Abandoned Water Park Near Barstow Could Reopen – Daily Bulletin

Abandoned water park near Barstow could reopen – Daily Bulletin

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LOCAL NEWS Abandoned water park near Barstow could reopen

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https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_campaign=socialflow[12/5/2019 3:30:30 PM] Abandoned water park near Barstow could reopen – Daily Bulletin

The remnants of what used to be home to Lake Dolores Waterpark in Newberry Springs, Calif. are all that is left of the park on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The abandoned waterpark, which has been closed since 2004, can be seen off Interstate 15 Freeway. (File photo by Rachel Luna, The Sun/SCNG)

By SANDRA EMERSON | [email protected] |  PUBLISHED: December 5, 2019 at 3:18 pm | UPDATED: December 5, 2019 at 3:23 pm

An abandoned, graffiti-covered water park along the 15 Freeway to Las Vegas may be restored to its former glory.

Plans to redevelop the Lake Dolores Waterpark in the unincorporated community of Newberry Springs, will head to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors after being approved Thursday, Dec. 5, by county planning commissioners. S The park, about 20 miles east of Barstow, has attracted vandalism, graffiti artists, photographers and film crews since closing in 2004. It was in a Mini Cooper commercial with Tony Hawk, British rock H https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_campaign=socialflow[12/5/2019 3:30:30 PM] Abandoned water park near Barstow could reopen – Daily Bulletin

band Muse’s music video for “Reapers,” and an episode of Viceland’s “Abandoned.” By But the park’s owner, G&GF Enterprises, LLC believes it can again be known as an oasis in the desert and even “a county landmark of national fame.”

M TOP ARTICLES 1/5

“It’s a pretty amazing project,” Michael P. Wauhob, the project’s architect, told commissioners Thursday.

Lake Dolores has seen a lot of change since its construction in the 1950s. Initially a campground near a small lake, Lake Dolores was transformed into a water park with water slides, a lazy river, bumper boats, jet ski water racetrack and a swimming pool. Families flocked to the park in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was most popular. The park closed in the 1980s when it couldn’t compete with more modern parks, Wauhob said.

The park reopened in 1998 for a few years as Rock-A-Hoola, then again in 2002 as Discovery Park. It closed in 2004 due to poor attendance, but mainly because of a lawsuit filed by an employee who was injured, Wauhob said.

If approved by supervisors, the 267.41-acre park would be redeveloped in five phases over five years, with construction expected to start in 2020. The water park could be complete in 2026.

Plans include:

Rehabbing the 41-acre former water park

Restoring the 22-acre lake and 2-acre pond for boating, swimming and camping Additional office and administration space, commercial and retail, which could include a library, amphitheater, hotels and restaurants

The water park will get its water from groundwater, which has been approved by the Mojave Water Agency. It will not be connected to public water or sewer, nor will any new wells be built, Reuben Areceo, county contract planner, said.

The water agency has allowed 455-acre feet for the lake and 483-acre feet of water for the park itself, which is more than what will be used, said Om Garg, manager of G&GF Enterprises.

Newberry Springs resident Paul Deel said the new project would be an economic boom for the area, but he worries there won’t be enough water.

“Over the years I’ve observed the depletion of the water RELATED LINKS table and have seen the pain and desperation of my

neighbors coping with failing wells who are unable to pay It’s lights out on big solar in San the $200,000 plus for a replacement well,” he said. Bernardino County desert

Vickie Paulsen, another Newberry Springs resident, Short-term rentals in San Bernardino suggested a more water-friendly project. County desert need permits by end of March “You can be a pioneer of desert recreation and that would 6 things to know about Cadiz’s plan to be cool,” Paulsen said, “with a lot of palm trees and water- pump water in San Bernardino County’s friendly native vegetation, things like that. Rethink your idea Mojave Desert from Florida to desert.” Massive hemp farm — up to 1,280 acres — could rise in San Bernardino County’s Mojave Desert

San Bernardino County rules on short- term rentals in mountains, desert move forward

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https://www.dailybulletin.com/...utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-ivdailybulletin&utm_campaign=socialflow[12/5/2019 3:30:30 PM] 12/6/2019 117 children gain forever families through adoption | Community | highlandnews.net

https://www.highlandnews.net/community/children-gain-forever-families-through- adoption/article_059502f6-178c-11ea-94d9-472f79209ab0.html 117 children gain forever families through adoption

20 hrs ago

Judges sit ready to formalize the adoptions of 117 children at Ontario Convention Center during a special 22nd annual San Bernardino County Children and Family Services Adoption Finalization Event on Thursday, Nov. 21. https://www.highlandnews.net/community/children-gain-forever-families-through-adoption/article_059502f6-178c-11ea-94d9-472f79209ab0.html 1/2 12/6/2019 117 children gain forever families through adoption | Community | highlandnews.net Courtesy photo

The 22nd annual San Bernardino County Children and Family Services Adoption Finalization Event was held on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Ontario Convention Center. This year’s event celebrated the adoption of 117 children ranging in age from eight months to 17 years.

The event included participation from 74 families, including 26 sibling sets, and resulted in more than 50 children being adopted by relatives.

The space-themed event “Family and a Journey Forever,” included planet-inspired balloons, robots and rocket-ship décor. The theme focused on compassion, commitment and community as the foundations for adoptive

parents to begin their journey with their children. Participating families came from all over California, as well as Arizona and Texas to nalize their adoptions.

November is Court Adoption and Permanency Month. This year marks the 20th anniversary that the Judicial Council has recognized the eorts of California courts and its justice partners to provide children and families with fair judicial proceedings and just permanency outcomes.

