9/11/2017 Team doctor keeps athletes healthy: Robert Lovingood – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/team-doctor-keeps-athletes-healthy-robert-lovingood/ 1/3

By ROBERT A. LOVINGOOD |September 8, 2017 at 6:00 pm

San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert A. Lovingood holds a large placard as he presents it to Dr. Gabriel Stine, his choice for Vision2BActive“Action Hero” for the 1st District. (Courtesy photo)

He’s not a teacher, but he teaches kids about healthy living.

He’s not a coach, but he coaches kids to stay active and eat right.

For more than two decades, Dr. Gabriel Stine has made an impact on local students as sports doctor for High Desert high schools and

through his “Health Strong” program that focuses on health, wellness and exercise. Over the years, Dr. Stine, founder of Stine Chiropractic,

has also donated more than $300,000 to local school athletic programs.

One achievement he is most proud of is providing internships for students interested in the health sciences because several of them have

gone on to become chiropractors.

Stine’s long-standing and dedicated commitment to promoting physical �tness and well-being is why I chose him as my Vision2BActive

“Action Hero” representing San Bernardino County’s First District. The honor is part of the Vision2BActive campaign of the San Bernardino

Countywide Vision to improve health and wellness by encouraging residents to increase their physical activity and connecting them to

existing recreational programs, amenities and activities in their communities.

OPINION

Team doctor keeps athletes healthy: Robert Lovingood

9/11/2017 Team doctor keeps athletes healthy: Robert Lovingood – San Bernardino Sun

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Nearly 25 years ago, Dr. Stine began volunteering as team doctor for the Apple Valley High School football team. He and his staff

chiropractors provide the required physical exams for student athletes and enlist health occupation students to help. His program then

expanded to Granite Hills High School in Apple Valley and then to most of the middle schools and high schools in the High Desert. Dr.

Stine and his staff now serve as team doctors to Apple Valley, Granite Hills and Excelsior High Schools and attend to injured players during

games, saving the school district the cost of having an ambulance on site during games.

As a courtesy to athletes that do not have insurance that cover his services, he treats those in-season athletes at no charge, helping them to

�nish the season instead of being sidelined.

“I came up with the idea to donate the money back to the sports programs because even at that time a lot of the sports programs were

struggling because they didn’t have enough funding,” Dr. Stine said. “So we started at Apple Valley, then word got out to some of the middle

schools and high schools, and then the next thing you know, it kind of took off. And any given year, we probably had 10-15 schools we did

physicals for and then donated that money back to the schools.”

Frank Pulice, assistant principal of Apple Valley High School, was head football coach at the school from 2000 to 2015 and says the athletes

were fortunate to have a team doctor dedicated to working with them.

“He genuinely cares for each one as was evident by the fact he would not allow them to play unless they were healed enough and no

further injury was likely to occur,” Pulice said. “Dr. Stine’s donations every year went a long way in helping our program with much-needed

items.”

With the prevalence of childhood obesity, Dr. Stine also created “Health Strong,” an elementary school program that includes exercise,

talks about eating right, staying active and a healthy snack. A�er four years running, that program, too, has expanded to other schools,

with the help of co-sponsor Finish Line Tire and Automotive in Victorville.

With increasing awareness of the dangers of concussions, Dr. Stine coordinated the use of a concussion protocol smartphone app that

helps evaluate head injuries. Perhaps Dr. Stine’s proudest accomplishment is opening doors for students interested in health care

professions. Eight of his former student athletes have gone on to become doctors of chiropractic.

“That’s one of the things, more than all of this, that probably gives me the most pride — that we in�uenced these kids to the point that they

said, ‘I want to do this for my career,’” Dr. Stine said. “And they’ve gone on to become chiropractors.”

San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert A. Lovingood represents the First District. For more information, check out

Vision2BActive.com, an interactive resource that provides residents with information about physical activity events, �tness tips and a GIS

map featuring places to be active in the county.

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Robert A. Lovingood

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9/11/2017 Community, law enforcement work together to combat arson: James Ramos – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/community-law-enforcement-work-together-to-combat-arson-james-ramos/ 1/4

By JAMES RAMOS | |September 8, 2017 at 3:37 pm

Firefighters battle the Bryant Fire near Bryant and Hiway 38 near Yucaipa on Aug. 3,2017. (Staff photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/The Facts/SCNG)

OPINION

Community, law enforcementwork together to combat arson:James Ramos

9/11/2017 Community, law enforcement work together to combat arson: James Ramos – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/community-law-enforcement-work-together-to-combat-arson-james-ramos/ 2/4

This summer, San Bernardino County residents experienced the devastations of

multiple arson �res. Arson is a serious threat to our communities. It threatens

lives, structures and disrupts our economy. These deliberate �res unnecessarily

drain resources and place our public safety personnel at risk.

The County of San Bernardino does not take crimes of arson lightly and those

found guilty of such heinous acts will be held accountable to the fullest extent of

the law.

Through the collaboration of local and state agencies, last month alone we

successfully arrested two arsonists who were responsible for separately setting

eight �res each throughout our county. Some of these recent �res include the

Bryant Fire and Mart Fire that burned a sum of approximately 1,250 acres. These

�res caused injuries to our �re�ghters, spurred evacuations and cost millions of

dollars in response efforts.

Our public safety agencies worked diligently to identify and apprehend these

individuals but the community played a vital role as well. Through the tips

received from residents in the areas of these �res, law enforcement was able to

identify the arsonists more quickly and prevent any future �res by the hands of

these two criminals.

Please know how valuable your input is and continue to report any suspicious

activity you see. Let these individuals serve as example to anyone looking to cause

devastation in our communities. The residents of the County of San Bernardino

stand together with our public safety agencies to �ght crime and bring criminals

to justice.

On behalf of the residents in my district, I would like to thank Cal Fire, U.S. Forest

Service, the San Bernardino County Fire and Sheriff’s departments, the District

Attorney’s Of�ce, detectives from San Bernardino Police Department along with

our proactive residents for working together.

Call “We Tip” at 1-800-47-ARSON to report any suspicious activity.

San Bernardino County Supervisor James Ramos represents the Third District.

Tags:  Guest Commentary, Inland Empire

By Staff reportsPosted Sep 10, 2017 at 8:36 PMUpdated Sep 10, 2017 at 8:36 PM

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon vowedlast week that authorities were preparing to take downthe “worst of the worst” criminals in the High Desert andcountywide, seeking a reassuring tenor in wake of thespiking numbers of serious crimes that have plagued thedesert in 2017.

VICTORVILLE — San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon vowed lastweek that authorities were preparing to take down the “worst of the worst”criminals in the High Desert and countywide, seeking a reassuring tenor in wakeof the spiking numbers of serious crimes that have plagued the desert in 2017.

McMahon, who repeated the term “worst of the worst” in his State of the Countyaddress Wednesday, said that county Supervisors had collectively allocated $1million to public safety for focused, upcoming crime sweeps.

“We have a team put together where we’re going to focus for the next ninemonths, full time on the worst of the worst,” he said. “We’ll continue to put thepressure on them, continue to put them in jail, working with (District AttorneyMike Ramos’) staff at the DA’s office. If they need to go to prison, that’s wherethey’ll go.”

His tough stance comes three months after Supervisors voted 3-2 to earmark $1million to fund crime sweeps this fiscal year exclusively in the High Desert — aneffort championed by Supervisors Chairman Robert Lovingood.

McMahon vows to go after ‘worst of the worst’criminals

Lovingood has previously allocated funds for “Operation Desert Guardian” in theHigh Desert, a series of annual summertime crime sweeps that yielded 376arrests last year.

McMahon said “Desert Guardian” teams “have been working for the last eightweeks — 16 operational days — going after the worst criminals we have in theHigh Desert and they’ve put nearly 500 of them in jail over the last 16 workdays.”

During the effort, authorities have seized 20 illegal guns and identified 70 newgang members.

“We’re making sure those folks know we’re not going anywhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ramos said there were seven gang prosecutors now in the HighDesert after being none in 2005, as well as a supervisor, investigators and victimadvocates.

“Since 2005, my office has filed over 11,000 cases,” he said. “Three gang membersare sitting on death row; 6,852 are in state prison for over 51,000 years aggregateand 303 life terms. We’re taking the leaders out of here.”

San Bernardino County takes aim

at the “worst of the worst”

criminals

VVNG Staff September 10, 2017

2 minutes read

FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedInStumbleUpon

County Board of

Supervisors Chairman Robert Lovingood, left, was joined by other County elected officials during the “State of the

County” presentation. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has arrested nearly 500 suspects in the past

eight weeks as part of “Operation Desert Guardian.” Additional crime crackdowns will begin soon.

CALIFORNIA – With renewed urgency and $1 million in funding from the San Bernardino County

Board of Supervisors, the County Sheriff’s Department will soon launch an intensive countywide

effort to go after hardened career criminals, officials said during the “State of the County”

presentation hosted by Board Chairman Robert A. Lovingood.

“The Board of Supervisors, all of them collectively, allocated $1 million to public safety to go after

the worst of the worst throughout the entire county,” Sheriff John McMahon said during a standing-

room only meeting of the Victor Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We have a team put together where

we’re going to focus for the next nine months, full time on the worst of the worst. We’ll continue to

put the pressure on them, continue to put them in jail, working with (District Attorney Mike Ramos’)

staff at the D.A’s Office. If they need to go to prison, that’s where they’ll go.”

Lovingood has long advocated for strengthening public safety agencies. Taking a tough stand against

criminals improves quality of life issues, increases property values and makes the County more

attractive to businesses and residents looking to relocate.

In years past, Lovingood has allocated funds for “Operation Desert Guardian,” a series of annual

summertime crime sweeps within the High Desert yielding 376 arrests in 2016 alone. McMahon

reported that this summer, “Desert Guardian” teams “have been working for the last eight weeks – 16

operational days — going after the worst criminals we have in the High Desert and they’ve put

nearly 500 of them in jail over the last 16 work days. They’ve taken 20 illegal guns off the street,

identified 70 new gang members. We’re making sure those folks know we’re not going anywhere.”

Lovingood was joined by his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors and other County elected

officials. The “State of the County” presentation is a chance for local residents to hear directly from

our elected leadership in San Bernardino County.

District Attorney Mike Ramos said he has increased the number of gang prosecutors in the High

Desert from zero in 2005 to seven today, along with a supervisor, investigators and victim advocates.

“Since 2005, my office has filed over 11,000 cases,” Ramos told the crowd. “Three gang members

are sitting on death row; 6,852 are in state prison for over 51,000 years aggregate and 303 life terms.

We’re taking the leaders out of here.”

Ramos said once during a phone conversation, Gov. Jerry Brown blamed Ramos for the state’s

prison overcrowding problem because of the high conviction rate. Ramos also said his department’s

Crimes Against Peace Officers Prosecution Unit served 2,400 victims in its first year and now is

being considered by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a model for the nation. Ramos also cited

renewed efforts to tackle welfare fraud in San Bernardino County. Some fraudsters, Ramos said,

have been caught spending welfare funds in casinos.

“So because of Robert Lovingood’s commitment to us in increasing our resources with (County

Supervisor Josie Gonzales) and other people on the Board, we now are taking care of business”

Ramos said. “We’ve had welfare fraud sweeps. We have arrested over 100 now and we’re getting

close to $100 million back in restitution on those welfare fraud thefts.”

Ramos said he is working with County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre to address gang

recruitment in schools.

In closing, Lovingood said San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department staff did a

tremendous job in working on the Molycorp bankruptcy. The company, which operated the nation’s

only rare-earths mine at Mountain Pass, filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Without the hard work of

County staff, including County Engineering Geologist George Kenline, taxpayers could have faced

an $80 million liability to clean up the site. Instead, the mine is resuming operation under a new

owner and is now hiring.

“These are some of the things,” Lovingood said, “you don’t get to hear about that we do.”

(source: Robert A. Lovingood – First District Supervisor)

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COUNTY WILL LEASE PART OF PFF BUILDING IN YUCCA VALLEY FOR THE LIBRARYBy Z107.7 News, on September 11th, 2017

The former PFF Bank building at Yucca Valley’s busiest intersection of highways 62 and 247 has sat empty since before the Yucca ValleyRedevelopment Agency purchased it for $1.3 million in October 2009. But if all goes as expected at tomorrow’s 10 a.m. meeting of CountySupervisors in San Bernardino, the site is about to receive a new lease on life. Reporter Mike Lipsitz explains…

Supervisors are expected to approve a 15-year lease agreement with Yucca Valley for 7,200 square feet of library and office space in the former PFFBank building beginning March 2019. The space is 13 percent smaller than the library’s current location adjoining the Yucca Valley Community Centerwhere it has been since 2003; however, a more efficient floor plan and other planned improvements make it more desirable according to countydocuments. The agreement calls for an approximate $1 million renovation to the facility at town expense, much of that to be reimbursed by thecounty. Among the upgrades are new book shelving, a surveillance system and burglar alarm, interior signage, a one-of-a-kind children’s space, andcirculation desk. Pending town approval, the agreement will allow the option for two five-year extensions, the first of which would begin March 2034.At the completion of the 15-year term, lease and other payments by the county to the town will slightly exceed $1 million.

S H A R E T H I S :

September 11th, 2017 | Tags: morongo basin, san bernardino county, yucca valley | Category: Local News

3

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9/11/2017 Dessert & Dialogue: Curator of History for the San Bernardino County Museum Comes To Redlands - Redlands, CA Patch

https://patch.com/california/redlands/dessert-dialogue-curator-history-san-bernardino-county-museum-comes-redlands 1/6

0

Community Corner (/california/redlands/around-town)

Dessert & Dialogue: Curator of History for theSan Bernardino County Museum Comes ToRedlandsDessert and Dialogue is a free program open to the public that takes place after the senior nutritional lunchprogram at the Senior Center.By News Desk (Patch Sta�) - (https://patch.com/users/news-desk) Updated September 10, 2017 9:45 am ET

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Next→

From The City of Redlands: (http://www.cityofredlands.org/) Join us for Dessert & Dialogue at the

Redlands Senior Center on September 25th at 12:15, as we host Jennifer Dickerson, Curator of History for The San

Bernardino County Museum, discussing three new series of exhibits coming soon to the Museum: The Hall of

Biodiversity; Sculpted By Time, and The Blue Cut Fire. These exciting new interactive exhibits highlight the dynamic

history of our region.

