Thursday, August 31, 2006

Fontana PD to try Booking, Jail Service (Daily Bulletin 082806).

Fontana PD to try booking, jail service



FONTANA - The Fontana Police Department will implement a pilot program to contract out its booking, jail and transport services.

Contracting out the service, which was approved last week by the City Council, can save officers' time, typically 90 minutes for a standard booking and transport, according to a city staff report.

The Police Department makes 3,127 arrests a year and contracting out the service will save 4,690 hours of work time, according to the report.

"As a result of the time saved, officers would be able to remain in the field on active patrol and respond to calls for service or perform proactive patrol duties," according to the report submitted by Chief Larry Clark.

Correctional Services Inc. will be the contractor providing the service.

Several law-enforcement agencies use that company, including Ontario, Whittier and Downey.

The nine-month pilot program will start Oct. 1.

-- Leonor Vivanco, (909) 386-3891

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Rialto Police Department has been using the Booking agency since my accident. I cannot say personally that I have seen their success, and how well they work, but I can give this remark based upon the friends that I have that work at Rialto Police Department regarding the Booking Officers and what a convince that they have become.

They have become such an easy way to go that it keeps that one or to extra people on the street that would normally be gone to book for sometimes 40 minutes, 1.5 hours. Then you are left covering your area and theirs while they are booking suspects that are left from last shift and your shift. I have been gone with Jail checks for 1.5 shifts before 12 hours for Jail Checks, because we used to meet the other agencies at the back door of the emergency room and wait our turn to get our prisoners looked at. I took a Dog Bite Prisoner to the ER, and that was it HE needed some serious stitch work and 12 hours later I was returning with an overtime slip, and looking at the next shift Sgt. fun stuff back in the day!!

Now the booking Officer, you show up hand them your completed booking forms and they are off, and so are you. Back to cover your beat, so no one else does, and you don't get it in the locker room later at the end of shift.

Take care and happy hunting out there...as they used to say on my one time favorite police show. Get them before they get you!!

BSRanch

Perchlorate Limits Proposed (SB Sun 082706)

Perchlorate Limits Proposed
Jason Pesick SB Sun Writer

The California Department of Health Services proposed Monday limiting the maximum allowable level of perchlorate in drinking water to 6 parts per billion.

The limit was not surprising, but some environmentalists said it is still too high.

Perchlorate, which has contaminated drinking water in Rialto and some other cities in Southern California, is a chemical used in the production of explosives, such as rocket fuels and fireworks. Studies suggest it can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, mental development and metabolism.

A public comment period will last until Nov. 3, and there will be a public hearing in Sacramento on Oct. 30. If the department does not make any changes to the proposal after the public comment period, the Office of Administrative Law will decide whether to allow it to become law.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal in 2004 of limiting perchlorate levels to 6 parts per billion. The office determined this was a low-risk maximum level for public health - so the choice of this as the limit was not a surprising one.

"It's not outside a reasonable range of regulatory possibilities, and it does seem to include some conservatism," Kevin Mayer, the regional perchlorate coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said.

Mayer said the EPA does not have formal regulatory standards for perchlorate. It does have a reference dose that corresponds to about 20 parts per billion a day for adults from all sources, not just drinking water. Mayer said most perchlorate is consumed with water, but there is also perchlorate in other sources, such as some foods.

Davin Diaz of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, said he was not happy with the proposal.

"I believe that the standard for perchlorate should be 1 part per billion,' he said.

He added that when 6 parts per billion was set as the goal in 2004, not as much scientific evidence was available on the dangers of perchlorate.

He also pointed out that Massachusetts recently set a perchlorate limit of 2 parts per billion.

Most local water officials said even if the proposal becomes law, it will not have a significant effect on their operations because they already treat water down to undetectable levels of perchlorate.

"For us, it doesn't make a lot of difference," Anthony Araiza (cm cq), the general manager of the West Valley Water District, said. The West Valley Water District is one of the water providers to Rialto.

Eric Fraser, the director of water for the city of Colton, said this proposal validates Colton's strategy of treating water so that the perchlorate levels are undetectable.



As a person that lives in the area that is effected by the Perchlorate, I agree with the Environmentalists that the limit set is way to high!! this will still give a large amount of people that will be effected with Cancer to the Thyroid Gland and Breast Cancer, and Testicular Cancer, anyone that has a high tendency towards those cancers will have an even higher chance of catching the disease by drinking 6 parts per Billion.

We all know why the limit was set to the 6 parts per Billion and that was because it was a manageable number to reach at a low cost way of getting to that rate. If it was to be any lower it would cost a whole lot more in order to get there, so they set it at 6 parts per billion and say okay everyone that is the safe amount, don't worry, just don't smoke or cook around the water, it just might 'go off'!