Court Adoption and Permanency Month is a collective eort to bring awareness to the need of over 125,000 children in the United States, and over 60,000 in California awaiting adoption.

Aligned with the court’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, this collaborative event helps strengthen local partnerships and increase investment in the court and community in order to provide the broadest possible access to justice.

https://www.highlandnews.net/community/children-gain-forever-families-through-adoption/article_059502f6-178c-11ea-94d9-472f79209ab0.html 2/2 12/6/2019 Fontana gets new lifesaving technology from Fire Protection District | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

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https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-gets-new-lifesaving-technology-from-re-protection-district/article_eba6a176-177f-11ea-9e5b- a393e2844622.html

FEATURED Fontana gets new lifesaving technology from Fire Protection District

Dec 5, 2019 Updated Dec 5, 2019

The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District is bringing the AutoPulse Resuscitation System to Fontana.

The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCoFD) is rolling out the revolutionary AutoPulse Resuscitation System from ZOLL Medical Corporation in the cities of Fontana and Upland.

Using this new technology, County Fire Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel will improve their ability to provide high quality, lifesaving measures to patients throughout the West Valley.

AutoPulse is an automated CPR device that delivers customized, high-quality CPR whenever and wherever it’s needed. The system uses a load-distributing LifeBand that squeezes the entire chest, so patients receive consistent, high-quality compressions that drive good blood ow. As the system provides uninterrupted CPR, EMS personnel are free to transport the patient to an ambulance and get them to a hospital, as quickly as possible. https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-gets-new-lifesaving-technology-from-fire-protection-district/article_eba6a176-177f-11ea-9e5b-a393… 1/2 12/6/2019 Fontana gets new lifesaving technology from Fire Protection District | News | fontanaheraldnews.com

SBCoFD has a total of 23 AutoPulse Systems deployed throughout the county in the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Wrightwood, Lucerne Valley, Yucca Valley, Baker, Phelan, Hesperia, and now in the cities of Upland and Fontana.

At a cost of about $15,000 each, SBCoFD, the City of Fontana, and the City of Upland prioritized budgets to include the purchase and training of this lifesaving technology.

Training is conducted in conjunction with ZOLL Medical Clinical Deployment Specialists. County Fire EMS personnel have the best training available that provides a comprehensive understanding of the best practice use of the system, the Fire Protection District said in a news release.

“We are excited to extend the enhanced lifesaving capabilities of the AutoPulse System to the residents of Upland, Fontana and the surrounding areas,” said Fire Chief Dan Munsey. “This technology has increased our re departments' Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) rates by nearly 10 percent since December 2018 in the cities where they are currently deployed. This means that as of today, the residents of Upland and Fontana have almost a 10 percent greater chance for their heart to begin working again during a serious cardiac emergency through the use of this cutting-edge system.”

Munsey recalled a recent incident in which the AutoPulse System helped resuscitate a patient. SBCoFD Station 304 in Hesperia responded to a 911 call for a patient who was not breathing. Upon arriving on scene, County Fire EMS personnel utilized the AutoPulse System to stabilize the patient. After regaining a pulse, the patient was transported to a hospital. During the trip, the patient began to breathe on his own and regained consciousness. Through their commitment to professionalism, County Fire EMS personnel were able to use this cutting-edge technology to save the man’s life, Munsey said.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/fontana-gets-new-lifesaving-technology-from-fire-protection-district/article_eba6a176-177f-11ea-9e5b-a393… 2/2 FEATURED, LOCAL NEWS, TOP STORY MAN OUT $2,000 WHEN A SCAMMER CLAIMS TO BE A SHERIFF’S DEPUTY

DECEMBER 5, 2019 | Z107.7 NEWS | LEAVE A COMMENT

A Twentynine Palms man is out $2000 after he fell victim to another scam, this one involving the Sheriff’s Department. The man said he received a phone call Tuesday afternoon from a man who said he was a Sheriff’s detective. The scammer said he was following up because the victim had failed to register a DNA update and palm prints, and if he didn’t comply, he would go to jail. The victim bought $2,000 in Ebay gift cards and gave the codes to the scammer. The Sheriff’s Department reminds residents that deputies will never call asking for money. In addition, anyone who asks for payment over the phone, or through gift cards, is most likely a scammer. Hang up and call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.

SHARE THIS: Privacy - Terms 12/6/2019 Taxpayers being warned of fraudulent calls - Victor Valley News Group | VVNG.com

Business/Real Estate News San Bernardino Taxpayers being warned of fraudulent calls

VictorValleyNews  >  • December 5, 2019

San Bernardino, CA — With property tax deadline approaching, taxpayers are being warned of a new scam soliciting property tax payments through telephone.

In order to actively protect members of the community, San Bernardino County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC) Ensen Mason is cautioning ways to the make the processing of payments safer.

“Safety and security are my priorities for taxpayers in paying their property taxes,” noted Mason. “The only ways to ensure payments are made properly is to pay on our official website, by mail to our office at 268 Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino, in person at this office location, or at

https://www.vvng.com/taxpayers-being-warned-of-fraudulent-calls/ 1/4 12/6/2019 Taxpayers being warned of fraudulent calls - Victor Valley News Group | VVNG.com our temporary high desert location at 15900 Smoke Tree Street in Hesperia through December 10th.”

If taxpayers have questions regarding payment of property taxes, they are encouraged to call (909) 387-8308 and speak to staff members.

Anyone receiving a phone call soliciting payment of current property taxes should immediately contact ATC staff and report the incident.

