Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Fontana Police Seek Information on Robbers

Fontana Police Seek Information on Robbers
Wes WoodsII Daily Bulletin Staff Writer 092606

FONTANA -- Police are looking for information about a pair of men who robbed two men in a city park Sunday.

The robbers, both male, approached two Fontana residents in Jack Bulik Park, at 16581 Filbert St., around 8:15 p.m. and asked them what time it was, a Fontana Police Department news release said.

While the victims were distracted, the robbers demanded the victims' property and showed a firearm, police said. After the perpetrators took a wallet with money and jewelry worth about $280, they ran westbound through the park toward Cypress Avenue.

Both men are about 5 feet 4 inches tall, 140 pounds and between the age of 17 and 20. They wore white T-shirts and blue jeans, police said. One man had black hair, and the other man's hair color was unknown, police said.


BS Ranch Perspective:

I know that there is not much opinion that anyone can give to a Robbery Description, but Lets have a second look at the description that is given, they are kind of vague, and there is not a photograph or Sketch of the suspects, to use as a reference either. I just pray that they get caught before they start robbing more people!!

BSRanch

Bloomington Awaits Incorperation (Daily Bulletin 092606)

Bloomington Awaits Incorporation
Andrew Silva, Daily Bulletin Staff Writer 092606

BLOOMINGTON -- The signatures are in and now the waiting begins for those hoping to turn Bloomington into a city.

On Monday, the Bloomington Incorporation Commission, or BIC, submitted 2,106 signatures to the agency that eventually will decide the community's future, said Eric Davenport, one of BIC's leaders.

Cityhood supporters needed to obtain valid signatures from 25 percent of the registered voters in the proposed city.

Roughly 1,800 signatures are needed, though the exact number will be determined by the county Registrar of Voters.

The registrar has 30 days to determine if enough valid signatures have been filed. If the number is short, cityhood proponents will have another 15 days to fill the gap.

If the petition is successful, it sets up a meeting in mid-November at the Local Agency Formation Commission, which rules on annexations and incorporations.

Fontana is looking to annex 289 acres of Bloomington, which is scheduled to come up for a commission vote Nov. 15. Cityhood supporters say the annexation could doom their effort because of the lost tax base.

It remains to be seen if Fontana will hold off on its annexation effort, in order to allow Bloomington's incorporation effort to run its course.


BS Ranch Perspective:

It might be that Fontana is going to race the clock to dash the dreams of the residents of Bloomington, and make it impossible to give them the City Hood that they want! Which is a Shame! I would consider moving to the new city just to get more land and a nicer new home, but they want to make the larger lots a thing of the past, and by Fontana Racing to block the Annexing of Bloomington area, so that they cannot possibly have the tax base to hold a city that would hold a candle to their own. see if they loose to much of the city then the Tax Base becomes impossible to support the newly founded city of Bloomington!

With that they will be at the mercy of the annexing of land from Rialto and Fontana, and the smaller lots and they will loose the charm that Bloomington is!, and well was at one time!! That my friend is to bad! I have and will keep on praying for them, because they re a super area, I just wish I could afford some of the Bloomington land so that I could live there and possibly at one time have and ride horses, but they will annex it all away and it will be small little lots that will not only take away from the charm of Bloomington, but it will ruin the whole concept that they had in mind for the little city!!

BSRanch

Rialto, County Square Off Again (SB Sun 092606) Lawsuit focuses on perchlorates

Rialto, County Square off again
Lawsuit focuses on perchlorates
Jason pesick, SB Sun Staff Writer 092606

The city of Rialto plans to file another lawsuit against San Bernardino County in connection with the city's perchlorate contamination problem.

The latest lawsuit, which the city plans to file today in state court, claims the county is violating a 1998 agreement made when the county was expanding the Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill. The landfill is leaking perchlorate, according to City Attorney Bob Owen.

Owen said that when the county sought to expand the landfill, it agreed that the city would not be responsible for costs associated with the environmental impact of the landfill expansion, including potential lawsuits.

In 2004, the city sued the county and 41 other entities, including the U.S. Department of Defense and a number of corporations, in an effort to force them to pay to clean up the contamination the city says was caused during landfill operations in the city's north end.

Bob Page, Supervisor Josie Gonzales' chief of staff, said the agreement requires the county to protect the city only if it is sued. In addition, he said, the city is not incurring financial damage.

"We haven't financially damaged the city in any way," he said.

Scott Sommer, Rialto's external counsel in its perchlorate lawsuits, said the 1998 agreement is broader than merely forcing the county to protect Rialto against lawsuits. He contends the agreement covers the city's expenses for clean-up efforts.

He said the city paid for perchlorate cleanup for years before the county began its cleanup effort. City residents have a surcharge on their water bills to fund the cleanup effort.

Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of explosives, rocket fuels and fireworks and can cause thyroid problems in humans.

The new lawsuit is narrower than the 2004 federal suit because it is filed only against the county and focuses on the county's alleged violation of the 1998 agreement.

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board issued an order compelling the county to investigate and clean up perchlorate contamination flowing from its property in 2003.

Last year, city and county officials agreed to a tentative settlement deal to the overall federal lawsuit in which the county would have paid the city $2.5 million, but the settlement was never implemented. City and county officals met again on the issue in late August, but the meeting devolved into a shouting match.

Page said the county is protecting the city's residents because it is providing them with clean water. He charged that Gonzales is focused on cleanup not lawsuits.

Owen said the City Council voted to file the suit during the closed session of last week's meeting. He said the council voted to proceed because Gonzales has refused to negotiate with the city.

Reached at home Monday, Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas, one of Gonzales' political allies, said she did not want to comment on the lawsuit or whether she voted in favor of filing the suit. She said she prefers to work with the county. "We get more done, I believe, if we work together," she said.

Councilman Ed Scott said he does not recall Vargas raising serious concerns against the lawsuit. "There was no opposition to it," he said.


BS Ranch Perspective:

Well, now it looks like the Mayor feels like I do on this matter, that the county and the City could get more done if they would cooperate with each other instead of trying to get something for nothing, which it appears to this author that the City of Rialto is trying to accomplish. It seems to me that the city is trying to get the county to foot the bill for the perchlorate contamination in the water when it might be their business that has been the largest contributor, and not the counties. But again that is just my opinion. Which really doesn't matter in this cause.

BSRanch

Clinics Prepare to give flue Shots (Press Enterprise 092306) INLAND AREA: The time has come for residents to get ready for the influenza season..

Clinics prepare to give flu shots

INLAND AREA: The time has come for residents to get ready for the influenza season.

10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, September 23, 2006

By MARY BENDER
The Press-Enterprise

INLAND FLU SHOT CLINICS DURING OCTOBER

Oct. 16, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Rialto Senior Center, 1411 S. Riverside Ave.

Oct. 18, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Redlands Mall, 100 Redlands Blvd.

Oct. 20, 9 a.m.-noon, Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Ave.

Oct. 23, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Victor Valley Public Health, 16453 Bear Valley Road, Hesperia

Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-noon, Trona Community Senior Center, 13187 Market St.

Oct. 25, 10 a.m.-noon, Big Bear Senior Center, 4251 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake. Call for an appointment, 909-584-0323

Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Chino Community Center, 5443 B St.

Oct. 27, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Clinical Services Building, 799 E. Rialto Ave., San Bernardino

Oct. 30, 9 a.m.-noon, Elks Lodge # 643, 6166 Brockton Ave., Riverside

Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun City Civic Association, 26850 Sun City Blvd.

Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst Road

Oct. 31, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Yucca Valley Elks Lodge, 55946 Yucca Trail

Oct. 31, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Needles Senior Center, 1699 Bailey Ave.

ADDITIONAL FLU SHOT CLINICS WILL BE HELD IN BOTH COUNTIES DURING NOVEMBER

Inland health care providers are gearing up for the coming flu season with dozens of clinics during October and November, at which residents can be vaccinated against this year's expected strain of the influenza virus.

"Traditionally in Riverside County, influenza season starts in December," said Barbara Cole, director of disease control for the Riverside County Department of Public Health. "It tends to start peaking in January or early February."

That's why autumn is the traditional season for inoculations, Cole explained.

