Family Questions Man's Death During Medical Call - News - Vvdailypress.Com - Victorville, CA

10/30/2019 Family questions man's death during medical call - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

Family questions man’s death during medical call By Martin Estacio Staff Writer Posted at 5:45 AM VICTORVILLE — At 8:30 a.m. every day, Steve Varelas would meet up with his brother.

Despite being homeless, Ruben Escudero, 41, would always show up at a designated place, Varelas said.

The meeting might involve Varelas giving Escudero breakfast, some pocket money, a pack of cigarettes, or whatever else he needed. On Oct. 19, Varelas said he dropped his brother off at a friend’s house in Victorville.

The next day, Escudero didn’t show up for their meeting. Varelas would find him later that night, unconscious and on life support in a hospital bed in the ICU. Escudero died on Oct. 23.

According to Sharon Brunner and James Terrell, attorneys representing the family, Escudero suffered a possible overdose on the day that Varelas last dropped him off. The attorneys said eyewitnesses told them he was being treated when law enforcement arrived.

There are differing versions of what happened next.

“During the treatment, Ruben was brutally beaten in the head by San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriffs on scene for no legitimate reason according to eyewitnesses,” a statement from the attorneys read. “The beating consisted of numerous blunt force trauma strikes to Ruben’s head and face amounting to the use of lethal force.”

Sheriff’s spokesperson Jodi Miller said Escudero became combative when deputies arrived to assist medical personnel.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191030/family-questions-mans-death-during-medical-call 1/4 10/30/2019 Family questions man's death during medical call - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

“Escudero assaulted both medical and safety staff and a use of force incident occurred,” said Miller in an email to the Daily Press.

Brunner said eyewitness accounts dispute Miller’s version of events.

“He was confused and at one point might have tried to push a deputy away, but that was the extent of it,” said Brunner.

Escudero’s grieving family said they are trying to understand precisely what occurred during what should have been a routine medical call.

“A really good heart”

Escudero’s family sat down for an interview with the Daily Press on Monday. They described a man, who despite having a difficult past, was still very much loved by and close to his family.

“You know my brother was troubled, but had a really good heart,” said Varelas, who joked that half the tents alongside the Mojave River near D Street, where his brother lived, were probably there due to Escudero’s generosity.

“I’d buy him a tent every time he needed one and it seemed like he needed one every week,” Varelas said. “But he was giving them out to people who didn’t have them.”

Ruben Vargas, Escudero’s stepfather, said his stepson was very polite, “almost to a fault” and was always willing to help others out doing odd jobs. At times, Escudero would take lunch as partial payment for work he did, Vargas said.

Escudero’s mother, Cecilia Vargas, said her son chose to be homeless because that’s where he was most comfortable. The family said he suffered from bipolar disorder, substance abuse and had several run-ins with the law.

Court records show he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2005, and later, drug and traffic charges.

Most recently, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery in 2018 and was on probation when he died.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191030/family-questions-mans-death-during-medical-call 2/4 10/30/2019 Family questions man's death during medical call - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

When Escudero, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, didn’t show up for his “appointment” on Oct. 20, Varelas said calls to sheriff’s stations seeking information regarding his brother’s whereabouts weren’t immediately returned.

He said he knew to start looking in hospitals after Cecilia Vargas had learned Escudero had possibly overdosed.

Varelas found his brother later that night at Victor Valley Global Medical Center after talking to a staff member. According to Cecilia Vargas, he was listed simply as “Ruben Doe,” and his birth date was incorrect.

Varelas said Escudero’s head looked like it had “baseball stitching” on it due to the number of stapled cuts. Cecilia Vargas said her son also had a broken nose and what appeared to be taser marks and burns on his head and neck.

Escudero died three days after his brother found him at the hospital, shortly after being taken off life support equipment.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Miller said the department was conducting a “comprehensive and ongoing investigation” into the incident, which includes an independent autopsy being performed by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. She said the deputies involved remain in their current duty assignments.

Brunner said the autopsy on Tuesday would be monitored by her law firm’s own medical expert as well. Escudero’s family is in the stages of filing a lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Department, the attorney said.

Eyewitness accounts say Escudero was being administered Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose, when the use-of-force occurred, Brunner said.

The fast-acting drug can cause a person to become confused or possibly angry, because of the effects of immediate withdrawal, according to the Harm Reduction Coalition.

Escudero’s brother, Edward Vargas, said he spoke with a deputy who was at the scene. He questioned why sheriff’s deputies didn’t put his brother in some type of restraint while the drug was being given.

Cecilia Vargas agreed with her son. https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191030/family-questions-mans-death-during-medical-call 3/4 10/30/2019 Family questions man's death during medical call - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

“That was not their first rodeo,” she said, referring to the deputies who responded to Escudero’s medical call. “They are not rookies. They already know. That is my anger, because they already knew what to expect.”

Martin Estacio may be reached at [email protected] or at 760-955-5358. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191030/family-questions-mans-death-during-medical-call 4/4 Cal State San Bernardino will be closed Wednesday because of high winds – Press Enterprise

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY Cal State San Bernardino will be closed Wednesday because of high winds

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By BRIAN ROKOS | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 7:31 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 7:34 pm

Cal State San Bernardino will be closed for classes and business operations Wednesday, Oct. 30, in anticipation of an electricity shutoff because of high winds and severe wildfire danger, the university announced Tuesday.

The Palm Desert campus will remain open. The university will issue an update at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A high-wind warning is in effect from 11 p.m. Tuesday through 6 p.m. Thursday. Wind speeds of 25 mph to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph are expected. Localized gusts up to 80 mph near and below the Cajon and San Gorgonio passes are possible, the National Weather Service said.

The high winds could spread flames rapidly.

Fire officials urge residents not to engage in activities that could spark a fire such as mowing or parking a car on brush. Officials also urge residents to prepare to evacuate. More information is

https://www.pe.com/...winds/?utm_content=tw-pressenterprise&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[10/30/2019 7:27:18 AM] Cal State San Bernardino will be closed Wednesday because of high winds – Press Enterprise

available at readyforwildfire.org.

Wind-driven blaze called Easy fire burning near Reagan Library in Simi Valley

Where Southern California Edison will be providing backup power to customers affected by outages

70-80 mph winds, single-digit humidity Tuesday through Thursday elevate fire risk across Southern California

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https://www.pe.com/...winds/?utm_content=tw-pressenterprise&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[10/30/2019 7:27:18 AM] 70-80 mph winds, single-digit humidity Tuesday through Thursday elevate fire risk across Southern California – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY 70-80 mph winds, single-digit humidity Tuesday through Thursday elevate fire risk across Southern California

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https://www.sbsun.com/...9/70-80-mph-winds-single-digit-humidity-tuesday-through-thursday-elevates-fire-risk-across-southern-california/[10/30/2019 7:34:17 AM] 70-80 mph winds, single-digit humidity Tuesday through Thursday elevate fire risk across Southern California – San Bernardino Sun

S The charred remains of a home burned Monday in the Getty Fire along Tigertail road frames the Getty Center Tuesday, October 29, 2019. An extreme red flag Santa Ana wind condition with 50-70 mph wind gusts is expected to begin late Tuesday into Wednesday. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) N

By ERIC LICAS | [email protected] | Orange County Register  By PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 6:44 pm | UPDATED: October 30, 2019 at 6:18 am

M A weather system developing late Tuesday, Oct. 29 will drive the 2019 season’s most powerful Santa Ana winds across Southern California overnight and through the following afternoon before starting to gradually weaken Wednesday evening, forecasters say.

