The San Bernardino County Democratic Party will kick off the county's "Yes We Can California '08" political campaign with a reception for voters and volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in its headquarters at 136 Carousel Mall.

The California Democratic Party (CDP) has designated the county offices as a Coordinated Campaign Headquarters for its "Yes We Can California '08" campaign.  The state party has assigned a full time field organizer, installed eight new phone lines and helped refurbish and redecorate the offices.

The reception will be to welcome voters and volunteers to participate in a variety of tasks during the next five weeks of the campaign.  Refreshments will be served.  

For more information call Carol Robb at 909-783-2404 or 909-835-7278, or Edil De Los Reyes at 909-945-7561.

The San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated is hosting a grand opening celebration today for the headquarters of Assemblyman Paul Cook.

Cook, a Republican from Yucaipa, is running for re-election against Democratic candidate Carl Wood.

The clebration will be held 5 pm - 8 pm at 3724 W. Ramsey, Banning.
 
For more information, contact Glenda Gurzi at 951.7690726 or
Bob Botts at bbotts@dc.rr.com or 951.2953950

Residents across San Bernardino County will receive their tax bills in the next few days.
This year, however, the tax bills will have a new look.
For the first time in 35 years, the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public Administrator has revamped the design of the tax bills to make them easier to read.
The hope is that the new design will hep the office save money and staff time by cuting down on the number of calls the office receives from people who are having difficulty understanding their bills, said Dick Larsen, Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public Administrator.
The new bills are color-coded and have a guide in English and Spanish explaining the different fields on the bill.
The county will mail out nearly 800,000 tax bills this year.
Each year, the county collects approximately $2 billion in taxes, money that is distributed to the county general fund, school districts, and special districts.

On Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill by Assemblyman Anthony Adams, whose hometown is Hesperia, that will reduce the fees imposed on individuals who collect biodiesel fuels for their own personal use as a diesel fuel alternative.
 
Current law requires a $100 registration fee and a $300 enforcement fee per vehicle to transport inedible kitchen oil, which is used to make biodiesel fuel. These fees reduce the incentive for individuals to obtain a license to collect the inedible oil. 
 
Sponsored by Good Earth Grease Haulers out of Monrovia, Assembly Bill 1846 reduces the fee to $75 for individuals who collect the oil solely for their own personal use. The bill will help support more small scale biodiesel production and encourage individuals to obtain the required license and insurance, as well as discourage the stealing of oil.
 
This new law will take effect on January 1, 2009.
 
Assemblyman Adams represents the 59th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Hesperia, Apple Valley, Glendora, Claremont, La Verne, San Bernardino, San Dimas, Monrovia, Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Bradbury, La Crescenta-Montrose and Redlands.
 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Marine Corps will host public meetings in Twentynine Palms and Victorville next month to inform the public about the legislative withdrawal process for consideration of the proposal to expand the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base in San Bernardino County.

      The first public meeting is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2008, at Hay's Gym, Twentynine Palms Junior High School, 5798 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, Calif. from 4 to 9 p.m. The second meeting is the following day, Oct. 24, at Hilton Garden Inn, 12603 Mariposa Road, Victorville, Calif.  Two meeting times are scheduled at the Victorville location, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Both meetings are scheduled to provide the public the broadest opportunities to attend, according to Roxie Trost, BLM Barstow Field Manager. 

      A notice published Sept. 15, 2008, segregated the public lands involved for two years, making them unavailable for settlement, sale, and location of claims under the mining laws.  However, the lands remain open to public access and recreation use.  A 90-day comment period closes Dec. 15, 2008.

      The notice, available online at www.blm.gov/ca, also explains the withdrawal process.  After the comment period, the Marine Corps will prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for further public review to identify a range of alternatives for meeting the Corps' training requirements and analyzing the environmental impacts. 

      "We realize members of the public have concerns and questions about the proposed withdrawal and what the segregation means," said Trost.  "These meetings will provide a first-hand opportunity to have the proposal and subsequent opportunities for full public involvement explained," she said.

