12/28/2016 BLM bans new mining claims in protected desert land areas

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

BLM bans new mining claims in protected deser t land areas

By Jim Steinberg, The Sun

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The federal Bureau of Land Management wants to halt new mining claims from sprouting up on more than 1million acres of land in the California desert.

On Wednesday the bureau will propose the temporary withdrawal of more than 1.3 million acres of the state’sNational Conservation Lands from the “adverse impacts of mining.” The stoppage will take effect immediatelyuntil a thorough evaluation is completed in two years. The evaluation will decide if the ban will becomepermanent.

The proposal would not prohibit ongoing or future mining on valid existing claims, only new claims, accordingto bureau spokeswoman Martha Maciel.

The step is the first in a series to “more fully protect important areas within the California Desert ConservationArea,” Beth Ransel, the bureau’s California desert district manager, said in a statement.

The proposal targets four priority areas including 418,000 acres in the Amargosa Valley of Inyo and SanBernardino counties, the 95,000-acre Big Morongo area of San Bernardino County, the 590,000-acreChuckwalla Bench/Dos Palmas area of Riverside County and 236,000 acres in the Eastern Sierra, Maciel said.

The proposal is to be published Wednesday in the Federal Register and initiates the temporary ban on newclaims.

“This is something that is going to be welcomed by the conservation and scientific community, hunters andthose areas where (desert land) tourism is important to their local economy,” said Frazier Haney, conservationmanager for the Mojave Desert Land Trust in Joshua Tree.

Officials with the National Mining Association, the American Exploration and Mining Association and the GoldProspectors Association of America could not be reached for comment.

This is the last step in the process of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, Haney said, whichidentified these lands as being vital to biological and cultural resources.

The plan took effect Sept. 14 and is intended to direct large-scale alternative energy projects away from sensitivelands.

Before making a final decision, the bureau will conduct studies to weigh considerations of the environmentversus the impacts of taking these areas out of new mining development.

There also will be a series of meetings to consider information from the public and others on the mineralpotential of the affected areas, according to the bureau.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20161227/blm-bans-new-mining-claims-in-protected-desert-land-areas

12/28/2016 Building the future

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TuesdayPosted Dec 27, 2016 at 4:14 PMUpdated Dec 27, 2016 at 4:14 PM

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer

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HESPERIA - The new-look City Council will have its hands full as it chargesinto 2017 and deals with several key areas.

Here are the top five issues the Council will face in the new year:

ROAD IMPROVEMENT

Over the last few years, Hesperia has witnessed several major road projects,including the Ranchero Underpass and Ranchero Interchange at Interstate 15.The projects have increased traffic flow on Ranchero Road, prompting the cityto plan improvements along the nearly 7-mile stretch of road.

Next year, traffic signals will be installed at two intersections along RancheroRoad, including the cross streets of Maple and Cottonwood avenues, just west ofthe California Aqueduct.

Hesperia also will begin the initial process of widening Ranchero Road, with thecity and county funding the project along with $10 million pledged by TerraVerde Group, developer of the Tapestry Project. The city also will work to try toobtain funding from San Bernardino Associated Governments.

Hesperia also will seek federal funding for widening the aqueduct bridges onRanchero Road and Main Street.

Building the future

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COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Hesperia should see the construction of ALDI grocery store on Main Street in2017, as well as the opening of a 3,645-square-foot mini-mart, which includesfour fuel islands, an automated carwash and two 2,546-square-foot drive-thrurestaurants on just under 4 acres southeast of the Ranchero Interchange.

With several more commercial projects in the works, including a majordeveloper that is planning 7 million square feet of industrial space, the Councilwas tight-lipped about several new companies that have chosen to plant roots inHesperia. The city is poised to begin freeway right-of-way work to establishinfrastructure for future development.

Several "undisclosed companies" from Adelanto also are planning to move toHesperia as they "express desire" not to be around marijuana grows, according toCouncilman Russ Blewett.

NEW COUNCIL

After being elected in November, new Councilmembers Larry Bird and RebekahSwanson have been getting their political feet wet in city government. Bird andSwanson, who are employees of the Hesperia Unified School District, both haveleadership experience, with Bird the principal of Sultana High School andSwanson a former board member with the Hesperia Recreation and Park Board.