The ATC’s Central Collections Division does contact taxpayers by phone regarding delinquent unsecured taxes, but not regarding current year secured property taxes, according to the

ATC processes 900,000 property tax bills annually and receives over $3 billion in payments that they then distribute to hundreds of local taxing entities throughout the County. These funds are the lifeblood of local public services.

https://www.vvng.com/taxpayers-being-warned-of-fraudulent-calls/ 2/4 12/6/2019 Taxpayers being warned of fraudulent calls - Victor Valley News Group | VVNG.com

ATC is proud to serve as the financial foundation for San Bernardino County government.

To follow updates to this article and more, Join our newsgroup on Facebook with over 129,000 members, Like our Facebook page, and Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. 12/6/2019 Terrorist Attack Victims Honored by Tracy Calentti - City News Group, Inc.

Terrorist Attack Victims Honored

Photo Courtesy of: Tracy Calentti The Wetzel family.

1 Photos By Tracy Calentti ATC Project Administrator 2019-12-05 at 15:28:03

San Bernardino County Auditor- Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC) redlands.citynewsgroup.com/articles/terrorist-attack-victims-honored 1/4 12/6/2019 Terrorist Attack Victims Honored by Tracy Calentti - City News Group, Inc. Ensen Mason joined Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman, County Environmental Services, and Public Health in remembering the victims of the terrorist attack at a County office four years ago on December 2nd. Fourteen people died, including 13 members of our County family, and many more were wounded physically and emotionally.

“Our thoughts and prayers today are with the families of those who suffered and died in this horrific, unprovoked attack on innocent people,” said Mason. “I join the Board of Supervisors in requesting that all ATC employees join people throughout the county in a moment of remembrance this morning at 10:55 AM, the time of the attack.”

The ATC Department was touched by this tragedy as Michael Wetzel, the husband of former ATC employee Renee Wetzel and redlands.citynewsgroup.com/articles/terrorist-attack-victims-honored 12/6/2019 Terrorist Attack Victims Honored by Tracy Calentti - City News Group, Inc. father of their six children, was among those murdered by the terrorists.

Michael Raymond Wetzel was a San Bernardino County health worker who was an integral part of Lake Arrowhead. Wetzel, a 1996 graduate of Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, lived in the mountain community with his family and actively participated in his children’s sporting events and other activities. He spent much of his time as an active member of the Church of the Woods, which is also based there.

Professionally, he was a supervising environmental health specialist for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Renee Wetzel worked for ATC as an Office Assistant III from March 2012 to September 2013. She was promoted during her time at ATC, and was known for her

redlands.citynewsgroup.com/articles/terrorist-attack-victims-honored 3/4 12/6/2019 Terrorist Attack Victims Honored by Tracy Calentti - City News Group, Inc. strong work ethic and her great heart for other people.

Our hearts go out to Renee and her family as they continue to endure the pain that comes with this great loss.

City News Group Inc. | 22797 Barton Road Grand Terrace CA 92313 | Phone: 909.370.1200 | Fax: 909.825.1116

redlands.citynewsgroup.com/articles/terrorist-attack-victims-honored 4/4 12/6/2019 New storm coming to Riverside and San Bernardino counties: Here’s when the rain will start – San Bernardino Sun

LOCAL NEWS New storm coming to Riverside and San Bernardino counties: Here’s when the rain will start

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service

By STEVEN ROSENBERG || PUBLISHED: December 6, 2019 at 9:27 am || UPDATED:UPDATED: December 6, 2019 at 9:27 am

RIVERSIDE — A storm system will move into Southern California Friday night and bring periods of light rain in Riverside and San Bernardino counties throughout the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

https://www.sbsun.com/2019/12/06/new-storm-coming-to-riverside-and-san-bernardino-counties-heres-when-the-rain-will-start/ 1/6 12/6/2019 New storm coming to Riverside and San Bernardino counties: Here’s when the rain will start – San Bernardino Sun The low-pressure system is expected to soak areas of Northern California, but Southern California is not expected to get anything more than light rain through Sunday night, forecastersforecasters said.said.

Rainfall totals through Monday could reach up to a half-inch in the Riverside and San Bernardino metropolitan area, an inch in the mountains, less than one-tenth of an inch in thethe CoachellaCoachella ValleyValley andand aa half-inchhalf-inch inin thethe SanSan GorgonioGorgonio PassPass nearnear Banning.Banning.

Rain could begin falling in the Riverside and San Bernardino metropolitan area and the mountains Friday night.

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service

The chance of measurable precipitation is 40 percent Friday night in those two areas, while the San Gorgonio Pass and the Coachella Valley are not expected to see rain until Saturday morning.

Snow levels will remain above 7,000 feet for the duration of the storm.

Skies are expected to clear up by Monday morning, then dry weather is expected the rest of the week.

High temperatures Friday could reach 47 in Big Bear; 49 in Wrightwood; 57 in Running Springs; 58 in Victorville; 64 in Yucaipa; 65 in Temecula; 67 in Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Menifee, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario and Redlands; 68 in San Bernardino and Murrieta; 69 in Riverside and Blythe; and 70 in the San Gorgonio Pass and the Coachella Valley. 30,000 Without Electricity on Freezing Nights in Lake Arrowhead & Surrounding Communities

Posted: Thursday, December 5, 2019 9:00 am by Angela Yap | A Thanksgiving storm brought three feet of snow to Lake Arrowhead and over four feet of snow to Snow Valley in Running Springs. Crestline received nearly two feet of snow.

Major highways, including Highways 18 and 330, to the Lake Arrowhead communities were closed to all traffic due to heavy snow, strong winds and low visibility on Thanksgiving Day. Roughly 30,000 people were without electricity in Lake Arrowhead and the surrounding communities.