"Every year, more than 225,000 people in the United States are hospitalized, and more than 35,000 die due to influenza and its complications," said Norma Arceo, spokeswoman for the California Department of Health Services, citing statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More precise numbers for Riverside and San Bernardino counties aren't available because influenza infections aren't tracked in California or listed as contributing factors on death certificates, Arceo said.

"It's always a mystery as to when the influenza will hit California. We never know when it's going to start," Arceo said.

"We all know that the most vulnerable populations are the elderly and children," she said. "So our goal is to immunize individuals who have close contact with these populations."

This year's vaccine is a mixture of two strains of influenza A that have "Wisconsin" and "New Caledonia" in their scientific names, and one strain of influenza B with "Malaysia" in its name, Arceo said.

Public health officials recommend that women who will be pregnant during flu season should be immunized, along with health care workers, law enforcement officers, "residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, those who have chronic medical conditions like AIDS and diabetes, and individuals who live with or care for an adult over age 60," Arceo said.

This year, the flu shot is advised for children ages 6 months to 59 months, Cole said. Children's flu shots contain a lower dosage than those for adults.

The state ordered 697,480 doses of this season's influenza vaccine from the CDC for distribution to local agencies that will conduct flu shot clinics -- excluding Los Angeles County, which is so populous that it orders its own supply from the CDC, Arceo said.

"On Sept. 18, we started to distribute them to the counties. This is for the low- or no-cost (clinics)," she said. "This is just a minor percentage of what's needed for the entire state."

Private-practice physicians dispense the bulk of flu shots each year to patients who have health insurance, Arceo said, and those doctors obtain their own supply of the vaccine.

Each year, flu shot clinics are a big draw at the James Simpson Neighborhood Senior Center in Hemet, said Tracy Scott, who manages the senior center. The city has a sizable population of retired and elderly residents.

"It's a madhouse. We block off the streets," Scott said. "People are waiting at the door when we get here. They need to arrive early."

The city-run center offers patrons the option of walking in or receiving the shot in their cars, in the "drive-thru clinic," Scott said.

According to the CDC, the nasal-spray version of the flu vaccine is recommended only for healthy people ages 5 to 49 years old. That's because the spray is a "live attenuated influenza vaccine," meaning it contains a weakened form of the flu virus.

By contrast, the injectible version of the flu vaccine contains a killed version of the influenza virus, Cole said.

People who are allergic to eggs probably shouldn't get the vaccine, since each year's strain of the virus is grown in chicken eggs, health officials said.

It takes the vaccine about two weeks to activate, and in the interim, the recipient is susceptible to catching the flu, according to the CDC.

Reach Mary Bender at 951-893-2103 or mbender@PE.com


BS Ranch Perspective:

Now that the season is upon us, the question looms, is there enough Flue Vaccine for everyone that wants to get a shot? In years past there has been problems with the supply of the Influenza liquid gold that cures all, or supposedly does!

I am mostly posting this on my BLOG so that everyone gets the dates and can get the shots if they want them!!

Please get your Flue shots today, it cannot hurt anything, and if anything it just might save a life. Maybe yours!

BS Ranch

Dial 2-1-1 for SBC Social-Services Programs (Daily Bulletin 092306)

Dial 211 for SBC Social-Services Programs
By Stephen Wall, Staff Writer

Starting this week, hundreds of local health and social-services programs can be easily accessed by San Bernardino County residents by simply picking up the phone.

A toll-free 211 call system was launched Wednesday to help residents navigate an often confusing maze of programs and services, including drug treatment, domestic-violence counseling and health care.

The new system is expected to drastically reduce the overload on the 911 network and provide an invaluable resource during natural disasters, officials said.

"San Bernardino County has never had a comprehensive database of all the county, city and nonprofit organizations in the county," said Gary Madden, 211 director for Inland Empire United Way, which provides the service from its call center in Rancho Cucamonga.

There are now about 600 agencies in the network's database offering about 1,100 programs, Madden said. The database is about 60 to 70 percent complete and is growing daily, he said.

The free and confidential service is available to residential and most cell-phone users, Madden said.

Businesses must have their phones programmed to access the 211 system, he said.

By dialing 211, the caller is connected to an English-and Spanish-speaking operator who will assess the situation and provide information and referrals. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Translations can be provided in more than 150 languages.

"The 211 system should have a major impact in the ease in which the residents of the county can access services," 2nd District County Supervisor Paul Biane said in a prepared statement.

The budget for the service this year is $800,000, with funding coming from San Bernardino County, First 5 San Bernardino, United Way and Bank of America.

United Way is applying for grants to expand the database and provide services to city and county offices, Madden said.

The 211 service has been implemented in 40 states and serves 185 million Americans, Madden said.

San Bernardino County is the eighth county in California to have 211 coverage. Riverside County's service was activated in July 2005.

Kent Paxton, Children's Network officer for San Bernardino County, said the 211 service is an excellent concept.

"Unfortunately, our health and social-service system is all over the map," Paxton said. "Typically, it's not unusual for someone to have to make three or four different calls to get where they need to be. 211 cuts through that lengthy process."

For more information on the service, call United Way at (909) 980-2857 or visit www.211sb.com.

Contact Stephen Wall at (909) 386-3916 or by e-mail at stephen.wall@sbsun.com.


BS Ranch Perspective:

This is a long time coming, this should have been around a long time ago! I am glad that it is here now, better late then never I always say! I hope that the program is a total success, and the 2-1-1 dial in Social Service Program works well, because this is something that has been needed for a very long time, the people, & Victim's of Social Crimes such as Rape, or even that of Child Molest, now have a place to call for help other then the regular 9-1-1.

BS Ranch

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Former employee files lawsuit vs. city, violation of 1st ammendment

Former Employee Files Lawsuit vs. City, cites violation of 1st Amendment
SB Sun, Jason Pesick, Staff Writer 092206


RIALTO -- A former city engineer says he was terminated from his job for exercising his First Amendment rights when he acted as a whistle-blower.

Fuad Modiri, who had complained that the city and his former superior were incompetent and mismanaged public funds, is suing the city and his former boss, Robert Harary, saying his civil rights were violated when he lost his job.

The question the lawsuit presents: Does a whistle-blower have the right to say his employers are incompetent and wasting public funds without being fired, even if he is correct?

Modiri filed his suit in July. He wants his job back and is seeking damages, saying the city and Harary violated his rights of free speech, association and assembly under the First and Fourteenth amendments of the Constitution.

The city says that Modiri was terminated because his work was unsatisfactory.

The case, which will not go to trial for months, raises questions related to the extent of an employees's First Amendment right to speak out about issues of public concern.

Modiri's suit cites four major policy decisions Rialto officials made as examples of incompetence and mismanagement:

* Ignored his concerns that it was not safe to open the Alder Avenue exit of the Interstate 210 extension.

* Failed to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, which requires cities to meet certain environmental guidelines.

* Bungled an agreement with a contractor, which cost the city $320,131.

* Lost a $2.5 million federal grant by failing to meet grant guidelines.

Ed Zappia, who is defending the city and the former public works director Harary, said Modiri was a well-liked guy, but a marginal-to-poor employee.

In each case, Modiri says he spoke out to other government employees inside and outside Rialto and sometimes to private citizens.

His attorneys claim his speech is constitutionally protected because as a private citizen he spoke out about issues important to the public.

Peter Scheer, the executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition, said the case law on these types of cases is not settled.

"It's notclear just where the line is," Scheer said.

He said speech that stays within the office about an internal matter is not protected. He said even if speech is about public money or incompetence it probably wouldn't qualify as protected.

Scheer said the more people outside the office Modiri went to, the stronger his case, because public speech is protected. The speech not only has to be about a subject that affects the community, but it must also interest a typical resident, he said. Speaking out about the war in Iraq serves as a good example of protected speech.

Mike McGill, Modiri's attorney, said the First Amendment protects his client as a whistle-blower on a matter of public concern. McGill said the public needs to be able to expect that people knowledgeable about issues of public concern will inform them of those issues.

Zappia said Modiri is trying to portray discussions he had with other employees and officials in the regular course of his work as protected speech. For example, he said what Modiri claims to be whistle-blowing about the Alder Avenue off-ramp of the I-210 extension was actually typical of discussions government employees have about a new project.