Jennifer Dickerson is the Curator of History for the San Bernardino County Museum. She graduated from UCLA with

a BA in Classical Civilization and from CSUF with a MA in History. She worked at the Mission Inn Museum in

Riverside for over five years as the Curator of History and has been with the San Bernardino County Museum for two

years.

Dessert and Dialogue is a free program open to the public that takes place after the senior nutritional lunch program

at the Redlands Community Senior Center. Hot meals are served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The hot meals are available to all adults. A donation of $3 is suggested for those 60 or older, and guests under 60

may enjoy lunch for $6.

Dessert & Dialogue: Curator of History for the San Bernardino County Museum Comes To Redlands

9/11/2017 Dessert & Dialogue: Curator of History for the San Bernardino County Museum Comes To Redlands - Redlands, CA Patch

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Future Desert and Dialogue Presentations include:

Get free real-time news alerts from theRedlands-Loma Linda Patch.

By clicking "Subscribe", you agree to our Terms of Use (https://patch.com/terms) and Privacy Policy (https://patch.com/privacy).

History of auto racing in the area with guest speaker Don Harkey October 16 th

History of Loma Linda University with guest speaker Dick Schaefer October 23 rd

For more information, contact the Redlands Community Senior Center at (909) 798-7579. The Redlands Community

Senior Center is located at 111 W. Lugonia Ave.

City of Redlands press releases and other information are available on the City’s Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/cityofredland... (http://www.facebook.com/cityofredlands) or on the City’s website at

www.CityofRedlands.org (http://www.cityofredlands.org/)

(http://www.cityofredlands.org/)Image Courtesy of The City of Redlands

What did you think? (/)

Originally published September 10, 2017.

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9/11/2017 Foundation Spotlight: Give BIG San Bernardino set for Nov. 28 – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/08/foundation-spotlight-give-big-san-bernardino-set-for-nov-28/ 1/3

By REBECCA K. O'CONNOR | The Community FoundationSeptember 8, 2017 at 4:57 pm

San Bernardino County nonpro�ts are getting a boost in preparation for the Nov. 28, Give BIG campaign.

Entering its fourth year, Give BIG San Bernardino has grown into not only a successful fundraiser, but a way for nonpro�ts to grow into

stronger organizations. Since inception, Give BIG San Bernardino County has raised $1 million for local nonpro�ts.

Organized through The Community Foundation, the event helps nonpro�ts build capacity through workshops and educational seminars

that teach them to be stronger fundraisers. This year, the event is increasing these offerings.

“When we started this campaign, we had organizations participating that didn’t use Facebook and didn’t know how to upload a video to

YouTube,” said Andrea Mitchel, the program coordinator. “Our participating nonpro�ts are now using these tools. So, we decided to

introduce bigger tools that go above and beyond the campaign.”

With funding and support from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and the contributions of sponsors, Give BIG San

Bernardino County is providing two half-day panel training sessions and a full day “boot camp” on grant writing for participating

nonpro�ts.

The �rst panel on Sept. 25 will offer information on fundraising and donor relations. The second on Oct. 13 will consist of media and

marketing advice. Each panel consists of successful professionals and nonpro�ts sharing their experience.

A “Grant Writing Bootcamp” will offer tips and tricks on corporation, foundation and government proposals. This event will take place

Nov. 6 at SAC Health System in downtown San Bernardino.

The bootcamp includes insights from funders such as Flor Tolley of Wells Fargo and Greg Bradbard, formerly of Inland Empire United

Way, and currently with Hope Through Housing.

“This is the time for nonpro�ts to learn from experts and to ask questions they have always wanted to ask,” said Mitchel. “They won’t want

to miss this opportunity.”

In order to attend the program, nonpro�ts must be registered for the Give BIG San Bernardino County Campaign before the training

begins.

Community members can also help by going online and supporting their favorite nonpro�ts when the Give BIG San Bernardino County

campaign launches Nov. 28.

LOCAL NEWS

Foundation Spotlight: Give BIG San Bernardino set forNov. 28

9/11/2017 Foundation Spotlight: Give BIG San Bernardino set for Nov. 28 – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/08/foundation-spotlight-give-big-san-bernardino-set-for-nov-28/ 2/3

Give BIG San Bernardino County’s 2016 launch.

The 24-hour online event will be held online at www.givebigsbcounty.org. Supporters are also encouraged to share information about

nonpro�ts and celebrate their donations on social media using #GiveBIGSBCounty. Through engaging their own network of friends and

family, supporters can help to grow their favorite charity’s network.

According to Mitchell, these online donations provide critical funding to help nonpro�ts in San Bernardino County not only address

poverty but also other challenges county residents face in the areas of education, health, the environment, public safety, family and youth

services.

“Give BIG gets nonpro�ts to participate in the wave of the future,” said Mitchell. “The traditional way of receiving donations doesn’t

necessarily appeal the younger donor base and these are tools that nonpro�ts can use year-round.”

Registration for interested San Bernardino County nonpro�ts is available now at www.givebigsbcounty.org. To learn more about the

campaign and upcoming trainings, visit Give BIG San Bernardino County at Facebook/givebigsbcounty and Twitter @givebigsbcounty. For

assistance, call The Community Foundation at 951-241-7777.

The Community Foundation’s mission is to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy.

Rebecca K. O'Connor

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9/11/2017 Foster youth get a little help from CASA volunteers in San Bernardino County – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/09/foster-youth-get-a-little-help-from-casa-volunteers/ 1/4

LOCAL NEWS

Foster youth get a little help from CASA volunteers in SanBernardino County

9/11/2017 Foster youth get a little help from CASA volunteers in San Bernardino County – San Bernardino Sun

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By MICHEL NOLAN | MNolan@scng.com | San Bernardino SunPUBLISHED: September 9, 2017 at 12:23 pm | UPDATED: September 9, 2017 at 1:23 pm

MOD Pizza celebrates its Grand Opening in Rancho Cucamonga, selecting CASA as its charity partner by donating all pizza sales to the nonprofit.(Courtesy photo)

IF YOU GO

Thanks to an organization called CASA, hundreds of endangered foster children have a voice.

CASA, the acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a nonpro�t that gives a voice to the 5,700 children in foster care in San

Bernardino County — removed from their homes because they are in danger there.

CASA is comprised of trained volunteer advocates who provide stability and hope to abused and neglected youth by serving as their voices

in court.

At any given time, CASA is serving 100 of these children, with another 260 on the waiting list, said Cesar Nevarrete, executive director of

CASA of San Bernardino County.

“All foster children we represent were removed from their homes because they were in danger,” he said. “The numbers of foster children

keep increasing and the No. 1 reason is drugs and neglect by the parents.”

The children need to be rescued because of neglect.

Of course, like all nonpro�ts, CASA needs help with funding to continue its important work, such as hiring more case managers and

recruiting more volunteers to serve more youth.

Enter MOD Pizza, a new restaurant business in Rancho Cucamonga, which celebrated its grand opening on Friday. The super-fast,

individual artisan-syle pizza restaurant donated all its opening-day sales to CASA, which they selected as their charity partner.

The MOD Pizza location at Haven Village in Rancho Cucamonga is the newest of the company’s sites throughout the country. For each one,

the restaurant chose a charity partner.

Pretty cool.

On Sept. 27, CASA of San Bernardino County will host its 10th annual Munchin’ at the Mansion, at the Edwards Mansion, 2064 Orange Tree

Lane. The celebration, which is the biggest fundraiser for CASA, will feature food and drinks from the Inland Empire’s �nest dining and

beverage providers.

In addition to yummy food and drinks, there will be raf�es, live entertainment and a silent auction for prizes donated by local businesses

and entertainment groups. This year’s event will have a Western theme and cowboy boots are welcome.

I’ve munched at the mansion before and it was a fun evening. The food and entertainment were great and the company was splendid — but

we didn’t get to wear cowboy boots.

Be hungry when you go because the array of gourmet wine and beer, as well as food, includes Dream Dinners, Jersey Mikes, Hangar 24

Brewery, Renaissance Banquet Hall, Rok N Fondue, State Street Winery, Brew Rebellion, Wing Stop and Starbucks.

Proceeds from the event will support efforts for mentoring and advocating for foster children by CASA volunteers. This includes trained

volunteers who are appointed by the courts to help young people with education and mental health issues.

“Our CASA volunteers help create stability,” Cesar said. “We ask for an 18-month commitment, with the volunteer spending 10-15 hours

each month with the youth so they are not in fear of change. The process to be a volunteer is that you have to be 21, have a background

check, go through training, have an interview and references — and then there are court hearings twice each year.”

Is it worth it? Advocates can save a life, change a life for the better.

A�er the youth start to bond with their advocates, they begin to understand there is someone in their corner — not paid to be there but

someone who wants to be there.

What: 10th annual Munchin’ at the Mansion

When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 27

9/11/2017 Foster youth get a little help from CASA volunteers in San Bernardino County – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/09/foster-youth-get-a-little-help-from-casa-volunteers/ 3/4

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Where: Edwards Mansion, 2064 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands

Tickets: $60 per individual; $100 per couple; $375 per table of eight

Information: For information on becoming a CASA or to purchase tickets, call 909-881-6760, or go to www.casaofsb.org.

Michel Nolan appears in The Sun on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at mnolan@scng.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tags:  Michel Nolan column, Top Stories Sun

By David HansenPosted at 12:01 AM

Pumping large amounts water out of our beloved Mojave Desert seems like astrange concept, especially if the water is going to be sent to areas like OrangeCounty. Yet a water extraction project is currently in the works, supported byRep. Paul Cook, and officially known as the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation,Recovery and Storage Project. This water extraction and transfer will beconducted by a corporation, Cadiz, Inc., drawing down vital desert aquifers inthe Fenner, Bristol and Cadiz valleys (east of Barstow, near Interstate 40).

Cadiz, Inc. plans to pump 50,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year for 50 yearsfrom the aquifer. To put this into perspective, that’s 16 billion gallons per year,or about 520 gallons each second. Strangely, project proponents say this willactually “conserve” water lost to evaporation in the hot desert, yet the mostrecent independent estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey state this is aboutfive times the aquifer’s recharge rate. Rain and snow puts only 2,000 to 10,000acre-feet of water back into the aquifer each year, significantly less than whatCadiz, Inc. would pump out.

Also, the National Park Service and independent scientists feel this groundwateris linked to various springs in our desert areas, which wildlife and riparianvegetation depend on. Cadiz’s pumping would most likely cause these springs todry up. If they are correct, by the time the damage to the springs is detectable, itwould be too late to do anything to save them.

If this water extraction project proceeds, it could contribute to an environmentaldisaster for our Mojave Desert which depends on the underground aquifers andsprings. So much life in our desert could be jeopardized, such as tortoises,bighorn sheep, Joshua trees, bobcats, yearly wildflower blooms, migratory birds,and so on. Knowing this, Cadiz, Inc. is attempting to avoid federal oversight by

Cadiz Water Project should be nixed

running its water transfer pipeline along a railroad line and using an obscure1875 law to claim exemption from environmental review by using the railroadright-of-way.

For the most part, this article covers just a portion of the story. Some of youmight already know about the Cadiz Water Project, but I think many of you donot. I only started hearing about it this year and it raised some red flags andconcerns in my mind. I hope this information will spark your interest in doingfurther research of your own and contacting our elected officials with yourthoughts and concerns.

Here are some things to think about and look into: Why is our Congressionalrepresentative supporting pumping water out of the Mojave aquifer and sendingit to Orange County? Should there be concern about Department of InteriorDeputy Secretary David Bernhardt’s connections with Cadiz, Inc., as the Cadizproject needs federal permits? In addition to environmental issues, will this lossfrom desert aquifers affect our desert community residents in the future?

State Assembly bill AB1000, introduced last July, bolsters state reviews andattempts to ensure that transfers of our desert groundwater do not adverselyaffect our region’s natural and cultural resources. I found our local MojaveWater Agency (MWA) opposes the bill as written, but only due to lack of clarityin some of the wording. If amended and clarified appropriately, the Agency couldremove its opposition.

Again, I urge my fellow desert citizens to look into this issue, form you ownopinions, and let our elected officials hear from you.

Davis Hansen is a Cal State L.A. graduate, military veteran, and former corporate

executive who lives in Hesperia.

9/11/2017 More judges for Riverside, San Bernardino counties — but need still great – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/08/4-judges-coming-to-riverside-county-san-bernardino-county-but-at-least-50-are-needed-official-says/ 1/4

By BRIAN ROKOS | brokos@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: September 8, 2017 at 3:21 pm | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 9:00pm

Superior Courts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties are each getting two newjudge positions, but many more are needed to provide more effective justice, RiversideCounty’s presiding judge said.

LOCAL NEWS

More judges for Riverside, SanBernardino counties — but needstill great

9/11/2017 More judges for Riverside, San Bernardino counties — but need still great – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/08/4-judges-coming-to-riverside-county-san-bernardino-county-but-at-least-50-are-needed-official-says/ 2/4

Superior courts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties are �nally getting more

judges, but the additions, while welcome, represent only a small fraction of what

is needed to improve the quality of justice, Riverside County’s presiding judge

said.

Assembly Bill 103, which became effective in June, reallocates two vacant,

budgeted judgeships each from the Superior Courts of Santa Clara and Alameda

counties to the two Inland counties.

The terms of the four reallocated judgeships will begin Jan. 2, 2018. The judges

must be appointed by the governor.

The state Judicial Council, at its Sept. 14-15 business meeting, will vote on a

committee recommendation to move the judgeships from Alameda to San

Bernardino County and from Santa Clara to Riverside County.

Legislative efforts in the past 10 years to pay for signi�cantly more judgeships

statewide have failed.

As the Inland population has increased, the need for more judges has become

acute. According to a Judicial Council study, the Inland counties should have

about 60 more positions – making their courts the neediest in the state.

Becky L. Dugan, the presiding judge of Riverside County Superior Court, said in

an interview that her courts need about 50 more judges – and the court house

space to accommodate them. The formula the state previously used to allocate

judges didn’t keep up with the population, she said.

“It’s a constant battle to stay a�oat with the population still rising, and so while

the current formula accounts for that, getting caught up is a dilemma,” Dugan

said.

Nine judges who are retiring this year must be replaced, Dugan said, and that

doesn’t account for judges who are off the bench because of illnesses. Retired

judges are hearing some cases, she said.

Riverside County Superior Court judges hear more than 100 felony cases each day,

as do judges handling domestic violence cases.

“That’s no way to run an airline,” Dugan said.