      The Department of the Navy, as required by the 1958 Engle Act, filed an application requesting the Secretary of the Interior to process a proposed withdrawal of public lands for military training and exercises involving the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms.  The proposal seeks to withdraw approximately 366,000 acres of federal public land and, if eventually acquired, approximately 72,000 acres of non-federally owned property within the proposed withdrawal area.  

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced grants to help stem the foreclosure crisis.

San Bernardino County received nearly $23 million, the third highest amount in California after Los Angeles and Riverside counties.

Local governments can use the Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight in their communities.

Among the cities to receive aid are Rialto, Fontana and San Bernardino.

 

This blog has been chronicling how a number of San Bernardino County voters believe they were duped into being registered as Republicans. The group accused of voter fraud, Young Political Majors, apparently has run into some trouble elsewhere in the state, the Ventura County Star reported yesterday. The story is below.

Web site: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/28/voter-registration-effort-criticized/

 

Voter registration effort criticized

Democrats say Republicans are applying force

Charges that a Republican Party voter registration effort is illegally forcing voters to choose the GOP label were leveled by Democratic Party activists Friday, and police were called to shopping centers in Ventura and Oxnard to keep the peace, officials said.

A spokesman for the state Republican Party said the effort is above-board, and he accused Democrats of repeating a pattern from other states of making false accusations against the group, Young Political Majors, to get sympathetic headlines from allegations that never result in formal charges.

Accusations of people being approached by Young Political Majors employees taking a survey or gathering petitions on child sex abusers but then getting registered against their will as Republicans, were filed with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office late Friday afternoon.

"We'll review the matter in conjunction with the elections officials in Ventura County," said Assistant District Attorney Jeff Bennett.

'Really, really upset'

Paid employees of Young Political Majors were accosted outside the Oxnard Wal-Mart store over their party recruitment efforts Thursday and Friday, with a minor scuffle breaking out at one point, said an Oxnard police official.

A shouting match broke out Friday afternoon between the Republicans and activists with Vote Blue, a Democratic-backed group, at the Target store on Main Street in Ventura.

Among the charges leveled by Vote Blue are complaints by at least two people that they were asked to support the petition, only to eventually get postcards from the Ventura County Elections Division confirming they had become card-carrying members of the GOP.

"I was really, really upset," said Ventura resident Tanya Sliger, 37, a medical assistant who said she answered her door to find a Young Political Majors employee with a petition last summer.

"A girl came knocking and told me she was doing a poll for the Republican Party, and I told her over and over I was a Democrat," Sliger said. "I was told I was answering a poll, but she was very sneaky, and I could tell something was up."

Thousand Oaks college student Armon Anderson, 18, said he was approached by a person to sign a petition while studying at Moorpark College. "It was like brainwashing," he said, "and he wouldn't let us register as anything other than a Republican."

Similar allegations

State Democratic spokesman Bob Mulholland said people were told they can sign the anti-child-molester petition only if they switch allegiance to the Republican Party. Even if that is legal, he said, "they absolutely cannot get away with changing party registrations."

But his counterpart for the state GOP, Hector Barajas, said similar allegations have been slung at Young Political Majors in other states and California counties, "and there are never any charges, because there are never any violations. It's easy to make the charge when there is nothing there."

Democrats working for Vote Blue have been collecting evidence and affidavits, said organizer Helen Conly. She said they presented sworn statements from people who had their affiliations changed or who were told they could not sign their names on petitions to oppose child sexual abuse unless they changed their party affiliations.

Barajas said Young Political Majors workers clearly identify themselves as being with the GOP and take at least three steps to make sure that only Republicans are marked down as such.

Young Political Majors owner Mark Jacoby, who has conducted similar registration drives in Florida, Arizona and other states, said his firm will not accept a voter registration form from an employee unless it is accompanied by a signed affidavit on a form bordered with Republican elephants, indicating that the voter understands he or she has chosen the GOP without tricks or pressure.

