November 2008 Archives
Though it officially opened its doors to customers last Saturday, the new Highland Lowes waited until the day after Thanksgiving to hold its grand opening ceremony.
In its own twist on the traditional ribbon cutting, store manager James Davis, along with more than a half dozen of his management staff, led Mayor Penny Lilburn in a board cutting ceremony today. Davis assisted Lilburn in carving through the piece of plywood with a scroll saw.
Among the city officials who gathered for the 10 a.m. ceremony included City Councilmen Larry McCallon and Ross Jones, City Councilwoman Jody Scott, Highland sheriff's Capt. Bobby Phillips and various city planners.
Davis said the new home improvement center, which took 130 days to build, has created 130 new jobs for the city.
Lowes is the first of many new businesses planned to open in the Golden Triangle, the shopping hub on Greenspot Road between the 210 Freeway and Boulder Avenue. Other businesses planned to open in the area include a Staples office supply store and an L.A. Fitness.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
King of the Cage returns to San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino on Thursday, Dec. 11 with "Prowler", a fierce evening of action-packed mixed marital arts. The event will be recorded and aired on Pay Per View at a later date.
Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.com and the San Manuel Box Office for $40, $65, and $100.
King of the Cage is a competitive form of mixed martial arts where fighters fiercely go head-to-head to demonstrate their fighting skills.
Reigning champion Anthony "The Recipe" Lapsley will take on Mike Guymon for the KOTC Welterweight World Championship title in the main event. Lapsley holds a record of 14-3-0.
In addition, Victor "Joe Boxer" Valenzuela will meet fist-to-fist with Rick "IE Bad Boy" Legere. Joe Boxer has a record of 7-2-2 and has won his previous two bouts, while the IE Bad Boy continues to remain undefeated at 6-0-0.
Other bouts will feature Brian Sesma (10-4-0), Dave Cryer (5-1-0), Wachiim Spirtwolf, Mike "The Rhino" Bourke (8-11-1), Anthony Guerra (2-1-0), Chris Koreeda, Marcos Gonzalez (1-1-0), Geno Salomone (1-0-1), Nick Gallegos, David Aguirre (1-1-1), Daniel Huyhn, and Shigeki Matsuda. (Fights are subject to change).
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. the night of the fight. A 21-and-older age requirement to enter the casino is strictly enforced.
Armed robbers took money from a feed and tack store during a Tuesday evening robbery, sheriff's officials said.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies received a call about the robbery at 5:15 p.m. Two men entered All Pet Feed and Tack at 25598 Base Line Road and ordered employees to lie on the ground.
The robbers took money from the business and ran west on Base Line, sheriff's officials said.
Anyone with information may call the sheriff's Highland station, (909) 425-9793 or WeTip (800) 78-CRIME.
Lawyers in the trial for two men suspected in the robbery and deadly shooting of a Highland store owner and his clerk rested their cases this week. Proceedings resume Monday, as jurors await closing arguments.
Deputy District Attorney Dan Detienne rested his case against Christopher Turelle White and Darwin Lamont Richardson on Monday morning in San Bernardino Superior Court, according to court records. The men face charges in the deaths of Steve Hall, 54, and 25-year-old Brian Gregorio at Cee Vee Liquor and Couch Potato Video, in Highland, in March 2005.
Defense lawyers Richard Crouter, who represents White, and Gary Ablard, who represents Richardson, rested their cases shortly after prosecutors did, without presenting any affirmative defense, court records indicate.
Prosecutors have said evidence shows Richardson, 22, cased the Cee Vee Liquor and Couch Potato Video store, located on Palm Avenue, and then waited as a getaway driver while White, 21, and another man robbed the store at gunpoint.
A third defendant, Tristan Darnell Allan, is representing himself and awaiting a separate trial.
The defendants face two counts of murder and two counts of robbery. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.
Thanks to a partnership between the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the Gabrielino/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, ancestral remains that have been housed for more than 50 years at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles will be released to the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe for private burial.
San Manuel Chairman James Ramos led a short ceremony on Nov. 20 to assist the tribe in their efforts to reclaim the remains of their ancestors. Leaders of the Gabrielino/Tongva band will conduct their own reburial of the remains during a private ceremony at a later date.
"It was essential that we take steps to return these remains to the rightful descendants," Ramos said. "By working together, the Gabrielino/Tongva people can provide a proper reburial."
Repatriation of human remains to the rightful descendants of ancient tribal groups continues to be a challenge for many American Indian tribes, despite clear guidance provided in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, enacted by Congress in 1990. Remains and funerary and cultural objects held by museums and private parties throughout the U.S. is a top concern to tribal leaders, according to a San Manuel news release.
It is a commonly held belief among Indian tribes that the remains of those that are disturbed should be returned to the earth as quickly as possible.
The repatriation effort was made possible when officials of the Angeles National Forest determined that San Manuel showed a cultural affiliation with the Serrano people, who are neighbors of the Tongva people of the Los Angeles basin. It was a shared group identity that could reasonably be connected to the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects of the Chilao collections.
Team San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart took home the American Motorcycle Association's highest honor - the Speed Athlete of the Year Award - during the AMA's Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sarurday, Nov. 23, at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Ala.
"This is one of my highest honors," Stewart said. "After seven years, I finally did something good enough to win this."
Stewart was among some of the fastest motorcycle racers on the planet who were honored at the end-of-the-year event. Others included champions from the AMA Motocross, AMA Supercross, AMA Superbike, AMA Flat Track, AMA Hillclimb, AMA Supermoto and the AMA/ATVA Pro ATV Championship.
Stewart won 24 of 24 motos during the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Series this year, claiming his first outdoor title in the premier class.
Other honorees included Joe and Cheryl Swanson, recipients of the AMA Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award.
For years, the Swansons have worked tirelessly to make the AMA Hillclimb Championship a reality, and their efforts have made the event a better experience for everyone involved, according to a news release.
Tom Houseworth, crew chief for Ben Spies' championship-winning AMA Superbike effort, took home the AMA Award for Mechanical Excellence.
In 2008, Spies had 10 wins and finished outside the top two only once. Houseworth also won the 2006 and 2007 AMA Supercross titles with Spies, along with the 2007 AMA Superstock championship.
"The key to doing well is all my guys doing well, and the key to that is keeping them happy," Houseworth said in the news release. "We all cover each other's butts. If something goes wrong, someone else is there to catch it. Everybody watches out for everybody else."
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
Christmas Tree lighting ceremonies are planned this Friday in Big Bear Lake and Saturday in lake Gregory.
Big Bear Lake's tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at the corner of Pine Knot Avenue and Village Drive. Festivities include song, dance and visits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
Lake Gregory is hosting its regional Park Arts & Crafts Fair on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The tree lighting ceremony will be at dusk Saturday on the north beach of the lake. Gates open at 5 p.m.
The Christmas story will be told and Christmas carols will be sung prior to the tree lighting. Local churches will provide refreshments.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The 4,200-square-foot Running Springs library is scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The library is located at 2677 Whispering Pines Dr.
The former forestry service building provides four times the space of the branch library's prior location on Hill Top Boulevard.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will precede the opening of the library, and festivities will include free backpacks to the first 100 children and light refreshment.
Fore more information call Greg Zerovnik at (909) 387-9619.
The Highland Family YMCA has embarked on a mission to set a world record by collecting more than 63,000 quarters by Jan. 25 for its annual YMCA Run fund-raiser.
