An 8-Year-Old Boy's Death Has Social Workers Wondering, 'Could I Face Criminal Charges?'

2/13/2017 An 8yearold boy's death has social workers wondering, 'Could I face criminal charges?' LA Times

An 8-year-old boy's death has social workers wondering, 'Could I face criminal charges?'

Prosecutors blame 8yearold Gabriel Fernandez's mother and her boyfriend — and four social workers — for his death in May 2013. (Family photograph)

By Richard Winton

FEBRUARY 13, 2017, 4:00 AM

n a case that has sent a chill through the ranks of child protection workers nationwide, a Los Angeles County judge will soon decide if there is sufficient evidence to put four social workers on trial for I criminal negligence in the death of an 8yearold Palmdale boy they were charged with protecting. Gabriel Fernandez died in May 2013, after suffering months of torture and abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, according to prosecutors. The two are awaiting trial on capital murder charges.

But the spotlight is also on four former Department of Children and Family Services employees who are charged with felony child abuse and falsifying public records.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelngabrielfernandezsocialworkers20170213story.html 1/4 2/13/2017 An 8yearold boy's death has social workers wondering, 'Could I face criminal charges?' LA Times Prosecutors allege that caseworkers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt ignored evidence of repeated abuse and minimized Gabriel’s injuries.

L.A. sheriff's deputies disciplined after horrific torture death of 8yearold boy »

The Fernandez case is the first in Los Angeles in which social workers face criminal charges in performing their duties, said prosecutors, and is one of only a handful of such cases filed nationwide in recent decades.

In two weeks of testimony during a preliminary hearing, Gabriel’s firstgrade teacher and other witnesses testified to their mounting concern over signs of physical abuse — facial bruises, scabs, missing tufts of hair, busted lips — and alarm that their calls to the caseworkers went unheeded. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar is scheduled to rule this week on whether the evidence warrants a criminal trial.

The county fired the social workers, but Merritt is appealing his termination in court. All four vehemently deny any wrongdoing.

“They are scapegoats,” said Merritt’s attorney, Jim Barnes. “There are plenty of other people here involved in the decisionmaking.”

The decision by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey to prosecute the employees surprised many child protection experts, who fear the case may hamper efforts to recruit social workers for public sector jobs.

“This case is creating a lot of apprehension,” said Janlee Wong, executive director of the California chapter of the National Assn. of Social Workers. “People considering whether to choose to go into the field of child protective social work are now considering, ‘Could I face criminal charges if something goes wrong?’ ”

Wong would not comment on the merits of the Los Angeles prosecution, but said social workers are ground troops who, for the most part, follow orders from their superiors.

“When a kid dies, there is plenty of guilt to go around and responsibility that ought to be shouldered,” Wong said. “When we pick on certain people we want to be held responsible, we’re not holding the entire system responsible.”

Marilyn Flynn, dean of USC’s Suzanne DworakPeck School of Social Work, said the county department had been “deeply troubled” for years, plagued by outdated systems, high caseloads and frequent turnover of leadership. “This affected the quality of supervision, the ability of the workers to make consistent decisions and demoralized employees,” Flynn said.

Prosecutors filed the case after the county’s child welfare department requested a review of its own internal investigation.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelngabrielfernandezsocialworkers20170213story.html 2/4 2/13/2017 An 8yearold boy's death has social workers wondering, 'Could I face criminal charges?' LA Times “In our rigorous reconstruction of the events surrounding Gabriel’s death, we found that four of our social workers had failed to perform their jobs. I directed that all of them be discharged,” the department’s then director, Philip Browning, said.

In testimony during the preliminary hearing, Summerwind Elementary School teacher Jennifer Garcia said in the months before Gabriel’s death, she repeatedly reported to county child service workers new signs of abuse that prosecutors say came at the hands of his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre.

A few weeks into the 201213 school year, Garcia saw a facial bruise the size of a halfdollar on the boy and he revealed he was beaten with a belt buckle, drawing blood, she said. She immediately called a county child abuse hotline and received a call back from social worker Rodriguez, she testified.

In January 2013, Garcia said, Gabriel came to school with swollen eyes and a pockmarked face. At first, he said he had fallen, but he then told her, “My mom shot me in the face with a BB gun,” she testified.

On two occasions, she testified, a fearful Gabriel asked, “Can you call that lady?”, referring to the county social worker he knew she had been calling. Garcia said she began to lose confidence in child protective services as months passed and Gabriel remained with his mother.

“I kind of started to feel nothing was happening,” she testified.

Records show Rodriguez went to the home to investigate and documented small bruises and swelling on Gabriel’s face. His mother blamed her other son for firing rubber pellets at Gabriel, according to her notes. Rodriguez also looked into the belt beating, but the boy denied his earlier story, calling it a joke, she wrote in her report. After the BB gun incident, Clement, a former nun and juvenile hall chaplain, took over the case from Rodriguez.

In announcing the charges, Lacey said: “When their negligence is so great as to become criminal, young lives are put at risk. We believe these social workers were criminally negligent and performed their legal duties with willful disregard for Gabriel’s wellbeing.”

Prosecutors have declined to provide details of the charges, such as how records may have been falsified.

Lance M. Filer, Rodriguez’s attorney, said there is no evidence his client fabricated anything in her case notes or reports. “They are trying to hold our clients responsible for the independent actions of criminals,” he said, referring to Gabriel’s mother and her boyfriend.

Hagop Kuyumjian, the attorney for Bom, one of the supervisors, has insisted that his client was reliant on Rodriguez’s reports and had no direct knowledge of abusive acts.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant in January 2016 overturned a civil service commission’s decision to reinstate Merritt, noting that as the supervising social worker he approved Clement’s proposal to override the family’s highrisk score on an assessment and directed the case be closed in April 2013. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelngabrielfernandezsocialworkers20170213story.html 3/4 2/13/2017 An 8yearold boy's death has social workers wondering, 'Could I face criminal charges?' LA Times The next month, paramedics arrived at the Palmdale home to find Gabriel not breathing. His skull was cracked, three ribs were broken and his skin was bruised and burned. He had BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin. Two teeth had been knocked out.

Merritt’s attorney has suggested that the escalation of violence occurred after the case was closed and the family was no longer under the supervision of the child services department. According to testimony of a detective assigned to the case, Gabriel’s brother said the boy was shot with metal BBs and had his teeth knocked out in the weeks before his death, and alleged violence at the hands of Aguirre increased after he thought Gabriel had taken a knife and a credit card.

Shelly Albert, Clement’s attorney, asserted that the four social workers are the target of selective prosecution and that other social workers and mandated reporters, including sheriff’s deputies who responded to abuse reports, are being given a pass. Garcia, the boy’s teacher, said she never spoke directly with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Several deputies who went to the home to conduct welfare checks have been disciplined, according to sheriff’s officials. None, officials said, have lost their job or faced prosecution. [email protected]

Twitter: @lacrimes

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f t Cutting jobs, street repairs, library books to keep up with pension costs Generous retirement benefits for public safety employees could help push the Bay Area city of Richmond into bankruptcy

By JUDY LIN REPORTING FROM RICHMOND, CALIF. | FEB. 6, 2017

Richmond, a workingclass city of 110,000 on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, has been struggling with the cost of employee retirement benefits. Pensionrelated expenses have risen from $25 million to $44 million annually in the last five years and could reach $70 million by 2021. (Robert Durell / CALmatters)

hen the state auditor gauged the fiscal health of California cities in 2015, this port community on the eastern shore of San WFrancisco Bay made a short list of six distressed municipalities at risk of bankruptcy.

Richmond has cut about 200 jobs — roughly 20% of its workforce — since 2008. Its credit rating is at junk status. And in November, voters rejected a tax increase that city leaders had hoped would help close a chronic budget deficit. “I don’t think there’s any chance we can avoid it,” said former City Councilman THIS SERIES IS A PARTNERSHIP OF Vinay Pimple, referring to bankruptcy.

A major cause of Richmond’s problems: (http://www.latimes.com/) relentless growth in pension costs.

Payments for employee pensions, pensionrelated debt and retiree healthcare have climbed from $25 million to $44 million in the last five (https://calmatters.org/) years, outpacing all other expenses.

By 2021, retirement expenses could exceed $70 million — 41% of the city’s (http://www.capradio.org/) general fund.

Richmond is a stark example of how pension costs are causing fiscal stress in cities across California. Four municipalities — Vallejo, Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes — have filed for bankruptcy (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/municipalitiesdeclared bankruptcy/) protection since 2008. Others are on the brink.

“The truth is that there are cities all over the state that just aren’t owning up to all their problems,” said San Bernardino City Manager Mark Scott.

Increasingly, pension costs consume 15% or more (http://www.latimes.com/projects/lamepensionsqueeze/) of big city budgets, crowding out basic services and leaving local governments more vulnerable than ever to the next economic downturn. Richmond is a racially diverse, workingclass city of 110,000 whose largest employer is a massive Chevron oil refinery. Like many California municipalities, Richmond dug a financial hole for itself by granting generous retirement benefits to police and firefighters on the assumption that pension fund investments would grow fast enough to cover the cost.

That optimism proved unfounded, and now the bill is coming due.

Richmond Makes Cuts To Services As Pension Costs For PublicSector Workers Mount (http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/02/06/richmond makescutstoservicesaspensioncostsforpublicsectorworkersmount/ ) Listen to a report by Capital Public Radio.

/ 0:00:00 0:03:56

Read the storyì (http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/02/06/richmondmakescutstoservicesaspensioncostsfor publicsectorworkersmount/ )

City Manager Bill Lindsay insists that Richmond can avoid going off a cliff. Last year, financial consultants mapped a path to stability for the city by 2021 — but at a considerable cost in public services.

The city cut 11 positions (http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/07/06/facingprospectoffurther creditdowngraderichmondpassesbudget/), reduced afterschool and senior classes, eliminated neighborhood cleanups to tackle illegal trash dumping, and trimmed spending on new library books — saving $12 million total.

City officials also negotiated a fouryear contract with firefighters that freezes salaries and requires firefighters to pay $4,800 a year each toward retirement healthcare. Until then, the benefit was fully funded by taxpayers.

“I’ve seen some of my good friends go through it in Vallejo and Stockton, and what we found out during those [bankruptcies] is that your union contracts aren’t necessarily guaranteed,” said Jim Russey, president of Richmond Firefighters Local 188.

Richmond’s consultants said the city had to find $15 million (http://documents.latimes.com/richmondfiveyearbudgetforecast 2016/) more in new revenue or budget cuts by 2021. Lindsay said the city has been looking hard for additional savings, and the police union recently agreed to have its members contribute toward retirement healthcare.

öJuly 26, 2016 Tough sledding Financial consultants with the National Resource Network spelled out the daunting challenges Richmond faces in righting its finances.

(http://documents.latimes.com/richmondfiveyearbudgetforecast2016/)

“If you look at the fiveyear forecast, with reasonable assumptions, even with the growth in pension cost, it does start to generate a surplus,” Lindsay said.

Joe Nation, a former Democratic state legislator who teaches public policy at Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, is not so sanguine. He reviewed Richmond’s retirement cost projections and said they leave little room to maneuver.

Over the next five years, every dollar the city collects in new revenue will go toward retirement costs, leaving little hope of restoring city services, Nation said.

“If there is an economic downturn of any kind, I can imagine that they could be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, if not bankruptcy,” Nation said.