He cited the Supreme Court's 2006 Garcetti v. Ceballos opinion, arguing that discussions between engineers about an off-ramp do not count as protected speech because they are discussions that take place in the normal course of work.

He said that even if Modiri talked to nongovernment employees about these issues, his speech is not protected because he was talking about issues related to his job.

Scheer said the Supreme court only made the issue more confusing with its recent opinion.

"We'll just have to see where it goes," he said.
====================================================

BSRanch Perspective:

This is an interesting case now isn't it. The employee that is let go because they are a "poor employee" right about the time that they are pointing out serious safety issues that ultimately had to be addressed by them because they were in a heated rush to get that intersection opened up, so that they were driving their Trucks to the County Dump Facility!

However when you have an employee that is the one that points out a safety issue to you doesn't seem to be the one that is trying to slow you down, but the one that is concerned for the public Safety!! I always thought.

This is that Bait Switch and slander. position that is going to be taken in court. He was a great employee, and I suppose that all his work evaluations all show that he is a meets or exceeds employee, but then when he suddenly pointed out the opening of Alder Ave, then he suddenly didn't get such a great millage.

I guess then he was let go, but then all he will have to do is get the evaluations in court and show that there is an inconsistency in what they are reporting even to the press.

We here at the BSRanch will keep him in our prayers!!

BSRanch

Friday, September 22, 2006

Sorry about the lack of Up-Dates


I have a Problem that I suffer through as many people do in life, but mine happens to be that I have a Nerve Pain Disorder that causes me to have a great deal of pain, this is why the sudden absents from the Rialto-PD Blogger window, I am sorry for the lack of UP-Dated Information and I am back now and working hard at keeping my Blogger window up to date, or as up to date as I am able to do. I am sorry for the delay's in the updated information that is if you are reading my updates. The Pain problem is a side effect left from my accident, that I had the last night that I worked a full shift at RPD. No it was not in 1955 when this picture was taken, but in a way if feels like it, but no it was not. This picture is that of Day Watch or Watch II going getting ready to go out from the original station that was located in Rialto on the corner of Riverside Ave, at Rialto Ave. where the small city Park is today. Have a great day!! Hug your loved ones and tell them how you feel about them after all it could be the last!!

BSRanch

Several Drviers Get Caught in Courthouse Sting: (Fontana Herald News 092106)

Several drivers get caught in courthouse sting


Several drivers learned a painful lesson last week: When you're told not to drive, don't.

The Fontana Police Department conducted a police sting on Sept. 14 at the Valley Municipal Courthouse in Fontana to catch drivers who were driving on a suspended or revoked license.

A total of eight tickets were issued, one of which included an arrest, and all of the violators had their vehicles impounded.

The sting was conducted as part of the Speed and Alcohol Violator Enforcement program (SAVE), and targeted DUI offenders because many of them are observed driving immediately after leaving the court and being ordered not to.

All unlicensed drivers were subject to a stop during the operation, regardless of the reason for their revocation or suspension.

"The whole idea is our traffic unit is trying to make the city streets safer for all the licensed, law abiding citizens," said Fontana police Sgt. Doug Wagner.


Officer Brian Heaviside was one of six motorcycle cops who participated in the two-and-a-half hour sting. "If an unlicensed driver is ticketed for being unlicensed, it's a 30-day tow," he said.

That was the case for Eustacio Ocho Mondoza of Rialto. Inside the courthouse he had just been given a $374 fine for driving without a license, and then he got into a blue Toyota Camry and drove off.

Heaviside pulled Mondoza over on Alder Avenue, within a couple hundred yards of the courthouse, and found he had a prior citation for not having a license, so his car qualified for a 30-day impound.

Mondoza was not happy. "It's my daughter's boyfriend's car," he said. He admitted that he was in the country illegally and could not get a license.

The average price it costs to get a vehicle out of impound after 30 days is

$1,000.

Jose Lopez from Ontario watched his truck get towed away after he was issued a citation for driving with an expired license.

"He is technically unlicensed because it is expired," Officer Doug Locey said as he wrote the ticket.

"He has to go to the DMV and re-apply for a license. If it's questionable and he can't prove his citizenship, he won't get his license. He has to provide a valid license to get his truck out, or after 30 days it will go into lien sale," Locey said.

"I came here for a ticket," Lopez said. "My last ticket was for no license."

He said he has been a licensed driver for 11 years, but his license expired a year ago. "I need to check it out at the DMV," Lopez said.

Albert Lara of Ventura drove to court even though his license was suspended for not paying child support.

He said he had started making his child support payments, but he didn't know how long it would take for the system to be updated.

"People gotta drive," Lara said. "It's either I come to court or I get a warrant."

Lara was given a ticket and his car was towed.

The SAVE program was implemented by the Fontana P.D. to increase the number of DUI arrests and reduce the number of alcohol and speed related fatal and injury collisions.

According to the Office of Traffic Safety, unlicensed drivers are the most dangerous on the road.

The OTS also reports that individuals with licenses that have been revoked or suspended due to a DUI are the No. 2 reason for fatal collisions.

"Most of the traffic accidents that are investigated involve unlicensed drivers," said Heaviside.

(In the photo above, a car gets towed away during the sting operation. Photo by Shelli DeRobertis.)


BSRanch Perspective:

The sting was a success, if they got one unlicensed Driver they would have made a successful road block. There might need to be something done, the new Law that goes into effect in January 1st, 2007, that will require the Insurance company send a notice to the Department of Motor Vehicles, that you have cancelled your Insurance, which will make your license status instantly Suspended! This might be a good law, however this also might be a very bad law in one way. You decide to change your Insurance Policy to another Insurance company. Say for example the other insurance company had sent the insurance notice late to the Department of Motor Vehicles, suddenly you have insurance but your license is suspended not at anything that you have done! But for the stuff that the Insurance company has done, because they had sent the information late to the DMV.

So, what is the right answer, driving is a privilege, and it is one that needs to be upheld to the drivers that keep their nose clean. There is one thing that can and should be changed. It is hard to say who or what is driving around with out Insurance, and it is terrible if you are, and your license should be revoked and taken away!! but you should not be held responsible for the violations that the Insurance company does such as the mis-reporting that I have given with my example. I am not saying that this will happen, and more then likely there will be some victims that should not be held responsible for the problems that were given to them by their Insurance company.

Getting back to the Sting, this was something that was brought up to me several times by citizens as to why this doesn't get done, because they heard their case being heard, and they saw the defendant drive in and park in the court house. So, what they did was backed up and caught the repeat offenders that were driving in their cities, while taking care of the problem that they were there to take care of. I am sorry that they lost their truck, license and driving privileges for more then a year now! but that is what happens when you are caught driving without a license. or allowing your license to expire. I feel for these people I do, because I know how important a license is to people that don't have one. especially when you need one to get medications and the like or doctor visits and the like these doctor visits and that are not easy to do or make when they need to pick up groceries or medications for family members and the like. It is a very necessary piece of equipment that automobile.

BSRanch

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Rialto Man Suspected of Insurance Fraud (Daily Bulletin 092006)

Rialto Man Suspected of Insurance Fraud
Wes Woods Daily Bulletin 092006

RIALTO -- A Rialto man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of felony insurance fraud after a surveillance tape showed him lifting wooden pallets into the back of his truck.

Vinicio Godinez, 25, of Rialto, turned himself in to district attorney investigators Monday and was arrested on suspicion of the charges without incident. He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga where his bail was set at $25,000.

Godinez was released on his own recognizance, said San Bernardino County District Attorney's Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit investigator Nancy Lewis.

Springfield Insurance referred the case to the county, Lewis said.

She said insurance cases are common in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and each have their own workers' compensation fraud unit.

========================================================

BS Ranch Perspective:

When I had my Motorcycle accident and was disabled by 100% It was and is hard for me to move things around, but I can and do get things done, but it is very difficult and painful for me.

However when you are disabled and offwork and you are out collecting pallets and then you stack them 20' high then tie them down, I would only be tieing them down and that was all..

Well, I am glad that the guy got in trouble and he hung himself!!

BSRanch

Council Candidate Leverages State Title (SB Sun 092006) Lines blur between lame duck assemblyman duties, local polititcs

Council candidate leverages state title
Lines blur between lame-duck assemblyman duties, local politics
Jason Pesick, SB Sun Staff Writer
When you are running for office, it's good to have a political title, even a lame-duck one.