She said judges keep an internal clock while handling cases, knowing they have

only so much time for each.

9/11/2017 More judges for Riverside, San Bernardino counties — but need still great – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/08/4-judges-coming-to-riverside-county-san-bernardino-county-but-at-least-50-are-needed-official-says/ 3/4

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“Everyone feels the pressure of time. It’s not really fair to the people who come to

the court to litigate their case that we have to work at lightning speed. That affects

the quality of the work we do. Over time, it has to,” Dugan said.

BRIAN_ROKOSBrian RokosBrian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing, criminal justice,scams, how law affects public safety, �re�ghting tactics and wildland �redanger. He has also covered the cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, LakeElsinore, Perris, Canyon Lake and Hemet. Before that he supervised reportersand worked as a copy editor. For some reason, he enjoys movies where theEarth is threatened with extinction.

Follow Brian Rokos @Brian_Rokos

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9/11/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM - ABOUT 65 VOLUNTEERS SHOW TO EXTENDED GIANT ROCK AREA CLEAN-UP

http://z1077fm.com/about-65-volunteers-show-to-extended-giant-rock-area-clean-up/ 1/1

« RAIN BRINGS POWER OUTAGES, FLOODING, ROAD CLOSURES ANDSOME DAMAGE

A CAR EXPLOSION IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK »

ABOUT 65 VOLUNTEERS SHOW TO EXTENDED GIANT ROCK AREA CLEAN-UPBy Z107.7 News, on September 11th, 2017

About 65 volunteers helped clean up five sites near Giant Rock Saturday, a clean-up effort that was organized by the Landers Community Association,the Bureau of Land Management, Blight Sites, and the Mojave Desert Land Trust. The clean-up was spurred in response to a Z107.7 News story abouttrash—including tires, tents, toys, diapers, buckets of human waste, and more, that had been left at the iconic Giant Rock desert site. The communityclean-up effort was originally supposed to have cleaned up the trash left at Giant Rock several weeks ago, but well-intentioned individuals thwartedthe BLM’s attempt to preserve evidence and safely dispose of the human waste by cleaning up the site on their own. BLM agents told Z107.7 that theyknow the identity of the litterers, and arrests are expected.

S H A R E T H I S :

September 11th, 2017 | Tags: bureau of land management, landers, landers association, mojave desert land trust, morongo basin, san bernardino county | Category: Local News, TopStory

6

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September 8, 2017In "Local News"

9/11/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM - A CAR EXPLOSION IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

http://z1077fm.com/a-car-explosion-in-joshua-tree-national-park/ 1/1

« ABOUT 65 VOLUNTEERS SHOW TO EXTENDED GIANT ROCK AREACLEAN-UP

MORONGO BASIN MAC TO HEAR A PROBLEM WITHOUT A CURETONIGHT »

A CAR EXPLOSION IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARKBy Z107.7 News, on September 11th, 2017

One person was injured in Joshua Tree National Park Friday from a car explosion. The Joshua Tree National Park Association posted on its Facebookpage Friday that the person had a leaking propane tank in the car when he or she lit a cigarette inside the car. The car blew up and the injured personreceived burns to the face. The unidentified victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Joshua Tree National Park Association photo

S H A R E T H I S :

September 11th, 2017 | Tags: joshua tree national park, morongo basin, san bernardino county | Category: Local News, Top Story

4

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In "Local News"May 18, 2017In "Local News" April 2, 2017

In "Featured"

9/11/2017 7 arrested after narcotics spotted in Yucaipa home – Redlands Daily Facts

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2017/09/09/7-arrested-after-narcotics-spotted-in-yucaipa-home/ 1/3

By BEAU YARBROUGH | byarbrough@scng.com | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

PUBLISHED: September 9, 2017 at 7:32 pm | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 3:48 pm

Courtesy photo

Drug paraphernalia seized by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Friday, after a raid on an alleged drug house in Yucaipa.

Seven Yucaipa residents have been arrested Friday after bail bond agents spotted narcotics at a home in the 13400 block of 5th Street and

contacted deputies, sheriff’s of cials say.

 

NEWSCRIME

7 arrested after narcotics spotted in Yucaipa home

9/11/2017 7 arrested after narcotics spotted in Yucaipa home – Redlands Daily Facts

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2017/09/09/7-arrested-after-narcotics-spotted-in-yucaipa-home/ 2/3

Six Yucaipa residents and a 17-year-old male were arrested Friday on multiple charges. The six adults were, top row, from left, Christopher Hinckley, BryanHoldenbarth and Daniel Isai; and bottom row, from left, Misty Laur, Krystal Michael and William Santo Salvo.

The house was already known by for Yucaipa deputies, who had served a search warrant at the house on Aug. 30. At that time, they arrested

homeowner Misty Laur, 19, on a charge of operating a narcotics residence. She was booked into county jail, but released on her own

recognizance due to jail overcrowding, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

On Friday, Multi- Enforcement Team task force members, patrol deputies and detectives responded to the bail bond agents’ call and authorities

say they again found the house was being used as a site to use and distribute drugs. Deputies reportedly also found stolen property from

vehicles that had been burglarized throughout Yucaipa, along with large amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin packaged for

sale, sheriff’s of cials said.

Laur was arrested on suspicion of committing a new crime while out on her own recognizance. As of Saturday evening, she was jailed at the

Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. Bail was set at $100,000.

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Krystal Michael, 26, who is listed as “Crystal Marie Michael” in the county jail system, was arrested on suspicion of operating a narcotics

residence and was released from jail Saturday

Bryan Holdenbarth, 25, is being held at the Central Detention Center on a short-term “ ash incarceration” — a term for jailing those who are on

postrelease supervision as a form of punishment.

William Santo Salvo, 31, a convicted felon, was reportedly had pepper spray at the time of his arrest, and was arrested on suspicion of being a

felon in possession of tear gas or pepper spray, as well as committing a new crime while out on his own recognizance. As of Saturday afternoon,

he was jailed at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Bail was set at $100,000.

Christopher Hinckley, 31, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and committing a new crime while out on his own

recognizance. As of Saturday afternoon, he was jailed at the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center in Devore, with bail set at $100,000.

9/11/2017 7 arrested after narcotics spotted in Yucaipa home – Redlands Daily Facts

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2017/09/09/7-arrested-after-narcotics-spotted-in-yucaipa-home/ 3/3

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If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the rightside of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.

Daniel Isai, 22, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a narcotics substance for sale. He was released from custody on Friday.

The male juvenile was on juvenile probation at the time of his arrest, and was arrested on suspicion of multiple parole violations and booked

into San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department believes all six adults arrested are involved in “ongoing vehicle burglaries, thefts, and ongoing

check fraud crimes,” according to a news release issued Saturday, and released the booking photos of the suspects in an attempt to locate

witnesses to the thefts or check frauds.

Authorities ask that anyone with information call the Yucaipa Police Department MET Team at 909-918-2305 or anonymously provide

information to We Tip by calling 1-800-78 CRIME (1-800-782-7463) or by visiting WeTip.com online.

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Beau YarbroughBeau Yarbrough wrote his rst newspaper article taking on an authority gure (his middle school principal) when he was in7th grade. He’s been a professional journalist since 1992, working in Virginia, Egypt and California. In that time, he’s coveredcommunity news, features, politics, local government, education, the comic book industry and more. He’s covered the war inBosnia, interviewed presidential candidates, written theatrical reviews, attended a seance, ridden in a blimp and

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Tags:  Drugs, Top Stories PE, Top Stories RDF, Top Stories Sun

9/11/2017 Drugs, cash seized in Hesperia; 3 arrested – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/09/drugs-cash-seized-in-hesperia/ 1/3

By BEAU YARBROUGH | byarbrough@scng.com | Inland Valley Daily BulletinPUBLISHED: September 9, 2017 at 8:41 pm | UPDATED: September 9, 2017 at 8:43 pm

Courtesy photoMethamphetamine, marijuana and cash seized on Sept. 8, 2017, in Hesperia, by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Drugs and cash were seized Friday and three people were arrested in Hesperia, sheriff’s of�cials said.

Members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s High Desert Regional Gang Team served a search warrant at a house on the

18000 block of Centennial Street. There, they seized methamphetamine and marijuana, along with cash the department believes is the

proceeds of drug sales.

Adelanto resident Ricki Rochelle Frank, 35, Hesperia resident Jason Russell Jackson, 38, and transient Sean Mahoney, 45, were all arrested

on suspicion of possession for sales of methamphetamine and operating a drug house.

As of Saturday evening, Jackson and Mahoney remained incarcerated in the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on $50,000 bail.

Frank remained in jail in the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on $50,000 bail.

The Sheriff’s Department asks residents to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, noting that excessive traf�c at night is a sign

of possible drug activity. Residents are asked to call the sheriff’s dispatch of�ce at 760-956-5001, or anonymously provide information to We

Tip by calling 1-800-78 CRIME (1-800-782-7463) or by visiting WeTip.com online.

NEWSCRIME

Drugs, cash seized in Hesperia; 3 arrested

9/11/2017 Off-duty deputy hurt trying to stop botched Hesperia robbery-turned-assault – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/off-duty-deputy-hurt-trying-to-stop-botched-hesperia-robbery-turned-assault/ 1/3

By MICHAEL WATANABE | mwatanabe@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: September 8, 2017 at 11:30 am | UPDATED: September 8, 2017 at 6:44 pm

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon speaks to the media Friday April 10, 2015 about deputies involved in the apparent beating, tasingand arrest of Francis Jared Pusok while being taken into custody Thursday. Pusok attempted to elude authorities in the California desert on astolen horse. (Staff photo by Rick Sforza/The Sun)

An off-duty deputy was injured Wednesday, Sept. 6, while trying to stop a botched robbery-turned-assault outside a Hesperia smoke shop,

sheriff’s of�cials said.

The deputy was punched in the arms a�er a botched robbery at the Puff N Pass smoke shop at 1330 Ranchero Road, according to a San

Bernardino County sheriff’s news release.

The incident began at 4:13 p.m., when authorities said Darrell Fowler, 56, of San Bernardino tried to distract the clerk at the smoke shop as

a female accomplice reportedly stole hookah pipes — and then �ed, sheriff’s of�cials said.

The store manager chased the woman into the parking lot — and was assaulted before the off-duty deputy stepped in, according to the

release.

As the deputy identi�ed herself, Fowler approached her from behind, according to the release. The deputy turned around and again

identi�ed herself.

LOCAL NEWS

Off-duty deputy hurt trying to stop botched Hesperiarobbery-turned-assault

9/11/2017 Off-duty deputy hurt trying to stop botched Hesperia robbery-turned-assault – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/off-duty-deputy-hurt-trying-to-stop-botched-hesperia-robbery-turned-assault/ 2/3

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If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the rightside of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.

Sheriff’s of�cials say Fowler cursed at her and stepped toward her. The deputy ordered Fowler to stay back, and then showed her badge

and again identi�ed herself. Fowler then reportedly punched the deputy in the arms.

Shortly a�erward, additional deputies arrived and detained Fowler, according to the release. The female robbery suspect had already �ed

the scene.

Fowler was arrested and booked into the High Desert Detention Center on suspicion of robbery and resisting an of�cer. Bail was set at

$100,000.

He was charged Friday, Sept. 8, but was not in court Friday because he refused to appear, court records show.

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Tags:  Assault and Battery, Top Stories PE, Top Stories Sun

9/11/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM - EASING SEX OFFENDER RESTRICTIONS ON TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TONIGHT

http://z1077fm.com/easing-sex-offender-restrictions-on-twentynine-palms-city-council-agenda-tonight/ 1/1

« APPEAL FILED IN CHRISTOPHER LEE MURDER CONVICTION RAIN BRINGS POWER OUTAGES, FLOODING, ROAD CLOSURES ANDSOME DAMAGE »

EASING SEX OFFENDER RESTRICTIONS ON TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL AGENDATONIGHTBy Z107.7 News, on September 11th, 2017

The agony continues at tonight’s meeting of the Twentynine Palms City Council when officials again consider the issue of residential restrictions onregistered sex offenders. The city has been slapped with a lawsuit for remaining out of compliance with a State Supreme Court decision ruling thecurrent residential restrictions unconstitutional. What must be done seems straight forward enough, except when complying with the court meansantagonizing an angry public. Reporter Mike Lipsitz has the rest of the story…

Following a 5 p.m. study session on Project Phoenix, the Twentynine Palms City Council will convene the regular 6:30 meeting at City Hall. Two publichearings will follow tonight’s dispensing of routine matters on the consent agenda. The first concerns expedited permitting of electric vehicle chargingstations as mandated by the state. The second public hearing follows the council’s failure to repeal the municipal code ruled unconstitutional for itsrestrictions on where registered sex offenders may reside. Since the last meeting when the subject was tabled, a Sacramento attorney has made goodon her threat to sue if the city failed to align itself with the court ruling. Considering the court ruling, impending lawsuit and subsequentrecommendation for repeal by staff and city attorneys, there appears no other option for the council; tonight’s public hearing will apparentlyaccomplish nothing except to turn up the heat on officials already squirming uncomfortably.

S H A R E T H I S :

September 11th, 2017 | Tags: morongo basin, project phoenix, registered sex offender, san bernardino county, twentynine palms, twentynine palms city council | Category: Local News,Top Story

10

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August 22, 2017In "Local News" August 23, 2017

In "Local News"

January 24, 2017In "Local News"

By LISET MARQUEZ | Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: September 8, 2017 at 9:45 pm | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 11:22am

Ontario Mills Mall. File photo.

ONTARIO >> Four restaurants in the Ontario Mills mall were closed by health

inspectors this week.

LOCAL NEWS

Rodent droppings, cockroacheslead to restaurant closures atOntario Mills mall

The San Bernardino County Environmental Health Department was conducting a

plan check consultation of several locations Wednesday when the violations were

found.

At the �rst location, which was only titled S, inspectors were visiting the recent

expansion and found several nymph and adult cockroaches “throughout the

commissary and in the adjoining hallway behind the food court.”

The inspector also observed sewage back up in the janitorial room �oor drain

when water drained at the mop sink and in the adjacent women’s restroom �oor

drain.

Inspectors shut down both the Sweet Factory Shop and Stone Oven because of an

“active infestation of cockroaches observed during a plan check consultation for

commissary expansion. Cockroaches observed in commissary room and in

hallway connected to other food court facilities at the main food court of the

Ontario Mills Mall.”

At Stone Oven, inspectors found more than 10 rodent droppings, including on the

�oor near the ice machine. Rodent droppings were also found underneath and on

top of the soda syrup boxes.