Last month, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), the state’s main pension fund, lowered its projected rate of return on investments from 7.5% to 7% per year. That means Richmond and other communities will have to pay more (http://documents.latimes.com/calperscircularletter/) each year to fund current and future pension benefits.

öDec. 21, 2016 Lower returns, higher cost CalPERS told local governments it was lowering its projected rate of return on investments. That means taxpayers will have to pay more to fund retirement benefits.

(http://documents.latimes.com/calperscircularletter/) The change is expected to increase local government pension payments by at least 20% starting in 2018, according to CalPERS spokeswoman Amy Morgan.

An analysis by the nonprofit news organization CALmatters indicates that Richmond’s retirementrelated expenses could grow to more than $70 million per year by 2021. That represents 41% of a projected $174million general fund budget.

Lindsay said the city’s estimates of future pension costs are lower because of different assumptions about salary increases and other costs.

The city of Richmond’s pensionrelated budget problems have taken a toll on public services, including street repair. (Robert Durell / CALmatters)

Voters approved a sales tax increase in 2014 to help stabilize the city’s finances. But in November, voters rejected an increase in the property transfer tax (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/39147) that was expected to bring in an additional $4 million to $6 million annually. Lindsay said the city was never counting on the property transfer tax in its 5year plan. If the city needed more cash, he says Richmond has properties it can sell.

“Budget management is much more difficult in Richmond than in Beverly Hills, but you still manage it,” Lindsay said. “To say it’s spiraling out of control into bankruptcy does incredible damage to our community and it’s just not accurate.”

Richmond is especially hard hit by personnel costs because of high salaries for public employees. The city’s average salary of $92,000 (http://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/Cities/Cities.aspx) for its 938 employees was fifth highest in California as of 2015, according to the state controller. The city’s median household income is $54,857.

Police officers and firefighters in Richmond make more than $137,000 (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarialreports/2015/richmondcity safety2015.pdf) per year on average, compared with an average $128,000 per year for Berkeley police (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarial reports/2015/berkeleycitysafetypolice2015.pdf) and firefighters (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarialreports/2015/berkeleycity safetyfire2015.pdf), where housing prices are more than 60% higher than in Richmond.

Public safety salaries averaged $115,000 (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarialreports/2015/oaklandcity safety2015.pdf) in Oakland and $112,000 (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarialreports/2015/vallejocity safety2015.pdf) in Vallejo. Mayor Tom Butt says of Richmond’s pensionrelated financial problems: “It’s a huge mess ... One of these days, it’s just going to come crashing down.” (Robert Durell / CALmatters)

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, an architect and general contractor who has served on the city council for two decades, says the city that was once among the state’s most dangerous has little choice but to pay higher salaries to compete for employees with nearby communities that are safer and more affluent.

“You can’t convince anyone here that they deserve less than anybody in any other city,” Butt said.

Lindsay said the decision to offer higher salaries for public safety employees was strategic.

“The city council made a conscious decision to put a lot into public safety, in particular reducing violent crime. And largely, we’ve been successful,” Lindsay said.

Support our public service journalism ì (http://ad.latimes.com/landsubscribe evergreen/) Become a Los Angeles Times subscriber today to support collaborations like this one. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. (http://ad.latimes.com/landsubscribeevergreen/)

Violent crimes have been declining in the city over the past decade with homicides dropping to a low of 11 in 2014. But Richmond is experiencing an uptick, recording 24 homicides in 2016, according to the police department.

Part of the challenge with public safety costs dates to 1999, when Richmond, like many local governments, matched the state’s decision to sweeten retirement benefits for California Highway Patrol Officers.

CHP officers could retire as early as 50 with 3% of salary for each year of service, providing up to 90% of their peak salaries in retirement. Other police departments soon demanded and got similar treatment. Richmond firefighters are eligible to retire at age 55 with 3% of salary for each year of service. Recent hires will have to work longer to qualify for a less generous formula under legislation passed in 2013.

Richmond’s actuarial pension report (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/actuarialreports/2015/richmondcity safety2015.pdf) shows there are nearly two retirees for every police officer or firefighter currently on the job.

To cope with severe budgetary pressures, the city of Richmond put this Fire Department training facility up for sale. (Robert Durell / CALmatters)

In a way, Richmond is a preview of what California cities face in the years ahead. According to CalPERS (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/board agendas/201609/financeadmin/item8c01.pdf), there were two active workers for every retiree in its system in 2001. Today, there are 1.3 workers for each retiree. In the next 10 or 20 years, there will be as few as 0.6 workers for each retiree collecting a pension.

Because benefits have already been promised to today’s workers and retirees, cuts in pension benefits for new employees do little to ease the immediate burden. It “means decades before the full burden of this will be completely dealt with,” said Phil Batchelor, former Contra Costa County administrator and former interim city manager for Richmond.

Today, Richmond’s taxpayers are spending more to make up for underperforming pension investments. CalPERS projects that the city’s payments for unfunded pension liabilities will more than double in the next five years, from $11.2 million to $26.8 million.

Now, the lower assumed rate of investment return is projected to add nearly $9 million to Richmond’s costs by 2021.

“It’s a huge mess,” said Mayor Butt. “I don’t know how it’s going to get resolved. One of these days, it’s just going to come crashing down.” Judy Lin is a reporter at CALmatters, a nonprofit journalism venture in Sacramento covering state policy and politics.

Twitter: @ByJudyLin (https://www.twitter.com/byjudylin)

Additional credits: Sean Greene

California's Pension Crisis

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About this series The Los Angeles Times is collaborating with CALmatters (https://calmatters.org/), a nonprofit journalism venture, and Capital Public Radio (http://www.capradio.org/) to explore the consequences of an historic expansion of retirement benefits for California public employees.

A series of pension enhancements, beginning with a 1999 law known as SB 400, has created a huge gap between the state’s obligations to current and future retirees and the capacity of public pension funds to pay them.

CALmatters, based in Sacramento, publishes explanatory journalism (https://calmatters.org/articles/thepensioncrisisaboutthisproject/) on state policy and politics. It is supported by foundations, companies and individual donors, all of whom must agree to respect the group’s editorial independence.

Capital Public Radio, also in Sacramento, is a donorsupported organization that distributes its journalism to outlets across California.

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Write your comment here 2/13/2017 Print Article: Top Riverside County administrator: Stay on track with budget

Top Riverside County administrator: Stay on track with budget By JEFF HORSEMAN 20170207 16:30:33

Faced with more financial hurdles, Riverside County’s top administrator urged county supervisors to stay the course Tuesday and avoid the temptation to spend more to plug the latest holes in a fragile budget.

County Executive Officer Jay Orr also lauded the progress the county has made in cutting costs as officials chart a longterm path toward financial stability. Officials still must confront multiple obstacles facing the $5.4 billion budget for fiscal 2017, which ends June 30.

Those obstacles include lowerthanexpected tax receipts and new costs, including stateapproved raises for Cal Fire firefighters and $44 million in projected costs to the next budget as the state wants counties to pay more for IHSS, or InHome Supportive Services, which are given to adults in need so they can stay at home.

There’s also uncertainty about what the repeal of the Affordable Care Act will mean for a countyrun health care system that’s in the midst of a toptobottom transformation following a period of $1 millionaweek losses.

The hurdles, which come on top of a $22 million hit to money from a special sales tax, threaten to derail an already delicate fiveyear plan to keep spending flat while replenishing the county’s reserves.

But for now, Orr and his staff are not recommending major changes to the fiscal 2017 spending plan. Savings could materialize later this year to ease at least some of the pain, county finance chief Paul McDonnell told supervisors.

Orr praised work to rein in costs and realize savings. He noted that the Sheriff’s Department’s projected $19 million shortfall is half of what it was to start the fiscal year and that the district attorney has narrowed his department’s shortfall from $12 million to about $4 million.

Rates charged by departments for services provided to other departments – information technology, for example – are essentially flat, and the IT department has managed to shrink its budget through consolidation, cutting vacant positions and other actions, Orr said.

Supervisors chastised Sacramento for the proposed IHSS change, saying it’s an unfunded mandate. “The state ... balances its budget on the backs of local government,” said Supervisor John Tavaglione.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries lamented that the people living in the county’s unincorporated areas will feel the brunt of any budget cuts, since they rely completely on the county for public services. He called for costcutting efforts to pick up the pace.

“Paul, there’s got to be a point where we pull the trigger and start fixing the budget,” Jeffries told McDonnell. “Don’t wait. If there’s something we need to start looking at, we need to do it sooner rather than later.”

Contact the writer: 9513689547 or [email protected]

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=824993 1/2 2/13/2017 Print Article: Top Riverside County administrator: Stay on track with budget

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=824993 2/2 2/13/2017 Print Article: Riverside County, unions at odds in talks

Riverside County, unions at odds in talks By JEFF HORSEMAN 20170210 18:02:24

Months of talks between Riverside County and several public employee unions have not yielded new contracts, and one union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the county.

While negotiations are taking place behind closed doors, public communications from two unions – Service Employees International Union Local 721, which filed the charge with a state agency, and Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 777 – indicate the county and its unions still have work to do to reach new collective bargaining agreements.

If new deals are not struck, it’s possible the county could declare an impasse and impose terms on unionized employees. When that happened in 2012, it led to a oneday strike by SEIU in which scores of union members wearing purple shirts descended on the County Administrative Center in downtown Riverside to demand the county return to the bargaining table.

Right now, the county is in talks with SEIU, LIUNA and the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, which represents deputies and other law enforcement personnel. Contracts with those unions expired last year.

A key goal for county negotiators is to limit raises guaranteed to union members. In the last round of deals, the county agreed to pay hikes in exchange for employees paying more toward their retirement and accepting lesser pension benefits for new hires.

Since then, officials have cited rising labor costs as a factor in the county’s current financial quandary. Ongoing revenues have failed to keep pace with expenses, forcing the county Board of Supervisors to adopt a fiveyear plan that essentially caps discretionary spending while replenishing reserves.

A tight leash on new raises is central to that strategy. One union, the Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Association, agreed in 2016 to a twoyear deal with no acrosstheboard costofliving raises and twostep merit increases consistent with the old contract.

Thus far, SEIU and LIUNA don’t appear to be keen on what the county is offering and are accusing the county of bargaining in bad faith.

SEIU’s charge, filed last month with the state Public Employment Relations Board, asserts the county is withholding vital information about staffing levels and other matters during the collective bargaining process.

BAD FAITH?

“Time and time again the County has shown they’re not committed to a transparent process that empowers the Bargaining Team with the needed information to negotiate for strong workplace safety protections, affordable and accessible health care, fair wages and safe staffing levels,” SEIU wrote in a post on its website.

The labor board charge, which will be reviewed by board counsel, comes on top of a grievance filed by SEIU in December on behalf of employees at a Hemet mental health clinic. Clinic conditions are unsafe and employees have been attacked outside the facility, SEIU said. http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=825277 1/2 2/13/2017 Print Article: Riverside County, unions at odds in talks SEIU Inland Region Director Esmie Grubbs said in an email that “SEIU Local 721 members are committed to a fair bargaining process that addresses understaffing and attrition, ensures the safety of our employees and the public, and restores county services and eliminates revenue waste by the County.”

Grubbs statement also said, “We will not blindly accept any cuts that endanger the lives of the general public or compromise the quality of services they receive.”

“It has long been a tactic for labor groups to complain about agencies during negotiations,” county spokesman Ray Smith said in a statement. “In part, it is because they know the county will respect the privacy of negotiations and will not respond, so the groups can misrepresent the talks if they so choose.”