Gusts should peak in strength before dawn and through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists expect winds to reach between 60 to 70 mph in the valleys of Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, with isolated gusts of 80 mph in some mountain regions.

RED FLAG WINDS: Roads closing in Woodland Hills, Topanga, due to high winds

Offshore winds will begin to noticeably diminish Wednesday afternoon in most areas of Southern California, meteorologists said. Gusts may persist in portions of Riverside and San Diego Counties through Thursday afternoon, but should not be an issue for those trick-or-treating after dark on Halloween. That evening and the following morning may be the coldest period this week.

The conditions driving this bout of Santa Ana winds should end by Friday in Los Angeles County. However, mountains near the coast in Orange and San Diego counties may continue to experience weaker gusts until Saturday morning. Winds begin to shift direction on Sunday and Monday and should remain mild.

Relative humidity should remain in the single digits across southern California for most of the week, dipping as low as 1 to 2% at times in wind-prone areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Dry, gusty conditions will contribute to an elevated risk of fire over the next few days. As a result, a red flag warning will remain in effect from 11 p.m. Tuesday through 6 p.m. Thursday in the mountains and valleys of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, inland portions of Orange County and all of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Meanwhile, temperatures should be 10 to 20 degrees cooler than normal in inland areas, but slightly above average along the coasts in Orange and San Diego counties on Wednesday. Highs were forecast to jump from 67 degrees Wednesday to 74 degrees Thursday in Moreno Valley, and expected increase from 69 to 76 degrees over that same period in San Bernardino.

Highs should stay near normal levels in Los Angeles County Wednesday, before rising four to eight degrees in the region Thursday. Temperatures should rise from 74 degrees on Wednesday to 76 degrees overnight in Long Beach, and increase from 72 to 77 degrees in Arcadia. Also during that time, temperatures should rise from 76 to 80 degrees in Anaheim and Santa Ana.

The rest of Southern California may begin to experience a warming trend on Saturday. Highs were expected to climb that day to 69 degrees in Huntington Beach; 70 degrees in Newport Beach; 74 degrees in Malibu; 76 degrees in Torrance and Hawthorne; 82 degrees in Fullerton; 83 degrees in Van Nuys, Chino and Moreno Valley, 84 degrees in Northridge and 85 degrees in Riverside.

Early weather models do not predict another period of extreme winds or rainfall over the next 10 days, according to NWS reports.

Where Southern California Edison will be providing backup power to customers https://www.sbsun.com/...9/70-80-mph-winds-single-digit-humidity-tuesday-through-thursday-elevates-fire-risk-across-southern-california/[10/30/2019 7:34:17 AM] 10/30/2019 WEATHER UPDATE: Strong winds are blasting Fontana on Oct. 30; more power shutoffs likely | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/weather-update-strong-winds-are-blasting-fontana-on-oct-more/article_45254bda-f9da-11e9-8a18- 2fa6c8cf6702.html WEATHER UPDATE: Strong winds are blasting Fontana on Oct. 30; more power shutos likely

Oct 28, 2019 Updated 42 min ago

This photo of the new Highland Village Shopping Center in northern Fontana was taken earlier this year. Businesses in the center have experienced some power shutos recently because of the high winds. (Contributed photo by City of Fontana)

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/weather-update-strong-winds-are-blasting-fontana-on-oct-more/article_45254bda-f9da-11e9-8a18-2fa6c8cf… 1/3 10/30/2019 WEATHER UPDATE: Strong winds are blasting Fontana on Oct. 30; more power shutoffs likely | News | fontanaheraldnews.com Strong Santa Ana winds are blasting Fontana on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and a red ag warning and high wind warning will be in eect through Thursday, Oct. 31.

Some Fontana residents and businesses could have their power turned o because of the winds, which were expected to have gusts of 55 mph.

People living and working in some northern areas of Fontana have been irritated by both the strong wind gusts and by Southern California Edison's decision to implement public safety power shutos in recent days.

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) said in a statement that she is concerned about the possible overuse of the shutos, which are designed to lessen the likelihood of wildres.

"As a member of the Assembly Utilities Committee, I have been engaged in reviewing eorts by utilities, state and local government and other stakeholders to reduce the re danger associated with utility infrastructure," Reyes said. "Shutting down the power supply to at-risk areas during extreme weather can be a prudent strategy to prevent catastrophic destruction and even death from potential res. However, I am deeply concerned with the implementation of the power shutos in our region and around the state."

In Fontana, businesses in the new Highland Village Shopping Center have experienced power shutos at various times, and several signal lights in the area have not been working.

The Fontana Unied School District has not reported any school closures.

"The decision to shut o power to residential and business customers should be a strategic decision that is targeted as specically as possible to limit unnecessary impacts. Unfortunately, based on the feedback I am receiving from constituents in my district, these shutos appear to be applied overly broad and without sucient warning to residential and business customers whose lives and businesses are severely disrupted by these shutos," Reyes said.

Reyes said she is calling on SCE to work with local residents and businesses to limit unnecessary impacts from these shutos and provide assistance to persons who have had their lives and businesses negatively impacted.

"While it may be reasonable to shut o power in extreme weather conditions, it is not reasonable that utility customers should have to suer the costs related to spoiled food and lost business," Reyes said. "The current circumstances are a stark reminder that the utilities must invest in grid safety before occurrence of severe weather events as prevention will always remain the most eective option.”

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/weather-update-strong-winds-are-blasting-fontana-on-oct-more/article_45254bda-f9da-11e9-8a18-2fa6c8cf… 2/3 10/30/2019 WEATHER UPDATE: Strong winds are blasting Fontana on Oct. 30; more power shutoffs likely | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

----- HERE is the weather forecast for Fontana:

Wednesday, Oct. 30 -- Areas of blowing dust. Sunny, with a high near 66. Windy, with a north wind 30 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph.

Wednesday night -- Areas of blowing dust before 11 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Windy.

Thursday, Oct. 31 -- Sunny, with a high near 75. Windy.

Thursday night -- Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Breezy.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/weather-update-strong-winds-are-blasting-fontana-on-oct-more/article_45254bda-f9da-11e9-8a18-2fa6c8cf… 3/3 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

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CALIFORNIA

How do wildfires start and spread?

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A charred utility pole lies amid burned machinery along Chalk Hill Road near Healdsburg on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

By JOSEPH SERNA, RONG-GONG LIN II, JAMES F. PELTZ

OCT. 29, 2019 3:58 PM https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 1/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times Wildfires can have a variety of reasons for starting.

Mostly, they’re caused by humans — by our own activity or our equipment. A study published in 2017 found that 84% of U.S. wildfires were caused by human related activity; the remaining 16% were caused by lightning. About 95% of fires the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responds to are caused by humans.

Here are some ways wildfires can be ignited in California:

• Power lines/electrical equipment. Electrical lines and related equipment can break in high winds and spark, igniting tinder-dry vegetation that can spread quickly in high winds.

Pacific Gas & Electric’s electrical transmission lines sparked the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history in 2018, the Camp fire, which razed 90% of the town of Paradise, killed 86 people and left more than 13,900 homes destroyed. The lines malfunctioned on a dry hillside near a windy canyon.

Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric power lines have also ignited large files in modern California history, as has a privately owned electrical system.

The Times is offering fire coverage for free today. Please consider a subscription to support our journalism.

• Sparks from vehicles or other equipment. A trailer with a flat tire that resulted in the wheel’s rim kicking up sparks caused one of California’s most destructive wildfires, the Carr fire in Shasta and Trinity counties, which destroyed more than 1,600 structures and killed eight.

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 2/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times Other common causes are lawnmower blades or metal weed whackers striking rocks to create sparks, and vehicle collisions. Sparks from a metal grinder jumped into some dry grass, triggering the Zaca fire in Santa Barbara County in 2007 — one of the largest in state history.

Chains hanging from a boat or truck trailer can ignite fires; so can hot components underneath a vehicle when parked near dry brush. “You don’t think about it when you drive off to the side of the road,” said Jennifer Balch, lead author of a study on human-caused wildfires and director of Earth Lab at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 3/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times Getty Center and Getty Villa to remain closed through Friday because of ﬁre

• Arson. Arson is a rare cause of the most catastrophic wildfires in California. In 2006, Raymond Lee Oyler, an accused serial arsonist, used a combination of matches and cigarettes to start a fire at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, prosecutors said. Five firefighters died fighting the blaze; Oyler was sentenced to death in 2009.

A 23,000-acre fire in Orange and Riverside counties in 2018 was allegedly set by Forrest Gordon Clark; he has pleaded not guilty.

• Camp fire. An illegal camp fire ignited by a deer hunter caused a wildfire that burned more than a quarter-million acres in mountainous forests near Yosemite in 2013 and threatened a vital supply of water for San Francisco. In a signed affidavit, Keith Matthew Emerald said embers from the camp fire blew up the hill and ignited brush. Charges against him were later dropped.

• Cigarettes: Cal Fire responds to an average of 47 wildfires each year caused by carelessly discarded cigarettes.

• Call for help: A deer hunter lost in the backcountry of northern San Diego County set two small signal fires. That caused the Cedar fire of 2003, killing 15, burning more than 2,800 structures and more than a quarter-million acres. The hunter was sentenced to six months in a work-furlough program.

• Faulty wiring. A hot tub’s faulty wiring caused a 76,000-acre fire in Lake County, causing the deaths of four people and destroying nearly 2,000 buildings in 2015.

• Failure to extinguish a previous fire: The Oakland-Berkeley hills fire of 1991, which killed 25 people and destroyed more than 2,200 homes, blew out of control in swift winds after firefighters failed to fully monitor and extinguish a fire the previous day that had been thought to be controlled.

CALIFORNIA

Extreme fire weather could be the worst ‘in recent memory’ Oct. 29, 2019 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 4/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

• Lightning. It’s not a particularly common cause among California’s most destructive or deadliest fires, but it has caused a fair number of the state’s largest. In 2012, lightning ignited the Rush fire in Lassen County, burning more than 270,000 acres in California; an additional 44,000 acres burned in Nevada.

• Fear of insects. A rancher tried to plug a wasp’s nest in the ground by jamming a stake into the ground. That unleashed a spark that began burning waist-high grass. He tried to smother the flames by tossing a trampoline on it, but that just worsened the flames. It caused the start of the largest of two fires that merged to become California’s largest wildfire on record, the Mendocino Complex fire, which burned more than 450,000 acres in four Northern California counties — Colusa, Lake, Mendocino and Glenn.

How do fires spread?

Many devastating wildfires in California are spread by wind.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 5/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

Downslope winds — called Santa Ana winds in Southern California and Diablo winds in Northern California — come fast down from the deserts of Nevada and Utah over California’s mountain slopes and through its canyon passes. The air dries out and warms up, bringing critical ﬁre weather toward the California coast. (Paul Duginski)

They’re called Santa Ana winds in Southern California and Diablo winds in Northern California. Taken together, they’re called downslope winds.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 6/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

Santa Ana winds come from desert air from Nevada and Utah sweeping down mountainsides in California. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

They’re meteorologically identical. They come from the northeast and head southwest. They occur in the fall and winter, and sometimes in the spring.

They generally peak during the late-night hours and persist through the early afternoon.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 7/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times

They can help bring catastrophic fire weather conditions when they blow as sparks ignite, and they can arrive when vegetation is at its driest point of the year, before autumn rains arrive.

Santa Ana and Diablo winds bring high-pressure air from the deserts of Nevada and Utah howling down the slopes of California’s greatest mountain ranges, searching for lower-pressure voids on the coast.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 8/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

Diablo winds come from high-pressure desert air from Nevada and Utah ﬂowing to lower-pressure voids on the coast, drying out and heating up as they come down the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Coastal Ranges. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

Not only is dry desert air blowing into California but also, as the air descends in elevation, it warms and the relative humidity plummets. In extreme events, exceptionally dry air can be pulled from the stratosphere and worsen fire weather.

Similar winds that threaten the Santa Barbara area are known as sundowner winds. Strong winds come from the north to the south, and typically peak in the late spring through the mid-summer. Sundowner winds peak during the late afternoon to the evening hours.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 9/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times

Strong sundowner winds come from the north to the south, and typically peak in the late spring through the mid-summer, threatening the Santa Barbara area. Sundowner winds peak during the late afternoon to the evening hours. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

Are California’s wildfires getting more destructive?

Of the 10 most destructive California wildfires in the modern record, all of them have occurred since 1991. Nine of them have hit since 2003; seven since 2015.

Why is this?

Lots of reasons. Here are some:

• We continue to build and live in the wilderness. Some experts say we need to stop building homes in wildlands at risk for wildfires. Many elected officials aren’t interested.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 10/16 10/30/2019 How do wildfires start and spread? - Los Angeles Times Authorities continue to green-light housing developments at great risk for wildfire.

Once a wildfire ignites homes, it can become a city firestorm — moving horizontally, house to house, as it did in the town of Paradise in 2018. Such fires can be fueled more by igniting homes than the surrounding trees.

• Hotter weather and drier autumns. Hotter temperatures are causing vegetation to get more dried out than ever. Climate change is also linked to drier autumns in California and a delayed onset of autumn rains.

That’s a big problem: Firefighters historically relied on early rains to ease the threat from extreme Diablo and Santa Ana winds that plague California beginning in late September.

CALIFORNIA

Worst winds of the season batter California, bringing prospect of more blackouts, fires and evacuations Oct. 30, 2019

• Too many wildfires are followed by intense droughts. Wildlands are getting burned too often, and then are stressed by drought, causing lasting changes to California’s ecology that make the state even more at risk for wildfires.

In Southern California, shrublands are being permanently replaced by invasive grasses, and that raises the risk of wildfires, a Los Angeles Times special report earlier this year said. Invasive grasses don’t anchor soils as well as deep-rooted chaparral plants and ignite easily, fueling more and more fires.

