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News Release:
By Pamela Emenger
President / CEO
Yucaipa Valley Chamber of Commerce

YUCAIPA - It is with great sadness to inform you that Dottie Davis passed away about 3:00 p.m. Monday, June 1. She had developed complications following open heart surgery.

Dottie was a long time and much loved resident of the Pass area. She was the Executive Director of the Yucaipa Valley Chamber of Commerce several years ago and worked under me as Office Manager in 2006. She was the Treasurer for the Pass EDA for many years and volunteered for many organizations.

A public memorial service is planned to honor Dottie Davis on Monday, June 8 at 12 Noon in the clubhouse of the Sharondale Estates located at 9525 Sharon Way in Calimesa.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Dottie's honor to the Beaumont Rotary Club attention: InterAct Club OR Polio Fund. The Yucaipa Valley Chamber of Commerce shares in the community sorrow in the passing of one of the Pass Area's finest volunteers.

Dottie Davis will be greatly missed by many.

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - A wildfire started about 3:50 p.m. on Thursday in the hills north of Oak Glen Road and west of Yucaipa Regional Park. The fire came within 75 yards of homes along Golden Crown Way in the Chapman Heights neighborhood before fire fighters had it under control.

"My mother-in-law opened her front door and yelled, 'fire!'" said Diana Gamache, who lives on Golden Crown Way. "The flames were coming right at our houses."

Fire fighters had the blaze extinguished at about 5:30 p.m.

Wesley G. Hughes, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/30/2009 07:37:59 PM PDT

YUCAIPA - The mighty presses that roar to life each day and turn blank rolls of newsprint into newspapers are called the iron in the industry.

"And Don Kay was known as the man who knew the iron," Sun Publisher Fred Hamilton said Thursday about the retired vice president of operations who died suddenly that morning.

Describing the day, Hamilton said, "It was really tough giving everyone the news this morning. He was really, really well liked.

"Once you met Don, you felt you'd known him your whole life," Hamilton said, adding that although Kay had worked for him only six months before he retired, he had known him for years and Kay was an industry symbol.

News Release:

SACRAMENTO - RJ Feild, a Riverside County teenager, will travel to Sacramento tomorrow to testify with Senator John J. Benoit (R-Bermuda Dunes) in front of the Senate Human Services Committee in support of "RJ's Law" (Senate Bill 384).

Benoit will host a press conference with RJ and invited coauthors in Capitol Room 2040 at 11:00 AM.

"RJ's powerful story presents a compelling case for reforming a broken system of dependency, a common-sense measure that would be a model for other States to follow," said Senator Benoit.

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - About 300 sign and flag waving protesters gathered at the corners of Yucaipa Boulevard and Oak Glen Road Wednesday night for a "Tax Day Tea Party," to peacefully demonstrate their opposition to what they believe to be overly high taxation and over spending by both the California and federal governments.

Click Here To See Photo Gallery

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - Over 300 people rallied at the corners of Yucaipa Boulevard and Oak Glen Road Wednesday carrying signs and waving flags. They gathered in protest of what they consider government spending and taxation gone woefully off course.

They along with millions of Americans across the country staged "tax day tea party" protests demanding less taxation and less government spending.

Lloyd Rekstad, a 22-year Yucaipa resident and schoolteacher, organized the protest. He's unhappy with the Obama administration's bailout policies and spending, but what really gets his ire, is what's happening in Sacramento.

"I am sick of all the taxes and the big budget bill that was just passed," said Rekstad about the $13 billion in state tax hikes enacted in February. "I got involved because I'm fed up with what's going on in Sacramento. My primary focus is Sacramento because that's where we can affect the change."

YUCAIPA - A group critical of what they call, out-of-control federal spending will stage a protest rally at the corner of Oak Glen Road and Yucaipa Blvd. today (Wednesday) from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Yucaipa "Tax Day Tea Party" protest rally is being held in conjunction with the "Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party," sweeping across the country today in protest of federal government spending, and is intended to serve as a warning to politicians that if they propose and vote for new tax hikes, the Tea Party group will organize to vote them out of office.

For more information, visit www.taxdayteaparty.com.

Visit Tea Party Website

Prevention experts feel stronger laws are needed to protect youth.

News Release
The ARCHS Institute
Applied Research for Community Health & Safety

REDLANDS - During an emergency meeting held last Friday, the Redlands City Council agreed to initiate litigation against Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom Theme and Water Park. It also decided to pursue revocation of the conditional use permit that has allowed the defunct family theme park to host raves attended by thousands of youth.

Councilman Pete Aguilar told his fellow council members he went on a ride-along with police during a recent rave and observed objectionable behavior.

"We are looking for (recreational) outlets for young people but we have an obligation to look out for the safety of this community," said Aguilar.

This came as good news to Paul Mupo of Yucaipa, whose 14-year old daughter was one of two who went missing from a February 14 rave at Pharaoh's.

By Mike Cruz / Staff Writer
on April 10, 2009 5:01 PM

Former Calimesa City Council member Jon Winningham was sentenced Friday to two years in state prison for violating his probation, a charge stemming from his child pornography conviction in 2007.