Smith added: “The county has acted appropriately in negotiations. The county has generously compensated employees over the years because the county knows employees are its number one resource. That is why, in most categories, compensation is at or above the levels in other Southern California counties.”

“FRUSTRATING FOR US”

Last summer, LIUNA’s business manager expressed doubts the union and county could agree to terms. Stephen Switzer was more optimistic in a Jan. 26 update posted on LIUNA’s website.

“It now appears as though the County may be willing to take a somewhat less hard line with us than they have throughout the process,” Switzer wrote. “They are still talking concessions, but they may be willing to back off some, though not all of their more draconian proposals.”

Any concession “would need to be offset my something of similar value from the County,” Switzer wrote.

“ ... Frankly, up until now, it has been impossible to mistake the County’s proposals and positions at the bargaining table as any sort of example of good faith or fair dealing. Based on my meetings with the County’s negotiator, I am cautiously optimistic that the County may now be willing to engage in true negotiations.”

Switzer did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.

In a telephone interview, Darryl Drott, executive director for the sheriffs’ association, said he thinks both sides are working hard to reach a deal.

“We do not desire to go to impasse,” Drott said. “We desire to get a mutliyear deal that our members can work with.”

One issue, Drott said, is that the county isn’t saying what level of savings are expected from recommendations made by consulting firm KPMG, which conducted a toptobottom review of public safety spending and is analyzing nonpublic safety departments for efficiencies.

“It’s frustrating for us,” he said. “That aside, we are working to try and reach an agreement and we will work diligently to do that.”

Contact the writer: 9513689547 or [email protected]

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=825277 2/2 2/13/2017 Remembering San Bernardino County sheriff’s Detective Jeremiah MacKay

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

Remembering San Bernardino County sheriff’s Detective Jeremiah MacKay

By Staff Reports

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Four years ago today, San Bernardino County sheriff’s Detective Jeremiah MacKay was gunned down outside a cabin in Angelus Oaks by former Los Angeles police Officer Christopher Dorner.

Dorner’s 10day rampage in which he killed four people, including MacKay and Riverside police Officer Michael Crain, culminated at the cabin on Feb. 12, 2013. MacKay and another officer were engaged in a shootout with Dorner and both were hit.

MacKay, a 15year department veteran was airlifted to the Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he died.

Authorities shot pyrotechnic tear gas canisters into the cabin, setting it on fire before Dorner shot himself.

On Sunday, authorities marked the anniversary on social media.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/generalnews/20170212/rememberingsanbernardinocountysheriffsdetectivejeremiahmackay

http://www.sbsun.com/generalnews/20170212/rememberingsanbernardinocountysheriffsdetectivejeremiahmackay&template=printart 1/1 During investigation, Adelanto deputy connects with single mother, young kids Sunday Posted Feb 12, 2017 at 12:53 PMUpdated Feb 12, 2017 at 5:11 PM

"We were unaware about her kind and generous deeds until her watch commander," Capt. Greg Herbert said, "overheard other deputies playfully teasing her while she was lugging around several grocery bags full of supplies for the family."

By Shea Johnson Staff Writer ADELANTO — A sheriff's deputy, assigned to the Victor Valley Station for less than a year, is being lauded as a difference-maker after she used her own money to assist a struggling single mother of two and returned a 2-year-old's cherished teddy bear in the process.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Stacey Chapdelaine, who was hired in October 2013 but has only been assigned to patrol Adelanto since April, launched what might have otherwise been a routine domestic disturbance investigation in November.

Chapdelaine, according to Sheriff's Capt. Greg Herbert, came into contact with a single mother of two children, ages 2 years old and 10 months. The family had fled their previous home for "safety reasons," Herbert said.

"The children's father was receiving financial aid for the children, and still had possession of their diapers, formula, clothing and toys that belong to the children," Herbert told the Adelanto City Council last Wednesday. "While one of the toys that the father had was the 2-year-old's favorite teddy bear."

The mother was reportedly prevented from receiving the aid during the course of an ongoing custody dispute, exacerbating the family's needs and intensifying their struggle.

Deputy Chapdelaine "saw the desperation of this family, understood the struggle of being a single mother and ... knew that she had to help," Herbert said.

After contacting the children's father, the deputy persuaded him to bring her their clothing and the prized teddy. Chapdelaine "then purchased much-needed diapers, baby wipes, formula, snacks and additional clothing for each of the children out of her own pocket," Herbert said.

The deputy would make several contacts with the family in the process of her investigation, fostering a familiarity with the children to the extent that the toddler would embrace Chapdelaine with hugs.

She was recognized Wednesday by the Council and presented a certificate of appreciation by the city for her efforts.

But Herbert emphasized that Chapdelaine's work to leave a lasting impression on the family was "just a small example of what we do everyday" — a potentially less appreciated facet of a job that is often thought more synonymous with arrests, traffic tickets and police reports.

More so, Herbert said that Chapdelaine appeared content to keep her actions below the radar.

"We were unaware about her kind and generous deeds until her watch commander," Herbert said, "overheard other deputies playfully teasing her while she was lugging around several grocery bags full of supplies for the family."

The deputy's actions also inspired a city employee to donate baby formula, which was given to Chapdelaine during the meeting to deliver to the family.

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

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170212/during-investigation-adelanto-deputy-connects- with-single-mother-young-kids

2/13/2017 Deputy falls short of professional conduct: Sal Rodriguez

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

Deputy falls short of professional conduct: Sal Rodriguez

By Sal Rodriguez

Friday, February 10, 2017

Law enforcement officers are entrusted with tremendous power and responsibility.

Tasked with the responsibility of upholding the rule of law, the utmost professionalism is the least to be expected from those who have taken the oath to protect and serve their community. However, this expectation is routinely thwarted and undermined, as has once again happened with yet another disturbing story coming out of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Two weeks ago, Victorville resident Duncan Hicks went to a sheriff’s station to file a domestic incident complaint. Met by a “rude and irritated” deputy and clerk, Hicks was denied services and asked to leave, which he did. Hicks returned soon afterward and asked for the deputy’s badge number, recording his encounter with his phone.

“OK, Duncan,” the deputy replied. “You know what, man, I am about getting tired of you, and you are about to go to jail, just so you know.” When Hicks asked what he would be arrested for, the deputy responded, “I’ll create something, you understand? You’ll go to jail. You understand that?”

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon claims an investigation of the incident is underway and said in a written statement that upon viewing the footage, he has determined “the deputy’s responses are not consistent with the interpretation of the law.” While that is all well and good, the incident has understandably left Hicks shaken. “I’m afraid to drive at night,” Hicks later told The Sun. “I don’t want to be shot or beaten by these deputies.”

Of course, Hicks had done nothing wrong, and yet the officer blatantly abused the authority of his position and uniform to threaten and intimidate a member of the public. This is not the behavior of someone who should be allowed to serve in a law enforcement role, or be entrusted with any real authority over others.

Regrettably, one doesn’t have to think too hard of incidents in which local deputies have gone beyond the boundaries of the law they swore to uphold. The entire nation saw one example just two years ago, with the assault of Francis Pusok of Apple Valley by multiple deputies, who presumably swore an oath to protect and serve their community.

But there’s also the work of the Prison Law Office, which after extensive correspondence with hundreds of jail inmates and reviews of medical records concluded there was an “apparent culture of violence” in San Bernardino County jails, characterized by deputies repeatedly engaging in excessive uses of force. There have since been multiple lawsuits filed alleging misconduct and denial of adequate services.

Just a decade ago, the department settled a lawsuit over humiliating strip searches by deputies without proper procedures or even much justification for $25.5 million.

While most law enforcement officers take their responsibilities to both uphold the law and behave professionally seriously, it is apparent than many do not, instead confusing the authority they have with a license to abuse their powers and go beyond basic standards of decency. http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20170210/deputyfallsshortofprofessionalconductsalrodriguez&template=printart 1/2 2/13/2017 San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center still confronts troubles in 2017

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

San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center still confronts troubles in 2017

Agency that operated site of San Bernardino terror attack faces lingering probation, caseload issues

By Brian Rokos, The PressEnterprise

Sunday, February 12, 2017

As the Inland Regional Center works to move past the December 2015 San Bernardino massacre and the August 2016 deaths of four of its clients in a caregiver’s home in Temecula, the agency still begins 2017 as an organization with troubles.

The IRC, a private nonprofit organization, serves 32,605 clients in the Inland Empire who have developmental disabilities, providing their caregivers with services and reimbursement for expenses and, when necessary, placing them in facilities. The state will pay the IRC $64.7 million in taxpayer money during fiscal 201617 – a 14 percent increase over the previous year.

The IRC is on probation with the state for inappropriately spending almost $10 million between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2010. And it is still trying to catch up with a state mandate to improve its ratio of caseworkers to clients.

“While IRC is still on probation, much progress has been made to resolve the issues that resulted in IRC’s probationary status,” CJ Cook, a program manager, wrote in an email Nov. 16, two days after IRC officials were scheduled to meet with the state Department of Developmental Services about the spending audit.

Cook did not respond to a request for elaboration.

For the past five months, IRC officials have declined all requests for interviews on topics ranging from the number of caseworkers and frequency of client visits to the audit.

That appears to conflict with a statement on the IRC website.

“We believe in openness and in providing timely, accurate and comprehensive information to our clients, families, service providers, board, staff and the general public,” the website says.

The Developmental Services department, which oversees the 21 regional centers in California, also declined to comment on the status of IRC’s probation, citing ongoing discussions to determine how much money the IRC must repay.

In October 2011, the department released a highly critical audit that found widespread problems and said the IRC needed to repay the $10 million. Money was misspent on housing, transportation and salaries, according to the audit. One of the violations cited said that IRC agreed to pay a transportation company 40 percent more than the previous transportation provider at a time the state had instituted a rate freeze – resulting in an overpayment of more than $3 million.

The Developmental Services audit came a year after a Bureau of State audits report described what auditors said was a culture of employee intimidation. http://www.dailybulletin.com/generalnews/20170212/sanbernardinosinlandregionalcenterstillconfrontstroublesin2017&template=printart 1/3 2/13/2017 San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center still confronts troubles in 2017 Developmental Services put the IRC on probation in January 2011. At the time, the department said the IRC could lose its contract with the state if it did not resolve the issues.

A new Developmental Services audit is scheduled to be conducted in April 2017.

The IRC has hired independent auditor Windes, a company with offices in Long Beach, Los Angeles and Irvine, to examine the books each year since 2012.

In the most recent report posted on the IRC’s website, for fiscal 201415, the auditors wrote that “The ultimate outcome of the administrative appeal process cannot presently be determined, but (IRC) management is of the opinion that it will not have a material impact on the organization’s financial position. ... Nevertheless, due to uncertainties with the appeal process, it is at least reasonably possible that management’s view of the outcome will change in the near term.”

Windes also noted that the IRC still owes a former employee $1 million out of a $2 million settlement, with payments scheduled for 2017 and 2018.

Too few caseworkers

In a May 2016 letter, the Developmental Services department told IRC officials to write a correction plan because the center’s caseworkertoclient ratio was out of compliance for two consecutive reporting periods in two categories. In one, the ratio was 1to73 when it should have been 1to62; in the other, it was 1to77 instead of the required 1to66.

IRC sought comment on how to fix the situation at two public meetings in 2016, at a vendor meeting and in a phone conference with the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

The IRC had 16 openings for caseworkers – called consumer services coordinators – as of Feb. 10, according to its website.

