the city’s improving job market.

Visit and like the Hot Property Facebook page for more stories and updates throughout theweek. It’s also a fine place to leave a tip.

MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY:

John McVie's Brentwood home proves to be an instant hit

Actor Adam Sinclair poured on the charm and raked in the dough in Culver City

MLB free agent Coco Crisp clears a base in Rancho Mirage

Before and After: Canyon home opens itself up to a Zen sensibility

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

8/17/2017 Big public pensions keep piling up – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/16/big-public-pensions-keep-piling-up/ 1/4

By PRESS-ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL BOARD | Press-EnterpriseAugust 16, 2017 at 12:01 am

Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia

CalPERS headquarters at Lincoln Plaza in Sacramento.

OPINION

Big public pensions keep pilingup

8/17/2017 Big public pensions keep piling up – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/16/big-public-pensions-keep-piling-up/ 2/4

While politicians across California seem content to ignore the problem, both the

cost and excesses of public sector pensions continue to grow.

Last year, nearly 23,000 retired government workers receiving a pension through

the California Public Employees’ Retirement System collected pensions of at least

$100,000, according to watchdog group Transparent California.

The number of CalPERS pensioners in the $100K club has grown 63 percent since

2012. Santa Clara County, Oakland, Riverside County, Long Beach and Santa Ana

were the top �ve employers of CalPERS pensioners receiving pensions in excess

of $100,000.

There were 861 Santa Clara County retirees receiving $100K pensions, 523 from

Oakland, 469 from Riverside County, 360 from Long Beach and 270 from Santa

Ana.

Such revelations come as CalPERS and other pension systems downgrade their

long-term investment assumptions, which have remained unreasonably high,

resulting in underfunding by employees and government employers.

Factoring in pension systems in addition to CalPERS, Transparent California

reports nearly 53,000 public pensioners collected pensions of $100,000 or more

last year.

With cities, counties, school districts and the state now playing catch-up to fund

overly generous pension bene�ts, taxpayers are put in the unfortunate position of

paying more and getting less.

In the Inland Empire, Riverside County and the city of Riverside make the top 25

list of employers with retirees receiving $100,000 pensions, with the city’s 216

retirees in the $100K club putting it ninth.

With Riverside County in such dire �scal straits and the city just having passed a

$50 million-a-year sales tax, their rankings should come as no surprise. Topping

the list from both is former county executive of�cer David Parrish, who received a

more than $256,000 pension last year, and former �re chief Tedd Laycock, who

received nearly $211,000.

In San Bernardino County, the number of San Bernardino County Employees’

Retirement Association pensioners in that pension system’s $100K club stood at

770 last year. Former county counsel Ruth Stringer received $334,295 last year.

8/17/2017 Big public pensions keep piling up – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/16/big-public-pensions-keep-piling-up/ 3/4

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As long as politicians skirt the issue, we can expect pension burdens and excesses

to continue for many more years.

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