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Listen To Your News		Tuesday, August 18, 2009		News Archive

MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN A YUCCA VALLEY CRASH MONDAY EVENING
A fatal motorcycle versus car crash in Yucca Valley yesterday evening. Sheriff Sergeant Steve Wilson said Monday around 6:30 a 39 year old Joshua Tree woman was driving east on Yucca Trail in a 2009 Ford Flex when she stopped to turn left onto Indio Avenue. A motorcycle traveling east bound; ridden by Douglas Brown, 49 years old, of Joshua Tree was approaching the intersection when the woman turned left in front of him. Unable to stop in time the motorcycle slammed into the car. The Douglas Brown was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center with major injuries where he later died. The Sheriff’s Major Accident Investigation team is investigating.

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ONE ARREST AFTER BAR PARKING LOT BRAWL
A brawl between civilians and marines in the parking lot of Kokopelli’s in Yucca Valley, led to the arrest of one man for resisting an officer. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Vera Martinez said deputies were called to the location around 2 a.m. Saturday morning after reports that a mob of around 15 marines and civilians were fighting. Deputies found that the fight was pretty much over when they arrived, most the combatants having left the scene. On man, identified at 23 year old Manuel Moreno led deputies on a short foot pursuit, resisting deputies when they caught up. Manuel Moreno was arrested for investigation of being drunk in public and resisting an officer, booked into the Morongo Basin Jail and released.

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Bill Neeb Chad Mayes George Huntington Lori Herbel Frank Luckino

YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL MEETS, CURFEW, DEVELOPMENT FEES, MAYORAL SUCCESSION The Yucca Valley Town Council meets tonight in regular session. Affordable housing, curfew, impact fees and mayoral succession are all on a very busy agenda. Reporter Tami Roleff takes a closer look ----- The Yucca Valley Town Council will hold a closed session meeting in the Yucca Room of the Community Center at 5 p.m. tonight to discuss property negotiations for the PFF Bank, Blue Skies Country Club, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Hi Desert. The Town Council’s closed session will be followed by a meeting of the Redevelopment Agency at 5:30, which will authorize the executive director to release funds to facilitate the construction of affordable housing. The Town Council’s regular meeting will begin at 6 in which it will adopt the new curfew ordinance. The Council will also hold a public hearing to discuss the public facilities development impact fees. The Council will also be asked to vote on two ordinances, one to amend the municipal code concerning the parking of cars for sale along the highway; and the other to amend the code relating to the selection of mayor and mayor pro tem.

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Jerry Brown

STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOINS COUNTY IN ASSESSOR’S OFFICE INVESTIGATION The state attorney general's office will join the County district attorney in its criminal prosecution of former assessor's officials and the investigation of other county scandals, District Attorney Mike Ramos announced Monday. Attorneys from both agencies will handle the prosecution of former Assessor Bill Postmus, former Assistant Assessor and Supervisor Neil Derry’s Chief of staff Jim Erwin and former assessor's employees Rex Gutierrez and Greg Eyler on a variety of political corruption charges. Ramos made the request to seek the help of state prosecutors by letter on Aug. 11. Friday the attorney's general office agreed to be involved. The announcement comes in the wake of criticism of Ramos, who earlier this month announced that he was the subject of a sexual harassment claim by a female employee. Supervisor Neil Derry has called for an investigation of rumors about Ramos having improper relationships with subordinates and colleagues. State Attorney General Jerry Brown dismissed criticisms of Ramos as typical tactics by defendants trying to create a smoke screen but acknowledged they played a role in the request to his office. "The barrage of criticism is such that the district attorney wanted to bring an outside party and bring in some new eyes on the issues raised here," Brown said. The district attorney also will collaborate with the attorney general on its investigation of a $102 million settlement between the county and Colonies Partners in 2006 over an Upland commercial and housing project and the county's negotiations with developers over a 1,200-acre piece of surplus flood control land in Rancho Cucamonga.

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Donna Munoz Ed Will Martie Avels Phyllis Swinnerton

SCHOOL BOARD MEETS TONIGHT IN BUSY SESSION The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees meet in regular session tonight. Reporter Dan Stork checks a busy school board agenda ----- The Morongo Unified School District Board of Education meets in regular session at Friendly Hills Elementary School, on Tuesday July 21st. A closed session at 6:20 PM includes a bargaining conference, elementary principal and assistant principal appointments, student re-entries and expulsions, and a performance evaluation of the superintendent. During the open session that starts at 7 PM, Director of Student Services Dave Price will present information on the California Healthy Kids Survey Results. After reports by Board members, employee representatives, and staff, comes a routine consent agenda. The action agenda starts with credentialing waiver requests for two speech pathologists. Next up for consideration is a resolution that sets a first aid course work requirement for non-physical education teachers who serve as sport coaches. Then the board is scheduled to vote on authorizing payment for a cash settlement awarded to a teacher via arbitration, and a raise for an employee who has been doing the work of her ill and absent supervisor.

