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Listen To Your News		Wednesday, August 15, 2012		News Archive

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK FIRE 60 PERCENT CONTAINED, HEMET FIRE BRINGS SMOKE LOCALLY
The Quail Fire, burning in Joshua Tree National Park, was about 60 percent contained as of Tuesday evening, and is projected to be fully contained by 6 p.m. Friday. The fire did not grow Tuesday, and has burned about 273 acres since it was started by a lightning strike Sunday afternoon. A fire crew will remain today to continue working on full containment and mopping up hot spots, but many of the resources used on the Quail Fire were diverted to the Sage Fire near Hemet Tuesday afternoon. The Sage Fire has scorched about 3,000 acres so far, burned four homes, and injured 1 person, with smoke from the fire drifting into the Morongo Basin. The Keys View Road in Joshua Tree National Park remains closed to visitor traffic as firefighters use it as a staging area for fighting the Quail Fire.

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LIGHTNING STRIKE KILLS HORSE, STARTS FIRE IN LANDERS
A lightning strike on Sunday killed a horse and caused a hay fire two days later. According to Fire Captain Dan Munsey, Sunday afternoon's thunderstorms produced lightning that struck a corral and killed a horse in the 300 block of Jemez Trail in Landers. Hay bales that had been stacked around the outside of the corral evidently absorbed a lot of heat from the lightning strike, and on Tuesday, the hay started smoldering and burning. Neighbors noticed the fire in the hay and the small barn attached to the corral, and let the horses out into the yard and called firefighters about 4:45 p.m. Firefighters worked for about 2 ½ hours putting out the fire and mopping up afterward.

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WILDLAND FIRES CAN STRIKE IN OUR DESERT AREA
As a fire burns in nearby Joshua Tree National park and smoke drifts in from other regional fires, Assignment reporter Corrisa Evans has some wildfire safety tips...
Our beautiful scenery here in the Morongo Basin unfortunately holds some consequences when it comes to wildfires. The desert winds empower wildfires, making them spread quicker, farther, and more sporadically than they would on their own. If you are in a fire-prone area, make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect your home, and develop a disaster plan for emergencies. A wildfire is that—wild—and can change from a minor threat to a major one in moments. Make sure to stay tuned in with Z107.7 if a wildfire threatens your area and do not return home until your local emergency personnel has announced that it is safe.

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10 ARRESTED IN SUNDAY YUCCA VALLEY DUI CHECKPOINT
The Yucca Valley Police Department has released the results of its DUI checkpoint, held Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Church Street and the Highway. During the checkpoint, 1,022 vehicles were screened. Of those vehicles, there were no arrests for DUI and only one arrest for driving under the influence of drugs. One person was arrested for possessing or transporting illegal drugs, seven drivers were arrested for operating a vehicle without a license or with a suspended or revoked license, and one person was arrested on other criminal charges. Two citations were issued and two vehicles were towed. The Yucca Valley Police Department will be conducting another DUI/drivers' license checkpoint or DUI saturation patrol in the near future. The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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A DRUG ARREST CLARIFICATION
A follow-up on a story we ran Monday about a Yucca Valley man arrested over the weekend after drugs were found on him during a traffic stop. About 4:00 Saturday afternoon, a deputy made a traffic stop on Yucca Trail near Wamego Trail in Yucca Valley. The driver was on parole, so the deputy made a parole search of the car and passenger and found Vicodin pills in the pocket of the passenger, Kyle Jarvis, 29. Jarvis was arrested for investigation of possession of narcotics, booked at the Morongo Basin Jail with his bail set at $25,000. In a follow up, Jarvis told Z107.7 News that he had a prescription for the Vicodin.