But the two freshmen Councilmembers will be busy getting up to speed onfuture development projects, Tapestry, marijuana ordinances, the possible fireannexation to San Bernardino County Fire and several other items. Both MayorPaul Russ and Mayor Pro Tem Blewett told the Daily Press the new Council "isstrong" despite each member having varying points of views.

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

After a housing development drought of nearly three years, the city saw aresurgence of homes built after the Council began lowering development impactfees in 2014. The Council said it is encouraged by some 150 building permits thatwere pulled for infill lots in 2016, with Blewett predicting nearly 200 permits for2017.

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Blewett said property owners are selling their lots, which will eventually equateto new development, with every dollar of construction circulating eight times inthe community. He added that 210 homes built will pay $2.2 million toward thecost of the Ranchero Interchange project.

The new year also will see the opening of the Villas 55-plus community, a 96-unit gated community being constructed on about 10 acres just east of MariposaRoad. Each building will consist of 24 units each, with 629-square-foot one-bedroom and 875-square-foot two-bedroom apartments.

TAPESTRY AND FIRE ANNEXATION

Although the Tapestry housing project was approved in January of last year,residents aren't expected to hear much about the 30-year build-out project in theSummit Valley area of southeast Hesperia in 2017, according to Blewett.

After the Council approved Tapestry and its 16,196 units, Terra Verde GroupDirector of Development John Ohanian told the Daily Press, "It's actually thebeginning of a long process before we can start to develop the property."

Before any dirt is moved, the city and Terra Verde must work through severallawsuits. Soon after Tapestry was approved, the Crestline Sanitation District anda coalition of public-interest groups, including the Center for BiologicalDiversity, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society and the Sierra Club, filedlawsuits.

As for the possible annexation of the Hesperia Fire Protection District to countycontrol, the Council agreed that if the city chooses the annexation route, it willcome with the understanding that the agreement will come with no parcel tax.Both the county and city believe Hesperia does not have adequate fire servicestaffing for a city where firefighters responded to 11,577 calls during the fiscalyear of 2014-2015, with 81.7 percent medical calls.

Since June 2004, the city has contracted with county fire to provide firesuppression, ambulance and fire prevention services. Both parties agreed on a10-year contract in 2004. Since the contract expired, the city has beencontracting for firefighting services with the department on a one-year basis.

12/28/2016 2016 brought changes to the Redlands Bowl, San Bernardino County Museum

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

2016 brought changes to the Redlands Bowl, San Bernardino County Museum

By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

REDLANDS >> The lifestyle of Redlanders changes by the day.

But the past year brought much modification to the San BernardinoCounty Museum and a new theater-going experience in the DoughnutHole.

Here’s a look back:

SAME MISSION, NEW NAME

Following a successful 93rd season, those behind the Redlands BowlSummer Music Festival changed the celebrated organization’s name

from the Redlands Community Music Association to Redlands Bowl Performing Arts.

Officials with the RBPA made the announcement in October with the promise of maintaining the nonprofit’soriginal purpose: exposing the world of performing arts to all. The name change, officials said, not onlycelebrates tradition, but gives the organization more room to grow.

“We have more energy, more excitement,” RBPA executive director Beverly Noerr said in October. “A lot ofnew people are coming to the Bowl who have never been here before.”

10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Harkins Theatres opened a 16-screen theater in March in the Doughnut Hole, introducing a new movie-goingexperience here.

Plans for the theater were 10 years in the making, company owner Dan Harkins said. The theater featuresreserved seating, an in-lobby bar and a child care center. Its opening was a cultural highlight for the MountainGrove Shopping Center.

MASTODONS TAKE OVER

A mother and calf mastodon took up residence at the San Bernardino County Museum earlier this year.

In June, museum officials revealed the latest feature to the public, completing the Hall of Geological Wonders’“Life to Death Discovery” diorama detailing a re-created dig to recover mastodon fossils.

“We are very excited and I’m very grateful to the county for their dedication to complete this project,” museumdirector Melissa Russo said. “It’s not fully completed yet as there are some additional phases that are coming,but this is a really big piece of it.”

