7/17/2017 Marathon Colonies corruption trial nearing end after 7 months

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Marathon Colonies corruption trial nearing end after 7 months

Defense expected to begin presenting witnesses Monday

By Joe Nelson, The Sun

and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Called “the biggest public corruption case in San Bernardino Countyhistory” when it was filed in 2010, the marathon Colonies case nearsan end after seven months of trial, with defense attorneys sayingbribery wasn’t proven while prosecutors say nothing can erase yearsof dirty dealing.

Then-California Attorney General Jerry Brown came to SanBernardino in February 2010 to announce the case with DistrictAttorney Mike Ramos and gave it the superlative. Since then, courtrulings and dismissal motions have reduced the charges from 29 to 11,

and the prosecution’s case has featured shaky and contradictory testimony from its star witnesses.

One defendant no longer faces bribery charges, and Judge Michael A. Smith dismissed a total of nine felonycounts against the four defendants in the past two weeks following motions filed by the defense.

• Related Story: A look at the charges defendants in Colonies corruption case are still facing

“We have said for years — as all four defendants have suffered mightily under the weight of unfoundedallegations — that these charges should never have been brought and that a public trial would establish theirinnocence. And that is exactly what these last six months have revealed,” said defense attorney Stephen Larson,who represents defendant and Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum.

The District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss an ongoing trial.

The prosecution rested its case June 29. Now, the defense begins presenting its witnesses on Monday and couldwrap everything up as early as Thursday.

“You don’t have to call on witnesses to establish a defense because the prosecution’s witnesses were used andwere cross-examined by the defense,” said attorney Rajan Maline, who represents defendant and former countyAssistant Assessor Jim Erwin. He said the defense was able to impeach or cast doubt on many of theprosecution’s key witnesses and show that a $102 million settlement the county paid Rancho Cucamongainvestor group Colonies Partners in November 2006 was legitimate.

Burden of proof

Despite the prosecution’s assertion that the settlement was excessive and tainted by bribery, the defense, Malinesaid, showed the opposite — that there was no evidence presented to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt. Thedefense also noted that the county’s lead in-house counsel, while initially opposed to the settlement when it wasapproved, later voiced support for the settlement.

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“They ignored the mountains of evidence that pointed to innocence,” Maline said of the prosecution.

Prosecutors allege Burum, a co-managing partner of Colonies Partners, made contributions of $100,000 each tothree county officials and Erwin in the months after the Board of Supervisors approved the controversial $102million settlement.

The settlement ended a nearly five-year legal battle over flood-control work at Colonies’ 434-acre residentialand commercial development in Upland, Colonies at San Antonio and Colonies Crossroads, respectively.

Prosecutors allege the contributions, which they say were bribes, were funneled into sham political actioncommittees secretly controlled by the recipients — former county Supervisor Paul Biane, former countyAssessor and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus, Mark Kirk, the former chief of staff for formercounty Supervisor Gary Ovitt, and Erwin.

• Related Story: Journalists shouldn’t have to testify in Colonies case, attorney says

Postmus, initially a defendant in the case, struck a plea agreement with prosecutors in March 2011, pleadingguilty to 10 felonies in connection with the Colonies case and a companion corruption case in which he wasconvicted of abusing his position as county assessor for political gain.

All the defendants have denied any wrongdoing and pointed out that the Colonies contributions were donatedopenly and could be tracked online.

On June 30, 2009, former Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman also entered into a plea agreement with prosecutorsafter approaching district attorney investigators on Nov. 1, 2008, with allegations about corruption involving theColonies settlement. He pleaded no contest to four felonies in connection with crimes at the Assessor’s Office.

Both Aleman and Postmus agreed to cooperate in the criminal investigation and testify at trial in exchange forleniency.

Biane’s attorney, Mark McDonald, said in an email that he anticipates a “minimal defense case, since theprosecution has rested having failed to prove any of the charges as to any of the defendants.”

“This prosecution should never have been brought,” McDonald said.

Kirk’s attorney, Peter Scalisi, said in a telephone interview he is re-evaluating his defense strategy given Smith’sdismissal of bribery and misappropriation of public funds charges against his client.

“It essentially devastates the case for the prosecution against Mr. Kirk,” Scalisi said. “I certainly believe there isno evidence to convict (Kirk) of the remaining charges,” Scalisi said. “Mark has always maintained hisinnocence, and the way that the DA’s case has played out, the evidence shows that he is innocent.”

Documented evidence

While the defense maintains prosecutors failed to show any hard evidence of bribery during trial, DeputyAttorney General Melissa Mandel told Judge Smith on Monday that the defense has “reframed” theprosecution’s case, which she said was essentially a conspiracy case built on substantial documented evidence.

“I think the case that has been sold to the court and to the public is not the case you heard presented here,”Mandel told Smith in court on July 10. “The case presented here has proven every allegation in the indictment ofa conspiracy to commit bribery.”

Mandel said “dozens or hundreds” of exhibits and documents, admitted by stipulation, showed an alleged“secret flow of money” beginning in 2004, when Burum began to ramp up efforts to settle the civil case. Thedefendants knew they were going to be financially rewarded for getting the settlement done, Mandel insisted.

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The exhibits showing the alleged “secret flow of money” did not come out during the trial.

Biane, according to Mandel, became a target of pressure from Postmus when a $77.5 million settlement reachedin March 2005 was killed after it was leaked to the media. The agreement had been hammered out at Biane’sRancho Cucamonga office, where he and Postmus met with Colonies officials to discuss the case. Lawyers forboth sides were asked to leave the second half of the meeting.

“When everything blew up because the settlement was leaked, Mr. Biane got scared, and things changed,”Mandel said. She said that’s when Burum recruited Postmus to pressure Biane to settle, which ultimately was thecase when Biane, Postmus and Ovitt approved the settlement on Nov. 28, 2006. County Supervisors JosieGonzales and Dennis Hansberger voted no.

Colonies also poured roughly $340,000 into a campaign to defeat Biane’s Measure P in 2006, which proposedpay raises and term limits for county supervisors, Mandel said, producing a document showing the $339,773contribution from Colonies to the anti-Measure P group Citizens Against Pay Raises for Politicians.

And when retired San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Christopher Warner on July 31, 2006, issued hisscathing tentative ruling against the county and in favor of Colonies during the second trial in the civil case,Postmus provided Burum — the county’s adversary in the lawsuit — an advance copy of a public statement hewas going to put out on Warner’s decision, which was critical of the county and advocated for a settlement,Mandel pointed out.

Mandel told Smith the paper trail does not fit the story the defense is putting out. “All these defendants had acorrupt intent,” she said.

Shaky witnesses

Perhaps one of the biggest issues facing the prosecution during the trial’s span was witness credibility andimpeachment. One witness was declared hostile by Judge Smith, while two others were so torn apart by thedefense that Smith said outside the jurors’ presence they had been impeached.

Matt Brown, Biane’s former chief of staff and now the county’s assistant auditor-controller/treasurer/taxcollector, was declared a hostile witness by Smith early in the trial after he declined to cooperate withprosecutors by reviewing court transcripts of his grand jury testimony and walked out of the courtroom. Itoccurred outside the presence of both juries.

Brown said he was ill at the time and frustrated over being handed the bulky transcripts the day before he wasscheduled to testify.

Additionally, Supervisor Josie Gonzales, another witness for the prosecution, could not clarify whether she sawBurum in China in 2005 or 2006, where she believed he was trying to pressure her into approving a settlement inthe litigation. She toggled between the two years in her accounts, but the defense showed she was not in Chinaduring the September 2005 trip she claimed she was on, and Burum’s passport and credit card records showedhe was not in China during the 2006 visit, when Gonzales was there.

Postmus testified he was “100 percent” certain that he was not getting a bribe when he and the three defendantseach received $100,000 from Colonies Partners in 2007. He also agreed with defense attorneys that damagingstatements he made during the 2011 investigation were affected by his then-addiction to methamphetamine. “Mymind is kind of messed up,” he testified in May.

Former Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman, who also worked as an aide to Postmus when he was a countysupervisor, was attacked by the defense team for inconsistent testimony, including the fate of a hard drive fromPostmus’ laptop computer, which he was convicted of destroying during the grand jury investigation intocorruption at the Assessor’s Office under Postmus’ reign. Aleman also gave conflicting accounts of locationswhere he said he attended meetings with Burum and Postmus discussing the Colonies litigation.

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Legal perspectives

Rancho Cucamonga defense attorney Robert Little, who advised former Postmus aide and Colonies trial witnessTed Lehrer, who was never called to testify, said lack of a smoking gun proving bribery was the biggest problemfacing prosecutors.

“They’ve got really talented prosecutors on it, but it’s a really hard case,” said Little. “As a prosecutor on awhite collar case, you want the paperwork to tell the story for you, but in this case, there’s no real paper trailsaying, ‘We’ll take care of you if you vote for us.”

Furthermore, Little said the $400,000 in total contributions by Colonies Partners to the various PACs weredisclosed to the public and available to view online, as the defense camp has long asserted.

Prosecutors, however, stressed during trial the questionable way the PACs were set up, with names ofunknowing people listed as PAC officers and one person’s name allegedly forged on an invoice authorizing a$5,000 consultant fee be paid to Erwin from his PAC, Committee for Effective Government.

Carol Chase, a professor of law at Pepperdine University and a former federal prosecutor, said the problem ofhaving witnesses with criminal records such as Postmus and Aleman are familiar challenges for prosecutors.

She commented on cases in general, and not directly on the Colonies case.

She recalled a prosecutor in a drug case telling a jury, “I would love to have been able to present this case basedon the testimony of priests, rabbis and nuns. However, priests, rabbis and nuns do not deal drugs.”

Defense attorneys will begin presenting their case at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Closing arguments are scheduled tobegin Aug. 14.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170715/marathon-colonies-corruption-trial-nearing-end-after-7-months

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/17/2017 Journalists shouldn’t have to testify in Colonies case, attorney says

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Journalists shouldn’t have to testify in Colonies case, attorney says

By Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise

Saturday, July 15, 2017

The end of the prosecution’s case in the San Bernardino CountyColonies corruption trial on June 29 also ended the possibility ofjournalists who covered the case from being called to testify.

Eleven subpoenas to journalists were issued, an unprecedentednumber for a single case, according to attorney Duffy Carolan, whorepresented the reporters and one Southern California News Groupexecutive.

On Jan. 17, Jeff Horwitz, a former reporter for The Sun, and MasonStockstill, a former Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reporter, admitted to the published quotes they had reported intheir stories. Attorneys for the prosecution and defense stipulated, and the quotes were entered into the trialrecord. Neither were put on the witness stand.

During the same hearing, Judge Michael A. Smith declined to quash any of the subpoenas. A few journalistswere released in the early part of the trial, but in the end none who remained on standby were called by theprosecution.

• Related Story: Marathon Colonies corruption trial nearing end after 7 months

“This is a fantastic outcome for what could have been a significant blow to press freedoms,” Carolan said in anemailed statement. The journalists contended the subpoenas violated California’s Reporter Shield Law, whichgrants contempt immunity from being forced to testify about unpublished material, or disclosing sources.

On June 28, prosecution and defense stipulated to put on the record six Colonies-related news stories rangingfrom August 2005 to August 2009 into the record.

“Regard those statements as evidence, the same as if the reporter was called to testify,” Smith told the jurors.

As for the stories being admitted to the trial record, “we have no say when a court allows a party to introducepublished news articles. The protections for journalists under the state’s Shield Law do not extend to publishedinformation,” Carolan explained.

“While we believe cases should not be tried through the press at all, once subpoenaed we encouraged the partiesto reach stipulations regarding the admissibility of certain published statements so the reporters would not beforced to testify about their sources of information and unpublished information,” Carolan wrote.

The subpoenaing of the journalists “stood to denigrate the independence of the press by making it appear to bean arm of the state. Our job was to keep the reporters off the stand and it appears we succeeded,” Carolan said.

Prosecutors allege Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, a co-managing partner of investor group ColoniesPartners LP, made contributions of $100,000 each to four county officials in the months after the Board ofSupervisors approved a controversial $102 million settlement with Colonies Partners, in Colonies’ favor, to end

7/17/2017 Journalists shouldn’t have to testify in Colonies case, attorney says

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a nearly 5-year-old legal battle over flood-control work at Colonies’ 434-acre residential and commercialdevelopment in Upland, Colonies at San Antonio and Colonies Crossroads, respectively.

Prosecutors allege the contributions were funneled into sham political action committees secretly controlled bythe recipients — former county Supervisor Paul Biane, former Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin, former countyAssessor and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus, and Mark Kirk, the former chief of staff for formercounty Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

Postmus, initially a defendant in the case, struck a plea agreement with prosecutors in March 2011, pleadingguilty to 10 felonies in connection with the Colonies case and a companion corruption case in which he wasconvicted of abusing his position as county assessor for political gain.

On June 30, 2009, former Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman also entered into a plea agreement with prosecutorsafter approaching district attorney investigators with allegations about corruption involving the Coloniessettlement. He pleaded no contest to four felonies in connection with crimes at the Assessor’s Office.