State law requires caseworkers to meet with their clients at least four times a year. At least two of the meetings must take place at the care facility. The caseworker deficit would theoretically add to each employee’s workload. For example, for caseworkers in the category who have 11 more clients than they should have, that equates to 44 more meetings per year.

The IRC would not say whether the staff shortage led to a lack of oversight at the Renee Jennex Small Family Home near Temecula.

The residential adult care facility burned down Aug. 29, and five bodies were found inside: the four clients and administrator James Jennex, 50. Riverside County sheriff’s investigators said four people were shot in what they described as a murdersuicide and arson but have not disclosed the causes of death or who fired the shots or set the fire.

The IRC referred questions about the deaths to the Sheriff’s Department and would not discuss its interaction with the Jennex operators, whether caseworkers observed any problems or what the procedure is for caretakers to give up their role, if they desire.

The IRC did say in an email that its caseworkers do monitor the facilities as well as the clients.

The Department of Developmental Services, which declined to make officials available for an interview, said in an email that it monitors the regional centers but does not monitor the caretaking facilities.

“The health and safety of our consumers is our top priority at DDS; as such, we monitor the performance of the 21 nonprofit regional centers in providing services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities,” the

http://www.dailybulletin.com/generalnews/20170212/sanbernardinosinlandregionalcenterstillconfrontstroublesin2017&template=printart 2/3 2/13/2017 San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center still confronts troubles in 2017 agency wrote. “DDS does not always have knowledge of the status of a regional center vendor, given the relationship is between the regional center and their vendors, not DDS and the vendors.”

A vendor can be anyone who provides a service to a regional center or receives money from a regional center to assist clients.

The state reimbursed the Renee Jennex Small Family home $1,855,840.35 since it was licensed, which the state said happened in 2003, through November 2016, according to the email.

Pressing forward

The IRC is still dealing with the aftermath of the Dec. 2, 2015, terrorist attack on San Bernardino County Division of Environmental Health Services employees who were enjoying a holiday party inside a rented IRC conference room. Fourteen people were killed and 22 others were wounded. That conference room remains closed.

But the IRC presses forward with its work.

The IRC provides money to the Carolyn E. Wylie Center in Riverside for its infant home and autism programs. Melody Amaral, the Wylie Center’s chief executive officer, said that despite any financial or caseworker issues, the IRC is not performing like an organization in distress.

“One of our concerns was, would they be able to give us funding without interruption. We never had any interruption in spite of the shooting, which probably took a big effort on their part,” said Amaral, who said that the IRC moved its accounting department after the shooting.

IRC caseworkers continue to meet with Wylie Center clients and attend meetings on schedule, and IRC officials keep Wylie Center administrators informed in a timely manner, Amaral said.

“I was surprised after the shooting that they were able to hold things together on all those fronts,” she said.

Katie Hornberger is director of the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy for Disability Rights California. Her organization helps make sure people with disabilities have access to services and know their rights.

Hornberger said that she has dealt with the IRC many times and has found officials there responsive and willing to change practices as needed.

URL: http://www.dailybulletin.com/generalnews/20170212/sanbernardinosinlandregionalcenterstillconfrontstroublesin2017

http://www.dailybulletin.com/generalnews/20170212/sanbernardinosinlandregionalcenterstillconfrontstroublesin2017&template=printart 3/3 2/13/2017 Adelanto will not suspend economic consultant after all

Adelanto will not suspend economic consultant after all

Saturday Posted Feb 11, 2017 at 2:19 PM Updated Feb 11, 2017 at 2:19 PM

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"If he was dirty," Kerr said, "he wouldn't be next to me."

By Staff Writer Follow

ADELANTO — In a dizzying reversal, the city will not suspend its economic development consultant after all, the mayor said, adding that an investigation launched by the city manager's office also will be aborted.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170211/adelantowillnotsuspendeconomicconsultantafterall 2/4 2/13/2017 Adelanto will not suspend economic consultant after all

In saying he sought "to get something clear," Mayor Rich Kerr on Wednesday confirmed that Jessie Flores, a former planning commissioner, would remain Adelanto's top economic development official "as long as he continues to do the job that he's doing for us."

The announcement represented a departure from a notice sent late last month to Flores, whose business practices and influence at City Hall are being scrutinized by an independent attorney.

In the letter from City Manager Cindy Herrera, who formally resigned Wednesday, Flores is told his contract would be terminated Feb. 3, acting as a suspension while the city investigated "repeated allegations of misconduct."

The scope and specifics of the allegations are unclear, but Bradley Hertz, an attorney with Los Angeles-based Sutton Law Firm, filed multiple public records requests last month for documents on Flores pertaining to employment, invoices, payments made, reimbursements, emails and more.

His requests were preceded by the rare public disclosure that records were being sought, made by a Hertz representative during a City Council meeting last month.

Hertz is representing "Adelanto residents, businesses, and city and community leaders" who are also concerned about Flores' purported lack of experience since he shifted from the Planning Commission to his paid consultant capacity last year.

In Herrera's letter to Flores, she wrote that "the City is not accusing, or insinuating that, you engaged in any unethical behavior, but the City has a duty to investigate the repeated allegations of misconduct and must suspend this Agreement in the meantime."

But Kerr said that top officials, including Herrera, were later in accordance that opening a probe and suspending Flores was premature.

"It was a misconception what (Hertz and others) were asking for," Kerr said about why officials were reversing course. "We got apprehensive. It scared us."

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170211/adelantowillnotsuspendeconomicconsultantafterall 3/4 2/13/2017 Adelanto will not suspend economic consultant after all

But after re-grouping, he said that it was agreed that Hertz's requests should not have driven any discipline against Flores.

"If he was dirty," Kerr said, "he wouldn't be next to me."

Kerr and Flores are seen as close in City Hall. Kerr was the lone dissenter in a decision late last month to seek out a firm to handle the city's economic development duties, a sign that Kerr has been pleased with Flores' performance.

It's unclear how retaining Flores now affects that direction given by the majority Council.

Herrera, who announced two weeks ago she would step down as city manager and return to a full-time city clerk, did not respond to a message to discuss the reversal.

City Councilman Ed Camargo said he had not been advised of the new direction.

Flores was often lauded last week during the groundbreaking of the Frontier Enterprises-backed medical marijuana park, the largest industrial park in city history, for his role in bringing it together. There, he said the city's quickly changing landscape might not sit well with everyone, when asked about his then-looming contract termination.

Councilman John "Bug" Woodard called Flores the city's "secret weapon," and Flores has described securing the Adelanto rodeo, Grand Prix and High Desert Yardbirds as professional wins.

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or . Follow him on Twitter at .

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170211/adelantowillnotsuspendeconomicconsultantafterall 4/4 2/13/2017 How San Bernardino is trying to break the ‘schooltoprison pipeline’

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

How San Bernardino is trying to break the ‘schooltoprison pipeline’

By Ryan Hagen, The Sun

Saturday, February 11, 2017

SAN BERNARDINO >> Concerned about the schooltoprison pipeline, a metaphor for students acting up in school and winding up incarcerated, local advocates gathered Saturday to redirect the flow.

Dubbed Pipeline to Schools, the community meeting at Del Vallejo Middle School aimed to prime efforts to move children toward academic success.

“Our focus isn’t what not to do; it’s what should we do,” said William Prudhomme, the school’s principal. “We’re focusing on showing our students, ‘What does staying on task look like?’ And then we’re praising them and complimenting them.”

The community meeting, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., included eight panelists — school administrators, counselors, nonprofit leaders, school police, all active in the eastern San Bernardino schools that feed to Pacific High School.

But the effort will take more than the panelists’ words, said the Rev. Bronica Martindale, one of the panelists.

“Too often, we say how parents can help us,” Martindale said. “We need you tell us how we can help you.”

Saturday’s meeting, held outside of work hours and in the community — on Lynwood Drive near Del Rosa Avenue, a particularly troubled San Bernardino neighborhood — was one step toward letting parents voice their opinions.

A committee formed Saturday will set up meetings where people need them. The committee did not schedule its first meeting.

Dale Moore, a truck driver who lives in the area, was quick to join the committee.

“We need to show people what resources are available,” he said. “When I was unemployed, I didn’t know there were state workshops to help you find a job. Once I found out about that, I had an income again. The resource was there, but I didn’t know.”

Panelists repeatedly emphasized the importance of working together and of listening to students.

“In the last three years, we’ve made a lot of progress, but we’re not there yet,” said Gwen DowdyRodgers, a school board member and one of the panelists. “For instance, mental health issues. Someone may have a disciplinary problem because of that. Is that a suspension?”

School board member Margaret Hill also attended as an audience member.

http://www.sbsun.com/socialaffairs/20170211/howsanbernardinoistryingtobreaktheschooltoprisonpipeline&template=printart 1/2 2/13/2017 How San Bernardino is trying to break the ‘schooltoprison pipeline’ “Our kids aren’t broken,” she said. “The system is broken. When you make your school as comfortable as home, kids and parents will want to come.”

The forum was sponsored by Young Visionaries, San Bernardino Valley College and the San Bernardino City Unified School District.

Organizers also gave out school supplies, backpacks and food.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/socialaffairs/20170211/howsanbernardinoistryingtobreaktheschooltoprisonpipeline

http://www.sbsun.com/socialaffairs/20170211/howsanbernardinoistryingtobreaktheschooltoprisonpipeline&template=printart 2/2 2/13/2017 Hesperia City Council considers adopting sanctuary city ban

Hesperia City Council considers adopting sanctuary city ban

Sunday Posted Feb 12, 2017 at 1:33 PM Updated Feb 12, 2017 at 1:33 PM

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By Staff Writer Follow

HESPERIA — Mayor Paul Russ said he wants to send a message to State legislators that his town will not become a sanctuary city.

During Council comments on Tuesday, Russ told staff he'd like the City of Hesperia to explore the possibility of adopting an "anti-sanctuary" resolution, declaring the city will not protect unauthorized immigrants who face

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170212/hesperiacitycouncilconsidersadoptingsanctuarycityban 2/4 2/13/2017 Hesperia City Council considers adopting sanctuary city ban

prosecution for violating federal immigration laws.

"This resolution would only pertain to those people who are known criminals," Russ told the Daily Press. "This is not about going into businesses, schools and homes and removing immigrants, it's about not allowing criminal activity in our community."

The state Senate committee recently approved a bill from State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León that would essentially transform California into a sanctuary state, prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies from upholding federal immigration laws.

Mayor Pro Tem Russ Blewett said the Council should "let the dust settle with the state and feds" before moving forward with the resolution.

"I want our resolution to have the maximum effect," Blewett told the Daily Press. "If President Trump shuts off money to the state to prove a point, there may be federal grants for cities who make a stand against the state and aren't sanctuary cities — I want Hesperia to be one of those states."

Trump told Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly he opposes sanctuary cities that "breed crime," adding that his recent executive order threatens to withhold federal funds for municipalities that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials.

Calling California a state that is "out of control," Trump said, "If we have to, we'll defund," adding that states and municipalities who operate properly should get federal funding

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra vowed to challenge any move by the Trump administration to take away federal funding, the Associated Press reported.

Blewett said the state's "biggest problem" is with unauthorized immigrants "that are criminals who come to the U.S. to cause problems." He continued by saying there is no excuse for any city or state that harbors criminals.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170212/hesperiacitycouncilconsidersadoptingsanctuarycityban 3/4 2/13/2017 Hesperia City Council considers adopting sanctuary city ban

"People that came here, who are legit and are working are fine," Blewett told the Daily Press. "But countries have been dumping their criminals here for years and they won't take them back. If you withhold federal funding, these countries will take them back in a heartbeat."

