1/23/2018 Pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle in the ...€¦ · 1/23/2018 Route 66 Museum vandalized: Suspect in custody after causing $30,000 in damage

1/23/2018 Pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle in the Morongo Basin – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/pedaling-toward-a-healthy-lifestyle-in-the-morongo-basin/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/4

By JAMES RAMOS | |January 22, 2018 at 5:08 pm

Gary Benedict and Rick Denison (Courtesy photo)

I’ve chosen Gary Benedict as the Third District’s Vision2BActive Action Hero because he has worked hard to encourage or help others to be

healthy by staying active. Since 1977, Gary has demonstrated his commitment to a healthy lifestyle. He worked at Covington Park, and

retired from the Yucca Valley Fire Protection District and the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Throughout these experiences, he

has been an example of how physical activity helps to improve both physical and mental health, and can reduce the chances of

experiencing many health problems such as heart disease, obesity, arthritis and diabetes. Understanding the need for cardiovascular

�tness and endurance for �re�ghting, continuing to ride a bike to work became common and enjoyable for Gary.

Staying �t is made easier when you �nd an activity that you love. For Gary Benedict that activity is riding his bicycle. The Morongo Basin

resident found his passion for cycling early on in life. As a third grader, Gary discovered the excitement of riding his bike on a mountain

“he discovered” in Newbury Park. At the age of 14, Gary bought his �rst road bike to use in his 14-mile commute to work at a local car

dealership in Thousand Oaks.

At the start of the year, I along with the four other members of the Board of Supervisors helped to launch the Vision2BActive campaign.

This campaign aims to improve health and wellness in the county by encouraging residents to increase their physical activity and

connecting them to existing recreational programs, amenities and activities in our communities.

OPINION

Pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle in the Morongo Basin

1/23/2018 Pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle in the Morongo Basin – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/pedaling-toward-a-healthy-lifestyle-in-the-morongo-basin/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/4

VIEW COMMENTS

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community.Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials thatare unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwiseobjectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. Wemight permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the rightside of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing [email protected].

In 2011, a�er retiring, Gary was approached by Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Mark Butler with the task of writing a Bicycling

Directive for the park. This assignment sparked an awareness of an increase in bicycle safety and promotion within the Morongo Basin.

Earlier this year, thanks to the input from the local community including Gary, Caltrans unveiled a new pilot project on Highway 62 that

provides safety for both pedestrians and bicyclists in the area. Drivers will now be required to slow down to a lower speed limit for careful

navigation along new green bike lanes. Gary travels the highway o�en on his bicycle up to three times a week totaling an approximate 300-

mile ride.

Gary’s not just a part-time cyclist. It’s a lifestyle choice that rewards him every day with adventures, health, and memories.

“For over 40 years I am one of many that enjoy cycling with Gary, while trying to keep up with him on the trail,” said Rick Denison, Mayor

of the Town of Yucca Valley. “But it’s not just the ride that keeps him going. It’s building relationships, �nding new destinations, and

sharing it with others.”

While an advocate of mountain and road cycling, Gary can also be seen at the local BMX track showing kids the joy of bicycles, and

fostering the next generation of active and healthy lifestyles.

James Ramos is the San Bernardino County Supervisor representing the Third District. For more information about the Vision2BActivecampaign, check out Vision2BActive.com, an interactive resource that provides residents with information about physical activity events,�tness tips and a GIS map featuring places to be active in the county.

SPONSORED CONTENT

This Little Girl Was in For a Hilarious Surprise When SheWas Caught Sneaking PresentsBy Duracell

What do the holidays look like without batteries?

James Ramos

Tags: Guest Commentary

1/23/2018 Route 66 Museum vandalized: Suspect in custody after causing $30,000 in damage

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/route-66-museum-vandalized-suspect-in-custody-after-causing-30000-in-damage 1/3

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer Posted Jan�22,�2018�at�5:06�PMUpdated Jan�22,�2018�at�6:19�PM

VICTORVILLE — Caretakers of the California Route 66 Museum spent most of themorning wiping away tears and cleaning up broken glass after the popular touristattraction was broken into.

Museum President Susan Bridges and her staff watched in disbelief as a securitymonitor recording showed a man smashing glass cabinets, overturning displays andstealing vintage artifacts and clothing inside the museum located on D Street inVictorville.

Bridges said the camera also caught the suspect breaking into the museum, stealing a“vintage and empty” cash register; leaving the building and returning later to “damageand steal” property.

“He was inside for about 10 minutes and did about $30,000 in damage,” Bridges told theDaily Press Monday. “It’s going to cost about $5,000 just to replace the glass. We’regoing to be closed for at least a week so we can get everything back in order.”

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested Roy Fonder after hewas found with stolen items and a crowbar near the museum in Victorville. The 25-year-old Fonder, who matched the description of the suspect on the surveillance video,was later booked at High Desert Detention Center on suspicion of burglary andvandalism, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez reported.

Most of the stolen property has been recovered and the majority of the 4,500-square-foot museum was left untouched during the break in. But the scale model of Hulaville,six glass cabinets, the front door and numerous antique cars, trains and figurines weredamaged in the break-in, Bridges said.

“He really did a number on Hulaville, but I saved the bottles,” said museum docent BillLamb, as he worked to restore the model and find missing pieces that had beenscattered throughout the building. “You can replace glass, but you can’t replace history.”

Route 66 Museum vandalized: Suspect in custodyafter causing $30,000 in damage

1/23/2018 Route 66 Museum vandalized: Suspect in custody after causing $30,000 in damage

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/route-66-museum-vandalized-suspect-in-custody-after-causing-30000-in-damage 2/3

Bridges, who said she was alerted to the break-in by Hi Desert Alarm just before 2 a.m.Monday, remarked that deputies “seemed to be heartbroken” by what they found whenthey arrived at the museum.

“This museum is part of who we all are,” Bridges said. “It holds so many memories andartifacts of Route 66 and the High Desert. I can see how anyone who lives here wouldbe affected.”

Bridges said she is pleading with the public to “stop calling the museum” to inquireabout the damage and stolen property.

“We’ve been getting calls from the High Desert and all over the country,” Bridges said.“We appreciate the love and support from all of our friends around the world, butwe’re swamped trying to put everything back together. We’ll keep everyone updated onFacebook, Instagram and our website.”

The museum team is working hard to reopen the museum so they can serve “the armyof Brazilian and Polish tourists” who are currently on vacation. Every year, the museumwelcomes thousands of guests from Europe, Asia, South America and other placesaround the world, Bridges said.

Air Force veteran and museum docent Lou Tyson, 70, told the Daily Press his“childhood” hit him “square in the face” when he first walked through the doors of themuseum.

“I was infuriated when I found out what happened here,” said Tyson, as the original“Hula Girl” cutout looked down on him. “The museum is my home-away-from-home,so this break-in makes me feel violated.”

For donation and general information, visit www.califrt66museum.org or

www.facebook.com/Rte66Museum. The museum is located at 16825 D St. in

Victorville.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, [email protected],

Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz and Instagram @reneraydelacruz

SIGN UP FOR DAILY E-MAIL Wake up to the day’s top news, delivered to your inbox

MOST POPULAR STORIES

1/23/2018 2 arrests made in fatal shooting and botched San Bernardino pawn shop robbery – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/arrests-made-in-fatal-shooting-of-san-bernardino-pawn-shop-owner-during-botched-robbery/?utm_sourc… 1/3

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunPUBLISHED: January 22, 2018 at 3:40 pm | UPDATED: January 22, 2018 at 7:27 pm

Brandon Hall, 28, left, and Darcell Harris, 23, right, were arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and attempted robbery in connectionwith a botched break-in at a San Bernardino pawn shop on Jan. 10, 2018, that left one man dead of gunshot wounds and two people injured from afire. (Photos courtesy of San Bernardino Police Department)

The men accused off killing an employee of a San Bernardino pawn shop during a botched armed robbery have been arrested, San

Bernardino police said Monday, Jan 22.

Brandon Hall, 28, and 23-year-old Darcell Harris, also known by the alias Iovonn Flowers, were arrested over the weekend, according to

police news release. Their cities of residence weren’t available. Harris was arrested in the 900 block of North Cabera Avenue in San

Bernardino on Saturday, and Hall was tracked down and arrested before crossing into Nevada on Sunday, of�cials said.

NEWSCRIME

2 arrests made in fatal shooting and botched SangBernardino pawn shop robbery



Jason Cullen, 32, of Highland. (Photo courtesy of San Bernardino Police Department)

News of the arrests came Monday, the same day family and friends organized a memorial for the victim — Jason Cullen, 32, a Highland

resident and father to two young children — at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland.

Cullen was shot and mortally wounded in the robbery attemptt just before 1 p.m. Jan. 10 at a pawn shop at 2601 Highland Ave. in San

Bernardino.

Police said Hall and Harris, each wearing surgical masks, threw an incendiary device that resembled a Molotov cocktail into the shop. A

display case caught �re, causing burn injuries to two people.

During the confusion, the armed men opened �re, police said, and employees at the store �red back. Witnesses said anywhere between six

and 10 bullets were �red.

The armed men �ed south on Valaria Drive, but crashed their car into a fence at the 210 Freeway, of�cials said. Authorities brie�y closed

the freeway during a search for the men.

Police said they then ran into a nearby apartment complex and got away.

DNA evidence and assistance from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department helped lead to Hall’s and Harris’ arrests this weekend,

according to Monday’s release.

Shootout leaves 3 hurt in apparent pawn shop robbery in San BernardinoSCNG

00:00001:05



VIEW COMMENTS




The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Of�ce �led charges against both of them Monday. They each face one count of murder, two

counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted robbery, along with sentence-enhancing allegations related to �rearms being

discharged.

Harris is being held at the�Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. Jail records indicate his bail would be $3 million, but he is

ineligible because of a probation violation in a 2015 case in which he was convicted of evading a peace of�cer. Court records don’t say

when he is scheduled to enter a plea in the murder case.

Because Hall was taken into custody by the Nevada Highway Patrol, prosecutors are still working on getting him returned to California,

of�cials said.

Authorities are asking anyone with additional information about the case to contact Detective Bill Flesher at 909-384-5655 or Sgt. Emil

Kokesh at 909-384-5613.

Staff writer Sarah Batcha contributed to this report.

SPONSORED CONTENT

What’s the Current State of the Oil Industry?By TitleMax

Gas prices are historically correlated with the state of the economy.

beatriz-valenzuela Beatriz E. Valenzuela

Beatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 andhas been on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving SouthernCalifornia readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and videogames. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable.

