Did Rialto Violate Brown Act (San Bernardino County Sun March 23, 2008) Meetings on Toxin Issues Questioned

BS Ranch Perspective

 

Wow, More trouble for Rialto, first the firing of Owen which was the first RIGHT thing that was done, But then to work though the rest of this without a Lawyer looking over your shoulder to make sure that the Brown Act was followed in all meetings is needed and for Rialto to not do this is well their fault for allowing this to happen again!! It is the leader of the City Council which looking at this last News Report looks like Ed Scott is the leader Once Again, over the Mayor, Grace Vargas Every time there is some wrong doing by the City Council it is Ed Scott that is quoted, WHY IS THAT?? HUMMM???

 

Question: Could it be that it is Ed Scott making the decision that is causing the Illegal Problems for Rialto?? HUH??

 

I say that it is the decisions that ED SCOTT has Made!! It just makes me sick that nobody else has seen this, Why when the decision was made to Contract with the San Bernardino Sheriff Department for Law Enforcement in the City of Rialto, it was Edward Scott that was Quoted Each and every time, he was available every time that there was anything that was discussed on this issue, by the attorneys, and the like, I believe it was because EDWARD SCOTT was the sole Decider in the Sheriff Being the Law Enforcement for Rialto, since he had a Unfinished Law Suit against the City for the Police Department Arresting Him for DUI one Summer night, Edward Scott was So Wasted on Alcohol that he could hardly stand on his own power, back then The Chief of Police was not available to come down to the Police Station, I think that the Chief was out of town at the time. Well, Back then Lt Wylde decided to take it into his hand and break into the Chief's office and allow Scott to sit down in there, but he was so liquored up that he threw up in the Chief's office, and on the floor to the LADIES RESTROOM ACROSS the hall from the Chiefs office.

 

It was only until approximately 04:15 hrs that Edward Scott was loaded into his Car along with Lt Wylde and the Dayshift LT whom came in early followed them to EDWARD SCOTT'S House and took him home.

 

When this incident is brought up to Mr. Scott he always says that he wasn't arrested, but he was arrested, but he was not charged for the offence of 23152 CVC, only arrested and later Released with all charges Dropped!!

 

Other then that, I don't believe that Edward Scott is a great Person to represent the City of Rialto, because of the past decisions that he has made.

 

BS Ranch

 

Did Rialto violate Brown Act?

Meeting on toxin issues questioned

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 03/23/2008 09:25:42 PM PDT

Rialto City Council members may have violated a state law last month while in the nation's capital.

A majority of the council joined representatives from several local government agencies in a meeting on Feb. 27 with Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino.

Under California's Ralph M. Brown Act, a majority of an agency cannot meet "to hear, discuss, or deliberate upon any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body or the local agency."

Officials from San Bernardino County, Colton, Rialto, the West Valley Water District, Fontana Union Water Co. and the state met with Baca to discuss the formation of a joint-powers authority to lobby for federal money to clean up chemicals - primarily perchlorate - contaminating local drinking water.

"Whenever the council gets together in a majority fashion to deal with something of official significance to the city - that is a meeting," said Terry Francke, general counsel and founder of Californians Aware, a nonprofit that promotes government disclosure.

"For a meeting like that, the law requires that the time, place and subject matter of discussion be posted for any remote meeting like that."

In addition, Francke said the public must be able to attend, even if the meeting is out of state.

When the meeting with Baca began, only two Rialto council members - Winnie Hanson and Baca's son, Joe Baca Jr. - took part.

"I didn't want there to be any perception

that there would be a Brown Act violation," Councilman Ed Scott said.

But Rep. Baca told Scott he could attend the meeting because no decisions were going to be made.

Scott said the Brown Act was not violated because the meeting consisted of Baca talking to the local officials.

"It's just ridiculous," Scott said about suggestions that the Brown Act was violated.

Scott said he would contact the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit to ask for a formal inquiry.

In this case, the only sanction the council members could face is an admonishment not to do it again, Deputy District Attorney Frank Vanella said Friday.

"I've had no phone call," he said.

Rep. Baca said the Brown Act was not violated.

"If it was about Rialto and Rialto only and no others being involved, then it would be a violation of the Brown Act," he said.

Colton Mayor Kelly Chastain said she stayed out of the meeting due to concerns that she would violate the Brown Act.

Rialto Police Ask for Help from Clergy (San Bernardino County Sun March 27, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

 

It is always great that there is help from all angles to control Crime, because crime isn't just a way that people look to get rich, it is a way that they use to give people something for their Family, something like FOOD, or MILK for their children!! I am talking of coarse about Providing for their Family, and Crime is in some ways that big reason why people are committing crimes, just to stay ahead of the curve and ahead of the make roll. I want to stay way ahead of the criminal curve and the way that they have planned it all out is the right way to go, Ask the clergy men not to accuse people but for help to assist their people in their flock if they need help.

 

BS Ranch

 

Rialto police ask for help from clergy

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 03/27/2008 11:04:26 PM PDT

RIALTO - Police want local religious leaders to lend a helping hand to their community- policing program.

"Wouldn't it be a better place to go to a faith-based organization instead of a street gang?" Police Chief Mark Kling said.

Police Department officials met on Thursday with more than a dozen local religious leaders to take an inventory on counseling services, what could be done to feed the homeless, and the kinds of after- school programs available.

Churches offer English classes, football fields, gymnasiums, basketball courts - all things that help young people stay on the right track.

There is a concern that state funding for after-school programs might disappear given all the buzz over budget cuts, Kling said.

The Police Department has been reorganizing its policing efforts into an "area-command program."

This would divide the city into three areas and seek to create better relationships with residents.

"What we're hoping is to get a larger section of the community involved," Kling said.

Suggestions from the meeting included restarting the Police Department's chaplain program so religious leaders can be on hand to comfort officers and residents at emotional crime scenes.

Mike Story, Rialto's development services director, said his staff often runs into homeless people or day laborers.

"We need to know how to help some of these people," he said.

Kling said he thinks the  Police Department should address the causes of crime - instead of just arresting people - and churches can help in that effort.

The Rev. Steven Porter of St. Catherine of Siena said he wanted to talk about how the police handle illegal immigrants.

"But there is a fear from undocumented people that the Police Department is going to arrest them," he said.

Kling said the Police Department does not pursue people based on their immigration status.

"We are not the immigration service," he said.

Sam Petitfils, associate pastor at Sunrise Church, said he liked that there was a lot of discussion about attacking the root causes of crime.