This is pathetic, they are not even considering the safety of the public. they are bartering the middle as if it was a car deal!! That is sad to wonder, we now have to purchase water to live on!! Bottled water!!! From Sparklets or that other guy, what is it, Oh yea, I forgot. "Arrowhead Mountain spring water, the one spring that doesn't have Perchlorate". Even thought it is pumped right out of the San Bernardino Mountain's at the foot of the mountains, right by the Disney Mansion! It is hard to say where Sparkles water is pumped from!! There's might be filtered from the tap water her in Rialto for all we know!!

BSRanch!!

Coroner Staffing Shortage Quelled (SB Sun 082806) County Budget Allows for Additional Personnel

Coroner Staffing Shortage Quelled
County budget allows for additional personnel
By George Watson, SB Sun Staff Writer 082806

San Bernardino County's new budget should show residents that government leaders care for them not only when they are alive - but also after they die, said Supervisor Josie Gonzales.

Six months ago, Gonzales feared people couldn't be sure of that.

The Coroner's Office came under fire in February after a deputy coroner, along with the former coroner, Brian McCormick, warned that the department could be missing potential homicides because of staffing shortages.

Gonzales was not pleased. The 5th District supervisor said the county had to be "beyond reproach" because it was responsible for dealing professionally with the delicate issue of death.

By adding 14 positions to the Coroner's Office in the 2006-07 budget, which also has a provision for seven new investigators, the fear is passing that cases that are potential homicides will be overlooked, she said.

"One of my frequent questions is, we know where we have been, and we know where we are, but are we sure we are budgeting where we need to be?" Gonzales said.

The answer, she said, is now a firm yes.

County officials agree.

Mark Uffer, county administrative officer, said coroner officials made a great case as to why they needed the additional personnel.

"We've given them the resources to do the job," Uffer said. "They've already been doing an excellent job since the consolidation into the Sheriff's Department. This will only let them do it better."

Now that the supervisors have given the Coroner's Office the ability to add staff, the responsibility now falls on leaders in that agency to expand. And county leaders realize changes will take time.

"The qualifications to fill the jobs are highly skilled, specialized positions, and you won't find them in the old run of the mill," Gonzales said. "It's a long-term project, where we need to find the right people with the right qualifications."

As part of the new budget, the county will lease a morgue in the High Desert.

In February, claims by Deputy Coroner Randy Emon and McCormick set off a flurry of activity within the office, which had been taken over by the county Sheriff's Department the previous year. Emon lost his role as the agency's spokesman, and Gonzales and Uffer toured the morgue.

In the aftermath, Gonzales promised to make staffing improvements a budgetary priority. She was concerned about the ability of the Coroner's Office to fulfill its duties in a humane way.

Some of those concerns dated back to 2004, when visiting county supervisors discovered bodies stacked atop one another. At the time, the morgue could hold 85 bodies, but there were 125 stored there.

Some county officials blamed McCormick for the staffing shortages, saying he did not let them know the extent of the problem.

But in the 2000-01 fiscal year, McCormick requested two new positions. A year later, he asked for 1.5. Over the next two years, he asked for 6.5 positions.

Each request was denied. Then in 2004-05, McCormick requested 8.5 positions, the board approved 3.5.

The positions were much needed.

Since 1980, the county population has nearly doubled to more than 1.7 million. But the Coroner's Office had more investigators two decades ago than it did earlier this year.

The soaring population meant more people were not only coming here, it also meant more people were dying here. That, coupled with fewer investigators, meant coroner's investigators handled between 600 and 900 cases each year.

Such numbers are far from ideal.

The National Association of Medical Examiners recommends investigators handle only about 400 cases per year. Experts say to burden investigators more could lead to mistakes - including missing homicides - because investigators simply don't have enough time to dig into each case, association officials say.

For example, Riverside County has 24 roster spots for investigators, who work on an average of 450 cases a year. Surrounding counties also have more investigators, thereby reducing the total number of cases per investigator, allowing them to give greater attention to each case.

String of Resignations Worries City (San Gabrial valley Tribune 083106)

String of Resignations Worries City
By Nisha Gutierrez San Gabrial Valley Tribune 083106

BALDWIN PARK - The latest resignation from a member of the city's executive team has left some city officials concerned about the lack of permanent directors running Baldwin Park.

Matthew Lamb, the city's head of the community development department, submitted his resignation letter Aug. 21 and will be in Baldwin Park until Sept. 21. He has been with the city since January.

Lamb's resignation follows that of former Police Chief Mark Kling who quit earlier this month to take the top spot at the Rialto Police Department.

Baldwin Park officials said the finance, public works, human resources and police departments are now managed by interim directors. However, the city plans on making its interim police chief, Edward Lopez, permanent once contract negotiations are completed.

Lamb could not be reached for comment Monday but Kling said he left for a better opportunity.

Mayor Manuel Lozano said the string of resignations is raising questions.

"I will be requesting a formal investigation into these occurrences to be able to address particular concerns and issues," he said.

Councilwoman Marlen Garcia said she is also worried about the resignations and called Lamb "a tremendous loss for the city."

"We are out there recruiting people but they see all the challenges taking place at City Hall and no one wants to touch Baldwin Park," Garcia said. "I truly believe this is another example of upper management at City Hall that has been ineffective."

