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Listen To Your News		Wednesday, January 13, 2010		News Archive

Andy Takata

YUCCA VALLEY TOWN MANAGER ANDY TAKATA RESIGNS TO GO TO BANNING Yucca Valley Town Manager Andy Takata will be leaving February 14th to begin serving as the Banning City Manager. Takata began with the Town of Yucca Valley May 1, 2004. He is the longest tenured Town Manager since Yucca Valley incorporated in 1991.

Takata had earned $176,000 per year with the Town, he will make $217,000.00 at Banning. H had elected not to take any of his automatic increases since 2007 due to the downturn in the economy. Takata said. "The community has been wonderful to me and I can’t thank them enough for making me feel at home. I could not have asked for a better all-around staff and owe them my gratitude. Taking the job in Banning will put me 40 miles closer to my mom, who is 88." Mayor Chad Mayes said, "Andy has made a tremendous impact on the Town of Yucca Valley. The organization is stronger and the community is a better place because of him. We are thankful for his strong leadership over the last five-plus years and although we are saddened by his departure, we wish him well in his future endeavors."

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Jim Harris Joel Klink John Cole Steve Flock Steve Spear

TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL APPROVES HAMPTON INN IN MARATHON SESSION After hearing the Marine Base Commanding General tell them that the Marine Corps will spend five hundred million dollars on twenty-one projects on the base next year, it was a marathon meeting for the Twentynine Palms City Council last night. An appeal of the new Hampton Inn hotel, exemptions for dumpsters, and quibbling over the downtown visitor’s center took up most of the time. Reporter Dan stork was there for the duration and files this report... Roughly half of a 4 ½ hour Twentynine Palms City Council was taken up with an appeal by Council Member Steve Spear against the Planning Commission’s approval of a new Hampton Inn hotel.

Many residents supported the basis of the appeal, which was concern for pedestrian safety between the motel and the Stater Brothers shopping center on the opposite side of Twentynine Palms Highway. The hearing ended with the approval of the project, and with developer Mark Christie agreeing to contribute $15,000 towards studying what might be done to alleviate safety concerns. Another long discussion centered on how to treat the 127 property owners who have dumpsters on lots less than an acre is size, in violation of the Burrtec contract. Council directed city council Patrick Munoz to craft a statement of exception allowing those in violation to keep their dumpsters, providing that they take steps to conceal them, and that Burrtec trucks can service them safely and quickly. A status update on the Visitor Center remodel bogged down in details of lettering on the façade of the building, and allocation of interior space, with Council member Spear objecting to any element of the Chamber of Commerce presence that smacked of permanence. City Manager Michael Tree expects completion of the project by early March. With greater dispatch, the council approved parts of the Historic Plaza improvement project related to public art, construction contracts, and a pocket park. Also addressed were two development code changes previously approved by the Planning Commission. Council indefinitely tabled revised regulations governing sidewalk sales and outdoor displays, and approved with minor modifications section allowing Certified Farmer’s Markets. In opening comments, Council member Spear listed specific properties advertised on the Internet as Vacation Home Rentals, in violation of city rules.

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MOTHER ARRESTED AFTER 7 YEAR OLD FOUND WANDERING
A Twentynine Palms woman is behind bars after her 7-year-old son was found walking to Wonder Valley. Sheriffs officials said Saturday afternoon around 12:30, a good Samaritan saw the boy walking along Highway 62 near Singing Sands Road, about 3 miles from the boys home, picked him up and took him to the sheriffs station in Joshua Tree. Investigators spoke with the boy, who said he had told his mother he was going to his dad’s house in Wonder Valley. Deputies went to the boy’s home in the 7600 block of Saladin Avenue in Twentynine Palms, and spoke with the child’s mother, Cristy Bundy, 33. Bundy said when she realized the boy was missing, she looked around the neighborhood, but never called police. During the investigation, deputies suspected Bundy was under the influence of methamphetamine and found a meth pipe in the garage. Cristy Bundy was arrested and booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for investigation of cruelty to a child and held on $100,000 bail. Child Protective Services was notified and took the 7-year-old boy into their care.