"I thought it was very informative, helpful and the beginning of a very outstanding network," he said.

jason.pesick@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3861

 

Rialto Airport Closure Leaves Workers With Sense of Loss (San Bernardino Sun Friday Oct. 5, 2007)

BS Ranch Perspective

 

Rialto's Municipal Airport has history within the City that will be sorely  missed, those days that we had Drag Races at the Airport, the Run Whatcha Brung Started at the Airport and I remember one of them that I went to where the City was crying that they were low on money and they didn't have the resources for Security, they held the whole Event at the Airport with no Problems!!

 

That was the last year that they had the Drag Races, because the Federal Aviation Administration took over as the Manager of the Airport and they were the ones that said that the Airport was not going to be closed for anything except being an airport!!

 

The Go Carts Races that were out there for every month some times twice a month and those go carts could almost hit speeds of forty miles per hour on the speedway, straight away!!

 

There has been many things that have been at the airport that have gone by the wayside. for many years there was a Coffee Shoppe where lots of people would gather for Breakfast and Lunch, but it closed for dinner, it was a great Place for Lunch, and Breakfast, The last owner was the best she was one of the friendliest girls, and well she ran a nice place. it was a great business. I met my wife and quit going there as she worked at a competing Restaurant.

 

Now that is all in the past, all the Helicopter Students that learned to fly from Japan, and China that came over to the USA and learned to Fly, But when the Economy Changed just a little the Schools in Rialto Closed ,but not all of them, there was some Helicopter Schools there and Art Schall Aviation Flight School was still working as far as I knew, and Art, was instrumental at keeping a great deal of businesses at the Rialto Airport!!

 

BS Ranch

 

 

Rialto Airport Closure Leaves Workers With Sense of Loss

Posted on: Friday, 5 October 2007, 15:00 CDT

By Andrew Silva, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

Oct. 3--RIALTO, Calif. -- Perhaps the silence is the most telling, and the most sad.

On a typical weekday, the happy purr of an airplane engine only occasionally drifts across the wide expanse of Rialto Municipal Airport.

Small airports are often like small towns. Everybody knows everybody. Folks help each other out, work together, party together.

"We're all like a big family," said 61-year-old Manuel "Manny" Lucero, who's been painting airplanes at the airport since 1969.

"You see a hangar door open, it's like a welcome sign," airport Director Rich Scanlan said.

That's all changed since an act of Congress put the venerable Rialto airfield on the path to closure to make way for a sprawling new development dubbed Renaissance Rialto, designed to bolster the working-class city's image and economy.

"The airport is dead now -- has been ever since it sold," Lucero lamented, sitting in his plain office next to the hangar where he's made his living for nearly four decades.

Gone are the weekend barbecues, the impromptu get-togethers, the joyful camaraderie. The airport caf, a central gathering place, closed some years ago and is a poignant reminder of better days.

"It's just like somebody pulling my heart out," said.

News of the impending closure spread through the aviation community nationally and has nearly killed his business, even though it's unclear when the airport will actually close.

A Piper Cherokee Lance sits outside, ready for paint, the first job he's had since November.

Lucero's reputation was such that he once painted a DC-7 for Howard Hughes, employed 17 people and comfortably put his two kids through college.

"The guy said if I do a good job (on the Piper) I'll have 100 airplanes, until the bulldozers pull up in front of my shop," he said.

The Rialto field is going the way of many general aviation airports, done in by skyrocketing land values and officials with dollar signs in their eyes looking to kick-start their community's economy.

All that flat, open acreage is worth far more with offices, shops and homes than it is with any number of Cessnas and Pipers.

"Rialto is a perfect example of competing interests," said Bill Dunn, vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. "It was a tremendous asset that was underutilized until a developer came along. Unfortunately, officials look at dollars instead of long-term transportation needs. This is driven by greed."

Rialto's airport is in line to follow other local airfields into oblivion.

Morrow Field in Colton, just north of Valley Boulevard between Pepper and Riverside avenues, and Tri-City Airport, roughly along today's Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino, closed ages ago.

Airports available for public use dropped from 6,437 in 1975 to 5,008 in 2001, according to data compiled by the pilots association.

The Rialto airport was born in 1945 when Sam Miro was passing through town and bought 80 acres of scrubland for $18,000, according to historian John Anthony Adams.

He and his five sons spent a year clearing brush and moving rocks to create a usable runway. He lived on a little house at the airport until his death in the 1970s.

Ironically, the project that sounded the death knell for the airfield -- the extension of the 210 Freeway through Rialto -- years ago triggered a battle between Rialto and Fontana over the airport, which back then was in an unincorporated county area.

People for decades thought the Foothill Freeway, as today's new 210 has long been called, was coming through any time, bringing with it a gold rush of development and growth.

"The thought was that with aviation really hitting its stride in the '60s, an airport adjacent to the freeway would induce corporations to locate here to have access to both the airport and the freeway," said Scanlan.

Fontana made a run at annexing the airport, the airport director said, but Rialto got it in 1966.

It's still home to the impressive air force operated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which patrols the largest county in the Lower 48, and Mercy Air, the helicopter ambulance service.

Its most famous tenant was Art Scholl, one of the greatest stunt pilots in aviation history who crashed in the Pacific Ocean in 1985 while working on the film "Top Gun." Art Scholl Aviation continues to operate under the direction of his wife.

As recently as the early 1990s, the airport was still seen as a potential economic boon, if it could capture some of the overflow business from Ontario International Airport.

But then Norton Air Force Base shut down in 1994 and the focus turned to transforming a regional economic body blow back into an economic engine, a process that is just now building a good head of steam after more than a decade of effort.

"I don't think anyone had a crystal ball that in a couple of years (after 1992) this massive Air Force base would be transformed," Scanlan said. "The likelihood of Rialto competing with Norton wasn't very good."

Now the Rialto airport's remaining tenants are awaiting word from the developers on whether they'll be moving to the former air base, now San Bernardino International Airport, or maybe Redlands or Upland or Riverside.

Westpac Restorations Inc., which restores classic aircraft, is already packing up for Colorado.

The housing market crash now has the timeline more uncertain than ever, as the city and developers wrestle to decide what Renaissance Rialto will ultimately look like.

Since 1969, Bill Gerth, 73, has had a hangar at the Rialto airport where he parks his award-winning 1956 Piper Apache Geronimo. He estimates he's logged at least a half-million miles in the plane, flying all over the country with his wife and kids.

"We used to have hangar parties, barbecues, tell our stories, have our kids here," he said.

Stacks of photos in one of the drawers in his cluttered hangar show smiling friends clustered in chairs or standing with drinks near the barbecue and the airplanes.

When he learned of the closure, his reaction was "gross depression."

The social scene is gone. Friends have passed. The kids have grown. But the memories will endure.

-----

To see more of the San Bernardino County Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sbsun.com.