The 53-year-old Winningham was sentenced in Riverside Superior Court. He is required to surrender to authorities April 17 to begin his sentence.

Winningham, who served 12 years on the council, was arrested Sept. 22 on suspicion of violating the terms of his probation by using the Internet to arrange a hotel meeting with a man. Judge James T. Warren said he was particularly dismayed that Winningham had used a library computer.

A judge ruled in 2007 that Winningham could not use a computer after he pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of intent to distribute child pornography and three misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography.

State Schools' Chief, Jack O'Connell, announces 2009 Model Programs for dropout prevention

News Release:

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced eight school districts have been designated as Model of Dropout Prevention by the State School Attendance Review Board (State SARB).

And the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District is one of them.

"Implementing programs to ensure regular school attendance and high school graduation is particularly challenging when school budgets are drastically reduced," O'Connell said in a press release. "These school districts are to be commended for their commitment to ensuring that students with attendance or behavior problems receive assistance and stay in school."

News Release:
March 3, 2009

Interstate 10 Live Oak Canyon Road Interchange Project, Yucaipa.

For the week of March 9

Westbound Interstate 10 Lane Closures, at Live Oak Canyon Road are Scheduled
March 9-10, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The two outside lanes on westbound Interstate 10, at Live Oak Canyon Road, are scheduled to close, March 9 and 10, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. At least one lane is scheduled to remain open at all times. These closures are required for installation of signage.

FOREST FALLS - We must temper the radical notions of representatives such as Jerry Lewis with common sense approaches to the problems that affect us all. Of course we needed a massive stimulus package.

Jerry Lewis lead the fight against it. But tax cuts alone donʼt create jobs. We need a mix of tax cuts, jobs programs, small business help, and infra structure improvements to boost this economy. We need to follow this up with much tighter controls of the banking and mortgage industries.

We must make sure that loans are available to all of us, the common, regular, ordinary people who make this economy work. We must make public education available and efficient for all of us.

These are the proposals Lewis fought against.

Courtesy Photos

News Release

CABAZON - In the Old West, the posse saddled up, hit the trail and hunted down outlaws.
Today, a "water" posse cracks down on trespassers and vandals in remote, mountainous areas of the Cabazon Water District.

Over the last four years, hooligans caused about $20,000 damage when they broke into treatment facilities, stole chemicals and threw rocks at joints on pipelines, said general manager Calvin Louie.

Vandals also ripped off security cameras and yanked out wires connecting tank and treatment facilities.

But the posse is riding to the rescue - just like in the movies.

Photos By Bob Otto / SUN Staff

YUCAIPA - It turned into a winter wonderland in Yucaipa on Monday when temperatures plunged and rain first turned to sleet, then to falling snow.

At Yucaipa Regional Park, Alfredo Gomez of Mentone, bundled up and fished in the rain, sleet, and snow. After three hours he caught one 1 1/2 pound trout. Was it worth it? "It's cold, (but) it will taste good," Gomez said with a smile.

Not far from Gomez, a Canadian goose buried his beak deep in his feathers and raised one of his webbed feet up into his feathers to try and stay warm. And in my front yard, my maple tree was under siege by flurries of puffy, white snowflakes.

News Release:

"We must do more to stop the tower," Frank Sissons, CPRL

By Frank Sissons
Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Living
www.stopthetowernow.org

YUCAIPA - Despite over 900 signatures of opposition, several dozens of letters from conservation groups, cities and neighbors and numerous speakers present at the public hearing, Lazer Broadcasting's proposal of an 80-feet high radio broadcast tower and 500 gallon fuel tank adjacent to the Wildwood Canyon State Park was still approved by the San Bernardino County Planning Commission without a flinch.

At the hearing, Lazer Broadcasting officials claimed the tower's location works best because the radio signal will reach 80 percent of Hemet, their intended audience.

Why should the residents of Yucaipa, Oak Glen, and all of San Bernardino have our dwindling open spaces ruined by the construction of an 80-foot tall radio tower intended to broadcast to an audience over thirty miles away?

Environmental groups seek to preserve Wildwood Canyon State Park's natural vistas by keeping proposed 80-foot high media tower from being built.

YUCAIPA - The time has come! Our last opportunity to present our case to the County of San Bernardino is finally here. Our appeal before the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has been scheduled Tuesday, January 27th at 9 a.m.

Over 700 individuals and local environmental groups have signed the petition against the tower that threatens Wildwood Canyon State. Every signature counts in our effort to preserve our natural vistas, protect our hikers and horse riders, and prevent further permanent damage to our wildlife but attending in person sends a much stronger message.

YUCAIPA - I went out into the street and asked people about a topic on the minds of many people:

"What do you think about the proposed $15 billion bailout of Detroit's big three automakers, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford?"

Rod Brunken, Calimesa: I think it can be a good idea provided that we can be reasonably assured that the automakers can be held accountable to produce the necessary changes to make their businesses work. And that they make more fuel efficient vehicles and control their expenses.