Take Assemblyman Joe Baca Jr., who's had a tumble from his lofty state office and is now seeking election to City Council in Rialto.

The Legislature is no longer in session. But Baca still has his title until Dec. 4.

As Election Day draws closer, the candidate is putting himself front-and-center with the voters of Rialto, using every advantage he can exploit - including drawing on his Assembly office to leverage public events, using his dad's name - Rep. Joe Baca - and even borrowing dad's staff, who "volunteer" to help Joe Jr.

That Assembly title looked good on banners at the Boys and Girls Club in Rialto last week.

And it sounded good Wednesday at a Town Hall meeting for small businesses in the Community Room of the Rialto Park and Recreation Center. The invitation was from Assemblyman Baca.

Nothing political, of course.

And there are other fringe benefits to being a Baca, especially when your dad is a congressman from - oh yes, Rialto.

Professional staffers from Rep. Baca's office are willing - make that eager - to volunteer to help you out.

Rafael Hernandez Trujillo sent out the press release for last week's child-safety event at the Boys and Girls Club. The news release lists him as a press secretary for the younger Baca.

But Trujillo is an employee of Rep. Baca, the assemblyman's father.

A May 18 article in "The Hill," a publication based in Washington, D.C., reported that former staffers for Rep. Baca said the congressman sent them to California in 2004 to campaign for Joe Baca Jr. in his primary campaign for the state Assembly.

In response to questions about why he is working for both Bacas, Trujillo said he often works for Baca Jr. during his lunch hour or after work.

"The congressman doesn't have anything to do with that. It's on my own time," he said.

And Trujillo must have spent his own time to attend Thursday evening's Stranger Danger Camp at the Boys and Girls Club. Baca co-hosted the event with the Rialto Police Department. Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas and San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales also attended. The event aimed to teach children how to be safe and to teach parents about Megan's Law, a database of sex offenders.

"Timing is everything," said Councilman Ed Scott, referring to the approaching election. Scott said that although he supports the safety program and its goals, helping a City Council candidate put on an event may not be an appropriate use of police resources.

Inside and outside the Boys and Girls Club were signs that read "Joe Baca Jr., Assemblyman 62nd District." He told his audience "Congressman Baca" got the funding for the building.

Rialto police Lt. Joe Cirilo and a contingent of police officers represented the department at the event. Cirilo is a member of the Boys and Girls Club's executive board and is also the department's community-relations officer.

When asked if he worried it might appear the Police Department was supporting Baca, Cirilo said, "That's not why I'm here." He said he was there to discuss children's safety.

The town-hall meeting was aimed at the local business community. It backfired a bit. The Rialto Chamber of Commerce was listed as co-sponsor, but the chamber's executive director, Roslyn Garner, said the organization never gave permission to be listed as a sponsor.

Garner sent a letter to Baca on Friday asking him to remove the chamber's name from the event.

"We are very concerned about this misrepresentation of the Rialto Chamber of Commerce's position related to this item at a time when you are running for the Rialto City Council," she wrote.

Larry Thornburg, Rialto's director of Recreation and Community Services, said it is the city's practice to allow other government entities to use facilities at no cost. "A political event wouldn't be acceptable."

Garner said the chamber does not endorse political candidates and doesn't want to get involved in city politics.

In addition, Garner said Baca is no longer a member of the chamber because he did not pay his dues this year.

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BSRanch Perspective:

I am not one that votes for the Baca's, in any of the general elections, however in this election; The BSRanch is fully endorcing Joe Baca Jr. for his bid of Rialto City Hall!! I hope that he will replace any or all of the Incombents that are trying to get re-elected for their bid at Rialto City Hall! I pray that Joe Baca Jr gets on the Rialto City Council, and then I hope he does he makes his first campaign promise to fire or try to get a vote to get rid of the City Admin. Garcia, and the City Attorney Owens, they get entirely to much pay, and should be let go.

BSRanch

Commercial Flights Could Go To San Bernardino (KCBS2 092006)

Commercial Flights Could Go To San Bernardino

(AP) SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. Commercial airline traffic could touch down at San Bernardino International Airport within two years.

San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa discussed the air field's future as a prime location to take overflow from the crowded Los Angeles International Airport 70 miles away.

Morris said the discussion focused on the role San Bernardino International Airport might play as air travel increases
and as Los Angeles and Ontario International airports reach their limits.

The San Bernardino air field, once Norton Air Force Base, has long been touted by regional economists and civic leaders as a potential spring for renewed economic growth in San Bernardino and surrounding cities.

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BSRanch Perspective:

The BSRancher, feels that the Closure of the Riato Airport at such a time when they are talking about opening an Internatinal Airport is a huge mistake and the last word will be said by the FAA, they will say that there is not enough small aircraft air fields for the smaller crafts to land, so there could be and could be a huge crash of small aircraft. That is the trouble they don't have a place to land and they will try to tangle up with the larger air crafts and this will and can cause such a huge headache for the Air Traffic Controler's that we will have houses more then likely in the area that has sold off as a private land, and which used ot be the airport. There might be such a crash above and at the collision site when they were open and they could have such a problem, with the hazardous air and close calls that none of the aircrafts want to land here in San Bernardino, and it would be and could be all Rialto, Ed Scott and Rep. Miller's Fault.

Wouldn't that just be to sad if the whole thing backfired on them and their whole land deals snake out their land because you have to know that they are the quick people to sell and they have to purchase them back via the Imminent domain program that is quick to be out dated, however if there is an emergency and they would figure out to be part of the emergancy, and suddenly the Rialto Airport was right back where it started from, only with better more up to date equipment and better run ways and state of the art equipment for the runways, and the like.

BSRanch

Mayors tallk Flights (SB Sun 092006) Morris, Villaraigosa Discuss SBIA's Reginal Role in Future.

Mayors Talk Flights
Morris, Villaraigosa Discuss SBIA's Reginal Role in Future.
Robert Rogers, SB Sun Staff Writer

San Bernardino International Airport is in a prime position to take on overflow from LAX, and commercial airlines could touch down on its runway within 24 months, the San Bernardino Mayor's Office said Tuesday.

The news emerged following a 75-minute meeting between San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in which they chatted about SBIA's future, Villaraigosa's move to command his city's troubled school district and other issues their cities face.

"The airport was the issue obviously on the top of our minds," Morris said minutes after the meeting. "(Villaraigosa) is very interested and excited that our international airport is almost operational and welcomed the opening of a third runway to load and unload passengers at the east end of the Los Angeles Basin."

The meeting at Los Angeles City Hall was arranged following Morris and Villaraigosa's first meeting months ago at a Las Vegas conference.

The meeting marked the first one-on-one between the 69-year-old former judge and the upstart 53-year-old former labor organizer who has made a big splash with his progressive platform and drive to commandeer the nation's second-largest school system.

The key issue the mayors discussed was the role SBIA might play as air travel increases and as Los Angeles and Ontario International airports reach their limits, Morris said.

SBIA, once Norton Air Force Base, has long been touted by regional economists and civic leaders as a potential spring for renewed economic growth in San Bernardino and surrounding cities.

What emerged out of Tuesday's meeting was more mutual understanding than iron-clad alliance.

"There is not a substantive agreement, just an understanding of where SBIA fits into this area of mutual regional concern," said Jim Morris, Mayor Morris' son and chief of staff. "Obviously, the (passenger) cap at LAX will have an effect on passenger travel in the region."

Jim Morris said it could be 12 to 24 months before a passenger-carrying airline lands at the San Bernardino airport. But, he said, such challenges as insufficient infrastructure still stand in the way.

But air travel was not the extent of the meeting. Aides for Villaraigosa characterized the discussion as much longer than typical meetings the mayor grants and said the men met as equals.

"It was a very good discussion, about 50-50 in terms of who talked and who listened," said Diego Alvarez, Villaraigosa's associate director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs. "He likes that Mayor Morris is tackling issues in his city, and there are a lot of similarities between the men and their cities."

The conversation also focused on Villaraigosa's bitter battle for control of Los Angeles Unified School District, Morris said.

Villaraigosa succeeded, with the help of the state Legislature, in becoming the first mayor west of the Mississippi to assume partial control of his city's public school system.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District, which is ranked at the bottom nationally in terms of graduation rates, faces problems similar to those of its larger Los Angeles counterpart.