Snow and strong winds caused numerous trees to fall over, resulting in a large number of downed wires and outages in Blue Jay, Crestline, Green Valley Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Rimforest, Running Springs, Skyforest and Twin Peaks, according to Southern California Edison spokesman Paul Griffo.

No power means no heat and the temperature during and after the storm was below freezing. No power also meant no wifi and no TV to catch up with the news.

On Thanksgiving night, Lake Arrowhead resident John Richardson, who lives on Golden Rule, was suffering from severe chest pain and transported to Mountains Community Hospital in a Snow Cat due to treacherous road conditions and then transferred to St. Bernardine’s the following day.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) was busy towing vehicles abandoned in the road, including two tour buses, on Thanksgiving night. Abandoned cars blocked many major roads, making it inaccessible for emergency vehicles.

Some mountain residents lost power for more than four days. Elizabeth Krumwiede from Sycamore Ranch, located on Dart Canyon, lost power on Thanksgiving and it was not restored until Monday, Dec. 2.

“One reason our household has survived is due to our wood-burning stove,” Krumwiede said.

Another resident, Teri Ostlie, also had no power for four days.

“A driveway with a snow berm taller than me turns into an iceberg after three days,” Ostlie said. “My power was restored on Sunday night, but the internet, phone and cell service was not fixed until Tuesday.”

“We had a household of six guests staying with us through the power outage. Unfortunately, the generator we had sent out nearly three weeks ago for repair did not make it back to us in time. We literally had no cellular service, I am thankful for still keeping our landline for emergency phone calls – although that went out several times – and enough wood to keep our wood-burning stove running nearly 24/7 for warmth. This was especially important for Richard’s 84-year-old mom, who usually feels cold in good weather.” On Friday, Nov. 29, the two highways to Snow Valley, Highway 18 and 330, remained closed, leaving skiers disappointed. Snow Valley’s opening day was delayed to the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

However, Highway 330 was open for residents only, with ID, on Friday. Despite that, major roads were still under R-3 road restrictions, so all vehicles, including 4-wheel drive, must put chains on.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the San Bernardino County Fire Department partnered with Southern California Edison to provide firewood for mountain residents who had been impacted by the storm outage. Firewood was distributed at the Crestline Chamber of Commerce and Fire Stations 91, 26 and 95.

Snow play on the roadside remained a challenge.

Rim School District called a Snow Day on Monday, Dec. 2, stating the need for personnel and various agencies such as Edison and Caltrans to have additional time to work on hazardous conditions for bus travel, downed trees and site snow removal.

At the time of press, some mountain homes and families are still without power.

Posted: Thursday, December 5, 2019 9:00 am

Story and photos By Nick Kipley, Reporter | Heavy snowfall over Thanksgiving saw the mountain communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs inundated with over two feet of snow, which caused traffic jams on Highways 330 and 18.

On the afternoon of Friday, Nov 29, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials stopped travelers from going up the mountain from Highland at a chain control point. The road was stopped for miles on Saturday, Nov. 30, as thousands of tourists queued up for hours to catch a glimpse of the first major snowfall of the season.

Motorists stopped by Caltrans on Friday said they experienced a lack of communication from authorities as they sat in their cars in snowy weather, expecting to be let through a roadblock at the intersection of Highway 18 and Green Valley Lake Road.

Commuter Emily Brown, whose family owns a cabin in Big Bear, was stuck in the traffic jam on Highway 18 for over an hour.

“It was pretty nuts. It didn’t seem like we really had any clear indication of what was going on because we had a bunch of different sources. Some people walking next to their cars said the road was open, but some people said we needed to turn around,” Brown said. “There were Caltrans guys and CHP, but no information was getting to people sitting in their cars.”

Becky Sanders, who was also on her way up to Big Bear for the weekend said she was disappointed by the lack of communication from the authorities as well.

“We saw one guy drive past us in a Maserati without chains on his wheels and there are Jeeps stuck in the snow two feet away. The Caltrans guy [was] just standing next to his truck. Some people [were] trying to put on chains. Some people [were] just stuck. It [was] a total mess,” Sanders said.

For a full list of road closures and chain advisory warnings refer to the Caltrans ‘current highway conditions’ tool located at https://roads.dot.ca.gov/ or download the Caltrans QuickMap app.

© Copyright 2019, Mountain News , Lake Arrowhead, CA. Powered by BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com. [Terms of Use | Privacy Policy] Winter Storm Impacts Lake Arrowhead by Angela Yap | Posted: Thursday, December 5, 2019 9:00 am The Thanksgiving winter storm brought nearly three feet of snow to Lake Arrowhead. Strong wind and heavy snowfall not only damaged boats and docks, but it also toppled a number of trees along the shoreline. “A few docks have sustained some damage,” said Wayne Austin, general manager of Arrowhead Lake Association (ALA). “If you are thinking of taking your boat off of the lake, this would be a good weekend to get that done. Taking them off sooner rather than later is always the best practice with more storms rolling in on the forecast.” The heavy snow weighted the pontoon down with possible “We have found no real damage to the ALA trails,” Austin leakage in one of the hulls. added. “There are a few trees and limbs down around the lake and several canopies have collapsed from the weight of the snow.” Austin also recommended that members call ALA to find out hours and availability of services during times of inclement weather. “This is just the beginning of Winter and I hope boat owners will be more prepared as we enter the winter season,” said Rick Reisenhofer, ALA’s lake patrol supervisor. “We offer Winter Watch program for boat and dock owners,” said Aaron Lawler, owner of All American Dock Pros, who monitors his clients’ docks, gangways, and piers during winter. “We have a fully-equipped barge on the lake year-round to address any issues or needed repairs that arise.” Boat and dock owners should regularly check on their boats and docks or sign up for dock watch services from local companies - All American Dock Pros, MJS Docks and Kiwi Docks. 12/6/2019 CA cities to earn money helping homeless in 100-day challenge | The Sacramento Bee