Vijay Singhal, the city's chief executive officer, attributes the shortage of permanent directors and spike in resignations to competitiveness.

"The city has had a very hard time recruiting department heads in the past," Singhal said. "The finance director position has been vacant for almost two years and before Matt Lamb, community development was vacant for a long time, the problem is we are not able to attract quality candidates and it's been that way for a long time, not just recently."

Singhal said permanent employees are hard to find because Baldwin Park has been perceived as unstable for many years and more importantly because the city is not willing to pay competitive wages.

"The chief left because he got a very good job that pays very well and it offers more civil service protection," Singhal said. "As for Lamb he said he is going to the private sector and they pay so much more."

Other city officials agree the reason for employees leaving has to do with money.

"It's tough being in a city like Baldwin Park where you provide great training for people that work in the public sector and then private sectors offer to pay them more than we can ... it's about private sectors swooping in and taking our people," Councilman Anthony Bejarano said. "They got offers they could not refuse and I doubt it has anything to do with city management."

Most city officials maintain having interim directors does not negatively affect the way the city operates because the people in the interim positions are highly qualified, but they say they would still like to find out why people are leaving Baldwin Park.

"I am concerned as mayor of Baldwin Park about what's going on and I hope it stops," Lozano said.

nisha.gutierrez@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2109

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It seems since the chief left and there was many others that left Baldwin Park too, it is a possibility that they don't pay enough. The city is about the size of Rialto, maybe a little smaller in square footage, but Population it is about the same. They have quite a few businesses that sustain them, but that isn't even enough anymore. It is almost like these city's have to have a Sugar Daddy. Rialto has a small company that is located in the Southern end that brings in the most Money to their budjet. They are an Oil Distributer, located on the corner of South Industrial Rd. and Riverside ave. Back in 1993 or 1994 there was an explosion there that killed one of the employee's. Seems there was an affair that was not approved of and there was a boobie trap set. Rialto PD was forced to take their Best Homicide Investigator who was out of the detective division at the time, he was promoted to Sgt. and they gave the case to him becuase he had so many clearances. He cleared that case almost a week.

Getting back to the City, needing money. They have to have a small business that cleans up and pays good taxes, so that the city can pay higher wages to the people that matter. Look at Rialto. They pay the City Attorney a dollar or two under 3/4 of a million dollars. and the city administrator makes almost the same amount. The Police Chief of rialto makes $160,000 a year. It takes me almost six years to make what the chief of police makes in one year!! And he does less work then the uniform Police Officer. The Sargent on Patrol at Rialto used to complain that the job that they had was the boringest job ever becuase it was so easy and there was nothing for them to do. while the Uniform Patrol Officer at the time was writing up to 5 to 7 reports a day, some were up to five pages hand written, and they would complain all the time to the people that they were supervising that they had the easiest job in the world. The two Sargents that said all this are gone now, but it was sure demeaning when they did such things.

BSRanch

Council Race Heating up in SB (SB Sun 082906)

Council Race Heating up in SB
Robert Rogers SB Sun Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - Just more than two months before Election Day, the three candidates vying to represent the city's 3rd Ward still move cautiously.

All three avoid hard disputes, crafting positions that are tough on crime and soft on everything else.

But the political storm is already brewing in City Hall, as Gwen Terry, Tobin Brinker and Randy Lally jockey for position in the race to replace Gordon McGinnis, who resigned from the council because he was moving to another city.

"There is clearly a conservative and more liberal bloc on the council, so the next council member is going to be very interesting to see,'' said City Attorney James F. Penman. "I think the real smart candidate is going to look to establish himself as a swing vote.''

At this early juncture - the election is slated for Nov. 7 - they appear eager to do just that, as Terry and Brinker portray themselves as flexible pragmatists who support Mayor Pat Morris' anti-crime platform and will keep their allegiance solely to their constituents.

A third candidate, Randy Lally, could not be reached for comment.

Both Terry and Brinker said they support the mayor's ballot proposal to increase the sales tax to fund public safety, although Brinker ventured to suggest that he would have preferred the tax to have been a special tax, meaning that it would be legally limited to public safety expenditures.

Terry, a 48-year-old mother of three who has served on the city's telecommunications and police commissions and has the endorsement of McGinnis and 6th Ward Councilman Rikke Van Johnson, said Monday crime is the city's number one issue and that she hopes voters pass the sales-tax measure to fund the Police Department's beat plan.

"Crime is the issue right now for everyone,'' Terry said. "Ultimately I will govern as a proponent of the people, so what the people tell me they want is what I'm going to focus on.''

Brinker recently added police and fire union endorsements to a list that includes Councilmen Neil Derry and Chas A. Kelley. The 38-year-old Rialto schoolteacher and former Colton School board member has a penchant for writing lofty op-ed pieces for regional newspapers.

In a letter he wrote to The Sun in May, Brinker began by quoting the Declaration of Independence and compared students to American patriots of the Revolution and the Civil Rights movement.

Brinker also supports stronger laws on law enforcement and truancy to drive down dropout rates.