During the meeting, Councilman Bill Holland said any "resolution by the state" does not speak to him. Councilman Larry Bird agreed with Blewett, saying the Council should allow the situation "to play out" before crafting city law.

"California legislators are trying to make us pay for their nuttiness," Blewett told the Daily Press. "The Constitution does not give rights to states."

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

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170212/hesperiacitycouncilconsidersadoptingsanctuarycityban 4/4 2/13/2017 Immigration arrests heighten fears in Southern California as hoaxes, false rumors swirl LA Times

Immigration arrests heighten fears in Southern California as hoaxes, false rumors swirl

Although immigration officials said that they arrested more than 160 people, they downplayed the activities as fairly routine and not tied to any new crackdown.

By Joel Rubin, Brittny Mejia, James Queally and Ruben Vives

FEBRUARY 11, 2017, 11:10 AM

he alarm sounded a few minutes past 3. A leading advocacy group for immigrant rights blasted out an email alert Thursday afternoon, warning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers T were sweeping up immigrants in raids throughout Los Angeles and nearby counties. As many as 100 people had been detained, the alert said, and were being transported to a federal facility.

The email made no mention of President Trump or his plan to target for deportation a wide swath of the millions of people in the country illegally, but to many people already on edge, a connection seemed clear. Within the hour, scores of protesters had gathered downtown, blocking traffic while angrily denouncing the president. Elected officials followed suit, expressing outrage at Trump and demanding answers about the raids. Authorities in Mexico put out a warning to their citizens living in the U.S.

The reality was far less clear. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnimmigrationraidsanxiety20170210story.html 1/5 2/13/2017 Immigration arrests heighten fears in Southern California as hoaxes, false rumors swirl LA Times After initially declining to release details, ICE officials on Friday announced that the agency had, in fact, concluded a weeklong operation throughout Southern California that resulted in the arrest of more than 150 people. The agency insisted, however, that the sweep targeted people with criminal records and was no different in size or scope from operations carried out in years past under previous administrations.

In immigrant communities across Southern California, the arrests capped a week of anxiety as they waited for Trump’s promised crackdown. In addition to the federal immigration action, the communities were rattled by widespread false reports on social media of nonexistent raids and police checkpoints aimed at deporting non citizens.

The situation also left police, politicians and immigration advocates trying to calibrate the right response. For elected officials in the state, who are largely opposed to Trump, it’s been about finding a middle ground that allows them to condemn both the president’s hardline stance on immigration and criminals in the country illegally.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement scrambled to tamp down the hysteria, with some blaming the immigration rights advocates for crying wolf and heightening fears.

“Stop scaring my community,” said Santa Paula Police Chief Steven McLean, who described activist claims of a raid in his city as false. “Now I’ve got to go ahead and calm people’s fears.”

The group that first sounded the alarm, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, or CHIRLA, doubled down on its account Friday, saying the arrests portend a new reality under Trump for immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

Other civil liberties groups took a less strident tack, expressing concerns about the lack of information surrounding the arrests while also noting that they had criticized the Obama administration, which deported large numbers of people, usually focusing on those with criminal histories.

Although ICE had been carrying out its operation in the region since Monday, it was not until Thursday that family members and attorneys alerted CHIRLA of arrests being made.

There was nothing new to the idea of a concentrated push by ICE to find and apprehend large numbers of people who had been identified as being in the country illegally. In July, for example, ICE publicized a similar effort that caught 112 people.

But the lack of official information about the ICE operation this week allowed unchecked allegations and rumors to swirl. In light of an executive order Trump signed into effect last month, which dramatically broadened the scope of who should be targeted for deportation, the arrests were assumed to signal something new.

“People called us. Attorneys called us, that this was happening, that this was not normal,” said CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas. “There is a heightened level of anxiety. There’s a heightened level of fear http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnimmigrationraidsanxiety20170210story.html 2/5 2/13/2017 Immigration arrests heighten fears in Southern California as hoaxes, false rumors swirl LA Times because of everything that is happening.”

Democratic politicians aligned against Trump jumped into the information vacuum.

“It’s outrageous that ICE would go into the homes of hardworking people and tear them away from their children,” U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (DLos Angeles) said in a statement Thursday evening.

Cardenas’ spokeswoman, Francesca Amodeo, said Friday that the congressman thought it was important to speak out on behalf of immigrants at risk, though she said Cárdenas agrees that residents here illegally who commit violent crimes should face federal enforcement action.

On Friday, at the end of the operation, ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said that 161 people had been arrested and that 37, all from Mexico, were deported. All but 10 of the people arrested, she said, had criminal convictions, although she did not provide details or the identities of those apprehended.

David Marin, the director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in Los Angeles, said the actions taken this week were planned before Trump took office. A few people, he said, were swept up because they were found to be in the country illegally while other arrests were being carried out. But roughly 75% of those arrested, he said, had prior felony convictions for crimes that included “sex offenses, assault, robbery and weapons violations.”

“The rash of these recent reports about ICE checkpoints and random sweeps and the like, it’s all false, and that’s definitely dangerous and irresponsible,” Marin said. “Reports like that create panic and they put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger.”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he also was trying to get answers.

“Angelenos should not have to fear raids that are disruptive to their peace of mind and bring unnecessary anxiety to our homes, schools, and workplaces,” he said in a statement.

It was difficult, however, to tell fact from fiction in the region’s immigrant communities.

The scent of cooked eggs lingered inside Rosita’s Pupuseria restaurant in Downey, one of the cities in which CHIRLA said ICE made arrests. The radio played Spanish disco music. Sitting next to a jukebox, Elizabeth Mendoza, 42, drank an orange soda.

“There’s always rumors,” Mendoza said. “One time, my son’s friend sent him a picture of a white bus and told him there was an immigration sweep going on. He showed me, but I couldn’t tell if that was true.”

The talk of immigration sweeps, she said, has further frayed already worn nerves among immigrants. A friend living in the country illegally asked Mendoza and her husband to sign a letter stating that if she is deported, they would take custody of her 2yearold daughter. “That’s horrible, to even have to consider that,” she said.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnimmigrationraidsanxiety20170210story.html 3/5 2/13/2017 Immigration arrests heighten fears in Southern California as hoaxes, false rumors swirl LA Times One of the people arrested in the ICE operation was Jose Isidro Mares, 38, who was picked up by immigration officials at his job at a tire shop in Lancaster, said his 18yearold daughter, Desiree Mares.

Her father was brought to the United States as a child and has lived most his life in the U.S., she said, adding that he had been deported once, before she was born.

Court records show Mares has a recent conviction for providing a false identification to law enforcement officials in the Antelope Valley. He also has convictions more than a decade old for felony evasion and possession of methamphetamine.

A single dad, Mares raised his daughter after her mother left them years ago. “I don’t know why they took the only person I had. They took my life,” she said.

Mares said she’s worried about how her father will get by in Mexico, adding that he’s currently in a motel in Tijuana.

“His English is perfect,” she said. “He knows some Spanish.”

Times staff writer Cindy Carcamo contributed to this report. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

ALSO

Trump says he's considering a new, narrower travel ban

Senate leader criticizes Trump administration for errors in information about Southern California immigration raids

Fearing deportations, Mexico warns its citizens in the U.S.

UPDATES:

11:10 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnimmigrationraidsanxiety20170210story.html 4/5 2/13/2017 Hesperia City Council approves sale of Eagle Plaza

Hesperia City Council approves sale of Eagle Plaza

Saturday Posted Feb 11, 2017 at 2:21 PM Updated Feb 11, 2017 at 2:21 PM

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HESPERIA — After working for years to unload its Main Street property, the City Council approved the sale of Eagle Plaza.

The Council-approved deal will garner the city approximately $2.3 million for the property that has a handful of tenants, including the Hesperia Unified School District.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170211/hesperiacitycouncilapprovessaleofeagleplaza 2/3 2/13/2017 Hesperia City Council approves sale of Eagle Plaza

The buyer of the property is Eagle Plaza Hesperia LLC, a company based out of Corona and operated by Mike Bastorous. Revenue from the sales will be utilized to pay off and defease bonds on the city-owned property located between Eighth and Ninth avenues, and about a block south of City Hall, staff said.

Interim Director of Economic Development Rod Yahnke said the owner plans to develop and refurbish the 25-unit property that includes HUSD, which made $1 million in improvements to the office space they began leasing last year.

Assistant Superintendent David Olney told the Daily Press the HUSD leased just under 10,000 square feet of the plaza, citing some tenant improvements such as plumbing, electrical, flooring, HVAC, framing and painting.

The 15,000-square-foot building is currently the home of Hole-in-One Donuts & Bakery, Philly Steak and Sub, Clean Fun Laundromat and the Dental Group of Hesperia.

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

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170211/hesperiacitycouncilapprovessaleofeagleplaza 3/3 2/13/2017 Retailers and restaurants announced for new Rialto shopping center

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

Retailers and restaurants announced for new Rialto shopping center

By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Sunday, February 12, 2017

RIALTO >> A local developer is getting closer to bringing a major shopping, dining and entertainment destination to Rialto with the announcement of new tenants and general time frames for opening retail and restaurants later this year and next.

The 60acre Renaissance Marketplace retail center will be located at the intersection of Ayala Drive and Renaissance Parkway, south of the 210 Freeway.

Major construction on the 250,000squarefoot first phase of the Renaissance Marketplace shopping center is planned to begin later this year, but developer Randall Lewis, principal of the Lewis Group of Companies, which is developing the center, said a 7Eleven and a Starbucks should be complete by year’s end.

The Cinemark movie theater chain and a 24 Hour Fitness were two tenants announced by the developer last July, and both are expected to open by April 2018. Lewis recently announced other tenants, also expected to open in April next year, include Burlington, GS Love, The Habit, Coffee Nutzz, Blaze Pizza, Panda Express and West Coast Dental.

“The big thing is this is going to have a movie theater, a 24 Hour Fitness and a lot of restaurants,” Lewis said. “The north part of Rialto hasn’t had something like this, so this will be good for Rialto.”

Once complete, Renaissance Marketplace is anticipated to have about 460,000 square feet of recognized national retailers and restaurants.

“It will be a shot in the arm for the city of Rialto and it will bring much needed entertainment and shopping options to the community,” said real estate expert Paul Galmarini, senior vice president of the Rancho Cucamongabased Progressive Real Estate Partners.

The project is being developed by the LewisHillwood Rialto Co. LLC, a joint venture between Lewis Planned Communities — a part of the Lewis Group of Companies — and Hillwood, the Texasbased company owned by Ross Perot that oversaw much of the industrial development around San Bernardino International Airport.

The new shopping center is expected to serve Rialto and surrounding communities within a 5 to 10mile radius, Lewis said.

“Clearly the City Council has a strong interest in recovering sales leakage to other communities and bringing goods and services,” said Rob Steel, director of development services for Rialto. “The council is looking to bring dining and entertainment options to Rialto residents. The shopping center will certainly bring jobs and revenue. Those are part of our economic development goals.”

http://www.sbsun.com/governmentandpolitics/20170212/retailersandrestaurantsannouncedfornewrialtoshoppingcenter&template=printart 1/2 2/13/2017 Retailers and restaurants announced for new Rialto shopping center The new community, called Renaissance Rialto, as well as an associated retail center and an industrial area, lies within a redevelopment area of about 1,500 acres which includes the 500acre former airport property.