Gavin Newsom’s 100-day homeless challenge will give cities a chance at more housing money

BY SOPHIA BOLLAG AND THERESA CLIFT

DECEMBER 05, 2019 12:59 PM    

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Mather Veterans Village in Rancho Cordova on Dec. 5, 2019 with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. The facility provides low-cost permanent housing for veterans. BY FOX40

California cities and counties will have a shot at more housing money if they meet goals designed to help homeless people oﬀ the streets through a “100-day challenge” Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

Local governments will set their own goals, such as getting 100 veterans oﬀ the streets or building 100 housing units, Newsom said. If they meet them, they’ll have a shot at a piece of $35 million in additional state housing money.

As part of the challenge, Sacramento is pledging to secure land to build up to 100 housing units for homeless people, Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “We want to inspire community action at the local, county and regional level,” Newsom said during a Thursday event hosted by the Veterans Resource Centers of America at Mather Veterans Village, which serves formerly homeless veterans. “If you don’t meet your goals, we’re not going to reward you.”

The $35 million is part of $650 million in the state budget to help local governments address homelessness. It’s a relatively small amount of money for housing in California, which needs millions more homes to house its growing population. But Steinberg, whose city is counting on at least $14 million from the state before any supplemental money from the challenge, said every little bit helps.

The challenge is Newsom’s second homeless-related announcement in as many days and comes as President Donald Trump is threatening federal action if California oﬃcials don’t address homelessness. On Wednesday, Newsom announced hiring a former Trump administration homelessness oﬃcial whom the president forced out of the federal government last month.

Newsom said his new part-time adviser Matthew Doherty has told him “intimate details” about Trump’s plans for California homelessness but declined to describe them to reporters Thursday. Newsom said he anticipates more details will be announced Dec. 10 when Trump is expected to name Doherty’s replacement as director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

“I imagine at that moment we’ll be hearing a lot from their new director,” Newsom said. “I imagine he is tasked to complete the work they want done to – not with – the state of California.”

Some of the land Steinberg wants to secure could be used for “cabin” style homeless shelters, his spokeswoman Mary Lynne Vellinga said.

Council members have suggested two sites in north Sacramento for the cabins. Councilman Allen Warren has proposed a site owned by Twin Rivers Uniﬁed School District at the corner of Edgewater Road and Lampasas Avenue in the Noralto section of north Sacramento. The district has listed that property for sale for $440,000.

Councilman Jeﬀ Harris has proposed a city-owned site near Garden Valley Elementary School in the Northgate section of north Sacramento to be used for 49 cabins for women and children.

The city could secure one of those sites as part of its plan to fulﬁll the challenge, or it could secure a diﬀerent site, Vellinga said.

“Cabin” style shelters can contain between one and four beds, and sometimes include storage, chairs, counter tops and cupboards. They do not typically include private bathrooms, but provide shared bathroom access in a nearby community building, along with laundry, showers, and services.

RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE

LOCAL LOCAL https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article238080964.html 2/8 12/6/2019 Governor announces that local governments can apply for aid to combat homelessness | Inland Empire News | fontanaheraldnews.com

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/inland_empire_news/governor-announces-that-local-governments-can-apply-for-aid- to/article_d6886dd0-17af-11ea-a342-c78ed709f54e.html Governor announces that local governments can apply for aid to combat homelessness

Dec 5, 2019 Updated 18 hrs ago

During a visit to Loma Linda on Dec. 4, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California cities and counties can start applying for hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency homelessness aid provided by the 2019-2020 California budget.

San Bernardino County can begin the process of applying for approximately $6 million to ght homelessness as a result of this announcement, Newsom said.

Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino counties together are estimated to receive approximately $36 million.

Newsom blamed the Trump Administration for erecting bureaucratic roadblocks that prevented the aid from being made available earlier.

“California is doing more than ever before to tackle the homelessness crisis but every level of government, including the federal government, must step up and put real skin in the game,” Newsom said. “California is making historic investments now to help our communities ght homelessness. But we have work to do and we need the federal government to do its part.”

Newsom also announced that Matthew Doherty, former executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, would be advising his administration on the issue.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/inland_empire_news/governor-announces-that-local-governments-can-apply-for-aid-to/article_d6886dd0-17… 1/2 12/6/2019 Governor announces that local governments can apply for aid to combat homelessness | Inland Empire News | fontanaheraldnews.com In September, Newsom signed 13 bills into law building on the state’s $1 billion investment in in the 2019 Budget Act. The budget provided $650 million to local governments for emergency homelessness aid, and $500 million of that total is now available.