Terry's supporters tout her long roots in the neighborhood and resume of civic duty. In addition to her volunteer work on the commissions, Terry has served as a neighborhood-watch group leader. She said her three focuses will be crime, jobs and youth recreation programs.

"It's really early to speculate, but I think Gwen is clearly the front-runner,'' McGinnis said. "The other two are basically unknown, and her experience and leadership in working with problems in her community put her ahead of the curve.''

But police and fire unions' endorsements could loom large in an election that has sometimes been decided by fewer than 1,000 votes.

After interviewing all the candidates earlier this month, the police and fire unions - which usually proffer joint support - settled on Brinker as their candidate, said Firefighters Union Vice President Jim McMullen.

"(Brinker) has all his ducks in a row,'' McMullen said. "We're sure he's willing to give us the political backing we need to provide effective and efficient delivery of public safety services.''

McMullen said the 150-person firefighters union was ready to join their police counterparts in going door-to-door, distributing literature and providing other forms of support in favor of Brinker.

Terry said she was undeterred by failing to get the unions' endorsement.

"I'm not disappointed,'' Terry said. "I have worked very closely with the Police Department, and I have a good relationship with the Fire Department, I can work effectively with both.''

Regardless of who wins the race, immediate shocks at City Hall are unlikely. Mayor Morris has met with all the candidates and has opted not to endorse anyone. He said he looks forward to working with whoever wins, according to Jim Morris, the mayor's chief of staff.

Penman, who lost a hotly contested mayoral race to Morris, concurred that whoever wins is likely to fold in easily with the council.

"The council and the rest of us are pretty strongly behind the mayor,'' Penman said. "I don't see a lot of bitter battles developing.''

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BSR Perspective:

Looks like everyone is together on what the City needs. There are only Small Differances to allow the Voter to decide who they are to vote on in this District of the city. Well, actually this is a great thing no arguments and the city is on the fast track to a good finanacial gain under Morris as Mayor.

BSRanch

Police Chief has Big Plans (Press Enterprise 082306) RIALTO: The new boss wants to step up recruitment to rebuild the city's department..

Police chief has big plans

RIALTO: The new boss wants to step up recruitment to rebuild the city's department.

10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, August 23, 2006

By MASSIEL LADRÓN DE GUEVARA
The Press-Enterprise

Police blueprint

A plan authored by Rialto City Administrator Henry Garcia and interim Police Chief Frank Scialdone to overhaul the city's Police Department calls for:

Replacing the deputy chief position with two captains -- one to oversee all police operations, and the other to handle administration.

Dividing the city into three sections, with each commanded by a lieutenant.

Filling vacancies and buying police equipment.

Realigning beats.

Improving computer technology.

RIALTO - The man chosen to rebuild the city's Police Department began his first week on the job Monday with a goal of stepping up Rialto's recruitment program.

Chief Mark Kling, former head of the Baldwin Park Police Department, has spent his time meeting with officials, officers and interim Chief Frank Scialdone to get acquainted with programs and top issues.

Feedback from supervisors made it clear recruitment is the department's paramount issue so it will get immediate attention, Kling said.

"We are going to fire up the recruitment machine and start getting qualified officers," Kling said.

The department staff is down 25 percent, Scialdone said.

At full staff, the department has 115 officers. There currently are 88, Scialdone said.

To get prospective officers to the interview and background stage quicker, Scialdone said he has worked with human resources to cut the process down three to four months.

In the past, applications from officers working for other departments were held until there were 30 to process them all at once.

"Now, as soon as an officer from another department applies, the application is processed immediately," Scialdone said.

Kling said he agrees applications shouldn't be held and will meet with human resources this week to see if there are any other ways to expedite the process.

"A lot of Chief Scialdone's ideas ... will continue because I believe in the processes that he has started," Kling said.

The efforts made at Rialto's East Jackson Street and Willow-Winchester area have been good, Kling said.

East Jackson Street was the setting of high-profile raids in March that focused on crime and living conditions in apartment buildings.

The Willow-Winchester area also was plagued with crime and poor living conditions. It is now part of a $38 million project that will rehabilitate condominiums and offer social programs to residents.

As chief, Kling said he will work to continue those good efforts.

Getting to know officers' expectations of him also is important, Kling said, so he'll meet with small groups in the coming week.

Scialdone, whose last day was Wednesday, said he will be pushing Kling toward community policing, which encourages city officials, social service providers and the community to work with police to prevent crime.

Lt. Joe Cirilo, who has been with the department 27 years, said he believes Kling is going to bring the organization focus and direction.

"He comes with a lot of energy and excitement, and that is transcending to the organization because we see a leader who is ready to take this department on ... and elevate the standard to make us a premier organization once again," Cirilo said.

Rialto's new top cop helped rebuild the Baldwin Park Police Department when he was appointed chief there in April 2001, officials there said.

The year before, the Baldwin Park City Council was looking at disbanding the city's department and contracting with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The council narrowly voted to keep the department despite recruitment problems and a lack of unity.

