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Listen To Your News		Wednesday, March 10, 2010		News Archive

GREEN PATH NORTH FINAL BLOW, LA DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER CANCELING APPLICATION
The controversial Green Path North, which would see huge high-power lines cut across pristine portions of our desert, is most likely dead. The city of Los Angeles moved one step closer to scrapping plans for the electrical transmission system. According to the Bureau of Land Management, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the LADWP, called the BLM saying they will fax a request today to pull the application. The DWP will also terminate the memorandum of understanding it had with the BLM and U.S. Forest Service to build Green Path North.

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Jim Harris Joel Klink John Cole Steve Flock Steve Spear

TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL MARATHON, SPLIT COUNCIL APPROVES NEW CITY JOB, PART 1 The major topic at the 4-hour Twentynine Palms City Council meeting last night was whether to establish an economic development specialist position. In the 1st part of a 2-part report on the meeting, reporter Dan Stork describes what he found to be an admirable display of civic debate... City Manager Michael Tree lobbied vigorously for creating the position of Economic Development Specialist, on the grounds that someone is needed to prospect actively for new businesses in Twentynine Palms, and to guide business people through the development process. Both public comment and council opinion were sharply split on the subject.

Opponents of the position worried about increasing the operating deficit of the city during hard economic times, citing the painful personnel decisions that both Copper Mountain College and the Morongo Unified School District have been forced to make, and predicting that the state will move to appropriate local revenues to cover its deficit. Proponents said that the city should consider the expenditure of a relatively small part of its substantial reserve fund as an investment in the city’s future. Both sides used the opening of several commercial businesses aboard the Marine Base to support their views: Supporters of the position said that this shows that there is a captive audience for potential new businesses; opponents said that the Corps wants to keep marines on the base, and the economic backing of the Federal government make it hard to compete against. A statement by Base community liaison Jim Ricker supporting the proposed job was read. Within the council, council members Harris and Spear opposed the position on the grounds of its cost, unfairness to current city employees who have not received scheduled increases, incompleteness of the job description, lack of criteria for performance measurement, the fact that Yucca Valley has attracted business without such staff, and overwhelming opposition to the job in an online poll. Mayor Steve Flock adamantly supported the new position, and disparaged the validity of online polls. Members Cole and Klink shared some qualms about the job description, but sided with Flock in a 3-2 vote to create the position, pending improvement of the job description. Council followed with a 4-1 vote, Cole dissenting, to implement a budget scenario containing both the new position and the restoration of full step increases to city employees.

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CLIMBER RUNS OUT OF ROPE IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
A woman in her mid 20’s ran out of rope and fell while rappelling off rocks in Joshua Tree National Park. Park Spokesman Joe Zarki said rangers got a call around 4:55 Monday afternoon, that a climber had just fallen off a rock formation about one half mile west of Intersection Rock in the Hidden Valley area. Zarki said the woman, Alice Miller, was rappelling down a rope, miscalculated, ran out of rope and fell about 15 to 20 feet. County fire crews from Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree Search and Rescue along with Park Staff all responded to the location. Miller was treated at the scene, then carried out about to the road and was air lifted to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs complaining of back pain.

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SMALL FIRE AT PAPPY AND HARRIET’S CALLED SUSPICIOUS
A suspicious fire caused minor damage to the iconic Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace early Tuesday. County Fire officials said fire crews from Yucca Valley responded to a call of a fire at Pappy and Harriet’s at about 3 a.m. Firefighters found a Joshua Tree and bush surrounding a barbecue pit on fire, the flames singeing the side of the building. Fast work by firefighters had the flames out in minutes. Damage to the building was called minor, no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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YUCCA VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION SPENDS ANOTHER 2 1/2 HOURS DITHERING OVER NATIVE PLANTS
As expected, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission spent another 2 and a half-hours dithering over the native plant ordinance last night. Reporter Tami Roleff was up to the challenge and files this report...
It’s not over yet. After spending more than 2 ½ hours last night discussing the Native Plant Ordinance, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission will discuss it at least one more time. Last night’s meeting included discussion over the language in the ordinance’s section on Purpose and Intent, and whether 4 additional plants should be considered as regulated desert native plants. While the Commissioners may change their minds at a future meeting, for now, they decided to include Jojoba plants and exclude the golden Cholla, silver Cholla, and pencil Cholla as regulated desert native plants. Commissioner Tim Humphreville said that it was going way overboard to include Cholla as a regulated native plant, since they’re so prevalent. Toward the end of the meeting, Commissioner Margo Sturges brought up Hesperia’s native plant ordinance that requires a minimum of 50% of a lot’s Joshua trees to be adopted; if 50 percent aren’t adopted, each tree under 50 percent must be purchased for $350 each. She asked why the Planning Commission hadn’t considered the native plant ordinances of other cities. Chairman Robert Lombardo agreed that it was a great idea, but said he hated, at this point, to start over. The public hearing for the Native Plant Ordinance was continued to the Planning Commission’s April 13 meeting. Because the Native Plant Ordinance lasted so long, the Commission tabled the public hearing on hillside grading until after it’s received direction from the town Council about how to proceed.

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Dave Miller

LONGTIME HI-DESERT STAR REPORTER DAVE MILLER PASSES AWAY Longtime Hi-Desert Star Reporter and Sports Editor, Dave Miller, passed away Friday, he was 72. Miller was familiar to thousands of local high school athletes, ubiquitous at sporting and community events with a camera around his neck and a smile on his face. Miller had retired last year after 20 years with the local paper. Dave Miller was named the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce’s "Community Pride and Spirit" award in the Unsung Hero category in 2006. A celebration of life for Dave Miller will be held March 21 at 3:00 p.m. at Joshua Springs Thunderdome.