Morris said he took keen interest in what Villaraigosa had to say about wresting control of the school district but added that he had "no plans" to undertake a similar quest.

Morris did, however, stop short of saying he would never seek some control of the district.

"I'm going to watch with intense interest how his oversight of 12 schools fares," Morris said. "If he is successful, it will no doubt open the door for similar quests for reform."

Morris added that he was confident Villaraigosa's move would "bear success." He was, however, quick to emphasize that he didn't covet the same role in San Bernardino and seeks to strengthen partnerships with the school district.

"I have my hands full with public safety and economic development," Morris said. "And while I will watch with interest Villaraigosa's quest to improve the school system, I do not have my eyes on controlling the school district. I want to be a partner."

Arturo Delgado, superintendent of the San Bernardino district, said the jury is still out on whether Villaraigosa's move is good for the Los Angeles district.

"I don't know what benefit the mayor intervening would have over there. It sounds like an experiment, not necessarily a step in the right direction," Delgado said.

"I have a very good relationship with Pat Morris, and the school district right now has the right leadership and is headed in the right direction."

City Attorney James F. Penman said he was not surprised by the meeting of the two mayors or Morris' interest in Villaraigosa's unorthodox leadership because both Penman and Morris have studied former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's leadership model, thought to be the forerunner of Villaraigosa's take-charge stance.

Penman said his office has not been asked to look into the legality of mayoral control of schools in the area.

Morris said he and Villaraigosa also spoke about public-safety challenges. Morris has thrown his support behind a sales-tax hike he says San Bernardino needs to hire 40 more police officers, and Villaraigosa is scrounging funds to bolster his force by 1,000.

The mayors also discussed the need for master planning to expedite goods movement from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through the Inland Empire and on the widespread homelessness in both cities.

"While our cities in many ways mirror each other, just in different sizes, we also find ourselves very much in sync philosophically," Morris said. "Our views resonate one with one another's."

Morris said he and Villaraigosa planned to have each other's staffs work to coordinate another meeting, but no date was set.

There still might be much to discuss.

"They talked about regional aviation needs, transportation needs, public-safety needs and what things both cities have done with regard to gangs and other challenges facing our youth," Alvarez said. "It was a wide discussion."

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BS Ranch Perspective:

The People here at the BS Ranch want to make it clear that we are neutral on what comes of the Rialto Airport, and what they are trying to get accomplished in San Bernardino is purly progress and is great for the Inland Empire! Morris, Truely is a Mayor for the Poeple of the city that he beleives in and he is trying to make them believe in him and what he is trying to get accomplished for the city!! So far I feel that Morris has got real high marks for what he has done for the city of San Bernardino as Mayor.

On that note the Neighbor of San Bernardino, Rialto, is closing their airport, and I am one that really has a neutrial feeling, I mean is that one day that the Ranch is for the closure and the next day We are against the closure. Here are some of the reason's why we are for the closure.

The building of that area for a shopping centers and housing and businesses! The new busnesses that they bring might make Rialto more compeditive with other cities and they will bring more products closer to the people that live here so they don't have to drive as far to go shopping for that product or products. See, they might bring in a Circuit City and then I can purchase the flat screen of my choice and they will be great. However then I will not have to drive as far to build up my equipment to make it better and better. It will be nice.

On the other side of the coin. If they start to land full service Airplanes at the International Airport at San Bernardino, there needs to be many Small airports for the Small twin engine and single engine cessna's to land and be stored. With the closure of Rialto's Airport they will have to move the exsisting Airplanes to another airport which would be chino, Airport. Because the closure of Rialto's Airport has the ear's and eyes of the City Managers of Redlands and they are thinking that they can close their airport as well, and then Chino Air will be it, besides that of the Airport in the High desert.

So there we go, it is not something that is so great, but it also is something that shows that the FAA is right and the Rialto Airport is needed in this area, as a Small airport. Riverside Airport, and Rialto, Chino. So I don't know what or how they will work on this next to have an airport in their city. It seems that the only way that an airport will be good for a city is if it is a Full service International airport. like San Bernardino Airport is hoping to have in the next two years!! if this is the case then there will be Five International Airports in the Southern California Area. You say Five, I say yes five. San Bernardino, Ontario, Los Angleles, Burbank, John Wayne Airport in orange county. Unless I am missing an airport somewhere that is it. because the only one that is considered to be truely International is the Los Angeles Airport, since they have non Stops to Frankfurt, and France. etc etc...

BSRanch

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Paving the way for Renewal (SB Sun 09132006) Officals view Rendezvous as giving SB Something to build on!!

Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous
Paving the way for renewal
Officials view Rendezvous as giving SB something to build on
Robert Rogers, Staff Writer


San Bernardino County SunSAN BERNARDINO - Like the thick steel sides of the classic slabs of American machinery that make the event vroom, the Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous has proved durable amid years of tough conditions.

Homicide rates in the city accelerated and the city's image suffered.


Video: 9/13: Route 66 preview
Audio-Slideshow: Route 66 - The Mother Road part 2
Audio-Slideshow: Route 66 - The Mother Road


The 35-block downtown core that hosts the event is economically torpid, pockmarked with vacant lots and buildings, and the homeless population may rival the number of people who own or rent there.

But every year, about 500,000 people flock to the Rendezvous from throughout region and across the nation to breathe the heady perfume of auto exhaust. They pump millions into the local economy, and organizers and city officials say the city's biggest street festival could be a major component of its revival.

The Rendezvous "is a precursor to what will one day happen in downtown year-round," said Mayor Pat Morris. "Not the half-million visitors, but thousands of people living in the downtown corridor, walking the sidewalks and enjoying all the advantages of living in an urban center replete with arts and culture."

The city has a number of projects poised to help invigorate the city economically and socially through the decade, all of which could directly or indirectly complement the Rendezvous and vice versa.

At Meadowbrook Park, a central point at this year's Rendezvous, which begins this evening, the city has offered 10 acres to the county in an effort to retain county government functions downtown.

The city Economic Development Agency is moving aggressively to acquire underutilized properties in and around downtown to facilitate development.

A series of housing developments and campus expansions are under way in and around Cal State San Bernardino, and the San Bernardino Convention and Visitors Bureau, which coordinates the Rendezvous, is poised to create a tourism gateway for visitors to the Inland Empire located near Hospitality Lane.

A transit center at Rialto Avenue and E Street is planned to shuttle thousands into the city via light rail and buses.

And all of it complements the city's old standby, the Rendezvous, which since the late 1980s has drawn locals and out-of-towners for fun, sun, cars and culture.

"There's a real change taking place downtown, and those changes are going to benefit this event (the Rendezvous), and this event will continue to benefit the city," said City Attorney James F. Penman.

The Rendezvous also has an intangible quality that is both nostalgic and optimistic about the future, said Jim Morris, the mayor's son and chief of staff.

"There are those who would say San Bernardino really enjoyed its economic heyday at the same time that cruising was popular," he said.

"And I think there's something to that. It gives people now a real sense of hope and optimism. The kind of year in, year out consistency we have in pulling off an incredibly safe and successful event is a sign that this city can return to prominence."

In what has become a ritual in advance of the Rendezvous, about 2,000 volunteers swept through the city Sept. 9 for the ninth annual citywide cleanup. The city's veneer is important, say officials who hope cleaner streets and spirited hosts outshine the negative publicity driven by a homicide rate that neared 60 last year.

"It works," Judi Penman, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said of the city's efforts. "I know that the hotels are full, and we get many calls from people just wanting information about where to stay."

Virtually all agree that whatever the cause for its resiliency, the Rendezvous is working. Not only has attendance slowly and steadily risen, but the economic imprint of the event grows ever larger as well.

Regional economics expert John Husing of Redlands, who authored an economic-impact report for the city's tourism bureau last year, said the Rendezvous is one of a handful of major economic bright spots in San Bernardino.

Husing said downtown redevelopment, the Little League Western Regional Tournament, growth in and around Cal State San Bernardino and growth at San Bernardino International Airport are all positive signs, but the Rendezvous may be tops on the list.

"The Rendezvous gives the city something major to build on," Husing said. "It is the premier one because of the number of people who come and the economic impact they have."