It would equate to about $15,00, which would go toward scholarships for youths and their families to participate in YMCA programs and memberships, said Ursula Walsh, the YMCA's executive director.
The YMCA has already registered with the Guiness Book of World Records and has collected about 4,400 quarters - a little more than $1,000.
"It's really a fun idea. We're trying to do something where we could get the whole community involved," Walsh said.
The quarters are being collected in plastic water cooler bottles, which have been placed at locations across the city including the city's three fire stations, Two Guys Italian restaurant and AFS Shoes.
Once collected, the quarters will be laid out along the run course, which begins at Arroyo Verde Elementary School and spans Church Street, between Greenspot Road and Base Line, Walsh said.
The 26th annual YMCA Run features a quarter-mile and one-mile Fun Walk for kids, a two-mile Mayor's Walk and the traditional 5K and 10K runs and half marathon.
For more information, call (909) 425-9622.
All Big Bear Lake residents, business owners and Valley-wide community members are encouraged to attend a public hearing of the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Dec. 2 regarding proposed rate increases for Bear Valley Electric customers.
The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Northwoods Resort, 40650 Village Dr., in Big Bear Lake.
The hearing will provide community members and business owners the chance to provide comment to members of the commission and how the rate increases would affect them.
On July 16, Golden State Water Company, the parent company of Bear Valley Electric, filed an application before the PUC to increase Bear Valley Electric's rates by more than 22 percent, which would have significant impacts residents of the Big Bear Valley.
The Highland Senior Center will be showing the film "Journey to the Center of the Earth" at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 4 and the film "The Happening" on Dec. 18. There is no cost to attend and enjoy the movies.
The Highland Senior Center is located at 3102 E. Highland Ave., just inside the gates of Patton State Hospital unless otherwise stated.
For more information call (909) 862-8104.
The city is hosting its final blood drive of 2008 on Monday (Nov. 24) from 1:30-7:30 p.m. at the Jerry Lewis Community Center, 7793 Central Ave.
In honor of Thanksgiving, every donor will receive a slice of pie as a special thank you for your their donation.
The city needs approximately 400 units of blood per day. All blood received and used comes from volunteer blood donors. The city encourages donors to spread the word to family, friends and co-workers by encouraging them to donate blood.
For more information, contact Volunteer Services Coordinator Denise Garnsey at (909) 864-6861, ext. 203.
If they make the cut, budding filmmakers who can't afford the high cost of film school will get a chance to attend a weeklong summer film camp through a special grant from the county.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved a $25,000 allocation to contract with the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival in support of its film camp program.
Students learn the various facets of the film industry during the camp and produce their own film project.
"This is the first year we've really taken it to this level," said Anthony Riley, special projects coordinator for Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt.
The program will be broken down into four categories, including Web-based film production, film versus high definition, post-production and film finance.
Students learn the various facets of the film industry during the camp and produce their own film project.
"This is the first year we've really taken it to this level," said Anthony Riley, special projects coordinator for Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt.
The program will be broken down into four categories, including Web-based film production, film versus high definition, post-production and film finance.
Ty Warren, senior vice president of production for Dreamworks Studios and board president of the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, pushed to get county backing for the camp. He recently met with Ovitt and stressed his desire to work with the county on providing more opportunities to budding filmmakers, Riley said.
The camp opens doors to possible internships and jobs in the film industry.
Applicants will have to submit a resume and a film project to a panel of judges, who will select which students get to participate in the camp, Riley said.
"It's going to be a very intensive, very serious workshop, but one that the kids will tremendously benefit from," he said.
The camp opens doors to possible internships and jobs in the film industry.
Applicants will have to submit a resume and a film project to a panel of judges, who will select which students get to participate in the camp, Riley said.
"It's going to be a very intensive, very serious workshop, but one that the kids will tremendously benefit from," he said.
A few items from Highland's City Council agenda for the Nov. 25 meeting:
* City staff is recommending the hiring of another sergeant at the Highland sheriff's station, funded by a grant from the state office of Community Policing Services.
* Staff is recommending that the Council approve the second reading for the adoption of an amended redevelopment plan.
* Staff is recommending the Countil appoint three members to the Public Community Trails Committee with terms ending in October 2010 and three members to the Historic and Cultural Preservation Board, with terms ending in November 2010.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers, 27215 Base Line.
The Lowes Home Improvement Center on Greenspot Road, east of the 210 Freeway, will open its doors to customers at 6 a.m. Saturday, being the first business in Highland's Golden Triangle to open.
The Golden Triangle - on Greenspot Road beween the freeway and Boulder Avenue - is targeted for major retail and residential development in the next several years.
On Nov. 28, an official grand opening ceremony kicks off at the big box home improvement retailer at 10 a.m., and will feature a "board cutting" ceremony and gift card match, in which Lowes will match the amount of any gift card purchased by a customer that day, up to $5,000. The matched money will go to Habitat for Humanity for its next project in the San Bernardino area, said Lowe's spokeswoman Maureen Rich.
More than 60 motorists were cited Thursday during a sting to ensure drivers are yielding to pedestrians.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies conducted the sting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at crosswalks throughout the city.
Deputies cited 64 people for not yielding to pedestrians, 1 for jaywalking and 10 for driving without insurance. Twelve people were arrested on suspicion of driving without a license.
Highland resident Edwin Yerena likely won't be home for Christmas, but if all goes according to plan, he'll get the best gift of all this holiday season - life.
The 9-year-old St. Adelaide student lies in a room at City of Hope hospital in Duarte, without an immune system, waiting to see if his body will accept an infusion of donated bone marrow.
Edwin's plight has been reported extensively in the news. He suffers from myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal blood cells. After two blood and bone marrow drives at the Highland Family YMCA and the Diocese of San Bernardino, it was announced in October that a donor had been found for Edwin - a 42-year-old man whose DNA markers perfectly matched Edwin's.
After undergoing a week of grueling radiation and chemotherapy treatment, Edwin underwent the 6 1/2-hour transfusion on Nov. 13.
Now, he waits, as do his parents.
"He has no immune system right now. He just has to wait now and see if the bone marrow graphs and starts producing blood cells," said Edwin's mother, Martha Figueroa.
It could take between two to three weeks for Edwin's body to start producing the white and red blood cells needed for his survival.
If his body accepts the marrow and all goes well, he could be home in the next month or two.
'If there's no complications, it'll be about six to eight weeks. They told me to expect to be here at Christmas," Figueroa said.
Edwin stopped eating solid food about two days prior to his transfusion. He's being fed intraveneously, and has developed blisters and sores in his mouth from the radiation and chemo treatments, his mother said. He's also endured spiking fevers and a blood infection, and has been taking antibiotics, antifungal pills and other medications to treat his ailments.
Tonight, Edwin will undergo his last dose of chemotherapy, Figueroa said.
Once he recovers, Edwin will continue his follow-up appointments at City of Hope for about three months, then, if he's stable enough, he can return to his regular oncologist at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, Figueroa said.
Though he'll be spending Thanksgiving, and most likely Christmas, in the hospital, Figueroa said she has special plans for her son despite that.
"We'll spoil him with whatever he wants," she said. "And next Christmas we'll
make up for it."
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program would like to offer pet owners the following tips to help keep their pets safe and healthy this Thanksgiving:
* Never feed turkey bones to pets. A turkey bone can splinter and become lodged in the throat or further down the digestive system. Bone fragments can lacerate the delicate tissues as they move down the throat. Also advise guests not to feed pets.