The area is generally contained within Casmalia Street to the north, Ayala Drive to the east, Tamarind Avenue to the west and Baseline Road to the south. The 210 Freeway cuts through it.

The residential component will include a mix of rental and forsale housing. With about 1,300 housing units planned, and an average of about three people per household, city officials said they expect 4,000 new residents and the creation of about 11,000 new jobs at full buildout by the 2030s.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/governmentandpolitics/20170212/retailersandrestaurantsannouncedfornewrialtoshoppingcenter

http://www.sbsun.com/governmentandpolitics/20170212/retailersandrestaurantsannouncedfornewrialtoshoppingcenter&template=printart 2/2 2/13/2017 Joshua Tree National Park learning about pitfalls of popularity HiDesert Star: News Joshua Tree National Park learning about pitfalls of popularity By Stacy Moore HiDesert Star | Posted: Friday, February 10, 2017 5:34 pm JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK — More people than ever before are learning to love Joshua Tree National Park. The challenge is making sure they don’t love it to death. The national park broke a record for the third year in a row in 2016, when more than 2.5 million people passed through the gates. That’s over half a million more people than visited in 2015.

Across the nation, park attendance hit an alltime high of 325 Visitors swarm national park million last year. “Parks everywhere, from Mount Rushmore A line of cars moves slowly through the to the Everglades, saw marked increases, but Joshua Tree has Joshua Tree National Park entrance in consistently outpaced everyone,” Superintendent Dave Smith Joshua Tree Friday. said. The desert’s iconic look is everywhere, from car ads to music videos, and Smith thinks the message is sinking in that the Mojave is the cool place to be. Music festivals and cultural events like Coachella, Stagecoach and shows at Pappy and Harriet’s are drawing more people to the region. “People have been driving through the desert seeing how cool it is out here,” he said. “A lot of people who have access to social media are getting these images out to thousands and thousands of people. “I think it’s a perfect storm of this being a special place that people want to explore, and it’s getting a lot of media attention.” While Smith said he is delighted to see people enjoying the desert, the sheer number of people is creating problems. “The park was not designed for those types of numbers,” the superintendent said this week. The roads and parking spaces that must serve those millions of people are mapped out in a general management plan written around 25 years ago. “It was a much earlier time and they just did not foresee that there would be four or five years with 20 to 30 percent growth each year,” Smith said. And while those millions of visitors are paying millions in fees to the National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park can’t quickly direct its revenues to cope with the current crush. Visitors paid $6.16 million in entrance, camping and backcountry fees to Joshua Tree National Park last year, according to the budget office. Eighty percent of the revenue can stay in this national park, but spending it entails following strict rules.

http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_28cb95d0effa11e68c8277436ab26d42.html?mode=print 1/2 2/13/2017 Joshua Tree National Park learning about pitfalls of popularity HiDesert Star: News Revenue from visitor fees may be used only on projects that have a direct connection to the visitors’ experience, according to park officials. The money can’t be used on permanent salaries, although it can help pay part of the salary of a ranger while working on a particular project for visitors. Higherups in the federal government review every project and scrutinize every dime. “The majority of fees have to go to projects, which is great. A lot of those are road projects,” Smith said. On the other hand, what he needs are salaried employees. “That kind of thing we really can’t use our fees for,” he said. In particular, Smith is anxious to fill four law enforcement positions and three firefighter positions. “I’ll be honest, I’m a little antsy about fire season,” he said. Even without spending rules, the park can’t hire new employees right now, because the federal government is under a hiring freeze, instituted by President Donald Trump on Jan. 23. Smith is hoping he will be able to get a waiver for fire or law enforcement positions. “This is an evolving issue right now,” he said. Other open positions — for example, the park roads foreman — will remain unfilled for at least 120 days. The park is relying on partners and volunteers as much as possible. “The Joshua Tree National Park Association is really coming up to bat for us in our time of need,” Smith said. He’s also hoping to get a group of AmeriCorps volunteers to help with traffic on weekends. “I’m really throwing the net wide to find as much help as we can,” he said. All volunteers have to be trained and oriented to the particular dangers of Joshua Tree National Park, he noted. In the meantime, Joshua Tree is in the middle of its busy season. On a normal night in spring, an average of 3,000 people may be camping out in the park. “This past year of record visitation has taught us that people really love Joshua Tree,” Smith said in a released statement. “Our job is to give them the opportunity to love their park without killing it.”

http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_28cb95d0effa11e68c8277436ab26d42.html?mode=print 2/2 2/13/2017 Our View: Gang arrests are a good sign, but keep the pressure on Opinion VVdailypress.com Victorville, CA

Our View: Gang arrests are a good sign, but keep the pressure on

Saturday Posted Feb 11, 2017 at 4:48 PM Updated at 8:41 AM

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http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/20170211/ourviewgangarrestsaregoodsignbutkeeppressureon 1/4 2/13/2017 Our View: Gang arrests are a good sign, but keep the pressure on Opinion VVdailypress.com Victorville, CA

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By Daily Press Editorial Board

The recent arrests of 70 gang members throughout the High Desert capped a 16- month investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, County Probation Department and the FBI.

According to authorities, the investigation targeted members of Thee Rascals and East Side Victoria gangs responsible for distributing drugs and carrying out several violent crimes in the High Desert.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/20170211/ourviewgangarrestsaregoodsignbutkeeppressureon 2/4 2/13/2017 Our View: Gang arrests are a good sign, but keep the pressure on Opinion VVdailypress.com Victorville, CA

Arrests were made in every corner of the High Desert — Apple Valley, Adelanto, Barstow, Hesperia and Victorville.

We applaud all three agencies for their commitment to taking these dangerous criminals off the streets and urge them to continue to keep the heat on these and all other gangs present in our region.

We've seen increasing evidence of this bad element moving into the High Desert in the past few years, bringing their drugs and guns with them.

We're relieved that this influx hasn't gone unnoticed by law enforcement or the District Attorney's Office.

The Sheriff's Department reported what we all should know, that these gangs actively recruit new members from our communities, "usually children from our neighborhoods and schools."

These gangs' goals are to widen their influence and increase their wealth through illicit drug and gun sales. Once they get a foothold in a community, they are difficult to eradicate.

Fortunately, our county law enforcement leaders remain committed to doing just that. Gang enhancements provide the District Attorney's Office with a tool to keep gang members convicted of crimes in prison longer.

"We started this war on gangs in 2005 and we will continue to hold these criminals responsible for their actions, despite the 'soft on crime' approach that has eroded public safety in recent years," San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos said.

Ramos is right. Thanks to legislation like AB109 and Propositions 47 and 57, California has become a soft on crime, releasing prisoners with convictions for even violent offenses after they have served barely half of their sentences. It has become a joke and made our communities less safe.

That's why it is critically important for the Sheriff's Department and others to remain proactive in dealing with violent criminal street gangs.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/20170211/ourviewgangarrestsaregoodsignbutkeeppressureon 3/4 2/13/2017 Our View: Gang arrests are a good sign, but keep the pressure on Opinion VVdailypress.com Victorville, CA

The recent arrests took 70 criminals off the streets, but you can bet there are many more out there still dealing drugs, selling guns and committing violent crimes in the High Desert.

We must continue to keep the pressure on them until they decide it is better to move on to other areas than to risk arrest and imprisonment here in the High Desert.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/20170211/ourviewgangarrestsaregoodsignbutkeeppressureon 4/4 2/13/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM MAC TO HEAR CALTRANS PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN JOSHUA TREE TRAFFIC

« THREE LOCAL CHP OFFICERS CREDITED WITH SAVING A LIFE SEXUAL ASSAULT TRAINING OFFERED »

MAC TO HEAR CALTRANS PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN JOSHUA TREE TRAFFIC By Z107.7 News, on February 13th, 2017

Public safety and improvements along State Route 62—focusing in Joshua Tree—will be the focus of tonight’s meeting of the Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council. Reporter Mike Lipsitz has the details… With a wellearned reputation as one of Southern California’s deadliest roadways, a driver on Highway 62 is three times more likely to die in a crash than a driver on the average California road. That statistic comes from a 2014 expose on the highway in The Desert Sun. Such grim statistics have led Caltrans focus on Highway 62. The state transportation agency will review their plan to create continuous left turn lands along parts of the highway where none exist now, primarily along the portion that runs through Joshua Tree. Shoulder widening is also part of the plan. Whether or not tonight’s presentation will include plans to address the intolerable number of pedestrian versus vehicle fatalities in Joshua Tree’s business district remains to be seen. Tonight’s meeting gets underway 6:30 p.m. at the Joshua Tree Community Center on Sunburst Avenue.

February 13th, 2017 | Tags: caltrans, joshua tree, morongo basin, morongo basin municipal advisory council, san bernardino county | Category: Local News, Top Story

http://z1077fm.com/mactohearcaltransplanfordowntownjoshuatreetraffic/ 1/1 2/10/2017 No more 'leaky lodge.' Bear Mountain and Snow Summit get mammoth investments in upgrades LA Times

No more 'leaky lodge.' Bear Mountain and Snow Summit get mammoth investments in upgrades

Mammoth Resorts, which owns the Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain resorts in the Eastern Sierra Mountains, is making good on a promise to spend on upgrades at two resorts in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

By Hugo Martin

FEBRUARY 10, 2017, 11:20 AM

itting on a picnic table overlooking Snow Summit’s recently opened ski and snowboarding school, Jennifer Miller watched her three children — ages 3, 4 and 6 — shuffle on small skis to an expanded S ski lesson area complete with two new surface lifts. “We’ve noticed a big change this year,” the Santa Clarita resident said of the 240acre resort near Big Bear Lake. “I think it’s a lot nicer.”

The improvements are part of more than $3 million in investments made by Mammoth Resorts, the ski resort operator that purchased Snow Summit, along with its sister resort, Bear Mountain, in 2014.

http://www.latimes.com/business/lafimammothbigbear20170211story.html 1/4 2/10/2017 No more 'leaky lodge.' Bear Mountain and Snow Summit get mammoth investments in upgrades LA Times Mammoth Resorts, which has long owned the Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain resorts in the eastern Sierra Nevada, is making good on a promise to spend on muchneeded upgrades at the two resorts in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

The upgrades so far include the $1million ski school, dubbed the Adventure Academy, which opened in December. The 5,000squarefoot building replaces one about half that size.

The upgrades also include a new mountaintop restaurant along with a renovated food court, a new coffee station, an overhauled outdoor eating space and a new snow tubing area near the base of the mountain.

“When you have things for people who don’t want to ski, you give them a reason to come,” said Dave Likins, president of Mammoth Resorts.

He said he expects Mammoth Resorts will invest up to $150 million at its four resorts over the next 10 years.

Most of the latest upgrades have been built at Snow Summit because it serves visitors yearround, including mountain biking and hiking in the summer. But Mammoth Resorts also renovated two existing restaurants at Bear Mountain, which opens only during the snow season.

On Snow Summit’s slopes and in its eateries, skiers and snowboarders agreed that the investments have been long overdue for a resort that they say had a tired, ’70s vibe.

“It felt like a leaky lodge before,” Mary Magill of San Diego said of the old ski school, where she had enrolled her two children for lessons.