While at Sweet Factory, inspectors found there was no hot water and the �oor

drain under “the three compartment sink was observed to be draining slowly and

backing up when the water was turned on at the three compartment sink.”

Concerned there was a trend, inspectors decided to visit neighboring food facility,

Chicken Now.

“Observed 2 nymph German cockroaches under dry storage racks and 1 nymph

under the food preparation sink. Eliminate all vermin from facility. Sanitize all

affected surfaces and maintain facility free of vermin,” the report states.

Inspectors also found major leaks the under hand sink and behind 3-

compartment sink.

All four locations were shut down and had supervisory reviews for Thursday,

Sept. 7. An Ontario Mills spokesperson said the locations reopened Friday.

Liset Marquez

Tags:  Echo Code, Inland Empire, restaurant closures

By Charity Lindsey Staff Writer Posted Sep 9, 2017 at 6:04 PMUpdated Sep 9, 2017 at 6:04 PM

BARSTOW — You might know what a rodeo looks like, but have you ever seenan extreme rodeo?

This year, the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow wanted to bring somethingnew to the High Desert community, and based on locals’ reviews, the rodeodidn’t fail to excite.

Held Friday and Saturday nights at the U.S. Marine Corps Yermo Annex Stables,the event featured the Flying U Rodeo company along with a whole host ofactivities involving bulls, broncs and barrels.

“The thing was to bring something new to the community and provide a littlemore entertainment value,” Marine Corps Community Services MarketingDirector Scott Graham said. “You can go see a rodeo, but not everyone has seenan extreme rodeo ... There were cowboys on bikes, a ring of fire, barrel racingwith motorcycles ... and there were also traditional rodeo events.”

The rodeo announcer, Jared Slagle, flew in from Nebraska specifically for theweekend event, which he said “was really fun to work.”

“This is the first time the Flying U has brought an extreme team rodeo toBarstow ... If you have never seen an extreme rodeo, then it is definitelysomething like you have never seen before,” Slagle said. “It’s very high pace andexciting ... The crowd was awesome. They were on the edge of their seatthroughout the whole show. Amazing fans.”

A few of those fans were Barstow resident Amee Pitts and her four children whoshe said “all had a blast.”

Marine Corps Rodeo brings ‘extreme’entertainment to Barstow

“My oldest, 16, and youngest, 3, both boys, absolutely loved the motorcycles,”Pitts said. “Little guy liked the horses. Big brother liked the soccer game thing.My 9-year-old loved everything, as did my 12-year-old, both girls. It was fun forall of us. We will definitely be going again next year.”

Two other attendees, Andrea Cockrell and Roe Hinds, who’ve both been to pastBarstow rodeos, said this weekend’s was “the best by far.”

“Just a different kind of rodeo was a nice change. A LOT of action kept me fromeven wanting to go to the bathroom,” Cockrell said. Hinds noted that she wishedmore local residents came out to see the show.

“From the extreme bulls, stallions, American flag coming down from ahelicopter, to the motorcycles ... how could you complain?” Hinds said. “By farthe best rodeo I have been to.”

Graham said that every dollar generated by the events goes toward “supportingyour marines” and “improving their quality of life.”

“Our job, first and foremost, is to take care of the marines and their families,”Graham said. “A great part of that is the community that surrounds them.”

Charity Lindsey may be contacted at clindsey@vvdailypress.com or 760-951-6245.

Follow her on Twitter @DP_Charity.

9/11/2017 San Bernardino seeking grant to hire more police – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/07/san-bernardino-seeking-grant-to-hire-more-police/ 1/4

By RYAN HAGEN | rhagen@scng.com | San Bernardino SunPUBLISHED: September 7, 2017 at 5:53 pm | UPDATED: September 8, 2017 at 10:09pm

Up to 12 new San Bernardino police officers could be hired under the COPS, orCommunity Oriented Policing Services, grant. (File photo)

SAN BERNARDINO >> Another 12 police of�cers could be on the force later this

year, if the city is approved for a grant that the City Council signed off on

Wednesday night.

LOCAL NEWS

San Bernardino seeking grant tohire more police

9/11/2017 San Bernardino seeking grant to hire more police – San Bernardino Sun

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The Community Oriented Policing Services or COPS grant could result in 12 new

of�cers, with the U.S. Department of Justice paying 75 percent of the cost for

three years.

The grant requires that the money be used for new hires, rather than paying for

existing employees.

Despite budget dif�culties, San Bernardino’s biggest challenge even before it

emerged from bankruptcy protection in June hasn’t been funding of�cers — it’s

been recruiting and keeping them.

The 2017 budget includes funding for 260 sworn of�cers, but it only had 224

of�cers on the force in June, according to the grant application.

Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said that picture is improving.

The city graduates four trainees Thursday, has another 11 trainees in what will be

the senior class, and will send at least four to the next training academy class next

month, he said.

The department is also having more success enticing of�cers from other

departments to come to this city, which saves money and training time, he said.

“We are �nally seeing an increase in laterals now that we are coming out of the

�nancial dif�culties that we’ve had,” Burguan said. “I think we are becoming a

more attractive place to attract existing of�cers.”

The department’s budgeted staf�ng dropped from 334 to 248 during the

bankruptcy, and many of�cers le� out of fear of �nancial insecurity, the city says

in its application.

The money will allow it to �ght gang and gun violence as well as increase

community trust, according to the application.

“The department will use CHRP funding to increase and further enhance our

community policing model by �lling vacancies in the patrol beat plan, increase

proactive crime/offender identi�cation and suppression efforts,” the application

says. “The added personnel will allow a visible deterrent and added response

capabilities to gang and gun violence to foster positive relationships and further

the mission of building community trust.”

If approved, the of�cers will cost the city $1.6 million and the federal government

$6.625 million, according to the city.

San Bernardino received funding for 11 of�cers in September 2016 through the

COPS Grant. Those positions were �lled in January, according to Burguan.

9/11/2017 Missing man found safe in San Bernardino National Forest – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/08/missing-man-found-safe-in-san-bernardino-national-forest/ 1/3

VIEW COMMENTS

By BRIAN ROKOS | brokos@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: September 8, 2017 at 7:03 pm | UPDATED: September 8, 2017 at 7:05 pm

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community.Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials thatare unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise

A man who had been reported missing on Sept. 4 was found in the San Bernardino National Forest unharmed on Thursday, Sept. 7, the San

Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

It was uncertain how long the man had been in the forest or how well-equipped he was to survive, spokeswoman Tiffany Swantek said.

There were varying accounts of how long he had been in the forest.

Hikers heard the man calling for help in the area of Glory Ridge Road off Forest Road 2N15 in the area of Highway 18 west of Big Bear,

Swantek said. The hikers called authorities about 4:30 p.m.

Deputies located the man about 5:30 p.m. He did not require medical treatment and was taken home, Swantek said.

 

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Brian RokosBrian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing, criminal justice, scams, how law affects public safety,�re�ghting tactics and wildland �re danger. He has also covered the cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, LakeElsinore, Perris, Canyon Lake and Hemet. Before that he supervised reporters and worked as a copy editor. For somereason, he enjoys movies where the Earth is threatened with extinction.

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Missing man found safe in San Bernardino NationalForest

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■ Sand castles cap Lake Gregorybeach season

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Sand castles cap Lake Gregory beach season

This colorful panda created by Brendon and Faye from Azusa wonfirst place in the 12 and Under Division during the annual LaborDay Sand Sculpture contest at Lake Gregory. (Photo by Rhea-

Frances Tetley)

Sunday, Sep 10, 2017

By Rhea-Frances Tetley

The annual Labor Day Sand Sculpture contest at Lake Gregory was a smashing success, as afterthe contest the kids on the beach had fun smashing both the winning and non-winning sculpturesback into big piles of sand.

This year, there were 14 entries in the contest in the two categories of 12 and Under and Adult. Thefirst prize winners in both categories received a Lake Gregory beach mat, Frisby and a season passto the water park for 4. Second place winners won a family season pass to the lake and some waterand sand toys.

The first place winners in the Adult Division were Lance Eckhart and his daughter, Kierra, fromRancho Cucamonga. These former Crestline residents have made it a family tradition to compete inthe sand sculpture contest, and have a history of winning as well. They created a “Hangry Hippo”emerging from the water, with pine needles as whiskers.

Second place winners were Chris Hayes from Rimforest and Gabriella Cascio from Crestline whocreated a mermaid laying on her side, using only their hands and natural elements, including liveflowers in her hair. “We really had fun using our bare hands sculpting this; we want to continue doingthis each year,” Gabriella told The Alpenhorn News.

Honorable mention was presented to Steve Oliva and family for their Hammerhead Shark creation,which featured water bottles for the eyes. “We like ‘Shark Week’ on TV,” said Steve adding, “We’reglad we came.”

In the 12 and Under Division, first place winners were Azusa resident Brendon, age 9, and Faye, age10, from Sierra Madre. They used local dark mud to make their two-tone winning panda. “It isawesome to win. I want to come back to the lake all the time,” said Brendon. Faye added, “This isexciting!”

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In second place were Crestline residents Kailey, 9, Kaitlan, 11, Emma, 11 and Crew, 6, who created alarge sea turtle using lake grass to decorate the shell green, and adding another part of the sculpturecreating turtle eggs in a nest. “We had fun making this,” said Emma.

A family who competed but didn’t win had so much fun they came up to Lake Manager ChrisFreeman and told him afterwards, “We had such a great time, this is only the second time we’vebeen here, but we plan to return more often next season,” said Wendy Gesri from Anaheim. “Wediscovered your lake on July 4th weekend, and all the fun we’ve had here has really been wonderful.I wanted you to know this place is so much fun for families! I’m telling my friends, too.”

There were four judges of the contest, and the scores were added together to determine the winners.Judges included Boy Scout leader Raymond Ray, Alpenhorn News reporter Rhea-Frances Tetleyand two judges from the Lake Gregory Recreation Company.

The sand sculpture contest is always held on the last day of the beach season at Lake Gregory.

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9/11/2017 County Board of Education votes to name new site after Dorothy Inghram - Inland Empire Community Newspapers

http://iecn.com/county-board-education-votes-name-new-site-dorothy-inghram/ 1/2

County Board of Education votes to name new siteafter Dorothy Inghram

The San Bernardino County Board of Education voted to name its newest facility after the first

African American teacher in San Bernardino County, Dorothy Inghram, during its meeting on

Sept. 5.

The board, which voted unanimously (5-0) for the naming, officially will call the new site the

San Bernardino County Board of Education Dorothy Inghram Learning Center. The new

building is located at 670 E. Carnegie Drive in San Bernardino.

“(Dorothy) was the Harriet Tubman of education for African American students in San

Bernardino County,” said Sherman Garnett, president of the County Board. “This is true

history right here.”

Inghram, who was born and raised in San Bernardino, graduated from San Bernardino High

School in 1923. She graduated from San Bernardino Valley College in 1932 and wrote the

school’s alma mater. In 1942, she was hired to teacher second grade at the Mill School, the

first African American teacher in the county.

By Press Release - September 7, 2017

9/11/2017 County Board of Education votes to name new site after Dorothy Inghram - Inland Empire Community Newspapers

http://iecn.com/county-board-education-votes-name-new-site-dorothy-inghram/ 2/2

In 1945, she became a teaching principal at the Mill School, becoming the full-time principal in

1951. In 1953, she became the superintendent of the Mill School District, the first African-

American in California to be a district superintendent. She lived to be 106 years old before

passing away in 2012.

The new facility will serve as an administrative site for Regional Occupational Program and

East Valley Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) staff, a cybersecurity career technical

education training center, house regular County Board of Education meetings and provide

conference rooms for educational leadership workshops and events.

The board considered 45 names for the new facility before ultimately choosing the name

honoring Inghram.

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9/11/2017 American Latina girls stand up for their roots and for immigrants through quinceañeras – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/10/american-latina-girls-stand-up-for-their-roots-and-for-immigrants-through-quinceaneras/?utm_content=bufferb… 1/8

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | bvalenzuela@scng.comPUBLISHED: September 10, 2017 at 6:01 am | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 11:35am

Wearing a silver reboso, or shawl, covering her shoulders, Tiffany Galaviz, 15,

walked into a Los Angeles church on the arm of her chambelan, or escort, as a

mariachi band played a hymn during her quinceañera Mass.

For most of her life, Tiffany has been involved in the traditional Mexican dance,

ballet folklorico, and singing rancheras with a mariachi band. When it came time

to have her quinceañera, she knew she wanted to have elements of both in her

celebration.

But in the past few months, with Americans embroiled in a �erce debate over

immigrants and immigration, and President Donald Trump’s plans to build a

border wall and statements about Mexico, the Los Angeles teen said she’s felt a

bigger push to honor her roots.

NEWS

American Latina girls stand upfor their roots and forimmigrants throughquinceañeras

9/11/2017 American Latina girls stand up for their roots and for immigrants through quinceañeras – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/10/american-latina-girls-stand-up-for-their-roots-and-for-immigrants-through-quinceaneras/?utm_content=bufferb… 2/8

A rising trend

“It’s de�nitely something that’s happened with me with the current situation, but I

also see it with other kids,” Tiffany said. “At my school, there are a lot of American

kids with Mexican parents, and I think with the whole Trump situation, they

started wanting to explore their background more. I’ve become more proud of my

Mexican culture.”

A�er Trump’s June 2015 speech in which he declared Mexico was “not sending

their best” and referred to Mexican immigrants as “rapists,” many young Latinos

began to take action.

In addition to the marches, walk-outs and social media posts, some young women

found another way to celebrate themselves and their culture in the face of anti-

immigrant and anti-Mexican sentiments — the quinceañera.

A quinceañera is a coming-of-age ritual celebrating a girl’s ��eenth birthday with

cultural roots in Latin America but celebrated throughout the Americas and in the

Philippines. It marks a young woman’s transition from childhood to womanhood.

It also has a long religious tradition with a Mass being celebrated for the 15-year-

old girl in the Catholic church. The term has also come to describe the party that

comes a�er the Mass as well as the birthday girl.

Quinceaneras celebrate traditions asform of resistanceSCNG

9/11/2017 American Latina girls stand up for their roots and for immigrants through quinceañeras – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/10/american-latina-girls-stand-up-for-their-roots-and-for-immigrants-through-quinceaneras/?utm_content=bufferb… 3/8

“It’s such a nice tradition”

Traditionally, the girl having her quinceañera wears a white ball gown, although

in recent years colored dresses have become more popular. Tiffany chose a velvet

indigo gown fashioned a�er a charro, or mariachi suit, complete with a matching

sombrero, both embroidered with �ligree and horseshoes. Her bodice even had

the decorative metalwork that lines the legs of a charro’s pants.