Both Aleman and Postmus agreed to cooperate in the criminal investigation and testify at trial in exchange forleniency.

There is nothing to be done for the journalists who were on standby, Carolan said in her July 10 email. “With thestipulations in place and the government’s case-in-chief complete, there’s little risk that any reporter will becalled to testify.”

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170715/journalists-shouldnt-have-to-testify-in-colonies-case-attorney-says

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

7/17/2017 Ontario Airport CEO steps down

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By Shea Johnson Staff WriterPosted at 8:02 AMUpdated at 8:02 AM

Kelly Fredericks, CEO of Ontario International Airport,has stepped down from his post 18 months after beinghired to lead efforts to re-position the airport as a keytransportation player.

Kelly Fredericks, CEO of Ontario International Airport, has stepped down fromhis post 18 months after being hired to lead efforts to re-position the airport as akey transportation player.

Alan D. Wapner, president of the airport’s authority (OIAA), issued a statementannouncing Fredericks’ resignation July 5 following a meeting of the authority’scommission. In it, he hinted at a parting of minds.

“Both the Commissioners and Kelly acknowledge that their approaches to thedirection and management of OIAA differ,” Wapner said, “and that it would bemutually beneficial to part ways as OIAA moves to the next phase of the airport’sdevelopment.”

The commission appointed Mark Thorpe, chief development officer for OIAA,as interim CEO; Thorpe joined the authority in August and has previouslyserved at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Los Angeles WorldAirports (LAWA).

Ten months into Fredericks tenure, OIAA officially secured from LAWA long-sought local control of the airport, which was first under joint control of Ontarioand Los Angeles in 1967 and then acquired wholly by L.A. in 1985.

Ontario Airport CEO steps down

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From there, the task for officials became to figure out exactly what they had,

.

Viewing the transfer as a regional economic triumph, officials pledged to reversedeclines since 2000 in passenger volume, increase the number of direct flights,attract new airlines and lower fares.

Fredericks had said that early returns were positive: the first quarter report for2017 showed Ontario exceeded LAX in passenger and cargo growth for the firsttime in a decade.

Under his leadership, OIAA also announced a $6 million deal to make overconcessions in two terminals and revised parking rates, among other moves.

Wapner commended Fredericks for his leadership and for making “significantprogress in furthering our mission to make ONT one of the most competitive,efficient, innovative and customer-friendly passenger, cargo and businessairports in the United States.”

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or

. Follow him on Twitter at .

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7/17/2017 Victorville temp agency CEO alleges shoddy record-keeping, improper pay practices, at VVWRA

http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20170714/victorville-temp-agency-ceo-alleges-shoddy-record-keeping-improper-pay-practices-at-vvwra… 1/2

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Victorville temp agency CEO alleges shoddy record-keeping, improper pay practices, atVVWRA

By Joe Nelson, The Sun

Friday, July 14, 2017

The president and CEO of a temporary employment agency in Victorville has sent a letter to the Department ofHomeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, alleging improper pay and record-keeping practices at theVictor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority.

The letter, written by Melanie Lovingood of ICR Staffing Services Inc. and dated June 26, was written inresponse to a federal audit report of the VVWRA by the OIG released in January, which concluded the VVWRAmismanaged nearly $32 million in federal emergency management funds earmarked for a pipelinereconstruction project following severe winter flooding and mudflows in December and January 2010.

Lovingood said in her letter that the VVWRA did not pay contracted employees from ICR Staffing Servicesprevailing wage rates, but did so with other contractors. She also said VVWRA Accounting Supervisor ChiekoKeagy, in the wake of the audit, requested from ICR Staffing Services “extensive detail on prior contracts,invoicing and personnel assignments” because the agency did not have those records on file.

“We were shocked to learn of this massive gap in record keeping for services rendered over a period of years,especially after learning of your office’s audit of their organization,” Lovingood said in her letter. She said ICRprovided the requested information to Keagy and was “eager to understand” the legality of the VVWRA notpaying prevailing wage rates on a federally funded project.

When it was under its two-year contract with the VVWRA, ICR provided employees to operate temporary pumpstations on what was called the Upper Narrows Pipeline Replacement Project. During the project biddingprocess, ICR was asked to bid prevailing and non-prevailing wage rates and for security as well, Lovingood saidin her letter.

VVWRA General Manager Logan Olds said in an email Friday that his agency has been aware of the situationfor several years, which is being addressed in the project completion process with the Governor’s Office ofEmergency Services.

“As part of our internal audit, our team requested additional detailed information from ICR to furthersubstantiate our audit documentation,” Olds said.

Furthermore, Lovingood alleged that VVWRA Chief Financial Officer Angela Valles showed favoritism whengranting a contract to a company whose owner is a friend of Valles. Lovingood said that company did not havethe proper licensing, and attempted to bid for the project under a third party’s license.

Lovingood is the wife of San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Lovingood, a minorityshareholder at ICR Staffing Services. She noted in her letter the political rivalry that exists between her husbandand Valles, a former Victorville councilwoman and Victor Valley Community College District trustee whochallenged Robert Lovingood for his seat on the Board of Supervisors in last year’s general election but lost.

Valles’ attorney, Jimmy Mettias, deferred comment on Friday to Olds.

7/17/2017 Victorville temp agency CEO alleges shoddy record-keeping, improper pay practices, at VVWRA

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“VVWRA has a procurement policy that follows federal and state laws. We follow that policy and this time wasno different,” Olds said in his email.

The VVWRA provides wastewater treatment for the High Desert area, treating roughly 11 million gallons ofwastewater per day.

In its audit report from January, the OIG recommended that the Federal Emergency Management Agency andCalifornia defund the pipeline project and suggested further investigation to determine whether “additionalregulatory and ethical violations or gross mismanagement occurred.”

The OIG found that the VVWRA did not comply with federal regulations in the bidding and procurement ofthree contracts totaling $31.7 million, begging the question as to whether the most qualified contractors wereselected for the work. Additionally, the VVWRA and its main engineering contractor, Tetra Tech, “presentedmisleading data to FEMA” that resulted millions of dollars, possibly more than necessary, being awarded to theauthority for the repairs.

FEMA awarded the money to the VVWRA after its pipeline ruptured due to severe flooding, mud and debrisflows in December and January 2010, sending 42 million gallons of wastewater into the Mojave River.

Prior to the public release of the OIG audit report in January, Olds in October wrote a five-page letter to DavidRogers, disaster assistance programs specialist for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in response tothe OIG’s findings.

“VVWRA is unpleasantly surprised by the tone and substance of the report highlights,” Olds said in his letter,calling the OIG’s “sweeping statements and allegations” inaccurate and completely at odds with priordiscussions between the VVWRA and OIG.

Olds called the findings “technical issues” that related primarily to the authority’s $1.2 million contract withTetra Tech in March 2011, when the VVWRA was under “intense regulatory pressure” to begin the FEMAapplication process or face tens of millions of dollars in penalties.

The authority, Olds said in his letter, worked closely with the OIG and FEMA to ensure things were runningaccordingly. And while accounting mistakes were made, federal dollars were never diverted or misused, he said.

Officials with the OIG did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday acknowledging whetherthey received Lovingood’s letter and if so, what is being done about it.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20170714/victorville-temp-agency-ceo-alleges-shoddy-record-keeping-improper-pay-practices-at-vvwra

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/14/2017 County elections officials ID 'discrepancy' that led to inflated city bills

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170714/county-elections-officials-id-discrepancy-that-led-to-inflated-city-bills 1/3

By Shea Johnson Staff Writer

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Posted at 12:56 PMUpdated at 12:56 PM

County elections officials have uncovered the errorbehind 20 cities recently receiving inflated invoices forthe past general election: A “discrepancy” in its newbilling model.

County elections officials have uncovered the error behind 20 cities recentlyreceiving inflated invoices for the past general election: A “discrepancy” in itsnew billing model.

The San Bernardino County Elections Office finished its investigation this weekinto candidate statement bills it sent out in late June after “several” cities hadinquired about the invoices, spokeswoman Melissa Eickman told the Daily Press.

In letters sent Wednesday to the 20 of 24 county cities which were affected —meaning they had council candidates file statements printed in the VoterInformation Guide last year — the Elections Office acknowledged the error andenclosed revised invoices.

“Consequently, the invoices have now been adjusted,” wrote Michael Scarpello,the Registrar of Voters, “to more accurately account for the printing costs ofcandidate statements for city candidates.”

County elections o�cials ID ‘discrepancy’ thatled to in�ated city bills

7/14/2017 County elections officials ID 'discrepancy' that led to inflated city bills

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As an example of the dramatic post-audit cost shift, the city of Victorville hadreceived notice late last month that its council candidates owed $2,405, far morethan the $1,394 estimated about a year prior and already paid. The revisedinvoice after the Elections Office review, however, reflected an actual cost of just$1,316.

So instead of ponying up an extra $1,000, candidates for Victorville city councilwere owed a refund of $78.

The Elections Office said it will issue refunds for the difference if any candidatesalready paid the misquoted cost.

Candidates for office can voluntarily file a statement in the voter’s guide and theymust pay the estimated cost upfront. They also agree, then, to pay the difference,if any, between the estimate and actual cost and to do so within 30 days of billingnotification.

Carolee Bates, the city clerk for Victorville, had advised candidates in letters lastweek that the unexpected difference between estimated and actual costs wasunprecedented and the first time the actual bill had been higher than estimatedsince 1992, when Victorville consolidated elections with the county.

“Candidates have always received a refund of a portion of their deposit becausethe estimated cost was on the high end,” she wrote. “This is also the first time afinal billing for the election costs have been received almost a year after thenomination period began.”

She added that concerns were shared by other clerks in the High Desert.

Ultimately, the Elections Office apologized for any inconvenience the snafumight have caused.

“We are always striving to improve our processes in order to be more effectiveand efficient,” Scarpello wrote in his letter to the cities. “However, with change,we run the risk of encountering minor difficulties such as this billing issue.Please know that we value our partnership with our cities and we are alwaysstriving to provide better customer service.”

7/17/2017 West Nile Virus found in dead crow in Fontana – Press Enterprise

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By JIM STEINBERG | Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: July 15, 2017 at 7:06 am | UPDATED: July 15, 2017 at 10:33 am

The Culex quinquefasciatus, or southern house mosquito, is one of the Inland speciesmost likely to transmit West Nile virus.

A dead crow collected here has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the San

Bernardino County Department of Public Health announced Friday.

LOCAL NEWS

West Nile Virus found in deadcrow in Fontana

7/17/2017 West Nile Virus found in dead crow in Fontana – Press Enterprise

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This was the third positive test for West Nile Virus in 2017 within the service area

of the Division of Environmental Health Services Mosquito and Vector Control

Program. When a dead bird tests positive for West Nile Virus, it means people are

at a higher risk of being infected with the disease if bitten by a mosquito.

People bitten by an infected mosquito may develop West Nile fever and

experience �u-like symptoms that can include fever, body aches, skin rash, and

fatigue. In some people, West Nile fever can develop into a more serious form of

the disease. If you have been bitten by mosquitoes and are experiencing these

symptoms, contact your medical care provider.

Residents can protect themselves from West Nile Virus by following these tips:

• Drain or dump — Remove all standing water around your property where

mosquitoes can lay eggs such as birdbaths, green swimming pools, ponds, old

tires, buckets, �ower pots, clogged gutters, or even puddles from leaky sprinklers.

• Avoid spending time outdoors at dawn and dusk — This is when mosquitoes are

most active.

• Dress appropriately when outdoors — Wear shoes, socks, and long pants and

long-sleeved shirts that are loose �tting and light colored.

• Apply insect repellent — Check that your insect repellent contains, DEET,

Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus and apply it according to

manufacturer’s directions.

• Make sure doors and windows have tight-�tting screens. Repair or replace

screens that have tears or holes to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.

Property owners with pools are encouraged to keep them clean. Mosquitoes lay

their eggs in unmaintained green pools.

To learn more about West Nile Virus or to report a dead bird visit westnile.ca.gov.

For more information or to report a green pool or mosquito breeding source,

contact the County of San Bernardino Department of Public Health Division of

Environmental Health Services at 800-442-2283.

Jim Steinberg

Tags:  public health, Top Stories PE

7/17/2017 Toxic blue-green algae found at Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, prompting beach closures – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/07/15/toxic-blue-green-algae-found-at-silverwood-lake-in-the-san-bernardino-mountains/ 1/5

By ALEX GROVES | agroves@scng.com and JIM STEINBERG | ThePress-EnterprisePUBLISHED: July 15, 2017 at 3:26 pm | UPDATED: July 16, 2017 at 12:05 pm

The discovery of toxic blue-green algae at Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino

Mountains closed two beaches to swimming for at least a week, according to

of�cials from the California Department of Water Resources.

Signs have been posted at the Sawpit and Cleghorn swim beaches — both on the

western side of the lake — advising people not to swim there, according to a

Department of Water Resources news release. The lake remains open to boating.