* Avoid feeding fatty leftovers. Rich fatty foods like turkey skin, ham and gravy can lead to stomach upset and other problems in pets. Chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol are all toxic to pets and should not be given to them.
* Continue pet feeding routine. Pets thrive on routine. It is best to feed your pet their regular meal before guests arrive. This will help keep them regular and reduce the temptation for begging and stealing.
* Dispose of leftovers properly. Keep food on tables and counters out of reach of pets. Make sure garbage and leftovers are safely disposed of right away, as even trained pets may be tempted to counter-surf or raid the garbage or outside trash.
* Keep pets safe and comfortable. If expecting company for Thanksgiving, arrange for a safe and quite area for your pets to be. Pets that have their own room will feel safer; less stressed, and won't be able to accidentally escape out the front door. Another option is to use a pet gate or play pen to house your pet nearby the festivities so they can still see what is going on, but be kept safely indoors.
* Ensure pets have I.D. Keep current identification on your pet at all times. In the event that your pet gets loose you will have a better chance of having them returned if they have proper identification.
* Lastly, be prepared, and keep your veterinarians' phone number nearby in the event of an emergency.
For more information, please call the San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program toll free at 1-800-472-5609.
SOURCE: San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control
In the wake of recent wildfire activity throughout Southern California, the San Bernardino National Forest has bolstered its fire use restrictions due to extremely dry conditions, the potential for strong winds.
As of Tuesday, no open campfires or wood or charcoal BBQ's are allowed in the forest, even in developed campgrounds, picnic areas, yellow post sites or group camps. Target shooting will be permitted only at developed shooting ranges, including the Lytle Creek Firing Range, Big Bear Sportsman's Club and the Lake Arrowhead Fish and Game Conservation Club target range.
"We are asking forest visitors and mountain residents exercise extreme caution during the extremely dry conditions we are experiencing right now," Forest Supervisor Jeanne Wade Evans said in a news release.
The following is a list of other fire resitrictions now being enforced:
* Campfire permits are required for propane and gas stoves and lanterns used outside of developed recreation sites.
* Recreational shooting is limited to public shooting ranges operated under special use permit only, except those engaged in legal hunting.
* An approved spark arrester is required for any internal combustion engine operated on designated forest routes. These include chainsaws, generators, motorcycles, and off-highway vehicles.
* Smoking is limited to enclosed vehicles, developed recreation sites, and areas cleared of vegetation three feet in diameter.
* Fireworks are always prohibited on forest land. Tracer, armor piercing, steel core, and Teflon ammunitions are also prohibited, as is discharging a firearm at any exploding target.
* Forest Road 1N09 is closed to motorized vehicles from Highway 330 to Bear Creek.
The city of Big Bear Lake is having its annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and Christmas is the Village event on Nov. 28 at the corner of Pine Knot Avenue and Village Drive. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. and include singing, dancing and visits with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
SOURCE: Big Bear Lake Web site
San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino is proud to present a Christmas Mariachi Festival on Dec. 4, featuring Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, two of the most popular mariachi groups in Southern California. Multi-Grammy Award winning Jose Feliciano will also be performing.
Tickets are on sale now and available at Ticketmaster.com and the San Manuel Box Office for $30, $40, and $50.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and a 21-and-older age requirement is strictly enforced.
For more information visit San Manuel's Web site at www.sanmanuel.com or call 800-359-2464.
Immanuel Baptist Church is providing Thanksgiving baskets again this year to those in the community who are in need. The church's goal is to distribute 500 baskets in time for the holiday.
If you would like to donate a basket, please bring items, in a grocery bag, to the Bible fellowship class or to the Pavilion on Sundays. You may also bring items to the church office during the week.
The following items comprise a basket: one box of stuffing (for a 12-pound turkey), two six-ounce cans of cranberry sauce, three 14-ounce cans of canned vegetables, one 15-ounce can of yams, one five-pound bag of potatoes, two 12-ounce cans of turkey gravy (no glass jars please) and two six-ounce boxes of Jello.
The Deacons will provide the turkey, pie, beverages and a dozen dinner rolls.
All food items will need to be turned into the church office no later than Friday.
Immanuel Baptist Church is located at 28355 Base Line. For more information call (909) 425-1777.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The following are excerts from today's Beattie Middle School Bulletin:
LOST & FOUND
Today is the last day for students to pick up their lost items. Several sweatshirts and other items are in the Student Center's lost and found. If you are missing an item, please check before school, at lunch or after school. Any items not claimed will be donated to charity on November 20.
AGAPE CLUB
Meets today during first and second lunch in the science lab, room E-24. The club is finishing up its Thanksgiving projects, and would love to have its faithful members back, as well as anyone who'd like to come for the first time. All are welcome!
NOVEMBER STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
The following students are to be congratulated for being selected Beattie Middle School's November Students of the Month: Matthew Casey, Cia Perez, Santiago Estrada, Keeley Couch, Alexander Warrick, Nathalia Wagiu, Pauline Niyo, Aidan Herrmann, Ana Karen Zavala, David Flores, Jasson Venegas, Danielle Gallagher, Reema Alkaddumi, Larissa Esrada, Guadalupe Ramirez, Natasha Hopkins, Zachary Padilla, Elijah Horton, Andrew Richter, Dillon Jury, Benjamin Budicin, Jeffrey Connell, Ellen Agonoy, Elise Dehart, Matthew Connell, Syndey Zendejas, Stephen Donahue, Angelo Agonoy, Salvador Madrigal, Miguel Meza, Ariana Smith, Lauren Toney, Colette Berschinski, Yaraldine Lopez, Yazmin Sprague, Hannah Tamimi, Alexis Dawson, Paul Rodriguez, Amanda Halloran. Keep up the good work!
The alleged mastermind behind a $1.5 million heist at Soboba Casino last year has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered to a state mental health hospital.
Judge Mark A. Mandio confirmed an earlier ruling, based on reports from mental health experts, and ordered defendant Rolando Luda Ramos be committed to Patton State Hospital, near Highland, during proceedings Friday in Riverside Superior Court.
The court initially found Ramos mentally incompetent to face a 14-count criminal complaint, during proceedings on Oct. 14.
Ramos, 27, will remain at Patton for a period not to exceed three years and was credited for 539 days he has already served in custody, according to Superior Court records. The court also authorized medical personnel to administer antipsychotic medication to the defendant by a treating psychiatrist.
No further court appearances were scheduled at Friday's hearing. The issue of Ramos' mental competence was raised by the defense at a May 9 hearing.
A jury trial for co-defendant Eric Alan Magdale Aguilera was scheduled to begin Oct. 31.
Authorities say Ramos, a security technician at Soboba Casino for two years, pulled out a gun, hog-tied three of his co-workers and escaped with $1.5 million on Aug. 2, 2007.
Law enforcement agencies tracked Ramos' mobile phone and caught him within days at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. Ramos had spent some of the stolen money on drugs and prostitutes, but authorities recovered most of the cash.
Two accomplices in the case have already been sentenced.
Sheriff's deputies arrested 38 sex offenders during a Nov. 13 sweep across the city.
From noon to 8 p.m., a contingent of about 35 deputies from the Sheriff's Highland, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga and Chino Hills stations, special enforcement divisions, state parole, county probation and the Highland Citizen Volunteer unit conducted a warrant sweep and sex registrant check.
Along with the 38 arrests, 67 registered sex offenders living in the city were checked for compliance. Of the 38 arrests, 10 were for drug offenses, six for parole violations, 17 for having outstanding warrants and four for being out of compliance.