The new school has a place where skiers can rent skis, snowboards, boots and helmets. There’s a classroom and a corner lined with storage cubbies, where skiers can park their shoes and other belongings. The gentle slope used to give ski lessons — once located several hundred yards away — is now adjacent to the school.

Some skiers groused that the improvements have come with a price, such as a new $20 parking fee on weekends and a $10 hike on the daily lift tickets.

“It’s definitely more corporate and more money is getting taken away,” said Julian Nguyen, a snowboarder from San Diego who has been visiting Snow Summit since 2010.

He said the higher prices are making him consider abandoning Snow Summit for other resorts, such as Snow Valley, about 17 miles away.

“I’m not concerned with all the new knickknacks,” he said.

Other Snow Summit visitors shrugged off the higher costs, saying prices are rising everywhere.

“It’s what the market will dictate,” said Ryan Carrillo of Los Angeles, who was eating lunch in Snow Summit’s new outdoor eating area with friend Travis Doyel. http://www.latimes.com/business/lafimammothbigbear20170211story.html 2/4 2/10/2017 No more 'leaky lodge.' Bear Mountain and Snow Summit get mammoth investments in upgrades LA Times And if Snow Summit and Bear Mountain begin to resemble the pricier Mammoth Mountain resort, that’s fine too, they said. “Mammoth is great,” Doyel said. “That’s normally where I go skiing.”

Resort spokesman Justin Kanton defended the higher prices and new fees, saying Snow Summit remains affordable.

The new weekend parking fee is limited to the “preferred lots,” which represent about a quarter of the nearly 5,000 parking spaces available at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, he said. There is no charge for parking in the other spaces.

The adult daily lift ticket for peakdemand days rose to $99, up from $89 last year, an 11% increase.

Ski lift prices have been rising across the country.

Lift ticket prices have jumped an average of 5.6% at ski resorts throughout North America this season compared with last year, according to Liftopia, a website that sells lift tickets for ski venues across North America. That’s on top of the 9% increase last year from the previous season.

A oneday adult lift ticket for Mammoth Mountain, for example, rose to nearly $150, an increase of approximately 10% over last season.

The higher daily rates and the new parking fees weren’t adopted to pay for the $3 million in improvements, Kanton said. And Mammoth Resorts didn’t invest in the upgrades to target higherspending skiers, such as those who visit Mammoth Mountain, he said.

Instead, Kanton said, the new owner expects the improvements to draw more Southern California visitors and boost food and beverage sales. He noted that nearly a quarter of Snow Summit’s visitors are firsttime skiers.

“We are looking down the hill and see 22 million potential guests,” he said.

At Snow Summit, a food court at the base of the mountain has been transformed to include three new food stations: a taco bar, an Asian food eatery and a salad station. The renovation, which was completed in December, replaced traditional resort fare: pizza, burgers and hotdogs.

A new coffeehouse — Ironwood Coffee — was added in the outdoor eating area, a paved expanse of picnic tables and a fire pit.

At the top of one of Snow Summit’s peaks, the resort converted a utility building into a new barbecue joint, dubbed Hog on the Rocks. On the top of another resort peak, the resort remodeled an existing food spot to create a new brewhouse, called Skyline.

“We want to turn Snow Summit into a culinary experience,” Likins said.

http://www.latimes.com/business/lafimammothbigbear20170211story.html 3/4 2/10/2017 No more 'leaky lodge.' Bear Mountain and Snow Summit get mammoth investments in upgrades LA Times At the base of the mountain, near one of the lifts, Snow Summit built a snow tubing area, with three parallel runs.

Diane Byers of Murrieta took her 4yearold daughter on the tubing runs on a recent weekday while her husband went snowboarding. “That’s perfect for the little ones,” she said.

Nearby, Snow Summit is working on something for older visitors: Two towers have been built to support a zip line that is expected to open this summer.

From the zip line tower, visitors can look down on a 30foot climbing wall that was installed last summer.

Likins said other changes are coming, including a renovation to the ski rental shop and a new wireless network to give visitors free Internet service.

“We are taking advantage of what we can do at the resort,” he said. [email protected]

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

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http://www.latimes.com/business/lafimammothbigbear20170211story.html 4/4 2/13/2017 Good, bad news on Inland health care: Editorial

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

Good, bad news on Inland health care: Editorial

By The Editorial Board, San Bernardino County Sun

Friday, February 10, 2017

There’s been some good news on the cancer treatment front recently, but some very bad news about diabetes.

The death rate from diabetes in San Bernardino County is the second highest of any California county, and it’s more than 50 percent higher than the statewide rate. The county’s diabetesrelated death rate is 32.4 per 100,000 population, compared to 21 per 100,000 for California as a whole. Riverside County’s rate is 19.1 per 100,000, and Los Angeles County’s is 22.3.

About 70 percent of all patients who enter Loma Linda University Medical Center are diabetic, according to a clinical dietician there.

“We have almost a perfect storm for diabetes in San Bernardino [County],” said Dr. Bradley Gilbert, CEO of the Inland Empire Health Plan, based in Rancho Cucamonga, which provides care for more than a million lowincome residents in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Compared to Riverside County, San Bernardino County has lower incomes on average, more poverty, more obesity, vast geography that makes it harder to access care, and large numbers of Latino and AfricanAmerican residents, who suffer at twice the rate of Caucasians from the disease. Nearly 30 percent of San Bernardino County residents 65 and older have the disease, and about 45 percent of all county adults have prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes, UCLA experts found.

Genetics are involved, but lifestyle choices go a long way toward determining who gets Type II (adult onset) diabetes. It’s a preventable — or, certainly, delayable — disease for many of its victims. The Loma Linda dietician attributes the growth in prediabetes among younger patients to the sodas, sugary energy and coffee drinks, and fast food they consume, along with a sedentary lifestyle. “Move more, eat less” is still good advice.

The good news on cancer treatment is the collaboration announced between San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland and the City of Hope, headquartered in Duarte. City of Hope will provide clinical leadership for the existing oncology and radiation oncology programs at SARH’s new $160 million expanded facility.

Collaboration among medical facilities is a welcome trend. And shared expertise can’t help but be good for patients’ medical care.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20170210/goodbadnewsoninlandhealthcareeditorial

http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20170210/goodbadnewsoninlandhealthcareeditorial&template=printart 1/1 2/10/2017 San Diego police body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force, report says LA Times

San Diego police body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force, report says

Senior ranking officers from the San Diego Police Department wave to the crowd during the city's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Parade (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego UnionTribune)

By David Garrick

FEBRUARY 10, 2017, 12:10 PM | REPORTING FROM SAN DIEGO

he San Diego Police Department says that since officers began wearing body cameras nearly three years ago, there have been significant decreases in misconduct allegations and highlevel uses of T force. According to a ninepage internal report released this week, the cameras also have reduced the number of allegations left unresolved due to lack of evidence, helped exonerate more officers accused of misconduct and increased the percentage of allegations deemed false.

The report compared misconduct allegations and instances where force was used in 2013, before officers began wearing cameras, to 2016, when nearly all had begun wearing them.

By April, the department plans to complete upgrading each of its nearly 1,200 bodyworn cameras to newer models with superior video quality and the ability to store two minutes of images before an officer hits “record,” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamesandiegobodycameras20170210story.html 1/3 2/10/2017 San Diego police body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force, report says LA Times instead of the current 30 seconds.

The report said overall misconduct allegations were down 43.1% when 2016 is compared with 2013. More serious allegations related to criminal behavior, discrimination, force and racial or ethnic slurs were down 47.4%, while allegations related to conduct, courtesy, procedure and service were down 40.4%.

Use of force by officers was found to be on the rise overall, climbing 14% since 2013. But highlevel use of force — such as physical takedowns or employing Tasers, chemical agents or weapons — was down 16.4%. Lowlevel use of force, such as physical strength, controlled holds and Taser warnings, was up 25.3%.

Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said the statistics were evidence that bodyworn cameras discourage violence.

“This data is consistent with feedback received from officers indicating body worn cameras help deescalate some situations, and results in the use of lesser controlling force to gain compliance without the need for greater controlling/defending force,” she wrote in the report.

Brian Marvel, president of the labor union representing San Diego police officers, said he was not convinced by the statistics showing use of force has increased overall.

"I think you're seeing more thorough report writing and much better documentation of the force that was used," he said, suggesting some uses of force had been going unreported because officers couldn’t watch a video of themselves in action. "Prior to bodyworn cameras, you got into an altercation and you were having to recall everything.”

Marvel said another factor could be a significant increase in recent years in the number of incidents with people who are mentally ill, which often require the use of force.

Marvel said he was particularly pleased to see the reduction in the use of highlevel force, which he said means less instances of injuries to officers and the people they are trying to take into custody.

"It'd be great if everybody would just fully cooperate, but in the real world that's not going to happen," he said.

Zimmerman stressed in her report that use of force, while on the rise statistically, is still rare.

Of 520,000 incidents that San Diego officers responded to in 2016, just over 4,600 — less than 1% — involved the use of force.

But it’s still a problem that overall use of force is on the rise, said Rev. Shane Harris, president of National Action Network San Diego and a frequent critic of the department.

"Excessive force has gone down, but use of force is up still and it's climbing. And it's our belief they should be held accountable for each equally," Harris said. "Just because excessive force is down, it doesn't mean use of force is justified."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamesandiegobodycameras20170210story.html 2/3 2/10/2017 San Diego police body cameras reducing misconduct, aggressive use of force, report says LA Times Harris said that although the other numbers in the report are good news, city leaders still have work to do.

"They shouldn't be complimenting themselves all the time and patting themselves on the back," he said. "They need to constantly fight to make police relations better in the city of San Diego."

[email protected]

Garrick writes for the San Diego UnionTribune

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http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamesandiegobodycameras20170210story.html 3/3 2/13/2017 The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe LA Times

The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe

More than 100,000 people in communities downstream of Lake Oroville were told to evacuate Sunday evening after authorities grew concerned that dangerous flood waters would start surging out of the huge reservoir.

By RongGong Lin II

FEBRUARY 13, 2017, 7:50 AM | REPORTING FROM SAN FRANCISCO

alifornia officials are frantically trying to rapidly reduce water levels behind Oroville Dam — the C nation’s tallest — after issuing evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people who live downstream. Here’s an explainer for the current crisis, and how authorities are racing to prevent catastrophic flooding from affecting the Central Valley.

What’s the biggest concern? The biggest concern was that a concrete wall, built atop a hillside, that keeps water in Lake Oroville — California’s second largest reservoir — would suddenly crumble Sunday afternoon, threatening the lives of http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnorovilledamcrisis20170213story.html 1/5 2/13/2017 The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe LA Times thousands of people by flooding communities downstream.

With Lake Oroville filled to the brim, such a collapse could have caused a “30 foot wall of water coming out of the lake,” CalFire incident commander Kevin Lawson said at a Sunday night press conference.

Live updates: Crisis at Oroville Dam »

What’s so special about this concrete wall ? This particular concrete wall was chosen to act as an emergency spillway for Lake Oroville — a pathway for excess water to drain when the reservoir is filled to the brim.

If Lake Oroville became too full, and a main concrete spillway couldn’t drain the reservoir fast enough, water would then empty out of this emergency spillway, flowing over this low concrete wall — known as a weir — washing past a roadway and down a treelined hillside.

The emergency spillway was designed so that water would always drain at this location when the dam was full. That would keep Oroville Dam, built at a different location, safe from being overtopped by water.

So on Saturday, rising reservoir water put the emergency spillway to use for the first time since Oroville Dam was completed in 1968.