Blooms can quickly appear and disappear, but the department likes to keep the

closure signs up for at least a week, said state Water Resources spokesman Doug

Carlson.

A more serious warning in effect at San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area near

Gilroy prohibits both swimming and boating, Carlson said.

And there are algae warnings in effect for two Los Angeles County lakes, Pyramid

Lake and Castaic Lake. The warnings mean swimming is allowed but people are

urged to stay away from blooms, he said.

LOCAL NEWS

Toxic blue-green algae foundat Silverwood Lake in the SanBernardino Mountains,prompting beach closures

7/17/2017 Toxic blue-green algae found at Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, prompting beach closures – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/07/15/toxic-blue-green-algae-found-at-silverwood-lake-in-the-san-bernardino-mountains/ 2/5

In August 2016, another bloom also shut down swimming for awhile in

Silverwood Lake, as was the case at various times last summer for Lake Elsinore,

Canyon Lake, Pyramid Lake and others across the state.

The blue green algae, or cyanobacteria, can cause eye irritation, skin rashes,

diarrhea and even cold and �u-like symptoms. There are no recorded human

deaths from the algae in the United States, but it has been known to kill

household pets such as dogs.

Children play in water infested with blue-green algae at Silverwood Lake inSan Bernardino County on Sunday, June 19, 2016. The algae is known toproduce toxins that can kill dogs and make people sick. (Photo by WatcharaPhomicinda/ Southern California News Group)

Dogs, experts say, are more prone to toxin poisoning because they ingest more

water while swimming and lick their dense, tangled fur clean.

Of�cials note that blooms could appear as blue-green, white or even brown foams

or mats on the water’s surface and along the shoreline.

Water collected from the Sawpit swim area had about 6.1 micrograms of bacteria

per liter, which is just above the “warning” action-level concentration of 6.0

micrograms per liter, according to the  release.

Authorities warn that the wind or waves can move the algae blooms to a different

part of the lake.

 

How to avoid getting sick from algae:

7/17/2017 Toxic blue-green algae found at Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, prompting beach closures – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/07/15/toxic-blue-green-algae-found-at-silverwood-lake-in-the-san-bernardino-mountains/ 3/5

SPONSORED CONTENT

How To Fix Aging Skin

The Statewide Guidance on Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Blooms

recommends some of the following steps to avoid becoming sick:

• Make sure to keep pets and livestock from drinking from, or swimming in,

algae. If they get algae in their fur, don’t let them lick it. Rinse it off with clean

water to remove it.

• Avoid wading, swimming or water-skiing in areas with algal blooms.

• Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with untreated surface water from areas with

algal blooms. Puri�cation methods such as camping �lters, tablets and even

boiling will not remove toxins.

• Do not eat mussels or other bivalves from areas with algae. Remove guts and

liver from �sh taken from those waters and wash �lets thoroughly.

• Get immediate medical treatment if you think if you’ve gotten sick from blue-

green algae. Contact a local health department and medical professional if you

think you might have had contact with it.

Mug ofnew writerAlexGroves inTemecula,July, 21,2015.

Alex GrovesAlex Groves writes public safety and breaking news stories forSouthwest Riverside County and the San Jacinto Valley. He hasworked for The Press-Enterprise since 2015. He previouslyworked part time at the Valley News in Temecula and was aneditor at his college's newspaper, the Daily Titan. Groves lived inIllinois, Florida and Pennsylvania before moving to California in

2009. He graduated from Temecula’s Great Oak High School in 2011 and CalState Fullerton in 2015.

Follow Alex Groves @AlexDGroves

Jim Steinberg

Tags:  Top Stories PE

7/17/2017 $100,000 makeover planned for Upland Animal Shelter

http://www.dailybulletin.com/social-affairs/20170714/100000-makeover-planned-for-upland-animal-shelter&template=printart 1/2

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

$100,000 makeover planned for Upland Animal Shelter

By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Friday, July 14, 2017

UPLAND >> The Upland Animal Shelter has been in operationpractically every day since it opened its doors in 2008 — and it’sstarting to show.

The City Council unanimously agreed Monday, July 10 to spend$100,000 for improvements to the aging building.

“It seems there’s a number of facility requests on a weekly basis, ifnot daily at times, for certain help with the facility. It was clearly timeto make some investment in the facility,” said Upland Deputy CityManager Jeanette Vagnozzi.

Last year, Upland agreed to a reorganization of the shelter, which included handing over operations to thenonprofit group Friends of the Upland Animal Shelter. In lieu of payment, for the lease and the use of thefacilities, the group provides staffing to assist with the reception desk. Friends of the Upland Animal Shelterassumed the responsibility — care and feeding — of the animals, and in exchange, all adoption fees arecollected by the organization.

In February, the City Council set aside $100,000 from its General Fund balance for the rehabilitation of thefacility. Since then, city staff and Friends of the Upland Animal Shelter inspected the building and made a list ofitems to be addressed.

“We’ve made quite an investment in the building so all of this will help us maintain the value of the building,”Vagnozzi said, referring to the city’s obligation.

The improvements include setting aside $30,000 for either turf or concrete installation on the west side of thebuilding for a dog run, deep cleaning the epoxy floor, new paint and re-installing sound panels.

Replacing the failing commercial dryer with a new $12,000 machine is also a priority, she said.

The machine is used daily and is vital to the shelter’s day-to-day operations, Vagnozzi said.

“It has been open since 2008 and after all those years it now needs heavy maintenance, just like your homedoes,” said Karen Hermann, a board member of Friends of the Upland Animal Shelter.

The shelter has also expanded its weekend hours, staying open until 5 p.m. .

“During the summer this will really help,” she said.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/social-affairs/20170714/100000-makeover-planned-for-upland-animal-shelter

7/17/2017 $900,000 worth of repairs coming to Foothill Boulevard in Upland

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

$900,000 worth of repairs coming to Foothill Boulevard in Upland

By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Sunday, July 16, 2017

UPLAND >> Be prepared for some upgrades along a stretch ofFoothill Boulevard.

The construction will stretch from Euclid Avenue to Grove Avenueand include the rehabilitation of the asphalt concrete pavement,installation of concrete curbs ramps, and traffic signal upgrades. Thework will also replace obliterated pavement markings.

The project will cost $911,000 but the city is setting aside 20 percent for contingency.

Upland Public Works Director Rosemary Hoerning said the project will start in August and should be completedin October.

The city received five bids June 14 and the council agreed to award the project to All American Asphalt, whichwon a $950,000 bid earlier this year to complete work on Euclid Avenue.

Hoerning said because the bids were favorable, the project will also include improvements to service roads onthat stretch.

Costs for the improvements will be paid from the Gas Tax Fund, she said.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170716/900000-worth-of-repairs-coming-to-foothill-boulevard-in-upland

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

7/17/2017 1,900 pot plants, 200 cockfighting roosters found in El Mirage bust – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/07/16/1900-pot-plants-200-cockfighting-roosters-found-in-el-mirage-bust/ 1/3

By ALI TADAYON | atadayon@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: July 16, 2017 at 1:16 am | UPDATED: July 16, 2017 at 12:24 pm

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies busted a pot-growing operation in El Mirage on Friday and found more than 1,900 marijuana

plants and 200 �ghting roosters.

Three people — 78-year-old Jesus Lopez, 62-year-old Pedro Tirado and 22-year-old Alfonso Botello — were arrested a�er the raid on a parcel

of land in El Mirage, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release. The community is in the High Desert between Victorville and

Lancaster.

Deputies believe the plants had been growing on the property for several months, the news release said. Information from residents led to

deputies getting a search warrant to raid the property.

ADVERTISING

Deputies also found more than 200 roosters that were being “trained/maintained for illegal cock�ghting,” the news release said. Some of

the roosters are being tested for disease by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, while the others were taken by San

Bernardino County Animal Control of�cers.

The property “was littered with trash” and had several unpermitted structures that were used as pot greenhouses in violation of a county

ordinance that prohibits outdoor marijuana cultivation, the news release said.

All three of the people on the property during the raid were booked into jail on suspicion of cultivating marijuana. Lopez also was booked

on suspicion of possession of �ghting birds.

NEWSCRIME

1,900 pot plants, 200 cock ghting roosters found in ElMirage bust

Tags:  drug-related crime, marijuana, Top Stories PE

7/17/2017 Bridge fire in East Highland is up to 80 percent contained

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Bridge fire in East Highland is up to 80 percent contained

By Ali Tadayon, The Press-Enterprise

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Firefighters battling the Bridge fire in East Highland have builtcontainment lines around 80 percent of the 460-acre blaze as ofSunday evening.

Containment is up from 40 percent on Saturday afternoon. The sizedidn’t change overnight, and is only about 10 acres larger than it wasFriday night.

The fire was reported about 2:30 p.m. Friday in a patch of the SanBernardino National Forest off Greenspot and Santa Ana Canyonroads, officials said. Seven homes were considered to be threatened by

the fire Friday, but firefighters were able to mitigate the threat.

A stretch of Greenspot Road near the Santa Ana River remains closed.

By Sunday evening, 135 fire personnel were assigned to the Bridge fire — compared to almost 500 at the peakof the fire fight.

The cause of the fire — the third in three weeks to break out in that area, following the Mart fire and Hidden fire— remains under investigation.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170716/bridge-fire-in-east-highland-is-up-to-80-percent-contained

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/17/2017 'Broaden the scope': Food Collaborative seeking to raise funds for refrigeration unit

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170717/broaden-scope-food-collaborative-seeking-to-raise-funds-for-refrigeration-unit 1/2

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer

Follow

Posted at 8:50 AMUpdated at 8:50 AM

VICTORVILLE — The newly formed High Desert Food Collaborative is working to improve its base of operation withthe goal of streamlining the distribution of food to the community.

Greg Hunsaker, the president of High Desert Second Chance, said the HDFC is attempting to raise $20,000 for thetransport and installation of a large refrigeration unit from the San Bernardino area to a warehouse in Hesperia.

“Our original funding source for the refrigeration unit fell through so we’re trying to find some backers who will help uswith our project,” Hunsaker said. “The refrigeration unit will really broaden the scope of what we can offer to thecommunity.”

The donated 20-by-20-foot refrigeration unit, which will be installed at the warehouse operated by HDSC and the foodcollaborative, will be used to store dairy products, meat, eggs and other perishable items.

Southern California Edison and property management have reviewed the planned installation of the refrigeration unit andhave given their approval. The HDFC is also looking at having solar panels installed to reduce utility costs.

“Our warehouse serves about 25 participating nonprofits from across the High Desert,” Hunsaker said. “The property iscurrently the local hub for the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County.”

Some participating nonprofits include the Salvation Army, Holy Family Church, Spirit Filled Life Church, High DesertSecond Chance and Curbside Ministries.

The Hesperia property currently has about 4,500 square feet of storage space between two buildings, which is filled withnearly 50,000 pounds of dry goods on any given day.

“Instead of multiple groups traveling down the hill to pick up food, it’s now delivered here and picked up by localnonprofits on a regular basis,” Hunsaker said. “We go down to the CAP facility three times a week, the Victor ValleyRescue Mission goes down three times a month and the Community Action Partnership delivers food to us once a month.”

Hunsaker said an army of volunteers meet at the warehouse to help organize the food on pallets for easy pickup by thenonprofits. The hub has helped participating nonprofits serve over 64,000 households since the end of January.

“Multiple nonprofits driving down the Cajon Pass to pick up food has been the norm for years,” said Bill Edwards, thedirector of the rescue mission. “Having a centralized place in Hesperia to pick up food, especially refrigerated product, willsave these nonprofits money on labor, fuel, truck rentals and more.”

Edwards said money saved by those nonprofits can be used to help the community directly. He added that sharing theburden by having a local centralized warehouse has been the prayer of many groups for years.

“We are thrilled to see this collaborative form and begin their work,” Patricia Nichols Butler, president and chief executiveofficer of CAPSBC, told the Daily Press earlier this year. “The network will provide not only a framework for deepercollaboration among our local food providers, but also a more organized and effective approach to serving the needs of ourfood-insecure residents.”

The collaborative was created as the result of an analysis of grant requests from High Desert community and faith-basedorganizations made to Kaiser Permanente’s Community Benefit program.

‘Broaden the scope’: Food Collaborative seeking to raise funds forrefrigeration unit

7/17/2017 'Broaden the scope': Food Collaborative seeking to raise funds for refrigeration unit

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170717/broaden-scope-food-collaborative-seeking-to-raise-funds-for-refrigeration-unit 2/2

For more information or to donate, call 760-403-6154 or visit highdesertsecondchance.pagecloud.com.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLa Cruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

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7/17/2017 Deep Creek hiker suffering from heat-related injuries rescued

http://www.sbsun.com/article/20170716/NEWS/170719571&template=printart 1/1

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Deep Creek hiker suffering from heat-related injuries rescued

By Gail Wesson, The Press-Enterprise

Sunday, July 16, 2017

A woman suffering from heat-related injuries at Deep Creek Hot Springs was hoisted by a San BernardinoSheriff’s helicopter and taken to a hospital for treatment Saturday, according to a San Bernardino CountySheriff’s Department news release.