The sweep was one of a series of events that started with a June 21 drug sweep across the city that netted more than 100 arrests. The police sweeps have been and will be conducted in areas known for high drug activity, robberies and other criminal activity within the city.
Deputies visited 68 residences during the Nov. 13 sweep over an eight-hour period.
Anyone with information on such criminal activity is asked to call sheriff's dispatch at (909) 387-8313 or We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (1-800-782-7463).
The killings were cold and callous - two lives robbed for a little money and some lottery tickets.
On March 16, 2005, two men walked into Cee Vee's Liquor Store and Couch Potato Video, in the 7700 block of Palm Avenue, and robbed, at gunpoint, 54-year-old store owner Steve Hall and 25-year-old clerk Brian Gregario. When it was all done, Hall and Gregario lay dead from gunshot wounds.
Those wounds bled deep into the surrounding neighborhood and community. Many still speak of the unspeakable crime, as if it were yesterday.
"I'd say every couple of days somebody brings it up. People still remember, three years later," said Bill Haddad, who bought the liquor store following Hall's death.
Many of the regulars who knew Hall well remained faithful to the business once Haddad took it over. For some, the memories were too painful, and they're just now starting to return after three years, Haddad said.
Much has changed at the store over the last three years. Haddad remodeled it, doing away with the video store portion and realigning the counter to the side wall so whoever's working can have a clear view of who is coming and who is going.
"A lot of people still come in and talk about him (Hall). They remember where the old counter was. They remember when the videos were there. It just brings back memories everytime," Haddad said.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery and slayings: alleged gunman Christopher Turelle White, 21, Tristan Darnell Allan, 23, and suspected getaway driver Darwin Lamont Richardson, 22.
Opening statements began Monday in White's and Richardson's murder trial. Allan, who is acting as his own attorney and requested more time to prepare his defense, is being tried separately.
Highland Mayor Penny Lilburn recalls how the tragedy brought out a story of real community.
"The people were very tight-knit there. They had a very personal relationship with the people who ran the liquor store, and were all very saddened by what happened," Lilburn said.
Haddad said he hopes justice is served, and that Hall's and Gregorio's families get some kind of closure.
"They need to pay for what they did and the two wonderful lives they took from families," he said. "It's not going to bring them back, but it's some kind of justice."
The trial resumed today in San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Brian McCarville's courtroom.
Official weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for 12 fighters who will be squaring off at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino on Thursday in a live championship boxing event at the casino. The weigh-in will be in the Tukut Lounge at the casino.
The event is a partnering between San Manuel and Roy Englebrecht Events, featuring local area fighters Luis Cervantes, of Highland, Artemio Reyes, of San Bernardino, and John Molina, of Corona. Cervantes trains at Executive Fitness, just minutes from the casino.
Fighters on the bout include the following:
* Feature: John Molina vs. Fernando Lizarraga
* Co-feature: Rhonda Luna vs. Kina Malpartida
* Jose Reynoso vs. Brain Gordon
* Artemio Reyes vs. David Luna
* Luis Cervantes vs. Jorge Magallones
* Herman Scott vs. Chris Perez
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The Big Bear Lake Planning Commission will consider a proposal to subdivide a 6.69-acre property into 26 parcels for the development of single-family homes.
The property is bound by Mill Creek Road, Talmadge Road and Beverly Lane, and the city has set several conditions of approval. Among them: Upon submittal of construction plans to building and safety for future single family residential home construction, a fire protection review will be required for each property.
Furthermore, development of the property is subject to the requirements of the Big Bear Lake Development Code regarding the reduction of accumulated forest fuels. An inspection shall be required to address forest fuel modification requirements pertaining to the subject property, according to a city staff report.
The meeting begins at 1:15 p.m. in Hofert Hall, 39707 Big Bear Blvd.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
Opening statements began today in the murder trial of two
men charged with the robbery and double-slaying a Highland liquor and
video store owner and his clerk in March 2005.
Defendants Christopher Turelle White and Darwin Lamont Richardson face charges in the deadly shooting of Cee Vee Liquor store owner Steve Hall, 54, and 25-year-old store clerk Brian Gregorio.
The dual-jury trial is being heard before Judge Brian McCarville in San Bernardino Superior Court. Each defendant has his own jury to hear evidence regarding his specific charges.
If convicted, White, 21, and Richardson, 22, each face a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, said Deputy District Attorney Dan Detienne, who is prosecuting the case.
Detienne showed the jury clips from the store's surveillance video system, which recorded the robbery at gunpoint, as well as photographs of the victims's bodies after the shooting. White is the alleged shooter, while Richardson is believed to be the getaway car driver, according to authorities.
The men are suspected of leaving the store with money and lottery tickets, which authorities say were later cashed at a store in Corona by one of the defendants.
In the days following the shooting, family, friends and residents turned out for vigils at the liquor and video store, located on Palm Avenue in Highland, to support the victims.
Lawyer Richard Crouter, who represents White, told the jury he does not contest whether there was a robbery or shootings. Instead, Crouter pointed to intent and said the evidence will show what his client's intent was or was not.
Richardson's lawyer, Gary Ablard, said prosecutors were not telling the whole story. Richardson was not identified in a photograph showed to a key witness, did not cash lottery tickets from Cee Vee and did nothing to facilitate the robbery and murders, Ablard told jurors.
A third defendant, 23-year-old Tristan Darnell Allan, is not part of the trial.
mike.cruz@inlandnewspapers.com
The U.S. Forest Service, the San Bernardino National Forest Association and the Los Angeles-based TreePeople are partnering on a plan to plant 40,000 seedlings in the fire-ravaged areas of the San Bernardino Mountains.
The effort, dubbed Forest Aid, is in response to the devastation that last year's wilfires and the 2003 Old Fire wrought in the mountains. The fires burned a combined 185,000 acres of forest land.
"We've got a big goal ahead of us. We'll need thousands of volunteers," TreePeople spokeswoman Laurie Kaufman said.
In October, the Walt Disney Company donated a gift of $1.5 million to TreePeople's California Wildfire Restoration Initiative. In June, the Boeing Company donated $1 million to the nonprofit for the same cause.
Volunteers are being sought for the planting, which is scheduled to run from Feb. 28 through April 28, Kaufman said.
"It will be a volunteer-driven mission. There's just too much land and too many seedlings for us to do it by ourselves," Kaufman said.
The project will continue next year and the following year, and continually be reassessed to determine how many more seedlings and native plants need to be planted, Kaufman said.
Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to contact Forest Aid in one of three ways:
* Web site: www.forestaid.net
* Phone: (909) 382-2780
* E-mail: info@forestaid.net
The Lake Arrowhead Community Services District has adopted a new rate structure at its Nov. 12 meeting at the Lake Arrowhead Resort.
According to a news release, residential sewer rates will go up about $2 a month in January. The additional revenue is needed to meet increasing regulatory standards, replace outdated equipment and meet rising maintenance costs. Fixed water rates in Deer Lodge Park will be based on meter sive, but tiers will remain unchanged.
Residential volume charges will be based on four tiers; if a resident uses seven billing units or less in a month, they will be billed at $0.66 a unit. Residents who use more than seven units in one month will be billed at $1.69 a unit for the first 13 units, $6.03 a unit for 14 to 40 units and $12.55 a unit for 41 or more units.