Today, the experience of getting Baldwin Park to that point will help in Rialto, Kling said.

Cirilo said the renovation of the Baldwin Park Police Department is a good indication of what will happen in Rialto's department.

"The city of Baldwin Park was under similar conditions and (Kling) took an organization that nobody had any hope in and he turned it around," Cirilo said.

"He said he would bring that same effect here ... and we look forward to the challenges that face us and we look forward to working with him."

Reach Massiel Ladrón De Guevara at 909-806-3054 or mdeguevara@PE.com

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I hope that Chief Mark Kling will do the same work that he did in Baldwin Park here in Rialto Police Department. They hired him for his organizations skills. I do have reservations however, upon the fact that Baldwin Park Police department had a Chief in Place Before Kling took the Job At Rialto Police Department. They were doing the final Paperwork for him, but he was all set and they were not going to hire from outside their department, Which is a much better Idea then going outside the agency like the city Council of Rialto insists upon doing every time they want to find a chief for Rialto PD? IT puzzles me. I am sorry!! I really hope that they have someone that has the Inland Empire Figured out like Scaldone does!! Scaldone is very much in tune with the Inland Empire, and Knows what is needed to run a successful Police Agency. If Kling can do that he is in and has my confidence.

BSRanch

Rialto Pollution Talks Go Nowhere (Press Enterprise 082906) NO DEAL: At issue is how much SB County owes the city for the clean up of Six Wells!!

Rialto pollution talks go nowhere

NO DEAL: At issue is how much San Bernardino County owes the city for the cleanup of six wells.

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 29, 2006

By NAOMI KRESGE and MASSIEL LADRÓN DE GUEVARA
The Press-Enterprise

Settlement talks over payment for perchlorate cleanup broke down on Tuesday between Rialto and San Bernardino County.

The settlement meeting was the first since last August between county supervisors and Rialto City Council members, and each side blamed the other for its acrimonious end.

County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus and Supervisor Josie Gonzales left the morning conference with Rialto councilmen Ed Scott and Joe Sampson. Scott had asked a representative of state Rep. Nell Soto, D-Pomona, to leave, and then the two sides began to argue about the case.

At issue is whether and how much the county owes Rialto to compensate for perchlorate contamination in groundwater from the Mid-Valley Landfill in north Rialto.

City officials say they had a tentative agreement with the county for $6 million, of which $3.5 million would be repaid.

County officials say there was never a deal.

"I think things have pretty well broken down, is what it looks like to me. Unfortunately, the settlement demand on the county will increase in the coming months and years," said Robert Owen, Rialto's city attorney. "Ultimately the county is going to have to pay for their fair share."

The city and its utility sued the county and 41 other agencies and companies in January 2004 over perchlorate contamination in groundwater. Perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel and fireworks, is believed to interfere with thyroid function and brain development. Fetuses and newborns are most at risk.

The chemical has contaminated six of Rialto's wells.

Soto, whose district includes Rialto, is chairwoman of a state Senate committee on perchlorate. Her spokesman, David Miller, said a staffer contacted the county and asked about sitting in on the Tuesday meeting.

Scott said the city told county officials it didn't want the meeting to be confidential. But Scott said it wasn't proper for a third party to be in the room during the talks.

"It was a misunderstanding. I think the bottom line is, we share their commitment to getting the perchlorate out of the drinking water," Miller said.

Bob Page, Gonzales' chief of staff, said the two sides argued over providing information and whether each had returned the other's calls.

City officials say that in a closed-door meeting with Postmus and Gonzales last August, they reached a tentative agreement for the county to pay a $6 million settlement.

Over the course of a year, the two sides said, talks turned to the county paying $2.5 million, plus a $3.5 million advance on future legal costs that would be repaid from money recovered from other defendants.

But Gonzales said there were contingencies because the county didn't have the money.

The $2.5 million payment was contingent upon approval from the county's insurer, Page said. Gonzales said the $3.5 million advance was contingent on the sale of county land in Ontario.

The county hoped to get $52 million to $54 million but only got $47 million, she said, not enough to fund the advance.

"I told them that when they have their priorities straight and are serious on moving forward they could call me and I would reschedule," Gonzales said. "Ed Scott said he would call my office."

Reach Massiel Ladrón de Guevara at 909-806-3054 or mdeguevara@PE.com

Reach Naomi Kresge at 909-806-3060 or nkresge@PE.com


Rialto, County to Jaw Perchlorate Suit (Daily Bulletin 082706)

Rialto, County to Jaw Perchlorate Suit
By Jason Pasick, Daily Bulletin Staff Writer

Leaders from Rialto and San Bernardino County will get together Tuesday to once again discuss the city's lawsuit against the county, the U.S. Department of Defense and a number of corporations.

The 2004 lawsuit claims the county is responsible for contributing to efforts to clean up perchlorate flowing from land the county owns but did not contaminate itself.

Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of rocket fuel and fireworks, materials that were produced in the area in the '50s and '60s. The chemical can limit thyroid function and is thought to be potentially dangerous to developing fetuses and children.