San Bernardino County Fire dispatch received a call at 2:30 p.m. Saturday about the victim at the popular hike-in destination on the desert side of San Bernardino National Forest near Apple Valley.

The woman, who was not identified, was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton for treatment.

Last Wednesday, July 12, another hiker en route from the hot springs back to the parking area by Bowen Ranchexperienced heat and respiratory health problems.

The same helicopter Air Rescue 307 plucked that hiker out from a steep section of trail, according to a newsrelease. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170716/deep-creek-hiker-suffering-from-heat-related-injuries-rescued

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/17/2017 Two crews, one helicopter, rescue injured man in San Bernardino Mountains

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Two crews, one helicopter, rescue injured man in San Bernardino Mountains

By Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The crews of two San Bernardino County Sheriff ‘s patrol helicopters had to combine in one aircraft for adifficult hoist rescue of an all-terrain vehicle accident victim in the San Bernardino Mountains.

A call at 2:50 p.m. Saturday, July 15 for aid to the injured man in the Crab Flats area east of Lake Arrowheadwent to both the sheriff and San Bernardino County Fire.

But the accident on a dirt trail at the 6,900-foot level was not accessible to regular-size vehicles, and the firedepartment could not get to the site, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s office.

The crew of sheriff patrol helicopter 40K2 flew to the area and were guided to the accident site by people withthe victim, identified as Mel Peabody of National City. Pilot Deputy Ryan Peppler and Flight Officer DeputyBrad Heard attempted several landings, but could not touch down because of the terrain. They decided on a hoistrescue.

Peppler and Heard met with the crew of patrol helicopter 40K3 in an area near the accident. Pilot Deputy PaulKowalski and Cpl. Ed Leon of the second craft joined the crew of 40K2 and returned to the scene. Heardlowered Leon about 90 feet down to Peabody.

Leon put a rescue harness on Peabody, who had suffered a shoulder injury. Peabody was hoisted aboard 40K2and flown to Mountain Community Hospital. The news release said Peabody was put aboard a waiting countyfire ambulance, but did not say what the next destination was.

The helicopter crew returned to the scene and hoisted Leon back onboard.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170716/two-crews-one-helicopter-rescue-injured-man-in-san-bernardino-mountains

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/17/2017 What one year without a city fire department has meant for San Bernardino

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San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

What one year without a city fire department has meant for San Bernardino

Average time for firefighters to respond to a 911 call has fallen dramatically

By Ryan Hagen, The Sun

Friday, July 14, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> Since county firefighters took over the city’sfire and emergency service one year ago, the average time forfirefighters to respond to a 911 call has fallen dramatically, droppingmore than 3 minutes from 9:50 to 6:07.

That 38 percent improvement compared with 2014, the last year withdata available, contradicts some critics’ prediction that service levelswould worsen under county management and fulfills one of the mainpromises of the controversial annexation, which took effect the firstweek of July 2016.

But other effects are more ambiguous, even now that a full year of data is available.

“That response time is critical — it can save lives,” said Assistant Chief Dan Munsey, who has overseen fireservices for the city since February. “At the same time, I think there’s been some significant challenges. We’vedeveloped short- and long-range plans for that.”

Financial impact complicated

When the city’s consultant, Andy Belknap of Management Partners, presented the plan in August 2015, heprojected “an $11 million contribution to solvency.”

That was downgraded to about $7 million by the time of the vote, and now city officials say it’s difficult to put asingle number on how the outsourcing has affected the city’s bottom line, given the combination of lost revenuesand savings. Reconciliation with the county is ongoing, according to city officials.

The annexation added a new tax on each parcel of land in the city, which was $148 per year for fiscal year 2016-17 and can increase up to 3 percent per year.

And all of that money goes directly to the county every year, no matter how much the city’s property valuesgrow in the future.

The city’s payments to the county — all of its regular property tax and about one-third of its so-called VehicleLicense Fee property tax — were negotiated as approximately what fire services cost annually, according to CityManager Mark Scott.

In the fiscal year that ended in June 2016 — the same time the county took over fire services — the city spent$29.8 million on fire services, compared with $400,000 in the 2016-17 year that just ended. That $400,000 ispayments for five firefighters on medical leave who remained the city’s responsibility, and is down to onefirefighter now, according to Dixon Mutadzakupa, the city’s budget officer.

7/17/2017 What one year without a city fire department has meant for San Bernardino

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Since the annexation went into effect, the city exited bankruptcy after nearly five years. Its budget for the currentyear includes a small surplus, but officials say they still don’t have the money to invest in many important areas.

Opinions split

Mayor Carey Davis said the fire chief is making important improvements, and residents he speaks to are pleasedwith the fire service.

“At my Evenings with the Mayor, it’s not something anyone complains about,” Davis said. “I understandresponse times have decreased, and (Munsey’s) moving an engine to Station 221 (200 E. Third St.), which willbe more of a benefit.”

Firefighters, who had a contentious relationship with the city before the outsourcing, also now seem to be happy,Davis added.

Some residents, though, continue to see the move as shortsighted and chafe in particular at the new tax, whichwas added without a vote.

“The whole LAFCO process is a slap in the face of the democratic process,” said resident Kathy Mallon. “Nowthey’re going to do it in Upland again. It’s pretty much a money grab as far as I see it. It’s a money grab on theback of taxpayers, where we have no chance in hell to meet the requirements of their process.”

While California law normally requires an election to institute a tax, that isn’t the case when residents annexthemselves into an existing area that has a tax, such as the county’s fire protection district. Instead, the LocalAgency Formation Commission — LAFCO — mails landowners seeking protests. An election is held if aprotest is received from at least 25 percent but less than 50 percent of the registered voters, or if 25 percent to100 percent of the number of landowners — who own at least 25 percent of the total land value — submitwritten protest. (A protest from a majority stops the annexation.)

The plan also requires approval from the City Council, which passed it 4-3 last year. Several of the councilmembers who opposed it then remain strong opponents.

“We sort of gave away the farm in many ways,” Councilman Henry Nickel said, referring to the agreement togive property tax revenue to the county. “I don’t think the county wants to see the city go into bankruptcy, but ifthey deprive of us of a significant portion of our property value, there’s no real incentive to increase our propertytax base.”

Councilman John Valdivia, who also strongly opposed the move, declined to assess it in detail this week.

“Response times will be longer, taxes will be higher, and fire stations in minority communities are still (going tobe) shuttered and closed,” Valdivia said in 2016.

Asked this week if he would have done anything differently if he had known that response times have beenshown to be shorter, Valdivia said he appreciated the hard work of firefighters.

“That’s really all I have to say. I think we need to look forward, not backwards,” he said. “I’m very appreciativeof our fire professionals, and I have nothing but praise for them. By all accounts, they’re happy, and I’mcertainly happy.”

Councilman Fred Shorett, one of the most vocal advocates for outsourcing, said he was pleased with theimproved service, although he stressed that he didn’t want to disparage any of the firefighters who had formerlyworked for the city.

“I think the employees and we are better served with a larger organization,” Shorett said, adding that fireofficials continued to work closely with the city’s elected officials.

7/17/2017 What one year without a city fire department has meant for San Bernardino

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“I actually called (Assistant Chief Dan) Munsey today, and he called me back within two or three minutes andwas very understanding and very responsive,” he said.

And Shorett blasted those he said had made empty threats about outsourcing.

“That’s kind of John’s MO, to talk about things without really having facts,” he said. “And the facts come outlater.”

Firefighters happy

Former San Bernardino firefighters say the change has been good for them.

“When you take a Fire Department that’s 138 years old, with a lot of tradition, it’s bittersweet,” said Capt. SteveTracey, a longtime city firefighter who now does training for the county. “With the one year anniversary, it’skind of ironic, because now Upland is going to be transitioning in, so now a lot of the former city folks arehelping with that transition to make sure they’re as welcome as we are.”

Upland cleared its final hurdle to annex into the county Fire Department this month, and will be transferred July22.

“It’s been fairly seamless for us, regardless of the logo on the rig, and there’s a lot of opportunity in county fire,”Tracey said. “I think there will be for them, too.”

Expensive improvements

The 10 fire stations in San Bernardino responded to more than 41,200 calls for service between July 2016 andJune 30, 2017, according to Fire Department data — significantly more than the 30,000 that city firefightersresponded to the year before.

“That’s among the busiest in the state of California,” Munsey said, attributing most of the increase to the countyresponding to the less-serious medical calls that the city had handed off to the private ambulance companyAmerican Medical Response since 2014. “It might be a lower priority emergency, an alpha or bravo, but if thepatient is untreated it turns into a more critical incident.”

That heavy call load cuts down on time for training and for community events, he said.

But the biggest challenge is the condition of the equipment inherited from the city, according to Munsey.

Seven of the city’s 10 fire stations need immediate replacement, he said, while the funding model expects thosereplacements to take 21 years.

“The station replacement alone is the biggest nugget that I’ll have to crack,” Munsey said. “They’re modularsbuilt in the ’70s, and nobody expected them to still be in use now. .... They’re built for smaller apparatus, builtwithout earthquake standards, built using asbestos, and as we’ve been digging ... (we’re finding) large amountsof asbestos and black mold.”

One station, on Kendall Drive near University Avenue, closed in February when repair efforts discovered mold,and it remains closed.

A new fire station costs about $3.5 million, according to Munsey.

Already, though, the department has spent $1 million in apparatus repair and maintenance that was mostlydeferred because of the city’s financial difficulties, according to the department.

7/17/2017 What one year without a city fire department has meant for San Bernardino

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An additional $272,000 was spent on medical equipment upgrades including modern life-support monitors, and$150,000 on structural improvements to the fire stations.

Staffing, which is already two higher than before by three firefighter/paramedics and three firefighters, isexpected to add an additional squad soon.

That came after a call from county Supervisor Josie Gonzales, who represents part of the city.

“The city of San Bernardino is producing a (emergency) call volume on or about 40,000 calls a year. The city ofFontana is producing on or about 20,000 calls per year,” Gonzales said at the county budget meeting in June.“San Bernardino has the same staffing that Fontana has, minus one. ... There could be liability on down theline.”

Even before those additional resources come, the city is seeing improvements because of the ability to drawfrom nearby stations and the county’s other resources, according to Munsey.

That’s part of the reason for the much-faster response times, he said.

“And it’s good planning, it’s using computer modeling to see where our fire engines should be and deployingthem,” he said. “Now we can start to make other changes. So the future is exciting for us. With the (parcel tax)funding, it provides a very stable platform for us to improve our responses and continue to serve the residentsbetter.”

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20170714/what-one-year-without-a-city-fire-department-has-meant-for-san-bernardino

© 2017 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

7/17/2017 From Family Dollar to Dollar General; new store to open in San Bernardino – Press Enterprise

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By NEIL NISPEROS | Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: July 15, 2017 at 12:03 pm | UPDATED: July 15, 2017 at 12:42 pm

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A former Family Dollar retail store here will be converted into a new Dollar General store later this year.

The arrival of the new store, at 1054 W. Highland Ave., is part of the Dollar General company’s recent asset acquisition of Family Dollar

stores from the Dollar Express company as part of a divestiture ordered by the Federal Trade Commission, according to a press release

from Dollar General.

Dollar Express’ 323 locations throughout the nation were acquired by Dollar General in April.

“We have 21 open stores in San Bernardino County,” said Crystal Ghassemi, spokeswoman for Dollar General. “The addition of this will

make it 22, and with one (more store) under consideration for Phelan, this will increase our presence throughout the county.”

The new Dollar General store in San Bernardino is expected to open for business by late fall following renovation work, according to the

company.

“For us, we look for places where we can offer value and convenience for our customers,” Ghassemi said. “We look forward to adding a

new location within the county.”

The new Dollar General store will feature a new layout and expanded offerings, according to the company. The company expects to

employ 6 to 10 employees, depending on the needs of the store, according to the release.

Dollar General sells name-brand and private brand merchandise such as health and beauty products, home cleaning supplies,

housewares, stationery, seasonal items, basic clothing, as well as an assortment of packaged foods, refrigerated foods and frozen foods.

“It’s good that instead of the location just being closed, it’s being made into a Dollar General, which is very similar to a Family Dollar, and it

will allow families in the area to keep having the convenience of a local discount store,” said regional real estate expert Brad Umansky,

president of the Rancho Cucamonga-based commercial real estate �rm Progressive Real Estate Partners.

“Family Dollar and Dollar General are very similar,” Umanksy added. “They tend to locate where people don’t have a grocery store close by,

so a lot of their people walk to their stores. Losing one of those stores can be a real inconvenience for people who live in the immediate

neighborhoods.”

Career information: www.dollargeneral.com/careers.

