April 2009 Archives
Unemployment may be at more than 11 percent countywide, but if you're a teen-ager or young adult living in San Bernardino County, prospects are looking up, at least this summer.
More than 1,500 county youths and young adults will be placed in jobs and receive on-the-job training following an action by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that will provide $15.8 million in federal stimulus money designated for workforce training.
"With unemployment at its highest in decades, these expanded programs will help lay the foundation for a sustained recovery by getting young people started in the workforce," First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said in a news release.
His district, which includes most of the High Desert region, has been hit especially hard by the economic downturn. "This will help our local businesses by providing workers and reducing their costs, and will stimulate the local economy by putting money in the pockets of these young workers," Mitzelfelt said.
The board approved approximately $5.8 million in contracts to provide a summer youth employment program that will pay the salaries of eligible youths, ages 14-24, during the summer. Youths will be placed with employers participating in the program, while the remaining $15.8 million will be used to provide services and training to adults and workers who have been laid off.
Among the agencies that will receive funding include the Apple Valley Unified School District, Hesperia Unified School District, Lucerne Valley Career Academy and Mental Health Systems Inc. in Needles.
Countywide, the funding is expected to create 1,560 jobs.
"This is a great opening for young people to earn a little extra cash and to build the job skills they will need to succeed in their future careers," said Second District Supervisor Paul Biane. About 350 jobs are expected to be created in his district from the stimulus money.
A report detailing possible malfeasance at the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office during the reign of embattled former Assessor Bill Postmus will be relased on May 12, county officials said today.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt made the announcement following a 3 1/2-hour closed-door session with county counsel, which ran from 12:30 p.m. to about 4:10 p.m.
"I would have preferred it be released immediately, but the unanimous consensus of the board is that it will be released on (May) 12th," said Third District Supervisor Neil Derry, who remains adamant that the public has the right to know the information included in the report.
On Jan. 27, the board retained attorney John C. Hueston, who successfully prosecuted key figures in the Enron scandal, to build a case for the removal of Postmus from his elected office.
Postmus, who faces allegations of methamphetamine abuse and political shenanigans in his office, resigned less than two weeks later. He hasn't been charged with a crime.
Hueston's investigation subsequently shifted to possible wrongdoing at the Assessor's Office.
Ovitt said the board reviewed Hueston's report during today's closed-door session with county counsel and is considering initiating litigation based on the findings from the report.
Multiple sources close to the investigation say that Hueston briefed the board on March 3 of his preliminary findings, and said he had gathered evidence of massive timecard fraud, drug abuse and use of the office for political activity. He reportedly told the board the county would have to file civil actions against seven former Assessor's Office employees to recover restitution for work not performed, and that damages could near $1 million.
All five supervisors declined further comment because the matter is still under board consideration.
"The board appreciates the public's interest in this report and the public's patience, which is why the board is pleased that the report's release is now imminent," Ovitt said.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney's Office continues its criminal investigation into the Assessor's Office and former members of Postmus's executive support staff, which is nearing a year.
On June 30, D.A. investigators arrested then Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman on suspicion of preparing false evidence for the San Bernardino County Grand Jury, offering forged or altered documents, destruction of public records and vandalism. He faces six felony charges.
Investigators with the District Attorney have not requested a copy of Hueston's report, but if they do, it's county policy to cooperate, said David Wert, county spokesman.
The District Attorney's Office is concerned about Hueston's information being made public before its investigation is wrapped up.
"We're always concerned about witnesses or potential witnesses being influenced by what they read or see in the media, however, we do recognize that the board has many public issues to deal with, and we respect their decision to release the report on May 12," said Susan Mickey, office spokeswoman.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today set a date of July 28 to hear proposals from the Rancho Cucamonga City Council on a 1,200-acre chunk of land north of the 210 Freeway being eyed by five developers.
The county plans to buy the land from its flood control district, then enter into an entitlement agreement with a developer of its choice.