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YUCCA VALLEY & TWENTYNINE PALMS SCHOOL BANDS TO MERGE INTO ONE
Our two local public High School Bands are merging into one. The Yucca Valley High School Trojan Marching Band & Sunsation Color guard will combine with the Twentynine Palms High School Wildcat Marching Band to form the new Hi-Desert Marching Regiment. They will be performing their field show "Piano Man: The Music of Billy Joel" in competition throughout Southern California and in front of football fans in both Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms this Fall. Yucca Valley High School Music Director Bill Barrett at Twentynine Palms High school Music Director Mike Mayes will co-direct the unique ensemble. Forty-two student musicians and 5 color guard members from both high schools make up the new band. Usually in competition with each other, this is the first time in the history of either school that they will be playing for the same team. "The Regiment" has a very full competition schedule this season, and will be traveling throughout Southern California competing until mid November. The band members and their directors spent the last two weeks practicing to get a head start on the season. The Hi-Desert Marching Regiment will have their first public performance at the Yucca Valley High School Varsity home football game on September 4th.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION CUT
Due to severe budget cuts, the Morongo Unified School District has had one half a million dollars cut from its home-to-school transportation funds and has been compelled to extend walking distances to school as a result. There will be no changes for special education students. Many students who ride the bus will not be affected by these changes, but many will. Students in grades K thorough 12 who are eligible to received home-to-school transportation are those who live at least two miles from their school of enrollment -- Students in grades 7 to 8 who live two and one half miles from their school -- and in grades 9 to 12 who live at least three miles from their school. Parents should ensure that their students are aware of the correct bus stop as many stops have changed from last year. The current list of bus stops is available on the District web site at morongo.k12.ca.us, at school sites, or by contacting the Transportation Office at 367-9191 extension 4224 or 4240.

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Paul Cook

STATE LEGISLATORS GIVE STAFF RAISES, NOT ASSEMBLYMAN COOK While California state employees are taking forced furloughs, some state legislators are giving their staff raises. Managing Editor Karl Gardner says our State Assemblyman Paul Cook is not one of them ---- While some State Assembly staffers are getting pay raises, 65th Assemblymen Paul Cook’s staff is going without; Cook himself taking a pay cut in the face of a state fiscal meltdown. Against a backdrop of deep fiscal distress, several California lawmakers rewarded their employees with pay hikes during the first half of the year, it was pointed out by the Associated Presses review of legislative pay records. At least 87 California Assembly staff members received raises totaling more than $430,000 even as the state faced a growing budget deficit that led to furloughs and pay cuts for many other government workers and steep reductions in core services. Cook’s Chief of Staff Sam Cannon gave a resounding "No" when asked if any of Cooks’ staff received a raise. In the 40-member State Senate, nine staffers had a boost in pay, leading to an annual increase of $152,000. Five Assembly staffers and two Senate staffers who already made $100,000 a year or more saw their pay go up as well.

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DOG LICENSING AND PET VACCINATION CLINIC 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 $6.00 each as well as the canine DHLPP booster for $10.00 each, feline 5-way booster with Leukemia for $15.00 each and Bordetella for $10.00 each. Dr. Norman Smith will administer the vaccinations. Dog licenses will also be available at the clinic. Pet owners are instructed to bring dogs on leashes and cats in carriers to the event. Fees for services provided by Dr. Norman Smith and San Bernardino County 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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TWENTYNINE PALMS PLANNING COMMISSION HOLDS THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT
The Twentynine Palms Planning Commission meets in regular session tonight. Reporter Dan Stork says they have 3 public hearings set -----
Three public hearing are scheduled for this week’s 29 Palms Planning Commission meeting.

The first concerns several tweaks to the city’s development code, in the diverse areas of:

• building height definition
• Office and Commercial Districts Design Standards
• landscaping standards
• Temporary Use Permits for Sidewalk Sales and Outdoor Displays
• sea-going cargo containers and similar storage devices
• noise control from May to September
• trash enclosure standards

The other two hearings are about specific requests. One is about reduction in setback requirements for 2 residences on East Court Way. The other is a minor use permit for the city’s 7th tattoo parlor, to be located at 5758 Adobe Road. The Commission meeting starts at 6 PM on Tuesday August 18th in City Hall council chambers on Adobe Road.

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Robin Kobaly

ARTIST ROBIN KOBALY FEATURED AT HI-DESERT WATER DISTRICT LOBBY Robin Kobaly of The Summer Tree Institute will be at Hi-Desert Water District tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. When you enter the lobby at Hi-Desert Water District, you will be struck by the beautiful photography of local flora by Kobaly who co-founded and helped to develop The Wildlands Conservancy, one of the largest non-profit land conservancies in the United States. The public is invited to visit the Hi-Desert Water District to see The Summer Tree Institute Exhibit and meet Robin Kobaly tomorrow between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. prior to the regular Board meeting. More information about native plants will be available at the reception.

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