Neil Nisperos

LOCAL NEWS

From Family Dollar to Dollar General; new store toopen in San Bernardino

Tags:  Retail, Top Stories PE

7/17/2017 Dine 909: GameWorks Ontario Mills has closed, but there’s good news, too

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Dine 909: GameWorks Ontario Mills has closed, but there’s good news, too

By John Plessel, San Bernardino Sun

Friday, July 14, 2017

Let’s start with some good news, shall we?

There’s a new sushi place in town, if your town happens to be Redlands.

Kiyora Sushi opened last week in the Plaza Las Palmas — bet ya didn’t know it was called that — at the cornerof Brookside Avenue and San Mateo Street. It’s in the same center as Carolyn’s Cafe, Brewcakes and RosaMarias.

Kiyora is at 1150 Brookside Ave., Suite I.

Tokyo Joe’s is here

A Japanese restaurant of a different sort has opened in Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside.

They’re the first Inland Empire locations of Tokyo Joe’s.

The Colorado-based chain’s other Southern California location — also new — is in Laguna Niguel.

Tokyo Joe’s is a fast-casual restaurant that offers a healthier take on Japanese cuisine.

Entrées include salads, made-to-order sushi rolls, poke bowls, and build-your-own bowls and bento boxes.

The Rancho Cucamonga location is at 10877 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite 160. The Riverside location is at 3747Central Ave., Suite 101.

Hours are 10:45 a.m.-9:05 p.m. daily.

That’s a wrap

Now for some not-so-good news: GameWorks Ontario Mills has closed.

Twitter user @rialtus alerted us to the fact late Saturday night.

The location’s page on the chain’s website simply reads: “Our Ontario location is no longer open. Thanks for 20GREAT years, see you when we return to Southern California!”

It’s unfortunate, but not really surprising.

For starters, GameWorks has always had to compete with another “eatertainment” venue at Ontario Mills, andpersonally, Dave & Buster’s has always seemed like the more varied choice, both in terms of entertainment andfood options.

7/17/2017 Dine 909: GameWorks Ontario Mills has closed, but there’s good news, too

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Online reviews from the past year and a half or so have not been positive, littered with complaints about the lackof air conditioning, dirty bathrooms, broken arcade games and general uncleanliness.

Also, two newcomers have recently encroached on GameWorks’ territory — Big Al’s moved in just downFourth Street and Punch Bowl Social opened recently in Victoria Gardens.

Both of those restaurants also offer a greater variety of diversions as well.

The Ontario Mills location was the chain’s sole California location, Its nearest location is in Las Vegas.

5 candles for brewery

Congratulations to the fine folks at Claremont Craft Ales, who will be celebrating the brewery’s fifthanniversary from 1-8 p.m. Saturday.

General admission tickets are $40 (plus a $2.39 service fee) in advance and include 20 pours and a souvenirglass.

VIP tickets are $60 (plus a $3.09 service fee) in advance and include 24 pours, a souvenir glass, access toexclusive beers, and an anniversary bottle to go.

The brewery is planning nearly 60 unique beers on tap, including special never-before-released beers, severalbarrel-aged options, and the return of many customer favorites!

The anniversary brew is a blend of seven barrel-aged beers, including new and aged varieties.

The brewery also will offer cider, wine and cold brew coffee.

Head to the Beer Goggles blog (www.insidesocal.com/beer) for more information, including a link to purchasetickets and a list of available beers.

Claremont Craft Ales is at 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Unit 204C.

John Plessel is systems editor for the San Bernardino Sun and also blogs for Dine 909. Visit the blog atwww.insidesocal.com/dine909 or email Dine 909 at dine909@inlandnewspapers.com.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/lifestyle/20170714/dine-909-gameworks-ontario-mills-has-closed-but-theres-good-news-too

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7/17/2017 Editor's notebook: When criminals roam free, we all become prisoners

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By Steve Hunt Editor

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Posted Jul 15, 2017 at 2:54 PMUpdated Jul 15, 2017 at 2:54 PM

I had two interesting exchanges with High Desert residents in the past 10 days.Both wanted to talk about our rising crime rate, its causes and its consequences.

Both men placed a large share of the blame on Propositions 47 and 57, whichwere passed by California voters in recent years. There’s no arguing that point,as we all know. When felonies become misdemeanors, especially as we’ve seenwith shoplifting and other property crimes, it only makes it harder for lawenforcement to stop these criminals and results in more people and businessesbeing victimized — in some cases again and again.

“We need more cops on the street,” said the one Victorville resident, whoexplained his situation in detail. “We need more teeth for the judges and DAs.They arrest them now and they know they’re going to put ’em back on thestreet.”

This man and another who contacted me both think ballot measures should beoff-limits when it comes to public safety.

“Don’t let the public decide who goes to jail,” said the other gentleman, who haslived in Victorville since the 1950s. “We need to look at the system, at how weparole people. That elderly couple murdered in Apple Valley, it was by a manwho just got out of prison. Every story involves somebody that just got out ofprison or who had a record. Our system has got to be fixed so we keep ’em inprison.

Editor’s notebook: When criminals roam free, weall become prisoners

7/17/2017 Editor's notebook: When criminals roam free, we all become prisoners

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“They say we don’t have enough cells in our prisons for them all. Maybe weshould do like that sheriff in Arizona. When the prisons are crowded, he putsthem in tents.”

Clearly, residents’ frustration levels are rising.

So are the measures they are taking to try to protect themselves and theirproperty from criminals.

Said the one man: “We shouldn’t have to live like this, with surveillance cameras.I counted in the two or three blocks around where I live there are 33 homes withsurveillance cameras. I got dogs, lights, cameras. I live like I’m in a prison.”

The cameras work, this man said.

“We identify the criminals and nail them, but they’re out (of jail) within twoweeks and doing it again.”

And that clearly is frustrating to everyone, from residents to law enforcement toprosecutors to judges.

California residents need to get angry enough to demand changes in Sacramento.They need to demand more prisons so we can house more criminals and keepthem off the streets. They need to demand ballot measures that restore penaltiesfor certain offenses.

And they need to demand better schools too, because we all know dropouts andkids who can’t read are more likely to wind up in prison and to keep going back.

Steve Hunt can be reached at 760-951-6270 or at SHunt@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him

on Twitter at @stevehunteditor.

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7/17/2017 Focused on public safety tax, Victorville won't seriously consider pot tax right now - News - VVdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

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By Shea Johnson Staff Writer

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Posted Jul 14, 2017 at 5:23 PMUpdated Jul 14, 2017 at 5:23 PM

Despite pressure from several proponents, the majorityCity Council decided this week to essentially shelve talksof a cannabis special tax, although officials suggested itwas not an indictment on the tax’s ultimate fate.

VICTORVILLE — Despite pressure from several proponents, the majority CityCouncil decided this week to essentially shelve talks of a cannabis special tax,although officials suggested it was not an indictment on the tax’s ultimate fate.

Half of the two-part discussion in a special meeting Tuesday, the cannabis taxwas deemed by most Council members to be premature. And CouncilwomanBlanca Gomez’ subsequent motion to direct staff to prepare a cannabis taxresolution for a November special election failed to garner any support.

Officials were leery not only of introducing a second tax option to the Novemberballot — a half-percent sales tax to fund public safety appears headed there — butalso of the questions that a cannabis tax would raise considering the city hasn’tadopted any pro-cannabis policies.

“We have a chicken and an egg. If the Council authorizes additional uses —selling or growth or delivery — I wouldn’t dare even consider that withouthaving the tax,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Cox said. “On the other hand, if you put iton the November ballot, people are going to want to know, are we gonna have itor not? ... We haven’t decided that.”

Focused on public safety tax, Victorville won’tseriously consider pot tax right now

7/17/2017 Focused on public safety tax, Victorville won't seriously consider pot tax right now - News - VVdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

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Cox also said he believed proposing both taxes on the ballot would be a deathknell to each, a stark contrast to Gomez’s warning that she has heard pro-cannabis groups would campaign against the half-percent sales tax without thecannabis tax also in play.

Officials have banned commercial medical marijuana activities, but currently thecity has no regulations on the books for personal/recreational use. They appearwilling to re-visit the cannabis tax for the 2018 general election particularlybecause, as a general tax, they won’t have to specify how the funds will be spent.

But proponents urged the Council to embrace the burgeoning industry, sayingno tax would open the door for the black market and people would move out ofthe city. They also said the city’s welcoming of marijuana would help to reversean archaic view of users as criminals.

From a financial perspective, proponents suggested the cannabis tax, coupledwith lifting restrictions, would secure a much-needed source of extra revenueand could even replace the half-percent sales tax initiative.

“We could see an increase in jobs, raise revenue for the city and could stimulatethe Victorville economy,” Jason Renteria said to the Council.

Yet City Manager Doug Robertson said the city was recently briefed by partnerHdL Companies, which calculated revenue projections for the city — admittedlynot exhaustively — should it ultimately decide to allow commercial cannabisactivities, and officials were not encouraged by the findings.

The projections showed the city stood to bring in $1 million in revenue yearly byallowing four to six dispensaries and four to six cultivation facilities.

Last month, Green Wise Consulting attorney Damian Martin, who also spokeWednesday, pledged to draft a “laser-focused” initiative to run as an alternativeto the city’s public safety tax, a sign that the Council’s rejection of the cannabistax for the November ballot might not be the end of the matter.

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or SJohnson@VVDailyPress.com. Follow

him on Twitter at @DP_Shea.

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7/17/2017 People whose vehicles were towed by Apple Valley school police await answers

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By Charity Lindsey Staff Writer

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Posted Jul 14, 2017 at 5:30 PMUpdated Jul 14, 2017 at 5:30 PM

APPLE VALLEY — Since the results of a Grand Jury investigation on schooldistrict police here were published two weeks ago, many people have comeforward to claim they were wrongly charged upon having their vehicles towed.

A San Bernardino County Civil Grand Jury Report released recently found thatthe Apple Valley Unified School District Police Department (AVUSD-PD)ordered 727 vehicles towed in three years and wrongly collected a charge foreach vehicle release, many of which they had no authority to cite and tow.

Without speculating whether or not district employees violated sections of thePenal Code and could be charged with crimes, the Grand Jury recommended thatan “appropriate state agency” open an investigation into the matter.

The jury also recommended the district refund any towing and storage fees paidby vehicle owners denied the opportunity to request a tow hearing, and refundmonies collected for Vehicle Release fees, which were increased from $95 to$120 by vote the AVUSD Board of Trustees in May 2015.

Jessica McClain said her car was among the “unknown number of privatelyowned vehicles” that were lien sold by the tow company utilized by AVUSD forfees and towing charges accrued, and now she’s seeking a refund. McClain saidshe was “insured and licensed” when she was cited on April 25 due to expiredregistration.

People whose vehicles were towed by AppleValley school police await answers

7/17/2017 People whose vehicles were towed by Apple Valley school police await answers

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“They left me and my 7-week-old and 2-year-old on the side of the road whilethey impounded our vehicle,” McClain said. She claimed that by the fourth day,the fees had racked up to almost $2,000. “I paid my ticket — it was my first ticketever — and I lost my vehicle. Because of that, I’ve had no way to even take mybabies to the doctor.”

Several others said they were charged in the $500 to $800 range when towed,including a 25-year-old who requested anonymity.

“I was pulled over ... for a cracked windshield ... I had a suspended license for notpaying an old traffic ticket,” she said, noting she was towed on a Fridayafternoon. “I was unable to get my truck out until I had a driver with a validlicense to drive (it) ... The district office was closed by the time it was towed andwould not be open until Monday. I had to wait until Tuesday to pick up mytruck with my father paying.”

She said they paid $570.

“I missed my (job) training because of the incident and sequentially had a difficulttime paying back my father,” she said. “I would just like the $120 back so I cangive a thank you to my dad for helping me.”

AVUSD officials have not responded to questions from the Daily Press, directingthem to legal representatives.

Margaret A. Chidester, whose law office spoke on behalf of AVUSD, told theDaily Press when the report came out that the district “voluntarily responded toall requests for documents and testimony” from the Grand Jury and “has alreadybegun to examine school police practices and to make improvements inprocedures.”

Chidester said the district “will faithfully consider the report’s recommendations”and respond to its findings as legally required. She said the Board of Trusteesneeds to consider the report. Their next regularly scheduled meeting is set forAug. 3.

The district has not yet announced anything in terms of possible reimbursementto those who’ve been towed by AVUSD-PD.

7/17/2017 Problems at Pinky's in Spring Valley Lake escalating; owner has received multiple threats

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By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer

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Posted Jul 14, 2017 at 5:13 PMUpdated Jul 14, 2017 at 10:57 PM

VICTORVILLE — Tears streamed down the face of Linda Gonzalez as SanBernardino County Sheriff’s deputies took a report inside her ice cream shop inSpring Valley Lake.

Deputies from the Victor Valley Station were called to Pinky’s on Spring ValleyLake Parkway after Gonzalez said she was threatened by a male customer onWednesday.

Gonzalez’s 18-year-old son, Hurtado, told the Daily Press Friday night, therecent incident, along with his mom being “bashed” on social media, may haveled to his mother having a mild heart attack and being hospitalized on Thursday.