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“Mastodon! Prehistoric Elephants in the Southwest” is just one of many ventures the museum took up in 2016.In May, the site hosted its first ever #StarWarsDay Dance Party, which organizers hope to make an annualtradition, and the unveiling of several new exhibits, including “Stitches in Time” in September and “Over Here,Over There: In Times of War” last month.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/social-affairs/20161227/2016-brought-changes-to-the-redlands-bowl-san-bernardino-county-museum

© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

12/28/2016 Tri-County dentists volunteer service for Trona youth

http://www.ridgecrestca.com/article/20161227/NEWS/161229811 1/3

TuesdayPosted Dec 27, 2016 at 11:51 AM

Give Kids a Smile program will make sixth annual trip toTrona

By Michael Smit Staff Writer

Accessing quality dental care is tough for some Trona residents, and impossiblefor others. A critical need exists, and Loma Linda Dentistry volunteers are ridingout to meet that need.

A team of Loma Linda dentists and dentistry students, funded by the Tri-CountyDental Society, will arrive at Trona Elementary on Jan. 11 to perform initialscreening. The volunteers will then return on Feb. 23 and 24 to completenecessary treatment.

They'll set up shop for dental screenings both in a mobile unit and in cleared outclassrooms. Trona K-6 students will receive rare access to free dental care rightin the same rooms where they learn to read and write.

Dr. Wesley Okumura leads the team of dentists, dental residents, hygienists, anduniversity dental students who will be volunteering to make sure the children ofTrona's dental care doesn't suffer due to their remote location. They volunteer inpartnership with Give Kids a Smile, a national charity program run by theAmerican Dental Association.

Tri-County dentists volunteer service for Tronayouth

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Trona's remoteness isn't the only complication Trona residents face whenaccessing health care. The town sits just within the border of San Bernardinocounty. "Ridgecrest is right there, but it's not in San Bernardino county,"Okumura said. The closest community within San Bernardino is Victorville,which is over 100 miles away, a distance many parents are unwilling or unable totravel.

The Loma Linda volunteers have been coming to Trona for six years. Accordingto Okumura, they saw plenty of cavities in their first few years, but the hygienehas been improving. The team isn't able to treat every child every year, but theymake sure to prioritize kids who need care the most.

Asked what challenges the team faces while offering dental care in a remotelocation like Trona, Okumura said lodging for the team was a problem at first.There are no hotels in Trona. Fortunately, Springhill Suites in Ridgecrest hasstepped up to help for the last five years of the program, offering the volunteersspecial discounts on rooms.

"We value what this program offers our surrounding community of Trona," saidDaniel Spurgeon, general manager of Springhill Suites by Marriot. "The LomaLinda team contacted us. I found the program compelling and wanted toparticipate."

Spurgeon mentioned that many Ridgecrest businesses quietly support charityprograms like this and never seek fanfare of any sort. "Caring for your neighborsis a way of life here," he said.

Okumura said the university team initially became interested in volunteering inTrona after hearing about the community's need from former head of Tronaschool district's health program, Christine Ridley. He also expressed gratitudetowards both Springhill Suites and the Trona community for their hospitality."The community really takes care of us," Okumura said.

When asked what drives him to give so much time to volunteer in Trona,Okumura's answer was simple. "I wanted to help the community, and there wasan opening," he said.

12/28/2016 Sierra Nevada snowpack below average

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

Sier ra Nevada snowpack below average

By Suzanne Hurt, The Press-Enterprise

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The Sierra Nevada snowpack remains almost 30 percent belowaverage for this time of year despite a boost from the weekend storm,state water officials reported Tuesday, as agencies begin snow surveysby hand throughout the mountain range.

Electronic measurements show the snowpack’s statewide watercontent at 10.5 inches, which is 72 percent of normal for Tuesday.

Staff at the California Department of Water Resources and other state,federal or private agencies will snowshoe or walk to about 20 keymonitoring stations throughout the Sierra over a 10-day period starting

this week for the first manual snow survey of the 2016-17 winter.

December and October got higher-than-normal amounts of rain in all three regions of the Sierra range. NorthernCalifornia was hit with its wettest October in 30 years.

With Sierra snowmelt providing about 30 percent of the state’s water supply, snow and rain need to dump onCalifornia in coming months to combat more than five years of drought.

“California needs sustained above-average precipitation and a decent snowpack to overcome the previous yearsof drought,” state climatologist Michael Anderson said in a prepared statement.

On Tuesday, Department of Water Resources staff will perform a snow survey at Phillips Station near EchoSummit, west of Lake Tahoe.

That’s part of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys program used to forecast snowmelt or runoff to helppredict the supply in water year 2017, which began in October.

Agencies have been electronically measuring the snowpack’s water content remotely at 100 locations for about amonth, said water resources department spokesman Doug Carlson.