Ocials in San Bernardino County and area cities, including Fontana, are eager to apply for the money in order to combat the local homelessness crisis.

https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/inland_empire_news/governor-announces-that-local-governments-can-apply-for-aid-to/article_d6886dd0-17… 2/2 12/6/2019 Los Angeles Times - eNewspaper

A step back on homelessness

Trump’s appointee is a consultant with regressive, outdated ideas about how to fix the crisis. The last thing the federal government needs is a top advisor on homelessness who clings to regressive, outdated ideas about how to fix the problem. Then again, Robert Marbut, the new executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, was appointed by a president who has himself shown retrograde — or even cruel — attitudes about the issue. The Texas-based Marbut, who replaces Obama administration appointee Matthew Doherty, has been a consultant for a number of cities across the country seeking to reduce homelessness. But he’s raised alarm bells among advocates for the homeless and local officials for his methods — which have included urging cities to ban people from sleeping on the street, bar panhandling and put an end to organized food distributions by local organizations and churches. He’s also set up large centers that concentrated social service providers and homeless people, requiring those seeking shelter to sleep outside until they showed signs of positive behavior such as staying sober or getting a job. Perhaps the most troubling thing about Marbut’s approach to homelessness is not his widely reported crackdowns on public meal distributions, but his skepticism of the “housing first” approach to getting people off the street. This widely embraced strategy seeks to house homeless people first, before they have started receiving help to tackle mental illness and substance abuse problems. But Marbut told the Huffington Post a couple of years ago that he believes in “housing fourth,” or requiring people to get their personal lives in order before providing them a place to call home. That’s a dangerous fantasy. It’s incredibly difficult to treat a psychological problem while living on the street. Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of the housing-first approach, and it is now considered a best practice among social service providers. Even the Department of Veterans Affairs, which once required homeless veterans to be clean and sober before moving into its housing, now embraces it. Up to now, the federal Interagency Council on Homelessness has not only supported housing first but emphasized permanent housing over such alternatives as sanctioned campgrounds, which have gained currency in some circles.

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In another online news report, Marbut said, “I’m pretty controversial, because I often say, ‘Having a home is not the problem for the homeless. It’s maintaining a financial stability that allows you to maintain your homestead.’” It’s hard to tell what influence Marbut, who still must be approved by the council at a meeting next week, will have on cities and counties, including in California, which has been a focus of Trump’s attention. Marbut could recommend changes in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s priorities for awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in service funds and rental subsidies to cities and counties and service organizations every year. Currently, HUD emphasizes permanent housing projects over shelters and other transitional housing projects. Changing the emphasis would take some time. And theoretically, Marbut will coordinate the White House’s strategy on homelessness. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily his philosophy. It could be that he’s simply charged with implementing Trump’s plans on homelessness. One can only worry about Trump’s influence, given his hostility toward safety-net programs and the people who need them. In September, Trump administration officials came to Los Angeles to study homelessness. As usual, Trump made it clear that his sympathies were not with the needy and the destitute, complaining that there were people living in tents on “our best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings ... where people in those buildings pay tremendous taxes, where they went to those locations because of the prestige.” Homelessness is a complex challenge that requires a willingness to innovate and continually shift tactics for getting people into the housing (or shelter) and the services that will help them thrive in that housing. If Marbut or Trump see homeless people as errant campers who have to be cracked down on before they can be housed, that is out of step with the practices that have worked successfully to bring people inside, and ignorant of the data generated by years of efforts to combat this problem.

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Plan to fast-track homeless housing survives court case

Judge cites new state law in tossing suit by Venice group against L.A.

LOS ANGELES wants to build more housing for the homeless like the New Genesis apartments on skid row and a new state law exempts the city from a lengthy environmental review process for certain projects. (Al Seib Los Angeles Times) BY EMILY ALPERT REYES

Los Angeles city officials won a key battle Thursday over a pair of local laws meant to ease the way for more housing for homeless people, defeating a challenge from a Venice group that sought to overturn the ordinances.

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Fight Back, Venice! sued the city over the two ordinances, arguing the city flouted state law when it approved the local laws. Then state lawmakers stepped in, exempting the L.A. ordinances from the California law at the heart of the case. The Venice group denounced the bill as a blatant attempt to kill its lawsuit — and it looks like it will. At a Thursday hearing, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge concluded the state had rendered the lawsuit moot. Judge James C. Chalfant granted a motion by the city to dismiss the case, rejecting arguments by Fight Back, Venice! that the new law passed in Sacramento was unconstitutional. Chalfant left the door open, however, for the Venice group to elaborate on one of its arguments about the legality of Assembly Bill 1197, saying it could present any additional evidence in a motion to reconsider ahead of aJanuary hearing. Los Angeles officials celebrated the Thursday ruling as a victory that would help them move faster to house people sleeping and suffering on the streets. The two ordinances are meant to smooth the way at City Hall for homeless housing: Under one of the ordinances, supportive housing projects that meet a list of requirements can avoid a lengthier process that includes environmental review and can trigger a public hearing. The other law made it easier for motels to be converted temporarily into housing. Both ordinances have already been in effect, but the city has been advising housing developers about the legal fight when they pursue such projects. Ben Winter, chief housing officer to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, said in court papers that developers had shied away from taking advantage of the easier process because of uncertainty surrounding the lawsuit. “The risks associated with taking advantage of the laws were too high for the majority of developers who were building supportive housing” for homeless people, said Tommy Newman, director of impact initiatives for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which has advocated for such housing through its Everyone In campaign. Newman said he expected to see a rush of housing projects filing to use the easier process, saving time and money. “This ruling is pivotal to getting homeless people the shelter they desperately need. Now,” Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said in a statement Thursday. Fight Back, Venice! complained that after it sued the city, arguing that officials hadn’t properly reviewed the new ordinances under the California Environmental Quality Act, Los Angeles had used the “nuclear option” by lobbying state lawmakers to exempt the city ordinances from that California law. The resulting bill, AB 1197, was unconstitutional, violated its rights to due process, and improperly singled out Los Angeles without a “rational basis” to do so, the group argued. “The bill was targeted directly at this litigation,” its attorney Jamie T. Hall wrote. https://enewspaper.latimes.com/desktop/latimes/default.aspx?edid=d2f2e03b-42c8-4e51-99b1-ddea6abb53ce 2/3 12/6/2019 Los Angeles Times - eNewspaper