“This has gotten out of hand. My mom almost died because of what they aresaying about her,” said Hurtado, who sent the Daily Press multiple screenshots ofFacebook posts made by several individuals. “They have no remorse on how theyare hurting my mom.”

According to Gonzalez, who opened her store in April, the customer whowalked into the shop Wednesday, called her the N-word and told her, “We’regoing to take you out one way or another. We’re going to make sure no oneshops here.”

Gonzalez, 44, who suffers from cancer and recently began hospice care, tolddeputies the store’s surveillance camera captured the “same customer” when hestopped by the store on Friday.

Problems at Pinky’s in Spring Valley Lakeescalating; owner has received multiple threats

7/17/2017 Problems at Pinky's in Spring Valley Lake escalating; owner has received multiple threats

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The owner showed the Daily Press a surveillance photo of an older male withlong, salt-and-pepper hair and a goatee. The customer, who wore sunglasses andblack ballcap, appears to have a heavily tattooed left arm, with a smaller tattoonear his right bicep.

Gonzalez said her teenage son recognized the customer in the photo as the sameone who verbally attacked him at the shop, using several racial epithets,including the N-word, last week.

Gonzales told deputies she’s “not black” and that it was “disrespectful” for anyoneto speak to “another human being” that way, regardless of their “race, gender,religion or any other association.”

“This is the eighth police report I’ve filed and every one of them has to do withme being racially harassed or threatened by older people,” Gonzalez said. “I don’thave trouble with any of the kids who come by and the majority of thecustomers who shop here are friendly.”

Soon after she opened, the shop’s surveillance camera caught the lower half of awoman wearing sandals who approached the store and left several letters thatincluded the N-word and “get out or else.”

“I’m not afraid of the person who wrote the letter. I actually forgive them and Ihope they come and speak to me personally,” the owner told the Daily Press inan earlier interview.

Gonzalez said she filed a police report last month when another male customerbegan making “racist comments” to her and pushed her to the shop’s floor.

“It’s one thing to post racist letters on the shop, but now people are being brazenby coming into the store and attacking me and my family,” Gonzalez said. “Mykids are so scared, they don’t even want to work here anymore.”

Gonzales, who has hired an attorney, told the Daily Press the “barrage of attacks”and “threats” on her life have taken a toll on her health, even forcing her to closethe store several times since opening.

7/17/2017 Problems at Pinky's in Spring Valley Lake escalating; owner has received multiple threats

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“Our air conditioning went out and I passed out in the store the other day,”Gonzalez said. “I was hospitalized for a few days and had to close the shop. Nextthing I know, I’m being bashed on social media for not being open. I put a lot ofmoney into the store to bless the community and now I’m being attacked. It’s justnot worth it.”

Gonzalez claims a local resident wants her location to open a coffee shop. Shebelieves the resident is trying to shut down the ice cream shop by tarnishing itsreputation.

“I’m just so tired of fighting this every day,” Gonzalez said. “There’s days when Ijust want to sell the business and move on.”

A Spring Valley Lake Association representative referred all questions regardingPinky’s to Alfred Logan, the new interim general manager for the SVLA.

Anyone with information regarding the incidents at Pinky’s is asked to contactthe Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station at 760-552-6800.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLa

Cruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

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7/17/2017 Retired Chino Hills councilman reaches across aisle — of Costco

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Retired Chino Hills councilman reaches across aisle — of Costco

By David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Friday, July 14, 2017

He was the last of Chino Hills’ O.G. City Council. That can beOriginal Government, Old Guard or whatever you like. Ed Grahamwas the final council member elected as the community incorporatedin 1991 to still be in office.

Graham stepped down July 7 after serving 26 years, saying he wantedto travel more and spend time with his grandchildren, both of whichsounded more appealing than serving out the remaining 16 months ofhis term.

The council’s Tuesday meeting was its first of the post-Graham era.(He will be pleased to hear an era has been named for him — the firstof what I’m sure will be many honors to come.)

And Graham made sure to rub it in that his former colleagues wereworking and he was not.

“At 7 p.m. exactly,” Councilwoman Cynthia Moran told me, “he sentus all a picture of himself at Costco, saying ‘This is where I’m goingto be on Tuesday nights from now on.’”

Ha ha! That’s in keeping with Graham’s disarming sense of humor. He told me Costco is his favorite store andthat he hadn’t been there on a second or fourth Tuesday “since before Price Club days.”

Anyway, council members swallowed their envy and decided to appoint a replacement. The seat will be an at-large position until November 2018, when it will be filled by election by someone who lives within District 4.

Any registered voter in the city may apply. Applications are available on the city’s website, chinohills.org, under“City Council Vacancy” or from the city clerk during business hours at 14000 City Center Drive. They must bereceived by July 31.

Some are grumbling already. Former candidate Paul Molinaro, who lives in District 2, emailed me to say that at-large applicants like himself may be out of luck because council members won’t want to appoint someone whomight run against them.

It’s undetermined whether the council will appoint directly from the applications or conduct interviews.

“I have a feeling a lot of people are going to apply,” Moran said. “I just want somebody who’s going to be aqualified placeholder.”

Also, somebody who doesn’t mind giving up wild nights on the town at Costco two Tuesdays a month.

7/17/2017 Retired Chino Hills councilman reaches across aisle — of Costco

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More Graham

Graham’s resignation letter, incidentally, is handwritten and one sentence long: “Effective by the end of thebusiness day today, I resine [sic] my position on the city council.” And to think he’s a retired educator. Next timehe ought to skip Costco and hit up Barnes and Noble — specifically, the dictionary section.

Gold Line lineup

Informational meetings about the future Gold Line light-rail extension will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. inthe following cities along the route: Tuesday in Pomona at the Palomares Park Community Center, 499 E.Arrow Highway; Wednesday in Montclair at the Senior Center, 5111 Benito St.; July 24 in Claremont at theHughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road; Aug. 3 in La Verne at Hillcrest Retirement Community, 2705Mountain View Drive; and Aug. 7 in Glendora at the library, 140 S. Glendora Ave. (The San Dimas meetingtook place Thursday.)

Culture Corner

• Friends of the shuttered Covina Bowl, which is threatened with demolition for a housing development, aregathering at 10 a.m. Sunday outside the bowling center, 1060 W. San Bernardino Road, for a group photo,followed by commiseration over lunch at nearby Clearman’s North Woods Inn.

• Now paired for ’70s-style kicks at the Mission Tiki Drive-In (10798 Ramona Ave.) in Montclair: “War for thePlanet of the Apes” (8:30 p.m.) and “47 Meters Down” (11:05 p.m.) — in other words, an ape movie and a sharkmovie. The double feature is $9 for adults, $1 for children. (The drive-in has three other screens and, thus, threemore double features too.)

• Reminder: I’ll be at Ontario’s Chaffey Community Museum of Art, 217 S. Lemon Ave., on Sunday selling mybooks starting at 2:30 p.m. and giving a talk at 4 p.m. Admission is free. As of Friday morning, the event listingon the museum’s Facebook page had this sobering news: 0 going and 0 interested. Well, nowhere to go but up.

Valley Vignette

Full of Life Bakery in Claremont has closed after 18 years and a series of owners. While often almost devoid oflife in recent years, Full of Life caused a mild sensation around the Village when it opened in 1999 as an organicbakery with a cheese and wine shop. Founder Clark Staub had been a music industry executive before the rise offarm-to-table cuisine inspired him to throw himself into baking. Staub left in 2001 and now owns the well-regarded Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos. His legacy is the Sunday farmers market, which he co-foundedin 1999 and which has become a Village staple.

David Allen writes Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, sluggishly. Contact dallen@scng.com or 909-483-9339, visitinsidesocal.com/davidallen, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter. Andbuy his books, “Getting Started” and “Pomona A to Z.”

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/government-and-politics/20170714/retired-chino-hills-councilman-reaches-across-aisle-of-costco

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

7/17/2017 Showers, lightning hit Big Bear area; hot and humid in Inland Empire

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

Showers, lightning hit Big Bear area; hot and humid in Inland Empire

By Nikie Johnson, The Press-Enterprise

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Early-afternoon thunderstorms produced “sporadic” cloud-to-groundlightning in the Big Bear area Sunday, but no significant rain,according to the National Weather Service.

Farther north in the Mojave Desert, heavy rain was reported in the lateafternoon near Nipton, prompting a flood advisory for that part of SanBernardino County and south-central Clark County across the Nevadaline.

The chance of showers thunderstorms in the mountains and desertswill continue for a few more days, and could spread into the Inlandvalleys on Wednesday, forecasters say.

Even if it doesn’t rain, the weather pattern will keep Riverside and San Bernardino counties hot and humid allweek.

Highs on Sunday surpassed 100 in a few areas, including Lake Elsinore and Beaumont, but were in the upper80s in places like Corona and Temecula, the National Weather Service reported. All through the work week,highs across the Inland valleys should stay in the 90s, but could return to triple digits on Saturday.

In the mountains and deserts, the chance for rainfall will increase Tuesday and Wednesday, the Weather Serviceis predicting. Things should dry out again later in the week.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20170716/showers-lightning-hit-big-bear-area-hot-and-humid-in-inland-empire

© 2017 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (http://www.dailybulletin.com)

7/17/2017 While homelessness surges in Disneyland's shadow, Anaheim removes bus benches - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-anaheim-bus-stops-20170715-story.html 1/5

S

While homelessness surges in Disneyland'sshadow, Anaheim removes bus benches

By Anh Do

JULY 15, 2017, 4:00 AM

weat rolled down Ron Jackson’s face as he pondered, as he does every day just steps from “the

Happiest Place on Earth,” where he would sleep.

The homeless man’s hangout in Anaheim had until recently been a grimy bus bench across the street

from Disneyland.

Then, one day, the benches around the amusement park — including his regular spot outside of a 7-Eleven at

Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue — disappeared.

Soon, people were competing for pavement.

Victor Gutierrez, 43, left, who is homeless and sleeps in his automobile, hangs out under a bus shelter while people board and exit anOrange County Transit Authority bus at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue in Anaheim. (Gary Coronado / Los AngelesTimes)

7/17/2017 While homelessness surges in Disneyland's shadow, Anaheim removes bus benches - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-anaheim-bus-stops-20170715-story.html 2/5

“No more sleeping spot. Just concrete,” Jackson, 47, said on a sweltering day. “There were already people

claiming the space.”

The vanishing benches were Anaheim’s response to complaints about the homeless population around

Disneyland. Public work crews removed 20 benches from bus shelters after callers alerted City Hall to reports

of vagrants drinking, defecating or smoking pot in the neighborhood near the amusement park’s entrance,

officials said.

The situation is part of a larger struggle by Orange County to deal with a rising homeless population. A survey

last year placed the number of those without shelter at 15,300 people, compared with 12,700 two years earlier.

Desperation amid Orange County’s richesIn a wealthy county known for suburban living and sun-dotted beaches, the signs of the homeless crisis are

getting harder to ignore.

At the county’s civic center in Santa Ana, homeless encampments — complete with tents and furniture and

flooring made from cardboard boxes — block walkways and unnerve some visitors. Along the Santa Ana River

near Angel Stadium, whole communities marked by blue tarp have sprung up. In Laguna Beach, a shelter this

summer is testing an outreach program in which volunteers walk the streets offering support and housing

assistance to homeless people.

Cities across California — notably Los Angeles and San Francisco — are dealing with swelling ranks of the

homeless. But officials in Orange County said most suburban communities simply don’t have the resources and

experience to keep up.

Susan Price, Orange County's director of care coordination, said officials are trying to build a coordinated

approach involving all of the more than 30 disparate cities that takes into account the different causes of

homelessness, including economic woes, a lack of healthcare and recent reforms in the criminal justice system.

Most cities "don't have capacity to respond to all the issues of homelessness effectively. That's why we need a

regional strategy,” Price said. "Every city has been grappling with this issue and not all cities are full-service so

that means we need to find out what each other is doing and figure out how to combine resources.”

The homeless problem often stands in stark contrast to the perceptions many have about Orange County.

Cleaning up Disney’s homeAnaheim is Orange County’s largest city and home to Disneyland, one of the region’s biggest draws and tax

generators. The city has spent more than two decades trying to clean up the area around the park — once noted

for run-down motels and prostitution — into a family-friendly, tourist-oriented “resort district.”

7/17/2017 While homelessness surges in Disneyland's shadow, Anaheim removes bus benches - LA Times

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“It breaks our heart to have to remove those benches,” said Mike Lyster, a city spokesman. “But their purpose is

to provide seating for someone waiting for a bus.”

He stressed that the bench removal was not tied to concerns about Disneyland visitors. “We’re not taking this

action because of tourism. We never had a request from Disney,” Lyster said. “But we did hear from small shop

owners and motel owners about the safety issues so we stepped up.”

Homeless advocates said Anaheim is just one of multiple cities along Beach Boulevard, one of the county’s

busiest thoroughfares, to cut down on bus benches.