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NO INJURIES IN SPECTACULAR CAR FIRE
A car fire in Twentynine Palms looked spectacular and reduced a marine’s car to ashes. Twentynine Palms Fire officials said they were called out at 3:24 Monday afternoon to the 71100 block of Highway 62. Fire crews found a Ford Crown Victoria fully engulfed, the driver, Geovonni Serna a marine stationed on the Twentynine Palms Marine Base standing nearby. Serna said he was driving west on the highway when he smelled smoke, pulled over near the Harmony Motel, got out as the car burst into flames. Firefighters had the flames out in minutes. An electrical malfunction is the suspected cause. No injuries were reported, the Crown Victoria was a total loss.

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YUCCA VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSES PAINT COLORS
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission spent a lot of time on paint colors and approved new development requirements last night. Reporter Tami Roleff gets out her pallette...
Paint colors for commercial buildings in Yucca Valley were the topic of discussion at last night’s Yucca Valley Planning Commission meeting. The Commissioners directed staff to include a color palette in the Town’s commercial design guidelines for businesses. The Commissioners also recommended that staff be given the authority to approve paint color combinations for the outside of businesses, and questionable requests can be forwarded to the Commission for final approval. The public will be given a chance to give their opinions on paint colors at a public hearing to be held in February. In other business, the commissioners also gave their approval to staff recommendations for development standards for the expansion of commercial buildings in the Town. That ordinance will also be the subject of a public hearing at a Planning Commission meeting in February.

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Greg Devereaux

COUNTY HIRES NEW ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Ontario City Manager Greg Devereaux was appointed the new San Bernardino County Administrative Officer Tuesday following a closed-door meeting with the Board of Supervisors. Devereaux's appointment culminated weeks of negotiations with the board and swirling rumors that Devereaux would replace Mark Uffer, who the board abruptly fired Nov. 17 without cause. He will begin his new job Feb. 13 and receive $305,000 a year. Under a 10-year contract with the county, he has the option of stepping down as CAO after five years to serve as special advisor on projects and fiscal matters for $91,000 annually. The board will only be able to fire Deveraux if it can show a justifiable cause for termination, and termination must be approved by a four-fifths vote, according to the contract.

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COUNTY TO ELIMINATE TREASURER/TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a merger of the Treasurer/Tax Collector and Auditor-Controller offices and the reorganization of other offices in an effort to save the county up to $1 million a year. The plan will eliminate the elected position of Treasurer/Tax Collector and merge the functions of that office with the Auditor-Controller's Office. It would also shift the Recorder and County Clerk offices from Auditor-Controller to Assessor, and the Public Administrator's Office to Sheriff-Coroner. The county will immediately save more than $500,000 a year through the elimination of positions and could eventually realize more than $1 million in annual savings. Former Treasurer/Tax Collector Dick Larsen called the decision one of the poorest decisions made by the board in a long time. He said the move is an attempt to bypass the electoral process by taking the decision away from voters. The ordinance returns to the board on Jan. 26 for a second reading and will go into effect 30 days later.

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Back Row: Patricia Cooper, Paul Hoffman and Leslie Moody Front Row: Catja Arnzen and Dr. Wilcox

HI-DESERT MEDICAL CENTER DIRECTORS TO CONSIDER GIVING EMPLOYEES FROZEN WAGES There is some good news for the employees of the Hi-Desert Medical Center, the board heard a request for the release of 2% in frozen wages. The board also set a hearing on whether to give themselves medical and dental benefits. Reporter Mike Lipsitz was there and files this report… At last night’s meeting of the Hi-Desert Medical Center Board of Directors CEO Lionel Chadwick recommended returning to employees, some of the wages held back as a result of the current freeze on compensation. Chadwick proposed as an item for determination at the next board meeting, a 2% across the board return on employee base pay. In other business the board voted to schedule a February 9th public hearing on granting medical and dental benefits to members of the hospital’s board of directors; also the board recognized the Soroptimists of Yucca Valley with a plaque commending them for their time and efforts toward improving the lives of area women. And finally, Director Paul Hoffman, as executive Performance and Compensation Committee Chair, offered a preview of a glowing evaluation of CEO Lionel Chadwick, expected next month.

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JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT RAISES FEES AND RATES, PART 2
Last Friday’s "Up Close" show here on Z107.7 brought up questions about new rates and fees in the Joshua Basin Water District. Managing Editor Karl Gardner filed a 2-part series. Yesterday, sewer fees, today, water rate increases...
Yesterday, we looked at Joshua Basin Water’s Wastewater Capacity Fee, today, rate increases, questions raised during Friday’s "Up Close Show. District Controller, Susan Greer, said in 2006 the District conducted a rate study that resulted in a four-year rate increase program, a 6% increase each year, spread out over several years. The last of the four- 6% rate increases originally approved became effective this month. Greer said the previously-approved 6% rate increase was reduced to 3% however this year, with total revenues down, a tax loan to the state, lower interest rates and decreasing water usage, the district elected to implement the previously-approved 6% rate increase effective January 1.