Extended droughts leave behind dead plants that “can leave a dead-fuel legacy on the landscape and contribute to large fires in subsequent years, even in years when precipitation returns to normal,” U.S. Geological Survey fire ecologist Jon Keeley and research ecologist Alexandra Syphard wrote in a study published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-29/how-do-wildfires-start 11/16 Where Southern California Edison will be providing backup power to customers affected by outages – Daily Bulletin

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY Where Southern California Edison will be providing backup power to customers affected by outages

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https://www.dailybulletin.com/...m_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin[10/30/2019 7:27:08 AM] Where Southern California Edison will be providing backup power to customers affected by outages – Daily Bulletin

A sign hangs in the door of a closed fast-food restaurant at Interstate 15 and Sierra Avenue in Fontana on Thursday, Oct 24, 2019. Southern California Edison turned off power in the area due to extreme Santa Ana wind conditions. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

By NIKIE JOHNSON | [email protected] |  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 7:32 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 7:32 pm S

Southern California Edison will send out vehicles and set up resource centers Wednesday, Oct. 30, to By help customers whose power has been turned off to reduce wildfire risk.

Community crew vehicles are equipped with backup power to give customers a place to charge M personal mobile devices as well as to receive water, snacks and updates about the power outages. Those vehicles are planned to be stationed in three locations:

San Bernardino County: Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Center, 15556 Summit Ave., Fontana, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ventura County: Santa Paula City Hall/Park, 970 E. Ventura St., Santa Paula, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kern County: Stallion Springs Community Center, 27800 Stallion Springs Drive, Tehachapi, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, the utility will have community resource centers set up at two locations:

Los Angeles County: Agua Dulce Women’s Club, 33201 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ventura County: Berylwood Park, 1955 Bridget Ave., Simi Valley, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Extremely strong Santa Ana winds are expected to be blowing through Southern California on Wednesday, with gusts up to 80 mph in some places.

To reduce the risk of its equipment setting off a spark that could turn into a wildfire, Edison has been implementing public safety power shutoffs all month. Hundreds of thousands of customers live in areas that have been considered for blackouts, and tens of thousands have lost power.

RELATED LINKS Sign up for our breaking news email newsletter: When major local news happens, you will be the first to know. Power outage map: Where Southern Subscribe here. California Edison has cut electricity or is considering it

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Tags: power outage, Top Stories Breeze, Top Stories IVDB, Top Stories LADN, Top Stories LBPT, Top Stories OCR, Top Stories PE, Top Stories PSN, Top Stories RDF, Top Stories SGVT, Top Stories Sun, Top Stories WDN, wildfires

https://www.dailybulletin.com/...m_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin[10/30/2019 7:27:08 AM] Wanted: New Upland city attorney, who will face tons of scrutiny from City Council – Daily Bulletin

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LOCAL NEWS Wanted: New Upland city attorney, who will face tons of scrutiny from City Council Former legal counsel resigned Oct. 14 just before the council was set to fire him

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By STEVE SCAUZILLO | [email protected] | San Gabriel Valley Tribune  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 12:52 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 12:55 pm

In what’s sure to be a rigorous vetting process, the Upland City Council is moving ahead with solicitation of applications for city attorney, demanding that each application is shown to all five council members.

By a 5-0 vote Monday, Oct. 28, the City Council directed Interim City Manager Rosemary Hoerning to send out a Request for Proposal, an unusual mechanism for choosing a city attorney. An RFP is more commonly used for hiring a consultant or a contractor, not a city attorney.

“I’ve never been through an RFP for legal services before,” City Councilwoman Janice Elliott told Hoerning, who answered she will prepare a set of criteria as part of the solicitation within the next two to four weeks. Elliott said this is a “hot market” for city attorney services and that the city could expect at least 15 candidates.

https://www.dailybulletin.com/...tm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com[10/29/2019 3:28:16 PM] Wanted: New Upland city attorney, who will face tons of scrutiny from City Council – Daily Bulletin

On Oct. 14, Jim Markman, city attorney, resigned just before the council was set to fire him. Markman was blamed for providing legal ballast to a proposal to sell a portion of Upland’s historic Memorial Park for $4.2 million to San Antonio Regional Hospital for a parking lot.

Markman was the architect of a complicated legal maneuver to let a judge rule whether the Upland City Attorney Jim Markman, seen here on Oct. 14, with sale was valid, but in May, a judge dismissed Interim City Manager Rosemary Hoerning, resigned during a closed session discussion about firing him. Markman was blamed the city’s request. Furthermore, the hospital by city critics for a parkland sale to the hospital. On Monday, Oct. CEO, Harris Koenig, who was strongly behind 28, the City Council asked Hoerning to put out proposals for a new city attorney. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily the deal, was fired last month. Bulletin/SCNG) RELATED: Upland seeks $8.5 million in state funds to improve underused Memorial Park; land sale to hospital hangs in balance M Many residents, most opposed to giving up part of the park, criticized Markman for the deal and asked for his resignation. At the meeting Monday, three residents went further, saying any new city attorney should not come from Markman’s law firm, Richards, Watson and Gershon.

Interim City Attorney Steven Flower, who was on the dais Monday night, is from the same law firm.

“I believe it is time to cut ties with Mr. Markman and Mr. Flower’s law firm,” Upland resident Barbara McJoynt said during public comments.

Others asked for a city attorney that would speak in plain language and understands the issues surrounding the California Public Park Preservation Act.

“If our city goal is to increase trust within the public, I ask that you find an attorney that is versed in public policy and respects and appreciates the principles and meaning behind our laws, not someone who will use laws against its own citizens,” said Irmalinda Osuna, a 16-year Upland resident and former council candidate.

Earlier this month, Markman defended the integrity of his law firm. And regarding the parkland sale, he said points of the deal were OK’d by the City Council, which still has veto power over the deal via a required zone change.

Council members Elliott, Rudy Zuniga and Bill Velto, when asked if they preferred a committee to cull city attorney applicants and then show the culled list to the council, said no. They wanted to see all the candidates’ applications and possibly interview all of them. The council would pick a new city attorney in closed session. No timetable has been set.

Elliott asked Hoerning to summarize the applicant’s RELATED LINKS services and fees in a chart so the council could see the

differences at a glance. She also said a new city attorney Facing a vote to fire him, Upland City must be knowledgeable about water issues. Attorney Jim Markman resigns

Markman served as Upland’s legal counsel from 1996 to They came from a land Down Under to 2003, then returned in February 2017. He serves as city visit sister city Upland attorney for Rancho Cucamonga, a position he has held for Upland sometimes quick to dismiss 34 years. employees, even a woman judge

Daily Bulletin columnist David Allen contributed to this Upland City Council fires City Manager article. Jeannette Vagnozzi

University of La Verne considering closure of its law school in Ontario

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SUBSCRIBE https://www.dailybulletin.com/...tm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_source=twitter.com[10/29/2019 3:28:16 PM] New movie theater, Yucaipa’s first Chick-fil-A anchor planned shopping center – San Bernardino Sun

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LOCAL NEWS New movie theater, Yucaipa’s first Chick-fil-A anchor planned shopping center

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By JENNIFER IYER | [email protected] | Redlands Daily Facts  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 2:57 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 2:58 pm

Yucaipa could get a movie theater and several new restaurants at a shopping center proposed at the 10 Freeway and Yucaipa Boulevard.

Yucaipa Pointe got a go-ahead from the Planning Commission on Oct. 16, and moves on to the City Council for review.

Of the restaurants named at the commission’s meeting, firsts for the city include Chipotle, Panera Bread and Chick-fil-A. A Jack in the Box was also named. Several other drive-thru or sit-down restaurants, a health club, and car wash also are planned.

Commissioner Denise Work shared her concerns about the number of fast-food restaurants with drive-thrus and how much traffic they would cause.