Attorneys representing the city countered that the state law was constitutional because there was a rational relationship between the stated goals of the bill — facilitating homeless housing — and exempting the two L.A. ordinances. The arguments raised by Fight Back, Venice! were “intended to do nothing more than add further delay,” they wrote. Christian Wrede, a member of Fight Back, Venice!, said in an email Thursday that “all Californians who value the rule of law should be alarmed by what transpired in connection with this fundamentally meritorious case.” Wrede said he was taking issue not with the judge and his ruling but with L.A. city officials. “City officials knew full well that they were going to lose this lawsuit, so they got their friends in Sacramento to rewrite the law after the fact,” Wrede said. “It doesn’t get much shadier — or much stinkier — than that.” Garcetti, reacting to the Thursday decision, said in a statement that he had sponsored AB 1197 because “we can’t let frivolous lawsuits stand in the way of the housing we need to confront our homelessness crisis.”

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Supreme Court confronts homelessness

It will weigh whether sleeping on sidewalks is a right if cities don’t provide shelter.

L.A. POLICE have issued tickets in the past to homeless people whose tents block sidewalks. The city is among those seeking clarity on what enforcement is allowed. (Carolyn Cole Los Angeles Times) BY DAVID G. SAVAGE

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court meets Friday to consider for the first time whether the Constitution gives homeless people a right to sleep on the sidewalk.

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The justices are weighing an appeal of a much-disputed ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that held last year that it was cruel and unusual punishment to enforce criminal laws against homeless people living on the street if a city doesn’t offer enough shelters as an alternative. The appeals court’s opinion quoted Anatole France’s famous words that “the law ... forbids the rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges,” and announced a principle of human rights to strike down city laws that “criminalize the simple act of sleeping outside on public property.” Judge Marsha Berzon cited a 1968 Supreme Court opinion in which several justices questioned whether alcoholics may be punished for being drunk in public if they cannot control themselves. “This principle compels the conclusion that the 8th Amendment prohibits the imposition of criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain shelter,” she wrote for the three-judge panel. She called the ruling “narrow,” saying that “so long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors on public property.” The dissenters said the ruling is anything but narrow. It “shackles the hands of public officials trying to redress the serious societal concern of homelessness,” Judge Milan Smith wrote. Unless they can provide shelter for all, “local governments are forbidden from enforcing laws restricting sleeping and camping,” he said. “City officials will be powerless to assist residents lodging valid complaints about the health and safety of their neighborhoods.” Los Angeles and many other cities have asked the court to take up the case. The 9th Circuit has jurisdiction in nine Western states from Alaska to Arizona. The appeals court’s ruling struck down an ordinance in Boise, Idaho, that made it a misdemeanor to camp or sleep on sidewalks, in parks or in other places without permission. Such ordinances are common in many other cities and towns. The case began a decade ago when Robert Martin and five other homeless people joined a lawsuit after they were fined $25 to $75 for violating Boise’s anti-camping ordinance. Los Angeles lawyer Theane D. Evangelis, a partner at Gibson Dunn who represents Boise, called the 9th Circuit’s decision “both nonsensical and unworkable,” saying it handcuffs city officials and police who are trying to cope with the homeless crisis. She filed an appeal petition urging the high court to overturn the appeals court’s decision.

“The creation of a de facto constitutional right to live on the sidewalks and in parks will cripple the ability of more than 1,600 municipalities in the 9th Circuit to maintain the health and safety of their communities,” she wrote in City of Boise vs. Martin. “Public encampments ... have spawned crime and violence, incubated disease and created

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environmental hazards that threaten the lives and well-being both of those living on the streets and the public at large.” At least 20 friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed in support of Boise’s appeal, including from the National League of Cities, the California State Assn. of Counties, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and seven cities in Orange County. Lawyers for the homeless said the high court should turn away the appeal. They say the cities are giving a “distorted” and “dramatically overwrought” reading of the 9th Circuit’s decision. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homeless and Poverty, said the ruling “rests on the fundamental principle that you can’t criminalize people because of their status. In this case, it is the status of being human with no place to live.” She said she hoped the ruling would prevent cities “from going down of path of criminalization” when dealing with homelessness. The justices will consider the appeal behind closed doors. They could decide on Friday to consider the case, but are unlikely to announce a decision for at least another week. Four votes on the nine-member court are required to take up an appeal. L.A. City Atty. Michael Feuer said he urged the high court to take up the case because the city seeks “clarity.” The 9th Circuit’s opinion was confusing and at times contradictory, he said, adding that it was unclear whether police could enforce any or some laws against people living on the street. Los Angeles cannot promise to provide shelter for all of its 36,000 homeless people, but can shelter some of them, he said, and it is not clear whether officers may take “enforcement action” against those who decline shelter. He said it was not clear how much authority the police had to enforce rules against encampments near new shelters, cooking, public urination and defecation, or other quality-of-life issues. People sleeping on the sidewalk is not a new issue for L.A. officials. In 2006, the 9th Circuit made a similar ruling in Jones vs. Los Angeles, saying that the city could not enforce an ordinance against homeless individuals “for involuntarily sitting, lying and sleeping in public.” Rather than appeal in that case, L.A. reached a settlement with the lawyers who brought the suit and agreed to not enforce restrictions on sleeping or camping from 9 p.m until 6 a.m. That rule remains in force. In their brief to the high court, city attorneys suggested the earlier ruling contributed to L.A.’s current crisis. “As a result of the Jones litigation, Los Angeles has experienced, first-hand, 11 years of grappling with the delicate balance required when public sidewalks serve two essentially incompatible functions,” they said. “The sidewalks are home to thousands of unsheltered residents and their belongings, while at the same time serving as the access way for wheel-chair bound pedestrians who need passable sidewalks, children who need safe passage to school, and business owners who require accessible store fronts.”