Tags: homicidee, shootingg, Top Stories PEE, Top Stories RDFF, Top Stories Sun

1/23/2018 Two suspects arrested for pawnshop homicide | Schools | highlandnews.net

http://www.highlandnews.net/news/schools/two-suspects-arrested-for-pawnshop-homicide/article_d9bdf858-ffd3-11e7-9735-bb89de1849a1.html#utm_… 1/2

http://www.highlandnews.net/news/schools/two-suspects-arrested-for-pawnshop-homicide/article_d9bdf858-�d3-11e7-9735-bb89de1849a1.html

BREAKING FEATURED

Two suspects arrested for pawnshop homicideJan 22, 2018 Updated 15 hrs ago

Over the Jan. 21-22 weekend Iovonn Flowers, 23, and Brandon Hall, 28, were arrested for the homicide of Highland resident Jason Cullen, 32,

which occurred during an attempted armed robbery of Highland Pawn and Loan on Jan. 10.

According to San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD) release, Flowers and Hall were identi�ed as the suspects in Cullen's murder as a result of

coordination with the San Bernardino Sheri�'s Department and DNA and investigative processing. Flowers was located in San Bernardino and

arrested by SBPD o�cers on Saturday Jan. 20.

Concrete Experts

HomeAdvisor

Find Pre-Screened Local ConcreteProfessionals. See Ratings and Reviews!

SBPD investigators were then able to lead Nevada Highway Patrol o�cers to Hall and he was stopped and arrested on Sunday, Jan. 21, shortly

after crossing the Nevada boarder.

Both Hall and Flowers will be charged with homicide and possibly additional charges pending decisions from the district attorney’s o�ce,

according to the release.

Iovonn Flowers, 23, was one of two suspects arrested for the homicide of Highland pawnshop employee Jason Cullen.

Courtesy photo

1/23/2018 Two suspects arrested for pawnshop homicide | Schools | highlandnews.net

http://www.highlandnews.net/news/schools/two-suspects-arrested-for-pawnshop-homicide/article_d9bdf858-ffd3-11e7-9735-bb89de1849a1.html#utm_… 2/2

Cullen was working his parent's pawnshop when two suspects entered and immediately threw a Molotov cocktail-like incendiary device at the

counter and began shooting. Cullen and fellow pawnshop employees Nate Merrill and Fern Martinez returned �re, causing the suspects to �ee.

Cullen had been shot in the abdomen during the event and died of his injuries at the hospital. Two others su�ered burn injuries.

If anyone has additional information about this incident, please contact Detective William Flesher at (909) 384-5655 or Sergeant Emil Kokesh at

(909) 384-5613.

MORE INFORMATION

Reward o�ered for information in Cullen's murder

Cullen remembered as hero and friend

Highlander Jason Cullen killed in armed robbery

1/23/2018 Two soldiers killed in Ft. Irwin helicopter crash

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/two-soldiers-killed-in-ft-irwin-helicopter-crash 1/2

By Staff ReportsPosted Jan�22,�2018�at�12:46�PMUpdated Jan�22,�2018�at�12:46�PM

FORT IRWIN — Two Army soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash while traininghere early Jan. 20.

According to U.S. Army officials, 1st Lt. Clayton R. Cullen, 25, of Indiana, and ChiefWarrant Officer 2 Kevin F. Burke, 28, of California, died when their AH64 Apachehelicopter crashed during training operations at the National Training Center (NTC)early Saturday morning.

Cullen and Burke were both assigned to the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th InfantryDivision and were stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado, according to a statement fromthe Fort Irwin’s media affairs division.

“These gentlemen exemplified all the attributes we expect from our very best leaders.They were selfless, mission focused, and committed to their teammates,” 4th CAB, 4thInfantry Division Commander Col. Scott Gallaway said. “Our heartfelt prayers andcondolences go out to Clayton’s and Kevin’s families.”

Cullen joined the U.S. Army in April of 2015, according to officials, and was assigned tohis unit last September, while Burke was part of the unit since Feb. 2010.

Both soldiers received several awards during their service, including the ArmyAchievement Medal and National Defense Service Medal. Burke, who served twodeployments in Iraq, was also awarded a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

“These two young leaders left an indelible mark on the entire Iron Eagle team,”Gallaway said. “We will forever be better soldiers, and a more combat-ready aviationbrigade, due to their leadership.”

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

For more information, contact the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at 719-526-4143ext. 7525.

SIGN UP FOR DAILY E-MAIL

Two soldiers killed in Ft. Irwin helicopter crash

1/23/2018 Self Help Festival to return to San Bernardino with A Day to Remember, Papa Roach and more – Daily Bulletin

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/01/22/self-help-festival-to-return-to-san-bernardino-with-a-day-to-remember-papa-roach-and-more/?utm_… 1/2

By STEPHANIE SCHULTE | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise

January 22, 2018 at 11:13 am

Courtesy photo

Papa Roach will perform at the Self Help Festival in San Bernardino on Saturday, March 3.

As festival season is fast approaching with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festivall just around the

corner, the Self Help Festival has announced its return to San Bernardino.

The rock-centric event will take happen at the National Orange Show Events Center on Saturday, March 3.

Florida-based rock band A Day to Remember,, which started the festival in 20144, will be back to headline the event in addition to curating it.

Other bands on the bill include Papa Roach, Alkaline Trio, Falling In Reverse, Of Mice & Men, August Burns Red,State Champs, Knuckle Puck,

The Devil Wears Prada, Wage War, Crown The Empire and Volumes, with more expected to join the lineup.

Tickets are $44.50 for general admission before Saturday Jan. 28, when tickets increase to $54.50. VIP packages, which include meet and

greets with the bands as well as merchandise, are $199.

Visit selfhelpfest.com for more information.

THINGS TO DOMUSIC + CONCERTS

Self Help Festival to return to San Bernardino with A Day toRemember, Papa Roach and more

1/23/2018 If Adelanto Council handpicks Wright replacement, 6 candidates want in

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/if-adelanto-council-handpicks-wright-replacement-6-candidates-want-in 1/4

By Shea Johnson Staff Writer Posted Jan�22,�2018�at�3:48�PMUpdated Jan�22,�2018�at�4:11�PM

The candidate list offers a mix of the politically connected andnewcomers.

ADELANTO — Six candidates are vying to be the appointee replacement to JermaineWright, the former mayor pro tem now under federal indictment who was removedfrom office by the City Council this month.

The six who submitted applications are seeking to fill the currently vacant fifth seat onthe Council after Wright was kicked out for having accrued a string of

consecutive, unexcused absences. The move to expel Wright was enabled by the

Council’s authority under the city charter.

During a special meeting scheduled at City Hall at 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Council isexpected to first consider whether they will continue to prefer to appoint a

replacement or instead call a special election, which was once thought to be too

expensive but was later realized to cost just a little over $5,000.

The candidate list, included in the agenda for the special meeting, offers a mix of the

politically connected and newcomers. In alphabetical order by last name, they are:

— Bradley Eckes: A security guard with no political experience who has lived in the

city for 26 years, Eckes pegged trash, crime and a lack of stores as pressing issues facingAdelanto.

“I don’t call any other place home, so I feel like it’s time I get more involved in my cityand help to build it up for its future,” Eckes wrote. “It’s time to really clean this place upand make it more appealing for businesses ...”

He possesses varied employment experience, including in lawn, child, animal andhousehold care, and in technical industries like fiberglass, automotive and welding.

If Adelanto Council handpicks Wright replacement,6 candidates want in



— Daniel Hayes: A stay-at-home dad and photographer who founded For All May Eat,

a nonprofit, Hayes said he has not witnessed enough change in Adelanto in the nearly15 years he has lived here.

“This city of ours has so much potential, and I believe that we need to figure out a wayto start attracting more retail stores as well as commercial businesses,” Hayes wrote,“which in turn, will help grow the city’s coffers and boost employment and residency.”

He said infrastructure, specifically, required attention to enhance the city’s aesthetic,noting that economic and infrastructure overhauls were possible with “proper planningand especially the proper use of funds.”

— Joy Jeannette: A planning commission appointee by Mayor Pro Tem John “Bug”

Woodard, Jeannette underlined “jobs” for city residents in her application, adding thatsafety, infrastructure, senior, youth and animal programs, and parks on Adelanto’snorthern end were equally as important to her plans on the Council.

Jeannette has a long list of civic involvement, including as the founder and director oftwo nonprofits serving seniors and veterans and as a participant in the city’s rodeo,Grand Prix and food drives, and regional fundraisers.

That experience, she wrote, reflects her ability in “building partnerships and goodwillwhile networking.” She’s lived in Adelanto for 59 years, by far longer than any othercandidate.

— Trinidad Perez: The only candidate with prior Council experience, Perez was

elected to the dais in 2002 and appointed to fill a vacancy in 2010. He sought re-electionin 2012, but lost his bid to Councilman Ed Camargo and Wright.

Citing the city’s budget deficit, Perez wrote that he saw commercial marijuana as apotential boon to Adelanto’s economics: “With the tax revenues, the city will be in abetter position to attract bigger businesses with incentives and infrastructure.”

Other projects he pledged to champion include repaving or replacing streets and a newartery between Palmdale and Rancho roads. Perez listed the Boys and Girls Club,Adelanto Little League and Adelanto’s American Youth Soccer Organization as hismost recent public or civic volunteer experiences.

— Gabriel Reyes: A credit business owner, Reyes pointed to a need to address

leadership and vision as an impetus for his candidacy, suggesting he too believed thatdrawing more businesses to the city was a priority.



�

“I am a natural born leader with integrity and vision,” he wrote. “I may not havepolitical experience, but I do have values and morals and I am very excited to seeamazing things come to this beautiful city.”

Reyes belongs to nonprofit HALO Outreach and First Assembly of God, where he is achurch leader. He has also assisted the Christian Club at Riverside Preparatory School.A resident for 18 years, he wrote it was his goal to help “make Adelanto a pillar of theHigh Desert.”

— Chris Waggener: The Planning Commission chair and a commissioner for nearly a

decade, Waggener is a strong supporter of the current direction of the Council, notinghow several land-use zone changes with which he has been directly involved have metthe demands of businesses and maximized property output.

He called it “an honor” to assist drawing new business here — commissioners have beenasked to also perform economic development duties amid short staffing — like theClark Pacific cement plant, the Frontier Enterprises-backed commercial marijuana parkand the Lifestyle Delivery Systems “CannaStrips” operation.

A resident for 23 years and current CEMEX employee, Waggener wrote that he had“never seen such development” in the city and that he believed he would be a better fitworking on behalf of the city at the Council level.

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or [email protected]. Follow him on

Twitter at @DP_Shea.



1/23/2018 How these San Bernardino students are taking on the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/how-these-san-bernardino-students-are-taking-on-the-2018-great-kindness-challenge/?utm_source=dlvr.… 1/2

By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunJanuary 22, 2018 at 3:54 pm

Students from Holy Rosary Academy write “Thank You” cards for California firefighters at the Catholic school in San Bernardino, Ca., Monday,January 22, 2018. Dignity Health is partnering with Kids for Peace to sponsor the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge, a fifth-year program hoping toinspire students to perform acts of kindness and service. (John Valenzuela/The Sun/SCNG)

How many acts of kindness will you perform this week? Five? Ten? Even more?

Dignity Health�– St. Bernardine Medical Center is challenging children to perform 50.