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BARSTOW LAYER ENTERS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RACE
A Barstow attorney of more than twenty years announced Tuesday he will seek the seat held by San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos in the June primary. Bob Conaway, said Tuesday that he is "irritated with Ramos's holier-than-thou attitude," and believes Ramos is every bit as much of the problem as some of the current and former county officials his office is currently investigating. Conaway is a longtime member of the San Bernardino County Democratic Party and a former regional director of the state Democratic Party.

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TWO LOCAL WILDFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTESTS
Attention shutterbugs, the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring two wildflower photography classes during the month of March. Reporter Mike Lipsitz gets out his Kodachrome camera...
Two photography contests have shutterbug’s flocking to Basin wildflower displays; you can enter your photos too. The first contest is a traditional judged competition of wildflower photos. Three winners will receive cash awards of $100, $50, and $25, respectively. The second contest is a photo scavenger hunt. Prizes go to the first five photographers to submit photos of each of the six colors of local wildflowers. For a list of flowers included in each color category, visit 29chamber.org and click on the wildflower link. Or go to the Chamber offices in downtown Twentynine Palms for the wildflower color key list. Submit your photos to the Chamber in person, or email them to admin@29chamber.org. Photos must have a time stamp or digital file date to verify the photograph was taken this month. The contest runs through March 31st. Winners will be notified by mid-April. If you have any questions call the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce at 760-367-3445.

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FREE ADULT LITERACY TRAINING AT THE YUCCA VALLEY LIBRARY
The Yucca Valley Branch Library Adult Literacy program is available to those individuals needing reading and writing help. They offer free, confidential, one-on-one tutoring for English speaking adults aged 18 and over. For more information, please call the Adult Literacy office at 760-228-5461.

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YUCCA VALLEY CHAMBER CRIME PREVENTION BREAKFAST TOMORROW
Join the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Watch Committee tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Yucca Valley Community Center in the Cholla Room for an informative hour on tips to prevent crime at your place of business. Representatives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department will be on hand to answer your questions and hear your concerns about crime in Yucca Valley. A continental breakfast will be provided. Please give the Yucca Valley Chamber a call at 760-365-6323 to RSVP.

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STAND UP FOR SCHOOLS TOWN MEETING TOMORROW
Those involved or concerned with our schools will meet in a town hall session tomorrow to discuss severe state budget cuts for education. Reporter Dan Stork has your invitation...
Stand Up for Schools is a state-wide effort to mobilize public support for education, in the wake of nearly $18 billion of cuts within the last two years, affecting every school level from kindergarten through college. Locally, there will be two simultaneous Town Hall meetings to increase community awareness of the cuts, show how the cuts are being felt here, and to brainstorm possible solutions. The meetings will be on Thursday March 11th, from 5 to 6:30 PM. The two locations are the Twentynine Palms Junior High School Multipurpose Room, 5798 Utah Trail in Twentynine Palms, and the La Contenta Middle School Gym, 7050 La Contenta Road in Yucca Valley. Speakers from the Morongo Unified School District, the Morongo Teachers Association, and the California Schools Employees Association will frame the discussion. A Q&A period will give the opportunity for parents, teachers, students, and others to voice their concerns and suggest ideas for protecting educational resources. For more information, call Terry Burdett at 760-367-9507, or email terry_burdett@morongo.k12.ca.us.

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COPPER MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BOARD MEETS TOMORROW
The Copper Mountain College Board will meet in regular session tomorrow. Reporter Tami Roleff joins us again with a 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 discuss liability claims by Byrd and Cosby against the college, and hold a self-evaluation, and an evaluation of the Superintendent/President. The regular meeting will begin at 3. After reports from the governing board, the foundation, faculty, staff, and students, the board will vote on routine curriculum matters on the consent agenda. On the action agenda, the board will be asked to approve changes for construction around the campus, authorize a feasibility study for a bond campaign, and authorize training and employment contracts.

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RECITAL AT TWENTYNINE PALMS HIGH SCHOOL TOMORROW
Twentynine Palms High School will be hosting a small recital in the Multi-Purpose Room performed by artists from the L.A. Opera on this evening at 7:30 p.m. The performance will last an hour and is free. No reservations are required. These L.A. Opera professionals have been working with the Twentynine Palms High School advanced music and theater students for several years and will be at the school to conduct master classes with the students. Any community member who loves opera or just wants to enjoy a performance by professional opera singers is welcome to attend.

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TWENTYNINE PALMS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF BEATS INDIO
The Twentynine Palms High School Wildcat Golf team traveled to Indio High School Monday to play a preseason game at Indian Palms Golf Course, the Wildcats came away with a victory to become 1-1 in preseason. Leading the group was Junior Brandon Bell with a 46 followed by Senior Jacob Michener with a 47. Sophomore Daniel Douglas, Freshman Morgan Cole, Sophomore Andy Whipple And sophomore Cody Scemmar all contributed by beating there opponent at a very tuff golf course. The Wildcats begin DeAnza League play next Tuesday at home against Big Bear.

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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SCHEDULES
The Yucca Valley High School Trojan Girls Softball and Boys’ Baseball teams travel away tomorrow through Saturday, to compete in the Needles Tournament, with game times to be announced.

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