One of the developers interested in the land is Jeff Burum, whose Colonies Partners secured a $102 million settlement from the county in November 2006 after a nearly four-year legal dispute over who was responsible a flood control project at one of Burum's Upland developments.
The Rancho Cucamonga City Council will recommend two developers to the Board of Supervisors, and the board will subsequently choose one of the two for entitlement.
The county's preliminary appraisal of the land, located north of the 210 Freeway, determined its value at between $37.5 million and $75 million.
The House of Representatives today passed legislation by Reop. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, that awards the Congressional Gold Medal to world famous pro golfer Arnold Palmer for his service in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship in golf. The measure passed on a 422 to 1 vote.
"Arnold Palmer is a legend and a giant among golfers," Baca, an avid golfer, said in a news release. "He won 92 championships in professional competition, but even more significant, he is an exemplary American."
If you want to vote in the May 19 statewide special election and are not yet registered to vote, the clock is ticking.
The deadline to register is May 4th. If you are registered in the county but have moved to another address within the county, you can request an address change in writing. Voters who have recently moved from another county, changed their name or wish to change their political party affiliation must re-register.
Voter registration forms are available at all DMV offices, social security offices, post offices, libraries, city halls, political party headquarters and from the county Registrar of Voters office at 777 E. Rialto Ave., in San Bernardino.
For more information, call (909) 387-8300 or toll free at (800) 881-VOTE / TDD (909) 387-2788.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, paid more than $30,000 in March to a law firm defending him in a federal probe into his alleged ties with lobbyists and defense contractors, campaign records shows.
It brings the total of what Lewis has spent on legal fees since the investigation kicked off in 2006 to nearly $1.2 million.
Lewis spokesman Jim Specht couldn't say Wednesday what services the Washington D.C.-based law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has performed for Lewis over the last four months to warrant such a hefty bill.
Attorney's at the law firm didn't return a phone call seeking comment.
"Obviously things are happening. More likely the law firm has been performing more work for him recently," said Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, a nonprofit government watchdog group.
Lewis disclosed the fee in his first quarterly campaign filing statement of 2009, released last week by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Stern said Lewis doesn't even come close to what former state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, has paid in legal fees since he became the focus of a federal investigation kicked off five years ago.
"In these days, with these high price law firms, ($30,000) is really not a lot of money," Stern said.
Federal prosecutors have been investigating Perata since 2004 but have not charged him with anything. The probe has centered mainly on whether Perata helped steer millions of dollars' worth of political consulting work to his family and friends and whether he received kickbacks in return.
In the Spring of 2006, federal prosecutors began an investigation into the relationship between Lewis and a lobbying firm that employed several of his former staff members, for whose clients Lewis allegedly sought millions of dollars in earmarks.
Specht said Lewis has never been contacted by anyone from the FBI or the Justice Department on the matter.
In the first quarter of 2008, Lewis paid more than $57,000 in legal fees. He reported no other legal fees that year.
Specht said the $30,573.02 Lewis paid to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher on March 26 is most likely for ongoing legal expenses.
"He has to pay forward to continue to ensure this firm continues to represent him," Specht said.
In February and March, Lewis also paid a total of $18,530.44 in retainers to the Washington D.C.-based government affairs law firm Williams & Jensen, which handles all of Lewis' campaign filing, Specht said.
Though Lewis has not been contacted by authorities, Specht said the Congressman is still taking every precaution necessary.
"He feels he needs to retain a law firm for a defense in case anything comes of this," Specht said.
Some feel Lewis and his flak aren't being forthright.
"I don't think anybody will ever agree that Congressman Lewis has been forthright about what his more than $1 million in legal fees are for," said Patrick Kahler, vice chairman of the San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee. "With a new administration, maybe they're taking a harder look at his activities and shenanigans."
Lewis spent even more money on tax payments in the first quarter of this year. On March 13, he paid a whopping $134,521 to the IRS, campaign records show.
Lewis invested campaign account funds in the Bank of San Bernardino, which had been bought and sold a couple of times over the years. Lewis cashed out on the bank stock in December for $388,355, and the $134,521 he paid the IRS was capital gains tax on that transaction, Specht said.