The San Bernardino hospital has partnered with global nonpro�t Kids for Peace to present the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge, a ��h-year

event inspiring children around the world to make a commitment to service and kindness.

Monday, hospital physicians and staff took the campaign to Holy Rosary Academy, a private school in San Bernardino.

The challenge encourages children to perform 50 acts of kindness in one week. Anything from holding the door open for someone else to

helping a friend with homework qualify.

First- and second-grade students at Holy Rosary on Monday got a jump start on the �eld, writing “Thinking of You” cards to California

�re�ghters as a thank you for their bravery battling the recent wild�res.

LOCAL NEWS

How these San Bernardino students are taking on the2018 Great Kindness Challenge

1/23/2018 How these San Bernardino students are taking on the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/how-these-san-bernardino-students-are-taking-on-the-2018-great-kindness-challenge/?utm_source=dlvr.… 2/2

VIEW COMMENTS




As part of the demonstration, students used stethoscopes to examine pint-sized teddy bears, an exercise in relaying to children where

kindness comes from.

whitehead_brianrianBrian WhiteheadrianBrian Whitehead covers San Bernardino for The Sun. Bred in Grand Terrace, he graduated from Riverside Notre Dame

High and Cal State Fullerton. For seven years, he covered high school and college sports for The Orange County Register. Before landingat The Sun, he was the city beat reporter for Buena Park, Fullerton and La Palma.

Follow Brian Whitehead @bwhitehead3

Tags: communityy, Top Stories Sun

1/23/2018 A community garden may grow in Chino Hills - Champion Newspapers: Special Section

http://www.championnewspapers.com/special_section/article_3be711c6-fd5a-11e7-ba7b-af74aa716f84.html?mode=print 1/1

A community garden may grow in Chino HillsBy Marianne Napoles | Posted: Saturday, January 20, 2018 8:00 am

Planting a community garden in Chino Hills is an idea thatcould take root if enough residents want one.

Bill Taylor, chairman of the parks and recreationcommission, placed the matter on Wednesday’s agenda andreceived input from five residents who supported the idea.

Ricky Roras, who has lived in Chino Hills for 27 years, saida garden can provide a gathering place to know yourneighbors and encourage healthy lifestyles.

Partnerships can be formed with the school district, seniorgroups, and universities to provide instructional programs.

Angela Romero, who serves on the Healthy Hills Committee,suggested the grassy area near the Community Center onPeyton Drive as a potential location. She said gardens can provide stress relief for men and a place to hangout.

Norma Corletto said her neighbor suggested a small garden in each neighborhood instead of one largergarden. She said Boy Scout troops can be asked to build raised beds.

Community services director Jonathan Marshall said there are a number of ways to operate a garden and hehas seen successes and failures depending on the rules that are put into place.

He said residents are expressing interest in a variety of recreational programs including pickleball, a splashpad, gymnasiums, and aquatics.

He said residents who want a community garden should fill out a survey that is being held in conjunctionwith the update of the parks, recreation and open space master plan on the city’s website.

Commissioner Greg Higgins agreed.

“I personally have an interest in a community garden,” he said. “I would encourage anybody who has aninterest to submit their comments because that is what I will listen to in terms of programs and facilities.”

Commissioner Pat Hamamoto said there are young people out there who don’t know that grapes grow onvines and lettuce grows out of the ground.

He encouraged residents to fill out the survey and bring the community garden to the top of the list.

The online survey may be filled out by visiting .chinohills.org/recreationsurvey

Jake

Jake, a German short haired pointer, landshimself at the “butterfly garden” near Galloping Hills Drive, north of EucalyptusAvenue.

1/23/2018 Ballantyne live on Facebook - Champion Newspapers: Sports Notes

http://www.championnewspapers.com/sports_and_recreation/sports_notes/article_5e35d6da-fd60-11e7-affb-d34af1b55cb1.html?mode=print 1/1

Ballantyne live on FacebookPosted: Saturday, January 20, 2018 8:00 am

Chino city manager Matt Ballantyne will host a Facebook live session at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22 to answerquestions about Chino and discuss what is ahead for 2018.

Residents who follow the City of Chino on Facebook will receive a notification.

Those who do not follow Chino on Facebook may access the session at .face book.com/cityofchinogov

1/23/2018 Blaze rips through Apple Valley apartment complex

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/blaze-rips-through-apple-valley-apartment-complex 1/2

By Paola BakerStaff Writer Posted Jan�22,�2018�at�3:26�PMUpdated Jan�22,�2018�at�3:26�PM

APPLE VALLEY — Fire officials said three residents were displaced in a blaze that ripped through an apartment complexlate Saturday evening.

Apple Valley Fire Protection District officials said Red Cross was requested to assist two adults and a teenager left withouta place to stay due to the blaze, which occurred at a fourplex in the 15800 block of Serrano Road at 11:38 p.m. that night.

AVFPD Battalion Chief Jim Hulbert said the blaze completely damaged one unit at the fourplex, while another unit hadminor damages.

“There was definitely extensive damage to the one unit — it will probably be unoccupied for a while,” Hulbert said.

The units were connected, but fire crews were able to control the flames before they could continue to spread. Firepersonnel also rescued several pets, including a large dog and several cats, Hulbert said, but at least two other cats remainedmissing Monday.

AVFPD responded with four engines, a battalion chief, a fire investigator and the district’s fire chief, along with assistancefrom a truck from the San Bernardino County Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

The fire was deemed to be accidental, Hulbert said, and remains under investigation.

Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.

SIGN UP FOR DAILY E-MAILWake up to the day’s top news, delivered to your inbox

Blaze rips through Apple Valley apartment complex


Giving back: Local teenearns Gold Award aftercollaboration with On theRiseVICTORVILLE — Foster care childrenhave a lot to go through, between changinghomes, families, friends and schools. Oftenthese children have…

Read More

‹ Previous Next ›

1/23/2018 'Here we grow again': Sterling Inn assisted living facility begins $9 million expansion project

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/here-we-grow-again-sterling-inn-assisted-living-facility-begins-9-million-expansion-project 1/2

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer Posted Jan�22,�2018�at�12:04�PMUpdated Jan�22,�2018�at�12:04�PM

VICTORVILLE — The ground rumbled as earth-moving equipment moved just a fewyards from a Sterling Inn sign that announced, “Here We Grow Again.”

After celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016, the independent and assisted livingfacility has broken ground on its new apartment complex project near the corner ofRidgecrest Road and Lindero Street in Victorville.

To celebrate the event, an expansion/groundbreaking ceremony is planned for 1 p.m.Jan. 31 at the Sterling Inn, 17738 Francesca Road in Victorville.

The $9 million expansion project, which will add 37 “luxurious” apartments at thenorth end of the campus, will feature one-and two-bedroom units and larger studioapartments. The three-story project will expand the current site from 98,000 to133,000 square feet and will include private patios, and new parking spaces.

The expansion project is expected to be completed by this summer and will add to thecampus’ existing 125 units, Sterling Inn spokeswoman Veronica Fuentes told the DailyPress.

“We’ve been talking about this project for a long time and we’re now seeing itsfruition,” Fuentes said. “We’re all very excited about this expansion and the upgradingof our current facility. One of the great things about the project is that nearly 95percent of the work is being done by local vendors, which means creating jobs righthere in our community.”

Sterling Inn took three deposits for new apartments about a year ago and expects a tidalwave of inquiries and new deposits “once word gets out” that Sterling is adding housingunits, Fuentes said.

Upgrades to the current facility include new carpet, an improved gym, the addition ofnurse stations and an exterior facelift.

‘Here we grow again’: Sterling Inn assisted livingfacility begins $9 million expansion project

1/23/2018 'Here we grow again': Sterling Inn assisted living facility begins $9 million expansion project

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/here-we-grow-again-sterling-inn-assisted-living-facility-begins-9-million-expansion-project 2/2

�

Over the years, the Sterling Inn has averaged nearly 94 percent occupancy, KoelschSenior Communities president and CEO Aaron Koelsch told the Daily Press in anearlier interview.

Calling the Victorville campus the “flagship” facility of the 23, Koelsch said he wasproud of every Sterling Inn employee and the High Desert community.

“This was Aaron’s first community building as CEO so the Sterling Inn has a specialplace in his heart,” Fuentes said. “He’ll be here during our groundbreaking to get ashovel in the ground.”

The Sterling Inn and Sterling Commons Memory Care employ licensed nurses andprofessional staff on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Over the years, the facility has received several awards, including the memory carecampus, which was presented the Senior Advisor Excellence Award for receivingconsistently high ratings from residents and their families in 2015. Winners of theaward represent the top tier of independent, assisted and Alzheimer’s care communitieson the SeniorAdvisor.com website.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, [email protected],

Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz and Instagram @reneraydelacruz




1/23/2018 Redlands bicyclist suffers life-threatening injuries in Highland collision with vehicle – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/bicyclist-suffers-life-threatening-injuries-in-highland-collision-with-vehicle/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medi… 1/4

By GAIL WESSON | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise

PUBLISHED: January 22, 2018 at 11:07 pm | UPDATED: January 22, 2018 at 11:14 pm

A San Bernardino County sheriff’s major accident investigation team is looking

into a collision that le� a bicyclist with life-threatening injuries Saturday, Jan. 20,

in Highland, according to a sheriff’s news release.

Deputies responded at 7:25 p.m. to Palm Avenue south of Third Street. Motorist

Thomas Youngwirth, 46, of Highland, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet truck north on

Palm approaching Third Street when his vehicle collided with bicyclist Brandon

Mayberry, 34, of Redlands, authorities said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Deputy Kyle

Glozer at the Highland sheriff’s station, 909-425-9793. Tipsters who wish to remain

anonymous may contact the WeTip hotline at 800-782-7463 or www.wetip.com.

LOCAL NEWS

Redlands bicyclist suffers life-ythreatening injuries in Highlandg jcollision with vehicle

Tags:� crashh, Top Stories PEE, Top Stories RDFF,g ,,Top Stories Sun

1/23/2018 Rialto man accused of making threats against Redlands Post Office employees – Daily Bulletin

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/01/22/rialto-man-accused-of-making-threats-against-redlands-post-office-employees/?utm_source=dlvr.it… 1/3

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | [email protected] | San Bernardino Sun

January 22, 2018 at 12:10 pm

A Rialto man who was once employed at a Redlands Post Of�ce was arrested after

authorities say he threatened several employees prompting of�cials to lock down

the government of�ce Saturday morning.

“(Redlands police) received a call shortly after�7 a.m.�Saturday�from a supervisor at

the main post of�ce at�1900 W. Redlands Blvd. reporting that they had been made

aware of a threat to employees at the facility by a former employee,” said Carl Baker,

spokesman for the Police Department.

Of�cers determined that there was no immediate threat to the facility and turned

the investigation over to the postal inspectors, he said.

Later that same morning, postal inspectors tracked down the man, later identi�ed as

Mario Ulises Perez, 46, and interviewed him at a home in the 9900 block of

Manzanita Road in Rancho Cucamonga, Baker said. Police of�cers were again asked

to assist and they went to the home where he was arrested on suspicion of making

criminal threats.