Political activity allowed

Barajas said Democratic bloggers are following the organizers and urging Democrats to confront the registration drive workers and to demand that store managers oust the Young Political Majors workers from shopping centers.

The state constitution allows political activity at private shopping centers so long as commerce is not affected.

A spokeswoman for the California Secretary of State said her office has a toll-free phone number for people who suspect their party affiliations were changed. It is 800-345-VOTE.

Another caller, John Warder, a Devore resident, says he signed a petition at the Wal-Mart on Hallmark Parkway in San Bernardino and later found out he had been registered as a Republican.

The Republican registration prevented him from voting in the Primary.

"I was very upset about it," he said. "Then I went to vote and I couldn't vote."

Note: Although the voter fraud allegations originated from the San Bernardino County Democratic Party, the sources quoted in news stories have not been supplied by the county Democrats. In numerous instances, residents called the paper when the first articles about the suspected voter fraud and district attorney's office investigation were published.

We just received another call reporting another incident that occurred in San Bernardino.

We've received a number of calls from people who say they were unknowingly registered as Republicans after signing what they believed was a petition to increase prison time for child molesters. The incidents being reported occurred in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Rialto, San Bernardino and Highland, according to the county Democratic Party.

Click here to read today's latest story: http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_10559994

If you are concerned you were a victim of the voter fraud scheme, there are two government agencies you should call:

• The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, 909-387-8300, to check how you are registered and to report voter fraud.
• The California Secretary of State, (800) 345-8683, a voter fraud hotline to report instances of voter fraud.

If you're trying to understand the proposed $700 bailout of the nation's financial industry, the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan watchdog group, has some answers.

The Sunlight Foundation is tracing the interests influencing members of Congress as they grapple with the proposed bailout.

Check out Real Time Investigations blog: http://realtime.sunlightprojects.org/ 

According to the foundation, in-house lobbyists and hired guns of eight major players in the financial crisis have themselves donated $380,000 in campaign cash to members of the Senate Banking Committee in the first six months of 2008. They've also given $144,000 to six key members of the House Financial Services Committee, including $63,500 to Rep. Barney Frank, the chairman.

Everyday in California, unwanted or expired medicine is disposed of down the toilet and flushed medication ends up into rivers, bays and oceans that may have impacts to fish and wildlife.

October 4-11 is "No Drugs Down the Drain Week."

Local, regional, state and federal agencies are conducting a one-week statewide effort to remind residents that flushing down the toilet or r pouring down the sink is not an acceptable means of medicine disposal. 

Disposal options are available on-line at www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org.

Today's story: http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_10559994

A San Bernardino resident just called in to say that he and his wife signed petitions at Wal-Marts in San Bernardino and Highland. One of the petitions they believed they were signing was to put tracking devices on child molesters.

"I've got two little girls," the resident said about what convinced him to sign the petition. "Anything about keeping child molesters in prison we're definitely going to sign."

The Sun has received a number of reports from residents in San Bernardino County who suspect they may have been victims of voter fraud.

The county Democratic Party says the voter registration scheme was conducted at Wal-Marts in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Rialto and San Bernardino.

 

UPDATE: Reached yesterday by phone, Kate Folmar, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen, had this to say:

As a voter fraud scandal continues to unravel in San Bernardino County, we've received a few calls from people who say they were unknowingly registered as Republicans after signing what they believed was a petition to increase prison time for child molesters.

Click here to read today's latest story: http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_10559994

If you are concerned you were a victim of the voter fraud scheme, there are two government agencies you should call:

• The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, 909-387-8300, to check how you are registered and to report voter fraud.
• The California Secretary of State, (800) 345-8683, a voter fraud hotline to report instances of voter fraud.

The alleged voter fraud scam with the district attorney is investigating occurred at Wal-Marts in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Rialto and San Bernardino, according to the Democratic Party. 