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TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL LOOKED AT CITY FEES LAST NIGHT
The Twentynine Palms City Council met in regular session last night. Reporter Dan Stork said a close look at some of the city's fees and charges dominated the meeting...
The Twentynine Palms City Council concentrated on details of the city's schedule of fees. Council members worked at balancing two opposing themes: Government should not hamper enterprise with high fees; and granting of permits and provision of city services have a cost to the public that ought to be born by those who benefit. Here are some specific cases in which these principles were played out: Should non-profit and profit-making organizations be charged the same rate for rental of recreational facilities? (Council voted 3-2 to eliminate some fees for non-profits. Joel Klink and John Cole dissented.) Is $115 too little to charge for transporting animals in distress to a public facility in Indio, in the absence of the owners? (Consensus: it is too little, given costs of fuel and time, but it hardly ever comes up. The fee was raised to $150.) If a property owner is required to dedicate land to the city, should he have to pay a fee for engineering evaluations? (Council dropped this discussion, since the Planning Commission is considering it.) If someone successfully appeals a staff or planning commission decision, should he get a refund of the appeal-application fee? (Upon receiving an opinion that it could decide this on a per-case basis, Council voted 3-2 to refund an appeal fee charged to Underground Tattoo, Klink and Cole dissenting.) Why did the cost of a negative environmental declaration go from $300 to $700? (Council voted unanimously to roll this fee back to $500.) A variance costs almost $3500 – why so much? (This was referred to staff for background and analysis.) Acting upon a suggestion by Planning Commissioner Carey Alderson, a task force was formed to further review fees, Dan Mintz and Jay Corbin volunteering for the duty. Earlier, at the request of staff, two consent agenda items related to obligations of the Successor to the Redevelopment Agenda were separated so that they could be explained. One item related to administrative costs, was narrowly passed 3-2. The other, for which non-approval might result in heavy fines to the city, passed unanimously.

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JUDGE DENIES SUPERVISOR DERRY PROBATION CHANGES
County Supervisor Neil Derry sought to modify his probation conditions from his guilty plea last year for campaign finance violations, but a judge rejected the request, according to court records. Court records state Derry's attorney and a state deputy attorney general, conferred with the judge who ruled that Derry would continue probation on the same terms and conditions. State prosecutors accused Derry of attempting to launder a campaign contribution and charged him with two felonies and a misdemeanor in April 2011. Derry agreed to a plea deal in July 2011, where he admitted to a single misdemeanor charge of failing to report a campaign contribution. He was sentenced to three years probation, under which he is required to obey all laws or face a 30-day jail sentence that was suspended. Derry also was fined about $10,000. The conviction has become an issue in Derry's re-election campaign. Challenger James Ramos has accused Derry of being part of a culture of corruption at the county. In June, Ramos took 47 percent and Derry got 33 percent of the vote in the primary election. Jim Bagley of Twentynine Palms won 20 percent.

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WARNINGS ABOUT LIVING WITH FIRE DANGER AS FIRE FEES START
Beginning this week, tens of thousands of rural property owners in California are receiving fire-protection bills from the state. At the same time, some are warning about the danger of building close to the "fire plain": forests and other areas where fire is part of the typical ecosystem. Managing editor Tami Roleff says living in a rural fire plain is a calculated risk...
Residents in State Responsibility Areas will be getting a bill soon for fire protection. State officials say the bill is necessary to help pay for fire prevention for people who build homes in rural areas. Some people say there should be a "fire plain," much like a flood plain, where people should think twice about building because of the risks, or they should take steps to manage the danger, like using concrete or clay tiles on the roof, and keeping a fire break around homes and propane tanks. Living in a rural, fire-prone area is a calculated risk. Dr. Tony Cheng with the Forest Restoration Institute cautions that wildfires aren't like rivers, with a predictable course. "Fire can occur just about anywhere and we don't know where the point of initiation is going to be. We don't know how it's going to spread. It's all going to be very weather dependent." The rural fire-protection bills are going out to 825,000 people statewide and average about $150 per structure.

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DOG LICENSING AND PET VACCINATION IN YUCCA VALLEY TOMORROW
The Town of Yucca Valley will host a dog licensing and pet vaccination clinic tomorrow from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Community Center courtyard. The clinic is offered to all Yucca Valley and San Bernardino County residents. Low-cost Rabies vaccinations will be available for $6 each as well as the canine DHLPP, Bordatella, and rattlesnake boosters for $10 each, and feline 5-way booster with Leukemia for $15. Dr. Norman Smith will administer the vaccinations. Dog licenses will also be available at the clinic. Pet owners are asked to bring dogs on leashes and cats in carriers. Fees for services must be paid in cash. Checks will be accepted for Town of Yucca Valley licensing only. For more information, contact the Town of Yucca Valley Animal Care and Control at 760-365-1807.