The committee to re-elect San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos has asked Third District Supervisor Neil Derry for his support.
A letter to Derry dated April 17 states, "Over the past seven years, Mike has been able to restore public confidence and credibility to the District Attorney's Office. Mike has made political corruption a priority. He created the first Public Integrity Unit in the history of our county. He maintains a vigilant watch over the politicians and bureaucrats so that we don't drift back to the days of back room deals and corruption."
The letter was signed by Sheriff Rod Hoops, Stephen Matich, president of the Matich Corporation, Eleanor Rossi of the San Bernardino County chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, and David Lewis, executive vice president of the Lewis Group of Companies, one of the most prominent developers in the Inland Empire.
Investigators with the District Attorneys Office arrested Derry's former chief of staff, Jim Erwin, last month at Derry's office and charged him with eight felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of filing false or forged documents. The charges stemmed from unreported gifts Erwin received from Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum in January 2007, including a $13,000 Rolex watch and a trip to New York City.
The gifts, according to Erwin, were for his help in shepherding a landmark $102 million settlement between Burum's company, Colonies Partners, and the county over an Upland flood control project in November 2006.
Erwin said the infractions warranted, at most, a fine from the Fair Political Practices Commission and alleged his arrest was in reatliation for Derry's proposal to eliminate take-home vehicles for 60 employees at the District Attorney's Office to help shore up the county's projected $86 million budget deficit next year.
Derry has also proposed that county prosecutors and district attorney investigators be subject to the same pay cuts all nonsworn county employees are facing come July 1.
Derry declined to comment on the letter he received.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors' Chairman Gary Ovitt on Tuesday will recommend that Second District Supervisor Paul Biane's uncle, Michael Biane, be appointed to the county's assessment appeals board.
Michael Biane is a semi-retired real estate broker, which makes him more than qualified for the position, said Ovitt's spokesman, Burt Southard.
Ovitt would not comment.
Michael Biane, if appointed by the Board of Supervisors, would serve on one the assessment appeals board panels representing his nephew's district.
The assessment appeals board arbitrates disputes regarding the assessed value of property. Applicants go before the board and argue their case, and the panel has the power to reduce the value of the property, maintain it as is or increase it, said Becky Griffin of the clerk of the board's office.
Anyone appointed to the assessment appeals board must have a minimum of five years professional experience in California as either a certified public accountant, a licensed real estate broker, an attorney or a property appraiser accredited by a nationally recognized professional organization, according to the California Revenue and Taxation Code.
Southard said the county has seen an influx of cases brought before the assessment appeals board in the last year as a result of the economy and the foreclosure crisis.
The county is launching a new assessment appeals board Web site this week that is more navigator friendly and choc full of information, Griffin said
Supervisor Paul Biane was the catalyst behind the Inland Empire Economic Recovery Corp., a public-private nonprofit formed in December by the county as a means to address the county's foreclosure crisis. The plan: assist first-time homebuyers and buy foreclosed houses in the region in bulk, fix them up and resell them. In January, the Board of Supervisors approved giving $2.5 million to the nonprofit.
Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors, Biane worked in the private sector with NAI Capitol Commercial Real Estate Services.
Michael Biane is the former owner of the now defunct Biane & Biane Realty, Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
A Los Angeles attorney who has represented the county for the last decade in a lawsuit stemming from the biggest corruption scandal in county history is expected to have his contract increased by $45,000.
Leonard Gumport has collected more than $9.7 million in settlements and judgements stemming from a 2000 lawsuit involving more than 20 defendants, including former top county officials and contractors convicted of bribery and other charges.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to approve an amendment to Gumport's contract by $45,000, which will bring the total amount of his contract to $3.9 million.
Gumport initiated a lawsuit against key defendants in the decade-old corruption scandal following the adjudication of the defendants' criminal case. It involved former top county officials and contractors enmeshed in bribery and kickback schemes in the 1990s in exchange for lucrative billboard and trash hauling contracts.