Police booked Perez into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga and

is being held on $50,000 bail.

NEWSCRIME

Rialto man accused of makingthreats against Redlands PostOf�ce employees

1/23/2018 What’s the future of marijuana in San Bernardino? Discussion continues Feb. 1 – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/whats-the-future-of-marijuana-in-san-bernardino-discussion-continues-feb-1/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_m… 1/4

By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | [email protected] | San Bernardino

SunPUBLISHED: January 22, 2018 at 6:11 pm | UPDATED: January 22, 2018 at 6:16 pm

File photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

The San Bernardino City Council on Monday, Jan. 22 voted to continue a publichearing on whether to extend a 45-day moratorium on marijuana activities another 10months and 15 days to Feb. 1.

LOCAL NEWS

What’s the future of marijuana injSan Bernardino? Discussioncontinues Feb. 1

1/23/2018 What’s the future of marijuana in San Bernardino? Discussion continues Feb. 1 – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/whats-the-future-of-marijuana-in-san-bernardino-discussion-continues-feb-1/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_m… 2/4

A public hearing on whether to extend a 45-day moratorium on marijuana

activities in San Bernardino will continue Feb. 1, a�er a marathon City Council

meeting Monday.

At 3 p.m., in the middle of public comment, the body voted to return to the dais

Feb. 1, the day before the city’s interim ban on marijuana is to expire.

City staffers have suggested extending the marijuana moratorium another 10

months and 15 days to give the council additional time to develop regulations.

Should the ban expire Feb. 2 with no local rules in place, the state would regulate

cannabis on the city’s behalf.

The extended ban could be ended sooner should regulations be adopted.

Monday, a representative with cannabis consultant HdL discussed any number of

issues with council members: taxes, permitting delivery services rather than

brick-and-mortar shops, the cost of enforcement, how regulation will affect the

black market.

Holding town hall meetings to educate the community also was discussed.

A�er nearly �ve hours of staff and council discussion, the public addressed the

issue.

The most poignant comments were made by Sandra Owen-Olivas and Damon

Alexander, members of a committee formed by the City Council last year to

discuss regulating marijuana. The two expressed frustration with city leaders’

apparent disregard for the proposals the body�submitted in Decemberr.

The nine-member citizens advisory committee�worked with HdL representatives

and hosted �ve public hearings in two months, broaching several of the same

issues discussed Monday.

Many in the audience attended last year’s committee meetings, Alexander said,

and they shared the pair’s concerns.

“Did you trust the person you appointed to make a good decision for everyone?”

Owen-Olivas said. “We worked these issues out together, �gured these things out

together. I feel at this time I wasted my time.”

Added Alexander: “We did the heavy li�ing. All you have to do is look at (the

proposals) and say, ‘I like this, I like this, I don’t like this,’ and move forward.”

The public hearing is to continue at 10 a.m. Feb. 1, at the Council Chambers, 201

N. E St.

To watch Monday’s meeting, click heree.

1/23/2018 Consider subscribing! Here’s why | The David Allen Blog

http://www.insidesocal.com/davidallen/2018/01/22/consider-subscribing-heres-why/ 1/5

Consider subscribing! Here’swhyPosted on January 22, 2018

Significant layoffs, 20 percent or more, will fall in the coming weeks on the newsroomof the Daily Bulletin and the 10 other papers in the Southern California News Group.It’s been widely reported, so I feel comfortable in sharing that. The Times wrote adetailed account last week, which you can read here.

You might be asking: What can I do? Here’s what journalist Luis Gomez wrote:

Ken Doctor, like many journalism experts and practitioners, was recently asked aboutthis conundrum: “What can citizens do?”

And like everyone else, he said what people should do is subscribe to a newspaper. Itsounds self-serving, but it’s a simple question of economics. People vote with theirwallets. If they don’t buy a subscription, they are essentially telling newspapers thatthey are not worth keeping around.

A lot of people are essentially telling us that, unfortunately. (I’ve lost track of how manypeople who recognize me then ask me if I still write for the newspaper.) And we’vemade it easy to tell us that by offering our product online largely for free as we, andother newspapers, tried to figure out whether increased readership would pay for itselfvia increased advertising. Turns out it, er, didn’t.

Now, I’m hesitant to tell people how they should spend their money, and I’m sensitiveto the fact that, like other print publications, we’re charging you more for less content.

1/23/2018 Consider subscribing! Here’s why | The David Allen Blog

http://www.insidesocal.com/davidallen/2018/01/22/consider-subscribing-heres-why/ 2/5

Still, paying for the news you’re getting seems only fair. We’re not working for free. Aprint subscription or a digital one is fine with us, whichever you prefer. It’s a relativebargain, in my eyes, and your support may keep us going. Even a reduced level oflocal news is better than no local news — right?

Home delivery price on our website is $25 for 28 days — that’s under $1 a day, andcheaper than the newsstand price, and comes with unlimited online access.

An online-only subscription is $10 for 28 days — that’s 28 cents a day, daily andSunday. Why, that’s like 1970s pricing. You get unlimited access to our website and aweb facsimile of each day’s paper, with the ability to read recent past issues. And thecarrier won’t throw it under your car.

May we sign you up? Operators, as they used to say in the commercials, are standingby.

Above, a (slightly messy) view of a portion of our office; below, art on the wall ofanother room.

This entry was posted in Newspapers by David Allen. Bookmark the permalink[http://www.insidesocal.com/davidallen/2018/01/22/consider-subscribing-heres-why/] .

1/23/2018 Perris torture case raises the question: When should you call police with suspicions about neighbors? – Press Enterprise

https://www.pe.com/2018/01/22/perris-torture-case-raises-the-question-when-should-you-call-police-with-suspicions-about-neighbors/ 1/8

Photo by Suzanne Hurt, staff

Murrieta resident Mike Clifford, 30, said he and his parents saw odd behavior when theTurpin family lived at the home behind him — including children marching back andforth in front of second-floor windows — but nothing alarming to make them callauthorities.

NEWS

Perris torture case raises thequestion: When should you callq ypolice with suspicions aboutpneighbors?



By SUZANNE HURT | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise

PUBLISHED: January 22, 2018 at 7:24 pm | UPDATED: January 22, 2018 at 8:49 pm

Anonymous reporting

Nearly 20 years later, the woman whose phone calls led sheriff’s deputies to �nd a

malnourished 6-year-old Norco girl chained to a bed is still haunted by what the

girl went through and the need to know if she’s alright.

Devora Antisdel, the former neighbor of 6-year-old Bettye Topper who was

rescued in 1999, said Monday, Jan. 22, she was heartbroken to learn of the 13

Turpin siblings who investigators say were tortured and held captive by their

parents in another part of Riverside County.

“It makes me sick. It brought up old memories about little Bettye Topper all over

again,” said Antisdel, who now lives in Missouri.

In September 1999, Antisdel made at least half a dozen calls to Riverside County

Child Protective Services and �nally called 9-1-1 because neighbors never saw the

girl. Deputies found the 30-pound child wearing only a diaper, covered in feces

and tethered to her bed by a chain attached to a canvas harness around her waist.

Riverside County law enforcement of�cials say the Turpin children were abused

for years at their home in Perris and a former home in Murrieta where they lived

about two years, but the mistreatment began when they lived in Texas.

The Turpins’ neighbors and former neighbors have described odd behavior that

included rarely seeing the children. Yet no one contacted authorities to check on

the children’s welfare at their home in Perris before one of them, a 17-year-old

girl, escaped Sunday, Jan. 14, and called 9-1-1.

“We had more than 58,000 calls last year. Not one of them came from (about) that

home,” said Mary Parks, spokeswoman for the Riverside County Department of

Public Social Services, which oversees Child Protective Services.

Many people don’t report their suspicions because they’re afraid they’ll get into

trouble or be sued, Antisdel said.



People who report abuse won’t get in trouble because reports are anonymous,

Parks said.

But if you suspect abuse and won’t make the call, tell a mandated reporter –

someone who’s required by law to notify authorities of possible abuse. That

includes school and daycare staff, clergy, medical staff including dentists and

nurses, and social workers.

Suspected abuse or neglect of children in Riverside County can be reported by

calling 800-442-4918. Outside the county, call the Child Help National Child Abuse

Hotline at 800-422-4453.

People living in a quiet Murrieta neighborhood of stucco, tile-roof homes where

the Turpins once lived on Saint Honore Drive are shocked and saddened to hear

what investigators say was going on behind closed doors, said Mike Clifford, 30.

He and his parents, who live across the street from the Turpin’s old home, saw

strange behavior but no signs of abuse. Every few nights, 12 silhouettes of

children could be seen marching back and forth in front of second-�oor windows

between midnight and 3 a.m.

The Turpin family didn’t seem to be hiding anything because at least one

window’s blinds were open.

“There was no physical abuse you could see to justify a call to authorities,” he

said. “If there was anything alarming, of course, we would have called.”

He and his parents thought such a large family might be made of foster kids. A�er

seeing them marching at odd hours yet never playing outside, the Cliffords

thought the children were disabled or autistic.

Two Turpin girls who got the mail spoke with Clifford’s mother in monotones and

identical statements.

“They always spoke together,” said Clifford, adding the girls never bore signs of

mistreatment and had many chances to ask his mother for help.

Clifford said he was surprised no other neighbors living closer reported anything

amiss.

If the allegations prove true, the parents, David and Louise Turpin, were very

good at hiding everything, Clifford said, adding that David Turpin brought home a

new Mustang each year. David and Louise Turpin on Thursday, Jan. 18, pleaded

not guilty to 75 felony charges including torture, false imprisonment and child

abuse.



Signs of abuse

Parks urged people to contact social services anytime something doesn’t seem

right.

“We’re hoping we can work better with all of our Riverside County communities

a�er something like this,” Parks said. “People have to pick up the phone and let us

know.”

She said signs of abuse include unexplained or fading bruises, burns, bites, black

eyes and other marks; extreme passiveness or aggressiveness; behavior that’s

overly compliant or demanding; infantile behavior; and head banging or walking

back and forth.

Other signs include stealing or begging for food or money; if a child is

“inappropriately” adult and parenting another child; or lack of appropriate

supervision.

“If you ask their name or how they are and they act frightened, that could be a red

�ag that something could be wrong,” Parks said.

In Norco, neighbors spent at least a year and a half putting clues together a�er

Cynthia Topper talked repeatedly of a child neighbors never saw, until one, Dave

Beck, saw the child with her mother at a market.

“She (the girl) was stark, stark white. That got my imagination going,” said Beck,

who encouraged his tenant/girlfriend, Antisdel, to contact authorities. Beck said

he doesn’t regret taking that long.

“I had to be certain,” he said. “I don’t want to accuse my neighbor of something

(that’s not happening).”

Bettye Topper’s mother, Cynthia Topper, and grandfather, Loren Bess, served

short prison sentences.

Antisdel was at work when Bettye Topper was rescued and never saw the child.