Husing said the Rendezvous is critical because of the flimsy economic base it has had to endure since military and civilian manufacturers started fleeing the area in the late 1970s. The Rendezvous grows despite local economic weakness because it draws from so far away, he said. He estimates that the Rendezvous brings about $40 million into the city during its four-day run.

"These are new dollars injected into the city that otherwise would not be there," he said.

===================================================================

The weekend Rendezvous is great, and it is a lot of fun, not to mention that it does inject a lot of money into the neighborhood and city businesses. The people that are involved in it and the people that go to look at the cars all have a great time, there is usually no fights or any kind of discontent that goes on there and it is just a fun time had by all. Next year should be more of the same "FUN" Just a lot of " FUN".

BSRanch

Local Home Sales Down 25% From Last Year (L.A. Times 091906)

Local Home Sales Down 25% From Last Year

By Jesus Sanchez, Times Staff Writer
11:00 AM PDT, September 19, 2006


Southern California's housing market showed more signs of deteriorating in August as sales plunged more than 25% from year-ago levels and prices rose at the slowest pace in more than seven years.

The region's median sales price for all homes — including condominiums and new construction — rose 2.7% in August from the same month last year to $489,000, according to DataQuick Information Systems, a real estate information company. The annual increase for the six-county region was the smallest since July 1999, when the median price rose by an equal amount.

ADVERTISEMENT
Prices continued to rise last month, but sales remained stuck in a tailspin. August home sales in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties totaled 25,628 properties, down 25.3% from the same month last year, according to DataQuick. Regionwide sales have posted year-over-year declines for nine consecutive months.

Sales have plunged as mortgage rates have risen from near historic lows and buyers have become more selective amid a growing inventory of unsold properties.

"There's an awful lot of moaning going on right now," said Marshall Prentice, DataQuick president, in a statement. "Potential buyers and sellers need to be careful what they believe and exercise common sense in their decision making.... Prices have doubled the last 4½ years. So does the market keep all of that gain, or only 90%?"

The Inland Empire, which offers some of the region's most affordable housing, posted the biggest price gains in August despite sales declines that exceeded 20%. Riverside saw the median sales price rise 7% to $415,000 and San Bernardino posted a 6.1% increase in the median to $365,000.

Price gains were much more modest in the more expensive coastal counties. Orange County, the region's most expensive market, posted a 2.6% increase in the median price to $633,000. In Ventura County, the median inched up 1% to $592,000.

Prices for Los Angeles and San Diego counties, which were released last week, also continued to weaken last month. The median sales price in Los Angeles County rose 4.7% to $517,000, while San Diego reported a 2.2% decline to $415,000, DataQuick said.

In a separate report, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that construction starts, a measure of new home construction, fell by a larger than expected 6% in August from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.665 million units.
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BSRanch Perspective:

It was only a matter of time that home sales lowered, since they started to increase the interest. They tried to lower the Interest rate again however it takes months for the whole thing to catch up again. So, when they increase the Interest rate again it will lower the home sales again, when the sales go down over 50% then the Federal Government will become concerned.

BSRanch

Sewage Spills Into Rialto Flood Control Channel (Daily Bulletin 091906)

Sewage spills into Rialto flood control channel
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

RIALTO - Hundreds of gallons of sewage leaked into a flood control channel this morning before crews were able to seal off the leak, fire dispatchers said.

San Bernardino County fire officials reported seeing sewage bubbling out of the ground on Ayala Drive north of Casmalia Street at 6:46 a.m.

Crews said 200 to 300 gallons were spilling into the channel per minute, said fire dispatch supervisor Donna Mueller. Hazardous materials workers, San Bernardino County flood control and Caltrans officials were called to the scene north of Interstate 210.

Rialto firefighters eventually located the problem and sealed the leak. The cause of the leak was not immediately known.

_________________________________________________________________

EWE!! POO POO, pouring down the street at 200 to 300 gallons per minute. that is a lot of gallons of water or raw sewage, to hit the streets. "so to say". I am sorry for the sudden attempt at humor, but this has to be a stinky business, to have such a clog. Nothing but the worst of what they could. I suppose they called a POLICE Officer out on a call and sent them to the location, to see what they could smell, or see!! But they must have figured it was raw sewage right away!

I have been on these calls and they are very smelly and stinkie, and then they ask for you to try to find the origin of the water spilling, and it is always out a manhole cover in the middle of the street somewhere.

I just hope that they got the chair or what ever it was that was clogging it up out of there.

BSRanch

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Perchlorate Limits Proposed! (SB SUN 082706)

Perchlorate Limits Proposed
Jason Pesick SB Sun Writer

The California Department of Health Services proposed Monday limiting the maximum allowable level of perchlorate in drinking water to 6 parts per billion.

The limit was not surprising, but some environmentalists said it is still too high.

Perchlorate, which has contaminated drinking water in Rialto and some other cities in Southern California, is a chemical used in the production of explosives, such as rocket fuels and fireworks. Studies suggest it can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, mental development and metabolism.

A public comment period will last until Nov. 3, and there will be a public hearing in Sacramento on Oct. 30. If the department does not make any changes to the proposal after the public comment period, the Office of Administrative Law will decide whether to allow it to become law.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal in 2004 of limiting perchlorate levels to 6 parts per billion. The office determined this was a low-risk maximum level for public health - so the choice of this as the limit was not a surprising one.

"It's not outside a reasonable range of regulatory possibilities, and it does seem to include some conservatism," Kevin Mayer, the regional perchlorate coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said.

Mayer said the EPA does not have formal regulatory standards for perchlorate. It does have a reference dose that corresponds to about 20 parts per billion a day for adults from all sources, not just drinking water. Mayer said most perchlorate is consumed with water, but there is also perchlorate in other sources, such as some foods.

Davin Diaz of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, said he was not happy with the proposal.

"I believe that the standard for perchlorate should be 1 part per billion,' he said.

He added that when 6 parts per billion was set as the goal in 2004, not as much scientific evidence was available on the dangers of perchlorate.

He also pointed out that Massachusetts recently set a perchlorate limit of 2 parts per billion.

Most local water officials said even if the proposal becomes law, it will not have a significant effect on their operations because they already treat water down to undetectable levels of perchlorate.

"For us, it doesn't make a lot of difference," Anthony Araiza (cm cq), the general manager of the West Valley Water District, said. The West Valley Water District is one of the water providers to Rialto.

Eric Fraser, the director of water for the city of Colton, said this proposal validates Colton's strategy of treating water so that the perchlorate levels are undetectable.


I just don't know about you? but Perchlorate, 20 parts per billion or 1000 parts per billion, doesn't matter, this stuff causes a very serious Cancer!! Thyroid cancer is a very serious cancer that I don't know what the level of treatment is other then chemo therapy, that is very serious, where you loose all everything, that you have in our body, The Chemo Therapy also causes you to loose your hair and you cannot seem to have much luck at picking up on the girls when you are at the Perchlorate mixer? however you can always tell what stage the person that you are with is at. sad sick joke. sorry

The trouble is that this ladies and Gentlemen is in our back yard and all Rialto City Council is worried about is how much it is going to cost them to clear it out of their water supply, Not how can we help the people of Rialto, there are already sick people, the water has been contaminated for a while they have not bothered to tell you it is just how contaminated the water is that they say oh? By the way, the water that you have been drinking well he he...Thank You so much for voting for me, and I was humane once too, but today. today I forgot how to be human, because there are to many sick people out there I have to checked my sickness at the door. so that is why I did what I did. there are so many reasons for is to be happy or unhappy or happy.

I am happy that we are able to bring the water back to the people at a money saving cost, that makes it easer and more cost effective way to deliver it to you, but even at 20 parts per billion it will cost us some 6 to maybe 8 million to rid you of the water connection to the water problems.

Why is the water company just saying the things that we want then to say like we got your back!!

I am sorry for the people that live in Rialto! We will fight for you? (Says the City Council, Even thought the fighting that they have done so far has COST MONEY). Why The City of Rialto's Administration by fighting rather then filtering or fixing the Perchlorate content in the water system Will Guarantee higher Prices of water by the end of the year. Just like OIL the Water in Rialto will be PRICED BY THE GALLON!!