“I don’t care for the fast-food nation down here,” she said at the meeting. “I’m not convinced looking at the plan that the stacking on all of these pads is really sufficient.”

https://www.sbsun.com/...pping-center/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun[10/29/2019 3:27:53 PM] New movie theater, Yucaipa’s first Chick-fil-A anchor planned shopping center – San Bernardino Sun

She also expressed worries about greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles in the drive-thrus.

Tom Robinson with developer VantageOne Real Estate Investments said drive-thrus are a popular M restaurant model.

“All national restaurants, they want a drive-thru,” he said. RELATED LINKS Even Chipotle and Panera Bread, which in the past have

been mostly sit-down only, want to provide customers with Dine 909: Norms Restaurant finally under drive-up service. construction in north Rialto

The planned Chick-fil-A, which is anticipated to draw many Here’s where Raising Cane’s will build its cars at peak hours, can stack 30 in the drive-thru, he said. first Redlands restaurant

Tuscano’s Pizza & Pasta raises its Italian food game in Yucaipa

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Status Update: Firestarter gym opens in Moreno Valley

City staff also noted several spots will be designated for electric vehicles only, which will help offset emissions.

One thing the center won’t have is a grocery store, though it will have a sign designating Yucaipa as the home of Stater Bros. As the property’s former owner, the grocery chain required this feature as part of the sale.

The Stater brothers, Cleo and Leo, purchased their first store in 1936 on West Yucaipa Boulevard.

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https://www.sbsun.com/...pping-center/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun[10/29/2019 3:27:53 PM] 10/30/2019 CAUSE OF MASSIVE FIRE IN JOSHUA TREE LAST NIGHT CALLED SUSPICIOUS | Z107.7 FM

FEATURED, LOCAL NEWS, TOP STORY CAUSE OF MASSIVE FIRE IN JOSHUA TREE LAST NIGHT CALLED SUSPICIOUS

OCTOBER 30, 2019 | Z107.7 NEWS | LEAVE A COMMENT

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z1077fm.com/cause-of-massive-in-joshua-tree-fire-last-night-called-suspicious/ 3/8 10/30/2019 CAUSE OF MASSIVE FIRE IN JOSHUA TREE LAST NIGHT CALLED SUSPICIOUS | Z107.7 FM

A re deemed as “suspicious”—with ames that could be seen from miles away—forced the evacuation of several residents in a Joshua Tree mobile home park Tuesday night. Fireghters from Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Yucca Mesa were called to a structure re in the 61900 block of Commercial Street about 11:00 last night. As crews arrived on scene, they were confronted with multiple abandoned structures on re that were threatening an additional occupied structure on the property. Flames stretched over 50 feet into the night sky and could be seen from 10 miles away. A life hazard alert was issued due to a re-damaged electrical service drop. While the giant ames raged on, several nearby residents of the Lazy H RV and Mobile home park were evacuated by Sheriff’s deputies as the re grew in size. It took 14 reghters and one battalion chief 30 minutes to knock down and control the massive blaze. An aggressive attack by re crews using hand lines and deck guns ultimately saved the occupied exposure as well as the entire RV/mobile home park. The re remains under investigation and appears suspicious in nature.

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z1077fm.com/cause-of-massive-in-joshua-tree-fire-last-night-called-suspicious/ 4/8 Suspect arrested in man’s stabbing death in unincorporated Montclair – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY Suspect arrested in man’s stabbing death in unincorporated Montclair

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By ROBERT GUNDRAN | [email protected] |  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 8:26 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 9:15 pm

An Ontario man was arrested Sunday evening on suspicion of stabbing and killing a man earlier that day.

Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to the 11300 block of Brunswick Lane in unincorporated Montclair just after 3 a.m. over reports of two people fighting in the street, authorities said.

On arrival, deputies found a man in the street, later identified as Daniel Ornelas, 27, of Pomona, with stab wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Homicide investigators with the Sheriff’s Department identified Ivan Gutierrez, 22, of Ontario, as a suspect involved in Ornelas’ death. Officials said Ornelas and Gutierrez were at a party near where the stabbing happened before the fight broke out.

Gutierrez was arrested Sunday at around 8 p.m. on suspicion of murder. He was booked into the

https://www.sbsun.com/...d-montclair/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[10/30/2019 7:26:56 AM] Suspect arrested in man’s stabbing death in unincorporated Montclair – San Bernardino Sun

West Valley Detention Center with a bail of $1 million. S RELATED ARTICLES N ACLU sues LA County Sheriff’s Department for not turning over public By records

Claim against Riverside County alleges blame in disappearance and death of M Corona boy, Noah McIntosh

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Moreno Valley man found in car had been fatally shot

1 dead after San Bernardino liquor store shooting

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https://www.sbsun.com/...d-montclair/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social[10/30/2019 7:26:56 AM] 2nd victim of deadly Sandalwood fire in Calimesa is identified as 61-year-old woman – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY 2nd victim of deadly Sandalwood fire in Calimesa is identified as 61-year-old woman

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https://www.sbsun.com/2019/10/29/2nd-victim-of-deadly-sandalwood-fire-in-calimesa-is-identified-as-61-year-old-woman/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun[10/29/2019 3:28:06 PM] 2nd victim of deadly Sandalwood fire in Calimesa is identified as 61-year-old woman – San Bernardino Sun

Resident Cecilia Rios, front, is comforted by sister, Rita Delgado, in the ruins of her home following the Sandalwood fire at Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park in Calimesa on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. The Sandalwood fire claimed two lives in the mobile park as it destroyed 76 homes. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

By BRIAN ROKOS | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise  PUBLISHED: October 29, 2019 at 1:05 pm | UPDATED: October 29, 2019 at 2:23 pm

The second person whose remains were found in the Calimesa mobile home park ravaged by wildfire on Oct. 10 has been identified.

Hannah Labelle, 61, perished in the blaze, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday, Oct. 29. Labelle lived in the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park in Space A9, the coroner said.

Kaitlin Campbell, a family friend who established a GoFundMe page to raise money for final expenses, said a witness reported that Labelle was seen trying to put out the approaching flames using a garden hose. The witness said Labelle gave up and then went back inside her home. She was never seen alive again.

The blaze that started when a trash truck dumped its burning load near the 10 Freeway, quickly swept through the mobile home park, fanned by the gusting Santa Ana winds, killing two people, destroying dozens of mobile homes and charring more than 1,011 acres.

The other person who died was previously identified as Lois Arvickson, 89. Neighbor Vance Wooten said he saw Arvickson trying to get her car out of the garage but didn’t see her again.

Some Sandalwood fire survivors working to recover despite lack of home insurance

Stay-out order lifted for mobile home park devastated by Sandalwood fire

State insurance chief tours Calimesa area devastated by Sandalwood fire

Sandalwood fire victims get help with next steps, recovery

Assistance center opens in Calimesa for Sandalwood fire victims

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https://www.sbsun.com/2019/10/29/2nd-victim-of-deadly-sandalwood-fire-in-calimesa-is-identified-as-61-year-old-woman/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-sbsun[10/29/2019 3:28:06 PM] 10/30/2019 Sheriff, DA, two others receive raises despite opposition from county employees - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Sheriff, DA, two others receive raises despite opposition from county employees

Sheri Bill Gore, shown here being sworn into oce, was among four elected county employees to receive raises Tuesday. (Sam Hodgson/The San Diego Union- Tribune)

County Board of Supervisors approved raises for four elected officials, tying future raises to similar jobs in other counties

By CHARLES T. CLARK

OCT. 29, 2019 6:13 PM

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/sheriff-da-two-others-receive-raises-despite-opposition-from-county-employees 1/11 10/30/2019 Sheriff, DA, two others receive raises despite opposition from county employees - The San Diego Union-Tribune San Diego County’s sheriff, district attorney, its assessor/recorder/county clerk and its treasurer/tax collector are all getting raises this year and in future years, despite requests from county employees that the Board of Supervisors table the topic until the county conducts a compensation study for all its employees.