She heard the girl went to high school and even graduated, but doesn’t know for

sure. Even now, Antisdel would like to see her – at least a picture — and know

what became of her.

“If I could just ever see her once – just to know,” she said. “It’s a question I’ll have

in my mind forever.”

Antisdel urged anyone who suspects children are being abused or neglected to not

“look the other way” or wait for someone else to report it.



SPONSORED CONTENT

An Incredible $200Intro Bonus JustFor Using ThisCardA leading bank just uppedthe intro bonus on its topcash back card to aninsane $200. Plus get ...

“If you think that there’s something going on, stand up and do the right thing,” she

said.

SUZANNE_HURTHURTSuzanne HurtUSuzanne Hurt has written about everything from boxcar tramps

and crooked politicians to surf kayaking, �ash �oods and the vanishing Borneorainforest. She’s worked as a reporter at the legendary wire service City NewsBureau of Chicago and daily newspapers, The Register-Guard and The ModestoBee, a�er a stint as an editor. As a freelancer, she produced hard news andnature, science, adventure travel and extreme sports content, includingmultimedia. For The Press-Enterprise and Southern California News Group,Suzanne specializes in narrative storytelling, backed by extensive hard newsexperience, strict journalism standards and a master’s in literary non�ctionfrom the University of Oregon’s journalism school. She’s told the story of oneperson’s survival of the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, traced a man’spath out of homelessness and recreated the Dec. 2, 2015, terrorist attack in SanBernardino through �rst responders’ eyes. Also covering GA and theenvironment, she’s written about avalanche danger, canyoneering,snowshoeing, desert and waterfall hikes, cowboy movers, rescue divers, rabidbats, stealthy burros, the mother orange tree scientists won’t let die and theJesus pancake.

Follow Suzanne Hurt @SuzanneHurt

BY NEXTADVISOR

Tags: Perris torture casee, Top Stories IVDBB,gTop Stories OCRR,

,, pTop Stories PEE,

,,Top Stories RDFF,p

Top Stories Sun

1/23/2018 Would Amazon HQ2 exacerbate L.A. and Southern California’s housing crisis? – Daily Bulletin

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/01/22/would-amazon-hq2-exacerbate-l-a-and-southern-californias-housing-crisis/?utm_source=dlvr.it&ut… 1/6

By KEVIN SMITH | [email protected] | San Gabriel Valley Tribune

January 22, 2018 at 6:10 pm

Amazon holds a two-day hiring event at the Moreno Valley Conference Center inMoreno Valley, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. (Photo by Rachel Luna, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

BUSINESS

Would Amazon HQ2 exacerbate L.A.and Southern California’s housingcrisis?



Report shows declining supply

While Amazon choosing to locate its second headquarters in Southern California

could bene�t the region’s economy, the new facility could also stress an already

under-supplied housing market, experts say.

Economist Christopher Thornberg, a founding partner at Beacon Economics, said

leaders in the city and county of Los Angeles are “panicked about the rising cost of

housing” and the low supply of affordable housing at a time when many low-income

people already can’t afford homes.

“So we’re going to plop 50,000 high-tech workers down in the middle of all this?,”

Thonrberg said. “Are you kidding me?”

Thornberg said Amazon’s presence could spur some additional construction — but

not much.

“This could push prices up, and that could make developers more frenetic so we

might see some supply increase,” he said. “But would it be enough to even partially

offset the demand? Absolutely not.”

Experts have expressed concerns that California’s already tight housing market will befurther impacted if Amazon locates its second headquarters in the Los Angeles area. (APPhoto/Rich Pedroncelli)

A California Association of Realtors�report released Monday showed the

state’s�available supply of homes hit its lowest level in 13 years in December.



Lots of potential sites submitted

Due to a lack of home building and an increasing population from people coming

from out of state,�CAR President Steve White said California is already 1 million

housing units below what’s needed.

“We expect that over the next eight years that could grow to 2 million,” White said.

“It’s supply and demand. There just isn’t enough housing available for folks in all

economic sectors.”

A constrained supply is in�ating prices — the median price for an existing single-

family home in the L.A. metro area was�$495,720 in December, up 6.7 percent from

the same period a year earlier. The Inland Empire saw an even bigger 7.5 percent

year-over-year increase, pushing its median price up to�$345,570.

Amazon, the Seattle-based online retail giant, announced last week that 20 cities

were left on the list, including L.A.

The company plans to spend more than $5 billion to build its second

headquarters,�supporting as many as 50,000 new jobs in a complex taking up about 8

million square feet of space.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. submitted nine potential

sites throughout L.A. County deemed suitable for Amazon’s needs. Los Angeles

Mayor Eric Garcetti told KNX-AM last week that the city submitted three possible

locations — two in the downtown area and another at Warner Center in Woodland

Hills.

Alex Comisar, a spokesman for Garcetti, said in an email the city was “already

investing” in expanding the local availability of housing in regional centers and along

transit corridors.

“We’re expanding the capacity for new housing exactly where the demand is

growing, which should control the upward pressure on rents,” Comisar said. “And

we’re doing that in an inclusive way, by building more mixed-income developments

and protecting existing renters by enhancing our local rent stabilization law.”

Bill Allen, who heads the LAEDC, touts the region’s world-class universities,�logistics

network, transit connectivity, global connections and overall quality of life as a lure

to bring Amazon here.



A tough business climate

The company’s move to Southern California would create additional jobs during the

construction phase of HQ2 and it would also boost spending at restaurants, gas

stations, entertainment venues and other retail outlets. Beyond that, it would

generate increased business for suppliers and vendors.

But housing remains a concern.

Tom Adams, owner of the�Century 21 Adams & Barnes network in Alhambra, Covina

and Monrovia, �gures California’s limited housing supply and a host of other factors

will dissuade Amazon from coming to Southern California.

“When you look at a company like Apple … they moved just outside Reno for

reduced state taxation and affordable housing and we don’t have either of those,” he

said. “There are only two things that could make housing more affordable —

government input and more supply.”

White agreed, saying local opponents of new development “make the process long

and drawn out for builders” and that “it can take years for a builder to get through all

of the regulations” imposed by California cities and counties.

“It has to to with regulations and NIMBYism,” he said. “People are saying, ‘We don’t

want new construction in our back yard,’ and cities and counties are complicit with

that. They make the process long and drawn out for builders”

Thornberg also �gures Amazon isn’t coming to Southern California.

“I’d give it about a 5 percent chance,” he said.

smith_kevin Kevin SmithKevin Smith handles business news and editing for the Southern

California News Group, which includes 11 newspapers, websites and social mediachannels. He covers everything from employment, technology and housing toretail, corporate mergers and business-based apps. Kevin often writes stories that

Tags:� amazonn, Amazon HQ22, housingg, Top Stories Breezee,gTop Stories IVDBB, Top Stories LADN,

gg pTop Stories LBPTT,p

Top Stories OCRR,p

Top Stories PEE,p

Top Stories PSNN,pTop Stories RDFF,

pTop Stories SGVTT,

pTop Stories Sun,p

Top Stories WDN

1/23/2018 Commentary: Oprah for Santa Barbara County Supervisor | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2018/01/commentary-oprah-for-santa-barbara-county-supervisor/ 1/4

HOME ADVERTISE JOB BOARD GRANTS SUBSCRIBE CONTACT U

GARMIN

Commentary: Oprah for SantaBarbara County Supervisor

POSTED BY : GUEST COMMENTARY JANUARY 22, 2018

By Joel Fox.

Dear Oprah,

You might become a fine president. But you and your state, California, would be better off if you ran

for Santa Barbara County supervisor.

That’s no joke. If you want to tackle some of our nation’s greatest problems, there’s no need to trudge

through the D.C. swamps. You can stay right at home in the Montecito mansion you’ve owned for

nearly two decades.

A local government position in a small place 90 miles north of L.A. might sound like a comedown for a

billionaire. It isn’t. For all its wealth and natural beauty, your county of 445,000 is now the most

challenged place in California. That was true even before the two recent disasters in your community—

the massive Thomas Fire that forced you to evacuate, and the subsequent mudslides that killed 20

people—occasioned soul-searching about emergency response, infrastructure, and development in

the county.

I realize that being a local politician was the furthest thing from your mind in 2001 when you bought a

42-acre spread there and named it “The Promised Land,” a nod to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final speech

in 1968. No, you loved the idea of Santa Barbara as a magical quasi-island on the land—a place cut off

from the world by the sea and the mountains, but still close enough to take a lunch meeting in

Hollywood.

LATEST HEADLINES

Homeless wonder where they will go asO.C. clears out massive encampmentsalong river

What role did ‘group think’ and ‘it’s notmy job’ play in Modesto’soverspending?

Is San Jose winning its war on illegaldumping?

Government Shutdown Unlikely toSlow North Bay Fire Recovery

El Cajon’s homeless feeding banreconsidered

Click here for more headlines

SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILYNEWSLETTER!

Name:

Email:

Register

LOCAL GOVERNMENT



But that geographic isolation makes Santa Barbara’s problems more complex and costlier. Consider

the area’s chronic water troubles. Santa Barbara remains in drought even after last winter’s rains.

Why? The landscape that makes Santa Barbara so dramatically beautiful—high mountains next to the

ocean—also makes it hard to capture water.

When rain lands, it rushes out to sea, too quickly to be captured by reservoirs or seep into the aquifer.

Rising ocean water is threatening some of the region’s freshwater supply. Santa Barbara has

responded by buying more water and installing a desalination plant. (This is why your laidback

neighbor The Dude—Jeff Bridges—was reportedly angry when he learned you had dug a new well on

your property.)

Santa Barbara, despite the wealth of many of its people, doesn’t have infrastructure to connect well

with the rest of California. The 101 Freeway is a parking lot on many days. The Amtrak train down to

L.A. is slow and overcrowded. And despite the recent construction of a fancy $37 million terminal, the

airport is mostly empty.

And county government lacks your Midas touch. The county’s budget has a persistent budget shortfall

that is projected to expand to more than $50 million in the next four years.

This reflects the area’s badly imbalanced economy. Santa Barbara County has wealth, but much of it

comes from people who made their money elsewhere; the business base in the county isn’t broad or

strong enough. While the jobless rate is low, too many of those jobs are in low-wage industries—

agriculture, tourism, and other service industries. By one ranking, Santa Barbara has the second worst

income inequality in California after the Bay Area.

When you look at advanced statistics on poverty—which account not just for income but for Santa

Barbara’s high cost of living—the picture is even bleaker. Those high costs speak to exorbitant housing

costs in a region that has built far too few homes in recent decades. Adding to the problems, wages

are just high enough in the county to make many working poor people ineligible for social safety net

benefits.

One result: Santa Barbara County has become California’s unofficial capital of child poverty. The Public

Policy Institute of California found that nearly one-third of young children in the county live in poverty,

under the advanced statistics.

I know that Santa Barbara poverty looks very different than the poverty you grew up with in inner-city

Milwaukee. But it’s damaging nonetheless.