In FACT Rialto's City Council and Water people will make the cost of water go up maybe Three (3) to Four (4) that what it needs to be because we feel that the fight is worth it and it is not Rialto's fault that World War One (WW1/WW2) World War 2 came along and the War department felt that it was the best place to store munitions in California was right in Rialto, Well in the County area, North West of Rialto approximately seven miles, because lets face it the Airport was almost four miles North of Down Town Rialto!! Back then yet people that were in the service went to the Airport and kept things going, the Service bunkers that stored the Alarming amounts of Ammo were kept clean by some of the base's young recruits, and pilots. They had no idea then what would happen to the ground water today!

Rialto City Council, (Scott, Hanson, Roberson, Sampson, Vargas along with the City's Admin. Garcia. City Attorneys Owens, City Clerk Barbara McGee) They all need to come to the reality that the Water system is better fought in a group!! Tag on with the County, Tag on with Fifth Th (5th) District, Josie Gonzales, along with their Attorneys. Use Owens the bone head with their attorneys and go after the federal Government they are the ones that put the Ammo, in the hole their and they are the ones that will ultimately have to pay!! how is this so clear to me and not to those that are paid to run the city of Rialto???

BSRanch

Kling Sworn in as Rialto Police Chief

Kling sworn in as Rialto police chief
-- Jason Pesick


RIALTO -- City Clerk Barbara McGee officially swore in Police Chief Mark Kling at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

Kling, 49, served as the police chief in Baldwin Park until taking the position in Rialto.

He began work in Rialto on Aug. 21.

One of Kling's primary duties as chief will be to recruit new officers to replace those who left the police department in the last year, when the City Council attempted to disband it.


Rialto Police Department will be a Department more then 25% Rookies, The reason I say that is because there really will not be anyone that will lateral to Rialto because they don't offer anything that is better unless it is pay, because we know it will not be Retirement. 3% @50 will make them a more invitation to a broader market of Patrol Officers that want to get to the Inland Empire or Southern California. But Most officers will not trade down to a lower standard of earnings, it just isn't done. I am sorry!!
So, Rialto will be 25% Rookies fresh out of the academy, they will not have much investment into the Neighborhood or not as much as someone that has been there a long time. The guy that has been there time and time again is the guy that is going to offer the better Growth to the city. That is my feeling, Just like the Police Chief that stays at the Police Agency that he worked at for the last 20 years. I know what I am saying that I have a lesser point of Respect for Mark Kling then I would for say, Lopez, the guy that replaced Kling. Lopez has 25 years with Baldwin Park Police Department, he is a vested man with that community. Mark Kling is a guy looking for an opportunity, that is what and how I feel about it now. He was even quoted as saying so in the San Gabriel Paper. I am Leaving Baldwin Park Police Department for "Better Opportunity".
We have our eye on you Mark and we hope that you are here to invest yourself in the Inland Empire, because if you look at a map, Rialto is the Heart of the Inland Empire!!
BSRanch

Councilmen Organize Meeting to Discuss Contamination, But FEW EXPECTED TO SHOW!!!!!


Councilmen organize meeting to discuss contamination, but few expected to show
By Jason Pesick, Staff Writer
Two Rialto city councilmen have called a 6 p.m. town hall meeting today in council chambers to discuss the city's perchlorate contamination and cleanup efforts, but it remains unclear just exactly who will show up or what will be discussed.

A flier attached to a letter signed by Councilmen Joseph Sampson and Ed Scott advertises an "Urgent Town Hall Meeting on Perchlorate" and touts a number of invited guest speakers.

However, many of the guest speakers listed say they were never invited - the flier and attached letter were the first they ever heard of the meeting scheduled for a Friday evening before a holiday weekend.

The councilmen explain that the letter and flier were intended to serve as invitations to the guest speakers, which included assemblymen, county supervisors, as well as school district and local water officials.

"I don't think anyone knew about it until the letter went out," said Davin Diaz of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, one of the few guest speakers who expects to attend the meeting.

"We don't think it's the correct way to run a meeting," said Manny Hernandez, chief of staff for City Council candidate Joe Baca Jr. Hernandez said he did not know if his boss would be able to attend due to the late notice, but would try to send a representative.

The letter was issued the night before a meeting between city and county leaders intended to discuss a lawsuit filed by the city against 40 corporations regarding perchlorate contamination in the city's north end. The chemical used in rocket fuels and other explosives has contaminated wells throughout Rialto and is believed to cause thyroid problems. However, that meeting quickly devolved into a bickering match that ended after 20 minutes with nothing resolved.

The invited guest speakers listed in the letter include Carole Beswick, chairwoman of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board; San Bernardino County supervisors Bill Postmus and Josie Gonzales; California Assembly members Gloria Negrete McLeod and Baca; Diaz; and Sujatha Jahagirdar of Environment California.

Jahagirdar and Diaz said they are likely attend today's meeting. Most of the other invited guests said that while they may not attend, they may send staffers.

The letter states that the purpose of the meeting is to hold "the responsible polluters accountable for the cleanup."

"We didn't try to do anything to hamper people attending it," Sampson said.

Scott, when told of the guest speakers' complaints, said, "They can either show up or not."

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I had sent this report out earlier, and in my comments I suggested that the City of Rialto was not cleaning the water and spending all their time trying to get litigation to gain money so that they can perform water cleaning efforts. It was not until now that I found out that the City of Rialto has been cleaning water or putting forth and effort to clean water, but they also have been putting forth an effort to have someone else pay for the cleaning of said water.

Know this, Rialto should pay for their own filtering of the Perchlorate from the water wells that they have. The County and City's should work together to clean up a very potentially dangerous Water contaminant! I pray that my Child or my child's children don't have that problem if they decide to live in Rialto. However they might decide to live where it is cooler. I long for the very dry heat of the summer days of the high Sierra, Living up there during the summer as a child chasing Thunder Storms with my Two best friends in the whole world I would trade everything I have to go back to that right now. I am sorry, but I am crippled now, so of coarse I am going to want to go to a time when I was not Messed up with chronic pain. sucks to be me!!

I am sorry that I sent out the bad remarks about the City Council for thinking that they were out for money over the public Safety, in regard to the Perchlorate. I thank God that I was wrong about them on this manor. However the Limits for the Perchlorate was set to high, it needs to be set lower, I know that every notch lower is more expensive to clean out, but it is just that much safer for our CHILDREN WHO DRINK THE WATER @ School and the like!!

Again, I hope that the City Council accepts my apology when it came to the filtration of Perchlorate from our Six Wells in the City of Rialto. Thank You!!

BSRanch




Monday, September 04, 2006

Is Perchlorate Cleanup Slipping From Our Grasp? (Daily Bulletin Guest Columnist, Josie Gonzales Fifth Distruct County Supervisor 090306)

GUEST COLUMN
Is perchlorate cleanup slipping from our grasp?
JOSIE GONZALES, Guest Columnist


In spite of what you may have been told about Tuesday's unproductive meeting between the County of San Bernardino and the city of Rialto, I have stayed focused on what is important – the containment and cleanup of perchlorate contamination in Rialto's groundwater.

The city has sued the county and about 40 other parties who city leaders claim have polluted the city's water. The city's filing of a lawsuit before state environmental enforcement agencies have assigned responsibility for the perchlorate contamination cleanup presents two major problems:

• While the parties argue over who may owe what in monetary damages to the city, the eastern plume of perchlorate pollution flows steadily toward more drinking water wells and the Santa Ana River.

• And, by whipping up everyone into a litigious frenzy, the city has made it more difficult for the State Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region, to secure the cooperation of the potentially responsible parties to investigate the extent of the contamination and develop solutions to contain it.

While I disagree with the city's strategy, I acknowledge its right to pursue it. However, I cannot wait for the lawsuit to solve the problem. Lawsuits take years and millions of dollars to resolve. The residents of Rialto and Colton do not have that kind of time or money.

City wells have been shut down because of two perchlorate plumes originating in the north end of the Rialto-Colton Basin. The county is working to contain the western plume of perchlorate in the Rialto-Colton Basin. We have accepted responsibility for cleaning up this plume, because a private aggregate mining operation on county-owned land flushed perchlorate out of the soil near the Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill.

The county has fully cooperated with the State Regional Board. We have spent roughly $7 million during the past four years investigating the contamination flushed by the mining operation and to construct a treatment facility to stop its advancement. The county-built treatment facility at the Rialto Airport started delivering clean drinking water to Rialto residents in early June.