Copyright (c) 2007, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

 

Source: San Bernardino County Sun

Rialto Airport Land Valued at $77 Million (REDORBIT March, 25, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective:

 

We don't want to be in the way of the Christmas Season come 2010, for Target Supercenter, after all that is the only Store that drew any interest in the Rialto Renaissance when it was proposed to the Business world in their little Business fair! Why I am still wondering where the In~N~Out Burger is that was supposed to be Built at the Intersection of Riverside Ave. @ Galloway Ave. (Galloway Ave was closed and In~N~Out Burger was going to be built on the E/Curb of Riverside just N/of the 210 W/B Off ramp). According to the talks by the City Planning the Construction of the Restaurant would have started shortly after the I-210 Freeway was opened! Well? The Freeway has opened, yet NO CONSTRUCTION!!

 

Now they are just talking about the Sale of the land for the development of the Airport, I have to say that Lewis and or the other Companies that are doing this in this market just might find themselves filing for Bankrupts!! Before it is all over

 

BS Ranch

 

 

 

Airport Land Value: $77M

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 March 2008, 02:00 CDT

By Jason Pesick

RIALTO - The city and the Federal Aviation Administration appear close to reaching an agreement on the value of the Rialto Municipal Airport property.

On March 18, interim City Attorney Rahsaan Tilford reported that the City Council determined $77.4 million was an appropriate dollar figure for the property.

That value coincides with what FAA officials indicated they were comfortable with, said Rialto Economic Development Director Robb Steel.

"We have approved it in concept, and we are certainly aware of the action that is going before the Rialto City Council," said San Bernardino International Airport Authority Commission Vice President and Loma Linda Mayor Robert Christman.

A significant portion of Rialto's airport tenants and about $50 million will be headed to San Bernardino International Airport roughly 13 miles to the east.

Rialto's March 18 move, which the council could approve in open session on April 1, is another step in the complex process of turning a working municipal airport into a commercial, industrial and residential development known as Renaissance Rialto.

Renaissance, which will be developed by a partnership between Upland-based Lewis Group and Texas-based Hillwood, will be located along the newly extended 210 Freeway.

Rialto's own appraisal put the value of the airport at about $67 million before taking into account the costs of preparing the land for development, but FAA officials thought the value should be higher.

According to legislation passed by Congress in 2005, 45 percent of the value of the airport property must be paid to SBIA.

That amount - $49.5 million - will be governed by a separate value of about $110 million for the property. The new value of $77 million will be used to determine how much of the $49.5 million goes to accommodating new tenants and how much goes to improvements at SBIA, Steel said.

"There's no set guidebook for how this closure works," said Mike Burrows, SBIA's assistant director.

He said no matter how the money is supposed to be spent by SBIA, he's elated that all of it will be invested in the airport.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor was unable to comment for this story.

Steel said he hopes City Council approves plans for Renaissance by the end of this year, especially since the first payment to SBIA is due in September.

After the plans are approved, the Lewis-Hillwood consortium will start purchasing the 441 acres of airport property, which will be the heart of the 1,500-acre Renaissance Rialto development.

Rialto's airport would close by the end of 2009, after new facilities are built at SBIA and other airports to house Rialto's tenants.

Rialto also needs to regain control of state land so it can move Easton Street and finalize an airport-closure plan with the FAA.

After all the details are worked out, the Super Target-anchored retail center could open in time for Christmas 2010, Steel said. "That's still pretty tight," he said.

(c) 2008 The Sun, San Bernardino, Calif.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Source: The Sun, San Bernardino, Calif.

More News in this Category

 

Rialto to be REPAID before its Rate payers (Daily Bulletin March 10, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

 

Wow, this is great news for those that were charged through the water Crisis, that the Perchlorate Contamination had put us through!! It is one thing when the mistake was make to fight it the way that it was, Owen was completely wrong, and I don't know why the City Council gave this guy so much of a leash to do these kinds of careless law suits, to benefit his pockets and not the city!!

 

BS Ranch

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Rialto to be repaid before its ratepayers

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Created: 03/10/2008 10:14:27 PM PDT

RIALTO - The good news for customers of Rialto's water system is that the city has started settling its expensive legal battles against suspected water polluters.

The bad news is that, although customers have been paying for the team of lawyers and consultants through a surcharge on their water bills, no quick reimbursement is in sight.

Rialto has spent at least $20 million treating and investigating perchlorate and other chemicals polluting the groundwater, as well as fighting the suspected polluters in court.

But policies enacted by the City Council since 2004 indicate that the city and its water department, which serves about half the city, get repaid after legal settlements and judgements before the customers.

"I think it's a fair discussion to reconsider that," said City Councilwoman Winnie Hanson, a member of the council's perchlorate subcommittee.

The first settlement in the perchlorate matter is being finalized with San Bernardino County and calls for the county to clean up part of the contamination and pay the city $4 million.

The surcharge customers pay starts at $6.85 per bill and increases with consumption.

Longtime resident Mary Moton said the perchlorate charge on her last monthly water bill of $69.44 was $9.27.

"I think we should get all our money back. That's fair," she said.

When the council established the surcharge in 2004, it passed a policy that states the first priority is

repaying the water department, plus an extra $1.5 million for the department's reserves.

That repayment includes $5 million to City Council transferred from the General Fund reserves to the water department in November 2006 to pursue polluters.

After the city receives from polluters an amount equal to half the surcharges collected, ratepayers will be able to be reimbursed.

In recent months, Councilman Ed Scott, the other member of the perchlorate subcommittee, has said the ratepayers should be reimbursed before the water and general funds.

"That's my preference," he said.

Hanson said the council will probably have to examine the issue. She said members meeting in closed session would decide whether they want to vote on the issue in open session.

Hanson said she hasn't come down on one side of the issue yet. Her determination will include a number of factors, including the fiscal health of various city accounts.

Some residents don't seem to be conflicted.

"I think that the citizens should be paid back first. They didn't waste any time in taking the money out," Rialto resident and water customer Toby Polinger said of the city.

"It seems like the city puts these kinds of things together frequently that the Rialto citizens are often considered last," he said.

jason.pesick@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3861

Rialto Unified doesn't vote on cuts to support staff (Press Enterprise 03172008)

BS Ranch Perspective

I am glad to hear that there are human people out there, that are great people out there that care enough to want them to stay and work hard!!

BS Ranch

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Rialto Unified doesn't vote on cuts to support staff

		Download story podcast

11:55 PM PDT on Wednesday, March 12, 2008

By MELANIE C. JOHNSON
The Press-Enterprise

RIALTO - After hearing pleas from union officials, the Rialto Unified School District's Board of Education decided not to vote to eliminate 67 nonteaching posts, such as clerk typists, nutrition service workers and instructional technology assistants.

The board on Wednesday night also decided not to vote to reduce the days worked by five next year of 31 other positions, including supervisors and directors in maintenance, registration and fiscal services.