 

A story in today's Los Angeles Times on an economic report to be released today paints a bleak picture of California's economy and describes diminished hope of help coming from overseas.

As Wall Street continues to struggle, this may not bode well for the delegation of San Bernardino County officials who are headed overseas in November to drum up deals with investors. The county is spending $52,000 on the trip to China, Japan and South Korea.

According to the story in the Times, "Other sectors that might have compensated for declines in government spending and construction also appear troubled, said economist Sohn. Tourism and exports, for instance, will probably be weakened as foreign consumers face their own economic challenges.

'We're beginning to see a marked slowdown in Asia,' he noted, with Japan's economy "already in recession," China's once-torrid growth slowing to about 9% a year and South Korea's annual growth shrinking to 3.5% or lower."

Those percentages seem dismal at least considering the high hopes of the delegation to find investors willing to infuse San Bernardino County's economy with money.

An economist in the article also noted that forecast of the downturn predicts that it will last 18- 24 months.

Maybe the county should plan on delaying its trip by a year or two.

Note: The report does not appear to be available online, but if it is posted, we'll link to it.

 

 

Starting Oct. 10, campers attending Calico Days at Calico Ghost Town in Yermo will have a new way to enter the park. 

San Bernardino County Regional Parks has created a new entrance into Calico for overnight camping guests just west of the main gate. 

 In the past, long lines of traffic formed park during major events.  The traffic was due to processing camping guests for overnight stays.  

A new roadway for overnight camping guests was constructed to by-pass the main gate. 

More information: www.calicotown.com or 1-800-TO-CALICO.

Supervisor Gary Ovitt has been focused on improving and promoting Chino Airport for some time. Now, San Bernardino County is looking to find a firm that can help "enhance" the airport.

A press release from the county, however, did not specify in what form those enhancments might take, except to say the county is searching for "a master developer."

Supervisor Gary Ovitt said in the statement: " The County is seeking a private/public partnership that will facilitate a more collaborative and cooperative process and ensure a more compatible and successful product that benefits the County and the surrounding community. This partnership will enhance Chino Airport and the economic benefits that it brings, for the betterment of the entire area."
 

Those interested in responding to the Request for Qualifications can view the terms on the County's website at http://170.164.50.2/rfp/APT0802MASTERDEVELOPER.pdf

The San Bernardino County District Attorney confirmed Wednesday that an investigation is underway into a claim of voter fraud filed by the local Democratic Party.

The Democrats claim the group Young Political Majors that used a petition drive as a front to register San Bernardino County residents as Republicans without their knowledge.

Young Political Majors collected signatures at Wal-Marts in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Rialto and San Bernardino, said Carol Robb, chairwoman of the county Democratic Party. Students at Chaffey and San Bernardino Valley colleges also unknowingly registered Republicans,  Robb said.

Back in March, The Sun reported that two military bases in San Bernardino County were planning to expand in order to ramp up war games needed to train Marines and soldiers headed overseas.

As the stock market continues its tailspin and financial firms plead with Congress for a bailout, San Bernardino County officials are planning a trip to Asia with the hope of striking some deals to infuse money into the local economy.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved $52,000 to send a delegation of seven officials in November to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. The delegation will be accompanied by representatives from local businesses.

This will be the fourth overseas trip the county has made since 2006 to foster international trade.

The officials from the Economic Development Agency, which organizes the trips, claim the overseas missions have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in trade for the county.
The agency's Administrator Mark Dowling told the board the trip will foster foreign direct investment in the county.

Historian Robert Gonzalez Vasquez will present video clips from his project "From the Ground Up: Inland Mexican Heritage & Community History" at the San Bernardino County Museum.

The event will be held at noon, Oct. At 2 p.m.,  Vasquez will present a lecture in the Fisk Gallery.  Admission to the museum is free that day.

This presentation will highlight 15 years of archive, public history,and humanities work conducted by Vasquez. There will also be an exhibit of images and materials from Living on the Dime and the Redlands Oral History Project. 