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YUCCA VALLEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS TODAY
A Yucca Valley company is celebrating 40 years of success today. Parrten Products took in its first $1 in revenue on August 15, 1972 and has been going strong ever since. Parrten was founded by Ben Parrett and Ed Totten, who combined their two last names together when they formed the aerospace manufacturing company. Parrten's various products are used around the world for cruise missile defense systems, ejector seats on fighter planes, and "escape slides" for the Airbus. Their products can also be found in satellites and even on the moon, with parts made for the lunar landing module. The manufacturing company employs 24 people who work two shifts at the plant on La Contenta Road in Yucca Valley, including Larry Johnson who's been with the company for 34 years. The family-owned company is now run by Ben Parrett's son, Howard, who has been with the company for 38 years of its 40 years. And that first $1 is framed and still hanging on the wall in the company's office. A 40th anniversary celebration will be held this afternoon between 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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MORONGO VALLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT BOARD MEETS TONIGHT
The Morongo Valley CSD Board will introduce a new Fire Chief tonight among other business. Reporter Mike Lipsitz checks the CSD'S agenda...
In Morongo Valley the Community Services District meets in regular session at 7:00 tonight in the Covington Park Multi-Purpose Room. Tonight, Directors will introduce newly appointed Fire Chief Jock Johnson. Then in closed session, the board will review pending litigation involving former employee Chris Perez. Later the Board will consider a resolution adopting the revised Board of Directors Handbook published by the General Manager. And finally, directors will consider adoption of the "Final Budget" for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 as well as consider financial assistance for the Morongo Valley Fire Safe Council, a non-profit community-based organization, which currently lacks funding to continue services beneficial to the residents in assisting in reduction of potential fire hazards by providing brush clearance services.

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JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT BOARD MEETS TONIGHT
The Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors meets at 7:00 tonight at agency offices on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree. There are two items on tonight's action agenda. The board will consider awarding an almost $2 million contract to Van Dyke Plumbing contingent upon the receipt of that amount from the Hi-Desert Medical Center; at the same time, directors will reject all other bids. In other matters, the board will receive proposals for architectural service for office space needs. Following those possible actions, reports and consideration of the consent agenda, directors will adjourn to closed session.

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HI-DESERT WATER DISTRICT BOARD MEETS TONIGHT
The Hi-Desert Water District will hold a fairly routine meeting tonight. Managing editor Tami Roleff gets into the details of tonight's meeting...
The Hi-Desert Water District will meet at 6 p.m. tonight in District offices on the highway in Yucca Valley. After a routine consent agenda, the Board will consider appointments to the public advisory committee, review the job description for board secretary, update the employee and director handbook, be asked to approve the pre-purchase water agreement with the Town of Yucca Valley, and place delinquent accounts on the tax rolls for 2012-13.

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JOSHUA TREE ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION STARTS TOMORROW
Student registration for Joshua Tree Elementary School will begin tomorrow. The office hours for student registration will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The bus routes for Joshua Tree Elementary School have been changed to shorten the walking distance for students. Please come by Joshua Tree Elementary School to get the new bus routes or go to the Morongo Unified School District at www.morongousd.com to the Bus Schedules link.

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MORONGO BASIN YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION OPENING CEREMONIES FRIDAY
The Morongo Basin Youth Soccer Association is holding its opening ceremony 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Yucca Valley Community Center Soccer Fields. There will be game booths, including a snack walk, goldfish toss, and face painting. Back again this year is the popular salsa-tasting contest as well as a bake sale. The Association is still in need of donations for the opening ceremony, including prizes, snacks, and supplies for the booths. To donate, or for more information, e-mail mbysa@yahoo.com or send a message on Facebook to Morongo Basin Youth Soccer.

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