About 85 percent of all historical buildings fall within the first tier, and moderate water users will see a reduction in their overall cost of service. Residents whose use is currently in the top 10 percent will see significant increases that are based on the neccessity of importing water to meet that demand.
Sheriff's deputies in Highland will be holding a "Click It or Ticket" campaign starting today to enforce seat belt and child safety seat laws.
The campaign, which is intended to cut down on deaths and injuries on the roadways during the holiday season, will end Nov. 30.
"The Click It or Ticket campaign has shown that Californians have gotten the message that seat belts work," said Captain Bobby Phillips. "But hundreds still are dying every year because they didn't buckle up. Our officers will not accept excuses or give warnings. It really is Click It or Ticket."
California currently has a seat belt use rate of 95.7 percent.
The Planning Commission and Design Review Board will hold a joint meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss Senate Bill 375, a new law requiring the California Air Resources Board to prepare a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California.
It ties in with Assembly Bill 32, which establishes a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gases.
Commissioners and board members will discuss at the meeting what the new laws mean for the city, Community Development Director John Jaquess said.
The meeting will be held in City Council chambers, 27215 Base Line.
The Lowes Home Improvement Center on Greenspot Road, just east of the 210 Freeway, is set to open its doors to the public at 6 a.m. Saturday. It is the first business to open in the Golden Triangle, the area along Greenspot Road between the 210 Freeway and Boulder Avenue that is primed for major commercial and residential development in coming years.
City leaders envision the area as the city's future commercial hub, where residents can dine, shop and be entertained without having to travel outside the city limits to do so. Other businesses planned for the area include an L.A. Fitness, a Staples office supply store, a movie theater, a Del Taco, Subway and other restaurants and retail businesses.
The home improvement store has 117,000 square feet of retail space, with an adjacent garden center. It stocks 40,000 different items to help customers build, improve and beautify their homes. The $18.5 million investment in the community is expected to generate about 175 new jobs, according to news release issued by Lowes.
In 2007, Lowe's Companies, Inc. raked in $48.3 billion. The company serves 14 million customers a week at more than 1,600 home improvement stores in the United States and Canada.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
* Ever wanted to learn how to play "Tiny Bubbles" on the ukulele? The Highland Senior Center is offering beginning and advanced ukulele classes starting Wednesday, Nov. 19. Classes are from 10-11 a.m.. Cost is $5 for beginners and $15 for advanced students. Call (909) 862-8104 to reserve your seat. Space is limited.
* Secure Horizons will be hosting a benefit and information sales meeting at the center on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 9:00 a.m. Refreshments will be served Please R.S.V.P. no later than Nov. 19 by calling (909) 862-8104.
* The senior center will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Dinner from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Enjoy a homecooked turkey dinner for only $5 per person. Tickets are available at the senior center. For more information call (909) 862-8104.
The Highland Senior Center is located at 3102 E. Highland Ave., just inside the gates of Patton State Hospital.
The City Council on Tuesday approved the reestablishing of its eminent domain authority in the city's redevelopment area, which could impact certain businesses.
From 1991 to June 2007, the city had the power to use eminent domain to acquire properties sitting on land targeted for redevelopment. That authority expired in June 2007, and the Council reestablished that right at its Tuesday night meeting, Community Development Director John Jaquess said.
The ordinance will go before the Council again at its Nov. 25 meeting for a second reading, then go into effect 30 days after that, Jaquess said.
Homeowners living in redevelopment areas need not worry: Written into the ordinance is a clause that excludes any legally occuppied residential uses, Jaquess said.
Business owners and industrial uses, however, are still eligible, though the city has no current plans to launch eminent domain proceedings against any business, Jaquess said.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The City Council on Wednesday approved a contract with Redlands-based Chambers Group, Inc. to prepare and environmental study for a 133-lot housing tract on the southeast corner of Orange Street and Greenspot Road.
Developer Centerstone Commnities submitted an application to the city on Oct. 1 to build the homes on the 22-acre parcel of land east of the Golden Triangle, the area on Greenspot Road east of the 210 Freeway primed for commercial and residential development. A Lowes Home Improvement Center is scheduled to open next week.
Highland sheriff's deputies will be aggressively enforcing the state's seat belt and child safety seat laws during its Click It or Ticket campaign November 17-30.
The campaign is an effort to help reduce deaths and injuries on the road. California currently has a seat belt use rate at 95.7 percent.
"The Click It or Ticket campaign has shown that Californians have gotten the message that seat belts work," Highland Sheriff's Captain Bobby Phillips said. "But hundreds still are dying every year because they didn't buckle up. Our officers will not accept excuses or give warnings. It really is Click It or Ticket."
California law mandates that every occupant of a mobilized motor vehicle wear a seatbelt or be subject to a fine. Fines for first-time offenders range from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401 for youths 16 years old and younger, depending on the county.
More than 280 law enforcement agencies statewide will be participating in this year's Click It or Ticket campaign.
Congressman Joe Baca and representatives from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will be at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa on Friday in recognition of Native American Heritage Month and the first national Native American Heritage Day on Nov. 28.
On Oct. 13, President Bush signed into law Baca's proposed legislation making the first Friday after Thanksgiving Native American Heritage Day.
The celebration will take place in a recreated Indian village on the college campus. Following the 9 a.m. ceremony, elementary school students will get a lesson in American Indian culture and take part in a number of workshops including basketry, pottery, music and storytelling.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The City Council tonight will consider awarding a contract to Redlands-based Chambers Group, Inc. for preparation of an environmental study on a proposed 133-lot subdivision on the southeast corner of Greenspot Road and Orange Street.
On Oct. 1, Centerstone Communities submitted an application with the city to develop the 21 1/2-acre parcel.
The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers, 27215 Base Line.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The city is seeking donations of non-perishable food items to help feed less fortunate families this Thanksgiving. Donations are being accepted through Nov. 20 at the following locations:
* City Hall: 27215 Base Line
* Highland Sheriff's Station: 26985 Base Line
* Highland Family YMCA: 7793 Central Ave.
* Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center: 7863 Central Ave.
* Straight Ahead Chiropractic: 7245 Boulder Ave.
If you would like to donate perishable food items or gift cards, please contact volunteer services coordinator Denise Garnsey at (909) 864-6861, ext. 203.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The city is hosting a blood drive from 1:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at the Highland Family YMCA, 7793 Central Ave.
For more information call (909) 864-6861, ext. 203.
ABOVE: Robert Tapella, Public Printer of the United States (middle), presents a Government Printing Office certificate and two gold coins to Lawrence Meyer, executive director of the Law Library for San Bernardino County, at the library on Tuesday in recognition of the library being named the 2008 Federal Depository Library of the Year. At right is San Bernardino County Judge Keith Davis, who sits on the library board.
Robert Tapella, the Public Printer of the United States, toured the Law Library for San Bernardino County on Tuesday in the wake of it being honored the 2008 Federal Depository Library of the Year.
Tapella said he extended his Southern California visit a day in order to check out the library and present the library's executive director, Lawrence Meyer, with a Government Printing Office certificate and two gold coins encased in a frame. It complemented the crystal display award presented to Meyer before 400 of his peers last month during the Federal Depository Library Conference in Washington D.C.
Among others in attendance Tuesday were Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman Sam Spagnolo, San Bernardino County Public Defender Doreen Boxer and Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court Judge Keith Davis, who is on the library board.
It was plain, good-old-fashion quality customer service that secured the Law Library for San Bernardino County the coveted award this year, Tapella said.