Vasquez created the groundbreaking Redlands Oral History Project, an oral memoir and photo archive collection focusing on the historic importance of Mexican barrios in the Inland Empire. Building on that landmark work, Vasquez founded Inland Mexican Heritage (www.mexicanheritage.org) in 2001 to promote community-based scholarship and to continue research and development of media projects and archive materials.

Vasquez is completing a documentary film, "Living on the Dime," a 3-year project on the effects of the 10 Freeway on the communities of Inland Southern California. He is also preparing a pictorial history of Mexican communities in the East San Bernardino Valley.

A native of California, Vasquez resides in Joshua Tree and Las Vegas, New Mexico.  

 
The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands.

For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. or call (909) 307-2669 ext. 229 or TDD (909) 792-1462.

Olympic wrestler Marci Van Dusen appeared before the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors this morning to accept a certificate honoring local Olympians.

Six athletes from the county attended the 2008 Olympics in Beijing:
Diana Taurasi, of Chino, who played on the women's basketball team
Maurice Edu, whose hometown is Fontana and played on the men's soccer team
Angela Williams, of Ontario, who ran in the 4x100m relay
Ryan Hall, whose hometown is Big Bear Lake and who is a marathon runner
Torri Edwards, whose hometown is Pomona and who runds the 100m
Marci Van Dusen, who participated in the women's freestyle wrestling - 55kg/121 lbs

Van Dusen, who was raised in Lake Arrowhead and attended Rim of the World High School, accepted the certificate on behalf of the other athletes.

"Most of them were tied up in competitions outside San Bernardino County," said David Wert, county spokesman.

This morning, Paul Biane, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors assured county employees that their retirement funds have suffered "very little if any impacts."

Biane did not go into detail about those impacts or whether the money overseen by the San Bernardino County Employees' Retirement Association has taken a direct hit given dramatic declines in the stock market or the demise of Lehman Brothers.

Biane said that SBCERA has "a prudent investment strategy."

"Our money is safe with the team we've put in place," Biane said. "I just want people to know they can rest easy."

A massive project was announced Thursday that will export 49 billion gallons of water from aquifers beneath Needles to the rest of Southern California.

The company behind the proposal, Cadiz Inc., which owns the land containing the underground water, wants to build a pipeline along an existing rail line in San Bernardino County.

Cadiz owns about 45,000 acres of land in eastern San Bernardino County and a small portion of Arizona.

The pipeline would be used to bolster the water supplies of the Metropolitan Water District, one of the largest water providers in Southern California.

The route is considered environmentally friendly because the pipeline will not traverse undeveloped areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, according to a news release from Cadiz Inc. 

Environmental review of the project still needs to be completed. San Bernardino County will likely take the lead in conducting the environmental review and gathering public comment.

It's one of Supervisor Paul Biane's pet projects - the annual nonprofit seminar.

The Nonprofit Resource Seminar was started help nonprofit groups secure funds, create partnerships and promote their organizations.

Professionals in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, strategic planning and board development will teach the workshops. The seminar is broken down into three one-hour sessions. Participants can choose from a list of workshops for each session to tailor their learning experience to their needs.

When: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8
Where: Central Park Community Center,11200 Baseline Rd., Rancho Cucamonga.
Registration: www.sbcounty.gov/biane or call (909) 945-4297.

San Bernardino County has undergone growth in recent years in homelessnes and the number of families struggling to keep their homes.

The county Department of Community and Housing released a report Tuesday with an action plan for providing housing and expanding economic opportunities for low-income residents. The report also included an annual performance review conducted by the agency.

In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the county spent more than $4 million in HOME program grants, which are issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money is mandated to go toward such activities as building, buying or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership. Through the program, the county assisted 150 families.

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has released its annual list of the 20 most corrupt Congressman. Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, and Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, are on the list.

The Sun had previously reported that Lewis is under federal investigation and has spent more than $1 million on legal fees to defend himself. He is running for re-election.