I suggest you drive up to Santa Maria—which is the most populous city in the county. You’ll see pretty

parks and schools and single-family homes. But when you knock on doors, you’ll discover two and

three families packed into many homes. You’ll also hear plenty of concerns about crime in

neighborhoods with high murder rates. And you’ll also find children who can seem cut off from their

beautiful region.

So, while you’re there, make some young friends and drive west on Main Street until you reach the

Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, a county park that sits right on the ocean. You’ll find that many

Santa Maria kids, haven’t experienced the roaring waves or the 550-foot dunes, the tallest on the West

Coast, even though they live 10 miles away.

That’s the kind of thing you could do as a county supervisor that you couldn’t do as president.

Yes, the White House offers awesome power. But you’d also find yourself constrained by partisan

gridlock and polarization. To take that job, you’d have to give up your media empire—unless you want

to be criticized and investigated as ceaselessly as the self-enriching current president is.

As a county supervisor, you could keep your businesses while serving your community. You’d be less

constrained in pursuing your agenda—county supervisors in California are both the legislative and

FOLLOW PUBLICCEO

3,339Followers

0Fans

SubscribeRss



SHARE THIS STORY

� Previous Post

CA Cities Should Look to This S.F. AffordableHousing Finance Model

Next Post �CalPERS Seeks Legislation to Avoid Pension Cuts

ABOUT GUEST COMMENTARY

PublicCEO is proud to have a wide range of guest contributors share their insight with our

publication. Please note that the views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, PublicCEO as an organization.

RELATED POSTS

executive branches, so supes who can collaborate with colleagues can make a ton of difference.

And then there’s the power of your example. Americans spend far too much time obsessing over the

madness of our crazy national politics, while ignoring the more fundamental and important work of

local governance. You, by choosing to become a local supervisor, would inspire imitators all over the

country.

You’ve been successful in life because of your ability to bridge the experiences and aspirations of the

wealthy and the poor, the fortunate and the not so fortunate. Santa Barbara County needs more

bridges like that. Is there any higher public service than to save the place you call home?

Your fellow Californian,

Joe Mathews

Joe Mathews�writes the�Connecting California�column for�Zócalo Public Square.

Comments0 comments

0 Comments Sort by

Facebook Comments Plugin

Oldest

Add a comment...

Search Search

1/23/2018 Amid anxiety among homeless, law enforcement begins plan to gradually clear out Santa Ana riverbed encampments – Orange Coun…

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/22/amid-anxiety-among-homeless-law-enforcement-begins-plan-to-gradually-clear-out-santa-ana-riverb… 1/8

By THERESA WALKER | [email protected] and JORDAN GRAHAM |

[email protected] | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: January 22, 2018 at 7:11 pm | UPDATED: January 22, 2018 at 9:15 pm

3 COMMENTS

An Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy talks with Lillian Martin along the Santa Ana RiverTrail on Monday. The deputy informed her that she had to move off the river bed.Martin has been homeless for six years.(Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange CountyRegister/SCNG)

NEWS

Amid anxiety among homeless,law enforcement begins plan togradually clear out Santa Anariverbed encampments



Apart from a visibly heavier presence of law enforcement officers and news

media, the daily routines of hundreds of homeless people living along the Santa

Ana River Trail went on as usual even as a plan to gradually evict them from their

tent encampments got underway.

Hardly anyone appeared to be packing up on Monday, Jan. 22, the day Orange

County Public Works set for closure of a three-mile-long stretch of the bike trail

from Ball Road in Anaheim to Interstate 5 in Orange to do cleanup work. On a

warm, mellow winter day, radios played inside tents, volunteers handed out food

and homeless people rode by on bicycles and scooters.

The seemingly placid scene, though, belied deep anxiety among many who still

had no clue where to go even as they heard polite and respectful warnings to

leave from a contingent of around a dozen Orange County�Sheriff’s Department

deputies who went tent to tent.

Of the more than 500 people living along the river, a few did head for temporary

beds at places like The Courtyard shelter in downtown Santa Ana. But most

stayed put. Some said they thought they had 30 days to clear out; others said no

matter how much time they had to find another place to sleep, it wouldn’t matter

— there was no place for them to go.

Worry over the impending evacuation of the county’s largest homeless camp�— a

place that some observers have taken to calling Skid River, a reference to Skid

Row in Los Angeles — caused distress�in a woman who has epilepsy.

Sher Stuckman, 59, who has lived in the encampment since June, suffered her

second seizure of the day as deputies approached. She trembled in the shade of

a tree outside her makeshift home, where her fiancé tended to her.



“It happens when I’m stressed,” said Stuckman, a former medical administrator,

who says she became homeless after she had a stroke.

“I have no clue where I’m going to go.” Stuckman said. “My immediate plan is to

go sit out on Chapman Avenue with all our stuff. They want us to move? Well,

they’re going to see us on their streets. I’ll go post up in their parks somewhere.

I’ll be arrested when I leave here because I have nowhere to go.”

Stuckman’s fiancé said the couple would try to move soon because there was no

point in delaying their inevitable displacement.

Up the trail near the north end of the area to be cleared, friends Elizabeth

Aguilar, 40, and Renee Alto, 49, waited along with their four dogs and a ragtag

mix of suitcases, backpacks and shopping bags for an Uber driver at the nearby

ARTIC regional transportation center. For the past 10 months, they’ve lived in

tents across from the Honda Center.

Around noon, outreach workers with City Net, a nonprofit hired by the county in

July to work with the riverbed homeless population, dropped off the two women

and their belongings in a golf cart and paid for their ride to The Courtyard

homeless shelter They had been assured beds were available for them, Aguilar

said.

“They’ve been trying to get us to go, but we’re kind of scared to go,” Alto said,

explaining that they’d had bad experiences at other shelters.

And, Aguilar admitted, they had settled in at the riverbed: “We were comfortable,

I guess.”

The county posted work notices on the bike trail two weeks ago, notifying the

homeless people living in tents and makeshift dwellings that all individuals and

property had to be removed by Jan. 22, starting at 6 a.m. Yet, the sheriff’s

department said in the days leading up to the start of the flood control

maintenance project they would take a “slow and methodical approach” to

clearing out the camps.

Unlike the mad scramble to leave on the day in November when the county

began clearing out more than 100�people from a tent encampment on the bike

trail in Fountain Valleyyy, most people on Monday hadn’t even started packing —

and didn’t expect they would actually need to.



They had been lulled into a sense of security by a court injunction imposed early

last year to protect the property of homeless people from seizure, and they

anticipated new legal action to stop the county again. Misinformation also flew

up and down the bike trail, along with news reports outlining the messaging

from the sheriff’s department that law enforcement would not come in with a

show of force.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Shannon Parker said rumors have circulated through the

encampment in recent days, misleading inhabitants into thinking they would

have an extra month to clear out. He said that misinformation contributed to

many homeless people being unprepared Monday to begin the process of

packing up and moving.

“That put us behind,” Parker said. “But we’re being reasonable. We expect

cooperation and progress.”

Jeff Musgrave, 50, an Orange native who lives less than a half mile from the

riverbed, arrived early to witness the start of the encampment clearing. He said

he applauds the county for taking action but thinks it waited too long to do so.

“They turned their backs on us by allowing this (encampment to grow),”

Musgrave said. “What about me? What about my investment in my home?”

Homeless legal advocates shadowed deputies and OC Public Works’ crews as

they made their rounds.

Brooke Weitzman, an attorney who sued the county in February to require it to

store homeless people’s property if it is seized, said she was monitoring to

ensure that homeless peoples’ “constitutional rights aren’t infringed on more

than they already have been.” Weitzman said the advocates watched the work

crews to ensure they collected only trash and not belongings that inhabitants

wanted to keep.

One homeless man predicted hardened resistance will set in as the week

continues with the beefed-up police presence.

“They’re going to tell people to move and a lot of people aren’t going to move,”

said Patrick Hogan, who was working on his second edition of a hand-written

newsletter he calls the Riverbed Wash. “And I’m going to sit here and record it.”

Standing nearby and listening to Hogan was Joey Renert, a Fullerton man who

said he has worked as a contractor with the United Nations to deploy to areas

devastated by disasters. He heard about the clearing of the riverbed and came

down on Monday to see if he could be of any help to the homeless people and

their advocates.



Renert, a self-described economic recovery specialist, made it clear he was not

representing the United Nations, which did send an investigator to Southern

California in November who met with civil rights advocates and other

representatives of homeless people in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Of the riverbed encampment, which largely lacks toilets and running water,

Renert said, “I see a condition worse than what I’m used to in a disaster zone.”

The scene on Monday didn’t faze cyclist Keith Baca as he emerged from the bike

trail at Katella Avenue on a ride that would take him to Huntington Beach and

back. Baca, who runs a tile business and lives in Mission Viejo, didn’t realize the

camp was being cleared.

When told of the county’s unfolding action, he declared, “Thank God.”

Baca said he has used the bike trail off and on for years to ride his bike or run.

The presence of homeless people on the riverbed didn’t explode until the past

few years, making him feel the area near Angel Stadium and the Honda Center is

dangerous and a health hazard. The county said cyclists using that portion of the

bike trail will be detoured for about three months.

Baca said he is not without empathy, and would like to see the county and cities

work together to establish a homeless shelter and services center large enough

to handle a population like that at the riverbed — just in some place that

wouldn’t impact residents and businesses.

“I know people are going to cry and people are going to be distraught over this,”

he said. “But something’s got to be done.”

Baca praised the plan to clear the riverbed:�“I couldn’t be more happy.”

walker_theresa01sa01Theresa Walkersa0Theresa Walker is a Southern California native who has been a

staff writer at The Orange County Register since 1992. She specializes in humaninterest stories and social issues, such as homelessness. She also coversnonprofits and philanthropy in Orange County. She loves telling stories aboutordinary people who do the extraordinary in their communities.

Follow Theresa Walker @TellTheresa

Tags:� homelesss, santa anaa, Top Stories OCR

1/23/2018 2018’s LA County homeless count comes amid an ‘explosion of energy’ – Daily Bulletin

https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/01/22/volunteers-will-fan-out-over-three-days-to-capture-the-scale-of-los-angeles-homelessness-crisis/?u… 1/8

By ELIZABETH CHOU | [email protected], SUSAN ABRAM |

[email protected] and DONNA LITTLEJOHN | [email protected] | Daily

News

January 22, 2018 at 7:46 pm

L.A. Councilman Joe Buscaino takes part in a homeless count in San Pedro onJanuary 28, 2015. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

LOCAL NEWS

2018’s LA County homeless countcomes amid an ‘explosion of energy’



As thousands of volunteers fan out over three days this week to determine the size

of Los Angeles’s homeless population, the data they collect is expected to help

in�uence how millions of dollars in new funding will be spent to combat the ever-

growing crisis.

The additional dollars are coming partly from Measure H, which was approved by

voters in March, and makes $355 million a year in sales tax revenue available for

homeless services. Los Angeles city leaders have also started awarding tens of

millions of dollars to help construct housing aimed at housing homeless individuals,

as part of Proposition HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure approved in late 2016.