When did officials realize something was terribly wrong? Officials had thought things were going fine until suddenly, on Sunday afternoon, authorities were alerted to what they described as erosion developing near the emergency spillway.

The erosion was occurring so fast that officials feared the concrete wall would be undermined, and that it would cause a catastrophic release of water downstream. Officials said they couldn’t wait to act if the worst case scenario struck, and ordered sweeping evacuations.

What has happened since the evacuations were ordered? The situation has improved. There has been no catastrophic collapse of the concrete wall on top of the emergency spillway, which would have resulted in an overwhelming release of water downstream.

Officials decided to focus their efforts on draining the lake to funneling more water down the main spillway, a concrete slide that is supposed to be the primary way of draining a full Lake Oroville. The main spillway itself was hobbled last week, as parts of it began disintegrating as a giant pothole formed underneath a section.

Authorities knew they had to take pressure off the emergency spillway, so they began sending more water down the main spillway late Sunday. They increased the flow from 55,000 cubic feet per second to 100,000 cubic feet per second, and hoped for the best. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnorovilledamcrisis20170213story.html 2/5 2/13/2017 The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe LA Times They were in luck on Sunday night. Sunday’s increased flows did not appear to damage the main spillway further. And before midnight, the main spillway had drained the lake enough so that water was no longer flowing down the emergency spillway.

The dry weather early this week helped. As of Sunday night, only 40,000 cubic feet of water per second was flowing into Lake Oroville, and because 100,000 of cubic feet of water per second is flowing out, lake levels are being reduced.

All 23,000 California National Guard soldiers and airmen ordered to be on alert for Oroville »

So what’s the plan Monday morning? Officials need to assess the emergency spillway this morning. Authorities haven’t been able to begin to make a fix.

And they’re hoping to drain as much water as they can before a new round of storms is forecast to arrive in Northern California later this week.

If officials believe they can send an even faster torrent of water down the main spillway, they will, said Bill Croyle, the acting director of the California Department of Water Resources, at a late night news conference.

What level does the water in Lake Oroville need to get down to for officials to start feeling better? At the height of the crisis on Sunday, the lake was topped out at 902 feet. Officials would like the lake to fall by an elevation of 50 feet, which is about 500,000 acre feet of water.

The good news is that if officials are able to keep up draining at the current rate, they may able to get to that level in less than a day.

Why is it a bad sign for officials to even need to use the emergency spillway? It’s a bad sign because officials don’t have any ability to control how much water goes into the emergency spillway, as can be done with the main spillway.

Authorities want to keep a speed limit on how fast water flows from Lake Oroville down the Feather River, which runs past Oroville, Marysville and Yuba City before merging with the Sacramento River and heading to California’s capital.

California’s flood control system along Oroville can handle only a speed of 150,000 cubic feet of water per second. If water flows faster than that, catastrophic flooding can happen.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnorovilledamcrisis20170213story.html 3/5 2/13/2017 The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe LA Times “We don’t like to press it to the edge if we don’t have to,” Croyle said.

Have officials had to push the Feather River to its limit before? Yes, during the historic 1997 rains. There was flooding in and around the valley, “but we did pass water through this region without too much trouble,” Croyle said.

What happened in 1997? Several levee breaks were reported in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. But it was nothing compared with the worstcase scenarios envisioned Sunday.

Is there any way this situation could have been avoided? That’s a question many people will be wondering about for some time. Croyle was asked this question at Sunday night’s news conference: why didn’t officials increase the flow down the damaged main spillway earlier?

Croyle’s answer, essentially, was that officials were reacting to the best information they had at the time.

What were they reacting to?

The first situation officials reacted to was news of the damage in the main concrete spillway Tuesday. Officials stopped water draining out of the lake to inspect the damage, and studied it to see if they could fix it.

But “we determined we could not fix the hole,” Croyle said. It was 250 feet long, 170 feet wide, and almost 40 to 50 feet deep. There wasn’t enough time to keep the chute dry and fix it. Officials thought they had no choice other than to use the main spillway even in its crippled state, even though it would be further damaged by resuming its use.

The result is a balancing act — drain as much water as quickly as possible while trying not to further damage the spillway as much as can be helped. After all, the crippled main spillway needs to last for the remainder of the rainy season.

By Friday, officials had held out hope that they wouldn’t need to use the emergency spillway. But then it rained Friday night.

“It came in a little wetter. The storm system parked over this region of California was parked a little longer,” Croyle said.

It was only after the emergency spillway was revealed to be in dire condition that officials roughly doubled the amount of water flowing out of the main spillway. By that point, luckily, the deterioration of the main spillway had largely stabilized, although there is still cause for concern. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnorovilledamcrisis20170213story.html 4/5 2/13/2017 The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe LA Times How much time do officials have before the next rainstorm arrives? The National Weather Service forecasts Monday and Tuesday will be dry and mild, allowing river levels to recede.

Light to moderate rain is expected Wednesday into Thursday, which is forecast to cause limited rising in rivers.

The situation gets worse by the weekend, however, as new storms arrive. The river could begin rising again as early as Friday, and areawide flooding could happen between Sunday and Tuesday. [email protected]

@ronlin

ALSO

Too much water: How Oroville Dam problems became a crisis

Where is Lake Oroville and the Oroville Dam?

Flooding likely caused major train derailment near Sacramento

A tense, historic day at Oroville Dam captured in dramatic videos

This article is related to: Floods and Flooding, National Weather Service

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/lamelnorovilledamcrisis20170213story.html 5/5 2/13/2017 'This is the worst I have seen': California's roads are in dire shape, says former Caltrans director LA Times

'This is the worst I have seen': California's roads are in dire shape, says former Caltrans director

Will Kempton, thendirector of the California Department of Transportation, greets dignitaries during a kickoff event for new train service to San Luis Obispo in 2004. Kempton, who is retiring, called the condition of the state's roads the worst he's ever seen. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

By Patrick McGreevy

FEBRUARY 12, 2017, 12:05 AM | REPORTING FROM SACRAMENTO

n more than four decades as a top transportation planner in California, Will Kempton says the state’s I roads have never been in as bad condition as they are right now. Kempton, 69, who is retiring as executive director of the advocacy group Transportation California, said he is “frustrated and disappointed” that California has failed for decades to agree on a plan to pay for a $136 billion backlog of repairs on state highways and local roads. Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders said they will take another crack at reaching a deal during the next two months, which Kempton said is welcome news.

“This is the worst I have seen,” he said of street conditions in California. http://www.latimes.com/politics/lapolcawillkemptoncaliforniaroads20170212story.html 1/4 2/13/2017 'This is the worst I have seen': California's roads are in dire shape, says former Caltrans director LA Times Kempton, a former Caltrans director, thinks the seriousness of the issue has sunk in with state leaders and residents to the point where action might finally be taken this year. He said he is encouraged by recent comments by Brown and lawmakers who set an April 6 deadline for reaching a transportation funding deal.

But Kempton said reaching a deal that includes raising taxes and fees will not be easy, even though the situation is dire.

“The transportation system is in bad shape,” he said. “We have just underinvested in our transportation infrastructure for decades, and it’s coming home to roost. Particularly after the recent storms, our roads are in very, very bad shape.”

Starting work at Caltrans in 1976, Kempton served five years as head of the massive agency under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before becoming executive director of the Orange County Transportation Authority in 2009.

In the 1980s, Kempton served as executive director of the Santa Clara County Traffic Authority, managing its billiondollar highway construction program.

He has been executive director of Transportation California, a nonprofit that advocates infrastructure investment, off and on since 2013, with a oneyear stint in 2015 as executive director of the California Transportation Commission.

Former Assemblyman Roger Dickinson is taking over Thursday for Kempton, who said it was time to retire after 43 years in public service.

The road system he leaves behind is in bad shape in part because state leaders have not kept funding on pace. It has been 23 years since California last approved a ballot measure increasing the gas tax to fund transportation projects, and past taxes lacked automatic increases tied to inflation.

Inaction, inflation and more fuelefficient cars have led to road repair receiving half the funding it did in 1994, according to Fix Our Roads, a coalition of 53 groups including the League of California Cities, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

There are at least four competing proposals for addressing the transportation needs, with Republican plans excluding any tax hikes.

Updates from Sacramento »

State Sen. Jim Beall (DSan Jose), chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, has proposed a plan that would increase money to road repairs and mass transit by $6 billion annually in part by increasing the pergallon gas tax by 12 cents in phases over three years.

Beall would set the pricebased pergallon excise tax at 17.3 cents, increase the diesel tax by 20 cents and boost the sales tax by 4 percent. He would also create a $100 fee on zeroemission cars such as electrical vehicles and http://www.latimes.com/politics/lapolcawillkemptoncaliforniaroads20170212story.html 2/4 2/13/2017 'This is the worst I have seen': California's roads are in dire shape, says former Caltrans director LA Times increase the annual registration fee for all vehicles by $38 per vehicle. The proposal is backed by Fix Our Roads.

“California drivers are paying the price for the state’s inaction,” the group said in a letter last week to state officials, noting that poor road conditions cost the average driver in California $762 in annual repairs.

Brown has proposed a plan with smaller tax increases than those Beall put forward. It would increase spending on transportation by $4.3 billion a year for the next decade.

Republicans have refused to support tax increases. Assembly Republicans plan to release a plan Monday that would increase spending on transportation by $7.8 billion the first year and $5.6 billion each subsequent year without increasing the gas tax, vehicle registration fee and diesel excise tax.

Instead, GOP lawmakers said they would end the diversion of $1 billion annually from truckweight fees to pay debt on transportation bonds; reallocate to transportation $2.2 billion that was lent to the debt fund; and take existing vehicle sales, use and insurance taxes that currently go to the general fund and instead provide them to the transportation program.

“We can actually fund transportation projects in a responsible way without raising taxes and fees,” said Assemblyman Vince Fong (RBakersfield), who is vice chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. “We shouldn’t fund transportation on the backs of hardworking Californians.”

The dispute over whether tax increases are needed led to the failure of a special legislative session called last year by Brown on transportation financing. It has taken some time to get the seriousness of the transportation issue onto the public’s radar.

“I think we have succeeded in doing that,” Kempton said. “Everyone understands there is a need that has to be addressed, but the question is how do you pay for that. That’s the challenge facing the Legislature.”

In November, Democrats won a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature, which theoretically would allow them to raise taxes without any Republican votes. However, a number of moderate Democrats, some newly elected, would have to be won over to get new taxes approved.

“It’s going to be a tough vote for them,” Kempton said of Democrats attempting to raise taxes and fees.

Hearings on Beall’s proposal begin Tuesday.

Kempton hopes a solution can be found this year, but he predicts it will be a heavy lift.

“There are challenges,” Kempton said. “This is not by any stretch of the imagination going to be easy. But the governor and the legislative leadership seem to be committed to getting something done.” [email protected]

Twitter: @mcgreevy99 http://www.latimes.com/politics/lapolcawillkemptoncaliforniaroads20170212story.html 3/4 2/13/2017 'This is the worst I have seen': California's roads are in dire shape, says former Caltrans director LA Times ALSO

California's crumbling roads won't fix themselves. Neither, it seems, will state lawmakers

Grading Los Angeles streets

Interactive map: L.A. street quality grades

Updates from Sacramento

This article is related to: Jerry Brown, Jim Beall, Jr., Roger Dickinson

http://www.latimes.com/politics/lapolcawillkemptoncaliforniaroads20170212story.html 4/4