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The justices are likely to be skeptical about relying on the 8th Amendment to void a criminal law. In the past, the high court has invoked the ban on “cruel and unusual punishments” only to limit punishments for certain crimes. Rulings in 2002 and 2005, for example, relied on the 8th Amendment to end the death penalty for defendants who had a mental disability or were under age 18 at the time of their crime. However, the 9th Circuit pointed to a 1962 decision in Robinson vs. California that struck down part of a state law that “made the ‘status’ of narcotic addiction a criminal offense.” The justices said then that people could be prosecuted for selling or using drugs, but they overturned the conviction of an L.A. man who had been convicted on the basis that a police officer testified to seeing needle marks in his arm. But that decision stands alone, according to the appeal in the Boise case. No high court decision “has ever invalidated on 8th Amendment grounds a generally applicable law regulating conduct,” they said.

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Cannabis ordinance approved by Victorville City Council By Martin Estacio Staff Writer Posted Dec 5, 2019 at 6:50 PM Updated Dec 5, 2019 at 6:50 PM VICTORVILLE — An ordinance imposing hefty fines on operators and property owners of large scale cannabis grows in the city was passed by the City Council on Tuesday.

Anyone found growing more than the state-allowed maximum of six cannabis plants for personal use could face fines of $100 to $1000 per plant or more.

In addition, a penalty of $1,000 per day could be imposed on properties found to be in violation of health, building and safety codes resulting from cannabis cultivation.

City officials said increased penalties were needed to curb what was described in a report as a “significant amount of excess cannabis cultivation” and illicit grow practices that could endanger the health and property of nearby residents.

From Jan. 1, 2018 to Oct. 15, 2019, the Victorville Sheriff’s station responded to more than 200 incidents involving cannabis sales, illegal cultivation, and electrical theft, according to a city report. Despite being located in residential communities, the grows discovered typically contained anywhere from 300 to 2,500 plants.

“They’re actually commercial operations and they’re very easy to spot,” said Deputy City Manager Sophie Smith.

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The reason they’re conspicuous is because of the modifications done to properties to accommodate the increased demand for electricity, water and other utilities to maintain the grows, she said.

It’s these modifications that can put the general public at risk.

Kevin Collins, the city’s building official, explained that growers will tap into electrical lines, increasing the risk of a fire. In one photograph shown to the Council, Collins said an illegal bypass caused charring to Southern California Edison equipment which was servicing other houses.

Another photograph showed where a gas line had been tapped, which Collins said could’ve caused a leak.

With the newly-enacted ordinance, excess cannabis cultivation would be considered a public nuisance, enabling legal remedies for the city to recover costs related to abatement and enforcement actions.

While most agreed that the ordinance was needed to stem a growing problem, others believed there were better ways to protect the community while possibly making some tax revenue.

Diana Esmeralda Holte suggested the city consider a law that would allow cannabis grows to be regulated in certain areas, like the green zone of Adelanto, the city Holte resides in. Holte said the potential revenue from such venture could help Victorville cure some of its “social ills,” such as crime and homelessness.

“It can be turned into an ordinance instead, where it would help the people of Victorville instead of criminalize them and penalize them for something that is legal in the state of California,” she said.

Victorville prohibits both recreational and medicinal cannabis dispensaries within its boundaries, allowing only the delivery of medical cannabis from other areas.

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But Councilwoman Debra Jones said that while she acknowledged Holte’s ideas for the city, the ordinance was needed to address the activities associated with illegal cannabis cultivation that could put others in jeopardy:

“I don’t think what we are seeing in these pictures, by any means, would fall in line with healthy regulation by any stretch of the imagination.”

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

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191205/cannabis-ordinance-approved-by-victorville-city-council 3/3 In second year of legal weed, California’s cannabis industry still struggles – Orange County Register

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NEWSCALIFORNIA NEWS In second year of legal weed, California’s cannabis industry still struggles High taxes, outlaw competitors make it tough for legal operators to make a buck

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https://www.ocregister.com/2019/12/05/in-second-year-of-legal-weed-californias-cannabis-industry-still-struggles/[12/5/2019 3:30:16 PM] In second year of legal weed, California’s cannabis industry still struggles – Orange County Register

Leisure World resident Carol, left, gets some help selecting a vape cartridge from Modern Buds general manager Jonny Sabella in Long Beach on Monday, Apr. 8, 2019. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

By BROOKE STAGGS | [email protected] | Orange County Register  PUBLISHED: December 5, 2019 at 7:00 am | UPDATED: December 5, 2019 at 2:43 pm

As year two of legal cannabis sales in California comes to a close, shoppers are still more likely to buy marijuana from illicit sellers than from state-sanctioned stores that pay taxes and test their products for safety.

California’s 7,000 licensed cannabis businesses — and the state’s tax revenue — are feeling the pinch.

Prominent cannabis companies that a year ago were growing aggressively have, in recent months, laid off hundreds of workers. They say hefty taxes, onerous regulations and competition from a S thriving illicit market are forcing them to scale back operations.

Now the industry, which is already operating under effective tax rates of up to 70%, is bracing for F another hit. Starting Jan. 1, marijuana retailers will pay 12.5% more in taxes than they do now, while By

cultivator taxes will go up more than 4%.