Bob McDaniel, president of the Rialto chapter of the California School Employees Association, urged the district to delay laying off the support workers.

"Who will take the place of the instructional technology assistants?" he asked. "You may find out that many of these positions are not expendable."

The district is facing a $21 million budget deficit next year based on declining enrollment and the governor's proposal to gut education spending next year by $4.4 billion. The state faces a $16 billion shortfall next year.

Layoffs for nonteaching support staff follow the district's decision last month to issue preliminary layoff notices to 305 teachers, counselors and school psychologists. Officials from the teachers union say the number has swelled to more than 400 with the 100 substitute teachers who won't be asked back next year and 28 other probationary teachers cut.

The district is required by law to issue layoff notices by Saturday to teachers. For nonteaching positions, they have to give a 45-day notice.

The pink slips issued to teachers made for an emotional meeting with several parents and teachers. Others criticized the officials for eliminating class-size reduction.

"Getting this pink slip ... today was a slap in my face," teacher Nora Emanuel said. "If you do this class-size reduction, you're going to turn us into mediocre teachers."

Several of the board members said they were open to having additional budget workshops with the community.

Superintendent Edna Davis-Herring said she shares the pain of the employees whose jobs may be in jeopardy.

Rialto Unified Faces a $21 Million Shortfall!! (Daily Bulletin 03132008)

BS Ranch Perspective

What is going on here, are we in another recession or are we getting ready to pull into a full on depression? It is getting nervous listening to the Business news on television and Talk Radio, they are all doom and gloom and money is flowing down down down, espeiclly the U.S. Dollar! The Euro. is up, and we are heading to lower interest rates, lower banking fees and higher Gold Prices that will send us thorugh the door.

it is just to scary thinking that we are in a recession that is so deep and our only way out I am afraid that when Obama takes the Presidency will say that we will close our doors on our Defense, and we will do without, what will happen then, Slave one to Slave two over...

BS Ranch

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District planning teacher cuts

Rialto Unified faces $21 million shortfall

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 03/13/2008 10:02:52 PM PDT

RIALTO - Faced with state and federal budget cuts of $21million and declining enrollment, the school district announced plans to fire 9 percent of its teachers and counselors, but primarily teachers.

An additional 19percent could be gone by the beginning of the next school year.

The proposed tally includes an additional 271 possible layoffs, plus roughly 100 probationary teachers with one-year contracts who won't get asked to return to the classroom in the fall.

About 30 additional teachers without full credentials also could get the ax.

Concerned about the impact of layoffs on the Rialto Unified School District, parents, teachers and other district employees came to the school board's Wednesday night meeting to plea for teachers' jobs.

"Thank you for training me. Now maybe some other district will have me," said Nora Manuel, a kindergarten teacher who was one of 271 teachers and counselors to receive a notice from the school district that they might be laid off before the next school year.

The district has about 1,450 teachers, counselors, nurses and speech therapists.

One result of the cuts could be class sizes in kindergarten through third grade would jump from 20 to 32 students.

The school board delayed a vote on whether to lay off 63 cafeteria workers, secretaries, teacher aides and other support staff.

"I'm happy. It gives us time to come up with something - a plan," said Bob McDaniel,

president of the Rialto Classified School Employees Association.

During the public comment period of the meeting, the board seemed to be under attack from teachers and parents.

Some teachers said administrators have been opposed to the 20-to-1 student-teacher ratio and have been using proposed state budget cuts as an excuse to eliminate it.

"You do not like 20 to 1, and I have known that for five years," said Penny Robinson, a third-grade teacher.

"I am tired of the way these teachers are treated," she said.

Throughout the meeting, board President Dan Mays said he supports small class sizes but the budget crisis limited the district's options.

"At this point, we're running out of options," he said.

Cheryl Brown, publisher of The Black Voice News, suggested the board hold a workshop with the community.

"So it's not something that is insurmountable, and it just seems it is a situation that could be worked out," she said.

After an initially prickly board reception to the idea of holding a workshop, board member Joanne Gilbert eventually convinced her colleagues that holding a workshop would be wise.

No date has been set yet.

Officials in surrounding districts hope they won't have to lay off any teachers.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District sent possible lay-off notices to 155 teachers and counselors out of 3,503 total.

"We're thinking that it's unlikely that we'll have to go ahead with those cuts," said spokeswoman Linda Bardere.

Officials in the Fontana and Redlands Unified school district are not planning to lay off teachers.

jason.pesick@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3861.

Rialto Hanging on to Results of Audit (SB Sun Feb. 25, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

It appears that Rialto has been looking for what Owen did with the money that he appropriated for the Perchlorate Case! The problem is that Owen asked the City Council to fight the Perchlorate without telling them how much it would cost for the battle against the Businesses that are reportedly to be to blame by Owens. Now come to find out it can only be found that the Businesses purchased the businesses that were found to be responsible without being the business that was the actual owner at the time that the Perchlorate was put on the ground!

I have to say this, that Owen, the then Rialto City Attorney, was trying to apply today's Hazardous Waist Laws to a Chemical Spill that very well didn't have any, ANY, Regulations against it at the time that they took the Perchlorate and just dumped it onto the ground, when they were done using it.

Owen was taking a Business that either was responsible or was the new owners of a business that dumped Perchlorate with Water onto the ground, Now for all I know that the way that Perchlorate was destroyed was that it was just dumped onto the ground, because Rialto is not the only city that has had Perchlorate Contamination to their Ground Water Supply this last few years. There was contamination in the ground water in the San Gabriel Valley, Rancho Cordova, near Sacramento, and Simi Valley. So, it was not just in the Inland Empire of Southern California

The Court Case that Owen was fighting his case on, was not in violation of any hazardous Materials Laws until July of 2006, so his law suit was more of a he said she said Law Suit, I guess your basic Civil Suit!!

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency Should have been contacted Right away instead of Rushing to the Court Room! Then Owen would see that he wasn't so far ahead of himself and into such a loss of a case!! The Case that he was fighting at the Christmas Break was reported at $23 Million then, now they are just looking for a missing $20 Million!!

I certainty hope that there isn't $20 Million dollars that are filling Owen's briefcase and now that he is not working at Rialto he is having the last laugh with the missing money. I figure that the Money that is gone has ether been spent on the case and or lost or it is in the briefcase, but where ever it might be, It was all the money that was from the Utility Tax money that was Voted on and approved by the Citizens of the City of Rialto!! That Utility Tax is killing me on my Cellular Phones alone, now I don't know about you, but when your Electrical Bill is in the three figures and they are $300 to $900 a month it is a bit out of hand especially when a large portion of that is the Utility Tax, all because it is a Percentage of what they wanted.