“Every month, we create about 20 quince dresses,” said Margarita Barajas, owner

of Paradise Bridal and Quinceañera in El Monte. Barajas created Tiffany’s charro

gown. “Of those, I’d say about �ve are more traditional like Tiffany’s. About �ve or

six years ago, I was only making about one a month like hers. I really think we

have El Señor Trump to thank for that.”

Three of the most popular dresses on display at a recent Quinceañera Magazine

Expo in Pomona included a Beauty and the Beast-inspired golden gown, Tiffany’s

charro-dress, which the teen modeled for Barajas’ shop and another Barajas off-

the-shoulder creation fashioned a�er the intricately embroidered Puebla dresses.

They are the traditional dresses from the Mexican state of Puebla where the

Mexican Army defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

The quinceañera celebration and party plans embrace the same cultural

traditions as the dresses modern Latinas have returned to.

“The Frida (Kahlo) theme and the charro theme is very popular,” said Frank

Zepeda, a spokesman for Quinceanera.com, which hosted an expo at the

Riverside Convention Center in July and will host another Sept. 24 in Ontario.

“With what’s going on in the world, a lot of people are embracing their culture

and their children, they are willing to embrace it as well.”

Experts say it’s not too surprising that young Latinas and their families have used

the coming of age ceremony as a way to assert their cultural identities as a form of

resistance.

“It really makes a lot of sense because quinceañeras in the U.S. have always been

about families and communities making a statement,” said Evelyn I. Rodriguez,

associate professor with the University of San Francisco’s Department of

Sociology, who researched and wrote Celebrating Debutantes and Quinceañeras:

Coming of Age in American Ethnic Communities.

“It’s a statement of cultural pride and asserting a sense of belonging in the United

States while honoring a parents’ home culture and really digging your heels into

U.S. culture,” Rodriguez said.

9/11/2017 American Latina girls stand up for their roots and for immigrants through quinceañeras – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/10/american-latina-girls-stand-up-for-their-roots-and-for-immigrants-through-quinceaneras/?utm_content=bufferb… 4/8

Rediscovering their roots and traditions

Several dozen people gathered at St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church in Los Angeles

on a recent summer day to witness Tiffany reaf�rm her faith.

During the Mass, she and her chambelan, Luis Angel Garcia, 17, of Los Angeles,

brought the wine offerings back to the altar as she sang a soulful hymn

accompanied by the brass and strings of the mariachi.

“I thought this was really nice. I’ve never been a part of a ceremony like this, and

I’m glad I was able to see it,” said Joel Lee, 17, Tiffany’s friend and schoolmate. “It’s

such a nice tradition and a good way for people to let others know they’re here

and not afraid.”

A�er Mass, Tiffany posed for pictures with family and friends in front of the

church, switching at times from wearing her tiara and her sombrero.

A�er several more kisses and hugs, she, Angel and a few friends piled into a party

bus to take professional pictures and video while her mother, Angeles Galaviz, ran

home to prepare for the party.

Industry experts say girls who have grown up in the United States and who appear

to have few direct connections to their ancestral traditions, want to take part in

the elaborate celebration.

“Lately, I’ve noticed the girls are really getting more involved in their own cultural

traditions,” said Norma Capitanachi, Anaheim director for Quinceañera Magazine

for the past eight years. “There are girls who want mariachis and even some who

have asked for Frida Kahlo and Dia de los Muertos themes. I’ve noticed it

happening more over the last four years, but with the current political climate, it’s

like the girls — especially the Mexican ones — are making a more conscious effort

to celebrate their heritage. They want to know about where their parents come

from and their culture.”

One girl in particular, she recalled, had a quinceañera-bat mitzvah to celebrate

both her Mexican and Jewish traditions.

That renewed interest in traditions comes as a welcome surprise to Rodriguez, the

sociology professor.

Historically, girls who grew up in the United States and were more

“Americanized” — usually the third generation and beyond — “believed the rite of

passage was quite provincial,” Rodriguez said.

9/11/2017 American Latina girls stand up for their roots and for immigrants through quinceañeras – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/09/10/american-latina-girls-stand-up-for-their-roots-and-for-immigrants-through-quinceaneras/?utm_content=bufferb… 5/8

The quinceañera as resistance

Margarita Elena Moreno, 14, of Hacienda Heights doesn’t speak Spanish,

something her mother, Veronica Estrada-Moreno teases her about, but that didn’t

stop Margarita from having a quinceañera.

“It’s important for me, because no matter what anyone says, I’m going to keep our

traditions and culture alive,” she said.

Like Tiffany, Margarita will be wearing a charro-inspired gown to her

quinceañera, which is scheduled for November.

“With the rise of Trump, these girls are seeing that they’re not protected from

these xenophobic and racist attitudes that their parents had overcome,” Rodriguez

said. “This reclaiming of the quinceañera as a form of resistance and a political

statement, that’s the way they are resurrecting the tradition.”

She said the commemorations are deeply steeped in tradition and ritual, from the

Catholic Mass to the choreographed dances, to the teen taking off her tennis

shoes and putting on heels to show that she is now a woman, and as such are very

powerful.

“It’s not surprising that during a presidency that really is kind of going back and

resurrecting that rhetoric of (immigrants) being inferior, of being cultural threats,

that U.S.-born Latinas would say, ‘I want to make a statement about how wrong

that is,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not surprising that it’s through a quinceañera; that is

accessible to teens and for immigrant families.”

In July, a group of quinceañeras organized by Jolt Texas took to the steps of the

Texas State Capitol in Austin to protest the state’s sanctuary city ban.

Wearing brightly colored ball gowns, glittering tiaras atop their heads and sashes

proclaiming “NO SB4,” the young women spoke out against the bill, which would

allow Texas law enforcement of�cers to request proof of legal residency during

any detention including traf�c and pedestrian stops, NPR reported.

Margarita, the Hacienda Heights girl, said she never thought twice about having

such a uniquely Mexican celebration even with the recent rise in anti-immigrant

rhetoric.

“I’m so proud of her,” said her mother, choking back tears. “When we were

growing up, you were afraid someone would say something about you and

sometimes we would deny we were from Mexico or we would be almost

embarrassed to speak Spanish but not these girls. It really makes me proud.”

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Bill Would Revive California’sRedevelopment Agencies

POSTED BY : CAL WATCHDOG SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

By Steven Greenhut.

California’s redevelopment agencies were a fixture on the local political landscape for six decades, as

they guided development policies and grabbed “tax increment financing” that localities used to pay for

infrastructure improvements, downtown renovations and affordable-housing projects. They had some

notable successes but generated enormous controversy before Gov. Jerry Brown shuttered them in

2011.

They were designed in the 1940s to fight urban blight. But the agencies were criticized for their use of

eminent domain on behalf of private companies; for running up debt without a vote; for the subsidies

they ladled out to developers; and for financing big-box stores and auto malls rather than helping

inner cities spruce up. The governor ultimately killed them because these agencies had become a

drain on the state’s general-fund budget, consuming 12 percent of the budget.

It was a shock to see such a powerful sector dry up, as local agencies morphed into “successor

agencies” that had nothing left to do other than pay off existing debt. But the redevelopment industry

– the developers, lobbyists, city officials and low-income housing advocates – never really went away.

Each year since 2011, lawmakers have proposed and sometimes passed measures that incrementally

bring back the redevelopment process.

The way that complex process worked in the past involved city councils essentially creating agencies

that target “project areas” for subsidy. The agencies would float debt to fund infrastructure and pay

subsidies to developers who build things within those areas. Cities often would subsidize retail

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projects because of the sales taxes they provided. The gain in the property taxes from the new

development was designed to pay off the debt.

But those taxes often come out of the hide of other public services, such as schools and public safety.

The state budget had to backfill the losses and the result was the budgetary drain that the governor

plugged. But with the state’s fiscal situation having improved markedly since 2011, legislators have

been less concerned about any financial impact of revived agencies.

In 2015, the governor signed Assembly Bill 2, which created Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Districts

(EIFD) that have many similarities to the old redevelopment project areas. Under the old law,

redevelopment officials would simply declare an area blighted before gaining new powers of subsidy

and debt funding within that area. Under what some called Redevelopment 2.0, those borrowing and

spending powers were limited to infrastructure projects.

To prevent some of the old fiscal abuses, the new EIFD process bans the newly created agencies from

unilaterally creating project areas that would steal tax revenue from counties, fire authorities or school

districts. Instead, they would have to gain the approval of the other districts, thus providing incentive

for a less controversial project. These projects also lacked the affordable-housing requirement that

was found in the old redevelopment law.

This year, affordable housing is the Legislature’s pet issue in its final week of session. The governor

and Democratic leaders have promised a legislative package to deal with the state’s housing crisis.

Lawmakers also are considering Assembly Bill 1568 by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica,

which would add a housing component to those infrastructure districts. Critics say it’s creeping

redevelopment, combined with an expanded ability for local governments to raise taxes.

“Local governments have been without a reliable financing mechanism to invest in economically

depressed, transit-rich areas since the demise of redevelopment agencies in 2011,” Bloom said in

a Senate Rules Committee analysis. This proposal “provides local jurisdictions with the authority to

finance infrastructure and affordable housing using new sales and use taxes in addition to property

tax increment within qualifying districts.”

Lawmakers are expected to make technical amendments Friday and then send it to the Senate floor

for a vote Monday. The bill requires that the Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts use the new

taxes to fund affordable housing on infill sites. The measure has passed its committees on a largely

party-line vote, with most Democrats favoring it and most Republicans opposing. It’s backed by several

planning and local-government organizations, and has a high likelihood of making it to the governor’s

desk by the Sept. 15 deadline.

If that’s so, then it will be interesting to see whether Gov. Brown, who fought so hard to eliminate

redevelopment agencies, is willing to let them return incrementally, albeit with a different name and

somewhat different rules.

Originally posted at Cal Watchdog.

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. Write to him

at sgreenhut@rstreet.org.

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California could be hit by an 8.2 mega-earthquake,and damage would be catastrophic

By Rong-Gong Lin II

SEPTEMBER 9, 2017, 2:55 PM

T he magnitude 8.2 earthquake that ravaged southern Mexico onThursday was the largest to shake the country in nearly a century.

Like California, Mexico is a seismically active region that has seensmaller quakes that have caused death and destruction. But Thursday’s temblor isa reminder that even larger quakes — while rare — do occur.

Scientists say it’s possible for Southern California to be hit by a magnitude 8.2earthquake. Such a quake would be far more destructive to the Los Angeles areabecause the San Andreas fault runs very close to and underneath denselypopulated areas.

The devastating quakes that hit California over the last century were far smallerthan the Thursday temblor, which Mexican authorities set at magnitude 8.2 andthe U.S. Geological Survey placed at 8.1. Mexico’s earthquake produced fourtimes more energy than the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a magnitude7.8, which killed 3,000 people and sparked a fire that left much of the city inruins.

Southern California’s most recent mega-quake was in 1857, also estimated to bemagnitude 7.8, when the area was sparsely populated.

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake would rupture the San Andreas fault from the SaltonSea — close to the Mexican border — all the way to Monterey County. The faultwould rupture through counties including Los Angeles, Riverside and SanBernardino.

An 8.2 earthquake would be far worse here because the San Andreas fault runsright through areas such as the Coachella Valley — home to Palm Springs — andthe San Bernardino Valley, along with the San Gabriel Mountains north of LosAngeles. The fault is about 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

Thursday’s earthquake occurred in the ocean off the Mexican coast and beganabout 450 miles from Mexico City — and it was relatively deep, starting about 43miles under the surface.

In Mexico, “you’ve got [many] people a pretty long way aways from it,”seismologist Lucy Jones said Friday. But in Southern California, “we’d have a lotof people right on top of it. It would be shallow, and it runs through ourbackyard.”

Here's what a hypothetical magnitude 8.2 earthquake would look like in Southern California -- a quake that begins near theMexican border and moves north and west through L.A. County into central California. (Los Angeles Times)

Intense shaking would be worse

A magnitude 8.2 on the San Andreas fault would cause damage in every city inSouthern California, Jones has said, from Palm Springs to San Luis Obispo.

WORSE SHAKING THAN NORTHRIDGE

Southern California would feel even worse shaking if a magnitude 8.2 earthquakehit here than what was experienced in Mexico on Thursday. Mexico’s earthquakestruck under the ocean and was deep; “violent” shaking — calculated as intensity9 shaking by the USGS — struck only a relatively small part of the country thathappens to be sparsely populated.

That’s the same intensity that was felt in the worst-hit neighborhood in the 1994magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake.

The worst shaking intensity felt on land was intensity level 9, or "violent" shaking, shown in red in this map of Thursday's southMexico earthquake. The epicenter is noted by the star, and the area of fault that moved is represented by the rectangle. (U.S.Geological Survey)

Even though the Northridge and Mexico seismic events vary widely in magnitude— the Mexico earthquake Thursday produced 178 times more total energy —Angelenos also felt “violent” shaking in 1994 because the Northridge earthquakestruck directly underneath heavily populated areas and was extremely shallow,striking between just four and 12 miles under the surface.

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake on the San Andreas would produce shaking moreintense than either the Mexico or Northridge earthquakes.

It would bring intensity level 10 shaking, which is perceived by humans as“extreme.” Such shaking would blanket huge swaths of Southern California — anearthquake that no one alive today has experienced in this region.

The magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994 produced intensity level 9 shaking — violent shaking — in a small section ofthe San Fernando Valley. (U.S. Geological Survey)

The ShakeOut scenario envisioned the earthquake beginning to move the SanAndreas fault at the Salton Sea close to the Mexican border, then moving rapidlyto the northwest toward L.A. County.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake would bring intensity level 10 shaking — extreme shaking — to a vast area of Southern California.(U.S. Geological Survey)

A mega-earthquake in the Southland

Mexico City rode out Thursday’s earthquake better than a devastating 1985temblor that killed thousands of people there, in large part because the capitalwas so far away from the epicenter of this week’s quake. The capital is aboutdouble the distance from Thursday’s epicenter as it was from the earthquake thatstruck 32 years ago.