The snowpack is measured monthly in January through May. Snow is usually deepest and contains the mostwater about April 1.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20161227/sierra-nevada-snowpack-below-average

© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

12/28/2016 Print Article: Purchase will expand Joshua Tree National Park

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Purchase will expand Joshua Tree National ParkBy JIM STEINBERG2016-12-26 16:42:14

A 640-acre parcel that is slated to, over time, become part of Joshua TreeNational Park includes high ground with a view of both Yucca andCoachella valleys and the distant San Gorgonio Wilderness Area peaks,according to the Mojave Desert Land Trust, which recently purchased theland.

“Connecting people to outdoor opportunities and protecting wildlifecorridors are two of the primary goals of the Mojave Desert Land Trust,”Danielle Segura, executive director of the group, said in a statement.

The landowner had originally planned to turn the property into a housingdevelopment, said Frazier Haney, conservation director for the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

But after five years of negotiations, the land trust purchased the property near Yucca Valley for about $900,000,he said.

The sale, which occurred in November, was announced this month.

“This is a landmark achievement for our organization and we couldn’t do it without strong partnerships,” Segurasaid.

David Smith, superintendent at Joshua Tree National Park, said the National Park Service was happy about theacquisition.

“This project will help Joshua Tree National Park manage adjacent public land and improve access to the parkin the remote western edge of the park,” Smith said.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust will work to restore the property by cleaning up dumping sites; improving trailsused by hikers, horses and mountain bikers; and restoring damage from irresponsible off-road vehicle use,Haney said.

The property is “right at the top of Long Canyon,” which extends for a little more than 8 miles and empties intoDesert Hot Springs, he said.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust, founded in 2005, is a public charity whose mission is to protect the MojaveDesert ecosystem and its resources, according to its website.

Information: mdlt.org

Contact the writer: jsteinberg@scng.comTwitter: @JamesDSteinberg

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12/28/2016 John Benoit: Good man, thoughtful leader

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

John Benoit: Good man, thoughtful leader

By The Editorial Board, San Bernardino County Sun

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit passed away peacefully athis home Monday night. Our thoughts are with Benoit’s family in thisdifficult time.

Benoit, diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer last month, willlong be remembered for his commitment to public service. A formerCalifornia Highway Patrol officer, Benoit went on to serve on theDesert Sands Unified School District Board before being elected tothe state Assembly in 2002 and state Senate in 2008.

Soon after his election to the Senate, he was appointed to serve out the term of Riverside County Supervisor RoyWilson before going on to be elected to a four-year term on the board in 2009. He has since represented the vast4th Supervisorial District, which spans nearly 5,000 square miles, with integrity and dedication.

As a leader in our community, Benoit routinely took stands that, in the long run, will leave the region, state andnation in a better place.

In recent years, he has been a strong advocate for a greater focus on infrastructure investments, calling on thestate to ensure transportation funds actually go toward infrastructure projects and further calling for greateroversight of Caltrans to ensure the efficient use of taxpayer money.

He has also supported efforts to reorient the county’s public safety efforts to give mentally ill individuals greateraccess to treatment instead of simply incarcerating them. Last year, along with Supervisor Marion Ashley,Benoit introduced a motion instructing county departments to develop a plan to enhance services for mentally illoffenders to help reduce recidivism.

Benoit, a Republican, also declared his support for comprehensive immigration reform in 2013, introducing aresolution, also along with Ashley, backing a bipartisan effort under way at the time in Congress. Bothreaffirmed this commitment last year.

“As a former Highway Patrol commander and state legislator, I have been troubled by how life is made farworse for immigrants lacking legal status, including minor children and agricultural workers,” he said at thetime. “A rational and functioning immigration system will strengthen the local economy and the county’s abilityto serve people when they are in need.”

With his passing, Riverside County loses a good man and thoughtful leader.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20161228/john-benoit-good-man-thoughtful-leader

© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

12/28/2016 Print Article: Gov. Brown must pick a new Riverside County supervisor to fill the John Benoit vacancy

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Gov. Brown must pick a new Riverside County supervisor tofill the John Benoit vacancyBy JEFF HORSEMAN2016-12-27 17:44:17

It falls to Gov. Jerry Brown to pick someone to serve the remainder ofRiverside County Supervisor John Benoit’s unexpired term followingBenoit’s death Monday, Dec. 26.