I am sickened by the news that Owen took the City for a Ride like this Especially For Some $20 Million, when that money could have been used for the Police Department's Raises, or over all the 3% at 50 Retirement, this could be passed on to the Fire Department for their Retirement. However, now that the $20 Million was wasted on this case instead of cooling their Jets and looking to the Environmental Protection Agency rather then the Court Room. I know that a large portion of the Money was charged to the city as "Fee's" to pay for the Lawyer's court time and his time to research and be on the phone etc etc...

BS Ranch

5:06 p.m.: Rialto hanging on to results of audit

By Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/25/2008 05:06:40 PM PST

RIALTO - The city has not yet released the results of an audit conducted last year to account for at least $20 million in perchlorate-related expenses. Though the city is not under any legal obligation to release the audit at this time, members of the council have been saying for said they intend to release the results.

The council members have not voted on a date to release the report and have explained the delay in releasing the results by saying the city has been busy.

"I'm in favor of releasing it the way it is," Councilman Ed Scott said, arguing that the audit should not be edited before it is released. Scott is a member of the council's perchlorate subcommittee.

In April, the City Council hired an auditor to examine the city's expenses related to the perchlorate contaminating the local water supply. The Reith Co., a Pasadena-based forensic accountant, conducted the audit last year. A forensic accountant's work can be used in court in fraud cases. Perchlorate is the primary contaminant flowing from industrial sites on the city's north end. The city has filed a federal lawsuit and has pursued regulatory action against dozens of parties it suspects are responsible for the contamination. The cost of that battle and the cost of treatment to date is likely at least $20 million, city officials say.

After The Sun filed a request for a copy of the audit under the California Public Records Act, City Attorney Bob Owen, who was later fired by the City Council, wrote

that the audit did not have to be released because it was still in draft form and because it was connected to the city's federal lawsuit. Its ties to the lawsuit mean it is exempt from disclosure. The council, he wrote, could decide to release it anyway.

It's true that the city doesn't have to release the audit until the litigation comes to an end, said Terry Francke, general counsel of the nonprofit open-government organization CalAware.

A court in Ventura County, though, has ruled in another case that the total amount spent and the general ways in which money related to lawsuits was used does have to be released, Francke said.

In October, Owen released a general breakdown of how $18 million had been spent over a four-year period. But the city has continued to spend more money since spring of 2007, when Owen's breakdown stops counting.

Firing Owen probably delayed the release of the audit, said Councilwoman Winnie Hanson, the other member of the perchlorate subcommittee.

The city is trying to figure out how to release the information without jeopardizing the lawsuit by revealing its legal strategy, she said.

Transitioning between city attorneys has distracted the city from the audit, Scott said. But he said he intends to refocus on the issue when he returns from a city trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials.

(909) 386-3861

Perchlorate pact at hand- At Last (SB Sun Feb. 23, 2008) Rialto & San Bernardino are finally ready to settle their portion of the Perchlorate Cleanup

BS Ranch Perspective

Looks like it might be a finished deal, and there is minimal cost now that Rialto City will be spending on this in the future, I still am wondering where the money is going to come from to re-pay the bundle of money that was spent on the battle against the County. The news report was that they had some $23 Million already spent, fighting this case under the leadership of Owen. It was about time that the Council Wised up and Fired Owen and saved the city a great deal of their Utility Tax Benefit, that the people were paying towards the city, not for Perchlorate contamination fighting, but for Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighting Benefits!!! Owen was taking the money's that was collected however and forcing the city to fight this dumb law suit.

I for one am glad that it is done.

BS Ranch

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Perchlorate pact at hand - at last

Article Launched: 02/23/2008 07:25:50 PM PST

It's about time.

Rialto and San Bernardino are finally on the cusp of settling their portion of the perchlorate-cleanup lawsuit Rialto filed in 2004.

That suit named not just San Bernardino, but the U.S. Department of Defense and some 40 companies that Rialto wants to hold responsible for the perchlorate contamination in its groundwater. The federal lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in October, but if county supervisors approve the settlement that Rialto City Council signed onto last week, the county will no longer be among the defendants.

That's good. We hate to see local governments suing each other, pitting one set of taxpayers' money against another in legal fees, instead of working out a suitable accommodation. In this case, far better to spend money on cleaning up the contamination than on dueling lawyers.

But we understand that sometimes such suits are necessary to bring both parties to the table ready to negotiate.

The settlement calls for the county to pay Rialto $4 million and clean up the western portion of the contamination. The county was not a source of perchlorate in the groundwater, but land that the county acquired to expand a landfill may be a source due to the activities of past owners of that land.

We're keeping our fingers crossed, because the two parties have been "close" to settlement several times before. A Rialto councilman had predicted the two sides would reach an agreement in December; they came close last April; they were working on it until the two sides fell into a shouting match in 2006.

But we give them credit for sticking with it and reaching accommodation - assuming the supervisors OK the deal.

Rialto Crime is Still Down (SB Sun Feb. 20, 2008) City Continues to add Officers, even without a 3% at 50 Contract!!

BS Ranch Perspective

It looks like The City of Rialto is in great hands with Mark Kling at the lead Position, and the area Management in a good position, there is one thing that is a problem that I can see is that the great experienced people that left, took off and the people that are here now are people out of the academy. The main reason that they left was the Police Department was sold out, and was being traded to the County & The Sheriff's Department! The other reason that they went to other agencies was that they were able to get what Rialto has promised twice and never delivered on, Garcia, Rialto's City Administrator, along with Owen, the then City's Attorney promised the RPBA (Rialto Police Benefit Association) that the 3% at 50 Retirement plan was going to added to the next contract if the Utility Tax was voted in, they at the time felt that the 3% at 50 would be a great incentive to gain employment and keep Officer's on the Beat working a long time, rather then keeping them at the 2% @ 55 Retirement Package!

Sadly there are a whole lot of Officers that will be leaving Rialto as soon as they realize that they are not going to get the 3% at 50 Retirement added to their Contract, and if that is not done then they will be looking to go to a department that does have that retirement package!!

There are a great number of Cities that are Expanding and looking for Police Officers to field because of the growing City Limits that most cities have!! Therefore if Rialto doesn't change their Retirement Package, there isn't a Raise that will make up for the Retirement that they are loosing out on, when they are stuck at a department where they don't even get a full retirement at the age of 55!!

Most other department's get a Retirement at the age of 50, and they have the prerogative to stay longer but they mostly will either change or go, but they most stay.

BS Ranch

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Rialto crime is still down

City continues adding officers

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/20/2008 10:27:21 PM PST

RIALTO - Crime continued its downward trend in the city last year despite increases in some areas.

There was a 11.4percent decrease in the most serious crimes, known as Part 1 violent and property crimes.

Violent crime taken alone, though, saw a 4.8percent increase. That increase came after a violent crime decrease of 16percent for the first five months of the year.