On Tuesday the county supervisors approved an ordinance 4-1 that would increase salaries for the four elected positions by 3 percent this fiscal year and by 2 percent each of the two following fiscal years. Then starting in 2023, the salaries for those positions would be adjusted annually to be no less than the 75th percentile of the salaries of similar positions in 13 “comparable” California counties.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/sheriff-da-two-others-receive-raises-despite-opposition-from-county-employees 2/11 10/30/2019 Sheriff, DA, two others receive raises despite opposition from county employees - The San Diego Union-Tribune County staff viewed the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Ventura as comparable to San Diego for the salary comparison and found that San Diego County does not rank among the top five counties in compensation for any of those elected positions.

Supervisor Nathan Fletcher was the lone supervisor to vote against the measure. He argued it is not a pressing priority and it would be a strange investment, given the board’s earlier failure to fund other modest measures, such as one earlier in the day intended to expand voter access.

“I realize when you talk about salary increases for elected officials it’s never an easy subject to bring up,” said Supervisor Greg Cox, who put forward the proposal.

“I can tell you that the increase being talked about here for the next three fiscal years is pretty much in conformist with what the rank-and-file employees of the County of San Diego have received. The intent would be to make no significant modification to the salary of the four elected officials.”

Under the new contract the county reached in 2017 with SEIU Local 221, the county employee union, wages were increased by 3 percent in the fiscal years spanning 2017 to 2020, then by 1.5 percent in the fiscal years 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Members of SEIU 221, which has long asked the county to conduct a comprehensive compensation study across all county positions, criticized the supervisors for doing something to make pay more competitive for the four elected positions, but not for all county workers.

David Garcias, President of SEIU 221, said SEIU works with several public agencies which conduct compensation studies every three years to make sure pay is competitive.

San Diego County is the exception, he said.

“The board has repeatedly forgotten these workers, and they need to invest in their workforce,” Garcias said. “Invest to make them competitive, retain and recruit the best and the brightest — that should be your motto.”

Sarah Johnson, a nurse with Edgmoor Hospital, a county-run nursing home in Santee, asked the board to conduct a compensation study. She said many of Edgmoor’s nurses go above and beyond duty, and the county needs to make sure it’s prepared to replace nurses who retire in the coming year.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/sheriff-da-two-others-receive-raises-despite-opposition-from-county-employees 3/11 10/30/2019 Sheriff, DA, two others receive raises despite opposition from county employees - The San Diego Union-Tribune “Competitive wages will attract amazing employees like the ones we have now, the ones that helped Edgmoor become the number one nursing home in California,” she said. “Please show us that we are appreciated and, remember, a great employee is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.”

No supervisors commented on the prospect of a comprehensive compensation study.

Supervisors will next meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Campus Center Chambers at the County Operations Center on 5520 Overland Avenue for their regularly scheduled meeting. There will be a second reading of the ordinance at the board meeting on November 19.

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https://www.kqed.org/news/11782314/what-you-need-to-know-sonoma-countys-kincade-fire 4/12 10/30/2019 A Single Attorney Has Filed More Than 50 Lawsuits Under New Section 8 Discrimination Law | PublicCEO

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A Single Attorney Has Filed More Name: Email: Than 50 Lawsuits Under New Section Register 8 Discrimination Law

POSTED BY : PUBLICCEO OCTOBER 29, 2019

In recent weeks, San Diego attorney Christian Curry has filed more than 50 lawsuits on behalf of two clients, alleging landlords across town advertised homes for rent with language like “No Section 8″ in violation of a new city ordinance. By Ashly McGlone and Jack Molmud. When a new city law barring discrimination against housing aid recipients took effect on Aug. 1, one local attorney was ready.

In recent weeks, San Diego attorney Christian Curry has filed more than 50 lawsuits on behalf of two clients, alleging landlords across town advertised homes for rent with language like “No Section 8,” referring to federal subsidized housing funds available to low-income families, the elderly and disabled.  www.publicceo.com/2019/10/a-single-attorney-has-filed-more-than-50-lawsuits-under-new-section-8-discrimination-law/ 1/5 10/30/2019 A Single Attorney Has Filed More Than 50 Lawsuits Under New Section 8 Discrimination Law | PublicCEO

Their demands total roughly $360,000 combined so far, court records show, not including additional unspecified damages and attorney’s fees and costs.

“It’s always been illegal to discriminate based on source of income,” Curry told Voice of San Diego. But San Diego “put some teeth into the law,” and “it’s had the most dramatic effect,” he said.

Curry knew Sylvia Valencia and Lucila Luna, the two plaintiffs he’s representing, from previous work with his law firm, the Tenants Legal Center of San Diego. He said the number of advertisements barring Section 8 applicants on sites like Zillow, Trulia and Craigslist has plummeted in recent weeks.

“The law has been very effective in doing what it was designed to do,” he said.

But critics of the law – and Curry’s zeal in suing to enforce it – say it’s also been effective at extracting money on behalf of people who never even intended to rent from the offending landlord in the first place.

San Diego city leaders approved a new ordinance last year that brings steep penalties to landlords who discriminate against tenants based on their source of income, including housing assistance from government programs for low-income individuals such as Section 8 vouchers. More than 15,000 low- income households in San Diego receive Section 8 vouchers, according to city officials.

A 2018 Urban Institute study found “lower landlord denial rates correspond with places that have protections for voucher holders.”

San Diego’s new ordinance expanded the definition for source of income to include rental assistance from “any federal, state, local, or nonprofit-administered benefit or subsidy program, or any financial aid from any rental assistance program, homeless assistance program, security deposit assistance program, or housing subsidy program, whether paid directly to the program participant, landlord, or Search Search representative of either.”

City Council President Georgette Gómez championed the law.

“Protecting our families on Section 8 from discrimination is important for reducing undue barriers in an already tight rental market,” Gómez said after the ordinance was introduced in 2018.

The new law orders violators to pay three times the advertised monthly rent to eligible plaintiffs who saw the ad, plus punitive damages, as well as a plaintiff’s attorney fees and costs if a judge so orders. Even after the offending ad is taken down or changed, exposure to liability from anyone who saw the illegal ad lasts for a year.

Valencia and Luna both claim to receive Section 8 vouchers, though it is unclear how much they receive or whether they actually intended to apply to live at each home sued. Both declined interviews through Curry.

Under the city’s ordinance, just being a recipient of a housing subsidy and seeing the ad for a home in the city of San Diego is enough to have standing to sue.

“The law doesn’t require that you apply. The law simply requires that the tenant observed it,” Curry said.