"This library is serving its patrons and doing an extensive amount of outreach," Tapella said.
Among the things that caught the attention of the GPO were the library extending its hours of operation, developing a user-friendly Web site and offering the AskNow Law Librarian online reference service.
In addition, the library conducts extensive public outreach by promoting law library materials and services to civic and community organizations.
The library hosts tours for high school and college students and also provides outreach through community groups, Meyer said.
"If the opportunity is there, I'll use it to try and promote," he said.
Sheriff's deputies arrested two 14-year-old San Bernardino boys in Highland on Tuesday on suspicion of robbing a barbershop employee at knifepoint.
The victim, who works at Luna Barbershop at 7750 Palm Ave., called San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies at 11:10 a.m. after the boys approached her at the business and took money from her, sheriff's officials said.
The boys ran from the barbershop. The woman described the boys to authorities, leading a deputy to suspect he knew where he could find one of them. Deputies came to the 7700 block of Cole Avenue and found both boys. The victim identified both of them as the robbers, sheriff's officials said.
They were booked into San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of armed robbery.
melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com
The City Council on Monday voiced its support of the relocation of the Moonridge Animal Park from its current location on Goldmine Drive to 23 acres of forest land next to the Big Bear Discovery Center.
The animal park, established in 1959 after devastating forest fires sparked the need for wildlife rehabilitation. The first full-time resident of the park was an orphaned 30-pound black bear that was found stranded in a tree after the fire - the same bear the inspired "Smokey Bear."
The park's current land lease expires in 2009.
In a letter addressed to Forest Recreation Supervisor Paul Bennett, Big Bear Lake Mayor Rick Herrick, on behalf of the entire City Council, extended the city's support of the relocation plan, citing no significant issues of concern to the community.
"Unfortunately, due to its own success, the animal park has outgrown its current location and must now consider a site outside our city limits," Herrick wrote.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
Cal Disposal and Burrtec Waste Industries provide a Blue Recycling Cart to residents within their service areas, upon instating trash service. This usually includes all single-family homes and townhouse units receiving refuse collection. Tenants of apartment buildings typically do not use Blue Recycling Cart but rather deposit their household recyclable materials into a 3 yard specified Recycling Dumpster located near the building or in the parking lot.
Blue recycling carts are emptied each week along with the trash and greenwaste. If you are new to your home, please consult the literature delivered with your container for the correct day of collection for your home, you may watch when your neighbors place their containers out or contact your solid waste hauler to verify your service day. Containers must be placed at the curb for service by 5:30 AM the day of collection to ensure service. Between collection days residents are encouraged to store roll carts on your property, either in garages or behind fences.
Here are a few tips to assist you in what materials can be placed in your blue recycling cart:
What Can Be Recycled...
Newspaper (with inserts)
Magazines/ Catalogues
Junk mail (remove free samples)
White & colored paper/brown bags
Telephone books/paperback books
Flattened binboard (e.g. cereal boxes)
Milk cartons - flattened
Glass bottles/ jars. Labels may stay No broken glass or light bulbs, dishes, glasses, Pyrex, window or auto glass
Tin & aluminum food and soda cans, aluminum foil, pie plates, jar lids-Remove lids. Labels may stay on
All plastic containers - Caps & lid may stay. No motor oil or chemical containers
Juice & soy milk boxes
What Not To Recycled...
No soiled paper or cardboard
Please do not put paper in plastic bags
No pizza boxes with food residue
No plastic bags
Please do not contaminate your recyclable containers with refuse and yard waste.
All materials placed in your blue container should be relatively clean (i.e., rinse out jars), dry (i.e., empty all soda and liquid from bottles) and empty.
For more information, please contact Andrea Saavedra, Public Services Coordinator at (909) 863-0284, ext. 202.
SOURCE: City of Highland's weekly update newsletter
The next Highland Improvement Team clean up is scheduled for Saturday (Nov. 15) and will involve painting over graffiti under the City Creek bridge at Boulder Avenue. Volunteers will meet at City Hall, 27215 Base Line, at 7:30 a.m. for a light breakfast and brief safety training. Graffiti clean up will run from 8 a.m. to noon.
All tools, water and snacks will be provided, and all participants will be invited back to City Hall afterward for a BBQ.
A prayer vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Adelaide School for 8-year-old student Edwin Yerena, who will undergo a bone marrow transplant on Thursday.
The good news came on Halloween, when Edwin and his mother, Martha Figueroa, visited the school during the annual Halloween parade and announced that a donor had been found.
"Edwin came to visit his classmates, and they were all excited to see him. He even brought his little dog dressed up like a pumpkin," said family friend Paula Kasprzyk, whose daughter Emily attends school with Edwin.
She said the donor's bone marrow has 10 out of 10 DNA markers.
Edwin was diagnosed in January 2007 with myeloid luekemia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal blood cells.
It is reported that Edwin's match was found during an Oct. 13 blood drive and bone marrow screening at the Diocese of San Bernardino's pastoral center.
In the last two weeks, Edwin has been undergoing an extensive series of chemotherapy treatments to prepare him for Thursday's transplant at City of Hope Hospital in Duarte.
The St. Adelaide family is inviting, and encouraging, people to attend Wednesday's prayer vigil for Edwin.
"These next couple of weeks after the transplant he'll need lots of strength," Kasprzyk said.
St. Adelaide School is located at 27487 E. Base Line.
For more information call the school at (909) 862-5851.
The City Council has delayed its decision on a plan to build a 35-unit senior condominium complex on Big Bear Boulevard, next to the Bear Valley Senior Center.
At its Monday night meeting, the Council continued the matter to its Dec. 8 meeting in order to have more time to review the proposal and address some of the concerns expressed by citizens regarding wildlife and traffic issues.
"It's a fairly big issue, and a little more than we could digest in one meeting," Mayor Rick Herrick said.
He said he and his fellow councilmembers want to take time to read through about a half a dozen letters of protest and review some of the environmental and traffic concerns expressed by citizens Monday.
The area where the condominium complex is proposed to be built - on Big Bear Boulevard east of the Stanfield Cutoff - sits near an eagle preserve, and some are concerned about the condominium project further encroaching on eagle habitat.
"There's some evidence the eagle numbers have been declining, but we don't know the reasons why," Herrick said.
Another concern is that the project could increase traffic in an area that is already bustling on the weekends, Herrick said.
If approved, the three-acre property would have to undergo a zone change - from single-family residential to multiple family residential.
For more than 25 years, the parcel has undergone a series of zoning changes.
In 1982, the City Council approved the annexation of the land into the city. In August 1999, the city updated its general plan and zoned the area for public use, but that turned out to be an error because the property was not part of the senior center, nor was it intended for public uses, according to a city staff report.
In 2005, the City Council approved rezoning the land for single-family residential use.
Now, the city will decide on whether to rezone the land once again for the senior complex.
In October, the Planning Commission required a shared driveway between the senior complex and the senior center, and is also requiring a traffic study be done in five years and the installation of a traffic signal at the complex entrance if it is warranted.
The developer will also be required to make improvements at the intersections of Big Bear Boulevard and Division Drive and Big Bear Boulevars and the Stanfield Cutoff.
Aside from being next to the senior center, the condo complex is near an express bus stop and is two miles from Bear Valley Community Hospital.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The Humane Society of the San Bernardino Valley is hosting its winter fund-raiser, Santa Paws, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 6 at their San Bernardino headquarters, 374 W. Orange St., in San Bernardino.