"As a police chief in a community for 18 months ... I'm pleased with the fact that, overall, our Part 1 crimes are down, but I think that we have a lot more work to do, especially with what we're about to be faced with," said Police Chief Mark Kling.

He said he's concerned the weak economy and a possible release of state prisoners due to state budget problems could lead to a rise in crime.

The marked decline in crime in Rialto was not altogether unexpected.

The Police Department continued to add officers throughout the year and continued to rebuild after near collapse only a few years ago.

In 2005, the City Council voted to eliminate the Police Department and replace it with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

That decision didn't stand, and the city hired Kling, who has implemented a number of new strategies to rebuild the Police Department.

When Kling took over, so many officers had left that the department only had 87 officers. It now has 112.

The centerpiece of Kling's vision for his department is the development

of the area command program. Kling's immediate predecessor, Frank Scialdone, who was brought in to stabilize the department during the chaos, decided the program was a good fit for Rialto.

Launched during the past year, the area command program divides the city into three areas, with a lieutenant in charge of monitoring each one and taking on problems as they arise.

Rialto seems to have fared better than some other areal cities. Part 1 crimes were up 4percent in San Bernardino, where violent crimes were up 7percent. In Fontana, violent crime was up 4percent, and property crime was up 20percent. But in 2007 both of those cities' populations grew, which often leads to an increase in crime.

Kling, who said rebuilding the Police Department is a seven-year process, said Rialto's numbers were consistent with what's going on around the region and the country.

"I think there's some trend information in the stats the region should be concerned with," he said.

One of the stats that pleased Kling was that his department responded to 543 fewer traffic collisions.

He also said he thinks response times are still too high.

Kling said people who don't live in Rialto often commit the crimes in the city.

"I think we have to continue to work with our neighboring police agencies," Councilman Joe Baca Jr. said.

He also said faith-based and nonprofit organizations in the city need to work together to take on crime.

The Police Department has provided the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office with the information necessary to write a gang injunction, which could limit where gang members can congregate in the city, Baca said.

For now, Kling said his next goal is to have his department fully staffed with 115 officers - three more than it has now - and then determine the impact on crime. He said he won't ask for an increase in that number from the City Council for the next budget cycle even though the officer-to-resident ratio is lower in Rialto than in a number of other area cities.

"What you're seeing is the dedication knowing that the employees in this Police Department continually have to do more with less," Kling said.

Rialto Accepts Suit Deal (SB Sun Feb. 19, 2008) SB County Would pay $4Million over Perchlorate!

BS Ranch Perspective

Rialto's acceptance of the suit Deal was a good one over all, however the City is still out $19 Million in total battling the County, and the other Businesses to clean up the Perchlorate mess to begin with. However having said that the city was reported to be in the hole at $23 million at last printed report that I had read via the SB Sun, and the case was then placed on hold. then Owen was Fired (Thank God) and now they have decided to somewhat close the case with the county by receiving a payment of $4 Million and now I am left wondering what happened to the rest of the money, that would be $19 Million, that was spent on the whole mess and it is missing that would have been used on the Police Departments 3% at 50 Retirement Package or maybe they could have, used that money more importantly to build a Brand New POLICE DEPARTMENT! TO QUIT PIECING TOGETHER AN OLD OUTGROWN BUILDING THAT IS THE POLICE BUILDING NOW. THE CITY OF RIALTO WAS GOING TO BUILD A POLICE BUILDING BACK IN 1991!! However there was a claim that there was never enough money to build it!! Now there was $23 Million to spend on a Law Suit for Perchlorate, and Now they are $19 Million at Loss in the deal and I venture to state that the new Police Building would only cost the city some 10 Million or more to build I am not sure but I am one to say that the City of Rialto is at the short end of the stick.

All because of miss management by the Management of the City of Rialto, and the City Council of Rialto City!!

BS Ranch

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Rialto accepts suit deal

SB County would pay $4M over perchlorate

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/19/2008 10:04:34 PM PST

RIALTO - The City Council voted in closed session on Tuesday night to settle its lawsuits against San Bernardino County regarding perchlorate contaminating groundwater.

Under the terms of the agreement, which the council unanimously approved, the county would pay Rialto $4 million and clean up the western portion of the contamination.

That cleanup could costs tens of millions of dollars.

"They are really the only responsible party that has stepped forward," Councilman Ed Scott said.

The county's contamination is flowing from the county-owned Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill in Rialto's north end.

The county Board of Supervisors still has to approve the deal.

Perchlorate, used to produce explosives, is flowing through local drinking water, but officials say it is not being served to residents.

The city filed a federal lawsuit against dozens of parties, including the county, that it suspects of contaminating the water.

The city has also filed a separate lawsuit against the county in state court.

Also during the closed session, the council voted to have one of its outside attorneys, Susan Trager, manage its perchlorate-related legal battle.

Former City Attorney Bob Owen had served in that role until the council fired him in January.

Dodge Opens Strong With Top Heavy Finish in The 500 (NASCAR.com FEB. 17, 2008) Manufacturer Claims Six of Top Eight Positions at Daytona..

BS Ranch Perspective:

It is one thing when you have one or two that are in the top ten of a 500 Mile race, but when you have SIX of the Top Ten Finishers that are of the same Manufacturer that is a statement!! Chrysler/Dodge has been working hard to make this statement and WOW, I am impressed with the statement made. Many of the Chevrolets that were in the race & running in the lead, had to drop out only to return later due to a Suspension problems that were not cured all the way. Last Years Champion Jimmie Johnston was out of the race early, with the suspension problem, only to return to the race eleven laps down, and later to leave the race with the same problem. The Toyota was the favorite Car at first the announcers were all praising it how it kept pulling to the front, and holding the lead, but then when it came to putting the frosting on the doughnuts', it was all Dodge, that was finishing the race ahead of Toyota. he he

BS Ranch

GOOO DR. "Z"

Dodge opens strong with top-heavy finish in the 500

Manufacturer claims six of top eight positions at Daytona

By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
February 17, 2008
11:13 PM ESTtype size: + -

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- How good was Dodge in Sunday's 50th Daytona 500?

Robby Gordon, who's only owned a Dodge race team for about 10 days, finished eighth -- his second-best career finish in 10 Daytona 500 attempts -- and was the exclamation point on six Dodges in the top eight positions, behind winner and lead Dodger Ryan Newman.

Daytona 500

Dodge Results

Pos.	Driver	Team
1.	R. Newman	Penske
2.	Ku. Busch	Penske
5.	R. Sorenson	Ganassi
6.	E. Sadler	GEM
7.	K. Kahne	GEM
8.	R. Gordon	R. Gordon
11.	B. Labonte	Petty
15.	S. Hornish	Penske
32.	J. Montoya	Ganassi
33.	D. Franchitti	Ganassi
34.	K. Petty	Petty

• Store: Daytona 500 winner

"First, second, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and 11th -- pretty darned impressive," Gordon said.