By law, the governor has the sole authority and discretion to appoint areplacement. Benoit was a Republican state senator in 2009 when then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger picked him to replace Roy Wilson, who dieddays after resigning from the Board of Supervisors due to his declininghealth.

Benoit won a full four-year term in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014; hiscurrent term run through the end of 2018. He represented the Fourth District, which stretches from theCoachella Valley to Blythe.

Brown’s office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The governor is under no timetable to nameBenoit’s successor.

Brown has experience in picking Riverside County supervisors.

Following Jeff Stone’s election to the state Senate in November 2014, it took until March 2015 for the thegovernor to appoint Temecula Councilman Chuck Washington to Stone’s supervisorial seat. The appointmentcame after a face-to-face meeting between Washington and Brown at the Mission Inn in Riverside.

Brown, a Democrat, faced a difficult choice at the time. He had to pick a like-minded person to fill Stone’s shoeswho could win an election in a heavily Republican district.

Washington, who switched parties from the GOP to the Democrats more than a year before Brown picked him,won multiple elections to the Murrieta and Temecula councils. As the board’s first black supervisor, heaccomplished another Brown goal of bringing diversity to what had been an all-white male board.

Voters elected Washington to a four-year term this November.

With this vacancy, Brown will be picking a supervisor for a politically friendlier district. The Fourth District has aplurality of Democratic voters, and it went for Brown in the 2014 general election.

It’s possible the governor could seek a Latino to fill Benoit’s shoes. The district is home to a sizable Latinopopulation, especially in Coachella, Cathedral City and Indio, and close to half of all county residents are Latino,yet none are on the board.

Whatever his choice, it’s likely Brown will have his pick from a number of suitors, who apply for consideration.The office of supervisor pays more than $150,000 a year in base salary in addition to a taxpayer-fundedpension, health insurance, a monthly car allowance or use of a county vehicle and other benefits.

In addition, supervisors don’t have term limits and can raise unlimited amounts for their campaigns.

12/28/2016 Not quite a full tribute: San Diego officials streamline 'honorary' naming of streets - LA Times

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S

Not quite a full tribute: San Diego officialsstreamline 'honorary' naming of streets

By David Garrick

DECEMBER 27, 2016, 3:45 PM | REPORTING FROM SAN DIEGO

an Diego is making it easier to name portions of city streets after prominent people and organizations

by creating a streamlined “honorary” policy.

Instead of changing the name of a street, San Diego will post a second sign at affected intersections

identifying it also as an honorary street.

City Council President Myrtle Cole says the new policy for naming "honorary" streets will eliminate red tape. (John Gastaldo / San DiegoUnion-Tribune)

ADVERTISING

12/28/2016 Not quite a full tribute: San Diego officials streamline 'honorary' naming of streets - LA Times

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The policy is modeled after similar approaches in New York City, Chicago and Memphis, Tenn.

Officials said the change will allow San Diego to honor more people more quickly because the process will be

much easier, while also avoiding the hassles faced by residents and businesses when the name of their street

gets officially changed.

“Individuals and organizations with full support of the public deserve to have a streamlined process without the

red tape,” City Council President Myrtle Cole said when the policy was unanimously approved this month.

Cole said she proposed the change after it took seven years for the city to rename a small residential street in

southeastern San Diego after Lakiba Palmer, who was killed in action 16 years ago when terrorists attacked the

Navy’s guided-missile destroyer Cole in Yemen.

Councilman Scott Sherman said the change would be welcomed by residents and businesses on affected streets.

“It’s a big hassle to change billing addresses, mailing addresses, business cards — all those things,” Sherman

said.

Officials said the policy doesn’t eliminate the opportunity to officially change a street name, but it creates a less

formal way to honor people when that seems like the appropriate move.

The honorary street name signs will have brown backgrounds and a white border, in contrast to San Diego’s

official street signs with green or blue backgrounds. They will be placed either above or below the official street

sign.

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The policy also limits honorary name changes to one block and requires support from community leaders and

the council member representing the district where the street is located.

Each council member will be limited to two honorary name changes per four-year term in office, and money for

the signs will come from the budget of their council offices. The signs are expected to cost between $120 and

$285, depending on various factors.

The policy also stipulates that an organization must have been operating in San Diego for at least 25 years to be

honored.

david.garr ick@sduniontr ibune.com

Ga rr ick w rites fo r the San Dieg o Union-Tr ibune.

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times