"This was, and is, as important as any of the cases I've ever handled," Gumport said Monday.
In December 2007, a state appellate court upheld a May 2005 judgement of $10.6 million against former county administrative officers Harry Mays and James Hlawek, former trash company executive Kenneth James Walsh and billboard company, Oakridge Group Corp., owned by William "Shep" McCook.
The county named in its suit Norcal Waste Systems, the firm in which Mays and Walsh worked and which secured a contract with the county in exchange for bribes. The company settled with the county for $6.5 million and lost its contract.
Former county supervisor Jerry Eaves, also accused of taking bribes from Oakridge Corp., pleaded guilty in 2004 to violating state conflict of interest laws.
Appeals to the state Supreme Court following the December 2007 judgment were denied, paving the way for the county to collect its more than $20 million in settlements and judgments.
Other defendants named in the suit included former county treasurer-tax collector Thomas O'Donnell and former county investment officer Sol Levin.
Gumport's firm is still enforcing the judgments and settlements, and officials cannot say how long it will take before he collects the remaining $11 million still owed to the county.
Tuesday's expected action will be the eleventh time the Board of Supervisors has amended Gumport's contract, which started in 2000 at $3.5 million, said Daniel Haueter, assistant county counsel.
Gumport was also commissioned by the county in 2005 to investigate a questionable purchase of surplus county land by Jim Foster, former chief of staff for former Third District Supervisor Dennis Hansberger. He also investigated a lobbyist's alleged involvement in the purchase of the Maranatha Corrections Facility in Adelanto.
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters mailed off sample ballots to county voters on April 9. The pamphlets include information on prepositions/measures on the ballot, voting by mail, what to expect at the polls come election day and arguments and rebuttals for local measures.
Voters should confirm the the location of their polling place prior to election day, which can be found on the back of cover of the sample ballot or on the county Registrar's Web site at http://www.sbcrov.com You can also call the Registrar's office at (909) 387-8300 or toll free at 1-800-881-VOTE or (909) 387-2788.
All vote by mail applications must be received by the Registrar of Voters no later than 5 p.m. on May 12. Voters who have previously submitted a request for permanent vote by mail status do not need to complete the application again.
Mail all requests to: Registrar of Voters, 777 E. Rialto Ave., San Bernardino, Ca., 92415-0770 or fax to: (909) 386-8388.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Department of Child Support Services welcomes its new deputy director, Marci Jensen-Eldred, who began her new job last month. She will oversee the department's case establishment and intake teams.
Jensen-Eldred served as the director for the Sutter County Department of Child Support Services since May 2006. Sutter County had a key role as a
pilot county in the roll out of the statewide child support case
management system from 2006 to 2008.
Jensen-Eldred earned a bachelor of arts degree from California State
University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Law School in
Sacramento.
"Marci Jensen-Eldred has demonstrated a high level of skill and
commitment to California's children. I know she will continue to
maintain this level of excellence in San Bernardino County," said Connie Brunn, director of San Bernardino County's child support services division.
Lynn Valbuena, vice chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, was sworn in on Wednesday for a seventh term as secretary of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA).
Valbuena's swearing in occurred during NIGA's 11th Annual Wendell Chino Awards Banquet.
"Thank you for the confidence you expressed by your election to the office of Secretary for the National Indian Gaming Association," Valbuena said shortly after her swearing in. "I am honored and humbled by your confidence in my service to Indian country and vow to continue the work that youy have elected me to do." Valbuena also serves as chairwoman of theTribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN), a regional coalition of 12 Indian tribes from throughout the southern California region. She is in her 14th year as TASIN Chairwoman.
San Bernardino County supervisors are planning on meting out millions of dollars in federal funds for senior programs, construction projects, youth recreation and other services in their districts.
The Board of Supervisors on April 7 approved the allocation of $6.9 million in community development block grant funds to be used in the county's five supervisorial districts. The funds are made available every year, and contingent upon approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is expected to reach a decision in May, said Burt Southard, spokemsman for board chairman Gary Ovitt.
Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales is planning on doling out $152,750 to 11 nonprofits in her district, including the San Bernardino-based Time for Change Foundation, which operates shelters for battered women and their children. It will receive $10,000.
Burglars broke into the nonprofit's headquarters on Easter Sunday, making off with about $15,000 worth of property.
"It definitely couldn't have come at a better time," said Kim Carter, executive director of Time for Change Foundation. She said the funds have been earmarked for health and liability insurance and the organization's annual audit.
Second District Supervisor Paul Biane plans to use the $307,695 allocated for his district for free senior meals, youth recreation, literacy programs and sidewalk construction, among other things.
"Investing in programs that have proven track records helps us ensure that these precious grant dollars are having positive impacts in second district communities," Biane said in a news release.
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt is securing $433,000 for his district, and plans to use the funds primarily for construction projects and service programs.
Among the projects are a $7,000 skatepark in Adelanto and security bars and windows for the Oro Grande Community Center, which will cost $45,000.
More than $575,000 has been allocated for Supervisor Neil Derry's district, which includes $44,000 for security upgrades at the public water supply facility in the Morongo Valley, $35,000 for the installation of energy efficient multi-pane windows and doors at a Joshua Tree preschool and $10,000 for the continuation of domestic violence shelter services in Joshua Tree.
Supervisor Gary Ovitt plans to use $170,000 of the $211,930 allocated for his district for the acquisition of right-of-way and construction of curb, gutter and sidewalk along two stretches of Howard Street in Ontario.
Other allocations in Ovitt's district include $10,000 for the House of Ruth domestic violence shelter in Montclair and $7,250 for the expansion of fitness opportunities for the elderly and disabled in Chino.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane today announced the release of the 2009 edition of the Resource Book for San Bernardino County Nonprofits, which can now be downloaded for free online.
The book contains information about more than 70 grants from federal, state and foundation sources, and also includes chapters on the basics of grant writing and a list of networking groups.
Biane is encouraging local nonprofits to use the book as a resource to secure more funding and expand the services they are providing to their communities.
To download the book, go to www.sbcounty.gov/Biane and click on "Nonprofit Resources" on the left column.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry is pushing the District Attorney's Office to investigate the destruction of documents in his office by his predecessor, Dennis Hansberger.
District Attorney's office spokeswoman Susan Mickey said the office was in receipt of Derry's March 2 letter requesting a criminal investigation against Hansberger, but couldn't say if an investigation is underway.
"After three months of observation it has become clear that the lack of documentation, particularly correspondence files, has hindered my staff and created an onerous burden in reconstructing information," Derry said in his letter, addressed to District Attorney Michael Ramos.
Hansberger told The Sun in December that he disposed of documents appropriately, and that he didn't keep documents in his office that were "departmental in nature." He said he disposed of the documents just before his term expired on Nov. 30.
In 2004, Hansberger, then the county's third district supervisor, approved a policy mandating the retention of public documents when a supervisor leaves office.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to appoint George Watson, former metro editor for The Sun, as Third District Supervisor Neil Derry's new chief of staff.
Watson, 39, of Redlands, has been a newspaper reporter and editor for the past 18 years. He has worked in the Inland Empire since 2001 as a reporter for both The Sun and the Press Enterprise. He'll replace Jim Erwin, a longtime mover and shaker in San Bernardino County politics.
Erwin, 46, of Highland, was arrested at Derry's office on March 19 as part of the San Bernardino County District Attorney's ongoing investigation of the county assessor's office, where Erwin formerly worked as assistant assessor.
Erwin has been charged with 10 felony counts of perjury and failing to properly disclose gifts he received from Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, including a $13,000 Rolex watch, a luxurious trip to New York City and the services of a prostitute, court records show. It was payback for Erwin serving as a liaison between Burum's Colonies Partners and the county in helping shepherd a landmark $102 million settlement over an Upland flood control project.
Watson will head Derry's 12-person staff and coordinate the day-to-day operations of the office.
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