County officials say the county, which is under cleanup orders from the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, has spent about $7 million investigating and cleaning water contaminated with perchlorate. The total cost of cleaning the contamination has been estimated at $200 million.

City and county officials failed to resolve their differences last year, with the county rejecting a deal that called for it to pay $6 million to Rialto in exchange for being dropped from the suit. A portion of that money would have been repaid to the county if the city won its lawsuit against the remaining defendants, the Department of Defense and some 40 other companies.

A June 8 letter from 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales to Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas said: "What has become clear is that we need to work toward a resolution with all the parties of the lawsuit, not just between the City and the County."

Gonzales' district includes Rialto.

Bob Page, Gonzales' chief of staff, said Friday that the county's insurance company will not compensate the county for a settlement with the city. In part, Page said, that is because the scientific investigations have shown that the county is not responsible for more of the contamination than it has already claimed responsibility.

It is also not clear what has changed in the past year that would convince the two sides to reach a settlement.

Rialto City Councilman Ed Scott, who, along with Councilman and Mayor Pro Tempore Joe Sampson, will be negotiating on the city's behalf, said he is not optimistic the two parties will reach an agreement. "I'm hoping they'll sit down with us in good faith," Scott said.

Gonzales and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus will be the elected representatives representing the county.

Page said the county is not likely to budge much from the position it took last year.

"I don't know if there's anything additional we're willing to do," he said.

When asked about the county's contention that it should not settle because of restrictions from its insurance company, Scott said, "That's not really Rialto's problem."

City officials have also charged the county with working with the other defendants against the city. "They have assumed the role of the lead party in that lawsuit," Scott said.

Page said it is only natural for the county to be in communication with the other defendants and for the county's attorneys to talk with the other defendants' attorneys.

"We are a defendant in a lawsuit," he said.

Both sides have accused the other of wasting money by not working together to clean up the perchlorate.

Both sides also say they have always recognized the importance of continuing discussions, but Scott said the city initiated this meeting.

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BSRanch Perspective:

I feel that the side that is bringing unnecessary Law Suits against the other for the cost of cleaning out this Infectious chemical is wasting time and money!! I believe that is the City of Rialto who is doing these Law Suits! Unless I am mistaken. The excuses are promises broken!!

I say this, this is a chemical that can be cleaned from the water, and if it is one that can be cleaned then lets clean it. Lets not waist the people who use this water every day's Health by having to fight it out in court. OR cleaning it out by day and fighting it out in court by night. It is not right!! It is not right!!

BSRanch

Rialto Firefighters Battle Blaze at Pawn Shop (SB Sun 082806)

Rialto Firefighters battle blaze at pawn shop
Staff Reports SB Sun 082806

A jewelry pawn shop was damaged by smoke and a firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion after a fire broke out in the Rialto Jewelry and Loan Store about 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Firefighters were called to the store on the 800 block of East Foothill Boulevard. When crews arrived, they found smoke emanating from the store, which was located in a strip complex.

Crews attacked the blaze from the rear of the store and kept it confined to the rear storage area, according to a Rialto Fire Department news release. No employees were in the store at the time of the fire, officials said.

One firefighter, who was not immediately identified, was treated by Rialto paramedics for heat exhaustion and taken to a hospital where he was released Sunday night, said department spokesman Brian Park.

Rialto Fire's investigation unit was still trying to determine the cause of the blaze, Park said Sunday.

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BSRanch Perspective:

The Rialto Fire Department doing another great job!! I am happy knowing that they are training constantly and always on the job ready to save a life!! Inculding MINE!!

BSRanch

Mayors meet to keep up with region's growth (Daily Bulletin 082706)

GUEST COLUMN
Mayors meet to keep up with region's growth
Paul Leon, Guest Columninst Daily Bulletin 082706

Over the last decade, the Inland Empire has exploded. We have experienced a rapid increase in population, jobs and housing. John Husing, the area's pre-eminent economist, projects, "from 2000-2020, the area's population is expected to go from 3.26 million to 5.28 million, up 2.02 million. That is more people than will be added by 44 of the 50 states. Interestingly, the region is expected to add more people than Los Angeles County (1.77 million) as well as San Diego, Orange, Ventura and Imperial counties combined (1.69 million).

"As a separate state, the Inland Empire's January 2006 population of 3.9 million people was above 24 states, having recently passed Oregon (3.6 million), Oklahoma (3.5 million) and Connecticut (3.5 million). U.S. Commerce Department data showed the Inland Empire with $98 billion in total personal income during 2004. That tied Oklahoma and was more than 21 states."

The west end of San Bernardino County which is comprised of the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and Ontario, has and will continue to lead this growth.

With this growth has come a host of issues and opportunities – some of which arise among us, others in relation to the rest of Southern California, the state and the federal government.

Although the mayors of the west end cities see each other at events from time to time, and participate in regional agencies with other cities and county representatives, there is no forum where we meet with the focus solely on the west end. It is for that reason that on Aug. 14 I took the initiative and hosted a meeting of these mayors at the Ontario Convention Center.