“Removing benches is a minor thing, it’s a band-aid approach. People will still congregate because these are

areas where they’ve chosen to be,” says Paul Leon, CEO of the Illumination Foundation, where teams are

trained to work with the chronically homeless. “The ultimate solution is permanent supportive housing. When

we interact with someone, we need to provide immediate relief and then we sit down to assess each person and

come up with a plan to give them better quality of life.”

To Jackson, a native of Compton, Anaheim’s move was cold.

“When we have a few dollars, we can’t even enter the store to buy a piece of food,” he said. “Some people

thought the bus stop would be a good place to crash. No one welcomes us because of who we are and how we

look. They have no clue how we ended up here, they just judge.”

‘We’ll just stretch out on the concrete’Paul Hyek, 67, a former handyman from Detroit who ended up homeless, said Anaheim was just trying to

“show a good image to outsiders.”

“We’ll just stretch out on the concrete. That’s the way we are — we improvise.”

On Friday night, some homeless activists planned a protest outside Disneyland. A spokesperson for Disneyland

declined comment.

Anaheim officials said the city has a large network of programs to help the homeless — a population estimated

at nearly 800 — by guiding them to shelters, health and mental health resources, in partnership with local

agencies.

“You see that sight, you might be intimidated,” Lyster said. “With tens of thousands of workers in the resort

district — and even more visitors — it’s a balancing act to care for everyone.”

Lyster said Anaheim intends to bring back some form of seating to the affected bus benches. The options

include stools or movie theater or stadium-type seating with armrests, which could not be used for sleeping, he

said.

7/17/2017 While homelessness surges in Disneyland's shadow, Anaheim removes bus benches - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-anaheim-bus-stops-20170715-story.html 4/5

Some visitors to Disneyland said they appreciated the reason Anaheim removed benches.

“It’s a good idea,” says Walton Guerrero, 59, of El Paso. He and 10 members of his family arrived in town for

five days packed with Disneyland rides. “This is a tourist place. We need more security so everyone can come

back.”

Pushing a stroller carrying his newest grandchild, 4-month-old Samuel, Guerrero said: “We need to feel like we

can bring older people and younger people here. We don’t want the kids to be exposed to bad activity.”

Tourists ‘expect everything nice and shiny’Angelo Newsome, 42, a science teacher from Brooklyn, said removing benches “is happening in our

neighborhood too. It’s the same around New York City. But punishing local communities for the actions of the

homeless, who are not to blame, seems unfair.”

His partner, Patricia Desormau, looked across to a green bus stop fronting a strip mall, where some men kept

watch over their few belongings.

“They’re probably hoping the homeless will relocate themselves,” she said. “But how will they do that?”

Desormau, 39, said it makes sense that people without homes would be drawn by a place like Disneyland,

where tourists with discretionary income swarm.

“This is the spot to seek handouts or aid. I would like to see more people or agencies stepping up to offer mental

assistance,” the travel agent said. “Not everyone ends up on the streets on purpose.”

As he waited for the bus, Mark Ramirez, a Goodwill employee, said he had mixed feelings about Anaheim’s

action.

“I kind of feel bad for them, having to struggle,” the 21-year-old Garden Grove resident said of the homeless.

“But I also see it from the city’s point of view. They have to clean up because this is right outside Disneyland.

They don’t want the tourists to see this when they visit and expect everything nice and shiny.”

Victor Gutierrez, who roamed Arizona for 12 years, is now transitioning from the streets to sleeping in an old

car. At 43, he found a job building stages for public events, starting his shift every day before the crack of dawn.

“I used to sit on these benches overnight and socialize, while waiting to enter work,” he said. “There’s no public

transportation that early, so what’s wrong with people hanging around the bench?”

Nearby, a young man napped on a canvas tote bag, sprawled on the urine-stained ground.

“They didn’t solve the problem by taking away the seats,” Gutierrez said, pointing to the sleeping man.

“Remember, a bus shelter is a shelter. Period. It gives us shade and it protects us.”

7/17/2017 Audio: How California is leading the way in affordable housing on tribal lands | 89.3 KPCC

http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/07/17/73797/tribal-lands-virtually-shut-out-affordable-housing/ 3/8

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For decades, constructing any sort of large-scale affordable housing development on Native American land was nearly impossible. Then California changedthe rules—and now, the whole country may follow.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, the country's largest program for building and preserving affordable rental housing, was virtually inaccessibleto California's Native American tribes until a few years ago.

"The way that affordable housing is built most effectively across the United States is by using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program," said ElizabethGlynn, CEO of Travois, a consulting firm that facilitates housing and economic development on reservations across the country. "California, unfortunately,has made it nearly impossible to access those credits."

The 9 percent and 4 percent tax credits, which developers sell to private companies, have generally provide a chunk of financing to any income-restricted,multi-unit project that's gone up in the past few decades. In total, about $8 billion in tax credits are dished out each year, a little under $1 billion of which goesto California.

But from 1986, when the program started, through 2013, not a single one of those credits went towards building housing on any of the state's 100 reservationsand rancherias.

Tribes simply could not compete in the application process, Glynn said, which tends to favor developments that are near transit, community resources, and areeasier to complete.

"Instead of being able to build a multi-unit apartment building, they have to start by putting in sewer systems, sidewalks, roads," she said.

The lack of building has not been for lack of need, said Cliff Oneill, executive director of the Quechuan Housing Authority on the Fort Yuma IndianReservation in Imperial County.

"Homes here were built 40, 50 years ago," he said. "They're very old and it's a constant job for us to maintain them."

7/17/2017 Audio: How California is leading the way in affordable housing on tribal lands | 89.3 KPCC

http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/07/17/73797/tribal-lands-virtually-shut-out-affordable-housing/ 4/8

Overcrowding, too, is an issue.

"In some cases, we have 12, 13 people living in one house," he said.

A study commissioned by the California Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2015 found nearly a third of people on tribal lands are livingbelow the poverty line in California. Rates of housing overcrowding are higher than elsewhere in the state. And 8.4 percent of occupied units on tribal landlacked complete plumbing, while 6.5 percent lacked complete kitchens. Both numbers are miles above the rest of the state.

The tribal areas did and do receive some funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Oneill said it's mostly spent on maintainingexisting housing.

"We only had sufficient funds to build one, sometimes two homes per year," Oneill said.

Then in 2014, recognizing the need, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee started issuing a minimum of $1 million of the state's roughly $1 billionin low-income housing tax credits to tribal lands. Since then, at least five developments on tribal lands have been funded, including a 44-unit project on theFort Yuma Indian Reservation.

"It's an excellent source of revenue and it allows us to build quality homes for our members," Oneill said.

Now, legislation making its way through Congress would force all states to consider the needs of tribal lands when allocating low-income housing tax credits.The proposed change is a piece of a larger set of reform bills taking shape as Congress gears up to tackle a potential tax code overhaul. And the proposedchanges would benefit low-income renters all over California.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced S 548, which would reform the taxcredit as well as expand it by 50 percent over five years. House bill HR 1661, introduced by Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), islargely similar, but does not call for expansion.

Affordable housing advocates around the state are keen on seeing the reforms go through.

"We're trying to make sure we can use the credit in a wide range of types of communities," said Emily Cadik, who advocates for affordable housing fundingon Capitol Hill for Enterprise Community Partners.

In Los Angeles County, current rules have limited companies' ability to develop affordable housing in many poor neighborhoods. Under current law,developments in census tracts with high poverty rates can receive additional funding to help with construction of community facilities like child care centers.But the number of census tracts that can qualify in any one area is capped, so nearly 1,000 of L.A.'s neighborhoods have met income criteria for the extrainvestments, but haven't been eligible, said Peter Lawrence, director of policy and government relations for Novogradac & Co., an accounting firmspecializing in low-income housing tax credits.

"That can often be the difference between a project penciling out and not," he said.

Los Angeles and Puerto Rico, he said, have the highest number of high-poverty areas that are not been eligible for such funding. The Senate and House billswould both raise the number of census tracts that can get it.

Advocates in rural areas of the state, too, are excited about potential reforms, particularly the Senate bill's proposed expansion of the credit.

"Our housing stock is in high demand, rents are increasing," said Ryan LaRue, who heads development for Rural Communities Housing DevelopmentCorporation. Mendocino County, where the firm is located, has one of the highest per-capita homelessness rates in the country.

Affordable housing, he said, is an issue in California, whether it's rural, urban or tribal land.

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7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/us/california-housing-crisis.html?_r=0 1/6

https://nyti.ms/2vt2ds0

U.S.

The Cost of a Hot Economy in California:A Severe Housing CrisisBy ADAM NAGOURNEY and CONOR DOUGHERTY JULY 17, 2017

SACRAMENTO — A full-fledged housing crisis has gripped California, where thelack of affordable homes and apartments for middle-class families is severe. Themedian cost of a home here is now a staggering $500,000, twice the national cost.Homelessness is surging across the state.

In Los Angeles, booming with construction and signs of prosperity, some peoplehave given up on finding a place and have moved into vans with makeshift kitchens,hidden away in quiet neighborhoods. In Silicon Valley — an international symbol ofwealth and technology — lines of parked recreational vehicles are a daily testimonyto the challenges of finding an affordable place to call home.

Heather Lile, a nurse who makes $180,000 a year, commutes two hours fromher home in Manteca to the San Francisco hospital where she works, 80 miles away.“I make really good money and it’s frustrating to me that I can’t afford to live close tomy job,” said Ms. Lile.

The extreme rise in housing costs has emerged as a threat to the state’s futureeconomy and its quality of life. It has pushed the debate over housing to the center ofstate and local politics, fueling a resurgent rent control movement and the growth ofneighborhood “Yes in My Back Yard” organizations, battling long-established

7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

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neighborhood groups and local elected officials as they demand an end to strict

zoning and planning regulations.

Now here in Sacramento, lawmakers are considering extraordinary legislation to, ineffect, crack down on communities that have, in their view, systematically delayed orderailed housing construction proposals, often at the behest of local neighborhoodgroups. The bill was passed by the Senate last month and could be acted on as soonas this week.

“The explosive costs of housing have spread like wildfire around the state,” saidScott Wiener, a Democratic senator from San Francisco who sponsored the bill.“This is no longer a coastal, elite housing problem. This is a problem in big swaths ofthe state. It is damaging the economy. It is damaging the environment, as people getpushed into longer commutes.”

For California, this crisis is a price of this state’s economic boon. Tax revenue isup and unemployment is down. But the churning economy has run up against 30years of resistance to the kind of development experts say is urgently needed.California has always been a desirable place to live and over the decades has gonethrough periodic spasms of high housing costs, but officials say the combination ofabooming economy and the lack of construction of homes and apartments havecombined to make this the worst housing crisis here in memory.

Housing prices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego havejumped as much as 75 percent over the past five years.

The bill sponsored by Mr. Wiener, one of 130 housing measures that have beenintroduced this year, would restrict one of the biggest development tools thatcommunities wield: the ability to use zoning, environmental and procedural laws tothwart projects they deem out of character with their neighborhood.

It is now the subject of negotiations between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislativeleaders as part of a broader housing package intended to encourage the constructionof housing for middle- and lower-income families that is also likely to include themore traditional remedy of direct spending to build more housing units.

7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

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This is not the first time this state has sought to prod recalcitrant localgovernments to build housing. Mr. Brown tried to push through a measure to forcecommunities to build more affordable housing around a year ago. That effort, likemost in recent years, faltered in the face of opposition from local officials,homeowners and environmentalists, who often see these kinds of measures asenriching developers while threatening the character of some of the most visuallystriking parts of this state, along the coast and in the mountains.

“It’s giving developers a great gift and not giving residents and voters a chanceto cast their opinions about what happens in their own neighborhood,” HeleneSchneider, the mayor of Santa Barbara, said of Mr. Wiener’s new bill.

But the worsening housing crisis here has created a political environment whereprospects for a state housing intervention appear more likely than ever.

“There is a consensus that there is a crisis and we have to address it,” said DavidChiu, a San Francisco Democrat who leads the Assembly Housing and CommunityDevelopment Committee. Mr. Wiener compared the political atmosphere now tohow Californians embraced mandatory water-rationing in response to the five-yeardrought here.

“We’re at a breaking point in California,” Mr. Wiener said. “The drought createdopportunities to push forward water policy that would have been impossible before.Given the breadth and depth of the housing crisis in many parts of California, itcreates opportunities in the Legislature that didn’t exist before.”

The debate is forcing California to consider the forces that have long shaped thisstate. Many people were drawn here by its natural beauty and the prospect of low-density, open-sky living. They have done what they could to protect that life. Thathas now run up against a growing generational tide of anger and resentment, fromyounger people struggling to find an affordable place to live as well as from youngerelected officials, such as Mayor Eric M. Garcetti of Los Angeles, who argue thatcommunities have been failing in what they argue is a shared obligation.