“This person never attempted to rent from us as far as we can tell,” said Shelly Croft, vice president of operations for F&F Property Management Inc., a defendant in one of Valencia’s cases. “I’m sure the lawmakers thought they were doing a good thing, but there are flaws they didn’t anticipate. … From our end, I understand why they felt this law was important. We want everyone to find suitable housing, but the law didn’t allow for misuse to be prevented.”  www.publicceo.com/2019/10/a-single-attorney-has-filed-more-than-50-lawsuits-under-new-section-8-discrimination-law/ 2/5 10/30/2019 A Single Attorney Has Filed More Than 50 Lawsuits Under New Section 8 Discrimination Law | PublicCEO

Janet Hammer settled a lawsuit from Luna after re-posting an old ad with anti-Section 8 language. Hammer said Luna didn’t apply before she received the lawsuit notice.

Peerless Properties Inc. also settled with Luna, said owner David Allen Puffinburger. He said the company received Luna’s lawsuit Aug. 3, but that she never applied and he doesn’t believe she intended to.

“I’d get it if there were damages, but there weren’t. She didn’t want to move that many times,” he said.

That the law doesn’t require plaintiffs to actually apply to live in the space being advertised before suing is a problem, said Molly Kirkland, director of public affairs for the Southern California Rental Housing Association.

Kirkland likened the new Section 8 cases to “drive-by” lawsuits over violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Such caseshave been frowned upon by several courts, sparked some reform legislation and the Riverside County district attorney even suedsome plaintiffs and law firms who’ve filed numerous ADA cases, claiming they made fraudulent claims for financial gain. A judge dismissed the case in July, but the DA is appealing.

This is “the very thing I was worried about,” said Kirkland, of the Section 8 cases in San Diego. “They don’t really care about the outcome. They just want the settlement money and they move on. I think that’s what we are seeing here… I don’t think the law was intended to sue a bunch of owners who made a mistake or were unaware of the law.”

A few defendants reached by Voice of San Diego said they opted to settle, but declined to discuss their cases on the record.

Tammy Gagnon, owner and manager of 5th Avenue Property Management, said she settled a lawsuit from Luna for more than $5,000 over an ad for a space in a 55 and over community. She admits she made a mistake, but she questioned Luna’s motives.

“She had pulled up an ad that was the day after the law had changed… It was the only ad that had this language, and we missed it,” Gagnon said. “I think she is taking advantage of the system. … It was a mistake and I’m really sorry. Had this person contacted me, we would have corrected it. I don’t think at any time you make a mistake that you should be right away thrown into a lawsuit.”

Kirkland also expressed concern about the penalties the law created for landlords.

“That’s a lot of money for the owner, especially an independent owner,” Kirkland said. Getting the law changed “would be difficult,” but adding an opportunity to cure the violation – something like 30 days to remove the ads and change the rental criteria – would be a “better learning tool,” Kirkland argued.

Croft, whose company F&F manages about 30 buildings containing 600 units in San Diego County, said despite training employees about the new ordinance, a year-old ad was placed by a listing agent by mistake that had Section 8 prohibition language. The company received Valencia’s lawsuit notice in the mail.

“A simple mistake costs us thousands of dollars because of the way the law was written,” said Croft, adding they settled the case, “because you can’t fight it. The way the law is written, a judge has to award three times the rental rate,” which was almost $10,000.

“Owners need to be aware, because there are no oops. There are no take-backs,” she said.

“Wherever the moral high ground is, it is probably not with the person who discriminated,” Curry said. Curry declined to disclose his fee agreement with his clients, but said claims he is out for money alone are not true.  www.publicceo.com/2019/10/a-single-attorney-has-filed-more-than-50-lawsuits-under-new-section-8-discrimination-law/ 3/5 10/30/2019 A Single Attorney Has Filed More Than 50 Lawsuits Under New Section 8 Discrimination Law | PublicCEO

“The client and I share the same goal. We are trying to limit discrimination, so we have been very reasonable in settling these matters,” he said. “I hope this dissuades landlords from doing it. The ultimate goal is to never have to bring these suits.”

Section 8 voucher-holders and other housing subsidy recipients will soon see more protections statewide.

A new California law will take effect Jan. 1 that largely does what San Diego did, by broadening the definition of “source of income” to include Section 8 vouchers and other subsidies paid directly to landlords to further prevent tenant discrimination. The law was created at the suggestion of the California Department of Social Services’ Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force.

Gómez tweeted Oct. 8, “SD was ahead of CA!”

Unlike San Diego, however, the state law will leave the penalties for violators up to the courts or administrative agencies that handle the complaints.

Gómez’s office did not respond to questions about the city ordinance.

As for Valencia, she has now settled into a new home in East County, Curry said. Luna is still looking for a home to rent, and there are a couple other Section 8 recipients who may file lawsuits with Curry’s help soon.

Originally posted at Voice of San Diego.

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Where a $5 Million War Rages Between Airbnb and the Hotel Industry A high-stakes clash, accusations of misinformation and residents who have had enough.

By Luis Ferré-Sadurní

Oct. 30, 2019 Updated 8:04 a.m. ET

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Thousands of ominous ﬂiers from an organization called Keep Our Homes have appeared in residents’ mailboxes in recent weeks. They warn of scheming politicians and urge residents to “Stop the BAN” on short-term rentals.

But Keep Our Homes is not funded by a local group of homeowners, as the campaign’s name might suggest. It is backed by Airbnb, which is currently engaged in a multimillion dollar battle to win a referendum on Tuesday in New Jersey’s second-largest city.

The company’s opponents — the hotel industry and a powerful hotel workers union — have also injected sizable amounts into the fray, sending “Vote YES” mailers and buying TV spots.

The clash has been replete with accusations of misinformation campaigns and the harassment of Airbnb hosts, and some have insinuated that the restrictions were inﬂuenced by special interests.

The upcoming vote has rapidly become the most expensive local referendum in the state’s history, and one of the biggest battles that Airbnb is ﬁghting this year in efforts to repel home-sharing restrictions in cities across the country.

Jersey City, just a four-minute train ride from Manhattan, has become increasingly valuable to Airbnb as New York City has cracked down on illegal Airbnbs.

Residents will vote on a city law that would impose strict regulations on short-term rentals. The restrictions would almost certainly diminish the number of properties listed on Airbnb — but would not outright ban homeowners from being able to rent out portions of their properties for short periods of time.

In the lead-up to the vote, residents at community meetings have complained about the growing nuisance of tourists. Attacks on neighborhood message boards have turned personal. And many residents have grown irritated by campaigns they see as disingenuous.

“I abhor the fact this situation is creating a huge divide in our community,” said Felicia Palmer, 49, a longtime resident of Jersey City who rents out her second home through Airbnb. “We have two major behemoths, Airbnb and the hotel lobby, waging a war on our turf.”

Airbnb has sunk $4.2 million into a political committee, while the hotel industry and workers union have reported close to $1 million in spending, according to disclosure reports. That’s about $33 spent per registered voter in a city of about 265,000 people, with more spending yet to be reported.

The home-sharing juggernaut has previously outspent its opponents by millions of dollars in cities like San Francisco to defeat similar referendums.

It is betting on the same tactic in Jersey City.

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Many residents have grown annoyed by large-scale operators who have scooped up condos and brownstones en masse to rent them on Airbnb, ﬂooding residential streets with tourists. Laura Moss for The New York Times

20,000 signatures and an inﬂux of cash Jersey City, with support from the current mayor, actually legalized home sharing in 2015.