Guests can purchase unique gifts, home accents, jewelry and pet presents at a holiday boutique, get their pictures taken with their pets and Santa Claus, buy sweet treats from the bake sale, and enter into a raffle to win prizes.
The KGGI 99.1 FM Street Team will broadcast on site from 10 a.m. to noon.
Proceeds will help thousands of animals in the community through the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley's
humane education program and cruelty investigations.
Time to break out the fishing poles and hit the county parks! This Saturday marks opening day of trout season. More than 61 tons of trout will be fed into the lakes at Yucaipa, Cucamonga-Guasti, Prado, Glen Helen and Mojave Narrows regional parks from November 13 through April 2, as weather permits.
Over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays there will be an adjustment to this schedule. Fish stocking will occur on Nov. 26, Dec. 23 and on Dec. 30. Some park lakes may be closed during stocking days.
Hours of operation vary by each park and it is advisable to contact the individual park prior to arrival.
A state fishing license is required and may be purchased at the park for $12.60. This fee may be subject to change in 2009.
For more information, contact (909) 387-2057.
PrimceCare is hosting its 2009 benefit information and sales meeting at 2 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Highland Senior Center. Pizza will be served.
Please R.S.V.P. no later than Nov. 17 by calling (909) 862-8104.
The Highland Senior Center is located at 3102 E. Highland Ave., just inside the gates of Patton State Hospital.
joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com
The Highland Family YMCA is hosting a basketball tournament for boys and girls ages 12 to 17 Nov. 21-23.
Friday's tournament kicks off at 6 p.m., Saturday's at 2 p.m. and Sunday's at 1 p.m.
Team trophies will be awarded for first, second and third place teams in all divisions. All teams are guranteed a minimum of two games (Friday and Saturday) played on side courts. Finals will be played on Sunday, Nov. 23, full court.
Fees are $150 and include numbered uniforms.
Divisions are broken down by age group and gender.
For more information call William Chapman at (909) 425-9622, ext. 200.
A Highland teen was arrested Sunday after threatening a woman in a church parking lot and trying to steal her car keys, police said.
The 15-year-old boy approached the woman outside The River church at 459 E. Highland Ave. around 1 p.m. and threatened her with a sharpened stick, Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker said.
The teen, however, was no match for the woman, who fought him off and scared him away.
Officers found the boy about a half hour later near the church, arrested him and took him to juvenile hall.
Police said the boy may also be responsible for at least two vehicle burglaries in Highland.
Anyone with further information is asked to call Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681.
The city's Redevelopment Agency is pushing to change its plan to re-establish its eminent domain authority.
The City Council will vote on the proposed change to the redevelopment plan at its Tuesday night meeting.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m in City Council chambers, Base Line.
The City Council on Tuesday will vote on a proposed contract with Chambers Group, Inc. to prepare a study for a proposed 133-lot housing tract on the southeast corner of Orange Street and Greenspot Road.
The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers, 2
Basae Line.
A water polo referee pleaded not guilty today to felony charges of having sex with a minor.
Nicolas Marcelo Simental, 30, of Highland, will return to Fontana Superior Court Nov. 18 for a pre-trial hearing.
Simental is accused of having a year-long sexual relationship with an unnamed Fontana girl, which began when she was 15 years old, according to police reports.
On Oct. 2, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office filed two felony charges against Simental alleging that he had unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl.
Simental posted bail after the arrest and was released from custody.
Any coworker of Mary Riley knows they better shine if they want to keep up with her.
At age 82, the San Bernardino resident's work ethic is unyielding, so much so that she was recently awarded the 2008 Outstanding Older Worker for the state of California by Experience Works, the nation's largest provider of training and employment services for older workers.
"It came as a real surprise. One of my coworkers sneaked it in on me," said Riley, who works as an office assistant at the San Bernardino County Employment Resource Center. She provides job counseling, training and employment to job seekers.
She said it was her coworker, Al Rodriguez, who dropped her name to Experience Works for the Outstanding Older Worker nomination.
Each year, Experience Works honors older workers from every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico at its annual awards program in Washington, D.C.
Riley has spent more than 36 years helping others turn their lives around and get back on their feet after long stints of unemployment. She also assists in other projects including job fairs, orientations and seminars.
"Mary Riley is a wonderful example of how seniors who stay active, both mentally and physically, can continue to make valuable contributions to the workplace and to their communities," said Cynthia Metzler, CEO of Experience Works.
For more than 20 years, Riley has served on the NW Redevelopment Project Area, which aims to improve quality of life issues in the northwest area of San Bernardino. She remains active at her church, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, and has been a YMCA Big Sister.
Riley said it is a sense of obgligation to help others less fortunate that pushes her to keep going after so many years.
"They often come in really down, and they don't know which way to go, and to see them come back with that first check, and to see them so grateful for someone paying attention to them, is wonderful," Riley said. "I just really like working with people."
PHOTO (ABOVE): Riley (right), with Experience Works' Regional Director Stephanie Cabral, during Experience Works' annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Obama Fever appears to be manifesting itself all over, even in the ultra-conservative Redlands, where someone sprayed this graffiti on a wall on Orange Street, just west of Tennessee Street.
PHOTO: Joe Nelson
The San Bernardino National Forest is allowing a "fee free day" Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day.
Anyone visiting campsites or other recreation areas in the San Bernardino, Angeles, Cleveland and Los Padres national forests can do so without a day pass.
"The Fee Free Day is an opportunity to get outdoors and appreciate the open spaces and national treasures of our public lands here in Southern California, while also honoring our country's veterans," said Fran Colwell, recreation officer for the San Bernardino National Forest.
The Veterans Day Free Day is observed each year on Nov. 11 by the Forest Service, regardless of the day of the week. Fees are also waivered on National Trails Day in June and National Public Lands Day in September.
Visitors who inadvertently use a Daily Adventure Pass on a free day may have it replaced for free at any Forest Service office in Southern California. Though the Adventure Pass fee is waived, other fees still apply, such as those in campgrounds, reservation and group sites. Exceptions will be posted onsite.
For additional information about free days and the Recreation Fee program on Southern California national forests, check the Adventure Pass website at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/
You may also contact the following offices for additional information:
* San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor's office: (909) 382-2600
* Lytle Creek Ranger Station: (909) 382-2850
* Skyforest Ranger Station: (909) 382-2758
* Idyllwild Ranger Station: (909) 382-2922
* Mill Creek Ranger Station: (909) 382-2881
* Big Bear Discovery Center: (909) 382-2790
The Highland Senior Center will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Dinner from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22. Enjoy a homecooked turkey dinner for only $5.00 per person. Tickets are available at the Highland Senior Center, located at 3102 E. Highland Ave., just inside the gates of Patton State Hospital.
For more information call (909) 862-8104.
A dedication ceremony is planned for 3:30 p.m. Nov. 25 at the new 4,200 square-foot county library in Running Springs.
The new library, at 2677 Whispering Pines Dr., will officially open for business. The former forestry service building provides four times the space as the prior branch on Hilltop Boulevard.
"For years we've never had room for more than two or three cars in front of our branch," library manager Judy Sbardellati said. "Now we can easily accommodate two dozen cars, and more importantly, we have the room inside to hold all those people."
The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony. Festivities will include free backpacks to the first 100 children and light refreshments.
For more information contact Greg Zerovnik at (909) 387-9619.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has announced its new director of public safety, Dennis Plymale, who will oversee a public safety action plan in support of continued safety for tribal members, visitors and the surrounding community.