As of Monday, more than 6,200 people had signed up to take part in the tally, which

is the �rst being done after some of the funding has been put to use. They will be

going out to the freeway underpasses, riverbeds, libraries, parks and streets where

RV and tent encampments have proliferated.

A homeless man pushes a shopping cart full of his belongings across an intersection in theSkid Row area of Los Angeles. (File)

Mayor Eric Garcetti, who will be helping to kick-off the start of the homeless count

in North Hollywood Tuesday evening, said this year’s tally “takes on new

importance” because of the extra funding.

The census will “help us better target and deliver the permanent supportive housing,

emergency shelter and ongoing services that those new dollars are making possible,”

he said.



While slower to provide results, Proposition HHH has already yielded one

groundbreaking. The �rst project that received funds from the bond measure began

construct in East Hollywood last December, and will offer 187-units of affordable

and permanent supportive housing for the homeless when completed.

Meanwhile, some of the Measure H money that is geared toward increasing

services, have started to bene�t the San Fernando Valley, according to John Horn,

chief impact of�cer of L.A. Family Housing, the organization that connects homeless

individuals to services and housing for that area.

The three “multi-disciplinary” outreach teams that operate in the San Fernando

Valley are a “brand new thing,” and was made possible through Measure H funding,

Horn said. These teams include mental health and substance abuse specialists, as

well as “peer support” members who have personal experience being homeless, he

said.

The additional funding surrounding this year’s count come as a shot in the arm to

communities and nonpro�ts that have for years gone without funding to help

homeless people, despite the growing need, according to the county of�cials that

decide how Measure H money is spent.

That can be seen in the nonpro�ts that are rapidly recruiting and actively hiring staff,

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said Monday.

More jobs are being created in the social services sector, and outreach teams to help

homeless people have climbed new all time highs, he explained, with much of that

progress due to the accuracy of the annual homeless count, which allows lawmakers

and organizations to see where the needs exist.

“I think there is a lot of energy and determination to get an accurate count then to

work as hard as we can to help those who are homeless,” Ridley-Thomas said. “It’s in

the midst of an explosion of energy and more resources than has ever been seen

before. We’re ramping services at a level unprecedented. 2018 will be seen as a

baseline for how we make progress in the coming years.”

One indication of how the new funds are already bearing fruit is the opening in July

of a one-stop shop for services to families experiencing homelessness in South Los

Angeles. The new resource, know as the HOPICS Family Solutions Center, houses

more than 10 nonpro�ts and government agencies that assist 300 families a day,

Ridley-Thomas said. The center receives almost $9 million in funding from LA

County, including $6 million from Measure H, and about $1 million from the city of

Los Angeles.

Los Angeles city leaders say that accurate count numbers are vital in getting funding

to areas that have traditionally not been seen as hot spots for homelessness.



“We’ve seen over recent year that the count has shown an increase in the homeless

population in the (San Fernando) Valley,” said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who

represents North Hollywood and other east Valley communities.

“That’s important because as we develop policies and �gure out budget

appropriations, if people are only thinking about Skid Row (in downtown Los

Angeles) as the center of homelessness in Los Angeles, we lose sight of the impact on

the people and neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley.”

“In order to �x any problems, we have to be able to measure that problem with

accurate data,” he said.

Some city of�cials anticipate that this year’s count likely will not bear good news,

and there might be community opposition to some of the proposed solutions.

“I think there is a lot of energy anddetermination to get an accuratecount, then to work as hard as we

can to help those who are homeless. It’s inthe midst of an explosion of energy andmore resources than has ever been seenbefore. — Mark Ridley-Thomas, LA County supervisor

In the Harbor Area, Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino is anticipating an

increase in the number of homeless this year, in part due to the clearing out of

encampments in Santa Ana.

“We’re expecting it to be worse,” said Buscaino’s director of communications

Branimir Kvartuc. He also said this count is likely to be one of the most accurate

since the counts began.

While so-called navigation centers where the homeless can store belongings are

being discussed in committee�Tuesday�for both the Harbor area and the San

Fernando Valley, of�cials are aware that earlier attempts to establish one such

center in San Pedro was shouted down at a public meeting for being too close to an

elementary school and homes.



But the issue of homelessness has steadily taken on greater urgency in more parts of

the city. Residents of West San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, which has

traditionally seen fewer encampments than other parts of the city, have in recent

years grown alarmed by the spread of homelessness into their areas.

“If you drive through downtown and under the 110 freeway, you will see a slightly

different homeless situation then if you come to the West Valley, go down Ventura

Boulevard and under the 101,”�said Councilman Bob Blumen�eld, who represents

Woodland Hills and Canoga Park.

“Both areas have seen a rise in homelessness that is unacceptable and needs

attention,” he said.

In the West Valley, the rise in homelessness can be seen not only in encampments,

but also in the many RVs and vehicles parked along commercial and industrial

streets, which can often create a sanitation problem because there are not enough

facilities for people living under these conditions to dump their sewage, he said.

Blumen�eld said one of the key ways the funding has changed that game is that ” we

�nally have the ability to invest in long term solutions.” But he added that some of

these efforts will need time to take root, especially when it comes to the type of

housing that Proposition HHH funds.

“It is great to see groundbreakings around our city for new permanent supportive

housing facilities but the reality is that it took decades to get into this crisis and it will

take time to get out of it,” he said.

That means there will be a need for “short-term measures that will positively impact

the quality of life in our communities while ensuring that homeless people have

access to the services and care they need,” he said.

elizabeth-chou

Elizabeth ChouElizabeth Chou has reported on Los Angeles City Hall governmentand politics since 2013, �rst with City News Service, and now the

Los Angeles Daily News since the end of 2016. She grew up in the Los Angelesarea, and formerly a San Gabriel Valley girl. She now resides in the "other Valley"and is enjoying exploring her new San Fernando environs. She previously workedat Eastern Group Publications, covering Montebello, Monterey Park, City ofCommerce, and Vernon.

Follow Elizabeth Chou @reporterliz

susan-abram Susan Abram

1/23/2018 It’s official, California’s bullet train is off the rails – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/its-official-californias-bullet-train-is-off-the-rails/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/4

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | [email protected] |January 22, 2018 at 8:00 pm

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

In this Feb. 26, 2015 file photo, a full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento.

The �rst phase of California’s high-speed rail project is estimated to cost $2.8 billion more than previously thought, according to the

California High Speed Rail Authority.

The revised price for the 119-mile Central Valley portion of the project is not the �rst time estimated costs have proven too optimistic.

Originally expected to cost $6 billion, the authority revised its estimate to $7.8 billion in 2016. Now, the segment is expected to cost $10.6

billion, a 35 percent increase over the previous estimate.

The revised �gures even exceed warnings from the Federal Railroad Administration in 2016 that the segment could actually end up costing

$10 billion, estimates that were disputed at the time by the state rail authority.

Tuesday’s revelation could prompt the authority to ask the state for more money. “The worst-case scenario has happened,” Roy Hill, a

consultant who serves as the project’s chief program of�cer, told the rail authority on Jan. 16.

For many critics of high-speed rail, the rail authority’s worst-case scenario has been the only plausible scenario all along. Far from

unexpected, cost overruns, delays and serious concerns about the viability of the project have unfortunately become key features of the

bullet train’s construction.

“Finally the authority is telling the truth,” says Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, who is calling for an audit on the project. “This is a

project in freefall.”

It certainly appears that way. In addition to ballooning costs and a more than seven-year delay, high-speed rail authorities reported late last

year that environmental reviews of the project won’t be completed until 2020, two years later than planned.

OPINION

It’s official, California’s bullet train is off the rails

1/23/2018 It’s official, California’s bullet train is off the rails – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/its-official-californias-bullet-train-is-off-the-rails/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/4

VIEW COMMENTS




Patterson, prompted by news of a $35 million emergency transfer by the authority budgeted for utilities to pay the contractor on the

Central Valley portion of the project, �rst called for an emergency audit last November. That request was rejected by Assembly Democrat

and Legislative Audit Committee Chairman Al Muratsuchi.

With the latest news just adding to a long string of concerning issues about the integrity of the project, the need for an audit is even more

apparent.

On Jan. 30, Patterson hopes to convince members of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to approve a nonpartisan, independent audit of

the project by the state auditor. Among the issues Patterson would like an audit to delve into are the cost overruns, time delays, the

shakeups in the rail authority’s executive leadership, the transfer of funds and whether or not there is a backup plan for moving ahead.

Patterson’s request is straightforward and should be embraced by supporters and opponents of the project alike. If you believe the project

is worthwhile, the least you should expect is that the project is properly planned and executed. If you are critical, an audit will provide clear

and objective facts to proceed with.

Previous audits by the state auditor in 2010 and 2012 raised serious concerns about inadequate planning, oversight and funding. The

project is long overdue for another audit. We urge the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to approve Patterson’s request.

SPONSORED CONTENT

[Infographic] How Household Costs Have Changedg pSince 2000By TitleMax

Gas prices are historically correlated with the state of the economy.

SanBernardinoSunicon/logo

The Editorial BoardThe editorial board and opinion section staff are independent of the news-gathering side of our organization. Throughour staff-written editorials, we take positions on important issues affecting our readership, from pension reform toprotecting our region’s unique natural resources to transportation. The editorials are unsigned because, while written by

one or more members of our staff, they represent the point of view of our news organization’s management.�In order to take informedpositions, we meet frequently with government, community and business leaders on important issues affecting our cities, region andstate. During elections, we meet with candidates for of�ce and the proponents and opponents of ballot initiatives and then makerecommendations to voters.

Tags: editorials

1/23/2018 Higher taxes aren’t the solution to California’s problems – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/higher-taxes-arent-the-solution-to-californias-problems/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/3

By SAL RODRIGUEZ | [email protected] | Orange County RegisterJanuary 22, 2018 at 7:00 pm

Greg Andersen, Whittier Daily News

Voters line up to cast their vote on ballot propositions.

Californians are some of the most taxed people in the country, yet it never seems to be enough for those who want more of other people’s

money.

California has among the highest per capita tax burden and some of the highest income, sales and gas tax rates in the country. It’s no

surprise the Tax Foundation ranked California’s business tax climate 48th in the country last year.

This extensive system of taxation puts California on track for a state government general fund budget of nearly $132 billion in the coming

�scal year, which begins July 1. That’s up from an enacted general fund budget of $102 billion in 2007-08.

Rather than taxing and spending ourselves into prosperity, however, California continues to lead the nation in poverty, �nds itself in the

grips of a housing crisis, produces some of the most abysmal educational outcomes in the nation and even a�er pension reforms in 2012

will remain buried in pension obligations for decades to come.

It is a state of affairs which should prompt some re�ection on whether continuing to throw more money at government institutions

without ensuring those institutions are as ef�cient and effective as possible makes any sense.