How you protect yourself when a quake hits might be all wrong »

WHAT AN 8.2 EARTHQUAKE COULD DO

The U.S. Geological Survey published a hypothetical scenario of what amagnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault would look like. The scenariois still a useful look to imagine what an 8.2 would do to much of SouthernCalifornia. Both earthquakes would bring generally the same intensity of shakingto Los Angeles, but the 8.2 earthquake would send more intense shaking to areasfarther north and west, such as Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

Here’s what could happen if it struck at 10 a.m. on a dry, calm Thursday inNovember, based on an earlier interview with Jones and according to theShakeOut report:

The death toll could be one of the worst for a natural disaster in U.S. history:nearly 1,800, about the same number of people killed in Hurricane Katrina.

More than 900 could die from fire; more than 400 from the collapse of vulnerablesteel-frame buildings; more than 250 from other building damage; and more than150 from transportation accidents, such as car crashes due to stoplights being outor broken bridges.

Los Angeles County could suffer the highest death toll, more than 1,000; followedby Orange County, with more than 350 dead; San Bernardino County, with more

This animation shows how intense shaking is directed from the San Andreas fault into the Los Angeles Basin. Areas of yellowindicate strong shaking; orange is "very strong" shaking and red is "violent" or "extreme" shaking, causing collapses. (U.S.Geological Survey / Southern California Earthquake Center)

Freeways, water threatened

than 250 dead; and Riverside County, with more than 70 dead. Nearly 50,000could be injured.

DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE

Main freeways to Las Vegas and Phoenix that cross the San Andreas fault wouldbe destroyed in this scenario; Interstate 10 crosses the fault in a dozen spots, andInterstate 15 would see the roadway sliced where it crosses the fault, with one partof the roadway shifted from the other by 15 feet, Jones said.

Scared? Don't be. Here are tips on how to prepare »

“Those freeways cross the fault, and when the fault moves, they will be destroyed,period,” Jones said. “To be that earthquake, it has to move that fault, and it has tobreak those roads.”

The aqueducts that bring in 88% of Los Angeles’ water supply and cross the SanAndreas fault all could be damaged or destroyed, Jones said.

A big threat to life would be collapsed buildings. As many as 900 unretrofittedbrick buildings close to the fault could come tumbling down on occupants,pedestrians on sidewalks and even roads, crushing cars and buses in the middleof the street.

Fifty brittle concrete buildings housing 7,500 people could completely or partiallycollapse. Five high-rise steel buildings — of a type known to be seismicallyvulnerable — holding 5,000 people could completely collapse.

Some 500,000 to 1 million people could be displaced from their homes, Jonessaid.

Southern California could be isolated

THREAT TO ELECTRICAL GRID

Southern California could be isolated for some time, with the region surroundedby mountains and earthquake faults. The Cajon Pass — the gap between the SanGabriel and San Bernardino mountains through which Interstate 15 is built, andthe main route to Las Vegas — is also home to the San Andreas fault and apotentially explosive mix of pipelines carrying gasoline and natural gas, andoverhead electricity lines.

All it would take is for the fuel line to break and a spark to create an explosion.“The explosion results in a crater,” the report says.

ShakeOut co-author Keith Porter, research professor at the University ofColorado, Boulder, warned in a 2011 study in the journal Earthquake Spectra thatunder certain conditions, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake could create such a sudden

Flames billow from a ruptured gas main beyond a crater in Granada Hills after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. (Los AngelesTimes)

Death toll could be high in fire

interruption of high-voltage interstate transmission of electricity that “potentiallyall of the western U.S. could lose power.”

Power could be restored within hours in other states, the scenario said. Butrestoring power in Southern California could take several days.

There could be up to 100,000 landslides, scientists say, based off how manylandslides have occurred in past magnitude 7.8 earthquakes. “The really bigearthquakes … are much more destabilizing to the hillsides,” Jones said.

THREAT OF FIRE

Thousands could be forced to evacuate as fires spread across Southern California;1,200 blazes could be too large to be controlled by a single fire engine company,and firefighting efforts would be hampered by traffic gridlock and a lack of water

Patients are evacuated after a San Fernando Valley hospital collapsed in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. (Los Angeles Times)

from broken pipes. Super-fires could destroy hundreds of city blocks filled withdense clusters of wood-frame homes and apartments.

The death toll could mount as hundreds of people trapped in collapsed buildingsare unable to be rescued before flames burn through. Possible locations for theconflagrations include South Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana and SanBernardino.

“If the earthquake happens in [hot] weather ... or in a Santa Ana condition, thefires are going to become much more catastrophic. If it happens during a realrainy time, we’re going to have a lot more landslides,” Jones said.

Several dams could be shaken so hard that “they would be so compromised thatthey would require emergency evacuation,” Jones said. Even damage to just asingle dam above San Bernardino could force 30,000 people out of their homes,the ShakeOut report said.

System could give Southern California life-savingseconds to prepare

AN EARLY WARNING?

(Paul Duginski)

A seismic warning system for the West Coast has been under development foryears by the U.S. Geological Survey, the nation’s lead earthquake monitoringagency. President Trump’s budget would have ended the system before itlaunched. Officials were looking for “sensible and rational reductions and makinghard choices to reach a balanced budget by 2027,” according to theadministration’s proposal.

But the proposal to end the funding raised bipartisan complaints up and downthe coast. Twenty-eight lawmakers in the California Legislature, including leadersfrom both parties, urged officials to protect the earthquake early warning system.Members of Congress from Southern California to the Canadian border say thesystem is crucial to public safety.

In July, a congressional committee voted to keep funding.

The earthquake early warning system works on a simple principle: The seismicwaves from an earthquake travel at the speed of sound through rock — slowerthan today’s communications systems.

For example, it would take more than a minute for a magnitude 7.8 earthquakethat started at the Salton Sea to shake up Los Angeles, 150 miles away, travelingalong the state’s longest fault, the San Andreas.

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ALSO

Mexico got early warning before deadly earthquake struck. When willCalifornia get that system?

Patience in short supply as desperation sets in among South Floridaresidents still in Hurricane Irma's path

A damaged apartment building is seen in San Francisco's Marina District after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. (JonathanNourok / AFP/Getty Images)

Seismologists hope to create earthquake forecasts forCalifornia, using small temblors to warn of big ones

By Rong-Gong Lin II and Raoul Rañoa

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017, 8:25 AM

O ne day, next to the traffic map and weather forecast on yoursmartphone, seismologist Thomas H. Jordan envisions an app that youcan check to see when the chances of a major earthquake in Californiarise.

Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, is quick to makeclear this is not an earthquake prediction. Predicting exactly when and where acatastrophic earthquake will strike next is impossible, scientists say.

But what scientists can do is pay close attention when moderate quakes strike inperilously sensitive spots — places right next to major faults such as the SanAndreas.

Such small earthquakes raise the risk that the San Andreas fault could unleash amagnitude 7 or greater earthquake.

“I think that the age of seismic weather forecasting is upon us,” Jordan said.

“Now, we can’t make the kind of detailed predictions that meteorologists canmake,” Jordan said. “But it’s not like we know nothing. We do know something….In my view, you want the public to know everything the seismologists know, andwe can basically give you a forecast on a weekly basis or a daily basis.”

That means experts someday would be able to publish a continually updated mapshowing what parts of California temporarily have a higher risk of a bigearthquake caused by an increase in background seismic activity there.

Advances in quake forecasting

NEW RESEARCH

This effort got a major boost with the release of a one-of-a-kind statistical modelfor California about how one earthquake can trigger another — including oneeven worse than the original tremor. The results were in a report recentlypublished in the scientific journal Seismological Research Letters, co-authored by20 of the nation’s leading earthquake scientists, affiliated with agencies andacademic institutions such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the Southern CaliforniaEarthquake Center and the California Geological Survey.

The latest in operational earthquake forecasting will be discussed at the annualmeeting of the Southern California Earthquake Center, which is being held inPalm Springs this week.

Jordan and others are quick to note that this earthquake forecasting system is farfrom foolproof — and cannot be used with certainty.

While half of all large quakes are preceded by smaller foreshocks, the other halfare not. So California could easily experience a huge quake without any hint ofearlier, smaller seismic activity.

Still, the new research has sparked excitement from the seismic community,which in recent years has been working to let the public know all it can about thelatest advances in earthquake forecasting.

A striking example of how earthquake forecasting can be useful is if moderateearthquake activity was detected at the northern end of the southern San Andreasfault in Monterey County. The old model focuses the risks of subsequent seismicactivity close to Monterey County. In fact, the risk of a major quake extends allthe way to Los Angeles County, as the two counties are connected by the SanAndreas fault.

Moderate quakes may be precursors to the BigOne

No other model like this one exists around the world, Jordan said, as no otherregion has such a complete database of known faults and how they might react ifa moderate quake struck very close to a large, sensitive fault that could produce acatastrophic temblor.

HINTS OF A MEGA-QUAKE

Scientists have increasingly made the connection between small earthquakes nearmajor faults and much larger seismic events.

Perhaps the most famous such incident is the last time Southern Californiaendured a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, as chronicled by scientists Aron Meltznerand David Wald in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

The date was Jan. 9, 1857, and in hindsight, there were clues the Big One couldcome.

In the dead of night, about nine hours before the 7.8 quake hit, small earthquakesbegan occurring in this particularly sensitive spot — the northernmost terminusof the southern San Andreas fault. They shook dangerously close to the firstdomino of the fault.

Then, at first light — two hours before the Big One hit — a magnitude 6.1earthquake struck. An hour later, at sunrise, a second moderate earthquake hit, a5.6.

The quakes seemed to do the trick. It was around 8:24 a.m. that the Big Onebegan its inexorable march south, starting in Monterey County and, like anextremely fast version of a hurricane, rushed all the way down to Los AngelesCounty in about two minutes. The Big One produced 355 times more energy thanthe earthquake that began at first light. The earthquake not only sunk trees inStockton and Sacramento, but uprooted trees near what is today the Grapevinesection of Interstate 5.

Many small quakes may suggest increased seismicstress

How seismic activity migrated from a village tothe city

“Big earthquakes can come in clusters. And one can trigger the other,” said U.S.Geological Survey seismologist Ned Field, the lead author of the new forecastingmodel report.

CHANGING SCIENTISTS’ VIEWS OF AFTERSHOCKS

Scientists used to think “aftershocks were negligible. We used to think aftershockswere just little earthquakes that followed the big ones, and who cares aboutsomething smaller?” Field said. In reality, though, “aftershocks can be larger.”

The new understanding rebuts the myth that moderate quakes relieve pent-upstress on an earthquake fault and postpone the prospect of a Big One. That’swrong.

In fact, a cluster of small or moderate quakes could reflect “increased stress inthat area,” Field said. And even the biggest earthquake has to start small. “If youhave more little things popping off, you have more opportunities for one of thoseto grow into something big,” Field said.

There are more recent examples of how using such a system in prime time couldbe helpful to scientists and the public.

A MOVING PATTERN OF QUAKES

In September 2010, New Zealand’s South Island was jolted by the magnitude 7.1Darfield earthquake, which ruptured under sparsely populated land and causedtwo deaths.

For months, aftershocks struck. The benefit of hindsight showed how seismicactivity traveled east. “It migrated towards Christchurch,” New Zealand’s third-

How California got a test run in the new quakeforecasting model

largest city, Jordan said. Nearly six months later, a 6.2 aftershock struck directlyunderneath the city, and the death toll soared to 185 as concrete and otherbuildings collapsed.

Earthquake forecasts could be helpful if something similar happened in Californiaand scientists started detecting a pattern of seismic activity migrating in a certaindirection. “We want to be able to anticipate as best we can where problems” couldbe, Jordan said.

The latest description of the seismic model was published online in June and isknown formally as the “epidemic-type aftershock sequence model” of the ThirdUniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, or UCERF3-ETAS.

Not all small and moderate earthquakes are made equal. Most of the time, smalland moderate earthquakes are not a big deal, Jordan said, “unless that smallearthquake is occurring near a major fault like the San Andreas.”

The new seismic forecast model hasn’t yet been put into prime time. There is nowebsite nor any formal way for Californians to see a map of updated earthquakeprobabilities around the state.

A TRIAL RUN

But California had a trial run with the system shortly after it became available fortesting last year, when troubling seismic activity appeared near the Mexicanborder.

A series of moderate earthquakes suddenly ruptured at the southern terminus ofthe San Andreas fault beginning on Sept. 26. A rapid succession of small quakes— with three topping out above magnitude 4.0 — began striking near BombayBeach and continued for more than 24 hours. More than 200 earthquakes hadbeen recorded.

How to understand seismic forecasts

Setting off the first domino on the southern end of the San Andreas could unleasha bigger earthquake, unzipping from near the Mexican border through PalmSprings, the San Bernardino Valley and Los Angeles County, into CentralCalifornia.

As a result, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a rare statement warning that thechances of a magnitude 7 earthquake or greater increased from a probability of 1in 6,000 to as much as 1 in 100.

The statement caused some to react. San Bernardino officials decided to closedown for two days their seismically unsafe City Hall, which had already beenscheduled to be vacated in the coming months because of its risk of collapse inshaking.

HOW PROBABILITIES OF MAJOR QUAKES CAN RISE

Some critics question the usefulness of seismic forecasts.

For instance, in any given week, there is only a 1-in-10,000 chance that amagnitude 7.8 or greater earthquake would strike the southern San Andreas fault,Jordan said. That chance rises dramatically to 1 in 100 after moderate quakeactivity strikes the fault.

But that still means there’s still a 99-in-100 chance that the large earthquakewon’t happen during that particular week.

Still, Jordan says it’s better to communicate to the public what the seismologistsknow. A 1-in-100 chance of a mega-quake is “a much higher probability than onany given day,” Jordan said, “and therefore, if you’re very sensitive to earthquakes— if you run the power grid or something — you might be very interested in that.”

There are other limitations to the model. It needs to be tested to see how good itis at forecasting, Jordan said.

The importance of accurate information

LESSONS FROM ITALY

One reason why scientists think it’s important to clearly communicate what theyknow about earthquake forecasting is what happened when an earthquake swarmhappened in central Italy in 2009, an incident Jordan wrote about for the journalSeismological Research Letters. In an effort to calm jitters, government officialsheld a news conference at the end of March “to reassure the public.” One officialtold reporters: “The scientific community tells us there is no danger, becausethere is an ongoing discharge of energy. The situation looks favorable.”