The county plans to spend at least $3 million more to expand the treatment facility. And, we will likely spend more than $500,000 per year to operate that treatment facility.

As a result of the county's proactive measures, the perchlorate pollution from the private mining operation has not affected the city drinking water supply. In addition as a responsible neighbor, the county reimburses the city for water the city has to import because of the perchlorate contamination.

I'm not sure why the city believes the county owes it another $6 million when we've already done so much to clean up perchlorate. Unfortunately, during our meeting Tuesday, Councilman Ed Scott chose to focus on disruptive, unrelated issues rather than explain how the county has damaged the city.

I will not pay the attorney's fees for the five law firms the city has hired. The city chose to sue the county a year and a half after the county started its investigation and cleanup measures and a year after the county accepted a cleanup order from the State Regional Board. The city did not need to sue the county.

I have offered to meet with city leaders again about their lawsuit if they demonstrate a commitment to contain and clean up perchlorate. I have asked that they sign a memorandum of understanding regarding the pursuit of federal funds for the perchlorate contamination cleanup by Sept. 14. This shouldn't be difficult as the City Council approved the MOU back on March 21.

The county, cities of Rialto and Colton, West Valley Water District and Fontana Water worked for nearly a year to draft an Initial 5-Year Groundwater Cleanup Approach white paper. The city demanded the MOU, which every other party has now signed, except Rialto. The city's failure to sign its own MOU calls into question the sincerity of its leaders' stated commitment to protect Rialto residents from the cost of the perchlorate contamination cleanup and provide them with clean drinking water.

Our local congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., has made it repeatedly clear to all of us that we will only continue to receive federal funding or be given future consideration if the group stays united. Sen. Feinstein and Congressman Baca were successful in getting authorized this year a $25 million fund for groundwater cleanup in the Santa Ana River watershed and Santa Clara County. We must be ready to submit a joint grant application as soon as funding is appropriated to the program.

If Rialto is not on board, I must know now so that I can start working to secure funds without the city.

I will not have the important cleanup work held up any longer by the city's baseless demand for a $6 million payment.

– Supervisor Josie Gonzales represents the 5th District of San Bernardino County, which includes south Fontana, Rialto and Colton.


We here at the BS Ranch Look thought the Report to see what we can come up with on our thoughts. It seems that I have a few of my own reading this peace by Josie. I have never met Josie Gonzales, and I have to say I felt out of fairness of Politics I would sign the recall Petition that went around against her, again Not knowing but what I read about her and what was said at the table by first hand witnesses or they claimed to be witnesses to Josie's Altercation with one of the people that used to run the Muscoy MAC. I felt the leadership that she displayed was a little like that of someone that was a little bit to much bossy, in the area, I know people that live in Muscoy and you cannot treat them the way that she treated them. Anyway, getting back to the Rialto and Perchlorate.

It seems that the Lawyer might be leading the fight or the ear of Council Member Ed Scott, See I have this feeling that the Rialto City Attorney Owens is thinking that if he can get the County or the Federal Government in the Court Room he will win the money needed to clean the Six Wells that are in Rialto, that are of need of clean up of the Perchlorate. The Thing that concerns me and that concern those who live in the City of Rialto is that are the city Council Member's considering me or the money that it would cost. Which is more important, me or the cancer that I would be catching??

If it was me, and I was leading the city, I would do every thing I could do to clean up those wells, I would look into Federal grants, I would work with the County, the West Valley Water District, the East Valley Water District, and see what they could do for me, and what kind of grants have they heard of! That is what I would be doing. THE COURTS WOULD BE THE FURTHEST THING FROM MY MIND!!

Now what Josie is writing here is frustration! She is frustrated with the city of Rialto, it seems that they have been trying to work with the city of Rialto in anyway that they can,but the city seems to want the county to foot the bill for the problem.

Owens?? OWENS. let me tell you about Owens. he should be gone by now. I felt after the losses that he had between the County and the City Police Union/City Public that he should be gone, but he is not. Why?? That question is waiting to be answered by this BLOGGER, at the BSRanch? Owens is such a great Attorney he had taken the Rialto Public "Voice United" and the "RPBA" (Rialto Police Benefit Assoc.) to court three times, three times they had been to curt on the Vote to go to the Sheriff's Department from the 70+ year old Rialto Police Department. There was a Court Order stating that they could not Make a Contract with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department until a few things were met. regarding the Clarification of the MOU (City's Charter or Rules of Operation or Modus Operandi).

Just before they went before the attorney, Owens had hired a Man from Sacramento Flew him to San Bernardino, Put him up in a Motel, and had him testify in court that the method that the Voice United/RPBA were using to gather signatures for their petitions were Illegal!! Owens Argument was that the signature gatherers didn't live in the city of Rialto and that was in clear violation of the law and all signatures that were obtained by these individuals should not be allowed as good signatures.

This was done during a council meeting and he used Visual Aids, as to keep the people that were watching at home interested in what he had to say, even though it was the most boring speech I had to hear! I sat through it at the Council meeting. The highlight was when the Lawyer representing the RPBA/Voice United Raised his hand to speak and indicated how good of a lawyer he was, since several times during this three hour speech that Owens did he had put down the Lawyer hired by the Police Union. However Owens failed to say that he had LOST EVERY PREVIOUS TIME THAT HE WAS IN FRONT OF A JUDGE, AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE RPBA/VOICE UNITED STATED A GUARANTEE HE WOULD WIN THE FORTH TIME!!.

Now Owens Stated that he doubted that he would lose since he had this secret weapon from Sacramento, the man that was used, and consulted with to look at the Voting Laws reference the Recall of Gray Davis.

The Fourth time in front of the Judge came on that Friday, and Owens brought his high Paid Attorney!! All Paid for by the city! They had the court room adjourned and they were in hearing for approximately ten minutes and Owens went on to Lose that case too, even with his high Paid Lawyer who was an Expert on Voting Law!! The Judge didn't like the back door tactic that was being displayed to untimely rid a city of a well respected Police Department without Proper Review!! There for, he forced them to take the time to make that proper review.

I have to say that Voice United, Chaired by a Disabled Rialto Police Sgt. whom was Disabled from an Off duty Off Road Quad Motorcycle Accident. He used paid Signature Gathering People that are used all the time by signature gathering People all the time, You run into them all the time outside of Wal-Marts or Rit-Aid's and the like. Now I cannot remember if it was 2300 signatures or 3200 signatures that was needed, but they gathered 4900 signatures, just under 5000 for the City Charter Change to make it a City Wide Vote Rather then a City Council Vote only to change the Law Enforcement Protection for the city. well when the signatures were turned in they were reviewed by the City Clerk Barbara McGee. Barbara, more then likely taking the advice from the city Attorney Owens said that there was approximately 3000 or so signatures that were not gathered by a person that was eligible to gather signatures in the city of rialto.

Now, I myself have gather signatures in the city of Rialto, and The city of Fontana on the same sheet, so I know that the Form that he had what ever he was reading he was Ill-advised. completely wrong in this, and he tied the forms up stating this. People on the out side of the city were at the council meetings asking for a second opinion and there was no second opinion to be given right away, they went by their over paid Under Educated Lawyers advice who to this day will point the finger to Barbara McGee and say it was all up to her, in stead of himself. Now she is an Elected Official and has ran Unopposed for years, but she could have someone want her job because of what this attorney advised her!!

Owens makes approximately $750K a year, I cannot say how the city is getting their money's worth!!

AS FAR AS THE PERCHCLORATE IS CONCERNED THEY ARE SPENDING MORE MONEY FIGHTING THIS, TRYING TO PIN THIS ON THE COUNTY OR THE FED'S, THEN IF THEY WERE TO STOP THE CLOWNING AROUND AND CLEAN IT UP!!
Then maybe they would get the County and the Federal Government on their side to help them clean it the rest of the way!! But starting by fighting anyone and anything is just the wrong way to get anything done!!

JUST WHERE ARE THEY WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE?? WITH ALL THE FIGHTING INSTEAD OF THE CLEANING, WHERE ARE THEY WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE?? WHEN WILL THEY START WORKING FOR YOU AND FOR ME??

BSRanch