According to the CREW report on Lewis:

"Federal officials currently are investigating Letitia White and Jeffrey Shockey and the cozy relationship between Rep. Lewis and Copeland Lowery, now know as Innovative Federal Strategies (IFS).  Rep. Lewis sponsored $55 million in earmarks for IFS clients in the 2008 Defense Appropriations bill. 

In October of 2007, as part of the investigation, Defense Appropriations Subcommittee staffer Greg Lankler was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. On October 18, 2007, Mr. Lankler sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stating that after consulting with the Office of General Counsel he had determined that the subpoena for his testimony was "not consistent with the rights and privileges of the House" and that the subpoena for documents requested records "not material and relevant."   

If Rep. Lewis has traded legislative assistance for campaign contributions, he may be charged with bribery and honest services fraud and may have violated House rules prohibiting the dispensation of special favors and acting in a manner does not reflect credibly on the House."

To read the full report, click here: http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/

Over the past few months, it looked like a sure thing that the San Bernardino County Democrats were going to turn our red county blue. Not so fast. A dramatic surge in Republican voter registration this month has upset that trend.

As of a couple weeks ago, the Dems were behind the GOP by only a few hundred registered voters. But in the latest numbers released by the county Registrar of Voters, the small divide has widened. Currently, there are 307,132 registered Republicans compared to 303,531 registered Democrats in the county. Of course, the recent allegations of Republcan voter fraud might change those numbers further.

The county Democratic Party had planned on clebrating turning the county blue in October. But the party has had to change its plans. Now the Democrats will just be celebrating a "bluer" county, and not a takeover.

The party will be held 4-11 p.m., Oct. 11 at Bob Molina Memorial Park behind the Brotherhood of Teamsters local #63 at 379 West Valley Boulevard in Rialto.

Tickets for the celebration are available for a contribution of $40 per person, and can be ordered on the County Party's website at www.SanBernardinoDemocrats.org.

Among those attending will be Lt. Gov. John Garamendi and California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres.

You can check out the latest voter registration numbers by clicking here: http://www.sbcounty.gov/rov/general_info/distsummary.pdf.

San Bernardino County residents and businesses can learn
about meaningful steps they can take to protect the environment on a new Web site launched Wednesday.  

Information on steps the county has taken to go "green" is also on the site, www.greencountysb.com.

Visitors can get tips on how to find a carpool partner, how to reduce junk mail and how to conserve water through the use of water-efficient landscaping.

 As part of a continuing effort to improve the health and safety of residents throughout San Bernardino County, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center will hold its Sixth Annual Health and Safety Fair for children and adults. Everyone is invited to this free community event.

WHAT:           Sixth Annual Community Health and Safety Fair        
WHEN:          10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, September 27, 2008
WHERE:        Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, 400 North Pepper Avenue, Colton

The fair will include:
·    Extensive free health screenings for children and adults of all ages
·    Doctor consultations for discussions about improving your health and your child's health (bringing a child's immunization records is advisable for a pediatric review)
·    A free teddy bear for the first 500 kids who take advantage of the health screenings

The San Bernardino County Democratic Party disclosed details today implicating a Republican voter registration group that may have changed voters' party affiliation or registered them as Republican without their knowing.

Democratic leaders said at a press conference outside the Registrar of Voters office in San Bernardino that the group Young Political Majors had fanned out at Wal-Marts across the county asking people to sign a petition to stop sexual predators from getting out of jail.

Thirty-three voters who signed the petition said their party affiliation had been changed from Democrat to Republican, said Carol Robb, chairwoman of the county Democratic Party.

Similar allegations surrounding the group have emerged in Riverside, Ventura and Orange counties, said Sam Clauder, spokesman for the San Bernardino County Democratic Party.

The District Attorney is evaluating the claim of voter fraud, and it is unclear when a decision will be reached about conducting an investigation, said Susan Mickey, District Attorney spokeswoman.