The statement was wrong — and at odds with what scientists know about seismicswarms. Lulled into safety, there was little public concern after a 3.9 earthquakejolted L’Aquila before midnight on April 5, 2009. A few hours later, a 6.3 quakestruck, and more than 300 died.

Jordan said it’s important that authoritative announcements are sent out swiftlyand accurately, especially in the age of social media.

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raoul.ranoa@latimes.com

Twitter: @ranoa

Studying a trench that reveals lines in the sediment helps a team of geologists construct a history of earthquakes on the SanAndreas fault in San Luis Obispo County. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

9/11/2017 Inland weather about to go from triple digits to below average – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/10/cloudy-afternoon-could-bring-storms-to-inland-empire/ 1/3

By NIKIE JOHNSON | nijohnson@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: September 10, 2017 at 1:36 pm | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 9:21 pm

National Weather ServiceInland weather about to go from triple digits to below average

If you’re tired of hot and humid weather, there’s good news for you in this week’s Inland Empire forecast.

By Wednesday, the weather will be “noticeably cooler” — as much as 10-15 degrees below average, the National Weather Service is

predicting.

On Sunday, temperatures hit 102 at the Riverside airport, 101 in Lake Elsinore and 100 in Ontario and Chino, according to the weather

service. It was a bit cooler in places like Temecula (95) and Beaumont (92).

Despite some a�ernoon clouds across the region, the only rain that fell was in the mountains and High Desert. By 5 p.m., radar showed

totals were mostly under 0.2 inches. A few storm cells were still active. Just before 6 p.m.,  spotty showers were reported in Riverside and

Moreno Valley.

LOCAL NEWS

Inland weather about to go from triple digits to belowaverage

9/11/2017 Inland weather about to go from triple digits to below average – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/09/10/cloudy-afternoon-could-bring-storms-to-inland-empire/ 2/3

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Monday’s temperatures in the Inland valleys should be in the mid- to upper 90s, and there’s about a 20 percent chance for a�ernoon and

evening showers and thunderstorms. Winds from the west could gust up to 25 mph.

Tuesday will be a few degrees cooler, with a return of gusty winds but no rain in the forecast — except in the mountains and deserts.

Then Wednesday through Saturday, highs will stay in the 80s or even upper 70s across the region, the weather service is predicting.

Thursday is currently expected to be the coolest day. The cooldown could be accompanied by patchy fog overnight and into the early-

morning hours.

Saturday was stormy in the deserts — the Palm Springs airport set a record with 1.19 inches of rain. In the Coachella Valley, crews were

cleaning up mud from streets that had been underwater Saturday; most of those roads reopened Sunday.

Farther north in the Mojave Desert, Highway 247 reopened Sunday, Caltrans tweeted. Highway 62 will remain closed until Monday

between Ironage Road and Highway 177, east of Twentynine Palms and along the far northeast border of Joshua Tree National Park.

City News Service contributed to this report.

SR 62 is closed from Ironage to SR 177 due to flooding and mudflow until Monday. Use alt routes and avoid 62 and 177#caltrans8 pic.twitter.com/N6KMcYI0gn— Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) September 10, 2017

More flood damage on SR 62. #caltrans8pic.twitter.com/3w98TA9AmU— Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) September 10, 2017

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BREAKING NEWS The Latest: Irma damage reported on Georgia’s Tybee Island

The Legislature continues marching toward nancial devastation of California counties.

Looking out for their own political interests, Democratic lawmakers keep advancing legislation making it costlier and in many casesnearly impossible for counties to contract out for vital services.

This ill-conceived bill, AB 1250, perhaps the worst legislation this year, should have died months ago. Instead, it cleared another Senatecommittee on Friday as legislators race to nish business by Sept. 15.

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Editorial: California labor bill would devastate counties, non-pro ts

6

(Dan Coyro, Santa Cruz Sentinel)Homeless services are among the programs endangered by a bill restricting counties’ ability to contract for services.

By MERCURY NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD |PUBLISHED: September 6, 2017 at 12:22 pm | UPDATED: September 6, 2017 at 5:21 pm

Those lawmakers, doing the bidding of labor lobbyists, aim to force counties to stop contracting and instead hire more county workers,complete with their unaffordable pension costs.

The bill purports to be a cost-saving measure that forces counties to compare the price of contracting for services with hiring morecounty workers. But the bill’s rules for comparison place a giant thumb on the scale, in ating the cost of contracting while hiding thefull price of hiring workers in-house.

Although the bill has been repeatedly amended, it remains fundamentally awed. It epitomizes politics at its worst.

Democratic lawmakers want more campaign money from labor unions. Labor unions want more union members in county jobs.Taxpayers will get less for their money, and fewer people who need help will get services.

As if to prove the bill’s damaging potential, San Francisco was completely exempted. Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith, workingfor an extremely pro-labor Board of Supervisors, cut a shameless deal to exempt his health department from the contracting rules.Santa Clara sold out other counties, including Contra Costa, where Smith used to be county hospital director.

Similarly, state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, backed the bill in committee only after assurances that Santa Clara would get its carve-out.“That’s an effort of good faith and I appreciate it,” he said.

Good faith? Hogwash. It gave him political cover at home.

But it could back re.

Patricia Gardner, chief executive of cer of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonpro ts, says Santa Clara County’s contracts with many of hermember agencies would still be endangered — just like most contracts with non-pro ts in California’s other 56 counties.

According to a scathing analysis of AB 1250 by Gov. Jerry Brown’s Department of Finance, the bill “makes it extremely dif cult forcounties to contract for a host of public services including health care services, mental health services, substance (abuse) services,social services, transportation projects, and security and maintenance services.”

It would also hinder counties’ ability to hire, for example, nancial, planning and environmental consultants, outside legal advisers andprivate ambulance providers.

Oh, the irony. For years, the state has jettisoned rehabilitation programs, turning them over to counties to run more ef ciently andcost-effectively. Counties did this by partnering with non-pro ts. Now legislators want to force the costs up and ef ciency down.

The goal isn’t saving taxpayers money. It’s giving more of it to public sector labor unions so they can bankroll lawmakers politicalcampaigns down the road. Needy Californians will be the victims.

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By JONATHAN LANSNER |

PUBLISHED: September 10, 2017 at 7:00 am | UPDATED: September 10, 2017 at 7:10 pm

John Valenzuela

Amazon’s Slam operator Steve Morgan sorts through merchandise at the The Amazon Fulfillment Center in San Bernardino, CA., Monday, Oct. 28,2013. The fulfillment center opened up a year ago with only half of the facility opened for business, now with the the million-square-foot centercomplete they will host a grand opening on Tuesday, with Gov. Jerry Brown in attendence. This distribution center has been celebrated in SanBernardino and at the state level as an example of job creation and growth. (John Valenzuela/Staff Photographer)

So where will Amazon go?

The retailing behemoth has basically grown out of its Seattle birthplace and has scrambled the schedules of city planners and developers alike

as it very publicly seeks a second corporate home — “HQ2” — to house its growth plans. Deadline is Oct. 19!

Let me put the company’s request into perspective.

Amazon needs — in a relatively short timespan — to acquire 8 million square feet of of ce space to replicate its corporate home. That’s loosely

equal to what an entire nation of landlords rented out in the rst quarter. And we’re talking about a state-of-the-art, modern campus.

Ballpark price tag? $5 billion.

The lure to cities who choose to enter this fray is what goes into those cubicles. Amazon plans to place maybe 50,000 new hires, “with an

average annual total compensation exceeding $100,000 over the next 10 to fteen years,” the request for proposals states.

BUSINESS

How Southern California can win Amazon’s HQ2

1. Pro-business

2. Seattle-like

3. Talent

4. Transportation

Adding to the drama is Amazon’s site-selection manifesto that strongly suggests a low-cost bid will not win. The company’s wish list certainly

seeks to help Amazon’s bottom line, but it also outlines a search for a diverse, worker-friendly, tech-savvy locale. Oh, and regions under 1

million people … sorry … there will be no new corporate campus in the woods of some small, remote state.

If I correctly translate Amazon’s wishes to big and brash, Southern California has got a serious shot in what feels like a “what city is best” reality

TV show.

So, let me share eight key factors I see determining the winning bid, and how the chances of Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire

stack up.

Southern California added 125,000 employers in the last ve years, 21 percent growth that tops 17 percent growth in the rest of the state.

This local ock of new business operators apparently doesn’t agree with the usual critics of the region’s business climate.

If Amazon really just wants a pile of tax breaks and a cheap place to live and do business, Southern California is off the list. But the wish list

certainly suggests they want a great place for highly compensated employees, too … a huge local strength.

L.A.’s chances? Any city that is HQ to the world’s entertainment business and can corral often-warring local powers into a winning Olympic bid

must be taken seriously.

O.C.? Its collection of small cities is rarely uni ed, so it’s likely Amazon will get several competing bids. (Is that a minus?) It’s hard to argue

against Irvine, which has publicly stated it will bid for the project. The city gets high livability scores and is home to the nation’s wealthiest

developer — who could easily pay for HQ2!

Inland Empire? Here’s another region that might do almost anything to win, but is that what Amazon wants? Note: Amazon already likes the

region enough to have several huge warehouses in the Inland Empire

Amazon’s wish list discusses how the winning bidder will be a place where current employees would feel comfortable.

So put your Paci c Northwest thinking cap on. I’m guessing the ideal candidate is quirky and hip, with a cosmopolitan air and a waterfront vibe.

L.A.’s chances? The western, beach-close communities should have a winning level of buzz. And Downtown L.A. could be quirky enough, too.

O.C.? Since the proposal says the suburbs are chill, the mix of family-friendly lifestyle and killer beaches may look appealing. And don’t rule out

a working-class city like Fullerton, either. Apparently, train stations matter.

Inland Empire? If being close to the cultural amenities Amazon desires matters, then the Inland Empire can sell its near-L.A.-O.C. location plus

affordable real estate, commercial and residential. Imagine Amazon in Downtown Riverside!

Southern California isn’t Silicon Valley, but if you want to innovate with style, we’ve got the goods.

Attention, Amazon: Los Angeles and Orange counties produced 45,968 college graduates with technology-related degrees between 2010 and

2015. Only New York and Washington D.C. produced more.

L.A.’s chances? Hollywood. Enough said. We’re talking tons of tech talent doing everything from rockets to radio signals. And tons of college

graduates from USC and UCLA to the Claremont colleges.

O.C.? Deep bench here, especially with experts in communication technologies and cybersecurity. And lots of managerial and legal smarts, too.

Inland Empire? Logistics experts galore. And there’s a rich supply of UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino graduates. And the commute of

talent coming from coastal communities toward the new inland Amazon headquarters wouldn’t be horrible.

Since traf c-jams-r-us, is Southern California cooked?

We hope Amazon’s site selectors don’t nd out that the eastbound 91 is the hardest commute in the nation! (Or perhaps someone should tell

them overall average commutes are WORSE in New York and D.C.)

Amazon’s wish lists seek information on everything from commute times to mass transit options to bike lanes. So let’s hope congestion isn’t an

instant deal-killer.

5. Ready

6. Housing

7. Game-changer

8. Wild card

L.A.’s chances? Can the city’s newish and growing urban rail system nally be the sparkle in somebody’s eye … such as the Amazon CEO’s?

O.C.? Live-work-play. Great urban planning notion. Ready for a workable test near, say, the Anaheim train station? Elsewhere?

Inland Empire? If Amazon dreams of a splashy suburban corporate campus near new, more affordable housing … commutation fears abate.

Possible?

Vacancies have become the new real estate gold.

And Seattle has been tapped out. Amazon’s proposal is on the fast track, so the winning region will have ample supply of empty of ce space now

with signi cant willingness to build more.

Industry stats show Seattle’s of ce market is roughly the size of Orange County’s … with the nation’s second-lowest vacancy rate. Wonder why

they’re looking for HQ2?

L.A.’s chances? Its total of ce space is roughly double Seattle’s size, and L.A. vacancies plus new construction would hold about four of

Amazon’s proposed HQ2.

O.C.? Irvine Co. owner Donald Bren has built four of ce towers since the recession. And he’s ready to do anything to help bring Amazon to

Irvine.

Inland Empire? Can one of the nation’s hottest industrial markets (ahem, warehouses … like several with Amazon inside) snare a major

corporate headquarters?

I know what you’re thinking. We’re unaffordable, so we lose automatically.

But if Amazon is honestly thinking of bringing to a region signi cant numbers of executive-level jobs with six- gure paychecks, Southern

California has got lots to offer.

I have to say it, too: Weather counts.

L.A.’s chances? Mansions? Check. Coastal living? Check. Urban options? Check. Classic suburbia? Check. And don’t forget: Aliso Viejo-based

FivePoint Communities has plenty of ready-to-build land in Valencia.

O.C.? Home to four of the nation’s top-selling master-planned housing communities. Need I say more?

Inland Empire? Relatively affordable and plenty of ready-to-build lots. This could help satisfy concerns by Amazon about housing for its less-

than-executive staff.

Amazon’s proposal goes to great length to describe its impact on Seattle.

Sure, part of this is marketing to amp up competing cities that need to justify the cash sweeteners they’ll toss into the bid package.

But I think part of it is Amazon’s desire to help change the fortunes of a region in the process — a true win-win, so to speak.

L.A.’s chances? Could Amazon HQ2 be the spark for a truly revitalized Downtown L.A.? What about rede ning South Central?

O.C.? Irvine? Just another “win” for the county’s “company town.” But what about Santa Ana? I hear there’s an empty newspaper headquarters

that needs a tenant!

Inland Empire? The region has all the goods to host California’s next great city. An Amazon headquarters could be the needed nudge.

Look. The Amazon boss bought the Washington Post and Whole Foods.

So he’s (1) unpredictable and (2) willing to pay up for quality. Out-of-the-box thinking is required!

It’s not hard to envision Amazon selecting a giant metro where the company can cherry pick from a region’s best, brightest … and most

affordable.

By JON COUPAL | and KEVIN KILEY |September 9, 2017 at 12:00 pm

AP Photo/Rich PedroncelliIn this Jan. 24, 2017 file photo, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra talks to reporters at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif.

The attorney general of California has the responsibility of preparing the “title and summary” for ballot measures to be submitted to the

voters. Pursuant to that authority, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued the title and summary for one of the most anticipated

ballot initiatives for the 2018 election. Here is his description: “Eliminates recently enacted road repair and transportation funding by

repealing revenues dedicated for those purposes.”

Confused? Try this excerpt from the ballot summary: “Eliminates Independent Of�ce of Audits and Investigations, which is responsible for

ensuring accountability in the use of revenue for transportation projects.”