For the past several decades, California has had a process that sets a number ofhousing units, including low-income units, that each city should build over the next

7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/us/california-housing-crisis.html?_r=0 4/6

several years based on projected growth. Mr. Wiener’s bill targets cities that havelagged on building by allowing developers who propose projects in those places tobypass the various local design and environmental reviews that slow downconstruction because they can be appealed and litigated for years.

The bill applies only to projects that are already within a city’s plans: If theproject were higher or denser than current zoning laws allow, it would still have togo through the City Council. But by taking much of the review power away from localgovernments, the bill aims to ramp up housing production by making it harder tokill, delay or shrink projects in places that have built the fewest.

It is hard to say exactly which projects might benefit if the various bills werepassed, since it’s impossible to know which projects local governments might rejectin the future. But there are various examples where it might have pushed adevelopment along.

In Los Gatos, about 60 miles south of San Francisco, for instance, a long-running dispute over a proposed development for 320 homes that the city rejectedled to a lawsuit by the developer, which resulted in a judge directing the city toreconsider the plans. Also, cities regularly make developments smaller than theirzoning allows, something that gradually chips away at future housing production.

California is the toughest market for first-time home buyers and the cost ofhousing is beyond reach for almost all of this state’s low-income population. Despitehaving some of the highest wages in the nation, the state also has the highestadjusted poverty rate.

And Proposition 13, the sweeping voter initiative passed in 1978 that cappedproperty taxes, has made things worse: It had the effect of shrinking the housingstock by encouraging homeowners to hold on to properties to take advantage of thelow taxes.

“California is a beautiful place with great weather and a terrific economy,” saidIssi Romem, the chief economist with BuildZoom, a San Francisco company thathelps homeowners find contractors. “To accommodate all those people you need to

7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

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build a lot, and the state’s big metro areas haven’t since the early ’70s. To catch up,cities would need to build housing in a way that they haven’t in two generations.”

Coastal cities — which tend to have the worst housing problems — have themost scarce land. Still, economists say, the high cost of all housing is first andforemost the result of a failure to build. The state has added about 311,000 housingunits over the past decade, or about 75 percent of what economists say is needed.

“Cities have proven time and time again that they will not follow their ownzoning rules,” said Brian Hanlon, policy director of the San Francisco Yimby Party, ahousing advocacy group. “It’s time for the state to strengthen their own laws so thatadvocates can hold cities accountable.”

Still, few elected officials are eager to risk community anger by forcing throughconstruction that would, say, put a 10-story apartment building at the edge of aneighborhood of single-family homes. That has turned California into a state ofisolated and arguably self-interested islands.

The situation has been aggravated by places such as Brisbane, just south of SanFrancisco, which has encouraged extensive office development while failing to buildhousing.

“We have cities around California that are happy to welcome thousands ofworkers in gleaming new tech and innovation campuses, and are turning a blind eyeto their housing need,” said Mr. Chiu.

In the Bay Area, the explosive growth of the tech industry has led to escalatingrents, opening a tough debate over gentrification and brutal commutes for workers.“Cities that deny housing are contributing to skyrocketing rents, unfair evictions andhomelessness,” said Lori Droste, a member of the Berkeley City Council.

The measure has raised considerable opposition as well, including fromlawmakers who argued that letting state take power away from local governmentsstrips communities of the ability to control the fundamental character of their ownneighborhoods.

7/17/2017 The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - The New York Times

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“People here feel like this is a special place, like people in any town or city do,”said Chris Coursey, the mayor of Santa Rosa. “And they want decisions about thefuture of the community to be made by people in the community who they canactually talk to about this.”

Richard Bloom, a Democratic state assemblyman and a former mayor of SantaMonica, said even communities like his were no longer reflexively trying to derailhousing projects.

“More and more people are becoming well aware that we have a housingaffordability crisis on our hands,” he said. “The issue is just reaching critical masswith the Legislature and the public.”

© 2017 The New York Times Company

7/17/2017 South Carolina May Prove a Microcosm of U.S. Election Hacking Efforts - WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/south-carolina-may-prove-a-microcosm-of-u-s-election-hacking-efforts-1500202806 1/9

NAT IONAL SECUR ITY

South Carolina May Prove a Microcosmof U.S. Election Hacking EffortsThere were nearly 150,000 attempts to penetrate the voter-

registration system on Election Day 2016, State Election

Commission says

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By Alexa Corse

Judy Watson, right, helped her husband Joseph vote in the U.S. general

election on Nov. 8, 2016, at a polling place in Dillon, S.C. Hackers tried to

access the state’s voter-registration system nearly 150,000 times on Election

Day, according to a report by the State Election Commission. PHOTO: RANDALL

HILL/REUTERS

7/17/2017 South Carolina May Prove a Microcosm of U.S. Election Hacking Efforts - WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/south-carolina-may-prove-a-microcosm-of-u-s-election-hacking-efforts-1500202806 2/9

Updated July 16, 2017 8:34 a.m. ET

To understand the scale of the hacking attempts against election systemsin the 2016 presidential election, consider South Carolina.

On Election Day alone, there were nearly 150,000 attempts to penetratethe state’s voter-registration system, according to a postelection report bythe South Carolina State Election Commission.

And South Carolina wasn’t even a competitive state. If hackers were thatpersistent against a state that President Donald Trump won comfortably,with 54.9% of the vote, it suggests they may have targeted political swingstates even more.

In harder-fought Illinois, for instance, hackers were hitting the StateBoard of Elections “5 times per second, 24 hours per day” from late Juneuntil Aug. 12, 2016, when the attacks ceased for unknown reasons,according to an Aug. 26, 2016, report by the state’s computer staff.Hackers ultimately accessed approximately 90,000 voter records, theState Board of Elections said.

Unlike in Illinois, South Carolina didn’t see evidence that any attemptedpenetration succeeded, said Chris Whitmire, the State ElectionCommission’s director of public information and training, last week. Mostof the attempted intrusions in that state likely came from automatedcomputer bots, not thousands of individual hackers.

“Security has been a top priority for the [State Election Commission] sinceimplementing the statewide voting system in 2004,” Mr. Whitmire saidabout South Carolina.

“However, events leading up to the 2016 General Election, including thebreaches of other states’ voter-registration systems, created an election-

Related

• How Maryland Contended With Attempted Hack Of Its Voter-RegistrationSystem (July 11)

• How Alleged Russian Hacker Teamed Up With Florida GOP Operative (May 25)

• Georgia Says Someone in U.S. Government Tried to Hack State’s ComputersHousing Voter Data (Dec. 8, 2016)

7/17/2017 South Carolina May Prove a Microcosm of U.S. Election Hacking Efforts - WSJ

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security environment that was very different,” he added.

South Carolina’s and Illinois’s cases aren’t unique, as many states facedvirtual threats.

There is evidence that 21 states were potentially targeted by hackers, saidJeanette Manfra, acting deputy undersecretary for cybersecurity andcommunications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at aSenate Intelligence Committee hearing last month.

There is consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies that Russiaattempted to interfere in the 2016 general election with the intent ofhelping Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Special counsel RobertMueller and Congress are investigating whether members of the Trumpcampaign colluded with Moscow.

Those hackers were at work months before some of their targets, and theAmerican public, knew. The Democratic National Committee didn’t kickout suspected Russian hackers for 11 months, until June 2016, accordingto a report issued by U.S. intelligence agencies. Also in June, theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee learned that suspectedRussian hackers had breached its network at least two months earlier.Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any government role ineither hack.

In Illinois, the computer staff at the State Board of Elections noticed onJuly 12 that the activity of its server for the voter-registration database“had spiked to 100% with no explanation,” according to the state’s report.

The next day, Illinois took its voter-registration database and public-facingwebsite offline for a week, but the hackers already had accessed roughly90,000 voter records. No records were altered, according to the state’sreport, and the issue was resolved before Election Day. Those hackershaven’t been identified, said Ken Menzel, general counsel for the IllinoisState Board of Elections.

ADV E R T I S EM E N T

7/17/2017 South Carolina May Prove a Microcosm of U.S. Election Hacking Efforts - WSJ

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The DNC, DCCC and Illinois breaches caught the attention of the FederalBureau of Investigation, which on Aug. 18 sent the first of two “flash”alerts to state election officials, warning about attempts to hack electioninfrastructure. Also that week, the DHS offered cybersecurity help to

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Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller, front, is

special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into Russia’s alleged

interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. There is consensus among

U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia attempted to interfere in the election.

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election officials countrywide, with 33 states and 36 cities and countiesultimately accepting aid.

In South Carolina, state election officials met with FBI and state law-enforcement officials, according to public meeting minutes from August.

On Sept. 6, Marci Andino, the state’s executive director forelections, requested assistance from the DHS, according to emails indocuments provided to The Wall Street Journal by Frank Heindel, anactivist who has advocated for improving South Carolina’s electionsecurity for nearly a decade. The commission earlier this month disclosedabout 1,200 pages of documents related to election security in response toa public-records request by Mr. Heindel.

Also in early September, after meetings with its computer staff, SouthCarolina used an expedited process to hire Soteria, a private cybersecurityfirm, Mr. Whitmire said. The South Carolina National Guard’scybersecurity specialists also conducted on-site security assessmentsat county election offices, he said.

To “anyone who was willing to help in 2016, we quickly said, ‘Yes, we wantyour help and we want anything you can do to help,’ ” Mr. Whitmire said.

On Sept. 18, DHS officials remotely completed an initial “cyber-hygienescan” for South Carolina. The scans examined the state agency’s websiteand office network, checking for vulnerabilities using a federally-maintained database. The scan didn’t examine vote-tabulation machines,which aren’t connected to the internet, or the statewide voter-registrationdatabase.

The DHS discovered 55 vulnerabilities—the virtual equivalent of unlockeddoors—across four internet-connected devices used by the State ElectionCommission, according to a copy of the DHS report. Two of them wereclassified as “critical,” the highest level of severity.

“Those are the vulnerabilities that can be translated into remoteexploitation of the database,” said Curtis Dukes, executive vice presidentof the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, which provides cybersecurityfor private and public entities.

The DHS reports don’t indicate that hackers penetrated South Carolina’selection systems. The type of scan that the DHS conducted is generally

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used to identify weak spots, rather than determine whether an intrusionoccurred, said Michelangelo Sidagni, chief technology officer and co-founder of the cybersecurity firm NopSec.

“It’s like saying ‘I’m more susceptible to catch a cold,’ ” said Mr. Sidagni,an expert on vulnerability assessments. “When I actually catch the cold,that’s the exploit.”

If a hacker successfully exploited those vulnerabilities, he or she couldhave tampered with the agency’s public-facing website, and that “wouldseverely damage our public’s trust,” Mr. Whitmire said.

Voters can register online through the election site, which requiresentering personal data, but the official voter-registration database isn’tconnected to the internet, Mr. Whitmire said. Voters’ personalinformation must pass through multiple servers and checkpoints beforebeing stored in the official database, he said.

Even if the hackers penetrated the voter-registration database, officialscould recover because backups are performed daily, Mr. Whitmire said.So, if the state identified a hack and could date its start, the state could goback to using a clean, older version of voter records. But the DNC andDCCC breaches indicate how difficult it is to recognize that hackers areinside a system, since a good deal of material was stolen before thebreaches were discovered.

In the week of Sept. 26, Soteria, the private cybersecurity firm, started itswork on South Carolina’s election system.

Twenty-five days passed before the majority of the vulnerabilities,including the two most severe ones, were fixed, DHS reports show.

“I would tell you: up to three weeks to patch a vulnerability, that’s toolong,” said Mr. Dukes, who was Director of the National Security Agency’sInformation Assurance Directorate until January.

On Oct. 14, the FBI sent a second flash alert about hackers to state electionofficials. It included a list of 621 malicious internet addresses andtechnical indicators that the FBI had identified between April and October2016, according to a newly disclosed copy of the document included inwhat Mr. Heindel provided.

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By Election Day, South Carolina had resolved all but one low-riskvulnerability, according to a DHS report dated Nov. 8. Malicious actors,who haven’t been identified, tried 149,832 times to find it, according to theSouth Carolina State Election Commission’s report. Data on the number ofhacking attempts in the days before Election Day—or from the 2012general election—weren’t included in the report and the commissiondeclined a request for those numbers.

Mr. Whitmire said the state saw no indication that it was targetedspecifically, but the data show a potential correlation between the electionand the virtual assault.

While stray malware hits firewalls regularly, the number of subsequentattempted intrusions against the commission didn’t match the amountobserved on Election Day, according to the state’s report, which listed thenumber of attempted penetrations on the second Tuesday of each monthbetween November 2016 and April 2017.

A month after Election Day, on Dec. 13, the number of hits dropped to113,372. The attempted penetrations never again rose above 100,000,ultimately decreasing to just 44,754 attempts on April 11.

Write to Alexa Corse at alexa.corse@wsj.com

ED ITORS ' P ICKS

‘Events leading up to the 2016 General Election…created an election-security environment that was verydifferent. ’

—Chris Whitmire, South Carolina State Election Commission’s director of publicinformation and training