The tribe announced Plymale's hiring late Tuesday - two days before tribal members Stacy Nunez-Barajas and her brother, Erik Barajas, are scheduled to be sentenced in San Bernardino Superior Court for their participation in a conspiracy to kill a man in 2006.
The Barajases will appear before Judge Michael Dest on Thursday, and both are expected to receive probation and up to a year of house arrest.
San Manuel Chairman James Ramos filed a restraining order against Stacy Nunez-Barajas and her father, Ken Barajas, following a tribal council meeting on the reservation in which Ramos alleged he was threatened by both of them. A judge granted the restraining order against Ken Barajas.
Ramos appointed Plymale after an extensive search. Plymale will oversee the tribe's Department of Public Safety.
According to a news release issued by the tribe, Plymale served for 25 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a military police officer prior to moving to the reserves in 1986 and retiring in 1999 as a sergeant major, where he had managed a battalion of more than 700 Marines. He worked as a police officer for 10 years in Huntington Beach and Fullerton, retiring in 1998. He has spent the last 10 years working in the private sector as a head of security.
Plymale has already begun assessing the tribe's current security operations and promoting close working relationships between the tribe and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with the goal are to enhance security in and around the reservation and casino.
"Nothing is more important to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians than the safety of our tribal members, our guests and the surrounding community," Ramos said in the news release.
He further stated, "By enhancing our Department of Public Safety capabilities we are making sure that our people continue to be secure. As an entertainment business, we want our visitors to continue enjoying themselves in a safe and fun environment."
In June, the tribe announced its extension of its memorandum of understanding with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department that provides the tribe with the services of sheriff's deputies on a regular basis, including patrol on the reservation and near the casino.
Public and tribal safety concerns became a focal point for the tribe upon the arrest and subsequent conviction of the Barases, who have ties to the Mexican Mafia. Stacy Nunez-Barajas was a known drug traffiker, authorities said.
The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved conditional use permits for two Thai food restaurants - Orchid Thai at 27266 Base Line and Thai Spoon at 7750 Palm Ave. - to sell beer and wine.
Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of Thai Spoon's permit and 4-1 in favor of Orchid Thai's permit, Community Development Director John Jaquess said.
The East Valley Water District board has decided to push forward on plans to build a new $25 million headquarters, despite complaints from district customers that now may not be the best time to pursue such a large project.
Dozens of customers gathered at City Hall last week during a public hearing on proposed rate increases averaging 10 percent. The board ultimately voted to increase water rates 12.5 percent and sewer eight percent.
Capital needs are driving the rate increases, among those of which include the new $25 million district headquarters on Third Street, east of Sterling Avenue. Other pressing needs include new state and federal regulations mandating water treatment for contaminants such as perchlorate, said Bob Martin, general manager of the water district.
Customers complained during last week's meeting that with the slumping economy, now may not be the best time for embarking on such large-scale project, and that the district should make do with what it has.
On Monday, the district board pondered those concerns, but decided it could not do without the new facility. The district vacated its former building on Del Rosa Avenue about four years ago because it fell into disrepair, and mold was found inside the building, Martin said.
"We feel the projects we have been anticipating are projects that need to move forward," Martin said. "There was a recommitment to continue on the path we laid out."
The district is in the process of obtaining permits to demolish the former building on Del Rosa, but a warehouse and garage that sits on the property will continue to be used by district employees for maintenance until the new headquarters is built, Martin said.
The new headquarters will be built on 15 acres and is scheduled for completion in 2010. Revenue generated by the district is covering the construction cost, Martin said.
The Highland Planning Commission tonight will consider permitting two Thai food restaurants to sell beer and wine.
Both the Thai Spoon restaurant at 7750 Palm Ave. and the Orchid Thai restaurant at 27266 Base Line have applied for conditional use permits from the city that would allow them to sell beer and wine at their businesses.
The Planning Commission meeting is at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers, 27215 Base Line.
The Big Bear Lake Planning Commission on Wednesday will vote on whether to allow the subdivision of 6 1/2-acres of land on the southwest corner of Talmadge Road and Mill Creek Road into 26 lots for the construction of single-family homes.
It is a lot sales subdivision, and no residential construction is proposed under this subdivision application.
The proposed lots would range in size from 7,272 square feet to 14,056 square feet. Three new streets would be built - Talmadge Spur, Hope Lane and Spencer Circle. As part of the subdivision, the intersection of Talmadge Road, Mill Creek Road and Big Bear Boulevard will be realigned to close access to Talmadge Road going south from Big Bear Boulevard, according to a city staff report.
The high school ministry at Immanuel Baptist Church is pushing to get 1,600 shoeboxes filled with toiletries and other items donated by Nov. 23 to send to Mexico for needy children.
Please bring unwrapped, filled shoeboxes to the church pavilion each Sunday morning through Nov. 23. If you have purchased extra items, feel free to include them in a separate bag.
The ministry is also accepting items for infants and adults, and is encouraging those who may not have shoeboxes available to just use bags.
All shoeboxes need the following items: socks and washcloth, bar of soap (in ziplock bag), pad of paper and notebook, toothpaste and toothbrush, hairbrush or comb, candy (in ziplock bag), pencil, pen or crayons and a toy of some sort.
Those donating shoeboxes can decide who they want to donate to: either a boy or a girl ages 1-3, 4-5, 6-9 or 10-13.
The church is located at 28355 Base Line.
For further information call Carrie at (909) 425-1777, ext. 1233.
After nearly four months, the City Council has appointed a new member to the city's Design Review Board.
The City Council appointed Michael Stoffel at its Oct. 29 meeting. Stoffel's term will end on April 11, 2011. He has lived in Highland for 4 1/2 years and is currently a real estate agent. He also serves as vice president of the Highland Area Chamber of Commerce. This is his first time he is serving as a member of a governmental board.
The Highland Community Trails Committee has three vacancies that need to be filled. The city is accepting applications from interested candidates. The committee meets on the second Thursday of each month for the purpose of making recommendations to the City Council regarding the development and maintenance of a community trails system within the city and its sphere of influence.
The terms of office for the vacancies expire in October 2010.
Each candidate must be a city resident who has a demonstrated knowledge and interest in one or more of the following: equestrian activities, bicycling, hiking, nature studies or landscape/open space design. All appointees serve without compensation, will need to complete an ethics training course and will have to submit an FPPC tatement of economic interest form.
The City Council is tentatively scheduled to make the appointment at their Nov. 25 meeting.
Those interested in being considered need to file an application with the City Clerk prior to the close of business on Nov. 17. Applications can be obtained at City Hall, 27215 Base Line.
The Historic and Cultural Preservation Board is also seeking candidates to fill three vacancies. Potential candidates must have a demonstrated interest in, or knowledge of, historic preservation and cultural resources of the city.
The term of office for these vacancies expires in November 2012. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to appoint the new board members at its Nov. 25 meeting as well.
All appointees serve without compensation, will need to complete an ethics training course and will have to submit an FPPC statement of economic interest form. Candidates must file their applications with the City Clerk prior to the close of business on Nov. 17. Applications can be obtained at City Hall, 27215 Base Line.
In the mood for a little adventure? The Highland Senior Center is inviting members to its Movie Day Thursday, with its feature attraction "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls."
The Highland Senior Center located at 3102 E. Highland Ave., just inside the gates of Patton State Hospital.
For more information call (909) 862-8104.
Recent Comments