Joining me were Mayor Dennis Yates, Chino; Mayor Mark Nuiami, Fontana; Mayor Paul Eaton, Montclair; Mayor Bill Alexander, Rancho Cucamonga, and Mayor JP Pomierski, Upland.

Our discussions were wide ranging, covering transportation deficiencies, economic development, the need for higher-wage jobs, local government's role in education and the availability of health care, air-quality challenges, and the desire for additional recreational and youth sports facilities.

Being able to discuss issues unique to each of our cities and residents, as well as our mutual concerns, in an open and friendly environment allowed for a frank and meaningful exchange of ideas.

Given our decision to establish this as an ongoing forum, I believe that we have taken the first step toward forming an even closer partnership which will benefit the entire west end and all of our residents and businesses. If there is strength in numbers, the west end is stronger today than ever.

My thanks to Ontario's neighboring cities and the good mayors who lead them.

– Paul Leon is mayor of Ontario.

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BSRanch Perspective

it is scary how fast we are growing and all they are doing is building a freeway! That saying in Field of Dreams is true! Build it and they will come, and they are building that freeway and they are comingFasterer then the freeway can be built. Which is a good thing.

With growing Population comes growing crime unless the council's of our perspectivcity'sys don't keep building up the Police Departments. Rialto right now is over 25 to 30 positions down, unless they started hiringSincece mretirementnt in 2000 most of the department has changed. Why it changed so much that when mretirementnt came that they didn't even have retirementnt party for me!! YES IT HURT ME!! But I am trying every day to get over it!

You know I was involved in a near fatal collision in 1997 and I was unable to go back to work even though I tried so hard to get back to be able to work. As it is I am unable to work anywhere, for anyone. My pain disorder and the medication to control that said pain doesn't mix with police work. So, I am stuck at home! A Fixture that I hate as much as not having that retirement Party. You know not having that Party was like not having thafarewellll funeral that cops have when they die on dutyAndnd you know that is what I did. I was dead when the first unit arrived and thparamediccs were forced to do CPR on me the whole way to the hospitalTheyey kept me alivmanuallyly! It was not my own design. If this was thforties's OR fifties I would have died!! Well so long, have a great day, and I hope the crime rate doesn't go wild with the shortage of Officers and the growth of thcity'sys in the I.E.

BS Ranch

Fly Away, Airfield (Press Enterprise 082606)

Fly Away, Airfield

10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, August 26, 2006

CASSIE MACDUFF

In 1947, Midwesterner Sam Miro visited inland Southern California. A patch of land near Rialto caught his fancy as the ideal place for a small airfield.

Miro bought 60 acres and moved his family out West, grading the dirt and oiling it down for a makeshift runway on the outskirts of town.

In 1967, with the 210 freeway rumored to be soon going through, Miro's airstrip caught Rialto's fancy as an ideal catalyst for economic growth.

The city bought the private airport, expanding it over the ensuing years to encompass nearly 450 acres.

Today, Rialto Municipal Airport is home to an aircraft-painting company, a renowned restorer of World War II-era aircraft, the Sheriff's Aviation Division and an air ambulance service, among others.

By the end of next year, the last planes and helicopters may fly out of Rialto for the last time.

Forty years after the city saw the airport as the key to economic growth, it's now seen as standing in the way, now that the freeway is being built.

A Congressional act has cleared the way to close the airport to make way for a tax-generating, 1,100-acre community with homes, stores, parks, schools and workplaces on the airport and surrounding land.

Rich Scanlan, the airport's manager for 15 years, says the city made the right decision. He tracks forecasts for general aviation and said the number of private pilots is expected to remain flat or even decline over the next decade.

But the closure of Rialto airport worries the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which says airfields in Bakersfield, Oceanside and Upland also are threatened by development.

Bill Dunn, the group's spokesman, said developers drool over airports as the last pieces of flat, developable land, and city officials think only about the revenue. But closing an airport is like closing an entrance to the city, he said. And once closed, it cannot be replaced.

Still, the closure has few detractors in Rialto. Few residents opposed it, once assured their homes weren't targeted for eminent domain. And most airport tenants see it as possibly benefiting them.

The city must pay to relocate them, and many who agree to move eight miles east to San Bernardino International Airport (the former Norton Air Force Base), will get new hangars and buildings.

Rialto is the biggest winner because it will get 55 percent of the net proceeds of the land sale (certain to be in the millions of dollars), plus new property and sales tax from the planned development.

But it also will be a big shot in the arm for San Bernardino International, which has been struggling for 15 years to redevelop.

The former Norton air base will get 45 percent of the net proceeds. Some will be used on relocation costs, but the rest can be used on other airport improvements, said Don Rogers, executive director.

Having small planes won't hamper efforts to attract commercial and cargo flights to the former air base, Rogers said, because small planes will be stored northeast of the landing strip, larger craft at the west.