"I'm not sure at this time they know how long it will take," she said.

 

The San Antonio Water Company will begin a project this week to increase
the amount of ground water being created by a flood control basin in
Upland.

The project will involve draining the water out of the basin - Cucamonga
Basin Number 6, located South of 19th Street and east of Campus Avenue
in Upland - and removing a build-up of silt and other sediments that is
currently blocking the saturation of water from the basin into the
underlying ground water aquifer.

San Bernardino County released its response today to a scathing grand jury report that sharply criticized a number of county department practices, from sending elected officials on costly trips to China to political activity being conducted by the Assessor's Office.

Here's some of the key highlights from the report:
- In response to the hefty severance package obtained by Jim Erwin when he left the assessor's office, the county has declined to institute a policy capping such packages. The county maintains that settlements are based on potential legal claims and a policy would leave the county vulnerable to costly litigation.

-In response to the grand jury suggestion that firewalls be installed to prevent political activity on county computers, the county maintains that no sufficient technology exists. An existing policy allows the county to review the e-mail traffic of employees.

- The grand jury had suggested limiting the number of elected officials sent on trade missions to foreign countries to conserve taxpayer dollars. The county disagrees with the recommendation, siting the importance of elected officials in striking trade deals overseas.

-Following grand jury concerns that the county was not adequately tracking welfare fraud, the county agreed to compile and maintain a report on welfare fraud and track cost impacts on the county.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday a $1.6 million project to  improve access to a nature preserve nestled in the foothills above Rancho Cucamonga.

The 1,176-acre North Etiwanda Preserve was originally set aside as open space following the construction of the 210 Freeway. A number of residents enjoy hiking in the preserve, but the remote area is also been a target for illegal dumping and people driving off-road, which is illegal in the preserve.

"Attracting more legitimate visitors to the preserve will help curtail illegal dumping and off-roading because it will mean more eyes watching for these illegal and damaging activities," Chairman Paul Biane said in a statement.

The money approved by the supervisors will be used to construct a parking lot, restrooms, shaded picnic areas and a trail with interpretive signs. Boulders and gates will be used to keep unauthorized vehicles out of the preserve. Ten monument signs will installed noting places of interest in the preserve.

The preserve is home to a variety of threatened and endangered plants and animals including the San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat, San Diego Horned Lizard and Coastal California Gnatcatcher.

The North Etiwanda Preserve enhancement project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2009. The San Bernardino County Department of Special Districts will continue to oversee maintenance of the preserve and the new amenities.

The office of San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who represents much of the High Desert, announced today that a firm will be selected next month to build a 50-mile freeway linking Palmdale in the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County to Victorville. 

Mitzelfelt has supported the project, claiming it will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs and easing traffic congestion in Southern California.

Mitzelfelt also maintains hiring a private firm to work on a public project will serve as a new model for infrastructure projects. This position is similar to that of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has applauded public-private partnerships for infrastructure and environmental cleanup.

"This public-private partnership will create a major new route for freight movement that will benefit the entire region in terms of jobs, air quality and traffic congestion," Mitzelfelt said in a statement. 
 

A San Bernardino native has risen through the ranks to become one of President Bush's top staffers in Washington D.C.

Karen Race was appointed this month as Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Personnel.

"I'm just an average person from California," Race said. "I'm very blessed to have this job."
Race declined to discuss the responsibilities associated with her new position, saying she deals with personnel issues, and it is a privilege to work for the President.

Read more about Race is this weekend's edition of the newspaper.

The Votemobile will be at the Route 66 Rendevous, Sept. 18-21, in downtown San Bernardino.

Voters can also download a vote-by-mail application at www.easyvoting.org.

It's been about a month since The Sun reported that multiple sources say County Assessor Bill Postmus has been suffering from an addiction to meth. Last week, 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt disclosed in a statement that he knew of Postmus' first trip to rehab, for what he thought at the time was an addiction to prescription pain medication.