"That's exceeding expectations, for us," said second-place finisher Kurt Busch, who was the best Dodge driver in the series last year. "It felt like Toyota power was a bit stronger than us and maybe the Hendrick cars were handling better.

"But we were working hard at keeping our nose buried in our own book, and trying to figure out what we could do to make our cars faster. So maybe the hard work shined through."

Gordon's crew chief, Frank Kerr, was even more impressed after overseeing a changeover to Robby Gordon Motorsports' 11-car fleet of new chassis. He only laughed when he was asked what the team might do after being a Dodge program for 20 days.

"That was great -- great for the team [because] everybody's put so many hours in, with the changeover," Kerr said. "We've been working in shifts actually, trying to get stuff changed over -- and then we had the wrong nose on one car and we had to switch it here, plus four others that were done, back at the shop."

Gordon acknowledged the good night might be offset by a penalty he expects to receive for starting Speedweeks with the wrong nose piece -- an unapproved Charger nose that was delivered by mistake from Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Gordon's Dodge connection -- rather than the mandated Avenger nose.

"It's definitely a good start," Gordon said in between TV and print interviews in a dark garage. "Now we just have to see how many points we're going to get taken away from us [by NASCAR]. At least we got a good baseline before they start taking them."

Gordon's baseline included a low-key effort that saw him never inside the top 20 until less than 40 laps remained in the race.

"We just rode around until it was time to go -- we wanted to be in the race at the end," Gordon said. "My car was good. I was just surviving and trying not to put myself in position to tear my car up until about the last 40 laps."

Gordon didn't get into the top 10 until there were 11 laps to go, after the race's sixth of seven cautions flew for an accident started when defending Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick and Dave Blaney got together heading into Turn 3.

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From there, Gordon was able to maneuver with fellow Dodge drivers, not coincidentally Gillett Evernham teammates Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne, who finished sixth and seventh, respectively, ahead of him.

Dodge driver Reed Sorenson provided a critical push to second-place Bush and leader Newman that secured the 1-2 Penske Racing finish.

"For us to get six out of the top eight is just a phenomenal showing for Dodge. It shows the depth of our program and we couldn't be more excited for the 2008 season."

MIKE ACCAVITI, Dodge Motorsports

"Hats off to all of the guys at GEM and the motors and everybody else that worked on all these cars and hard work, so congratulations to Dodge and obviously the two Penske boys," Gordon said. "They said we were going to run the high line and I have to be honest with you -- I was good enough with a 10th-place finish at that time.

"I didn't think we were going to go from 10th to first after the restart. We moved up a couple spots, which is not bad. We were beating and banging pretty hard."

But the Dodge teams were able to work together, which paid off.

"They know how to work together and they work well together, and I thought that sixth, seventh and eighth was a wonderful finish," team owner George Gillett Jr. said. "Robby showed us some speed and I thought Elliott [Sadler] had the fastest car in the race for a long time, and he got hung out after that pit stop.

"But it was fun to see, though. It's unbelievable, and it shows what a great job our team is doing. Ray [Evernham] is providing us with great leadership and [competition director] Mark McArdle and his crew are doing a fabulous job and they're working together and giving us good cars and good engines.

"This winter, we really started to make a breakthrough on the handling of the cars, which is really critical."

It provided an edge for the Dodge cars at the end, some of them felt.

"There was a nice Dodge train on the top side," Busch said. "I think all of us knew that the top side would help us and in the end it paid off. I had a glimmer of hope of winning the thing until Newman pulled in front of me. I said, 'perfect dude -- here we go.'

"It feels great to push him to the win."

Dodge paid a $1 million bonus to Newman for his win. Mike Accaviti, director, Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing for the Chrysler Group, said he wasn't concerned.

"A 30-second TV ad [on the Daytona 500 broadcast] cost $500,000," Accaviti said. "With the exposure we got with Ryan's win and six cars in the top eight, we more than made up for that.

"It wasn't gambling -- we only paid if we won -- and the payoff for this is huge in terms of our exposure. The win is super important [and] it was a great showing by all the Dodge teams.

"For us to get six out of the top eight is just a phenomenal showing for Dodge. It shows the depth of our program and we couldn't be more excited for the 2008 season. We've been telling everybody that we're working better together and the proof is in the pudding."

Newman and Busch's owner, Roger Penske, said he certainly wasn't surprised with the Dodge showing, but it only validated one week of the season.

"We had a good test here and we knew we had a lot more power that we could bring to the race, and that's what we did, with the reliability," Penske said. "But again, it was execution [Sunday], plus reliability -- which we didn't have last year.

"Ryan missed a couple wins last year because of reliability. I think as we go forward, this will give our team a lot of momentum, but I can tell you this -- when we line up with everybody else next week at California, I don't think, because you won the Daytona 500, they give you an extra lap ahead of the field."

Water Rates Might Go Up (San Bernardino County Sun Feb. 15, 2008) Depends on amount used!!

BS Ranch Perspective

I guess it would be inevitable for the water rates to go up with the cost of Perchlorate Contamination and all the court costs that the County Water Department is having to pay for, The City of Rialto was forced to discharge the Cities Representation that they have had for over 15 years, because of the poor decision making that he was doing in an attempt to take the responsible party, or the party that he was convinced was responsible for causing the Perchlorate contamination in the first place. I mean who would you believe was responsible, a company that was using a chemical that was approved at the time that they were using it by the government, and it was even disposed of in the manor proscribed by law at that time of the year!

However having written that the City of Rialto's Attorney wanted to apply today's laws to what a company did Yesterday which contaminated the water supply, Now who knows what they did wasn't the normal way to dispose of this chemical, because there is an awful a lot of contamination in the south land. Why not just Rialto & Colton, but San Bernardino, parts of Pasadena, Santa Ana, Orange County has some Perchlorate Contamination as well. I bet that there is some Perchlorate Contamination in Inyo County and Kern County as well as Los Angeles County too.

Now I know that it wasn't just two Companies such as Black & Decker, and Goodyear that spread the Perchlorate all over the Counties of Southern California!!

BS Ranch

Water rates might go up

Depends on amount used

Lauren McSherry, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/15/2008 09:57:49 PM PST

A ruling by a federal judge that cut by two-thirds the amount of water flowing from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta to Southern California - combined with a lingering drought - has set off a chain reaction that could result in higher water rates in parts of San Bernardino County.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a regional water supplier based in Los Angeles, adopted a plan Tuesday that would penalize client water agencies exceeding their allocation, a cost that could be passed on to ratepayers.

One of the MWD's 26 clients is the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which relies on Metropolitan for roughly one-third of its water supply.