Rialto has been working on the plan for two years. Another two will be needed to move the tenants. The next three decades will reshape the city where Sam Miro's airfield once lay.

Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 909-806-3068 or cmacduff@PE.com

Monday, August 28, 2006

Fly Away Airfield (Cassie MacDuff Press Enterprise)..Rialto Airport's closing is seen as a good thing, Why do I see it as BAD??

It all seems surreal to me that Rialto has been working on closing the Airport Only Ever since the Loud Ed Scott has become on the City Council. He has come on the Council with to objectives in mind. One was to close the Rialto Airport, and the other was to close the Rialto Police Department, and Contract for Law Enforcement. Now that he failed on the first one he did some semi dirty dealing on the second one to get the Airport Closed, the first time in History that an airport has been closed by Legislation, Against the FAA's Request to keep it open!! Now do you think that Ed Scott will let go of the Purse strings and pay for the Retirement system that the Police department wants and needs?? The Rialto Police Benefit Assoc. Has been asking for the Retirement System to be increased to that of what the neighboring cities in the state have. Over 90% of the state have this retirement system and yet every time Rialto has claimed that they cannot afford it.
When they were going after the vote to get the Utility Tax, the City Council told the Rialto Police Benefit Assoc. that they would give them the Retirement Package that they wanted if they got the Utility tax that they wanted. Well Once the Utility Tax was passed, the Utility was Only Passed for 5 years. however. The City Council and the City Administrator, Garcia felt that they would not have the money over time because they have so many people that are ready for retirement, and they don't and cannot pay for that many people that are ready for retirement and they don't want to have that many Positions that open up at one time with nobody to fill that position when they go.
I can see his part on that however, it is not fair to those that have been to in the department for the whole time, and now they are getting the mine or the Shaft because they cannot retire when they want to because they are forced to work when other people of the same age in other agencies are retired with full money. Not fair.
BSRanch

Fly Away, Airfield

10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, August 26, 2006

CASSIE MACDUFF

In 1947, Midwesterner Sam Miro visited inland Southern California. A patch of land near Rialto caught his fancy as the ideal place for a small airfield.

Miro bought 60 acres and moved his family out West, grading the dirt and oiling it down for a makeshift runway on the outskirts of town.

In 1967, with the 210 freeway rumored to be soon going through, Miro's airstrip caught Rialto's fancy as an ideal catalyst for economic growth.

The city bought the private airport, expanding it over the ensuing years to encompass nearly 450 acres.

Today, Rialto Municipal Airport is home to an aircraft-painting company, a renowned restorer of World War II-era aircraft, the Sheriff's Aviation Division and an air ambulance service, among others.

By the end of next year, the last planes and helicopters may fly out of Rialto for the last time.

Forty years after the city saw the airport as the key to economic growth, it's now seen as standing in the way, now that the freeway is being built.

A Congressional act has cleared the way to close the airport to make way for a tax-generating, 1,100-acre community with homes, stores, parks, schools and workplaces on the airport and surrounding land.

Rich Scanlan, the airport's manager for 15 years, says the city made the right decision. He tracks forecasts for general aviation and said the number of private pilots is expected to remain flat or even decline over the next decade.

But the closure of Rialto airport worries the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which says airfields in Bakersfield, Oceanside and Upland also are threatened by development.

Bill Dunn, the group's spokesman, said developers drool over airports as the last pieces of flat, developable land, and city officials think only about the revenue. But closing an airport is like closing an entrance to the city, he said. And once closed, it cannot be replaced.

Still, the closure has few detractors in Rialto. Few residents opposed it, once assured their homes weren't targeted for eminent domain. And most airport tenants see it as possibly benefiting them.

The city must pay to relocate them, and many who agree to move eight miles east to San Bernardino International Airport (the former Norton Air Force Base), will get new hangars and buildings.

Rialto is the biggest winner because it will get 55 percent of the net proceeds of the land sale (certain to be in the millions of dollars), plus new property and sales tax from the planned development.

But it also will be a big shot in the arm for San Bernardino International, which has been struggling for 15 years to redevelop.

The former Norton air base will get 45 percent of the net proceeds. Some will be used on relocation costs, but the rest can be used on other airport improvements, said Don Rogers, executive director.

Having small planes won't hamper efforts to attract commercial and cargo flights to the former air base, Rogers said, because small planes will be stored northeast of the landing strip, larger craft at the west.

Rialto has been working on the plan for two years. Another two will be needed to move the tenants. The next three decades will reshape the city where Sam Miro's airfield once lay.

Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 909-806-3068 or cmacduff@PE.com

Fw: Oil Shortage


A lot of folks can't understand

how we came to have

an oil shortage here in our country.

~~~

Well, there's a very simple answer.


~~~

Nobody bothered to check the oil.

~~~

We just didn't know we were getting low.

~~~

The reason for that is purely geographical.

~~~

Our OIL is located in

~~! ~

Alaska

~~~

California

~~~

Oklahoma
~~~

TEXAS

~~~
UTAH
and
Wyoming

~~~

Our

DIPSTICKS

are located in

Washington DC