Short-term rentals swiftly ﬂourished among homeowners. But it also attracted outside investors who scooped up units en masse to rent them via Airbnb. By 2019, about 3,000 listings appeared on the platform.

In June, the city passed an ordinance that placed heavier restrictions on the industry. Some residents, who were annoyed by sometimes- rowdy strangers staying in properties converted into makeshift hotels, had raised quality of life concerns.

The ordinance allows owners in buildings with four or fewer units to rent out their place for only 60 days a year if the owner is not present.

Owners who live on-site can rent out parts of their homes year-round. In buildings with more than four units, short-term rentals are prohibited unless the owner lives on-site.

In response, a handful of hosts who would be affected by the ordinance turned to Airbnb. The company quickly backed their cause: It spent at least $219,000 to collect 20,000 signatures, according to ﬁlings, and triggered a referendum for voters to weigh in.

Almost overnight, Jersey City residents were thrust into a high-stakes clash.

Airbnb spent almost $1.1 million through Oct. 4, according to ﬁlings, and opponents expected it would spend much of the remaining $3.1 million in its political committee by Election Day.

On the other side, the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, an inﬂuential union which represents 40,000 hotel workers in New York City and North New Jersey, has also mobilized. The union sees Airbnb as a threat to hotels and to the housekeepers, concierges and doormen it represents.

It has also worked with the AFL-CIO, the Hotel Association of New York City and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat. The union was Airbnb’s most effective foil in New York, where it has worked closely with elected ofﬁcials to lobby for laws aimed at crippling Airbnb.

According to public ﬁlings, the coalition has paid $900,000 to the same lobbying and political strategy ﬁrm that spearheaded the campaign against Airbnb in New York City.

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Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat, embraced Airbnb a few years ago, but supported tougher restrictions against the company as its listings ballooned. Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

Donations and the drafting of an ordinance Airbnb’s opponents, including Mr. Fulop, say the $30 billion company has mounted a misleading campaign and is only interested in protecting its highly-anticipated initial public offering, or I.P.O.

The mayor, however, previously had a friendly relationship with the company, although both sides disagree on when it began to deteriorate.

In late 2016, Mr. Fulop approached Airbnb for a contribution toward his re-election campaign, according to emails obtained by The New York Times. The following year, the mayor attended a fund-raiser at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. But Airbnb’s promised contribution to the mayor did not immediately arrive.

In May 2017, Mr. Fulop sent three Airbnb employees a blistering email expressing his frustration with the delay and that his calls were being ignored.

Airbnb’s $10,172 contribution to Team Fulop — a joint committee to support the mayor and eight City Council candidates — arrived 12 days after the mayor’s furious email.

In a statement, Christopher Nulty, a spokesman for Airbnb, said the mayor’s relationship with Airbnb fractured as a result of the delay, and that Mr. Fulop soon began receiving donations from the hotel industry.

Mr. Fulop said he was frustrated at the time because the donation came after a crucial deadline to ﬁle a quarterly campaign report. But he said it was a lie that the ordeal had severed his relationship with Airbnb, which he accused of “resorting now to desperation.”

Four months after Airbnb’s contribution, the Hotel Trade Council began donating to Mr. Fulop and his joint committee — an amount that has reached $33,200 since late 2017. Airbnb’s supporters have questioned the hotel union’s role in crafting the ordinance.

They point out that the hotel union’s deputy political director was part of the committee of residents who helped write the new Airbnb regulations .

Mr. Fulop said he felt “really comfortable” that the committee acted properly.

“Both of them have been supporters and neither of them have inﬂuence,” Mr. Fulop said of Airbnb and the Hotel Trades Council.

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In recent weeks, residents have been barraged with campaign ﬂiers cajoling them to vote for or against the Airbnb ordinance. Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

Growing animosity Both sides blame each other for instigating the fraught ﬁght, which has led to allegations that Airbnb hosts have been doxxed — a term for publicly divulging sensitive personal details like addresses and phone numbers.

But on the ground, Airbnb has garnered animosity for labeling the ordinance a ban. The ordinance does bar renters from being hosts, but it allows homeowners who live on-site to rent out spare bedrooms, extra units or a basement.

“In my opinion, these ﬂiers are misleading at best and outright lies at worst,” said Mattias Johansson, 44, an I.T. consultant who lives in a Jersey City townhouse with his wife and two children. “I feel they are fear mongering.”

Liz DeBold Fusco, a spokeswoman for Airbnb, defended calling the ordinance a ban.

“I believe that, and our hosts believe that, the ordinance was designed to be a ban,” she said. “There’s a number of different provisions that are designed to effectively limit as many people as possible from being able to participate in the short-term rental economy.”

Mailers in favor of the tougher regulations disclose they are paid for by “HTC,” the hotel workers union. But digital advertisements state they are paid for by the Share Better Education Fund, an entity sponsored by the union and hotel lobby.

For Mr. Johansson,the ﬁght is personal. He said an out-of-state investor converted a nearby townhouse into a full-time Airbnb, where the parties keep his family up at night.

“At this point, it’s like an absentee-run hotel,” he said.

The ordinance would target the main source of residents’ ire: large-scale operators renting out dozens of apartments on Airbnb to tourists. Twenty Airbnb hosts control about 800 Jersey City listings, according to Inside Airbnb, a website which scrapes data from Airbnb’s platform.

But the new regulations could also impact some Jersey City residents like Ms. Palmer, who has rented out her starter home on Airbnb ever since she moved with her family into a loft by the waterfront in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy.

Ms. Palmer said she checks up on her property regularly and has never had any major problems with guests. The extra income was a welcome cushion when she was battling breast cancer.

"I haven’t done anything wrong,” she told about 40 other people on a rainy night this month during a meeting among residents of Hamilton Park, a neighborhood of brownstones. “Why am I getting punished?”

Ms. Palmer was the only Airbnb host at the meeting, which was otherwise dominated by residents who shared horror stories of living next to Airbnb-rented homes.

Lorraine Sperling said at the meeting that neighboring Airbnb guests once tried to operate a nonfunctioning ﬁreplace and accidentally caused a gas leak in the middle of the night.

“My bedroom smelled like a propane tank,” Ms. Sperling said. “We could have been gassed in our sleep.”

Graeme Zielinski, who identiﬁed himself as the campaign director of Keep Our Homes, was in attendance. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/nyregion/jersey-city-airbnb-vote.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=New York 4/5 10/30/2019 Where a $5 Million War Rages Between Airbnb and the Hotel Industry - The New York Times “Airbnb had this guy ﬂown in from Chicago,” one resident told the others during the meeting, motioning toward Mr. Zielinski.

“Do you know your company is lying?” another man asked Mr. Zielinski at the end of the meeting. “How much are they paying you?”

Mr. Zielinski declined to comment on the record, but conﬁrmed he lives in Chicago.

Airbnb, Under Attack in New Jersey, Seeks a New Ally: Voters July 17, 2019

Inside the Rise and Fall of a Multimillion-Dollar Airbnb Scheme Feb. 23, 2019

Luis Ferré-Sadurní writes about housing in New York City for the Metro Desk. He joined The Times in 2017 and is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. @luisferre

A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 30, 2019, Section A, Page 24 of the New York edition with the headline: Residents Caught in a $5 Million Airbnb War

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