OPINION

Higher taxes aren’t the solution to California’s problems

1/23/2018 Higher taxes aren’t the solution to California’s problems – San Bernardino Sun

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/01/22/higher-taxes-arent-the-solution-to-californias-problems/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/3

Alas, there are plenty of well-funded special interest groups and public sector unions at the state and local level which would not be well-

served by a suddenly critical populace and honest political establishment and which thrive on the continued system of looting from

taxpayers.

Now, those special interest groups and public sector unions are looking to get more, billions more, from property owners this year.

Last month, a proposed ballot measure called the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018 was submitted to the

attorney general. The measure seeks to implement a long-talked about “split roll” system to siphon more property taxes from commercial

and industrial properties.

The list of supporters should surprise no one. Among those endorsing the “Make It Fair” proposal includes the SEIU, California Teachers

Association, the single-payer obsessed California Nurses Association and the United Teachers Los Angeles.

Proponents estimate the change to Proposition 13 will generate over $11 billion in annual revenues necessary so California “can restore

funding to its underfunded schools, invest in local communities, level the playing �eld for business, and stimulate the economy.”

It isn’t hard to think of several better and more direct ways of restoring funding to schools, investing in communities, leveling the playing

�eld for businesses and stimulating the economy. In reverse order: repealing job-killing regulations will probably do more to stimulate the

economy than extracting billions more from property owners.

Rather than permit crony capitalist exercises like offering subsidies to giant corporations like Amazon, or doling out tax credits which don’t

produce measurable results, simplifying the state tax code and lowering tax rates overall would probably do a better job of leveling the

playing �eld for businesses.

If restoring funding to schools and investing communities is truly the goal, it’s an admirable one. Unfortunately, given those supporting the

proposal, such rhetoric is generally code for “paying for pensions.”

The state, counties, cities and school districts have all felt the impact of rising pension costs and the problem of pension crowd-out,

whereby pension costs engulf increasing portions of budgets and crowd-out funding for tangible services.

According to a study released last year by Stanford University Professor Joe Nation, the state’s contribution to CalPERS and CalSTRS took up

2.1 percent of the state’s operating expenditures in 2002-03. This year, they take up 7.1 percent of operating expenditures and by 2029-30, it

will be 10.1 percent or more.

The same thing is felt at the level of school districts, including LAUSD, where UTLA has gotten its way on pension and health bene�ts to the

point where by 2031-32 the district will spend more than half of its budget on pensions and health bene�ts.

If one is serious about investing in communities and schools, more pension and bene�t reforms should be demanded.

While the unions will continue to cloak themselves in progressive rhetoric and seek to trick voters into thinking the path to prosperity and

justice is to give the government more money, Californians should cast a more critical eye towards such proposals and resist further

looting of taxpayers.

Sal Rodriguez is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. He may be reached at [email protected]

SPONSORED CONTENT

How Have Gas Prices Changed Since1929?By TitleMax

Gas prices are historically correlated with the state of theeconomy.

Sal Rodriguez

Tags: Opinion columns

1/23/2018 Mall Owners Flock to Transit Hubs - WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mall-owners-flock-to-transit-hubs-1516712401 1/2

The outlook for shopping malls is terminal. As in transportation terminal.

Some retail landlords, in their quest for ways to boost foot traffic and grab customers’attention, are betting on the long corridors that take the masses to and from planes, trains andautomobiles.

Drawing commuters out of transit hubs and into shopping areas can be a valuable proposition,real-estate experts said.

“There is much greater sophistication in the way retail property developers now think aboutthis kind of thing,” said Alan Penn, professor in architectural and urban computing atUniversity College London.

Real-estate private-equity firm Madison International Realty is planning to redevelopBrooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal Mall and Atlantic Center, huge properties that sit atop ninesubway lines and a Long Island Rail Road stop and are a stone’s throw from Barclays Center,home of the Brooklyn Nets.

Westfield World Trade Center is a gleaming white mall that opened in 2016 at a site whereroughly 300,000 daily commuters from 13 subway and PATH trains converge in lowerManhattan. Downtown Miami’s Brickell City Centre, a nine-acre mixed-use project, startedopening stores in November 2016 in its 500,000-square-feet open-air shopping center locatednear a Metrorail station, a Metromover light rail station and a trolley stop.

For landlords, focusing on transportation is something of a departure.

Malls used to be modeled on the notion of luring in shoppers with anchor stores and thenrestricting the number of ways out, said Mr. Penn. In the 1950s, developers built dumbbell-shaped single-story malls where two anchor department stores on either end compelled

DOW JONES, A NEWS CORP COMPANY

DJIA ▲ 26238.87 0.09% S&P 500 ▲ 2840.86 0.28% Nasdaq ▲ 7455.08 0.64% U.S. 10 Yr ▲ 8�32 Yield 2.623% Crude Oil ▲ 64.58 1.59%

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visithttp://www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mall-owners-flock-to-transit-hubs-1516712401

PROPERTY REPORT

Mall Owners Flock to Transit HubsRetail landlords look to boost foot traf�ic by luring in commuters

The West�ield World Trade Center mall is located at the site where several subway lines and PATH trains from New Jerseyconverge in lower Manhattan. PHOTO: DREW ANGERER�GETTY IMAGES

Jan. 23, 2018 8�00 a.m. ET

By Esther Fung

1/23/2018 Mall Owners Flock to Transit Hubs - WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mall-owners-flock-to-transit-hubs-1516712401 2/2

shoppers to walk between them, bringing foot traffic to smaller stores that lined the middle ofthe enclosed mall.

Later on, two-story malls were added to the mix. Some have elevated parking lots withwalkways linking to a mall entrance at the second story and another at the other end at groundlevel.

Now, with open-air shopping centers in vogue, public-transit links are hot.

“It’s the Holy Grail,” said Ronald Dickerman, president of Madison International Realty. “You’reat 50% to 75% to the goal line when you’ve got these patrons,” he said of commuters.

Developers should be tasteful, he said, and aim for a happy medium between commuting andcommerce rather than bombarding travelers with store after store.

“It can’t be viewed as an inconvenience,” said Mr. Dickerman. “It should be a graceful shoppingexperience.”

Such projects already are common in busy cities in Asia and Europe, where exits from subwayand rail platforms often spill into shopping centers, which then are linked to residential oroffice towers. In Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, the basement level where the metro islocated can be just as valuable as ground-floor retail space.

Architects said that in designing such mixed-use spaces, they consider designs that providedifferent experiences between a person’s first and second visits.

“In the first visit, you want to make it easy for them, provide good signage,” said JacquelineBeckingham, global creative director at architecture firm Benoy. “But on the second visit, youwant them to discover other things and explore other routes to take that aren’t so obvious butmore enjoyable and perhaps even faster.”

Malls had traditionally been designed with fewer choices of direction a shopper could take, saidTim Magill, founder and principal of Hollywood, Calif.-based architecture firm 5+design, whichhas worked on malls in the U.S., China and the Middle East. “Retailers prefer a more controlledsituation,” he added.

Mr. Magill said his firm typically engages mobility consultants to measure and modelpedestrian movements as getting circulation right becomes more important in designingmixed-use retail projects. Decisions on where elevators are placed in relation to turnstiles couldresult in people having to walk around corners or move further from the stores.

“The goal of the mall was to create a mousetrap,” said Mr. Magill. But these days, with citycenters where one can walk in different directions, “you could lose a customer if they veer leftor right.”

Write to Esther Fung at [email protected]

Copyright ©2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved


1/23/2018 One Killed in Kentucky School Shooting - WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-killed-in-kentucky-school-shooting-1516723201 1/2

BENTON, Ky.—One person was killed and others were wounded Tuesday morning in a high-school shooting in rural Kentucky, authorities said.

It happened at Marshall County High School in southwest Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin said in atweet.

A shooting suspect was in custody, Mr. Bevin said, and police later said the school, which wason lockdown, had been secured. State police didn’t provide any other immediate details aboutthe shooter or the apprehension.

TheFederalBureau ofInvestigation said itwasworkingwith stateand locallawenforcement inrespondingto the

shooting.

The community is about 120 miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn.

--Copyright 2018 Associated Press

DOW JONES, A NEWS CORP COMPANY

DJIA ▲ 26239.44 0.09% S&P 500 ▲ 2840.95 0.28% Nasdaq ▲ 7455.15 0.64% U.S. 10 Yr ▲ 8�32 Yield 2.623% Crude Oil ▲ 64.59 1.60%


https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-killed-in-kentucky-school-shooting-1516723201

U.S.

One Killed in Kentucky School ShootingSeven people taken to hospitals after shooting at rural high school

Emergency crews responded to Marshall County High School after a fatal school shooting Tuesday in Benton, Ky. PHOTO:RYAN HERMENS�ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jan. 23, 2018 11�00 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Emergency crews responding to Marshall County High School. PHOTO: RYAN HERMENS�ASSOCIATED PRESS

1/23/2018 Settlement may open door to voter fraud

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/settlement-may-open-door-to-voter-fraud 1/2

By The Daily Press Editorial BoardPosted Jan�22,�2018�at�2:08�PM

According to the Secretary of State’s website, in order to vote in California one must beat least 18 years old, a United States citizen and a resident of California.

But a court settlement Jan. 10 in response to a suit filed by the League of WomenVoters may have pushed open the door to rampant voter fraud in this state. That’sbecause under the settlement, starting in April the Department of Motor Vehicles willautomatically register to vote all those who renew their driver’s licenses unless they optout.

Previously, those who registered to vote had to fill out the same information on twoforms. Inconvenient? Possibly. Violation of the National Voting Rights Act of 1993?Unlikely to us, but the League of Women Voters and three other groups, including theNational Council of La Raza, saw it as such and sued. When a U.S. Magistrate refusedto to dismiss the suit in August, DMV officials saw the writing on the wall and settled.

So what’s the big deal? Well, more than 800,000 illegal immigrants already haveobtained California driver’s licenses from the DMV thanks to a state law that tookaffect a couple years ago. And who knows how many thousands already had them bysimply lying on their DMV forms?

Are we ready to believe that the Secretary of State will truly vet the DMV rolls toensure only licensed CITIZENS will be allowed to vote in the June Primary or theNovember elections? Before you answer, remember that California is a Sanctuary Stateand will go to any and all lengths to protect those who have no legal right to anythingin America.

Oh, and remember that the illegals now protected by our Sanctuary State can get freehealth care, free education, free food, and all manner of other benefits previouslyreserved for American citizens. That being the case, why shouldn’t they get to vote too?

This settlement likely further ensures the Democrats will dominate California politicsand the state legislature for years to come. And it helps one understand why DACA issuch a big deal to Democrats. They need all the help they can get nationally to try to

Settlement may open door to voter fraud

1/23/2018 Settlement may open door to voter fraud

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20180122/settlement-may-open-door-to-voter-fraud 2/2

�

reverse the recent gains of Republicans. Why not use the Dreamers to help endearthem to a much larger group of illegals immigrants, especially if there is hope toeventually enable all 11 million or so to vote?




Documents

1/23/2018 Pedaling toward a healthy lifestyle in the ...€¦ · 1/23/2018 Route 66 Museum vandalized: Suspect in custody after causing $30,000 in damage