It was July 2006, and Mitzelfelt was working as Postmus' chief of staff and Postmus was serving as chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The Sun sued the county to get Postmus' emails that summer as his absence from the board during the height of a wildfire was unexplained.

Mitzelfelt said in his statement he was unaware of a second trip to rehab.

"If I had reason to believe that a longer-term and/or further incapacitating problem existed, or if I had reason to believe Mr. Postmus had used illegal drugs, as has recently been alleged, I would have taken further action. I also need to point out that I was not aware of an alleged relapse or second rehab commitment, and that the timeframe alleged would have fallen during my term as Supervisor and Mr. Postmus' term as Assessor, therefore I was not in a position to observe the Assessor's behavior on a regular basis."

In the statement, Mitzelfelt echoes what his colleague Supervisor Gary Ovitt said last month, which was to call for Postmus to come before the board and publicly respond to the allegations.

But in the storm that has been swept up since the district attorney raided Postmus' office earlier this year, to the arrest of Postmus' top assistant Adam Aleman who is facing six felony charges, as well as scathing grand jury report and the revelations of drug abuse...is this gesture enough?

Barack Obama has yet to visit the Inland Empire, but that hasn't stopped folks at the Pass Democratic Club in Banning from posing with him. David Knight, club recording secretary, said volunteers have been snapping photos of folks who stop into the headquarters and want a picture with the Illinois senator. Apparently, the life-size, cardboard cutout is popular.

Above, Knight poses with the cutout.

There are a number of elected officials from San Bernardino County at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

Over the weekend, this message from the convention was sent in by Supervisor Gary Ovitt, chairman of the county's Republican Party.

"Hello from Minnesota!  This morning, tens of thousands of my fellow Republicans will arrive in the Twin Cities to nominate our next President, John McCain and Vice President, Sarah Palin.  Our thoughts are not wholly here, rather our hearts are focused on the events along the Gulf Coast.  Throughout the Republican National Convention, my fellow convention goers will be raising funds for those affected by Hurricane Gustav.  Events for the first day will be somewhat muted, but the energy that is bursting through for our nominee can be felt everywhere."

In case you read Saturday's story on the response from the Assessor's Office on the Grand Jury Report and still want more, here's a summary of the 10-page document. Essentially, the grand jury made recommendations and the assessor's office took action to address what recommendations it could. A number of the recommendations affect county-wide policies and must go before the Board of Supervisors.

1) Grand Jury Recommendation: Review executive staff for potential consolidation.

Action: The Assistant Assessor position held by Adam Aleman (who resigned in July) was eliminated, as was the Executive Secretary position held by Wanda Nowicki (who now works for incoming Supervisor Neil Derry), and the Intergovernmental Relations Officer position held by Rex Gutierrez, a Rancho Cucamonga councilman.

2) Grand Jury Recommendation: Reclassify operations management positions to civil-service protected.

Action:  Five positions, including Chief Appraiser and Chief of Assessment Services, were reclassified. Acting Assessor Harlow Cameron said this will help ensure "continuity of business."  It also protects the positions from being vulnerable to political appointments.

3) Grand Jury Recommendation: Enact a policy requiring competitive bidding for consulting services.

Action: Requires a countywide policy that ultimately may have to go before the Board of Supervisors. 

4) Grand Jury Recommendation: Revise the education reimbursement policy. (This came after several troubling college tuition revelations, including Assessor Bill Postmus signing off on Aleman's requests worth $8,280 to take such classes at the University of La Verne as ornithology.)

Action: The Board of Supervisors tightened rules governing college tuition reimbursement Aug. 4.

5) Grand Jury Recommendation: Enact policies for separation agreements of county employees that link length of employment with terms of severance.

Action: Requires a countywide policy that ultimately may have to go before the Board of Supervisors.

6) Grand Jury Recommendation: Install Internet firewalls to prevent political email from being accesses on county equipment.

Action: Requires a countywide policy that ultimately may have to go before the Board of Supervisors.