If you have no clue that this is actually the initiative to repeal the gas tax you wouldn’t be alone. As dra�ed, the title and summary make

every effort to hide the fact that the measure is targeting one of the most unpopular laws in recent California history. Though the words

“gas” and “tax” are not in the ballot title, they do at least appear in the ballot summary. But they are followed by the suggestion that the

initiative also acts to eliminate the Independent Of�ce of Audits and Investigations — an of�ce that does not yet exist.

OPINION

Initiative titles and summaries must be fair andobjective

This obvious effort at obfuscation, and ultimately voter confusion, �ies in the face of a promise Becerra made during his con�rmation

hearing. Asked last January what he would do to ensure the objectivity of ballot titles and summaries, which is the constitutional

responsibility of the attorney general to produce, Becerra testi�ed that “the words I get to issue on behalf of the people of this state, will be

the words that are operative to everyone.”

Becerra’s readiness, just months later, to depart from this approach in order to protect the gas tax — which was championed by his own

party — is just the latest example of how attorneys general use their in�uence over the ballot to manipulate voters and advance the

interests of their allies. To put an end to this damaging practice, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3, by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, was

introduced earlier this year, a measure that would strip the attorney general of the power to write ballot titles and summaries, and transfer

that authority over to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Of�ce.

Unlike the attorney general, the Legislative Analyst is not a politician. A trusted source of impartial information since its creation in 1941,

the LAO’s primary mission is to provide the state Legislature with reports on �scal and policy issues. The of�ce is also tasked with

preparing the �scal analysis for ballot initiatives, making it well suited for the responsibility of writing titles and summaries, too.

Since the introduction of ACA3, the Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register have all endorsed the measure,

arguing that, no matter the party in power, the temptation to manipulate a ballot initiative’s language is too great for an attorney general to

resist.

Their concerns are supported by a long history of abuse that stretches back to at least 1966, when Attorney General Tom Lynch, tasked

with describing the initiative to create a full-time Legislature, at �rst misleadingly framed it as a measure to raise legislative salaries. More

recently, in 2013, Attorney General Kamala Harris drew criticism for describing public pension reform as the “elimination” of state

constitutional protections for pensioners, using language that had been poll-tested by opponents of the initiative. Other examples abound,

from both sides of the aisle.

The high stakes of the initiative process make any attempt at reform dif�cult, particularly when the party controlling the Legislature also

holds the Attorney General’s Of�ce. When ACA3 was brought before the Assembly Elections Committee earlier this year, the bill had the

support of every major good government group in the state, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Common Cause

and the League of Women Voters of California. The only opposition was a representative from the Attorney General’s Of�ce. Nevertheless,

the bill failed 2-4 on a party-line vote, with one Democrat abstaining.

Initiatives are powerful tools of direct democracy, allowing the people of California to take direct control over the state’s political destiny

when the Legislature has failed. But this is only possible when voters have an accurate description of what they are voting for. ACA3 would

assure just that, and when it returns for consideration next year, we urge legislators on both sides to support this measure to redeem direct

democracy in California.

Jon Coupal is the president of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Kevin Kiley represents California’s 6th Assembly District, whichincludes parts of El Dorado, Placer and Sacramento counties. You can follow both on Twitter @joncoupal and @KevinKileyCA.

Jon Coupal

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S

Strike canceled as county and union make a deal

By Joshua Stewart

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017, 2:40 PM

an Diego County government and its largest labor union have reached a tentative deal on a new contract,

avoiding a strike planned for later this week.

After months of little progress at the bargaining table, the county and Service Employees International Local

221 settled on a proposed pact that gives some 10,000 employees base raises of about 13 percent over five years.

The Board of Supervisors still needs to approve the county’s side of the deal, and it’s not clear if they will

consider the contract at its meeting on Tuesday. The union will present the deal to its members to vote on from

Tuesday through Thursday.

Regardless of the outcome to those two processes, the tentative agreement has staved off a strike planned for

Tuesday and Wednesday, the first time since the mid-1990s that Local 221’s county workers would have

In August members of Service Employees International Union Local 221 prepared to tell the county they planned to strike. (Joshua Stewart/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)

stopped work.

Like agreements reached earlier this year with other unions that represent county employees, the proposed

contract includes 13 percent across-the-board-raises for Local 221 members spread over five years. But the

agreement reached late Friday includes one-time increases in base salary for registered nurses that translate

into 16 percent raises — both the county and the union wanted to increase retention — and 14 percent raises for

social services and social welfare workers. Psychiatrists will receive a 17 percent raise, but 5 percent of the pay

hike is to correct an issue with a previous contract.

Similar to agreements with other unions, SEIU-represented members will also receive 7 percent more in county

health care funding annually to offset rising costs, as well as $5,250 in cash bonuses spread over five years. The

tentative agreement is expected to cost the government about $495 million, pretty much the price tag of early

proposals.

The union’s president, David Garcias, said that the county “finally blinked.”

“We now have an agreement that helps to close the wage gap for critical public servants like nurses and social

workers which is an essential step in alleviating chronic staff turnover and significant short staffing of services

to vulnerable residents of San Diego,” he said.

But on SEIU’s Facebook page, some members said the tentative agreement seems to be nearly identical to offers

the county made when negotiations began early this year. They said it doesn’t pay San Diego County’s

employees on par with other counties’ workers, that it was a five-year deal rather than three, and that it fell

short of expectations Local 221 had built through the lengthy negotiations. The deal also lacked a $500 signing

bonus that was included in earlier offers.

The county did not immediately comment on the tentative agreement.

SEIU’s leadership had been under increasing pressure from some of its own members to allow a vote on the

county’s offer. At least three different bargaining units within Local 221 have taken early steps to leave SEIU

and represent themselves or join another parent union. About 1,200 of the 10,000 county workers represented

by Local 221 would leave if the process is completed.

The tentative deal came after both sides accused the other of unfair labor practices, accusations both the county

and union denied.

The union said that the county, at times, refused to negotiate and that its series of proposed contracts grew

increasingly unacceptable.

The county said that the union violated agreements when it brought several groups into bargaining sessions,

including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Community Advocacy Network and others. It also accused

some of the union’s senior members of prematurely campaigning for a strike.

“SEIU has attempted to short-circuit bargaining, by exerting unlawful economic pressure on the County by

threatening and preparing for a pre-impasse strike in violation” of labor relations laws, the county said in unfair

labor practice charge.

Union members voted for a strike in July, and in late August announced that they would not work on this

Tuesday and Wednesday. The timing was to coincide with the supervisors’ first board meetings after their

summer recess.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841

Copyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune

This article is related to: Unions, San Diego County, Compensation and Benefits, Jobs and Workplace

9/11/2017 After 15 die in hepatitis outbreak, San Diego begins sanitary street washing - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-hepatitis-san-diego-20170911-story.html 1/2

S

After 15 die in hepatitis outbreak, San Diegobegins sanitary street washing

By Paul Sisson

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017, 8:25 AM

anitary street washing will commence in downtown San Diego and will continue every other week to

combat the city’s deadly hepatitis A outbreak, Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office said Friday.

The city responded to a letter sent by San Diego County Thursday, asking the city to move forward

with a list of specific sanitation actions designed to help control the spread of the disease, which has killed 15

people and hospitalized nearly 300, many of them homeless and living on streets without adequate access to

restrooms or showers.

The county gave the city five business days to respond with a plan for remedying what it called a “fecally

contaminated environment” downtown. The county will soon expand its efforts to other cities in the region,

where the outbreak has now produced nearly 400 confirmed cases.

After 15 die in a hepatitis outbreak, San Diego begins sanitary street washing, including use of portable sinks. (Eduardo Contreras / SanDiego Union-Tribune)

9/11/2017 After 15 die in hepatitis outbreak, San Diego begins sanitary street washing - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-hepatitis-san-diego-20170911-story.html 2/2

The county moved forward last weekend with its own contractor, who installed 40 hand-washing stations in

areas where the homeless often gather. There are plans, according to the city’s letter, to add more stations next

week.

In addition to regularly pressure-washing dirty city right-of-ways with chlorinated water, the county also asked

the city to “immediately expand access to public restrooms and wash stations within the city limits that are

adjacent to at-risk populations.”

The mayor’s office provided no additional information on public restroom access except a three-page list of

existing facilities, some of which are open 24 hours a day.

Meanwhile, additional San Diego police escorts will be provided for the county’s mobile vaccination teams and

expanded vaccination clinics will be opened at public libraries.

It was not clear Friday evening whether the county considered the city’s response adequate. County

communications director Michael Workman said in a brief email that the document was “being reviewed and

evaluated.”

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

O

Column The house I bought for $130,000 in1983 is now worth a fortune, and that's a bigproblem for California

By Steve Lopez

SEPTEMBER 9, 2017, 8:00 AM

ut of curiosity, I looked up the value of a two-story tract house I bought in a middle-class San Jose

neighborhood back in 1983, for about $130,000.

The home — which I sold for about $140,000 in 1985 — would now haul in an estimated $1 million

or more, based on recent sales in the same neighborhood.

That’s roughly eight times more than I paid for it. But in the 34 years since then, California’s median household

income has increased by roughly three times, not eight.

San Jose is a ground-zero point in California's housing crisis. (Associated Press)

Ordinary house, crazy priceSo why an eight-fold price increase for a pretty ordinary three-bedroom, two-bath house?

Because of the explosion of the Silicon Valley economy, and because there isn’t enough housing there or in

other job centers in California. Limited supply plus high demand equals insane prices, exhausting commutes

from less expensive areas, huge portions of income going toward housing, and poverty rates that lead the

nation.

How to fix all this can’t be covered in one little corner of the newspaper. The short answer, though, is to build

more housing.

But bureaucracy, land scarcity and construction costs, limited funding for affordable housing and well-intended

environmental restrictions all stand in the way of new projects. And so do people up and down the state who are

OK with new housing unless it happens to be in their neighborhood.

I get not wanting to see the scale or character of neighborhoods radically transformed by cramming high-

density housing into every available space. But the population isn’t shrinking, and there’s room for sensible

development.

“We need to permit dense housing near jobs and transit,” said Brian Hanlon of Oakland, who has begun

countering NIMBYs with his nonprofit YIMBY, or Yes In My Back Yard.

Without that kind of development, Hanlon said, racial and economic inequality and segregation will grow, while

long-distance commuters put a toll on themselves, their families and the environment.

But some people aren’t listening.

Affluent community fights affordable housingIn Marin County, one of the wealthiest parts of the state, residents have stalled and opposed new development,

and legislation — blasted by affordable housing advocates — would allow parts of the county to continue

restricting the size of new developments.

In Redondo Beach, city officials responded to resident complaints about density and scaled back a commercial-

residential development. It went from 180 apartments with nine reserved for poor families to 115 apartments,

none for low-income people. The developer sued, but Mayor Bill Brand is holding firm.

“Redondo does not have a housing shortage,” he told the Daily Breeze, which is easy to say, I guess, if you’ve

already got your feet up.

Brand said the real problem is that his beach community has a traffic crisis, an occasional water supply crisis,

and could end up with a school crowding crisis if there’s more residential development.

In Carlsbad, residents have gone to court to kill the city’s approval of a 90-unit affordable apartment project.

And in nearby Encinitas, the only San Diego County city without a state-required housing plan for all income

levels, residents voted down a proposed solution last fall and the community now faces multiple lawsuits by

housing proponents.

Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear called the situation “a black eye and a liability for the city,” but told me

she’s optimistic a city task force will finally pull together a zoning plan this year.

In La Cañada Flintridge, former housing commissioner Herand Der Sarkissian told my colleague Liam Dillon —

in his expose on the state’s half-century of failure to enforce compliance with housing construction

requirements — that it’s fiscally irresponsible for the state to force low-income housing into communities like

his, where land costs are high.

“People like people of their own tribe,” Der Sarkissian went on. “I think the attempt to change it is ludicrous. Be

it black, be it white, people want to be with people who are like them.”

What decade are we living in?

That kind of attitude and legislative agenda has created segregated communities for decades, and it’s why the

state needs to start hammering local officials who don’t comply with the housing-for-all law signed in 1967 by a

governor named Ronald Reagan. Those who scream about a loss of local planning control have only themselves

to blame.

Pushback in Boyle HeightsBut snooty upscale communities aren’t the only ones putting up roadblocks to new housing. In Boyle Heights, a

few neighbors and L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar have stalled a perfectly reasonable plan to build 49

housing units — half for people with a mental illness — and commercial space.

And on the outskirts of Temple City in the San Gabriel Valley, a plan to turn a crime-infested motel into

supportive housing for 169 veterans, the disabled and formerly homeless fell apart because of neighborhood

opposition and a lack of time for developer Mercy Housing to persuade opponents and beat out other bidders.

Mercy’s Ed Holder said demand for such projects is so great, a crush of people will clamor for a spot in the next

phase of an affordable housing development in Wilmington.

“We’re about to open our application list,” he said, “and we’re expecting thousands of applicants for 176 family

homes.”

Can the Legislature help?That’s a good snapshot of the size of the problem, and it’s why several housing bills could come up for a vote

this week in Sacramento. Senate Bill 3 would put a $4-billion housing bond on the ballot next year. Senate Bill 2

would fund about $250 million worth of low-income housing and housing assistance each year with a $75 fee

on mortgage refinances and some real estate transactions. Senate Bill 35 would prod cities that aren’t meeting

state housing production goals to ease regulations and speed up the process.

All of that would only begin to chip away at the housing crisis, but passage is not a guarantee, and SB 2 could be

in the most trouble because some people are referring to that $75 as a dreaded tax.

Call it what you will, but if you refinance, the first month savings on your new mortgage payment could well

cover the $75 fee. And that money would help build new housing, keep people who are on the verge of

homelessness from losing their homes, and offer down payment assistance to first-time home buyers.

“I’m not giving up,” the bill’s author, Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), told me Friday afternoon, although

similar legislation has failed in the past.

Winners and losersI told her about my old house in Silicon Valley, and how the value has rocketed.

Atkins said she’s thrilled that her own home value has gone up, but her good fortune as a longtime owner means

houses are unaffordable for so many others.

“This package of bills is even more critical than it was last year, two years ago and three years ago,” Atkins said,

“because the situation has only gotten worse.”

Get more of Steve Lopez's work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez

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Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: Housing Market, Homelessness, Real Estate, Poverty, Toni Atkins, Donald Trump, JoseHuizar