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ALPACAS AT THE YUCCA VALLEY LIBRARY TOMORROW
Tomorrow at 4:30, Janet Perez will be bringing her alpacas to share at the Yucca Valley Branch Library. There will be a short program inside the library with handouts before the adorable alpacas will appear on the west side of the library on the grassy area. Come and enjoy a hands on experience. Carrots provided. For more information, call 760-228-5455.

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Dick Rogers Eva Kinsman Liz Meyer Owen Gillick

COPPER MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BOARD MEETS TOMORROW The Copper Mountain College Board meets tomorrow. Reporter Tami Roleff takes a close look at the agenda... The Copper Mountain College Board of Trustees will hold its regular meeting tomorrow in classroom 119 at the college. The meeting will begin with a closed session at 2, in which the trustees will hold a performance evaluation of the Superintendent/President, and discuss two liability claims against the college. The regular meeting will begin at 3. On the agenda, the board will hear reports from board members, staff, employee representatives, and students, after which it will be asked to approve routine matters concerning curriculum, payments and personnel matters. On the action agenda, the board will be asked to approve several changes for construction around the campus, authorize a memorandum of understanding with the Naval Hospital on the base, approve an agreement for a certificate program for an oilfield technician, and approve routine personnel matters.

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A WILD WIN FOR YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL WIN OVER TWENTYNINE PALMS
In front of a frenzied Trojan Gym crowd, the Yucca Valley Lady Trojan basketball team pulled out a 47-46 victory over the Twentynine Palms Lady Widcats last night in a De Anza League contest. The game was close through out with Yucca Valley only securing the win in the last 1.5 seconds as they inbounded the ball as the final horn sounded. Leading the Yucca Valley squad was junior Tabitha Vigen who poured in a game high 29 points, including five 3 point baskets, pulled down 8 rebounds and picked off 6 steals. Senior Sierra Smith contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds, while senior Madison Cardamone nabbed 10 rebounds and added 4 points. The Wildcats were led by sophomore Erin Stanford with 11 points and senior Irie Ingesser with 9 points. The Lady Trojans now lead the league with a 2-0 record, while Twentynine Palms fell to 1-1 in league play. The Lady Trojans play again next Tuesday at Desert Mirage, while Lady Wildcats host Desert Hot Springs this Friday.

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MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ACTION
In the first league game of the year, the Joshua Springs Lightning Varsity Boys basketball team defeated the Victor Valley Christian Royals 49-35. They are now 1-0 in league and 3-6 overall on the year. Lead scorers for the Lightning were Levi Garrido and Erik McClay with 15 points each. Zack Ontiveros had 12 points, Luke Stencel added 6, and Brett Hollins had 1 point for the Lightning. Defense paid off as Garrido and McClay had 7 steals a piece, and Hollins had 2 blocks. Garrido also led the team in rebounds with 9 and McClay led the team with 4 assists. Next up for the Lightning is an away game in Apple Valley on Friday. The Yucca Valley High School Trojan soccer boys beat Twentynine Palms in their 2nd league game 5-1 yesterday. Coach Tee Vallo said Yucca defender Robert Duran and forward Connor Hendricks both had goals in the first half making the score at the half 2-0. Second half goals came from midfielder Ryan Bishop, forward Kim Ueng and forward Connor Hendricks scored his second goal. Yucca Valley High School Goal Keeper Kent Usher had 9 saves. Trojans are now 1-1 in League play, tomorrow the Trojans travel to West Shores for their 3rd league game.

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UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
The Yucca Valley High School Trojan boys’ basketball team goes up against cross basin rivals, the Twentynine Palms High School Wildcats, today in Trojan Gym, with the tip off at 6:30. Tomorrow, the Lady Trojan soccer team is hosting the Saints of Xavier Prep at Yucca Valley, with players on the field at 5. Out east the Twentynine Palms High School Wildcat boys and girls soccer teams are down the hill versus the Desert Hot Springs Golden Eagles. Girls play at 3:15, boys at 5.

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