The Inland Empire agency serves 800,000 customers in seven cities - Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland.

"The first thing to understand is they're going to apply very significant rate increases and penalties if we use water above what we're allocated," said Wyatt Troxel, inland water board president.

Troxel estimated water rates could increase from 3percent to 5percent in the short term and predicted that cities experiencing rapid population growth could be hit hardest. Programs to provide recycled water to municipalities should decrease the demand for imported water in the long term, he said.

Montclair, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga have the greatest risk because Montclair and Upland are still in the process of implementing a recycled

water program and Rancho Cucamonga is continuing to develop, he said.

Fontana Water Co., which will begin processing inland agency water this summer, doesn't expect its rates to be affected by the recently adopted plan, said Assistant General Manager Robert Young.

Fontana Water Co. is a unit of San Gabriel Valley Water Co.

Penalties could be imposed as early as July, although it is unlikely that allocations will be exceeded so quickly following this winter's rains, said Jeff Kightlinger, MWD general manager.

In addition, the MWD will consider adopting a general rate increase in March, Kightlinger said.

Brothers Charged with Bribing 5th District Supervisor Jose Gonzales, (LA Times Feb 15, 2008) Jose Gonzales was sure that the Bribery Suspects were tur

BS Ranch Perspective

It seems that Jose Gonzales was in on this bribery case and turned these two in for this, however It just makes me wonder if Jose Gonzales turned these two brothers into the authorities because they were just to carefree about the way that they came about the bribery. The regular people use the Donation to ones Campaign in order to get what on wants regarding a Favor From a Candidate. It seems that their willingness to give her the $15,000.00 up front scared Jose and she figured that they better notify the authorities. But how does she know that It was a Bribe and not a Campaign Donation, Yes it is true that they can only donate a small amount of $2300 But these Two Brothers didn't know the limit in which they could Donate to ones campaign. he he!!

Now Brothers, are one to work towards one goal, but I know if I had $15,000.00 laying around I certainly would not allow it to go to some politician for any kind of Work Permit, Planning Permit or anything!! That money would be seen better spent working on my wife's New Car, or Fixing up my house which I am having trouble doing because of the cost!!

I am happy knowing that Jose Gonzales turned these two clowns in for their attempt at such a Stupid Bribery event that has now stopped their lives from being free to build the thing that they wanted to build. I hope that the book is thrown at them and they get a great amount of time, and example should be set.

Jose I don't know if you earned my vote just yet, but your gaining my confidence about you!!

BS Ranch

Brothers charged with bribing a San Bernardino official

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The men allegedly gave the county supervisor's chief of staff an envelope with $15,000 in cash during a meeting to discuss a construction and development project.

By ndrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 15, 2008

San Bernardino County prosecutors charged two brothers with bribery Thursday after they allegedly slipped an envelope containing $15,000 in cash to the chief of staff for county Supervisor Josie Gonzales.

Arshak Kouladjian, 53, of Glendale and Vartan Kouladjian, 45, of Pasadena pleaded not guilty in a San Bernardino County courtroom Thursday to a single count each of felony bribery of a ministerial officer.

Attorney Mark Geragos, who is representing the brothers, said his clients were "upstanding members of the community and successful businessmen."

"Everyone who knows them was shocked by the charges," Geragos said. "We look forward to sitting down and talking with the district attorney about this matter."

The brothers were arrested Wednesday and initially held in lieu of $500,000 bail each, authorities said. A judge later reduced their bail to $100,000 apiece and ordered the men to surrender their passports.

The San Bernardino County district attorney's Public Integrity Unit opened an investigation into the Kouladjians in October after Gonzales' office alerted prosecutors of inappropriate overtures, said San Bernardino County Deputy Dist. Atty. John Goritz.

Prosecutors said the Kouladjians arranged a meeting Jan. 3 with Gonzales' chief of staff, Bob Page, to discuss the construction and development of an auto salvage and auction business in Bloomington.

During the meeting, Vartan Kouladjian "gave Mr. Page an envelope that contained cash in the amount of $15,000," Goritz said.

The charges filed this week were the culmination of a four-month investigation that began when Page first reported concerns about what he believed were inappropriate overtures by Arshak Kouladjian, according to a statement released Thursday by Gonzales.

"It deeply saddens me, and angers me, that anyone would think bribery would be tolerated in San Bernardino County," said Gonzales, supervisor of the 5th District. "It is unfortunate that in the past there have been situations involving corruption. However, that was 10 years ago."

The decade-old public-corruption cases Gonzales referred to were covered by Page, who at the time was a newspaper reporter. Gonzales said that during Page's journalism career at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the San Bernardino Sun, he wrote about criminal corruption cases involving former county administrators James Hlawek and Harry Mays. Page began working for the county a little more than six years ago.

Hlawek and Mays pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in 1999. Hlawek was sentenced to three years' probation and community service starting November 2005. Mays served two years in prison.

"The Kouladjian brothers were grossly mistaken if they thought my office was for sale," Gonzales said in her statement.

She said since June 2006, two of the Kouladjians' companies have contributed $35,500 to her campaign coffers. She said she plans to donate that amount to community organizations in Bloomington.

Citing the criminal investigation, prosecutors declined to reveal specifics of the meeting between the Kouladjians and Page but said they monitored contacts between the parties.

andrew.blankstein@ latimes.com

Rialto Police Officer Cleared in Taser firing of man (SB Sun Feb. 14, 2008)

BS Ranch Perspective

Cpl. Black and Cpl Haynie did a great job on this call nobody got hurt, the person that was unable to care for his safety or the safety of the people around him do to his mental state, he wanted to kill himself. The Taser, prevented him from further hurting himself or anyone else on that call while the Rialto Police Corporals were able to apprehend this person of diminished capacity and place him in a place where he could get help. What is a surprised in this whole thing is that it became a news story for a use of Force Issue!! Obviously it was not an over use of Force!! Even by the short story that the paper put out!!

BS Ranch

11:40 a.m.: Rialto police officer cleared in taser firing of man

By Stacia Glenn, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/14/2008 11:39:16 AM PST

RIALTO - A police detective was justified in shooting the leg of a drunk, suicidal man who swung a pickaxe at officers, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Gilberto Moreno Garcia's wife and daughters found him drinking and threatening to cut his throat in front of them on June 11, prosecutors wrote, so they called 9-1-1.

When two Rialto officers arrived, Garcia approached them with a four-foot pickaxe above his head. Cpl. John Black fired several Taser darts at Garcia, who picked them out of his arm, according to the report.

Detective Jacqueline Haynie fired at Garcia after he refused to drop the weapon, hitting him above the left knee.

No charges will be filed against Haynie or Black because "they feared for their lives," according to the report.

stacia.glenn@sbsun.com